Catching Up

Hello, AGUers

I hope this finds you all doing well. I'm sorry that I haven't written in awhile, I always open up the website then just get stuck trying to figure out what to write. The truth is, a lot has been going, but nothing too interesting. I'm in the classroom everyday with my students. When I'm not in the classroom, I am busy relaxing with my friends and babysitting my beautiful niece.

I am teaching four tenth grade classes. Although far from perfect, I have really enjoyed my student teaching experience. Right now, my students are reading "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare. Although Shakespeare is a bit tough for some of my students, overall they are doing a great job with it!

I go and visit my niece once a week. She has turned into quite a healthy, beautiful baby girl. She is almost three months old. Every time I see her and hold her, I am amazed at how quickly I have fallen in love with a person who can't even talk back to me. She has started smiling more and more and every time I see her I can't believe how fast she seems to be growing. I don't have my camera with me right now, but I will post some pictures very soon.

I just finished reading Sleepy's post on her reflections on her first semester of college and it got me thinking about all the wonderful experiences and opportunities I've had throughout my college career. It's hard to believe that I will be done with college in only a few, short months. I hope that you also are all happy about how your college lives are going so far. Each of you obviously have the drive and determination to make the most of your lives, that is evident by your trip to Maryland. = ) I hope that in three or so years, when you are looking back at the highs and lows of college, that coming to Maryland makes the top of your lists. = )

Well, I'm off to go lesson plan for my students. I miss you all dearly, please drop me an email anytime.

Your friend,
Nikki

Hello, Distraction

Hello, all,

I am currently sitting at the library with a pile of books around me and dozens of research articles waiting to be read. This upcoming week and next is the University of Marylan'd exam week so I have a lot to do. Right now I am working on a research paper about mothers in the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin." It's going okay, but I decided to take a break and say a quick hello to you all via my blog.

Everything is going well. Like I said, I have a lot of work this week. It's a little weird because this is my last exam week as a University of Maryland student. Although I'll still be a student next semester, I will be student teaching so my students will be writing the papers and taking the tests instead of me. I think I'm going to like assigning and grading the papers better than researching and writing them.

Even though I have a lot of work, I'm almost always in a good mood because it is the holiday season. I love everything Christmas, the music, the lights, the decorations. How do you all celebrate Christmas? Do you have any fun Christmas traditions? I'm really excited that my perfect little niece will be joining my family for Christmas this year.

My niece, Julie, is going really well. I spent the entire day with her last Friday and plan to do the same this Friday. I'll try to upload some more pictures of her in my next entry.

I hope you all are doing well. Have a fun and safe holiday season.

Your friend,
Nikki

Julie Love Slatkin

On Thursday, November 20th, my sister-in-law had a beautiful, baby girl. Julie Love Slatkin was born at 7:57 pm. She came six weeks early, but she is a healthy girl. She has to stay at the hospital for a few days so that the doctors and nurses can make sure that she is developing okay. I've been to the hospital everyday to hang out with little Julie. She is my first niece and I'm so excited to have a little baby in the family!

Your friend,
Nikki

Yes We Did

Hello, all,

Today is a very exciting day in American history. Yesterday, the polls opened, the people voted, and the results trickeled in. Senator Barack O'Bama is going to be the President of the United States starting on January 20, 2009. I am so happy and excited that I don't even know how to describe it!

Yesterday was my first time voting in a Presidential general election. In the U.S, you have to be 18 to vote and during the last election I was ony 17. I waited in line for over an hour, but it was worth it because voting gives a voice to all people. In some places, people waited in line for over three hours so that they could cast their ballots.

Last night, I began watching ABC news at 6. Enough of the results were in by 11 so that is when they announced that Senator O'Bama won. My friends and I watched it all together and then celebrated together.

I think that this election will change both American and world history.

Your friend,
Nikki

Trick or Treat!

Hello, all!

I've had a very fun Halloween weekend. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because I love seeing everybody dressed up in different costumes. My friends and I celebrated Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night.

My friends came up with some very creative costumes. One girl, Amy, was "partly sunny with a chance of rain." She is the one in the blue outfit with clouds. Then, when people asked her what she was she would spray them with a water bottle. My friend, Kristin, was Quail Man. You all probably don't know who that is because he was a superhero on a show called "Doug" that was on when we were little. I was a devil one night and a cat the other two nights.

This may be a silly question, but do you all celebrate Halloween at all? If you do, I bet it's different than how we celebrate.

I hope you are all doing well in your classes and such. For me, it seems like this semester is going by very fast. I can't believe that I'm a senior and only have one semester left.

Your friend,
Nikki

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Running is a Mental Sport (and We're ALL Crazy)

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Hello, friends!

I just got back from Baltimore after running 13.1 miles! I ran in the Baltimore Half Marathon with some of my friends. It was a great experience, but I am exhausted. I ran it last year as well, but it was a lot more difficult this year. I trained really hard (lots of runs around the lake!) and I am glad to be done. I ran it in 1 hour and 57 minutes. I'm really proud of my time because my goal was to get under two hours.

The entire weekend was really fun. Yesterday, my friends and I went into Baltimore to pick up our race numbers and race t-shirts. There was a lot of free giveaways, and I love free, so that was awesome. We got food and drink samples, shirts, and other things. I also bought some new running shows. They are white, silver, and purple. Then last night, we went to Noodles and Company on Route 1 for dinner so we could have a lot of carbohydrates to fuel us up for race. Then, everybody came to my home in Burtonsville to relax, drink water, and watch a movie.

We woke up at 6:30 am, left my house at 7, and we were in Baltimore by 8. We had gorgeous weather. The course was really hilly which made it difficult. Two hours later, I met up with everybody, exchanged a lot of sweaty hugs and kisses, and walked around Baltimore.

It was a great day and I'm glad I participated in the half marathon. I'm hoping to one day complete a marathon, but that will take a lot of hard work and training so I'm not sure when I will do that.

Your friend,
Nikki

My Michael = )

Hello, all!

I had an amazing week. My boyfriend, Michael from Minnesota, came to visit. He flew in late Friday night. Then on Saturday we went into D.C. When I was on the Metro I thought of you all and missed you very much. It was a lot more quiet riding on the metro with just Michael instead of 20 AGuers! In D.C we went to the new 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon. It is a beautiful memorial, but it made me feel really sad. There was one women there who was mourning her family, her husband and their two kids were on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. It was a really weird feeling to be there because the monument is very peaceful, but it also made me feel very emotional.

After that, we met up with Michael's dad and went bowling and to the movies. On Sunday morning I went back to D.C to watch Michael and his dad run in a 10 mile race. They both ran it really fast. Michael's final time was around 1:18. He was really sore and tired afterwards, but he felt good about his time.

On Monday we celebrated Michael's birthday. His birthday is really next week but since I won't be with him we decided to pretend like it was on Monday. We slept in, had pancakes for breakfast, went bowling, went out to a brewery, watched television, and played games. Then we had to wake up REALLY early today so that he could catch his airplane back home to go to work.

Right now I am just relaxing and watching the debate. This is the second debate between the two U.S.A presidential canidates- Senator Barack O'Bama and Senator John McCain. Our election is in less than a month. Many people say that this is the most historic, and important, election in our lifetime. I am very excited to be a part of it.

As always, I miss you all very much. Come visit!!!!!!!

Your friend,
Nikki

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