2009 should be a great year

Well, so far 2009 has been "pure awesomeness" to quote Ema. I will start my new job January 20 with Broward College (previously Broward Community College) and Ema will be an anchor with her school television program WHE Live starting in the third quarter! Gustavo is doing really well with the Emergency Management Department at Broward County and is going to solo with the Broward Symphony Orchestra February 21 at 8pm. We are so excited! If you are in the area, he is playing at Bailey Hall at the central campus at BCC (that's where Jenn works!!). Oh-big news! We finalyl got a replacement camera so we can begin posting pictures! Yeah! Hopefully I will be a better blogger this year. Talk at you later!

I am a terrible blogger

I do not seem to be very good at blogging! It was a really rough summer. One of my close friends had a stroke a passed away. He was the husband of my Girl Scout co-leader. I helped with the funeral, wake and have been helping out with the family ever since. It's been tough, but my friend is one of the strongest women I know and she is getting along. Her mother has been in the hospital since about a week after her husband's death. Her mom is a fighter, and I pray she comes back from this.

Ema is in 5th grade and is just thriving! She is on the morning news program at school, bell choir, advanced choir, chess club, Girl Scouts, and an altar server at church. Gustavo has recently received a great promotion at work and is moving to a new department with the county, Emergency Operations. This is actually what his Master's degree is in so he is quite excited about it. My job with the University of South Florida ended September 25 since the grant that funded it ended. I have been on the job hunt ever since. I am taking a part time job with Lindamood-Bell teaching kids with learning disabilities. I also went back to school this past August and am loving it.

This is just a quick catch up. I hope all is well with everyone!

Birthday week

Turning 33 this week has certainly been fun! I started last weekend when my friend Deanna came up with her daughter and new 2 1/2 month old son. We had a great weekend just hanging around the house. Dee thought she was neglecting her daughter because she basically didn't see her the whole weekend, but I don't think anyone could have paid more attention to her than my daughter! My parents joined us Saturday afternoon to celebrate. I woke up Tuesday to my daughter singing happy birthday which was wonderful! Soon the balloons from Gustavo came in! I went to work for about 3 hours and went to lunch with my friend and off to Girl Scouts. I think I am the only person that would purposefully plan a meeting on my own birthday. I had ice cream sandwiches as a treat with the girls and some of my friends at the school came and celebrated with us. Gustavo took Ema and I to dinner that evening. This weekend I am going to an indian restaurant with my in-laws to continue. I seem to really be milking it this year! I am so thankful to be 33. the alternative would have been absolutely no fun!

My boss's last day was yesterday, so I am now officially the only person working for the University of South Florida on the One Community Partnership Grant. My job is over in September and I will be going back to school at Florida International University. I got a full music scholarship and will be finishing my music degree. I am in the midst of applying for jobs in Miami that I can do while going to school. I am going to do it slowly so it should take about 2 years.

Well-that's it for now. I have to get ready to go teach music lessons!

A new full time life

Well--I started back to full time work last Friday! So far it is going really well. I am working for the University of South Florida (which is actually in Tampa--go figure) but I am the Field Coordinator for a project in Ft. Lauderdale, at least until September when the grant is up. It is a great way to get back into the swing of working full time as the job has very little stress. Ema goes to my friend Kris's house after school (she is also my Girl Scout co-leader) and will be with Kris this summer as Kris works for the school and has summers off.

Ema was in a production of Snow White and the 7 Vertically Challenged Individuals this past Monday (which I directed). She has been learning backstage with me as I have taught the class this year, but we had a girl drop out at the last minute so Ema learned the part in like a day! She did a great job! The class I have on Monday is very young so I was just happy they got through the show. I am also directing another production of the same show for the City of Sunrise which is on May 14. That cast is incredible and I can't wait to see them!

Last Thursday was my last day of Ema's CCD class (religious class). I have been teaching the same kids for 3 years. It was sad because I am giving up the class due to my dr saying I have to cut back on the stuff I do especially now since I am working full time. I was a big whams and cried! Can you believe that those kids are actually sad that CCD is over? They even hate it when a class is cancelled for Spring Break! I remember being so happy whenever CCD was cancelled. I must be doing something right.

Today Ema has "business day" where all the kids pick a business to run and the other kids in 5th grade (Ema is in a combined 4th/5th grade class so she is considered a 5th grader most of the time) get to spend the "money" they earned for their grades all year on different items. Ema and her friend Allyson are running a salon called Pop Princess where they will be doing nails, skin and hair. Should be interesting. I can't wait to hear the stories this evening.

