Gobble Gobble!

        Happy Turkey day everyone! It's that one day a year when people think about all the great things they have in their lives like a family that is there for you no matter what and supports all your choices, a few truly great friends that you're pretty sure would walk through fire for you, a healthy lifestyle that keeps your body young and energized no matter what the age, an education, a faithful and loving pup to come home to, and in these times don't forget a j.o.b. These are just some of the things that made my list this year:)         
      One thing I am very thankful for are my parents. Over the years I have grown to really appreciate not just everything they have done and continue to do for me, but I appreciate them as individuals. My mom is kind, dedicated, motivated, loving and has way more strength than she ever gives herself credit for. I learned how to be a loving individual from my mom. She is back to school now and we are all very proud of her. I can always count on her to be there when I need her and that is a quality that counts.
       My dad is the most intelligent person I know. He speaks passionately and has taught me and my siblings to always wonder and question. I am sure that I get my passion for learning, life, and love from him. He is strong and motivated and has instilled these qualities in his kids. My dad can see the positive side of life as well. Even in bad situations and strife there is always a tomorrow. I think we are alike in this too. Every night at dinner my dad asks us what we are thankful for. This is another thing I love about my dad. He doesn't wait for Thanksgiving to be thankful, he encourages us to be thankful all year long.
      So today when you sit down to eat with your family I encourage you to carry that feeling of thankfulness not just on this day, but everyday.

When are you going to be a real teacher Ms. Fetrow?

          I spent Thursday and Friday of this week substitute teaching at what has become my favorite place to work, Rowe Middle School. Did I just say middle school??!! You read it right, no sarcastic joke here. I have been converted to a middle school teacher, or at least I'm working on it.
         So the health teacher had the flu all week long and thus the kiddos had about four different subs throughout the week, which may not seem like such a big deal, but really makes for a stressful change of pace for all involved. Lucky for me I have spent most of my time subbing over the past year at Rowe so I am no longer just some random sub that the students despise and try to torture. I know most of the students and have have developed some awesome teacher-student relationships almost as if I actually taught full time.
         I never in a million, billion years thought I would EVER want to teach middle school, but I'll tell you one thing, once you put in the time to get to know the students and build mutual respect these kids-no, adolescents are quite enjoyable to be around. Don't get me wrong, I've had many stressful days at Rowe. I've broken up fights, actually been karate kicked in the shoulder in one instance, had students call me awful names and of course been disrespected, but those days are few and far between now and all the kindness and good comments out weigh the bad days. What a great feeling to walk down the hall and hear, "Ms. Fetrow's here! Who are you subbing for, do I have you today? You're my favorite teacher! Hi Ms. Fetrow, how's it going? High five Ms. Fetrow!" Those are the comments that truly make your day and realize you ARE actually reaching some of these kids and making a difference. It may seem like a small thing, but it is the reason I teach. I couldn't imagine not teaching kids and these middle school students are at a point in their lives when so much is starting to change-physically, emotionally, mentally...they just need someone who is willing to listen, to respect their opinions and not simply answer, "it's this way because I said so."
         Almost daily I am asked why I do not teach full time at Rowe...do I like being a substitute? It is difficult for the kids to grasp all the different factors that play a role in why I am a substitute. I tell them that I am working on being able to teach middle school through my masters program. They think it is so easy to get a teaching job and start naming teachers I should replace :) I simply smile and thank them for the compliment of wanting me around full time. They just don't understand why I am not a "real" teacher. It is next to impossible to explain that just because I am a substitute teacher it doesn't mean I am not a real teacher. I look forward to finishing my endorsement to teach middle school language arts and social studies and am happy to have found a place to belong, as much as a substitute teacher can belong.

I will tap dance the CRAP out of you!!

         Last night marked a momentous occasion for yours truly. After being a fan for at least ten years of the Irish dance show phenomenon Lord of the Dance, I finally got to see the live show! Now for those of you who are skeptics or have absolutely NO idea what I am talking about let me enlighten you. Tap dancing has always, and I do mean ALWAYS been my favorite type of dance. I think it has something to do with my constant need to be tapping my feet, go figure. I believe I have my dad to thank for introducing me to the Lord of the dance. I can't recall exactly, but in my head our conversation went a little something like this, dad: "Hey Rachael you know how you like to dance?" me: "Heck yeah I do dad!!" dad: "Well come check out this crazy Irish tap dancer flying around the stage with a headband!" me: "WOW. Look at him go!" From there I was hooked. The Celtic songs, story, dancing, did I mention the tap dancing drama...I never could say no to a good tap dancing duel after all :) You can bet I would put that VHS on (oh yeah, old school) anytime I had nothing going on, which in my crazy life as a teen was more often than you would think!

