All Caught Up - 2012-2013 School Year

Central Primary School - Home of the Bobkittens

BBI A.K.A. "OUTWORLD"

 

I THOUGHT THIS SCHOOL YEAR WAS ONE THE BEST ONES YET. THIS WAS MY SECOND YEAR AT CENTRAL PRIMARY IN THE BBI PROGRAM. BBI - BLOOMFIELD BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PROGRAM IS WHO I WORK FOR. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO WONDER WHY I DO THE JOB I DO, BUT IF YOU KNOW ABOUT THE KIND OF PERSON I AM, IT'S ACTUALLY FITTING.

 

I CALL OUR CLASSROOM 'OUTWORLD" IN REFERENCE TO MORTAL KOMBAT THE MOVIE AND THE GAMES. IN OUTWORLD, THE "GOOD" GUYS WHO HAVE SPECIAL POWERS AND ABILITIES ARE DISABLED BECAUSE IT'S SO FAR INTO THE DEPTHS OF HELL AND IN BETWEEN THAT NO GOOD EXISTS TO ENABLE THEIR ABILITIES. WHERE I WORK, OUR CLASSROOM IN ISOLATED IN ANOTHER BUILDING AWAY FROM THE GENERAL STUDENT POPULATION. IF ART AND COMPUTERS DIDN'T SHARE THE SAME BUILDING WE DID, WE WOULD HAVE ZERO HUMAN INTERACTION. *HAHAHA* THAT WOULD REALLY HINDER OUR ATTEMPTS TO SOCIALIZE OUR LITTLE GUYS. WE RARELY GET ANY VISITORS AND ADMINISTRATION ONLY VISITS WHEN WE CALL FOR THEM. :) SO WHEN "OUTSIDERS" COME BY, THEY FEEL WORLDS AWAY AND HENCE, THE LOSS OF POWER BECAUSE OF THE UNFAMILIAR GROUND THEY WALK ON. :)

 

ASIDE FROM THAT SCHOOL WENT WELL. WE HAD LOTS OF FUN CONSIDERING THE STRICT AND STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT WE OPERATE IN. WE CELEBRATED 100 DAYS OF SCHOOL, FIELD DAY, JUMP ROPE FOR HEART, HOLIDAYS AND WATCHING THE ANNUAL THIRD GRADE EGG DROP EXPERIMENT, ROCKET LAUNCHES, AND VOLCANO BLASTING. HOPEFULLY OUR KIDS LEARNED SOMETHING. HOPEFULLY THEY CAN LEARN TO CONTROL THEIR TENDENCIES TO EXHIBIT BAD BEHAVIOR WITH GOOD ONES. IF THEY CAN'T CONTROL IT, THEN AT LEAST MAYBE THEY CAN DECIDE WHEN TO BE GOOD KIDS AND WAIT FOR A GOOD TIME TO BE LESS THEN DESIREABLE KIDS. HAHAHA...OUR KIDS AREN'T BAD. THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE SENSE TO KNOW WHAT THEIR BAD BEHAVIOR IS AND FOR WHAT REASON IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE. OUR GOAL IS TO HELP THEM TURN IT IN TO A GOOD BEHAVIOR. WE'LL SEE.

 

ALL IN ALL A GOOD YEAR FOR THE KIDS AND TEACHERS. I MADE MORE ACQUAINTANCES AND HOPING FOR MORE NEXT YEAR. SO UNTIL THEN... 

Still Catching Up - Lady Bobcat Basketball 2012-2013

Lady Bobcat Basketball - "C" Team 2012-2013

 

Just by looking at this year's team photo, I think you can pretty much determine that I had a lot of fun with my kids this year. They were some very interesting individuals. They definitely had a passion for the sport. I was very glad to have coached them. To be honest, we didn't have much by way of talent, but we weren't short on any of the intangibles: Heart, determination, will, passion, great attitudes and very coachable. Unfortunately, we are not able to measure the gains this team made in the win-loss column. It's not fair to them. In fact, we one two games all season. We had a lot of almosts and moments of immaturity. That's why we get to be C-Team. :)

 

I admit we just don't have ball players where I live. The ones we do have are already on the varsity or on the jv teams. So, I get the arduous task of trying to catch-up everyone else's skill level about five years. Where I live, basketball just isn't as important as other sports like softball, soccer and football. Also, another hard fact is the kids don't realize how much close attention we pay to their grades. There's where we lose quite a few actual ball players. That will always be a never ending cycle. One of these generations, we'll get it right and the kids will get it. :) So until then, I will continue to coach and teach the kids who do follow the rules, make the grades and are willing to listen. Yes, they may not be the cream of the crop or the best of the best on the court, but they are the best in the classrooms and in life where their reward is so much greater.

