Holiday Wrap Up

This morning I woke up to a lingering stress dream about school. I don't know if normal people get these about work, but I know other teachers get them. I usually only get them in August & they usually consist of showing up for the first day of school completely unprepared. This one was similar - I kept losing my kids, I picked my class up from the library 37 minutes late, and basically messed up everything I did the whole day. Ugh. Not a fun way to wake up...so I slept for another hour & then got up - all better! Well, to be honest, I haven't completely shaken the stress feeling, & I think I'm just gonna have to pick a day next week to go get some work done before I feel relief. Oh well, on to the fun stuff... Week 1 of the 'semester break' AKA Christmas Holiday was quite a whirlwind. We spent a couple of days with my family. Highlights include: Amy & Matt coming over to help put up our Christmas tree & just hang out; making cookies with Amy (my crappy ones & mom's good ones); visiting Aunt Betty & watching birds in her wildlife sanctuary of a backyard (if you look up 'peace' in the dictionary, I'm pretty sure you'll see a picture of her beautiful backyard); & all the good hangout time with my family. Christmas Eve is always reserved for church. John is involved in all 3 services (5, 7:30, & 10) so we're pretty much up there for the whole evening. It's actually become a nice tradition for the two of us (Side note: we are grateful for sweet Etta who takes care of us & makes sure we get a yummy dinner between services. She is a huge blessing & I am so thankful for her!) Other than the Christmas Eve worship services, our tradition is to come home (usually around midnight) and wrap each other's presents. Then, as soon as we're finished, we open them. I love it. John was very creative this year and got/made me some hilarious gifts. I'll have to post about a couple of them later on... Christmas day was spent with John's fam. Our sweet nephews were made to wait for us to get there until 8:15 (actually we got there at 8:17 - we're cruel that way) to open their presents. They were patiently waiting - each with a present in his lap - when we walked in the door. Chaos ensued & we enjoyed watching them play the rest of the day with all the fun new toys they received. Billy & Mary got us a cool hot beverage maker, so if you're feeling like a little Hot Chocolate, you now know where to go - we can't wait to try it out!! The day ended with the traditional Christmas dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, etc., the watching of 'It's a Wonderful Life', and the introduction of John's parents to Guitar Hero. Ha ha! The next day we went to the zoo & it was awesome! The weather was in the mid 60's & breezy, & all the animals were out and about. We got to see the giraffes let out of their little (meaning really tall) house (I've never seen them run before!), the hippos walking around before their pond was filled up (they so look like cartoons), the male lion do his morning roaring - which is quite impressive, & the lion cubs frolicking around with their mama. It was really really cool! We came home around 3 to meet Aaron & Esther who stayed with us last night. It was great to get a chance to hang out & reconnect. We hadn't seen them since their wedding last June, so we had plenty to catch up on - plus they got to introduce us to the Chai Tea Latte at Starbucks & we got to introduce them to Rob Bell & his cool books & Nooma Videos. All around it's been a great week! Yay for holidays!

Wrestling

This week's passage of study for BSF was a hard one. Exodus 32 is about the Israelites creating & worshiping the golden calf (resulting in severe consequences). One of the things I've learned in the last few years is that it's ok to struggle over scripture & ask God questions. In the past I would have breezed through this passage, & said, "Ok, so God & sin don't mix, silly Israelites," or I would have pushed any questions out of my brain before they could become completely conscious thoughts. So instead of running the other way this time (esp. when I hit verse 27 or so), I let my brain ask questions. I wrestled - well, I'm still wrestling. And you know what I figured out so far? I don't have the answers. I don't get it. I don't understand God's ways. Though I'm not done processing yet, here are some things God has opened my eyes to so far: -I take Christ's sacrifice for granted. God really hates sin. Sin = death. I recently read this about sin: "Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be. And anything else you do is sin" (see Velvet Elvis link). Praise God for the indescribable gift we have through Jesus & thank you for reminding me of that gift as we prepare to celebrate His birth! -As Rob Bell mentions in his book Velvet Elvis, scripture is meant to be talked about & discussed - after all it is living and active. I could talk more about that, but I won't right now (feel free to read the book, it's awesome! :-) I felt hugely blessed tonight to have a group of women of different ages, denominations, and backgrounds, with whom I could pour out my struggles with this scripture & all my questions. I found that where I saw judgement, others saw mercy. Where I saw hopelessness others saw the hope we have in Christ. Where I saw death, others saw life. It was/is pretty amazing. -I need to take sin seriously. I'm not talking about running up to everyone I see with my bullhorn & yelling in their faces about judgement. I'm talking about recognizing sin in my life & letting go of my excuses for letting sin cycles creep in. I'm talking about getting rid of my idols: laziness, entertainment, food, sleep, possessions... and remembering God is more than enough - He is completely sufficient, & every blessing in my life is a gift from Him. Speaking of sufficient...2 Corinthians 12:9-10 is some of my favorite scripture & that's what I want to end with: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I'm a Slacker

This month must have been crazy b/c I haven't had time to post much at all. I think the real holdup is that I keep wanting to post pictures & I never have them when I'm thinking about posting. So, this is the catch all/catch up posting for the last month. Good luck getting to the end of this one!

