Frederick leo lionni lesson plans

Hi my dear Filipinas This is Leo from India 🇮🇳 and I’m planning to settle down in Philippines 🇵🇭 I love Philippines because of culture, food and beautiful island beaches. Suggest what kinda business will make sustainable to live there.

For those who are planning to take the May and Oct CPALE this year what are your usual review schedules? How many hours do you study, how may times you solve lessons from previous weeks etc.

For those who are planning to take the May and Oct CPALE this year what are your usual review schedules? How many hours do you study, how may times you solve lessons from previous weeks etc.

We see a magical monster jump around a bloody building happily. It seemed extremely happy as it found the manager of the building who threw things like pencils, papers, and a chair at it but nothing in the office could harm this creature.
Creature: Nehehe! Kahahahahahaha!
Manager: HELP! HELP MEEEEE! HELP ME NOW!
The creature went to grab the man but its arm was cut off at impossible speeds. It gasped in shock. Even the man couldn’t tell what happened as he looked around the room and saw an older woman.
Woman: Heh… monsters like this have been popping up a lot. Tell me assassin what might be the cause?
The creature would regrow its arm and send a raw blast of pure mana at the woman who would easily step out of the way. A woman in a white multi-layered kimono with black hair appeared behind the monster and stabbed it through the throat.
Creature: NEGHEGharajafa!
It turned into dust being easily killed by the black haired assassin.
Assassin: I presume it’s the work of a servant and or master.
Woman: That’s correct! Good job!
Assassin: So you already know the cause behind this?
Woman: Correct! I even know the servant and master responsible!
Assassin: Alright then…
Manager: What’s going on?! What’s happening?!
Woman: Assassin.
Assassin: Yes master.
She threw her dagger into the manager's skull killing him in an instant. Assassin sighed at her order and the kill. She picked up the dagger before placing it back within the scroll she normally used to conceal the small blade.
Assassin: Master who did this?
Woman: I'm not telling~
Assassin: Ugh… fine then master.
The two women walked out of the office building the master smiling brightly.
Woman: Hmm… I wonder what Saber’s master is doing?
Assassin: Is he of interest?
Woman: I knew his father! Would you be a dear and spy on him for me assassin?
Assassin: As you wish master…
Assassin bowed and quickly disappeared leaving the woman all alone as she laughed to herself.

Leo was reading a comic book while lying on his busted-up blue couch. He didn't have a single thought on his mind aside from the words and the images placed on each page.
Just then Ky walked into the room with an immaculate keychain in his hand. He held it up and passed it towards Leo who grabbed it as it flew above his head.
Ky: Here it was made back in Japan’s Heien Era.
Leo: What is it?
Ky: A cursed chain. While you have low mana it converts the lack of mana you have into physical strength. Therefore-
Leo: I can be super strong!
Ky: Basically. Just keep it in your pockets. I had the pull a lot of strings to get this from my sensei.

Elegant: You want it? Beat Shine in hand to hand! No powers just skills!
Ky: HOW AM I MEANT TO DO THAT?!

Ky: Ugh…
Leo would shove the chain back into his hoodie pocket. He gave a bright smile and placed his comic book down crossing his arms and leaning over the back of his couch.
Leo: So! What is the plan to win this war?
Ky: We need to get you trained up preferably. And we need to exterminate every master in the war.
Leo: Can’t we just… let them all kill one another and pick the last guy off?
Ky: Nope. Most likely they'll come for you while you try this strategy anyway. Even worse is the possibility the final master and servant standing could be an extremely bad matchup for Saber.
Leo: I guess you're right…
Ky: Now then… GUNPOWDER!
Guns appeared behind Ky who shot at a wall next to the bullet manifested the black-haired assassin servant.
Ky: Assassin!
Leo: Oh shit!
Ky’s technique is “Mental Recreation” This powerful ability has him use up his mana to create objects based on certain topics. These topics are gunpowder, transportation, death, nature, and war. These objects are limited to what Ky subconsciously associates with these words whenever he hears them. He can summon these objects with a hand sign or by saying the topic of origin. However, he can not create actual life. But his technique is based on his own interpretation. So if learns to interpret his limits differently his technique will respond in kind!
Ky: Death!
Skeletons appear from the floor but Assassin cuts both their heads off in a moment using her scroll.
Leo: Woah… she's fast…
Ky: If I had to wager a guess… I would say she's faster than Saber and closer in speed to Lancer.
Leo: You can tell that just by her attacking once?!
Ky: I am good with my eyes…
Leo: Saber!
Saber from the front porch came rushing into the living room switching from her casual clothes to her armor and pulling out her misty blade ready to fight.
Assassin: It would seem I'm outnumbered.
Ky: Wow she can even count!
Leo: Why are you even hear?
Assassin: I am here solely on orders from my master. I have no intention of fighting but if you force me to…
Leo: Oh fuck that!
Leo went to punch her in the face and Assassin ducked under grabbing him by the throat and personally slamming him through a wall the sunlight now radiating through the hole made within the wall.
Ky: Gunpowered!
A canon ball appeared a mere 2 inches from Assassin’s face and the second the canon shot she managed to dodge out of the way within an instant. She ran up and shoved the scroll into Ky’s shoulder stabbing through and making him bleed as she jumped onto the coffee table.
Ky: Damn it… some kind of concealed blade…
Saber: I don't wish to destroy Leo’s home… but I want to take out Assassin as soon as possible!
Saber sighed and rushed forward at incredible speeds that still were outmatched by Assassin who managed to dodge each slice of her blade before kicking Saber in the gut before roundhouse kicking her in the face sending her into another wall and cracking it.
Assassin: Strong as you all are I'm simply too fast for you all.
Leo then just grabbed a potted plant in the corner of his room as she wasn't paying him any attention and hit her in the back of the head with it stunning her so Saber could get back up, run, and stab Assassin in the shoulder.
Assassin: AHHHH!
Assassin cut Saber’s arm and elbowed Leo in the face before running out of the hole in the wall she made earlier.
Saber: Master!
Leo: What did I say about calling- actually I do not care…
Saber ran towards Leo who'd been sent to the ground on his ass. He seemed fine as he stood up holding onto Saber.
Leo: I am fine don't worry ok?
Saber: If you insist master! But should I give chase to Assassin?
Ky: Would not recommend it. She's clearly highly skilled. Even if you are probably stronger than her chasing her down might be a bad idea.
Leo: Yeah what Ky said! But what am I gonna do? Am I not safe in my own home now?
Saber: I'm afraid it seems you are not Leo…

Assassin walked into a large mansion on top of a hill and entered a bedroom.
Assassin: Master!
The woman turned to her with a sly grin pasted upon her face. She was currently sitting on her wooden chair while writing something in a notebook.
Woman: Assassin!
Assassin: I am afraid they spotted me rather quickly.
Woman: Did you kill any?
Assassin: No master…
Woman: Perfect! I don't want them to die before they know my name… Isda!
Assassin: Why?
Isda: That is for me to know Assassin! Me and me alone!

Gilgamesh sat upon his throne. Among all masters and servants in the holy grail war, he alone stood as the honored one. He viewed through on of Pat’s crystal balls the events that transpired between Assassin and Leo’s group.
Gilgamesh: That Saber… she's quite strong. Even with the master holding her down. And the Assassin is quite boring to me.
Pat: A-Archer-
Gilgamesh: You know nobody is watching us use my true name peasant!
Pat: Forgive me Gilgamesh! But why are we sitting in this pocket dimension?!
Gilgamesh: Simply to protect you from getting killed. You are quite weak and well I won't have any fun if you die. Even I can't sustain myself without a master!
Pat: O-oh I see…
Gilgamesh truly was a king!

