Freewrite: April 20, 2011

I'm really excited for these next few months :) So many exciting things are going to happen that I can't wait for. For instance, today I'm going to talk to my meal-time buddy, Leeajiah, about becoming her Big Sister soon! If her parents agree to it, we should be good to go! I love getting to hang out with her each week, and getting to take her places would be a lot of fun! Tomorrow I have my CPR/AED class so that I can get recertified... it should be interesting. Last year's was a lot of fun, but I don't remember the order you do everything in so I will have to be reminded. On April 30, I have my first drumline camp at MSU. All the rookies and veterans will come in and we'll practice in subs and get to know each other a little bit. I'm so excited for that. Not only is it my first "college" activity, but I get to play drums and hang out with people who I will probably become really close to in the next year. May 5 is the Big Brothers Big Sisters Banquet where I will be honored as "Buddy of the Year" with a plaque. I don't know how I was awarded this, but I'm really happy I did. I just go because I love it. I'm altruistic :) Prom is May 7- I can't wait! I love my dress and accessories, and I'm getting my hair and nails done and going tanning! I'm putting a lot more work (and, consequently, money) into this year than I did last year, but I think it will be worth it for the memories I will have. Scholarship Night is May 10 and I will finally find out if I get any local scholarships that will help me pay for college! We graduate May 20!!!! Me and Cameron's FOURTH anniversary is May 25 :) <3 The WAC opens May 28! So many things happening just in a month... and there's so much more happening in the months after that :) My life is about to get super busy!

WORD COUNT: 355

Freewrite: April 15, 2011

I was kind of hoping today would be a writing marathon day since I didn't get to go when everyone else went in the fall, but now I can't think of anything to write. Soooooooooo..... this week has been pretty exciting. Or at least these last two days have been. I had my audition to get into the MSU Drumline on Wednesday and I was super nervous. However, once I was there I realized that I would be auditioning for John Sullivan- our color guard instructor! That made me less nervous, but I still stopped a few times. That was disappointing, but he said they would send me an offer in the coming weeks!! I have a camp on April 30 which is really exciting because both the rookies and the vets will be there so it will be our first time meeting and getting to know who next year's potential drumline is! I already got the music for that day, and it is fantastic! I have parts memorized from listening to it yesterday, but I'm not sure that's a good thing considering I don't know what drum I'll be on! Oh well :) Yesterday I had my "interview" with Brandon at the Willard Aquatic Center where I've worked for two years. We talked about a lot of things but we especially talked about the responsibilities I will have this summer. I really like getting to be a shift leader and taking more responsibility, and when I told him that, he told me what he wants me to do this summer. I will get to be front desk/concessions "manager" and swim lesson "coordinator/manager." I don't know my official title, but with the front desk stuff, I will get to take inventory, purchase items for the pool if necessary, keep everything organized, possibly make schedules for people, and just run it in general. I don't have to be there every day, but I will probably be there a lot. With the swim lesson stuff, I will get to teach and run all of the lessons. I will schedule private lessons (and hopefully still teach some) and I will assist other teachers in teaching their classes or individuals when necessary. I'm really excited to get that much more responsibility this summer :) WORD COUNT: 380

Freewrite: April 13, 2011

I am so tired. It's way too early to be in a class where I have to think. If I could create my dream job, I would teach, but it wouldn't start early. We would start at 9 AM and be done by 2 or 3 PM. That would be great. I really want to come back to and teach at Willard, however, so that won't happen. I also want to live in Willard. Thankfully Cameron does, too, so there won't have to be any fighting about that. When I'm in college, I want to live in Springfield, but not downtown, and not on a super busy street. My dream house would be in Willard. It would be 3000 or 4000 square feet- big, I know, but I want at least 4 kids. I want my house to be on some acreage, but I don't want to own a farm. I don't want chickens, cows, or pigs. Ducks would be okay, however :) The kitchen would be huge, and the house would be open concept. There would be a library for all my books, and a big playroom and tons of bedrooms for the kids. The backyard would have a treehouse and a hammock and a porch swing on my wrap-around porch. There would be a play yard for the kids, a pool, and a jacuzzi. I want to take care of foster kids, so the house would always be loud. I want to always have family and friends over, so that the house is never empty. I would love for it to look modern, but cozy. Simple, clean lines with bright colors and beautiful woodwork. My house would look like a 1930s home. Gorgeous, but big. Not small. :) WORD COUNT: 290