Last night we went to the Casting Crowns Christmas concert. It was very cool. I didn't really know what to expect (I didn't even know who all was going to be playing). It turned out to be a huge production with Natalie Grant, Avalon, & a bunch of other groups too. Not all the music was 'my style', but it was the perfect way to start out the Christmas season - being reminded of the gift we have through Christ - that of a relationship with the creator of the world. Pretty awesome.

Here are a few of the typical 'cell phone camera + dark concert hall = blurry mess of a picture' pictures. Good luck deciphering them.

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Moving on, or backward, if you want to get technical. We had a great Thanksgiving w/ family & friends. We hosted the big Thursday dinner at out house - although my Mom was still the genius who made it all happen! We had my parents & brother over, & our friends Betsey & Mike and their kiddos. It was a really fun & relaxing day. After dinner we headed for A-town to see John's bro & fam. We hung out with our nephews Thursday night (our almost 4 yr. old nephew was glued to the A&M/UT game, which was pretty funny to watch.) John's parents came down the next day for more family fun. We drove back Saturday afternoon & ate dinner with my parents and Aunt Betty & Aunt Nancy. I'm so glad I got to see them even though it was just for a couple of hours.

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Backing up even farther...

November 20 was Storybook Character day at school. Last year I went as Viola Swamp from Miss Nelson is Missing. It was a huge hit, so I couldn't skip out on dressing up this year. I procrastinated until the night before which led to a midnight WalMart trip, but I was pretty happy with the results.

I wanted to dress up as one of the characters from The Lightning Thief books b/c all my kids are reading them right now. I decided to go with Thalia, the daughter of Zeus, because she has dark hair & freckles (check). She is also described as kind of a skater punk in the books, so I had to get creative...

I'm not sure which was better, my kids asking me why I don't dress like that every day ("You look so cool, Ms. M!"), or sitting through 2 parent conferences looking like a 15 year old punk (Yeah, Mrs. Jones, I'm not sure why your kid doesn't respect me, Dude.)

Anyway, it was a fun day which I finished out by seeing Twilight at midnight with the girls. Yes, I did change my clothes before I went, although I would have fit in better with all the teenage girls in the theater if I hadn't!

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This brings us back to exactly a month ago when Megan, Dori & I made our debut at our church's Trunk or Treat as the famous pageant winners: Miss Informed, Miss Behaving, and Miss Shapen. Oh yeah, another friend didn't want to miss out on the fun - meet Miss Ter.

And with that, I think this post is finally complete. If you actually made it all the way through, you'll have to leave me a comment to let me know. I'm proud of your perseverance!

Just call me RBC

Today I told my kids John would be coming up next week to talk about sound with them (we are learning about energy & sound is one of the 5 forms we study). I explained that he is a musician & he knows a lot about sound, frequency, etc. etc. John & I carpooled today, so he came in after school to find me. The kids saw him & started telling Rhonda (my team mate) that he was going to come teach them about sound next week because he 'does something with music'. Rhonda said something along the lines of 'That's right, he's a drummer, and actually that's how Mr. & Mrs. M. met. They were both drummers!' Apparently, one girl was completely awed by this information, because she responded: "Whoa, Mrs. M's like A Rock Band Cinderella!" Yeah, so...I'm not sure where exactly she got that from, but yes, she is my new favorite student.

God's at work

This past week's lesson for BSF was over Exodus 15:22-17:16 which can pretty much be summed up as God's provision for the Israelites - despite their whining. The final question of my lesson this week was: What attributes of God do you find in this week's study & how do they convict or encourage you? Confession time: I did my lesson at the last minute. I know, I know, real shocker coming from a major procrastinator. Anyway, I skipped the 'hard part' and just wrote PATIENCE (in all caps just like that). So as we are sharing tonight the leader says, "Oh this last question is so good, we're going to go around the circle so everyone can share their answer!" Thank God (1) that I was last in rotation and (2) that He gave me an answer, and not just a blah blah blah answer, a real answer. If you've been around me over the last couple of weeks, you've likely heard me whining and complaining (there's a reason I haven't been blogging about work much lately). I've said things like: 'I'm just running out of patience', 'I'm just sick of being treated like crap', 'I'm fed up', etc. etc. etc. So, as I sat and pondered the attribute of God I had written, I thought: How many times do I ignore God's requests of me? How many times do I do what I want to do instead of what God wants me to do? How many times do I have a defiant attitude toward God? How many times do I forget to thank Him for His blessings? Yet... He loves me just the same. He invites me into His presence. He never runs out of patience with me. He blesses me abundantly. Thank you Lord for convicting my heart. For reminding me of your unending mercy & grace. And for reminding me that I am called to pour it out into the lives of others - including the kids you have entrusted to my keeping. May I share even a fraction of the patience you have given me with those around me & follow the example of Christ, the perfect teacher, daily. Amen. Here are some other pieces:

