Sunday "Funday"...

...and by "Funday" I mean Lazyday!!

Happiness Journal (Sept. 16): 

• cooking delicious breakfast for myself and feeling grown up reading The New York Times. 
• watching football all afternoon (with the excitement of a 5 and 3 year old the whole game)
• lighting my pumpkin spice candle for the first time this autumn season
• baking delicious cookies
• watching the season premiere of Boardwalk Empire with Br Bill, Ed, and Michael. 
• finally skyping with the bromance, Sean (it's only taken us 3 weeks, but it happened...)

"LiVe the life you LoVe. LoVe the life you LiVe." -Anonymous (see all that LV taking place?!)

Life is a definite roller coaster!

Happiness Journal (Sept. 12):

• finding the Cities 97 Acoustic Mixes on my iPod on the way to school -- definitely made for a peaceful train ride
• FINALLY getting to see "Wicked" on Broadway; it was a pretty decent show, but of course, watching all of the technical elements were my favorite! :)
• drinking Vanilla Barq's root beer at Five Guys before the show
• knocking out the minute I got home from the show (hence writing this post a day late...)

"Life is a song - sing it! Life is a game - play it! Life is a challenge - meet it! Life is a dream - realize it! Life is a sacrifice - offer it! Life is love - enjoy it!" -Sai Baba

 Thursday

So today started off as a pretty sweet day. For the past 2 days, we have been teaching the freshmen all about Saint John Baptist de La Salle, what it means to be Lasallian now that you are a part of Bishop Loughin MHS, and what Campus Ministry/Lasallian Youth do and how to join! The students have been so awesome and I can see a change in them already in becoming Lasallian. With all this said, my day took 180 degree turn on the way home; my phone was stolen from me on the subway. Now, if you've been keeping up with my blog, that is 2 things that have gone from me in the past month (my wallet was returned to me, however). It was a pretty sucky situation, but I got it all taken care of to suspend the phone and order a new one. After talking with both my mom and dad, we realized that it was pretty great that these all at least happened in my second year of being out here vs. my first because I probably would've packed my bags and left, not getting to experience all that I have over the past year!

Happiness Journal (Sept. 13):

• after watching a short movie about JBDLS, we ask the students what they learned, and of them responded, "De La Salle only taught 4 children." It took me a minute to realize what he meant, but he heard poor as 4; needless to say, at least he was paying attention to participate
• this same student later responding to "What are the 3 main values all Lasallians believe in?". His response: "Faith, Community, and SURVIVE!" (its really getting difficult to hold in laughter, but that's what this Happiness Journal is for). 
• #ThursdayForDunkin; i've become addicted to Dunkin Donuts Iced Pumpkin Coffee, but living on a stipend made me realize I can only go once a week aka Thursday hence the hashtag! :D
• Glee Season 4 Premiere. 

"Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was." - Richard L. Evans

Happiness Journal (Sept. 14):

• having more service sites contact me for project with our students! 
• talking for a good, long while with my boss, Melissa, about all the opportunities to apply for after LV-ing
• spending the afternoon with my Campus Ministry students, planning out our year together, and all the fun activities they want to see happen! 
• going out for some delicious authentic German food and beer with Melissa and Foley (my professional mentor) after all of our students left to catch up on the first week of classes!
• coming home to my new phone and getting to set it all up again

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon

Happiness Journal (Sept. 15):

• sleeping in until I wanted to get out of bed
• cleaning up my room after "Hurricane BOTSY" (beginning of the school year) blew through this past week
• not really doing anything else but watching sports and movies all day

"My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can." -Cary Grant

And the school year begins...

It was so great to have our first official day of school yesterday, however, I will have to readjust back into wearing "teacher" clothes all the time again. (I really need to find a job wearing gym shorts and t-shirts all day like I had during the summer!). 

Happiness Journal (Sept. 10):

• seeing the full student body returning to school with excitement and anticipation of the upcoming year! 
• student quote: (walking into our newly painted office) "So this is the new crib...I like." [not sure how I feel about my office being called a "crib" but if it gets more students to come and visit, I'll take it...]
• having a delicious Minnesota delicacy for dinner : Tater Tot Hot Dish!! yummmm.
• buying Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Spice ground coffee so I can make my own at home and save on money #lifeofavolunteer

"The influence of a good teacher can never be erased" -Unknown

Happiness Journal (Sept 11):

• having the whole student represented through unity of the terrorist attacks wearing remembrance pins all day
• presenting to some of the freshmen religion classes about "Who is John Baptist de La Salle?" and "What does it mean to be Lasallian?"
• finding "Headless (Lasallian) Horseman" in our house tonight after dinner [see picture below...]
• receiving a package from one of my college campus minister's, Sabrina, with an awesome shirt from one of my favorite mission trips we do! 