I say "apparently" because... well... you'll see.
This happened decades ago now, back in primary school. I only remembered it because I was recently catching up with old friends from back then, and we got to laughing over old stories and then someone mentioned, "The wildest was when you organised that whole protest against our teacher."
"The time I did what?"
The consensus was I did, indeed, organise the entire class to rebel against our teacher that resulted in her being deposed and our class getting a "substitute" for the rest of the year. I almost fell out of my chair hearing this story from their mouths. It wasn't that I didn't remember it, of course I did--that year was awful. It was just that it existed very differently in my memory.
Two important pieces of background knowledge to understand here:

1. I went to a very very small, very very rural school. How small? Each classroom was composed of the entire year level, and the largest had at most 30 kids in them. My class/year level was on the smallest in the entire school, with a piddling 14 kids in it altogether. While we still had our cliques and factions, our small size caused our class to be very tight knit and protective of each other. How rural? The school building itself was incredibly small, but one thing we were not short on was gigantic empty fields surrounding us on all sides. Great for sports, great for (it turns out) student protests.
2. I was, at the time, undiagnosed autistic. I mean I still am autistic, I'm just formally diagnosed now. But back then I was just seen as being a very quirky kid. One of the ways this quirkiness manifested was that I really had trouble adapting to the rules and structure of grade school and how it differed from what I was used to. At home if I wanted to pee, I just went to the toilet. Now I have to put my hand up? Now I have to ask permission to piss? Then I went home and put my hand up to ask my mom for permission to pee and she told me I didn't need to! Madness! Chaos! I don't care what the rules are, please just be consistent!

But one of the main parts of my brain and the way it works is that sometimes my brain, separate from my will, would just make a decision about a course of action and I would very calmly commit to it come hell or high water. Like, it is vitally important that I stay true to this course of action. I can't explain it. It's like I set a rule for myself and if something disrupts that, I just shut down and stop functioning.
So when the school said, "Okay, when this bell rings during recess/lunch, that means you have to leave the playground and go back to class", I was a confused child already struggling with all these completely nonsensical limitations and guidelines imposed on me. So when that bell rang, I got that calm little voice in my head that said, "Hmm, no, I'm good out here actually. I don't think I will go back into class." So I would just continue to sit out on the playground, playing with my plastic spider toys or sitting on the swing. Teachers would realise what was going on and come out to get me and tell me I have to go back to class, and I would just very calmly hear them out and then smile at them and politely as possible tell them, "No thank you, I want to stay out here."
They really didn't know what to do with me. I wasn't getting upset, I wasn't throwing a tantrum, I wasn't yelling, I wasn't being rude in any way. I was incredibly docile and would let them explain things to me with endless patience and then just politely refute them and go back to what I was doing, like this was just a very normal and reasonable negotiation between two equal parties. I have memories of sitting on the swing while three very confused and flustered adult staff huddled around me trying to bribe me with candy to go back to class. It would take a whole lesson block to lure me back to the classroom, and then at lunch the whole thing would start over again. It took me three years at school to finally accept the status quo thanks to a religious nutter I got for a teacher, and finally went back to class when the bell rang (was never happy about it though).
I eventually settled into school life. Excelled at subjects I liked, at least passed subjects I didn't, followed the rules, was seen as intelligent and obedient and was often liked by my teachers. Until my final year, when we got the teacher I can only rudely monniker Mrs Bigmouth.
Mrs Bigmouth should not have been a teacher. She had a trigger temper and would explode into long, verbally abusive tirades against us if we ever did anything she felt was disrespectful behaviour. What was disrespectful behaviour? Damned if I know. It changed day by day, depending on mood. You could disrespect her to her face one day and she'd laugh and say you have such razor wit, and politely ask a question the next and she'd scream at you for ten nonstop minutes then give you a week of DT for talking back. The absolute peak moment of her boiling temper came when she threw a dictionary at a girl's head because she was whispering to me in class. When I tell you it missed her by half an inch...
But believe it or not, this wasn't what made her such an awful teacher. It was so hard to get teachers at rural schools back then, there was almost nothing you could do to get fired, so we had experience with teachers with nightmare tempers. What made her such an issue was her big mouth. She used us, her trapped audience, as free therapy. She would infodump, traumadump, about her very personal, very private life to us. All day. She'd be two words into a spelling list and launch into an extended story session about her marital issues with her husband. We'd be heads down doing fractions and, unprompted, she'd declare to the class that her adult daughter no longer talks to her and then diatribe to us about it until the bell rang. She had money issues, a contentious relationship with her parents, her marriage was on the rocks. She once pulled me aside after school and spoke with me, at length, about how she was thinking of having another child to try to repair her marriage. I was like, okay lady, I'm 11, about to miss my bus, and my house is a 4 hour walk on foot from here.
We weren't learning. We'd hadn't had a complete lesson since the first week of the school year. We were behind on the cirriculum and frustrated. One kid had brought a stopwatch into school and would time lessons vs her monologues and kept detailed lists, and we would come to school each morning and do betting pools on them. What subject would she interrupt, what would she talk about, and how long would it go.
But all that still wasn't the breaking point if you can believe it. No! Still not! The problem was it wasn't just her own private life she couldn't keep her mouth shut about. It was everyone else's. Because parents would make the reasonable assumption that she should be told things as our class teacher that would be important to know, and that she would understand these things were said in confidence. Instead she would veer randomly off in the middle of talking to us about her horrible weekend to let us know whatever private or traumatic thing was going on in a classmate's life that she had been made aware of. That was awful. That was what made that year hell. It wasn't even about when my secrets were shared with the entire class against my consent. It was watching the faces of my small, lovely, supportive class of 11 year old children go pale and scrunch up with held-back tears as things they never wanted to share were announced like morning news. God we hated her.
Then one day that voice came. The one I hadn't heard in years. The bell ring to go back into class and that voice said, "But I don't want to be in that classroom. I'm not even being taught there." So I just... didn't. I didn't go back to class. I just sat in the playground in a daze eating grass (don't eat grass, it's not good for your teeth). Despite how small my class was, I don't think Mrs Bigmouth even noticed I wasn't there. Others did though. Come lunch and everyone came out, my friends asked me where I was and I said, "Oh, I didn't go back to class."
"Why didn't you go back to class?"
"Why would I go back to class?"
Lightbulb moment for my schoolmates. Yeah, why would they go back to class? What was the point? From a practical standpoint, they weren't learning. From an emotional standpoint, it was horrible to be there. A friend who had had her family's dirty laundry aired to the entire class just last week, things even she didn't know because her parents tried to keep it from her, asked if she could sit with me rather than go back to class. I just stared at her, vacant and confused.
"Sure? I mean, I'm just eating grass though."
Over the next few days, two kids turned into four, turned into ten, turned into the whole class. The whole class was doing a sit-out protest on the field rather than go back to class. Of course Mrs Bigmouth tried to do something about it. She'd come out, screaming at us and threatening us with DT and internal suspension, but six months of that behaviour had totally vaccinated us against her. I'd become the de facto leader and spokesperson of the protest by merit of being the first to sit out and also because I was well known to not give a shit (autistic brain: I actually just frequently had trouble reading and reacting with the correct social behaviour but it gave me a cool and aloof bad boy mystique I guess). I gave her the exact same treatment from back in grade one. I would let her scream, let her holler, let her threaten, let her spittle rain down on me, and then I would give her a sweet and innocent smile and nod in acknowledgement and say, "No thank you, we're going to remain out here." And thirteen pairs of eyes would stare at her in total silence. No one, not even the most gobbermouthed little shite in the class, would volunteer a word. The unspoken agreement was all negotiations were my responsibility.
The thing about angry people is that they feed off conflict. They get you angry so they can respond with even more anger and it nourishes them. She had no absolutely no plan of action on how to deal with me patiently hearing her out then refuting her in the gentlest of terms.
Another thing that ended up helping down the line is that we made an attempt to conduct our own classes. I mean, they sucked and we didn't learn much because we were kids with no supervision, but it was really cute in retrospect. We'd have groups of people assigned to subjects, with some people bringing in words they found in a dictionary for spelling lists and others bringing in old 6th grade homework from older siblings. The heart was there and it served a purpose, if not educational.
"Okay, but how did no one else notice this was happening? Surely people would notice 14 kids sitting on the lawn, not in class?"
Rural school. Big. Empty. Fields. Even screaming at us, the most other classrooms would hear would be muffled voices, and everyone was used to hearing her yelling at us or taking us out onto the field abruptly to make us do laps as group punishment. Plus the way the school buildings were arranged was that it was actually all in one straight line of adjacent rooms, and ours happened to be at the very end of the building. No windows faced the field we all sat in except that of our own classroom. It was just a very lucky arrangement of coincidences and preconceived notions, at least for a couple weeks. I couldn't tell you the exact number, this was so long ago and as a kid I definitely had a more stretched idea of time. Minutes felt like hours, especially during that year. But there was definitely at least two weekends that passed by since the "sit-out protest" started.
Eventually someone cottoned on to what was happening, or maybe Mrs Bigmouth humbled herself and finally confessed to her boss that she had lost control of a bunch of 11-year-olds, so we were called into the principal's office to sort this out. As the representative of our class, I was of course chosen to attend the meeting, flanked by the girl who'd had the dictionary thrown at her head and my friend who was the first to sit out with me. Since I understood that this meeting was one where we were probably going to be yelled at for doing the wrong thing, a thing I had ample experience of, I felt like the easiest way to mitigate things (especially since I felt guilty for being the instigator) was to explain in a very rational and logical way the series of events that led up to our bad behaviour. As well, for my entire life my mother had always taught me that it was no good complaining about things unless you were also willing to think of solutions. "I'm hungry!" - "Well, what's a solution to that problem?" - "Uh, make myself a sandwich?" - "Great! Let's do that together!"
So what did I do? Of course, to make things as clean and concise as possible, I interviewed my class one by one to hear each individual story of why they didn't feel comfortable going to class anymore, itemised them under categories (Verbal Aggression; Interruptions of Lessons; Oversharing Student Life) for easier discussion because my little quirky brain loved itemising things, and then as a kind of olive branch came up with solutions (we wanted to finish lessons unhindered, we wanted our personal privacy to be respected, we wanted to be able to catch our bus on time rather than being held back with unfair DT or long "chats"). So many things sort of came together in this beautiful, wholly accidental way. We had months of records of timed rants and monologues, noted down to the millisecond thanks to that kid's stopwatch. We had records of us trying to teach ourselves during the protests, showing this wasn't us just not wanting to go to class but due to us feeling as though we did not have a class to go to. When the principal heard all this, her jaw it the floor. A lot of it was stuff she knew, peripherally, but things had just never been laid out so neatly before. Some of it was stuff we'd complained to parents about, but it was one kid coming home and telling one parent one time, weeks ago. There was no real sense, up until now, the sheer scope of her behaviour. She didn't even answer us. She just said, "Okay, I need to call your parents."
We got the rest of the week off school. That weekend, every parent of every student came to a meeting between them, Mrs Bigmouth, and the principal. Stories were swapped. My exercise book with my tidy little lists and the records of the betting pool and monologue times were confiscated and brought into the meeting. I don't know what went down, but when my mother came home she just told me that Mrs Bigmouth would not be our problem for the rest of the school year, and more importantly, that she was incredibly proud of me and that I did the right thing. Rarely in my childhood had my inability to integrate into normal society led me to doing the right thing, so I just remember crying and hugging and feeling vindicated about, I don't know, just existing or something.
So yeah. From the outside perspective here is what it looked like: I, the ringleader with a history of dismissing school rules, organised a sit-out strike amongst my class. I kept the protest peaceful and non-disruptive to other classes. When negotiations with the principal were finally arranged, as the representative I compiled a clear list of greivances, with evidence, and a list of reasonable demands. I mean, holy crap, yes, yes I clearly organised a student protest.
The actual results of it are mixed. We got a revolving door of substitute teachers of varying quality for the rest of the school year, occasionally being bundled into other classrooms entirely when they couldn't find someone. It wasn't a great learning environment and we continued to struggle a lot, but it was better than before. Mrs Bigmouth was not actually fired but put on leave for the rest of the school year, then returned and was put in charge of a different year level (which happened to be the class of the younger sister of a guy in my class: according to him, she was quiet as a church mouse that entire year so I hope at least she learned her lesson, or at least finally got divorced and went to actual therapy). The entire ordeal caused our already small and close class to become really really supportive and like family to each other and we all remain in touch until this day. And we became fierce about standing up for ourselves.
I kind of learned to parse the difference between when it was appropriate to go along with set societal rules even if I don't understand them, and when those rules were just straight up unreasonable and nobody should be required to follow them. I did, years alter, lead an actual (very small) strike at work but intentionally that time. My mother was proud of me then too. :)

I'm 31 years old, live in NJ. 5'9", 165 lbs (fit/athletic build) 3rd generation Chinese American (my family immigrated here in the 1900s). My family identifies as American as we tend to eat more pasta than rice and my generation has not learned the language. College educated with a Bachelor's in Biomedical Science (switched from an Engineering major...turns out I don't like theoretical math); currently working in the pharmaceutical industry and pretty much love the industry as there isn't any work drama and it's relatively straightforward yet challenging.
I've tried a few long distance relationships and they're quite difficult to manage...they were great when we able to meet in person and I didn't mind putting in the extra work. I'd be willing to try one if the distance is reasonable and the there is a definite spark between us. I am pretty sure I fit the definition of a demisexual, so I'll be strictly trying to form a connection first. I REALLY need the emotional connection before there is a sexual attraction, mentally I can't do hook ups (they're just really hard for me to handle and I have turned people down).
Personality wise I've been told that I tend to bring people together and keep things fun. I have a few different groups of friends and communities I am often with...and they can vary from the youngsters (21 to 30) to the old guys (60+) to the group that's around my age. I would say I'm pretty good at conversing and I try to stay on top of most current events. Mentally I'm an old man and feel more comfortable in that setting, so much that I literally hang out with 60+ years olds at the gym after a workout in the hot tub. I call them the hot tub gang and it's always a set of regulars where we might talk about the same thing every single day until someone newer to the group says that we talked about it yesterday.
I would say fitness is a major player in my life. I started out hating swimming as a kid, but here I am almost 27 years later...I made it through the lessons at the YMCA, joined a club team, swam in high school, swam in college and now I'm a swim coach and instructor as a hobby/side job in my free time. There's something about being a part of coaching people and watching them grow up and succeed that makes me smile.
My free time in the cold months usually consists of planning DIY projects or working on them. I tend to work on all the cars in the family and am the one that fixes them up or finds replacements for them. Or planning my next road trip to somewhere nicer. Whereas in the warm months I love going down to the beach to go for a swim and have a nice relaxing breakfast outdoors. I do have a few kayaks that I'll bring out to go with friends or if I feel it's safe a nice solo paddle to clear my mind. When I think about it, too many of my hobbies involve water. But I do enjoy things on dry land I promise!
I'm really looking for someone I can grow together with, a long term or forever relationship. I want a relationship where both of us put 100% in all the time and if we don't, we can talk to each other about our concerns and work it out. Honestly what I've realized is that maybe I am altruistic...I miss making someone feel happy and loved, miss the good morning texts, the waiting around all day just to see their texts, I miss spoiling someone and the feeling of that feeling of seeing that look that you get when someone truly loves you. I would love to slowly get to know you by having some conversations where the time just flies, then to a point where we talk nonstop, maybe some in person dates and then maybe eventually settle down together and enjoy life together.
Important stuff: Although I enjoy interacting with kids and it's a major part of my life...I don't want any of my own so...sorry if this is a dealbreaker for anyone. I don't drink (except for maybe wine at special occasions....I get really bad Asian Flush so I'll turn bright red if I smell alcohol essentially lol), not into smoking/drugs (Bad asthma and I'm just not into any of that stuff). I don't judge anyone that's into drinking or recreational drugs, it's just not for me personally. Religion wise, I'm Agnostic. Politically I lean relatively to the left.
I'm really searching for that genuine connection; voice calls are definitely a plus and would love to get to know you. It's alright if we end up just as friends that talk here and there.
If it sounds like you could be the one send me a chat or DM and tell me a bit about yourself. My name is Kevin and I'd love to know about you.