 

I love these kids just as I do the team before them and the team before them. I have high hopes for each of them and push them very hard. I try to push them to their limit and see what I can get out of them. They haven't failed me yet. Instead of giving up and being angry with me or each other, they push on and find a way to make it work. They know that I demand and expect the best of themselves. That's exactly what they did. :)

 

I can only hope that these kids come back with open minds and a great attitude to be better than they were before. Because they know that as long as they are given the daily gift of life, there is always a chance to be better. I cant' wait for next season. :)

Catching up - Bobcat Volleyball 2012

I keep telling myself that I will do a better job of keeping a blog but even I don't listen to myself. :) I need to keep up with this. Regardless of the fact that no one actually reads this, I still need to try. I think it will help me relieve some of the stress I carry. Granted I am not really a stressful person but it still doesn't mean I don't have any. I thought to start off I would just recap what happen to me last school year 2012-2013.

The last time I "blogged," we were entering the district tournament. I believe I said that volleyball carried "An Ere of Uncertainty." Now, in retrospect, I probably had to stick my foot in my mouth. Bobcat Volleyball had a Cinderella story run. We started out at the bottom and climbed the bracket. Finally, after 12 weeks of shortcomings, let downs and just our right shooting ourselves in the foot, we were making a statement! It was beautiful.

District 1-AAA Volleyball: Bloomfield seeded 4 out of 4 teams. :(

Game 1: Wingate High School - We showed up and took care of business! We were focused and, for once, we wanted it more! The team finally realized how much talent and ability we actually had. Because we had nothing to lose, we played like it. We knew we were at the bottom, so the only way to go was up. I was quick and dirty. Balls passed, set and hit really well. It was off the hook. We wrapped it up and took a giant step up.

Game 2: Thoreau High School - I have to admit Thoreau is a hard place to play. I know I should have not taking it personally but that's just me. My cousin sisters play for Thoreau. I wanted us to win, but if they won, then it wouldn't have bothered me all that much either. Hahaha...one of those. Well that wasn't the case as we rolled into town. It was game faces from the moment the bus stopped. We played well. It wasn't as technically sound as the Wingate game but we cleaned up the trash. Defense was huge for us that game! Our Libero and defensive specialists were the stars of that game. Thoreau wasn't a hard hitting team but a very precise tipping and down-balling team. Normally, we would have been thrown off by that style but we were on it. We played hard and cleaned up in four sets. Now it was on to the big show....

Game 3 - Shiprock High School - The BIG SHOW - the District 1-AAA Championship! I'll admit it and I am pretty sure I said it outloud - I was a NERVOUS WRECK! Hahaha...I mean classic. Shaky hands and voice. Sweating and just double and triple checking things that I could do in my sleep. :) Again the huge thing for the kids was COMPLETE FOCUS! The kids were not phased by anything or anyone around them. We played PERFECT! We didn't lose a set. In fact, we swept them in three sets! That's how wonderful it was. All the kids played so hard for themselves, for each other, for the school and the coaches. It was such a great day.

Bobcat Volleyball 2012 - District 1-AAA Volleyball Champions!

We also got a bid to state. That was truly icing on the cake for us. We were a long shot to make it in and we did. Things didn't go so great at state. The kids straight up just ran out of magic. However, it was a great experience for everyone. We did lose some amazing players but we have enough talent coming up that we can only hope to not lose too much ground. What a year. :)

Bobcat Volleyball - An Ere of Uncertainty.

"I am ever so grateful for the chance you have given me and to road you continue to lead me on"

 

 

It's time for District 1-AAA volleyball to kick off this coming week. I am so excited but I am also very afraid. I think that's every coach's dilemma. There is always the feeling that just one more pass, just one more set and defintely just one more serve is what we need to achieve perfection. Truth is...we will never get that one more. There is always a saying that I live by and it truly reflects what we do and that is: We are doing the best we can with what we got. I think we do. It doesn't matter what sport we are talking about, we appreciate the kids who come out and stay out. We appreciate the kids who care about their grades, themselves and most importantly, their team. Sometimes there just aren't enough of them. :)

 

The volleyball team could be good if they wanted. The struggle has been getting them to perform that way all the time. The kids know they can achieve anything, but they have a hard time believing that they can only do it if they work together. We are missing that elusive "it" that bonds and hold our team together. Once they find "it", we will be unstoppable! I know it!