        I remember one specific instance...I was a sophomore in high school and had just found out that this guy, who would later become my first official boyfriend, had a crush on me. I'm pretty sure it was a Saturday night and I, being the party animal I am, was of course chilling. Nope, strike that, I was watching Lord of the Dance!! I get a call around 8 pm from a friend, obviously a more popular friend haha, who was at a party at a mutual friend's house telling me that I HAD to come over because my future BF really REALLY wanted me to come hang out. It was a hard decision to make…Lord of the Dance or cute boy who is totally into me? I am happy to say that in the end, I chose the boy :)
        Ok, too much back story! Last night my mom, sister and I went to enjoy the Lord of the Dance in person. Although it was not exactly the same without Michael Flatley, now retired who I must say kept my attention on the VHS I must have watched hundreds of times over the past 10 years, the present cast sure performed the heck out of Mr. Flatley's show! Some may say it's cheesy, I wouldn't necessarily disagree, but boy oh boy parts of the show still bring a tear to my eye and send tingles down my spine. This does not happen simply because of the awesomeness of the show or the performers, but of how many memories are suddenly brought to focus. Every time I see it I am reminded of the night I first realized I could actually fall hard for someone, and the crazy antics of meeting my now brother in law for the first time...did I forget to mention that he does a MEAN Michael Flatley impersonation?? Ask him sometime. I guarantee the only response you shall receive will be that he'll fasten his tie around his head, cock his arms in the ever impressive "lightning" move and begin his tap dancing duel. I wouldn't even challenge him...he's too good.
         So I say, bring on the cheese any day! As long as I can watch grown men and ladies tap dance the CRAP out of each other in what can only be known as a "tap dance off" I'm in.

My Birthday Get-a-way

          WOW...a month flies by pretty darn quick! Thanks for the kind reminder that I haven't blogged in a while Kev! Atleast it has been a productive month filled with lots of subbing at my favorite middle school, finishing the dreaded thesis proposal and of course spending time with family and friends.
          To break up the monotony and as an early birthday present to myself, last week I flew down to Las Vegas to visit two good friends. Alicia  moved to Vegas about a month ago to work for Amer Core so it was great to see and spend some time with her and meet her awesome roommates. They were pretty great to let me stay at their apartment for a few days and show me around another side of Vegas. On Friday, Alicia, her roommates Neyda and Scott, fellow co-worker Danny and I did a wicked fun hike scrambling around the Valley of Fire, boy was I wrong thinking Oregon had all the sweet hikes!

the texture of the rock was crazy

arch rock or something like that

scrambling is my new favorite way to hike!

enjoying the view with alicia

scott and I showing our karate kid skills!

I thought this rock looked like a monkey

the rocks felt way cool

neyda and alicia on the way up

love the tricky camera angles!

          The other friend I visited while in Vegas was Andrew. Our families have been friends since we both lived in Arizona way back in the day. Andrew and I lost touch over the years when they moved to Vegas and we moved to Oregon, but a few months ago started chatting again while he was playing ball in France. He's a fun guy to be around so naturally I wanted to see him while in Vegas. Lucky for me, he was playing in a softball tournament Saturday and Sunday so I got to be the cheerleader for him and his team. I've never actually seen him play baseball and by the by...he's kind of a big deal! The weather was beautiful and turns out softball was pretty fun to watch!

Andrew, his roommates and I also made an appearance at a UNLV football game. Not quite as big a deal as a Beavs or Ducks game, but still a fun time complete with losing the car in the parking lot! Darn those multiple exits! All in all I'd say it was a great trip! Only a few disappointments, but I guess life would be pretty boring if everything was perfect all the time. Plus I'm getting better at hitting life's curve balls;D 

On to 27...hope it's a GREAT one!!