Return of the Friday Five

1. Yesterday was a day of tears. I seriously just bawled about everything. I cried when I read this blog. I cried when I watched the news and saw the stories about the Arlington police officer who was killed on Wednesday and the devastation in Haiti. I cried over our backyard neighbors who are so miserable that they insist on making our lives just as miserable. I cried, and I cried, and I cried. Ugh. I'm not usually such a baby.

2. Today marks the end of the fall semester at our school. I can't decide if I'm relieved to be halfway done with the year, sad that it's my last fall semester to teach (for awhile anyway), or overwhelmed with all the last-minute paperwork I'm required to turn in.  I think I will choose to be emotionally numb today so I don't resort back to yesterday's seemingly automatic response.

3. I hate February and usually dread its arrival (more on that later). However, January's end this year means that I have my husband back in the evenings (school musical is over), my student teacher will start taking over some of my classes, and my birthday will be over and done with (I haven't had a great birthday in awhile.).

4. This will probably make me unpopular, but I'm more than a little skeptical about the $100 million in aid that Obama is sending to Haiti. 

Please don't get me wrong, I strongly believe that we should be helping them out in this time of massive destruction and devastation. I'm so heartbroken when I think about how little these people had to begin with and now they have even less. And that "even less" now means that so many are left without moms, dads, children, friends, and countless loved ones, and it burdens me to help somehow. There are many organizations and charities that are now working with the Haitian people to provide aid, and I believe we, as individuals who are blessed beyond measure, should give (either financially or of our time or both) to help organizations like the Red Cross or Compassion International.

But please someone explain to me what good it is going to do to give $100 million to an already corrupt government who has let the billions of dollars our government has given to them since 1993 go unaccounted for. I just don't get it. 

5. And finally, just in case you didn't click there while reading #1, you need to check out this blog entry by MckMama. I love everything about her blog: her crazy stories, her writing style, her photography, everything. Her topic yesterday though ("I'm Gonna Miss This") is something I think about a lot now that Avery's here, and I think she expressed my sentiments better than I ever could. If you have kids, go. read. it. 

***Edit: After re-reading my five random thoughts, I realized just how negative I sound today! Yikes! In actuality, I'm  just overly hormonal at the moment and will back to "normal" soon. 

Ah, the weekend is almost here. Enjoy it! I know I will.