 

So the test begins this coming week. We have to win. There's no question. Yet, we have to wait and see. Who's going to show up? The kids we know who can win a game and take no prisoners or the team that loves to add dramatic flare to the way we win a game? :) All we can do is hope for the best. :) We will continue to keep the faith and believe that we will find the "it" and continue on the quest for perfection! :) Lord, bless us. <3 p="p">

 

 

2012 - Eight months and counting....

Here goes round 2 of re-capping my life up to about August of 2012. What was does re-cap mean?  My mind tells me it's "re-capturing" but I don't know...I don't feel like researching it although I have been known to be an avid googler. :)

2012 -  SUMMER OLYMPIC YEAR and THE YEAR OF PINON!! I love the summer olympics! It is two weeks of pure awesomeness! I also really love pinon season. I don't pick these nuts to sell, I pick them because I love to eat them! My mom really knows how to prepare them and it's so good! It's a very relaxing activity for me. I take my trusty flour sack and park myself under a grove and pick pinon. I can sit there for hours. My mom and my sisters move around and look for the big ones. I don't care I just pick knowing that the more I pick the more I can eat. :) Luckily, my aunt told me that she saw buds, so we will be getting some for sure! YES!  All right here goes:

January 2012 - New Year's was great as always! We had family over and played cards and rang in the New Year the way we should have and that was together! :) Well most of us anyway. My middle sister was lucky enough to get a trip to Washington, D.C. with a couple of her old friends and so she spent it there. I was glad she was able to go. It's interesting my brothers and sisters are getting older and it's funny how sometimes alcohol becomes part of our family get-togethers. It's not a lot but a bottle of this and that. Like I always say as long as it stays in the house and no one leaves under the influence then it will be okay. I also got some interesting news too. I was asked to help out the girls basketball program because we had a coach leave for a job opportunity. I didn't know how to take it at first. I was thrilled because I wanted to get back into basketball, but I didn't know what I was getting into. Nonetheless, I took that opportunity and am very glad I did. Hahaha...let's just say these kiddos had a rude awakening and had two weeks to get into basketball shape. Whatever they were wasn't it. Good times! It was also the year of my 30th birthday. I was slightly depressed because I changed decades but then I figured you can't stop time...what the hell!

February 2012 - Whew! Let's just say basketball for my team was firing on all cylinders! We were working hard. Not only to catch up but to get to a high school playing standard. We had a good run in the end. We won most of our non-district schedule games. We ended up .500 for our district season. I have never played so many games with only 4 girls. Hahaha we got into foul trouble and had to finish whole quarters understaffed. Fun! :) The varsity team had a rough run of it but they did the best the could. I was very proud to send every member of my C-Team to the JV to suit out! My goal every season. I tell my underclassmen that for them the only place to go is up! They took it to heart and shone!

March 2012 - We weren't as fortunate as last season to have any chance at the state tournament for basketball. We had some trouble winning and with a new program, it's always hard to get things moving in the right direction. :) All was well! I also got the best news again! I was getting a chance to coach track again this season! YES!! I didn't hesitate I accepting the offer and MAJHS Bobcat Track 2012 was off and running! Things were a little grim for the girls because I had one returner. It couldn't have been anyone better because she had it! The drive and determination to better everyday! :) On the boys side I had 2 returners and one was going to be the best in the Basin, if he listened. He's a little hard headed but we were going to work with it. Otherwise I had a great turn out 25 girls and 20 boys! Lots of fun and raging hormones. Thank goodness track it outdoors!

April 2012 - We were in the heart of track season! On the throwing side we had a good showing. The boys new and old step up and made huge gains! A lot better than previous seasons! My girls tried! They caught on fast and managed to put in double the reps! This meant cleaning up the technique and adding power a little at a time. I was so proud of both squads! The throwers seem so versatile. They wanted to run and throw and I think that helped out tremendously! I enjoyed a good season thus far. Work was good too. I was fully immersed in my job and was on a high. I had gotten to know the staff and the kids. I liked the change.

May 2012 - School was almost out! For the first time in a long time, I didn't want to school to be out! I had so much fun at work and loved what I do. I had a great time in track that I really had nothing else to look forward to after it was all over. Track ended on a very good note. I had two Basin Champs for both boys and girls. I had top five finishers for my boys and they actually won the Basin Team title! I was so proud of the throwers! They really did their part. My girls were my most improved and I also had some finishers in the top 10. A sign of a solid season. I was just overjoyed! It was also another graduation for us. Sending kids ready to face the world and bringing in kids who were ready to learn how. Class of 2012 was a great group. :) For me, I also decided to play summer ball again. I also got a chance to dabble in flag football. It was a lot harder than it looks. Maybe it was where I played. Because of my size, I played on the line. Man, some of them women are ruthless. I only played in a couple of games but wow I have never been so sore. Apparently, we were all right. We were third in standings for the league. We made it to the semis for the tourney but lost. It was hard I don't think I could have played again the next week. Who knows maybe I'll play again, but softball was for sure.