"525,600 minutes. 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes, how do you measure, measure a year?" - RENT (it has officially been 1 year since I have started working a Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School; where has the time gone?)

"Headless (Lasallian) Horseman"

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever!

Gots to catch up...

Happiness Journal (Sept. 6):

• wearing my new Cordero House shirt 
• participating in Freshman Field Day with the Cordero House (even though we had the least amount of participants, the students did awesome!)
• seeing all the freshman get excited about participating in our service project on Saturday
• Finishing the new bulletin board in the office over Melissa's desk 

"You must also lead them to practice well all the good of which they are capable." -Saint John Baptist de La Salle

The awesome bulletin board that is above Melissa's desk! 

Happiness Journal (Sept. 7):

• being able to participate finally in #LVPoloFriday (we received a polo at Orientation that people talked about wearing during the school year every Friday; being that we haven't started school yet, today we had students in the building, I figured I could wear it!)
• more eager students coming to find me at the end of the day to get permission slips for the service project
• 3D's: Dinner, Drinks, and Dessert with my LV Alum mentor Amanda at my favorite restaurant in the Bronx --> Bronx Ale House! 
• watching Hot Rod as I fell asleep (Andy Samburg is the man!)

"Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens could change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has!" -Margaret Mead

Happiness Journal (Sept. 8):

• #ServiceSaturday at St Francis Xavier Food Pantry with #BLMHSCampusMinistry2012
• meeting up with JenCoe and Jake (Freeport, NY volunteers) for the afternoon/evening/early Sunday morning
• attending Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and stopping by to say hi to "Jack" at his shrine
• Tator Tots for dinner at one of my favorite bars! 
• Our waitress for the night/"my second cousin" Stella Galosh! 
• seeing Stephanie's awesome rap skills with "Newsies Got Swag" for never having listened to/liking rap music (Click here to watch the video)

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!" -Benjamin Franklin (a very wise man for sho)

Happiness Journal (Sept. 9):

• having breakfast on the deck with Jen and Jackie when a woman was riding her automated wheelchair rode past on the sidewalk BLASTING music from a boombox on her lap. Jen's response: "She definitely pimped out her ride!"
• jamming to A Day to Remember and Jimmy Eat World while completing more bulletin boards in the office (we have a total of 5 this year...)
• getting my #LoughlinPride in check for the school year which OFFICIALLY STARTS TOMORROW! :)
• watching Billy Madison as I type this/get ready to sleep! 

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." - e.e. cummings

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever! 

Let the craziness begin...

Today marked the first day of having students in the school for academic related activities. We began the day getting the freshman into school, and ready to go be a part of our house system. It was great watching all of them slowly walk into school, scared of where to go, where to sit, what to say, etc. I am so excited to be back in the wonderful Cordero House with my family! I can already see a sense of maturity and growth from just the summer. Don't get me wrong, I still had my trouble students but was able to ask them to do what I need only 3 times versus the old 10-12 times. Baby steps...

Spending only a half day with the student body provided for a bit of time in the office to work, but really not sure if I got anything done. :/. After painting the office this past summer and having everything packed in boxes, I am still getting used to where everything is and where to go when I need something. I also received a delivery of more miscellaneous items to store in the room, and was able to condense and hide away for the time being. When I looked back up at the clock, I realized it was 4:30, and definitely time to head out and get some rest before the rest of the hectic week.

There is a sense of excitement and renewal though with the student body present again for the school year, and I can't wait to see where it goes...

Happiness Journal (September 5):

• seeing my Cordero Family after a great summer vacation apart
• singing the Bishop Loughlin school song at our Principal's Convocation
• having pumpkin iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts again (2 days in a row...better stop it)
• Conversation with the students during family time today (trying to explain the new schedule system) - Students: "Mr. Hueg, this is mad hard to understand" Me: "Well I'm going to make it mad easy, so here we go...". As I posted on twitter --> #teacherswag! :)
• the great work all of our student leader, house representatives did today to help make the day as smooth as possible 

“Do you build on the affection that the young people have for you to lead them to God?” - Saint John Baptist de La Salle (Med 101.3)

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever!