A New Semester and Maybe A New Chapter

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 8 Comments

Winter break is officially over.  I start back as a teacher today and as a student.  I am happy to be teaching one class again this semester.  It is of course a new class, so I have a lot of preparing to do, as I can’t really use what I did last semester.  Not that I would want to, as I was just trying to survive last semester.  I am exciting about the upcoming semester.  I am going to be doing some fun things with my students and hope to really get them thinking and interacting.  Last semester, the class I taught was soooooooo boring and not a great class.  I applaud those who stuck out the entire semester.  I certainly didn’t want to.  I was able last semester to have a great assignment that made me construct a unit of study for the class I am teaching (I could have done any class, but since I am teaching I wanted the assignment to be something that I could use).  It is a great course idea and after talking to my  supervisor, I am excited to know that my classroom is my classroom and to go for it.  YEAH!!!

Well, this week our agencies will be giving out referrals of the babies that they have in their care.  I am of course hoping that we get our referral this week (but am not counting on it).  But what I am really looking forward to is moving up the list and knowing that we are that much closer to getting to meet (even if virtually) our little girl. 

We have also decided that we are going to undergo IVF this fall.  I am excited and nervous about that.  I am committed to losing 40-60lbs before we undergo IVF.  I know that is a tall order, but I am committed and once I commit to something, I am pretty tenacious about it.  I want very badly to have a brood of children.  We will adopt that brood without any regrets and will enjoy our large family.  I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to get pregnant (at least once) and have a biological child.  I would also be lying if I didn’t say that I have come to terms with my infertility and I am just as happy to adopt all of my children.  It has taken some time to get to this place and I have to say that I love where I am at. 

I have made no resolutions this year except for one.  I want to be a better person.  I am going to do better.  I am going to be better.  So far so good. 

No Means No, Little Man

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

So, Minnow is a ladies man.  He loves ladies.  Especially older ones (you know 4-7 years old).  Today and this certainly isn’t the first time…a little lady caught his eye.  She was all of 6 years old.  He kept hugging her–against her will mind you–and followed her and hugged her.  Each time I pried him off of her, he would turn on his “where is that strange girl who is just playing hard to get” and find her again.  He would then look at me and then here with those eyes saying with that smile of his “you know no means yes.  I mean come on how could any girl not want some of this?” 

Oh boy, I am going to have my hands full….Watch out ladies. 

Oh Mama Spears What The Hell Were You Thinking?

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

Okay, so I am a little bit behind in my celebrity gossip, but nonetheless I am no less disgusted by the actions of the senior spears lady.  I have to admit that I don’t pay that much attention anymore to the popular media, because frankly I just don’t care who is dating who and who had plastic surgery and who the kids like more Mama Nicole or New Mama Katie.  My life has gotten too busy and the media has really pissed me off lately with its absolute disregard for children involved in all of these things.  It is bad enough that the paparazzo and reports hunt and stalk adult prey but when they start going after the children…I am done. 

Well, I was the gym yesterday and picked up an US weekly (it was either that or Muscle Fitness or some Fishing magazine making list of magazines I hadn’t read yet).  It was a couple weeks old, but it covered the Jamie-Lynn pregnancy and the selling by Mama Spears of the story to OK magazine for a cool 1 Million dollars.  I don’t believe everything I read so I don’t know what the truth is behind the reality of it.  By Mama Spears is Jamie-Lynn’s manager and her guardian.  How in the hell could she think it was okay to sell her daughter out for money (which she gets a large percentage of)?  I mean really.  As parents we are suppose to protect our children and not use them.  It is no wonder Brittany cut ties with her mom the money sucking leech.  I know you can’t blame parents for everything children do–especially as children get older.  But young Jamie-Lynn is still young enough that her mom and dad (where the hell is this guy?) bear some responsibility. 

I can’t believe that a mom who loves her children would sell one out for a buck.  It makes me sick. 

A Self-What???

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

I just got my first assignment for my class titled, “Examining History, Community and Social Justice in Education.”  First off, class doesn’t start until Tuesday and I already have reading to do and an assignment.  You have to love a professor that doesn’t appear to want to waste the first class period.  And here I was hoping I would get out of class early to go hang out with my mom’s group.  Well. Shit.  So, I have to create a self-portrait, using any medium I would like to describe who I am in the world/convey my place in the world.  I obviously will choose photos, but I don’t know what the heck I am going to do.  I was and still am not prepared for school to be starting again.  I was suppose to have 5 more days left before class starts. 

Now, I have homework. 

Not only do I have homework but I am teaching two new classes this semester and I have to prepare for that too.  All by Monday.  No problem right? 

So, let me ask a final question…”who am I?”

Politics 08 and Sadness

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 5 Comments

I usually pay a lot more attention to politics that I have of late.  I am not sure if having a toddler that doesn’t sit still is the reason or if the reason lies in the fact that this seems to be the longest campaign season ever.  I feel like the election should have happened about two years ago.  Our primary is on Super Tuesday so we haven’t seen much actual campaigning going on yet and probably will not.  I feel totally uninformed at this point.  Hubby and I were talking a little last night pondering who we might give our vote to.  I just don’t know.  I feel like I don’t know anything about Obama or Edwards.  For so long the entire political world focused on Clinton.  She was the one questioned and interviewed and analyzed to death.  Obama and Edwards were in the background for so long.  I don’t really feel like their message has been overlooked–or maybe they don’t know their own message yet except that they are the Anti-Clinton.  I just don’t know.  I am ready to hear where they stand on Education and some other major social issues.  I am tired of hearing who is or isn’t this or that. 

So, Internet what do you think?  I am not soliciting your advice because I am too lazy to make up my own mind and do my own research.  I am really interested in your political interests.  When you vote, how do you make your decision?  Do you vote for the person of your conviction or do you vote for who you think can win?  What is the most important issue to you?  What should every great president have as a quality? 

Onto sadness…Sunday one of Minnow’s caregivers from Ethiopia was killed in a car accident while enroute to pick up a baby.  I am sad.  She (as do the other nannies as well) loved these children and viewed them as her own.  She leaves behind a husband and two small children.  It is a sad day.  She helped give the great gift of love Minnow received and had a hand in making him the amazing, kind, loving little baby he was and the loving boy he is becoming. 

 Genet you will be missed.  Rest in peace.