I'm 31 years old, live in NJ. 5'9", 165 lbs (fit/athletic build) 3rd generation Chinese American (my family immigrated here in the 1900s). My family identifies as American as we tend to eat more pasta than rice and my generation has not learned the language. College educated with a Bachelor's in Biomedical Science (switched from an Engineering major...turns out I don't like theoretical math); currently working in the pharmaceutical industry and pretty much love the industry as there isn't any work drama and it's relatively straightforward yet challenging.
I've tried a few long distance relationships and they're quite difficult to manage...they were great when we able to meet in person and I didn't mind putting in the extra work. I'd be willing to try one if the distance is reasonable and the there is a definite spark between us. I am pretty sure I fit the definition of a demisexual, so I'll be strictly trying to form a connection first. I REALLY need the emotional connection before there is a sexual attraction, mentally I can't do hook ups (they're just really hard for me to handle and I have turned people down).
Personality wise I've been told that I tend to bring people together and keep things fun. I have a few different groups of friends and communities I am often with...and they can vary from the youngsters (21 to 30) to the old guys (60+) to the group that's around my age. I would say I'm pretty good at conversing and I try to stay on top of most current events. Mentally I'm an old man and feel more comfortable in that setting, so much that I literally hang out with 60+ years olds at the gym after a workout in the hot tub. I call them the hot tub gang and it's always a set of regulars where we might talk about the same thing every single day until someone newer to the group says that we talked about it yesterday.
I would say fitness is a major player in my life. I started out hating swimming as a kid, but here I am almost 27 years later...I made it through the lessons at the YMCA, joined a club team, swam in high school, swam in college and now I'm a swim coach and instructor as a hobby/side job in my free time. There's something about being a part of coaching people and watching them grow up and succeed that makes me smile.
My free time in the cold months usually consists of planning DIY projects or working on them. I tend to work on all the cars in the family and am the one that fixes them up or finds replacements for them. Or planning my next road trip to somewhere nicer. Whereas in the warm months I love going down to the beach to go for a swim and have a nice relaxing breakfast outdoors. I do have a few kayaks that I'll bring out to go with friends or if I feel it's safe a nice solo paddle to clear my mind. When I think about it, too many of my hobbies involve water. But I do enjoy things on dry land I promise!
I'm really looking for someone I can grow together with, a long term or forever relationship. I want a relationship where both of us put 100% in all the time and if we don't, we can talk to each other about our concerns and work it out. Honestly what I've realized is that maybe I am altruistic...I miss making someone feel happy and loved, miss the good morning texts, the waiting around all day just to see their texts, I miss spoiling someone and the feeling of that feeling of seeing that look that you get when someone truly loves you. I would love to slowly get to know you by having some conversations where the time just flies, then to a point where we talk nonstop, maybe some in person dates and then maybe eventually settle down together and enjoy life together.
Important stuff: Although I enjoy interacting with kids and it's a major part of my life...I don't want any of my own so...sorry if this is a dealbreaker for anyone. I don't drink (except for maybe wine at special occasions....I get really bad Asian Flush so I'll turn bright red if I smell alcohol essentially lol), not into smoking/drugs (Bad asthma and I'm just not into any of that stuff). I don't judge anyone that's into drinking or recreational drugs, it's just not for me personally. Religion wise, I'm Agnostic. Politically I lean relatively to the left.
I'm really searching for that genuine connection; voice calls are definitely a plus and would love to get to know you. It's alright if we end up just as friends that talk here and there.
If it sounds like you could be the one send me a chat or DM and tell me a bit about yourself. My name is Kevin and I'd love to know about you.

I'm 31 years old, live in NJ. 5'9", 165 lbs (fit/athletic build) 3rd generation Chinese American (my family immigrated here in the 1900s). My family identifies as American as we tend to eat more pasta than rice and my generation has not learned the language. College educated with a Bachelor's in Biomedical Science (switched from an Engineering major...turns out I don't like theoretical math); currently working in the pharmaceutical industry and pretty much love the industry as there isn't any work drama and it's relatively straightforward yet challenging.
I've tried a few long distance relationships and they're quite difficult to manage...they were great when we able to meet in person and I didn't mind putting in the extra work. I'd be willing to try one if the distance is reasonable and the there is a definite spark between us. I am pretty sure I fit the definition of a demisexual, so I'll be strictly trying to form a connection first. I REALLY need the emotional connection before there is a sexual attraction, mentally I can't do hook ups (they're just really hard for me to handle and I have turned people down).
Personality wise I've been told that I tend to bring people together and keep things fun. I have a few different groups of friends and communities I am often with...and they can vary from the youngsters (21 to 30) to the old guys (60+) to the group that's around my age. I would say I'm pretty good at conversing and I try to stay on top of most current events. Mentally I'm an old man and feel more comfortable in that setting, so much that I literally hang out with 60+ years olds at the gym after a workout in the hot tub. I call them the hot tub gang and it's always a set of regulars where we might talk about the same thing every single day until someone newer to the group says that we talked about it yesterday.
I would say fitness is a major player in my life. I started out hating swimming as a kid, but here I am almost 27 years later...I made it through the lessons at the YMCA, joined a club team, swam in high school, swam in college and now I'm a swim coach and instructor as a hobby/side job in my free time. There's something about being a part of coaching people and watching them grow up and succeed that makes me smile.
My free time in the cold months usually consists of planning DIY projects or working on them. I tend to work on all the cars in the family and am the one that fixes them up or finds replacements for them. Or planning my next road trip to somewhere nicer. Whereas in the warm months I love going down to the beach to go for a swim and have a nice relaxing breakfast outdoors. I do have a few kayaks that I'll bring out to go with friends or if I feel it's safe a nice solo paddle to clear my mind. When I think about it, too many of my hobbies involve water. But I do enjoy things on dry land I promise!
I'm really looking for someone I can grow together with, a long term or forever relationship. I want a relationship where both of us put 100% in all the time and if we don't, we can talk to each other about our concerns and work it out. Honestly what I've realized is that maybe I am altruistic...I miss making someone feel happy and loved, miss the good morning texts, the waiting around all day just to see their texts, I miss spoiling someone and the feeling of that feeling of seeing that look that you get when someone truly loves you. I would love to slowly get to know you by having some conversations where the time just flies, then to a point where we talk nonstop, maybe some in person dates and then maybe eventually settle down together and enjoy life together.
Important stuff: Although I enjoy interacting with kids and it's a major part of my life...I don't want any of my own so...sorry if this is a dealbreaker for anyone. I don't drink (except for maybe wine at special occasions....I get really bad Asian Flush so I'll turn bright red if I smell alcohol essentially lol), not into smoking/drugs (Bad asthma and I'm just not into any of that stuff). I don't judge anyone that's into drinking or recreational drugs, it's just not for me personally. Religion wise, I'm Agnostic. Politically I lean relatively to the left.
I'm really searching for that genuine connection; voice calls are definitely a plus and would love to get to know you. It's alright if we end up just as friends that talk here and there.
If it sounds like you could be the one send me a chat or DM and tell me a bit about yourself. My name is Kevin and I'd love to know about you.

My wife and I have been married for 26 years and have been pretty happy. However, recently we have been fighting a lot. My wife dedicates herself to her work and it frequently interferes with our plans. For instance, we work at the same place and have lunch together. However, every day it is the same story, she puts me off for several hours, cuts our lunch short, or just doesn't show up at all. She is a counselor at a school and her reasoning is that if a student needs to see her then she puts that above all else. Everybody else in the school gets to take a 30 minute lunch, she almost never gets hers. As a result, I have stopped having lunch with her and go by myself. She does manage to go to Dr's appointments or Dentists during her lunch time and the students manage to survive without her. It is only when we get together that she needs to be there for her students. She says that it is her job and that is what is most important to her. In the past, I have been left sitting in parking lots for 45 minutes or longer waiting for her to leave work. Her excuse, students needed to talk. We worked in a different town from where we lived so we car pooled.
We have a very routine life and usually have sex only on the weekends. This is partly because of my fatigue but also because she stays up later than I because she has a Facebook addiction. She is usually excited, calling it "sex fest" weekend. Often our adult daughter calls last minute and asks her to babysit so she blows me off to go watch the grandchildren. Sex fest weekend turns in to a bust and usually leads to a fight.
My wife has a lot of anxiety and gets flustered when things go wrong. When the pressure is on, she will take her frustration out on me. Often telling me to "shut the F*!K up" or blaming me for what went wrong in her day. It almost always causes a fight. I have been reading religious books on how to be a good husband and I have tried applying some of the lessons but am having an extremely hard time. I have tried to exercise patience, not yell or respond to her abuse and be supportive but she usually pushes me to the brink and I lose my temper. Unfortunately, I tend to pout and give her the silent treatment. Early in our marriage we had a really bad fight and I ended up tipping her off of a couch and she hit her head on a table. I was horrified and vowed that I would never let things get physical again. To this day, I have never laid a hand on her, choosing to walk away and not talk to her until I am calm. Unfortunately, it takes me several days to calm down. She resents this and calls me "cruel and mean".
Our last fight, was over a complete misunderstanding, but once again ended with her yelling and telling me to "shut the F*!K up". I don't understand why she completely disrespects me and has such contempt for me. She feels that this behavior is totally acceptable. We discussed her total lack of respect for my time during lunch and she doubled down on "It is my job and it comes first." I tried to tell her what it was about her that upsets me but she denied everything and told me she doesn't feel like talking about it anymore. That is where we are today. Barley talking, she stays late at work, goes to our daughter's house for hours or just doesn't come home until late. She often gets in the car and takes off without telling me or my younger daughter where she is going. NO, I do not think she is cheating on me. She may be mean but she is not a cheater.
I am so close to calling it quits but for some reason still love her. It doesn't seem like she wants to spend time with me but wants to be married to me. When we do spend time together, she is always on her phone browsing Facebook or on her iPad playing card games. She seems to find any distraction to not communicate with me. She has asked me to go to counseling with her but I am skeptical. We tried that once and the guy was a complete disaster. The counselor was 3 times divorced and was a complete idiot. He actually caused more harm to our marriage than good. I am open to trying again but want to try this thread to see if anybody else has gone through something similas and has any advice.
I realize this sounds whiny and I am sure I will get some haters but I would really appreciate some advice.

