A Few Good Meals

I went home this weekend. Friday night my parents made me Filet Mignon. Sunday we had a family dinner with pork loin, tomato pie, lima beans, rice, and trifle.

To a girl who's recently discovered just how hard it is to survive living by myself with no roommate(s) to help split the bills with...food is kinda hard to come by...and this weekend was a nice change from my usual "guess I'll have a PB&J tonight" meal.

And yes, I DID bring back the leftovers...

Introducing........."Ms. Muffin!"

I walked into one of the special ed classrooms today to pick up our kids and when one of my kids saw me, he gave me a big hug, looked at me with wide, excited eyes, and said "HEY MS. MUFFIN!!!!!!" It took all I had in me to not just laugh uncontrollably! He was ADORABLE! He was just so sure that was my name I just COULDN'T correct him! What a horrible person I'd be to ruin that child's excitement if I did! He then saw another teacher in the hallway and told her he was "going with Ms. Muffin to Speech." I just had to smile and laugh...and then explain to the teacher about my "strange" name. It's just so precious and cute I've fallen completely in love with my new name! "Megan Muffin"....yes, I believe it fits.

Learning to Adjust

Well, Week 1 of my school internships is over. And I actually survived...quite well! And much to my surprise, the school system isn't the "chore" I thought it would be...it's quite interesting actually. Granted, I don't really enjoy waking up at 5:30 am and getting to school by 7:50 am...but I do get to leave by 4:00 at the latest, which is good. I've learned one main thing this week about working in the school system: no matter how little or much you do each day at school, it'll WEAR YOU OUT! I get home and I'm exhausted! And naps are pretty much non-existent because by the time I wake up from one it's time to get ready for bed again! Man, getting to bed early is a bust! This week was mainly just scheduling stuff and just basic "getting to know you" time with all the new clients...and meetings. But I got to sit in on a Speech team meeting, which was really neat. I LOVE my school system! The team is great, my mentor is FABULOUS, and the school is wonderful. Some of the kids are gonna be a handful, but a lot of them are really cute. I'm excited to get started on the therapy with them all. It's really a neat thing to see how they just incorporate so many kids into one session. It's a skill and there's a lot I've got to learn!

I've also realized that having a TV REALLY makes living alone a lot easier! I mean, I've got my dog, whom I ADORE...but as FABULOUS as he is...he doesn't talk. So, having some human voices in the apartment helps to make my time spent in my house a little less lonely...or at least not make me focus so much on the fact that I am.

The church I visited last week was wonderful, but when I actually worked up my courage to attend the "young adults" Bible Study, I suddenly felt as if it didn't "fit." I'm not going to completely write it off or anything, because the preaching really was good, but it at least helped me realize that I need to "look around" at the options and not just settle on the first "good thing" I fall upon. Because, although it may be good...it may not be the "best for me." So Sunday I go again to find "my church."

It's 11:30 and I'm already tired...and it's the weekend. Who am I??? I think adjusting to life here is going to take longer than I thought...in more ways than one...

Church Search Begins!

