Catching Up.

In hand: homemade caffé misto.  I finally figured out how to make some decent frothy milk so I'm getting pretty crazy with my coffee-making at home.  I had one when I got home from school while there was a HAILSTORM outside.  This British weather sure is ridiculous!




So what have I been up to the past couple weeks?  Well, I'll tell you!

Newbury train station!

I've been going to school- all set in my routine with my train pass and nice walk to and from the station.  I even started getting up extra early to get Starbucks before catching the train in the morning!  They all know me there now, of course, so I'm back to feeling like a "regular customer" rather than an employee who basically lives there.  At school, I've been taking over morning procedures including the "register" (attendance) and the calendar.  During the independent learning times, I do formal and informal observations of students and work with students one-on-one.
There are two little boys from another class that I especially like to visit during independent learning because they have the funniest conversations.


For example,
"Oh no, I've got glue on my hands!"
"Glue is very sticky on your hands.  Then it gathers all the dirt and you have to sweep it up with a broom.  And then you might have to cut off your hand and throw it in the rubbish bin.  But you can buy a new hand from the hand shop.  Or mold a new one with playdoh.  Or ask God for a new one."
"Or you could get a penguin hand."
"Yes, you could get a penguin hand.  They're very floppy."


During instruction, I usually work with a small group on writing, guided reading, or math.  I have started teaching some lessons, which are much shorter and less high maintenance than the lessons I was teaching in 6th grade!  And I am happy to report that all the students and most of the other teachers can now pronounce my last name.  The students are much more comfortable with me now and I even received my first picture from one of the shy ones today!  He wanted me to make sure that I hung it up for my family to see, so here it is.  =)

"I colored this caterpillar for.. for.. Miss Poblete!"

I have also been working on getting my Pennsylvania and Arizona teaching certifications taken care of- this includes an online course about teaching English Language Learners, getting my fingerprints taken, filling out various applications, sending things all over, and lots of emails and help from other people.  One thing that continues to baffle people here is how much things vary throughout the US.  For example, apparently all the schools in England are basically the same.  But in the US, schools vary so much from district to district and state to state.  The teachers at school are amazed that my PA certification doesn't count for the whole country.  I try to explain by saying that our states are basically like their own countries because they are so different from one another and have different governments!


I've been enjoying my host-family, as usual.  Last weekend, my host parents went on a short holiday to Amsterdam and I had a lovely time with Fiona and Hannah.  On that Saturday they took me to "the rugby."  The family has season tickets to the London Irish, whose field is in Reading which isn't too far from Newbury.  

It was quite a match!  I think the quote of the day was, "This doesn't usually happen!" because Fiona and Hannah kept telling me that- after the big fight that broke out, after the London Irish kept scoring, and after the referee kept stopping the game for small fouls.  I really enjoyed the match and it was nice to have the girls there to explain everything to me as the game went on.  I think my favorite part was at the very end- after the game concluded, the players walked around the field with their families and waved to the crowd.  It was great to see the contrast of the big-thighed, buff men holding their little children after we had just seen them tackle and fight each other on the field.

The big fight.

Go Irish!

Still don't understand how this works!

High scoring game! 

With Hannah and Fiona!

Too cute.

After the rugby, Fiona took me into town to watch the Chelsea/Liverpool match in our usual pub.  I'm not really devoted to any particular team (I mostly like certain players because of the World Cup) and Fiona doesn't really "fancy" football, but we both just root for Chelsea now because we keep seeing them play!  Plus, we both have husbands on the team.

Torres- mine.

Bosingwa- Fiona's.
She really loves the "monobrow." haha.

In the evening, we went out for dinner, played some "Just Dance" on the Wii, and went to a club!  It was a really fun day and I was thankful to celebrate my graduation with such a busy and eventful day with them.

On Sunday, I ventured to check out a small church that I had been invited to by one of the TAs at school.  She had actually noticed my tattoo, looked up the verse at home (Romans 12:12), and invited me to her church the next day at school!  I felt so comforted by her invitation and so thankful that she reached out to me in that way.  God is good! 

On Monday we had a Bank Holiday here (so no school) and Fiona and I went to explore Highclere Castle, which is only 10 minutes away.

If you didn't guess, this is the castle from Downton Abbey (which my roommates only recently got me into)!  So exciting!  We toured through the inside and through the gardens around the castle.  It was so cool because not only is the castle used to film the British programme, but it is still occupied by the Carnarvon family so some of the rooms we saw had books, hair dryers, and clothes in them!  Also, the castle is a huge part of history- it was used as a hospital during WWI, and housed some of the findings from the tomb of Tutankhamun, as the 5th Earl of Carnarvon was one of the Egyptologists to discover the tomb.  The gardens were lovely and the scenery around the castle made me feel like I was in a different time.  I loved it!

In front of the castle!

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but I tried to sneak one!

Not very secret if there's a sign..

The back!

My host family is now away on a sailing holiday for 2 weeks so I am holding down the fort here, and when they get back I'll only have a week left until I return to the States!  Time is sure flying.  


I'll leave you with some little accents bidding you a "good afternoon!" =)

"Rejoice in our confident hope; be patient in trouble and keep on praying."

(Romans 12:12)

One of my favorites, so I thought I'd share!

A Chapter Comes to a Close.

In hand:  fresh brewed Veranda.  My host family uses an Italian moka pot to make coffee and I love it.  When heated on the stove, the water boils in the bottom and the steam pushes it up through the ground coffee so all the brewed coffee collects in the top.  It's pretty cool and produces deeelicious joe.


So, as I sit here drinking my coffee in my pjs in a yellow room in a house in Southern England, I'm working on coming to the full realization that I am, in fact, graduating from college today. 


I obviously didn't do this the traditional way- back at Penn State there has been the RUF banquet, the final RUF large group, a student teacher reception, my student teaching cohort reception at my supervisor's house, the final day of student teaching, senior week, senior send-off, getting the cap and gown, senior pictures with the lion, the College of Education reception, and then the actual graduating ceremony today.  Many things I couldn't attend because I'm abroad.


Though I'm sad to miss all of these things, missing the "final events" doesn't discount everything that has come before them.  It doesn't change the fact that I started my freshman year at Penn State not knowing how much I would truly grow and change as a person and in all areas of my life over the next four years.  It doesn't change the heartbreaks I've had, the chances I've taken, the lasting friendships I've made, the knowledge and experiences I've gained, or the work that God has done in my heart.  

I am thankful.

For the initial visit and the scholarship that opened the door for me.

For the campus.

For the football games.

For the birthdays.

For the karaoke.

For the midnight showings.

For my Halloween dream-come-true.
(The Office)

For the tacky Christmases.

For RUF and the wonderful campus minister.

For small group.

For the canning trips.

For the service trips.

For summer conference.

For THON.

For Starbucks.

For the visits.

For all the wonderful people that God brought into my life, including these special ladies.

 For the woman who supported and inspired me through her faith, her strength, and her love.

For EVERYTHING.

Thank you SO MUCH to my beautiful family, my thoughtful boyfriend, my incredible friends from all over, and everyone else who has supported me through these past four years.  I don't know where I would be without you.  I am so blessed to have you all in my life.

Happy Graduation!

And congratulations to everyone else who is graduating this spring!