Freewrite: April 11, 2011

Inspiration... inspiration... inspiration... english paper. Band audition. So, our english papers have to be stamped by Friday... eek. Scary. I really REALLY need to work on mine tonight so that I can at least get a probation stamp by then. I also have my band audition at MSU on Wednesday and I have barely played it on a drum. AHHHHH. That's really scary. I would love to make it into the Pride's drumline- not just for the band grant that I could get, but for the fact that I love being on a drumline and the camraderie that it brings. I really hope I don't mess up like I did last year on my solo at Districts. I played really well, except for the 6 times or so that I stopped and started again. If I do that, they hopefully won't take off too much because I am showing my playing ability- I just get nervous in front of crowds and hate playing by myself. And besides, playing on a bass is nothing like playing on a concert snare. Give me a bass line (a good one preferably) and I'll show you how well I can play. I just hope they give me a chance and allow me to show them how good I am beyond what I can play on a snare. I'm really excited, but at the same time, I'm really nervous because if I don't get in, that would kind of make me feel like a failure. Which sucks. Meeting people from other schools that we have competed against in the past who would then be in the same drumline as me would be one of coolest and strangest things I have ever experienced. I feel like Willard's band is special, but I know that once I get out there and talk to other people, Willard's kids are just like the rest. Yes, we are good, but I'm talking about the friendships and family atmosphere that we have. I'm glad that everyone else has gotten to experience it, because I don't know who I would have been without being in band. I can't wait to meet others who can tell me about their experiences and see how good they are and all that stuff. I really hope I make the drumline because it could be one of the best experiences of my life. :) WORD COUNT: 397

Freewrite: April 4, 2011

My favorite thing to wear is my necklace Cameron gave me. He gave it to me for Christmas in 2007 and I wore it everyday (until I lost it during Courtwarming :( :( ). It had a silver heart on it at first, but I also added a piece of another necklace onto it that he gave me when we went to Hawaii in 2008. It was a white flower, and I had purchased the ring that matched it earlier, but I didn't have enough money to buy both. He surprised me, though, when he got it for me. It was really, really special to me, and somehow it got lost in all the commotion of Courtwarming. I'm still hoping to find it somewhere... but thinking about that got me thinking about Hawaii and all the memories from there. I remember getting everything ready in the gym of the high school and trying to say goodbye without crying too much and trying to fit my little pillow in my backpack. I remember wishing I could ride with Cameron's group, but still having to split up. I remember watching some comedy video before falling asleep for the drive to KC. I remember waiting for the plane for hours and sleeping on the floor of the airport. I remember getting breakfast at 3 AM because we were starving. I remember flying over the ocean and thinking we were getting close, and then looking up at the TV to see we were only halfway there. I remember getting to Hawaii and getting leis, but having awful, puffy eyes and a stuffy nose because I was allergic to the flowers. I remember getting on the bus to go to the hotel, and sitting in the lobby while they introduced us. That's only the beginning, but I remember so many things from that trip that I didn't think I remembered. I can't wait to go back :) WORD COUNT: 322

Freewrite: April 1, 2011

Today is Friday! Finally! This week kind of went by slowly, so I'm glad it's over. All of the local scholarships were due yesterday by 3 PM, and I turned mine in around 8 AM, so my stress was gone for all of yesterday, which was nice considering I had our Regional FTA meeting to go to. There were a total of 8 students from WHS that went, and I thought that was a lot, but when we got there, I think the biggest number I heard was 24! And they weren't big schools or school districts like Springfield... however, I don't think all of them were there because they want to be teachers when they grow up. I think they just wanted to miss school. I don't blame them, but if you are going to go somewhere and listen to people speak just so you can miss school, at least be quiet so that other people who actually WANT to be there can hear what's going on. For instance, Dr. Medlin was our keynote speaker. He did a fantastic job, but the whole time he was speaking, there were about four girls in the row behind me who talked the ENTIRE TIME! I really wanted to turn around and ask them if they were the keynote speaker (or just tell them to shut up), but I decided I would be the mature future teacher and just sit there. I wish people would realize that even if it isn't what you want to do, other people may be really interested in it, so they should at least show some respect and allow learning to occur for those who want to be there. And if you are just going to talk, stay at school. Don't waste Dr. Medlin's time by talking while he's speaking for twenty minutes. That's just stupid and immature. Also, when the director of teaching placement opportunites at Missouri State University is speaking about how best to get a teaching job, and one of the things she points out is how you would look to others, and says, for instance if you are paying attention right now instead of talking, and how that would give you a smaller chance of getting one of those few teaching jobs and you are STILL TALKING, ugh. Pay attention and learn something, or go home. I don't want to be your coworker if you can't even pay attention in a meeting. Gosh. WORD COUNT: 410

Freewrite: March 30, 2011

[FIRST- I hate slow computers.] Anyways- I've been thinking a lot recently about college and exactly what I want to do with my life... I thought I had decided, but now I'm not so sure (again). I think I've probably changed my mind at least 10 times during high school... with more than half of those changes in the last year or two. I think I want to be a teacher. Yesterday I was in my FTA class with my fourth graders and I needed to take some pictures to give to Mrs. Hall, so we played "Stump the Teacher" and I helped them get started with relearning how to put words in order. It made me realize how much I truly enjoy it. I also found out that I am definitely going to be able to go on the Jeff City trip with them and even have my own little group to chaperone and supervise! I'm so excited! It will be like being a teacher and I can't wait:) WORD COUNT: 170