I Dream :)

I dream....

-about traveling with my family to Italy, Greece, France, Japan, Germany, etc.
-going to culinary arts academy in France.
-becoming a pastry chef and opening up my own pastry/coffee shop < My idea of a retirement plan
-to become more actively involved in Politics< I would love to be on the Politics scene in Washington, DC or Austin, TX
-volunteering my time in a 3rd world country to help out orphans and/or famined people build homes or schools. < I wanted to be in the Peace Corps.
-teaching a summer or year in Mexico con mi amiga Alejandra < Guadalajara, Monterrey, Mexico City, or Cuernavaca
-speak the Spanish and French language fluently < I am going to try Rosetta Stone ;)
-Achieve my graduate degree and become a college professor in English or Education<Hopefully by 2012

I am a sophomore English teacher in San Antonio, TX. I sometimes feel as if there is more that i would like to do in my professional life. I sometimes feel like i am crazy for wanting to be so many things. I admire the people who have always wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, or teacher and are just content with doing that for the rest of their lives.

Am i crazy for wanting to be a stay at home mom/pastry chef/college professor/ Peace Corps. volunteer/documentary traveler? I hope that when my boys grow up they have as many aspirations as i do because that makes a person want to learn and become a life long learner. I would love to be a student and get paid. That is the ideal job, but as i reflect on my life as a sophomore English teacher i realize i am still a student learning about different learning styles and about how my students cope with their lives outside and inside school.

Sometimes it can get very heavy and deep and i understand why some teachers quit, but that is failing not only myself but my students. I have students who have a very hard family life and they bring the brunt of their problems to school. It can almost feelf hopeless for them because the parents do not even care how their kids are coping with their home life and school. I have parents who tell me, "I am sorry but there is nothing that i can do....he/she gives me hell at home---so you will have to deal with them!" It is a sad, fun, angry, frustrating, happy, and calm job. It takes a trooper to deal with teenagers with raging hormones. I have at least 7 students (ages 15 and 16) who have kids of their own. It can get crazy sometimes. Well, thanks for listening. :)

The Gomez Family 2009

My top 10 music list

Hey ya'll, i have enjoyed seeing everyone's blog listing their top 10 music list. I also wanted to share, but i will give you the abbreviated version of what i have on my ipod list:


1. 'Midnight Train' by Journey< This song gets me into the mood to work.

2. 'Suddenly I See' by KT Tunstall< Ok, this may seem to have a lesbian "upbeat" vibe to it, but it gets me moving in the morning drive to work.

3. 'Take Your Mama Out' by Scissor Sisters < Ok, another "upbeat" song. I am a former fag hag people, and just love some of the beats to the songs. I have a best friend who is very "upbeat" and every time we hang out in Austin, Tx he has these wonderful songs to share.

4. 'Try a Little Tenderness' by Otis Redding< Totally reminds me of my favorite movie Pretty in Pink

5. 'So Much to Say' by Dave Matthews< Austin, Tx vibe music

6. 'No Such Thing' by John Mayer< Again...Austin,Tx vibe music

7.'Michelle My Belle' by Paul McCartney< Ales loves this song and i enjoy hearing him sing it full blast in the car. :)

8. 'Where have All the Cowboys Gone' by Paula Cole< I sound just like her when i sing to this song ;)

9. 'In Your Eyes' by Peter Gabriel< Feel good song and it reminds me of that 80's movie with John Cusack. I forgot the name. Please feel free to drop the name in the comments section.

10.'Everlong' by Foo Fighters< Total blast from the past 1995 year :# I could be a little off.

Pilobolus

This is cool! ENJOY :)

Okay....

How do ya'll do it? I think i need to shorten my things to do list during the week. We decided not to continue the soccer team for Enzo :(. The team parents were very aggressive and not very positive. I just did not feel it was right for Enzo to be around people like that. I kept feeling anxious everytime it was time to go to practice or games. So, we decided to call it quits. It is crazy how some people can act. There was one parent who yelled at the VOLUNTEER coach about how he coaches and that she felt he was leaving her little boy out of the practices and games. Well, first of all he is a VOLUNTEER coach and does not need to do this and if she thinks that her son is such a superstar---she needs to have him in a professional league. I have never had this experience with Ales' soccer teams. I guess we have always lucked out. :)
Moving on...
School has been great. Ales made an A+ on his first spelling test . He had practiced hard all week and is very proud of himself. We have been so happy with the school since moving from St. Mary's Hall. His teacher is great and the campus is beautiful.
Can anyone give me some pointers on how to handle two kids doing sports or other activities at the same time? Do both of ya'll(parents) attend each event together or does one parent go to one thing and the other parent does the other? I hope that makes sense. I have not found a good rhythm to do this.
Well, i have enjoyed reading ya'lls blogs and suggestions for books. Currently i am reading a autobiography, Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton. It is a good book. I have not gotten to the Monica Lewinsky issue, but i do not think she gives as much detail as the public wants. I think she talks more about how she dealt with it and moved on. Well, i guess i will see. It was nice to talk to ya'll. We have to do this more often.

