Happy Birthday Papi

I just wanted to wish mi papi a very happy 60th birthday. That is right today is mi papi's birthday! Seen in the picture above with my sister.

Feliz Cumpleanos Papi!

Some days are meant to be remembered

Today was one of those day. Actually this has been happening on and off for a few weeks now.

Today I ran into one of my old students mom. She came to enroll her youngest son in my school. The minute I saw her I knew who she was but was unsure if she remembered me. She did and as we started to catch up she told me something that made me smile. She said " You know F has never forgotten you, to this day he still talks about you."

I was surprised to hear that considering that when I was her sons teacher he was four, and I can barely remember anything from when I was four. So for him to remember me was amazing, but then again not everyone has crappy memory like me.

Anyways, She informed me that he is in the fourth grade now. Can you believe that one of my students is in the fourth grade? Goodness where has the time gone? She told me that they can't get him to stop talking which made me laugh because way back when due to a speech impediment F would barely speak. So to hear that he has turned into a talker was great news.

I have been running into old students,their parents, and ex co-workers everywhere. It has really been a blessing. Lately due to a few incidents (for lack of a better word) I have been feeling like crap. I have been doubting and second guessing myself a lot. I even thought about giving up teaching. So to run into people who know me back when is great.I am so grateful to them for sharing their stories with me. Right now they mean more to me then anyone will ever know.

One of the best things in the world is to walk into a school and hear a voice somewhere say " Ms. Karla is that you?" I love it when families come up to me and are so excited to introduce me to their relatives or the newest addition to their family. " Mira Ms. Karla, in a few years he /she will be in your class." Its not only a great feeling but also a great honor to know you made an impact in someones life.

I know that if you go back far enough you will find those blog post where I am ranting about how much I disliked working with middle school kids. Which at the time was how I felt and I don't regret writing those post. Well I ran into one of those middle school kids the other day. He is now a high school junior and it was great to run in to him. I could not help but laugh as he told his friends " Nah, man Ms. G is cool, you just don't know." It was also good to hear that he is doing so well in school. I can't believe that next year he will graduate.

I also blushed from embarrasement as an ex co-worker that I have not seen in a long time told a big shot in the district " Have you seen this girl teach? She is like magic, I mean it is amazing. You have to watch her teach, you might learn something." What do you say to some thing like that? "Thank You" does not seem to do it justice.

If fact what do you say when a student who you were sure you failed comes back and tells you that you where the first person to believe in them and because of that they were able to believe in themselves? or when a child writes you a note thanking you for going to their game/concert and you realize that you were the only adult in their life that bothered to show up that night?

What do you do when a grown man comes to you in tears and thanks you for giving his child a chance? What do you say when a women who was abused comes back and tells you that you not only saved her life but her children's as well? That because you kept insisting she finally went back to school and will graduate in a few days? When a family who has nothing gathers the few dollars they do have to buy you a gift as their way of saying thanks? Some time there are no words to express how you feel, and some times "Thank You" is not enough.

I hope you all know I am not bragging trust me I know I am not all that. I have a lot to learn. My students teach me more then I teach them. I just needed to write this down as a way to remember all the good things. So on those days that I feel like giving up I can come back to this post and remember that I can't. Giving up is not an option. There are kids, families out there who need me. I can't let them down.

Were only taking turns holding this world it's how it's always been when you're older, you will understand

So I suck at this updating thing. I am so sorry for the lack of posts on here.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of the times I got to hang out with my sisters and older cousins. I remember going out to dinner with them, and being able to talk to them, ask them questions and get their advise on things like my parents, school and boys. As I look back on it now i realize that my sisters and cousins helped mold me into the person I am today.

Nat, Caro, Joe, Gabe and I have been trying to do that with our younger cousins at least with the ones who live out here. Nat, Caro and I have taken our girl cousins out for a "Girls night" and Gabe and Joe have held " Game nights" at Joe's and Nat's apartment for the boys.We have also told them that they can call whenever to talk about whatever. A few of them have take us up on that offer.

Two weeks ago Nataly, Joe, Gabe and I took all of our younger cousins out to see Spider-Man 3. We planned this outing on the way home one night from Maga's house. We called all the kids and had them ask for permission as Joe said to "get drunk and see Spider-Man 3". I think our little cousins left out the getting drunk part when they asked for permission but we got the green light from everyone and we were all set to go.

We decide to go on Saturday instead of Friday because we knew that opening night was going to be crazy, and there was no way we were going to try going to the movies with this many kids on opening night.

So on Saturday morning Nataly went to the theater to pick up the tickets for the 8 p.m. showing. We then spend the day fielding calls for all the kids wondering if 1.) We were still going? (We were) and 2.) at what time where we going to pick them up? (After 6).

Later on that night Joe and Nat stopped by Joe's parents house to pick up the Suburban which was going to be our ride for the evening seeing as out of the four of us none had a car big enough to fit all the kids. After that Joe and Nat picked me up and we were off to start collecting our kids. We joked about sticking a daycare sign on the side of the burban or running into the house Room Raiders style and just grabbing the kids and running back out...lol.

After we had picked up all the kids we went to FatBurger for dinner. Where we went back in time and had a boys table and a girls table with the exception of Cristian who is 4 and sat with the girls. After ordering we sat and talked and laughed and had a great time. My little cousins are a bunch of really good kids. I already knew that but it was cool to be reminded of that, that night. We finished our burgers and headed over to the theater for the movie. On the way in we asked one of the security guards if he could please take a group picture. He said no at first but after I begged a little more he did.



Since we were early which is a first for us. We grab some snacks and played some arcade games before heading into our theater. The movie was ok. Not as good as the other two but still ok. After the movie Joe and Nat dropped all the kids off and the returned the burban. Gabe and I went home talking about how much fun that was and that we should do it again. Since then the kids have called as have my aunts and uncles thanking us for a fun night and asking for a repeat.

Now with Shrek the Third out we might just have to.