I only have 2 more Girl Scout meetings left for the school year. The troop is the one thing I am not giving up. The girls mean too much to me. My co-leaders have taken over a lot so it has made it easier on me.

I also teach voice lessons on Saturday which I am re-thinking. Now that I have a full-time week job I may want my weekends to myself. We'll see.

Ema and I are going to Girl Scout camp June 7-14. No worries--I am taking a much more sedate role than I normally do. I got to pick my own staff this year and am right next to the infirmary just in case.

I think you are updated!

One more to go....

Tonight is our last performance of the Sound of Music. Ema was Kurt for the last time yesterday. We are in a larger venue this weekend so we are all miked which means we have little red marks on our faces from the tape! But back to Ema--she did a fantastic job last night being Kurt! It was hard for her at first learning how to act like a boy. She is not a tomboy, so she studied the boys in her class and we would have "boy days" where she would have to act like a boy and her friends would tell me if she was acting girlish! It was really tough, but the result was really amazing! She lower her voice, changed her walk, how she sat, EVERYTHING! She is a great little actress! It is really fun for me to watch! In the program it only has her first initial instead of her name and she has fooled them every time (she wears a wig). For those of you that don't know I play one of the nuns (Sister Sophia) and the Baroness Elberfeld and Gustavo plays one of the dancers in the party scene (he is quite good) and a Nazi (I call him my Nica-Nazi). It has been quite an experience but rehearsals began in September, our first performance in October and we have been doing it ever since. It has been way too long! I am ready for it to be over! So, tonight is the last show so I am expecting something really good in my glass in the party scene tonight!

Yes its the day after Easter and I am finally posting!

Life has been crazy! I have been adjusting to my "new life" and have been ignoring my blog!

I was diagnosed with this disease in December (Pseudo Tumor Cerebri or Intercranial Hypertension) and have been spending the last couple of months changing my life to adjust to my new way of being. I am still Jenn, but I am a slower, little less involved version. So in other words, I have become a normal human being!! I am working part time for the University of South Florida running a group of 6 interviewers (7 if you include me) for a study of Severely Emotionally disturbed children. Gustavo works for the County side of the grant. I still teach Drama and Music, but my hours of work are less than 30 hours a week. I still have my Girl Scout Troop, but my co-leaders are helping me so much and it is fantastic. I have learned to slow down, I actually take naps, and have learned to say no when people ask me to do things. I am giving up my religious education class in April, I gave up the extra volunteer things I did for the church, and I have already given up all the extra things I did for Girl Scouts of Broward County. The medicine I take for my headaches plays with my head a little bit and by evening I do not have the best memory. But there are some great side effects. I have lost over 20 pounds (the meds took away my appetite) and I have absolutely no cramps whatsoever where they used to be debilitating. There is a silver lining. I have also come to see life in a completely new light. I am so thankful for everything I have. Through this whole ordeal before we knew what it was, there was the thought that it could be a brain tumor. The fact that it is something I can live with, even if it is something that has changed me dramatically has shown me what is truly important. I take time to slow down and not have every single minute planned. I sit and enjoy doing nothing. I am thankful to have five minutes to my self. I have become a different person. That person who cuts me off while driving nno longer upsets me. I always thought I knew how blessed I was. I didn't. I know am fully aware of everything I have!!

Little by little

I am recovering little by little. Still moving much slower than my normal pace, but as many have suggested--maybe I shouldn't resume my previous crazy pace. I went to Girl Scouts on Tuesday because it was out last meeting before break and pretty much just stayed in a chair the whole time. I taught the girls how to "hug Ms. Jenn high" as their normal waist hugs would have hurt my back! Tuesday evening was the chorus concert at school in which E was the soloist and sang Silent Night (it was beautiful!). Starting January 3rd I will be working at G's office 3 days a week to start and maybe more (we'll see!). I will resume teaching Drama twice a week in the new year.

My Neurologist appt on Wed went well. Dr still wants to monitor me because he isn't convinced of the diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri. I was missing the classic symptom of headache prior to the spinal tap and the leakage of spinal fluid after should have helped not caused me headaches and landed me in the hospital. So--I will be back to the Ophthalmologist in the new year for a full work up and will see the Neurologist again in a month. I am learning what is high in potassium as my diuretic I am taking to keep the swelling down in my spine makes me lose it. It is also causing me tingling in my feet in hands which is driving me crazy. Oh well--I can see and I have no headaches so I think I'm still on the plus side!