Training for the Long Island Residents
Training for the long Island residents
NXG Firearms training
I'd like to welcome everyone in this group to come train with my new company NXG.
some background about myself: 5 Year IPSC Shooter, 25 Years of firearms experience. My instructors are former Marines and Leo members 2, seen multiple deployments. I've done 1 on 1 Private lessons with a few people from the group, as well as many others I've talked to at ranges.
@NXG_Firearms visit the IG page for some video content nextgeninstructing@gmail.com
Trying to put a class through in May we need a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 students
classes will be taught in Suffolk
June 2nd is our next class. Looking to fill 3 more spots for our June 2nd class.
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message me if intrested.
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Introduction to Basics

• Firearm Understanding
• Proper Grip
• Basic Marksmanship
• Loading / Unloading
• Reloads
• Recoil Management
• How to Zero
• 5-7-10 Meter Engagements
• Malfunctions
• Shooting Fundamentals

Course Length 4+ Hours
Price $300
This class is intended for new firearm owners
We are not a law enforcement agency we do not enforce laws
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Introduction Pistol / Rifle

• Firearms Safety and Range Etiquette
• Gear Selection & Placement
• Shooting Fundamentals
• Marksmanship
• Reloads
• Malfunctions
• Recoil Management
• Limited Movement around barriers and obstacles

Course Length 5+ Hours
Price $400
We are not a law enforcement agency we do not enforce laws
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Intermediate Rifle / Pistol

• Safety
• Cold Start
• Shooting with others
• Movement in and around barriers and obstacles from various positions
• Understanding sight confirmation (height over bore)
• Reloads
• Shooting on the move
• Multiple target engagements
• Speed and accuracy
• Alternate shooting positions

Course Length 6+ hours
Price $500
We recommend that you take INTRO TO RIFLE PISTOL before you take intermediate
If can not perform any of these tasks in a safe manor or we determine you are not fit intermediate rifle pistol you will be asked to leave and refunded 50%
We are not a law enforcement agency we do not enforce laws
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Gear Requirements
Minimum Requirements
In-Side Waistband or Outside Waistband Holster
Rifle Sling
3 Magazines
Ear Protection
Eye Protection
Tourniquet
300 Rounds of Ammo
Recommended Requirements
Range Belt
3-4 Rifle / Pistol
3 Pistol Magazine Pouches
2 Rifle Magazine Pouches
Individual First Aid Kit W/ Tourniquet, Chest Seals, Bandage / Gauze
Dump Pouch
400 Rounds of Ammo
NO SERPA HOLSTERS
RIFLES MUST HAVE A SLING
MUST HAVE A PISTOL LICENSE TO SHOOT PISTOL
THERE WILL BE NO PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEOGRAPHY
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Our first class was a success 5 of you showed up for intermediate rifle pistol.

Use these to draft one page short stories that can be used to give life to emotional reactions.

1. How do you feel when you find out your favorite book has a sequel?
   1. Describe the emotion when you receive a surprise gift from a friend.
   2. What emotions arise when you lose a game you were really looking forward to winning?
   3. Share the feelings you experience on the first day of a new school year.
   4. How do you react when you have to speak in front of the class unexpectedly?
   5. Describe the mix of emotions when you meet a new friend for the first time.
   6. What's your emotional response when you get a good grade on a test you studied hard for?
   7. Express your feelings when you have to apologize to someone.
   8. How does it feel when you successfully solve a challenging puzzle or riddle?
   9. Describe the emotions when you witness an act of kindness in your school.
   10. Share your reaction when your parents surprise you with a fun outing.
   11. How do you feel when you receive a compliment from a teacher?
   12. Express the emotions when you face a fear and overcome it.
   13. Describe the mix of emotions when your best friend moves away.
   14. How does it feel when you achieve a personal goal you've been working on?
   15. Share your emotional response when you receive constructive criticism.
   16. What are your feelings when you have to say goodbye to someone you care about?
   17. Describe the emotions when you create something artistic that you're proud of.
   18. How do you react when you encounter a challenge you've never faced before?
   19. Express the feelings when you win a competition against your classmates.
   20. What emotions arise when you have to admit you made a mistake?
   21. Share your reaction when you successfully make someone else laugh.
   22. How do you feel when you see someone being unfairly treated?
   23. Describe the mix of emotions when you receive recognition for your hard work.
   24. Express your feelings when you have to confront a difficult situation.
   25. How does it feel when you help someone who is struggling?
   26. Share your emotional response when you receive a genuine apology.
   27. What are your feelings when you witness an act of generosity in your community?
   28. Describe the emotions when you receive unexpected praise from a peer.
   29. How do you react when you experience a moment of pure joy?
   30. Express the feelings when you have to deal with a disappointment.
   31. Share your reaction when you successfully navigate a new environment.
   32. What emotions arise when you make a new friend during a group activity?
   33. Describe the mix of emotions when you have to share something important with others.
   34. How do you feel when you achieve a milestone in a personal project?
   35. Express your feelings when you have to confront a situation that makes you nervous.
   36. How does it feel when you receive support from unexpected sources?
   37. Share your emotional response when you witness an act of bravery.
   38. What are your feelings when you receive constructive feedback on your creative work?
   39. Describe the emotions when you discover a new hobby that you love.
   40. How do you react when you have to face a rule or consequence you disagree with?
   41. Express the feelings when you overcome a physical challenge or obstacle.
   42. Share your reaction when you meet someone who shares your interests.
   43. What emotions arise when you have to work in a group and contribute your ideas?
   44. How do you feel when you witness an act of perseverance in someone else?
   45. Describe the mix of emotions when you learn a valuable lesson from a mistake.
   46. Express your feelings when you receive encouragement from a mentor.
   47. How does it feel when you are asked to take on a leadership role?
   48. Share your emotional response when you make amends with someone after a disagreement.
   49. What are your feelings when you have to adapt to a sudden change in plans?
   50. Describe the emotions when you receive unexpected assistance from a classmate.
   51. How do you react when you have to share your personal achievements with others?
   52. Express the feelings when you successfully navigate a social situation.
   53. Share your reaction when you find out your favorite activity is canceled.
   54. What emotions arise when you have to admit you need help with something?
   55. Describe the mix of emotions when you receive positive feedback from a teacher.
   56. How do you feel when you are chosen for a special role or task?
   57. Express your feelings when you witness an act of fairness in a game or competition.
   58. How does it feel when you learn something new that challenges your perspective?
   59. Share your emotional response when you have to comfort a friend in need.
   60. What are your feelings when you participate in a community service project?
   61. Describe the emotions when you receive recognition for your kindness towards others.
   62. How do you react when you have to navigate a situation where you feel misunderstood?
   63. Express the feelings when you successfully resolve a conflict with a friend.
   64. Share your reaction when you discover a hidden talent or skill.
   65. What emotions arise when you have to stand up for what you believe in?
   66. How do you feel when you experience a moment of gratitude towards someone else?
   67. Describe the mix of emotions when you have to say goodbye to a beloved pet.
   68. Express your feelings when you overcome a fear and try something new.
   69. How does it feel when you receive support during a challenging time?
   70. Share your emotional response when you witness an act of sportsmanship.
   71. What are your feelings when you participate in a team-building activity?
   72. Describe the emotions when you have to navigate a situation where you feel left out.
   73. How do you react when you receive constructive criticism from a peer?
   74. Express the feelings when you successfully complete a long-term project.
   75. Share your reaction when you witness an act of environmental stewardship.
   76. What emotions arise when you have to cope with the loss of a valuable possession?
   77. How do you feel when you are entrusted with a responsibility by a teacher?
   78. Describe the mix of emotions when you participate in a cultural exchange activity.
   79. Express your feelings when you help organize a surprise for someone else.
   80. How does it feel when you receive unexpected encouragement from a family member?
   81. Share your emotional response when you witness an act of compassion in your community.
   82. What are your feelings when you have to navigate a situation where you feel underestimated?
   83. Describe the emotions when you receive a heartfelt letter or note from a friend.
   84. How do you react when you have to confront a situation where you feel pressured?
   85. Express the feelings when you successfully teach someone a new skill.
   86. Share your reaction when you witness an act of creativity in your school.
   87. What emotions arise when you have to cope with the end of a school year?
   88. How do you feel when you participate in a group project and everyone contributes?
   89. Describe the mix of emotions when you receive an unexpected apology.
   90. Express your feelings when you successfully negotiate a compromise with a friend.
   91. How does it feel when you discover a new way to express yourself creatively?
   92. Share your emotional response when you witness an act of selflessness.
   93. What are your feelings when you have to navigate a situation where you feel proud of yourself?
   94. Describe the emotions when you receive positive feedback for your efforts.
   95. How do you react when you have to face a situation where you feel out of place?

