oh, how i miss thee!

i miss the old krew, too.

* older and fatter, yet still HOT! ...kinda.

taking over

so today was my first official day of student teaching. at first i was a bit annoyed that i had to do student teaching still because that's pretty much what i did all school year last year but they couldn't count it because it was a "job" or whatever. but i'm trying hard to look at it with new eyes and just be grateful i'm getting more experience in the classroom. after this summer, i will have actually had experience teaching a bit in every single grade except 4th and 8th! i'm in a 2nd/3rd grade combo class right now and my master teaching had this emergency thing she had to take care of smack in the middle of class so i actually led the class for the rest of the afternoon. talk about just throwing you in there!!! luckily, i survived. we'll see how the rest of the time goes...

* * *

franny: moving to so cal? hmm....maybe one day! so is the alchemist appropriate for middle school? maybe 7th or 8th? i've never read it. i think august is perfect...let me know.

guru G: hi. i miss you, too. i really like that picture as well...so much, in fact, that i put it in my scrapbook. wanna come visit my class? you can teach music!!!

gian: hello gian. it's ok for not calling me back...you made up for it last night. and it's ok about the happiest race on earth...though, you better be there to cheer me on. unless you are gone by then. which, in that case, mabye i'll send you my medal. maybe. see you up here soon!

kirsten: hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!! i know i miss you already, too! did you get my text a few weeks ago? every time i see the new MAC collection (you know the one that's in teal cases) i think of you....SO your style! i better see you up here soon!

just because they're CUTE.

happy anniversary, mommy and daddy! we ate dinner at black angus...it was nice.










cousin time. this summer has been all about the cousin time. we spend a lot of eat playing sequence and eating snow cones at the park. i love.







jei didn't want to take this picture because he didn't wanna look like tourists. oh well! we had a good time with jei as OUR tour guide...good eats at tempura house. fun times.








these were taken at their preschool...they had a multicultural day so the cousins + david went and performed filipino folk dances and hula/ori tahiti for everyone. i was the emcee and afterwards people came up to my cousin and asked, "is she a teacher?" go figure.

ah...they're growing up so fast. but they're interacting a lot more with me now so it's nice. can't wait to see what kind of people they grow up to be.






AWESOME times at the giants v. a's game last sunday...even though we lost. we played sucky, too. memento from the game: a burnt nose and forehead. ouch.

upon you rests my favor.

i guess it's about time for me to blog.

since my last entry which was like, lightyears ago, lots has happened and lots more is going on! i can sum it all up in three words: life is good.

lola's 40th day death anniversary. we celebrated mass and all went well. i even put on my old choir director hat and led my dad, uncle, and cousins in song! it was a good experience and i'm so proud to say that i have a very dedicated and talented family. my bro even accompanyed us on the piano and david was on the guitar. the priest sang along, so i guess that was a good sign. anyways, lola is now finally at rest with the Lord and the air surrounding her death is peaceful.

vegas2006. you know, vegas (like san diego) never fails me. i had a blast. the perfect mixture of old and new...dancing, toasting, shopping, gambling, family time and being one with nature. i'd post more pictures but i'm afraid i'd get in trouble. ah what the heck...here are the clean (and not so clean) versions:

graduating class of 2006. the youngest member of the immediate dioneda clan has graduated from 8th grade. what a milestone! i look back at old pictures and can't believe how much she's grown into a young hollister-wearing pinay bopper. just kidding. she's not a bopper. but she does wear hollister. her 8th grade class president speech made me cry. i'm so proud of her...she got soooo many awards that i ran out of tape on my video camera. wow.

UCI graduating class of 2006. sorry i couldn't be there. but i prayed for y'all. how exciting it is to begin your journey into adulthood! watch out, it sucks...only at first. then, it turns out to be not so bad. but enjoy your non-working status while you can. trust me.

spiritual journey. took a seminar class entitled the catholic school teacher's spiritual journey. didn't exect it to be so wonderful. i was in a room full of catholic school principals and administrators, and one of the things that stuck out to me was FAITH. lack of faith, full of faith, a faith renewed. i wonder how many people actually stop to ponder about where they are in their faith...where they are in terms of their relationship with Jesus. at the end of the class we were asked to bless each other with a gift we would like each to receive. i blessed them all with the gift of faith.

dwtlLA. answered prayers & little miracles. i love.

teaching. i got a job!!! i actually found out a month or so ago but it hasn't really sunk in yet. i'll be teaching at a k-8 catholic school less than 10 minutes away from my house and i'll be in middle school! yikes! i have 6th grade homeroom, 6-7-8 english and literature. wowmomwow. i'm excited, yet nervous at the same time. the principal of the school is a sister of st. paul from the philippines! i'm hoping this fact will aid in my request to take a few days off in april so i can go back to the philippines. we will see! i'm just beginning to plan my curriculum...anyone have any good suggestions for literature units?

up north. (when) are you guys coming?

1/2 marathon. i haven't been training as much as i should. the farthest i've gone is 5 miles and the race is 13 miles...i have a long way to go. i probably would be more motivated if i knew that SOME PEOPLE were going to join me but i guess that's not happening. oh well. c'est la vie. grrr....

on another note...my spirituality class talked about being holy and something that was said really stuck with me. this is the place where you and i are supposed to be holy...right now. not down the road after i've been a catholic teacher for ten years...not when i get married and become a wife and mother...right now. spirituality is about who you are in the present moment.

who YOU are is already holy...blessed.

think about that.