Summer - June, July and beginning of August - Softball was fun like it's supposed to be. I had a great time with the team and playing with my sister. We had a bit of a rough start missing a few games that it was tough to get into the rhythm when we started going regularly. There was feel about the game I couldn't get a handle on that made it tough to play sometimes. Maybe it was lack of passion on my part or I don't know. Maybe I just wasn't happy about what I had digressed into over the years that I wanted to just stop and start over. With that frame of mind, I started working on myself physically. I started walking at the sunrise. I started doing some aerobic exercising. Small stuff. I also missed some tournaments because we just didn't have the funds or the time to do them. It was very limited in terms of softball. I hope that maybe next season I will turn it around or call it good. For now, I can't wait for volleyball to start and for school to start. Strange huh?

I did it! I caught myself up! Now I can forget about it again for another three or four months. Hahaha or maybe not. Let's just see how it goes. Until then....later gator!

My voice when I can't speak...

I love this song! Actually I've always heard it but I never really thought about who sang it or what it was called. I just figured that cosmically if I needed to hear it, it would play for me. I think I do that all the time. I depend a lot on the heavens to set things for me or to lead me to my destiny. Hahaha kind of like reading the signs assuming that such a practice exists and is roughly 60% accurate.
Anyway....
I learned later that my sister really loved Eric Clapton and he sang it. When my dad passed away this song had so much meaning and says so much! I just thought I'd share this and throw it out there. :)

Recap 2011 - The Lost Months

Where's 2011?! Where have I been?? Let's see if I can get myself up to speed and do a better job of keep up with this blog. In fact, I forgot I had one. I can't even believe that I remembered the log on and password information. I guess it's a small kind of accomplishment and this blog must have some great importance to me that I would remember such minute details. :)

Here goes:
January 2011 - This was a very happening month for me. It was the heart of the district basketball season. We weren't doing incredibly well considering we were a small school in the heart of basketball country in New Mexico but we tried really hard. I was the JV coach for BHS at the time. The JV squad was at .500 at the time. We faired pretty well before Christmas time and pick up quite a few wins but struggled early with the local teams. My 29th birthday was this month. It wasn't too exciting. I had an away game that day and didn't have time to celebrate that day. I remember coming home after eleven that evening to find my mom asleep on the couch. She was waiting up for me because she had a small surprise. She bought one of my favorite cupcakes and lit a single candle and told me to make a wish and blow out the candles because birthday wishes have no expiration date. LoL! My mom is so clever and so loving. I don't know how she can do things like that and make me feel like the most special thing to her. Granted I already know I am, but in reality, I am one of THREE special beings to her (me and my sisters). Hahaha...that pretty much summed up January because my birthday is on the last day of the month. :)

February 2011 - February was a rather emotional month. It was the end of an era for me that month. First off, we finished a rough basketball season. We missed out on a bid to the state basketball tournament. We had a clear shot to be one of the top 16 teams in the state but after being "graded" we came out #17 one spot out of state tournament contention! :( Little did we know that this would be the last time we would see these players play together. We were going to lose a few to graduation, some decided to move and others just didn't want to play anymore. We had youth on our side, but we were going to be very short on talent. I had a disappointing Valentine's Day. I didn't have one. Hahaha....but I did have my trusty 12 year old valentine who hasn't failed me for the last two years! I love you Dominick! He's the son of my friend. He's cute and pudgy! He decided we could be valentines since he didn't like any of the girls in his class....lucky me! :) That was probably the best parts of February.

March 2011 - TRACK SEASON! :) I love March for junior high and high school track season. Practicing and competing for track is done outside and I love that! I spend about 1/2 of my coaching indoors for volleyball and basketball that track is always a great change. We had most of our track staff intact. Coach Hatch, Coach Montoya, myself, Coach Lopez and Coach Foucault. We have such a great time! I truly believe in the smallest measure are more friends on that track than assistants to the high school staff. :) I had a good turn out. I had about 20 girls and 20 boys try out throwing. I didn't do anything exciting for spring break, just stayed around and relaxed.