I’m still planning on making the best of the next 10 days here, but I feel sad that THIS is how I’m getting to experience Turkey. Logically I know Turkey or Italy (last summer’s drama) or XYZ are not disappearing! It’s not like you can only visit once and then border control says, “Sorry! You used up your 1 permitted lifetime visit to Istanbul on a trip with your narc parents!”
I know I can and will visit all these places again (& multiple times!) that narc family trips had ruined, as soon as I have the $ means and genuine people in my life who I want to travel with. So my future husband, genuine great friends etc. Just sharing and making memories with people I love and who love me back truly.
AND YES I HAVE LEARNED MY LESSON. I AM DETERMINED TO MOVE OUT PERMANENTLY ASAP AND I WILL NEVER SAY YES TO A TRIP WITH THEM AGAIN.
But I guess I would love some reassurance right now. Hard to not feel like I “tainted” my experience of these places by visiting with narcs.
Background: Just landed in Turkey on a trip with toxic parents (this is obviously not my ideal travel partners but I didn’t want to turn down a “free” trip to here because due to being unemployed & back living in a small town, I haven’t had recent opportunities to be out and about. I am determined to change this situation very soon though!)
Well I just spent the first half day in the hotel room crying and sleep-deprived after an awful fight being ganged up on by my narc dad and enabler mother. When I told my mom I felt really hurt and would spend the day exploring alone tomorrow (we are doing some tours after), she very falsely accused me of “wanting to be alone so I can meet Muslim guys like the Turkish shows I watch”. This is obviously a lie and doesn’t even make sense but she said it to make me feel shame and guilty for suggesting it.
Especially because I was so happy to have learned some Turkish over the pandemic by accident after their shows were trending on American social media. I’m being shamed for a harmless hobby because my mom wanted to “one up me” and win a fight!
Anyways, after this bad 1/2 day and an awful string of family trips (dreamt of Italy for ages- we finally went & it was extremely mentally draining), I’ve decided it’s time to not only move out, but also never give in to pressure to go on another “vacation” with them.

Just graduated an MLIS internship and have been applying to any library job I see (from public clerk to academic librarian) and cannot even get an interview. Is it my lack of experience or resume? I don’t know if I should add older jobs I’ve had, but they have nothing to do with library science (I was a warehouse worker and barista) during my undergrad. Thanks!

*Moved this over from Barcelona forum.
Hello All,
We just got back to the US from our great trip to (mostly) Barcelona. We did spend a couple of great days in the Costa Brava in the town of Begur. That was a wonderful time too. We had a great time and were sad that our time in Spain came to a close so quickly.
When we landed at the airport we got a 3 day Hola Barcelona pass that was excellent and worth it. We took the bus, tube, and tram around the town and it’s some of the best public transport I’ve had the privilege of using.
We stayed in the Poble Sec area, and this was a lovely area, but all of Barcelona was great, as well. We ventured through El Ravel during the day even though our host told us that this might be an area to avoid. Note: Most people on here said just use common sense and be mindful, and following that advice we had a positive experience.
The people of Barcelona that we encountered in our trip were kind, friendly and patient. We spoke Spanish and English, and most people seemed to also speak English along with their native Catalonian and Spanish.
Like most other posts say, there is much to do and take in this city. They say New York is the city that never sleeps, but I was thinking that Barcelona is the city that is alive night and day.
Now, to address the one thing that many people have posted about on Reddit - the problem of pickpockets and theft. The majority of our trip was wonderful, and we did not really encounter this, and we were mindful of our belongings and employed common sense awareness.
That said, there were two things related to potential theft that stood out on our trip.
1. We rented a car to travel from Barcelona to Begur, but we planned to detour first to go see Montserrat. On our way to Montserrat a car pulled up behind us and was honking and flashing us and then drove up beside us indicating that we should stop bc something was “wrong” with the car. A younger man then proceeded to show me how the wrong thing in the back needed to be fixed and he was trying to “help”. This felt wrong bc he was too aggressive and forceful in this situation; he was brazen enough to just open our trunk without consent.
Later we read about a flat tire scam that people use to rob people sometimes. We avoided what we think might have happened by being firm and saying that we should call the police and road side assistance because we were in a dangerous situation (by being on the side of the road) he was adamant that he could fix it/ we shouldn’t call for assistance & should follow him. Once we said we were going to call for assitance he got upset and drove away. We realized right away that we had avoided a negative situation.
Lesson Learned: The rental car we got had a rental car company bumper sticker which I think makes for an easy target. We removed it and were fine after that. Here, pay attention to your gut if something doesn’t feel right then believe it.
2. On our last day, on our way back into Barcelona after returning the rental car, we took the train. As soon as we boarded, the train agent on the train yelled out loud and pointed to the people sitting behind us and identified them as known pickpockets. He warned everyone, which was helpful, and made us candidly aware of how close pickpockets can be on public transport. At the next stop two other pickpockets boarded the train. That was kind of a surreal experience.
Lesson Learned: there are pickpockets, but everyone is on the lookout, so just be mindful and aware of your surroundings.
I share these two lessons because Reddit was so helpful to us. We loved our time in Barcelona (& the Costa Brava), and we felt so welcomed by the people in Spain. Thank you for welcoming us as guests to your home.

Little rant about my parents and sum of my life. My parents moved to the states from the Middle East. They didn’t pass down the Arabic language to me barely taught me the religion. My dad isn’t a good father and my mom is just here to basically raise us but unfortunately it’s just very halfa.s. I got bullied by other Arabs because I’m not arab enough especially I don’t know the Arabic language. My dad didn’t leave us but he never properly raised his children. My dad is very controlling and bipolar he likes to put me down and compare me to others because they’re “perfect Muslims” and makes fun of me for not knowing the Arabic language. How can it be my fault? They never taught me it and made fun of me when I tried. I have no connections to my family back at my parents home country. I’m basically stuck living in the west. My mom gave up on me and said I’m on my own. That I’m grown and I have my own life now but I’m hopeless and angry at them for not teaching me the language and the religion properly. Angry that they had kids for nothing and didn’t teach us valuable lessons. Thankfully I never left islam throughout my whole life but I cry every night because I don’t understand why Allah didn’t give me better parents that are serious with Islam and the Arabic language. I have plans inshallah one day to move to a Muslim country and have a family there.then again I don’t know if it’ll ever happen it’s up to Allah swt.

