Emily's Hideaway

I have worked very hard in the last two months. Eight hours was spent in my regular job and an additional three hours was devoted to learning everything about Special Education. That was a schedule from 7:30am-10:pm. It was not only taxing physically but also mentally. I had to be prepared for my teaching everyday and then I had to go be a student until late in the evening, not to mention the long drive that I had to make to and from the venue of my classes.

I took the examination for Early Childhood -12th Grade Special Education certification last April 19th. Since I took the paper based test, there was a three week waiting period before the results were available. My test reporting date was May 9th, 5pm Central Time. That three weeks was one of the longest I have ever waited on. I couldn't wait to know if I made it or not. I kept checking on the SBEC (State Board for Educator Certification) website to see if by chance they had posted the results earlier then announced. True enough, at 6am, May 9th, I logged on and saw my results were in. I passed the test! All my hard work had paid off. I couldn't be happier. In our class of 9, only three of us passed but I am hoping that our other classmates make it on their second attempt. We will have our class party tomorrow night which is our last meeting. 

Yesterday, I received my official test results, I did well on every competency tested and guess what.....I only had 1 incorrect answer in the Math portion, which to me is a surprise considering that Math and I were never fond of each other!

                                                           

mother's day....come to think of it, what's it all about? it's all about mama, nanay, mom, inay, nanang or whatever other word we use to refer to our mothers. mothers are definitely special people. they are the one person in the world who knows us inside out and who love us for what we are. they are the only persons who know exactly all the faults and flaws we have but who still treat us with so much love and acceptance and who make us feel that there is one person who will always be on our side. my own mom was a very strict woman...so much so that there was a point in my life where i was afraid of her. i didn't quite understand why she was that strict but as i grew older, i realized that she was right all along. when i had my first child and became a mother myself, my mom became my best friend. i could talk to her like she was my friend. i could relate to the way she brought us all up. imagine, she had 9 of us to rear! that was a tall order but she did a very good job. when she passed away, i felt like a part of me died with her. i not  only lost my mom, i lost a friend too. in the months before she passed away, we would talk on the phone 2 or 3 times daily.  i guess she was lonely  as all of us had left the family home and it was just she and my dad in the house. tomorrow is mother's day. my own three children have been hinting they all have something special for me. kevin has volunteered to wash my car as his mother's day present to me. that's something i'd appreciate since my car is crying out for a wash. anna and yna have some "surprises" up their sleeve. my children are sweet and show me how much they care. they are very affectionate towards me...always ready to give me a hug or a kiss. even kevin, who is now 14, often comes up to me with a hug...something he does a lot to robin too. anna and yna are just two cuddy-cuddly girls who love to invade our bed and just hang out with us.

motherhood is one complicated, heartwrenching, but heartwarming experience. i wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

                                                       

today is national teacher day. since yesterday, i've been receiving presents, cards, flowers from my students. first because it was my birthday and also because of teacher appreciation day. today, i got another handful of presents. it's a very good feeling to know that the parents of my students appreciate and recognize what i do for their children.

I came across this Rules for Teachers in one of our prescribed texts, The Teachers Guide To Success.  I find it very interesting. Women teachers were not even allowed to get married! I'm just glad I wasn't in the profession at that time. Read on.....

RULES For TEACHERS 1872  

It's been almost 2 years since I started multiplying. I've met different kinds of people from various parts of the world through it. It has kept me connected to my family and friends in the Philippines. It has given me a venue to chronicle my life as a wife, mother and as a teacher here in the U.S. Aside from these, I cannot deny that I have met a number of online friends who have made my multiply experience quite pleasant. I've had my share of  encounters with some annoying people but I guess that comes when you're part of the world wide web.

Yesterday, when we got home from attending the Anime Convention at the Woodland's Marriott Hotel, we found a USPS package waiting by our front porch. It was from one of our multiply friends. (robin's and mine) Last week, Shareena Floro-Bernstein had sent me a PM saying she had made some Spring wreaths and that she had wanted to send one to my family as an Easter present and as a token of our multiply friendship. Thank you, Shareena. And here's a picture of your lovely hand-made spring wreath hanging on our front door. And as you mentioned in our internet conversations, it is true that we share common values.......we are both family oriented and both love our cats.....hehehe! Happy Easter again.

                                              a much appreciated present...