Well, my "church search" begins tomorrow morning! I'm really aching to get it started too, because I'm in serious need of finding friends and meeting people here. Church is the place to get plugged in and meet the types of people that I really need to help support me and lift me up. I've looked into a few different ones and asked around and I think I've narrowed down my search list to the one I'll try tomorrow. I looked it up online and watched a sermon and it looks like it's a fit for me...but I'll just have to go and see. I hope to be able to get involved in Sunday school classes and/or small groups. I guess I really just need to pray for God's guidance in showing me the right place to go in order to be where He ultimately wants me to be. Which, the way I found out about the church is kind of a "God-thing" in itself. No one I asked told me about it, but I discovered it as I went to Wal-Mart! haha. It's right next door to the Wal-Mart...good location! It's a contemporary church, which is what I enjoy most. The teaching seems to be Bible based and the pastor's young and really driven, it seems. He doesn't seem to mind "stepping on few toes" either...which is always a good thing! That's just the initial impression I've gathered from their site online and watching the sermon...I hope it remains true "in person." If I really like it, I'm tempted to not even try elsewhere, but I feel like I should go to more than just one place even so. Hmmm....??? I'm hoping to get more involved in a church here in Macon than I was in Valdosta. Especially since I have no friends here really. One of my Mom's very wise friend's said something to me before I left for Macon this past week. It's something I've heard before, but it was just a good reminder. She was in the same position I'm in: in PT school (except I'm in school for ST), about to start her internship, moved to a completely new town (Savannah), didn't know a soul. She told me "you have to be a friend to make a friend." It's so true. But I think that's a hard thing for me at times. Unless I already know people, it's hard for me to just go into a totally new and unknown environment and just meet people. I'm very shy in that aspect. But in order for me to enjoy life here, I really have to change who I am in that aspect and learn to "be a friend" first. I guess I could just look at it as if I'm acting. Pretend that I'm totally comfortable being the one to say something first, and then it'll come more naturally to me. I mean, is that bad to think of it in those terms?? As if I'm acting?? That sounds worse than the thought was intended to be...oops. I feel like I'm about to start my first day of school or something; I'm excited.

Which, school is another topic in and of itself. My school internship starts on Monday! Back to elementary school for me! But this time I'm in a public school! Eek! Yes, I'm a private school preppie to the core...I can't help it. I've never been in a public school in my entire life! However, I think the school system I'm going to is rather "harmless" to be general. So it really should be alright. I'm excited to get a start on what these next 4 months will be like for me. I think it should be fun...I hope so! I really feel like it's "first day jitters" because I'm nervous/excited about picking out my "first day outfit"! haha. Sadly, I don't have a new outfit to choose to wear. Living by yourself REALLY depletes your "extra expenses" budget! No job + no money = no new first day of school outfit! :0( Ok, moving on from my obsession with clothes. I hope that it all turns out to be a rewarding and fun experience for me and that I'm able to handle it all and am actually as prepared as my teacher's claim I am!

Happy "Church searching" to me!

Living Alone is Kinda...LONELY

Well, I've been in my new place in a new town all by myself for 2 (almost) whole nights now. It hasn't been as exciting as I'd hoped either. I've become REAL good friends with the Wal-Mart though. Seems like I've been there every day now. Helps pass the time... It's definitely gonna take A LOT longer to unpack everything than I originally thought! I used to like to escape to quietness...now when it's suddenly "forced" upon me, I'm not liking it too much. I don't know anyone here yet, so I'm REALLY hoping once I meet people I won't spend my days and nights so lonely. It'll be good to actually have my days occupied with work though...it's the nights I hope get busier...and less "quiet." I don't even have a TV yet...so I've had to resort to playing music on my laptop consistently so that there's at least SOMETHING making noises. Everyone says I'll grow to love it, and I originally thought I would as well...I admit that I welcomed the pest control man's visit today, as he was talkative and it was nice to talk to someone...other than the dogs. Here's to hoping that I grow to be a little less lonely....otherwise, it's gonna be one LONG year...

Meeting Madison Bennett!

Yes, I know my last post revolved around my 2nd nephew, but I've FINALLY gotten to meet him! And I'm in LOVE! He has RED HAIR...just like his Daddy and Auntie! I spent a few hours with him last night and he couldn't be a more perfect little baby! He practically slept the whole time, occasionally woke up to be fed (which was only known by him gnawing on his fist...no crying!). He would make a few little "squeaks" here and there...but they were absolutely precious! I just held him the whole time. And we weren't exactly being "quiet" either. My brother was playing his electric guitar, my other nephew was riding his scooter around the house (which, on wooden floors, proves to be quite noisy!). "Quiet voices" were not used the whole time. But, it didn't phase the little man...he slept through it all! He's such a little cuddler! I love it!! So does his Mommy and Daddy...Taylor (my first nephew) wasn't much of a snuggler (too independent!), so they're enjoying the change in temperaments! Here are some pictures of the little guy and his Aunt Megan...enjoy!

Red hair just like his Aunt Megan!

He's stolen my heart!

Look at that CuTiE!!

Aunt Megan and her boys!