I have mentored 4 student teachers in the past two years, with only 1 showing an outstanding attitude and work ethic. My first one helped herself to my secret stash of chocolate, giving it to a work colleague, so I couldn’t stress-eat in my recess break. She also invited herself out to dinner with other (too-nice colleagues) and said “Oops! Can you spot me? I don’t have any money on me.” She did not pay him back. She used to rock up 29 minutes before class, sit at my desk and require reminders to stop being on her laptop when I’d previously arranged for her to supervise a small group. Student 2 used to skip into my room and ask me “What’s your goal that you want to achieve today?” before informing me that she was off her ADHD meds and all over the shop. Which brings me to my current student teacher. I’ve awkwardly been put into a situation where she is a parent at the school. - not even manage to locate the paperwork she needs to record her observations, lesson plans or know what rubric I’m assessing her on (I found it all within 10 minutes of reading the Uni handbook). - Writes lesson plans that require me to spellcheck (I can’t even at this point). Lesson plans arrive 3 days after discussion. - I get emails seeking clarification on things we have already discussed, or I have provided resources for them to research content knowledge, behaviour management etc but then actively asking questions that could be answered by reading the said resources. - Not having access to personal laptop or knowing how to log in to access her Uni things from the school laptop I’ve provided. - I get 3am emails because she’s stressing at how she’ll be able to cope and has stated she wants to cry when some student (Junior kids) needs her support and she doesn’t know how to give it. I mean….this parent has a child in exactly the same age group! - I’ve reassured her that she doesn’t have to do it all and I do not have expectations that everything will be perfect but to prioritise what’s important- observing, getting to know students and writing a lesson plan. Yet I’m the one accessing all of the materials she needs and I cannot believe I am dealing with a grown adult here. -It’s not even a ‘student teacher’ thing for me- I’m just finding it depressing that people who are so obviously unsuited to being a teacher are studying a Masters, and have stated that they are doing this because ‘they’re scared that AI will take their current job’ is setting our profession up for failure. My most competent student teacher who will become a fabulous teacher over time is the only thing that motivates me to keep mentoring. Thanks for the rant….It’s a laugh or cry situation….🤦🏾‍♀️🤯

Lesson 12: Justice's Balance and The Justice Card
Our exploration of the Tarot continues with The Justice card, symbolizing balance, fairness, and the consequences of one's actions. Let's delve into the themes of justice, ethics, and finding equilibrium in various aspects of life.
Discussion Questions: 1. How do you currently approach situations that require a sense of justice and fairness? 2. Reflect on a time when ethical considerations played a significant role in decision-making. What principles guided you? 3. In what areas of your life do you feel the need for increased balance and fairness?
Guided Meditation: Visualize the scales of justice, representing the balance needed in various aspects of life. Feel the energy of fairness and impartiality surrounding you. Explore the thoughts and feelings that arise during this visualization.
Exercise 12: Pull The Justice card and contemplate its themes. Identify situations where balance and fairness are crucial. Create a plan to approach these situations with ethical considerations, documenting your experiences and the impact on your sense of equilibrium.

Lesson 5: The Emperor's Authority and The Emperor Card
Our journey unfolds with The Emperor, a card embodying authority, structure, and the power of disciplined leadership. Let's explore the themes of order and governance in both external and internal aspects of life.
Discussion Questions: 1. How do you currently embody or respond to authority in your life? 2. Reflect on instances when structure and discipline were beneficial. How did they contribute to your success? 3. In what areas do you feel the need for more order or leadership, both within and outside yourself?
Guided Meditation: Picture yourself in a regal setting, symbolizing The Emperor's authority. Envision a crown atop your head, representing your own leadership qualities. Feel the sense of control and stability that comes with responsible governance. Observe any sensations or insights during this visualization.
Exercise 5: Pull The Emperor card and consider the role of authority in your life. Identify areas where establishing order and structure is beneficial. Create a plan for implementing disciplined approaches in these aspects and document your experiences as you embrace leadership.

This reddit has been a treasure trove of information and support. We have seen many stories of other families who are enduring a hard, long few months with a reflux baby. Thank you for helping us feel less crazy and like others understand.
In our experience, we found there isn't a lot of helpful information about how to help a baby going through reflux and how to know if your baby might have reflux. So, we wanted to share our experience in hopes that you will feel less alone and maybe encouraged too!
If you want the story, here it is! If not, skip to the bottom section.
Feeding has been a difficult journey since our daughter was born. She lost over 10% of her weight in 2 days (I am told that is normal for breastfed babies). So, the lactation consultants encouraged me to begin pumping after every feed to increase supply, or 12 times a day. I did this for 4 weeks. While my supply eventually came in, feeding continued to be immensely difficult. After 7 lactation appointments and multiple appointments with the pediatrician, we were greatly discouraged. By the time our daughter was 8 weeks old, she would scream every feed and feeds would take close to two hours. Even giving her a bottle of breastmilk would take more than an hour for her to finish. I was ready to throw in the towel on breastfeeding because I was devastated at how difficult it was. Our daughter would scream and cry more than 10 hours a day. It was awful. I also experienced lots of nipple pain around this time, which added to the frustration.
When our daughter was 8 weeks old, our pediatrician referred us to an Occupational Therapist thinking her suck reflex might have issues. We had a 3 hour appointment with the Occupational Therapist who assessed that she did have some issues with tongue positioning when swallowing and a shallow latch, but her assessment was that reflux was the biggest problem our daughter was facing. We began doing exercises for the latch and tongue issues. Because of the OT's assessment, our doctor prescribed Famotidine for our baby. Now, our baby is almost 12 weeks and is very happy! Breastfeeding is one of her favorite things and is a good experience for us both! She eats in under 30 minutes and most feeds are joyful. There are still hard reflux days where she is unhappy and struggles to latch, but overall it is much better!
Here are the top things we learned:

1. We learned the signs of reflux our LO was experiencing. For her reflux looked like: Clearing her throat, latching then quickly unlatching, throwing her head back, crying as if she was in pain, tons of spit up (even 30 minutes after she ate), and she needed to be burped a lot.
   
2. Our baby developed a fear of reflux which led to a fear of eating. She became defensive during nursing, despite her hunger because she was afraid of acid coming up. She also limited her eating because with reflux she would experience more acid when her stomach was full. So, this was a key reason why our LO fought eating. Knowing she was in pain definitely gave me more grace and patience, but it was so sad to discover that she was afraid to eat.
   
3. We began to choose a baby-led feeding position
   

In the hospital, I was taught the football feeding position and was told to smash her face into the boob so she would latch. Many lactation appointments confirmed this. However, for our reflux baby, this added fear because she would try to pull away but I wouldn’t understand her cue. We learned from the occupational therapist that the baby has to trust that I see her cues of struggle so she can regroup before taking in more milk. This meant, we had to do a breastfeeding position where I was not holding her head and where she could have more freedom to pull away as she needed.
For breastfeeding we did a side-by-side position. Where the baby lays on her side right next to me. This gives her the freedom to pull away as needed. Once we rebuilt trust, I was able to do a cross-cradle position. I still do not hold her head. She can pull away as needed.
We also do this with the bottle. We started with her mostly sitting up, leaned against pillows. When reflux started to bother her, she could pull away and then come back when she was ready.

1. With our LO, we developed a mantra: When it doubt, pull it out

Anytime we think LO is having trouble and might cough/choke, we started pulling off the breast or tilting the bottle to give her a break.
For our LO, choking means more frustration and fear of nursing. I was concerned she wouldn’t latch back on, but I found it is much better to give her a break then to push her.

1. Burping

Our LO needed lot of burping. Here's our signs she needed burped immediately: clearing her throat, anytime she starts wiggling a lot, anytime she is choking or coughing, etc.
We got into the habit of always burping every 10mL of the bottle or 4-5 minutes on the breast. I also burp in between sides.

1. Upright positions make a big difference for our LO

We keep her upright for 20 minutes after a feed so she doesn’t have as much burning acid come up. It’s our way of helping her keep it down.
We had to plan when we'd do tummy time and diaper changes so that our LO wasn't at risk of spit-up (or hiccups). We did it before feeds or after holding upright for a while.

1. We learned to use a pacifier or LO's hand to help her keep the reflux down

For our girl, we found the swallow reflex can be used with a "dry nipple" (finger, pacifier, etc) to get her to continually swallow. This helps the reflux stay down for her! You and I do it all the time to keep stomach nasties from coming back up.

1. Celebrate every minute of baby sleep you get

A well rested baby eats so much better. Our LO was much more patient with us during this difficult work of feeding when she had a good nap. Give yourself grace if all you can do is contact naps.

1. Our experience with Famotidine (Pepcid)

We saw some results immediately.
We saw better results after 5 days
We saw great results after 14 days.
All babies cry. This won't change that. But it's nothing like it was before. Our LO does not throw her head back and most feeds are very positive. She's still fussy in the evening, but that can be normal for all babies.
We think we notice when it wears off, right now we're on a single dose per day. The last feed before her dose, she usually struggles. But that's nothing compared to how it was.