April 2011 - The track season continued on. We had a pretty good girls team and with what few boys Coach Lopez had, he managed to whip them into competitors. He's just gifted that way. :) We had cold weather this season! I spent alot of time in my huge overcoat with gloves. I think we had snow, rain but mostly cold, cold, winds! Man, someone really got on the bad side of Zephyr (wind deity). We had a pretty good run with throwers. I had the top three throwers in the Basin for boys and I had at least two girls in the top 5. If anything I can  ever say about my kiddos is they work hard! I appreciate that!

May 2011 - May cycled back in to an emotional month for me. Our kids had a good showing at the end of the year meet. The places escape me but I know it was good. Hahaha...good season! This was also graduation month. It was emotional because the first group of kids I worked with when I started working for the schools graduated this year! They were mere 5th graders and here they were young men and women with such ambition and ready to move on to the next step! I had many tell me I helped them along the way with simple sayings, hugs or just acknowledging their existence. It's had to believe because you really don't think that you do all that or even that much but I did. :) For the first time, since dropping out of college, I felt like I did something right. What an awesome month it was!

Summer - June, July, first half of August 2011 - The summer months are the most uneventful for me. I do the same thing every year. I have a no-brainer job that I work at three days a week in the evening times after practice. I continue to work all through the summer. I also play women's league softball in Farmington. I have been a part of my team for about four years. We had a great season. We won the league title, mid-season title, the Jicarilla Little Beaver Round-up women's title, the Escalante Days women's title, but came up short at the All-Indian tournament in Albuquerque and got second. It wasn't a total loss though I was named to the all-tourney team. :) Good times when I play softball. It's me interacting with my peer group. All through the year I coach and work at a school so my age range is 6-18 years old and even they just don't relate to you sometimes. It's my one outlet.

August 2011 - The school year rolled around again. School always seems to come quick when you're so busy and that was me this year. I made a change last school year by becoming a full-time substitute so I could get back in to college and finish with sometime. Well that didn't quite go as planned so I said: Screw it! and went back to working full time with the schools. This time I was in a behavior therapy class. It was nice to be back. I also learned that I would only coach volleyball this year. I got sad news that my head coach in bball got an offer to another school and he took it. Because of that change, I was not offered a position back with the program. :( Also, track is a year to year for me. There is either funding for me or not, simple as that. Well as of this month, there was no funding. :( Boo!
September 2011 - Work was going pretty well. I was trying to get the hang of the behavior program but I had to deal with going to a different school with a much larger population. It turned out to be a great change, although I was going to miss my middle school colleagues. It was another season of Bobcat Volleyball. Things were a little shaky with low numbers but we were faring okay. We had lots of tune up games to prepare us for our rigorous schedule. It was also the month of my youngest sister's birthday. Just a lot of volleyball and traveling for this month.

October 2011 - We now were in the heart of volleyball season. We were up and down all year. My personal life took a turn for the positive. I was reunited with my bestest friend on the planet after her move to Maryland. I also was reunited with my best guy friend. He's my childhood bestie who has been there for most of my life up until about eight years ago. He just left and suddenly he was back! I needed them so much because my personal friendships back here were falling apart slowly. His name is Derrick. I;ve missed these two so much! I believe they were sent back to me for a good reason. I love them so much! I hope it's a long time before be part again. This month was my middle sister's birthday. It was a busy month of volleyball but I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and talking to them. Just another day in the neighborhood...

November 2011 - We had a very disappointing showing at the district volleyball tournament and didn't get any consideration for state. It was a chill month because there was no basketball to coach. I did take up scorekeeping for extra cash but it almost killed me. I couldn't handle how much the kids seem to be lost and definitely between programs! LoL...had a good Thanksgiving. We celebrated by ourselves at home. Fun fun! We hit a movie or two and relaxed all holiday! I loved it!

December 2011 - Another chill month. We only go to school for half of the month because of Christmas. Work was fun. I love activities for Christmas. We had concerts and movies and ice cream. :) Kept on scorekeeping and just relaxed! I also took some classes too. I forgot to mention that earlier. I had three classes and passed all in magnificient fashion. Christmas was great as always! Family was here and we just partied like no tomorrow. Lots of laughs and shared memories for departed family members not in attendance. It's heartbreaking but also heartwarming for the light they have lit in our hearts and souls. :) Rest in Peace - my dad, my maternal grandpa and grandma and my paternal grandpa and grandma.

I did it! I remember most of 2011! I hope to be able to do it for 2012. Things really picked up and changed for me that year! Stay tuned...