Take care,
The Gomez Family 2008

Hello :)

Hey ya'll! :) Long time no speak. Well, i have been just super busy, busy, busy. I bet most of ya'll have been the same way. I have more school shopping, haircuts, dry cleaning, house cleaning, and sports registration to do. Ales and Enzo will both be playing soccer. AAAHHH!! My little baby is going to be on a soccer team for the first time. It's a special moment. Ales has been playing for at least four years now. He will also be swimming on Sundays and Tuesdays. It's a nice balance. He loves, loves the water. He has accomplished a level 5 swim rank. That means he can tread water and do freestyle swim for 25 meters.

Okay...enough gloating over my boys. They are great though. :)

So, i see alot of ya'll are reading like crazy. Well, let me give you a recommendation or two---if ya'll have time.

By Lee Gutkind

This book is a creative nonfiction book. Very easy read and smart. WARNING: this book can be a tear jerker to some.

More info: http://www.creativenonfiction.org/thejournal/gutkind/foreverfat.html

By Gregory Maguire

This book is one of the best reads i have had. It is a retold version of the 'Wizard of Oz' by L. Frank Baum. It tells of the birth, teenage years, and adult life of the wicked witch of the west. It is so great. I am such a fan of Elphaba (a.k.a. Wicked Witch of the West).

More info: http://www.gregorymaguire.com/books/wicked_buy.html

Eco-friendly...

Hello all,
I have been looking for a more eco-friendly way to do laundry--since it is the summer and most important for the environment. I have more time and patience to do laundry during the summer. Well, i have decided to air dry my laundry. :) I wonder how long i can do this? I saw a "Go Green" news special with Suchin Pak (MTV Host) and she gave some great ways to go green. She gave ideas of riding a bicycle to and from places, using reuseable cloth shopping bags for everything, recycling (paper, plastics, glass), and air drying her clothes inside the house with a drying rack. Well, we already recycle and use reuseable cloth shopping bags (for groceries).
I just wish it was feasible to ride a bicycle to and from our jobs and other places. We do alot of walking in our new neighborhood like to the corner store, coffee shop, restaurant across the street, blockbuster, and Marble Slab ice cream shop. I have been wanting to try the Wednesday .99 cent cones at TCBY on the other shopping strip but they did not know what i was talking about. It was so weird--i had called them to see how late they were open and about the Wed. .99 cent cone day and they said they had no idea about it. :(
Well, thanks for coming by. Talk to ya'll later.
The Gomez Family 2008

Gum chewing :*

Hello all, this blog will be discussing gum chewing. I am a gum chewer, but not the obnoxious annoying type where i smack or blow bubbles in my gum type of person. I casually enjoy a piece of gum between meals . I have moved from my beloved Extra spearmint gum to Orbit gum recently. I had been chewing Extra spearmint gum since middle school. Later it helped me with heartburn during my pregnancies. Spearmint is an natural relief for heartburn. I tried the tums, mylanta,coca-cola, coffee, etc. claims that will fix a heartburn, but nothing worked quite as well as spearmint gum.
Switching to Orbit's was fun because it has so many more flavors.
We have tried Orbit's Bubblemint, Sweet mint, Mint Mojito, Maui Melon Mint, Citrus Mint, Positively Pomegranate (limited edition), and Strawberry breeze (limited edition). Okay that is alot, but i was trying to find a flavor that did not leave a bad after taste.

**Bubblemint is my fave and regular type of chewing gum. Long-lasting flavor.
Sweet Mint was great for about the first five minutes and then turned into mush. YUCK! :( It had a light peppermint flavor .
Mint Mojito made my mouth literally smell like i had been drinking. Had a bad after taste.
Maui Melon Mint sounds better than it taste. It literally tasted like toothpaste. There was barely any melon flavor. Big disappointment! :(
Citrus Mint was citriousy, but ended up leaving a bad after taste. Orange TIC TAC gum...
**Positively Pomegranate is another fave. It does not leave a bad after taste and does not turn into mush. It's a limited edition, but so fruity and yummy. Long-lasting flavor too!! :)
Strawberry breeze was yummy too---then lost it's flavor after five minutes.

**Currently chewing.
Well, this a gum chewing update from the Gomez family. Hope you are more well informed. j/k If anybody has tried a five gum or any fave gums let me know.

Truly,
The Gomez Family 2008