1. Help your Dr. by eliminating all uncertainty that it truly is a reflux problem.

We have a great pediatrician! But how do you know if a patient really does need medication when there might be something less drastic that would solve the problem? It really helped our dr. that we gave her a detailed account of the symptoms and timing of our LO's problems. It also helped that we happened to need to bottle feed our LO in front of the dr and it was terrible! The dr could see for herself what it was. I also cut dairy and regulated caffeine early. This helped our dr. be confident that a reflux medication was the best next step. We haven't added dairy back in yet. Just happy things are better right now.

1. Don't be afraid to advocate for you and your baby.

No one will care about your baby as much as you do. Lactation, pediatrics, OT, every professional has a specific purpose and goal that's aligned with what they know best. But YOU are the kid-expert. Trust your gut. If you think something isn't working or your LO isn't alright, advocate. Lactation will hope for a completely breast-fed baby. Which is a wonderful thing. But what's most important is that your baby is happy and healthy no matter how that happens. Formula, pumped, or breast-fed. Many pediatricians will be concerned with the child's development. We hit our milestones, but it came a huge cost of time with 120 minute feeds each time, and very little sleep. Make sure that ALL medical professionals giving you important advice knows your LO's backstory. We made some mistakes with this... That's another post. Taking good notes helped our occupational therapist spot the problem over time.
And when you try new things, get some sort of timeline of how long to try it before there be improvement. Find out if the medication or technique should work after a week or a month. This will help you manage your expectations when you might be feeling hopeless.

1. Know your milestones

It is normal for certain weeks to be challenging. Knowing our milestones helped us understand the full picture of what our LO was experiencing, not just reflux related. And, it gave us hope that some of the misery wouldn't last forever. Haha.
Non reflux-related breastfeeding lessons

1. Pump-related

I hurt so bad from pumping and I assumed that was normal. I went through weeks of blanched nipples and very significant nipple pain only to discover I wasn't pumping correctly! Make sure to measure your nipples for your flange size. If you are working with a lactation consultant, they can help with this. Also, I learned to check the breast pump manual to learn about the settings. I have now made some adjustments to the settings. Now that I have discovered these things, my nipple pain has gone away.

1. Shame when breastfeeding isn't working

I experienced a lot of shame and guilt when breastfeeding wasn't going well. I thought I was a terrible mom and I felt embarrassed that something that should be natural and easy was a nightmare. That led me down all kinds of destructive thoughts, fearing that I wouldn't be a good mom moving forward because this area was hard. I had to learn to reframe things. I had to start to see that any volume of milk my reflux LO got was a win. I had to discipline myself to not compare myself to other moms who could breastfeed in public for less than 10 minutes while I had to make sure to feed in the car, knowing my LO would take over an hour and cry nonstop. I had to learn that if a feed wasn't going well, it isn't a failure to decide to offer a bottle to help LO fill up more quickly. Honestly, I had to learn to lay aside my expectations and do what worked. And, I had to have my identity not wrapped around breastfeeding and my child's success. Just as my LO struggled in this area, she will struggle with more things in the future. I will be a better mom if I can love her through it without feeling shame for where she is at. Having a supportive, loving husband greatly helped when I wanted to throw in the towel. I also found that talking with my counselor and having a space to remember the truth about my baby (i.e. her struggling to breastfeed is because of the reflux, not because I am a bad mom), greatly helped my mental health and my relationship with my baby.
It is the end of week 11 for us and it has changed dramatically for the better! We are on week 3 of the Famotidine. Our baby smiles all the time and is a joy to be around. I am beginning to like being a mom, which I couldn't imagine 2 weeks ago. People say things get better at week 12 and we didn't believe them. We felt hopeless. For us, it actually did get better. But, we know that isn't everyone's story. Regardless of how long you have been struggling with a reflux baby, it is incredibly hard on the whole family. And, I don't know when it will get better for you. My prayer is that it will get better for you very soon because it sucks and is awful. In the meantime, I hope this post helps in some way or at least helps you know that someone else in the world gets where you are coming from.

Lesson 11: Reflecting on Progress and Adjustment
Take a moment to reflecton your journey so far. Acknowledge any insights, shifts, or challenges you've encountered. The Hermit card represents introspection and wisdom gained through experience. Meditate on your personal growth, recognizing the lessons learned.
Exercise 11: Set aside time for self-reflection. Create a list of key insights from your Tarot studies and experiences. Consider any adjustments needed in your approach to personal development.
Lesson 12: Shadow Work with the Devil
Explore the concept of shadow work using the Devil card. Shadow work involves confronting and integrating aspects of yourself that you may avoid. Engage in a guided meditation to delve into your shadows.
Exercise 12: Journal about your shadow work experience. Identify any patterns or behaviors that may need acknowledgment and acceptance. Explore ways to transform and integrate these aspects.
Lesson 13: Healing Energy with the Star
The Star card represents hope, healing, and renewal. Practice a guided meditation focusing on accessing healing energy and envisioning a bright future.
Exercise 13: Incorporate healing practices into your routine. Whether through meditation, energy work, or self-care, align with the energy of the Star to promote emotional and physical well-being.
Lesson 14: Finding Balance with Temperance
Learn about balance and moderation with the Temperance card. Engage in a meditation to cultivate harmony within, blending different aspects of your life.
Exercise 14: Identify areas where balance is needed in your life. Create a plan to incorporate moderation and equilibrium. Journal about the effects of finding harmony in daily activities.
Lesson 15: Transformation with Death
Understand the transformative energy of the Death card. Meditate on embracing change and letting go of what no longer serves your growth.
Exercise 15: Reflect on aspects of your life that require transformation. Journal about what needs releasing and how you can navigate change positively. Embrace the potential for rebirth.
Lesson 16: Strength and Resilience with the Strength Card
Explore the concept of inner strength and resilience with the Strength card. Engage in a guided meditation to tap into your inner fortitude.
Exercise 16: Identify situations where you need inner strength. Practice the qualities of courage and resilience in your daily life. Journal about moments of personal strength.
Lesson 17: Exploring Intuition with the Hanged Man
Delve into the Hanged Man's energy, representing surrender and a shift in perspective. Practice intuitive exercises and meditation to enhance your connection with higher guidance.
Exercise 17: Dedicate time to intuitive practices, such as meditation and divination. Record any intuitive insights and how they guide your decision-making. Reflect on the power of surrender.
Lesson 18: Embracing Change with the Wheel of Fortune
Understand the cyclical nature of life with the Wheel of Fortune. Meditate on embracing change, acknowledging the constant ebb and flow of existence.
Exercise 18: Reflect on cycles in your life. Identify areas where change is needed and how you can align with the natural rhythm. Journal about your willingness to adapt to life's fluctuations.
Lesson 19: Wisdom and Experience with the Hierophant
The Hierophant represents tradition and spiritual guidance. Engage in a meditation to connect with your inner wisdom and seek guidance from spiritual sources.
Exercise 19: Explore different spiritual practices. Incorporate rituals or traditions that resonate with you. Journal about the insights gained and the connection to your inner wisdom.
Lesson 20: Integration and Mastery with the World
As you conclude your Tarot journey, meditate on the energy of the World card, symbolizing completion and mastery. Reflect on how your understanding of esoteric wisdom has deepened.
Exercise 20: Summarize your Tarot journey. Create a visual representation or written reflection on how each card has contributed to your personal growth. Celebrate your achievements and newfound wisdom.
Congratulations on completing your Tarot journey! May your ongoing exploration of esoteric wisdom bring continued insight and inspiration.

Lesson 25: Astrological Influences in the Major Arcana - Part 4
Explanation: Explore the remaining astrological connections in the Major Arcana. For instance, The Star is linked to Aquarius, The Moon to Pisces, and The Sun to Leo.
Exercise: Research the astrological associations of The Star, The Moon, and The Sun. How do these zodiac signs enhance the cards' meanings?
Activity: Draw these cards and reflect on how the astrological influences enrich their interpretations.
Guided Meditation: Close your eyes, visualize The Star, The Moon, and The Sun. Feel the energies of Aquarius, Pisces, and Leo. What celestial insights manifest?
Additional Insight: Astrological influences form a cosmic tapestry in the Major Arcana. Embrace the interconnected wisdom of the stars and Tarot archetypes.