• I don't think there is any coincidence this is also the place in scripture where God turns the bitter water into something sweet. If He can do it with water, he can do it with people.
• The manna God provided for nourishment is compared with Christ (i.e. Bread of Life) so many times in the NT. If I ate like I spend time w/ God I'd be starving to death.
• My ratio of grumbling to prayer is too scary to post.
• All these realizations aren't going to make me perfect, but God is good & He's working on me!

Impatient

Yesterday was a mellow day. I worked in my classroom for a while, ran a couple errands & then decided to hang out at Borders while John was finishing up stuff at church. I ended up reading 114 pages of The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins before John finished working around 6:30. At that point I had to buy the book because I was already addicted (plus I felt like a thief for reading it before I bought it anyway!)

As I neared the end around 3 this morning I kept thinking, 'How is she going to resolve all these issues here - I'm running out of book!?! Here's how she resolved them(this is actually what is written on the last page): End of Book 1. Book 1?!?!?!? You gotta be kidding me! So, apparently there is going to be a trilogy. Normally this would be good news, but the stinkin' book left so much unresolved I kept waking up the rest of the night pondering all the loose ends. Even worse, I looked it up this morning & the sequel is due out Sept/Oct 2009. Boo.

So yeah, I recommend the book, but I also recommend (if you're as impatient as I am) waiting a couple years so you don't get left hanging.

Work, kids books, and other notes

This week was just a big ball of stress. Aside from the normal work stress there were several additional issues going on that kinda sent me over the edge. Just having to go up there today was enough to make me feel panicky & sad. SO, ever since I got home from all the festivities today, I've just been hanging out on the couch being L-A-Z-Y. I know next week will be better, so I'm not gonna talk about work anymore. Instead, I'm gonna talk about all the cool kids books I've been reading this year. Some I've read with my kiddos, & others are ones they've recommended to me. City of Ember I've already talked about this one on the blog. I read it last year & decided I had to read it with my kids before the movie came out this month. Love it! Riding Freedom I've got to thank Nikki for 'making' me read this book a couple years ago when we taught reading together. I had no interest in reading it, but I'm SO glad I did. I just finished reading it with my kids this year & they really enjoyed it too. It's based on a true story about a female stagecoach driver with some amazing perseverance. Her story is all about overcoming obstacles & never giving up on your dreams - what better message for my kids to hear? Firegirl I stole this one off a kid's desk & started reading it (yes, she gave me permission b/c she was reading another book at the time). Even though It's kinda a sad book, It sucked me in b/c it shows a great transformation of a kid's life. No Talking I love Andrew Clements' books! Frindle was my favorite (thanks to Megan recommending it), but No Talking is AWESOME for reading with 5th graders. It's so funny & the kids love the competition between the boys & the girls in the book. The Lightning Thief It seems like ALL my boys are reading this book/series right now. One day at recess a kid asked me to hold his copy. I read the first couple pages & decided I'd check it out. I finished it last night/this morning at 1 something. It's a great 'boy' book w/ lots of action. I bought the 2nd and 3rd books of the series today & I'm half way through the 2nd one now. One of my favorite things about teaching reading is talking with my kids about the books they are reading. I can't wait to tell the boys I finished this one & talk about all the plot twists and turns! Other notes: - Today was Family Fun day at The Patch. It was awesome - completely saturated with God's presence. I was SO sad when I had to leave! -Friday night I went with the college/young adult group to see HSM3. I was worried people wouldn't enjoy themselves, BUT we all ended up having a blast & laughing at the cheese-fest. Plus, I feel like the group is starting to bond & get more comfortable together, so YAY! -I still feel guilty for not accepting Sarah's $5, but later accepting Laura's. What Sarah didn't know is that when she offered, I was contemplating leaving. When Laura asked, I had just decided I had to 'pay my dues' and therefore couldn't sneak out. I hope Sarah knows I love her just as much as Laura. xoxoxo

Sing it, Baby!

We had tons of fun Saturday night celebrating John's b-day. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

First, here are the pictures of the front door I promised (Thanks for the decor, Neecy Mama!):

A funny addition showed up on Saturday morning (have you guys had the politicians stopping by the last couple weeks?):

I hope he enjoyed the decorations as much as we did. Anyway, here is what we did Saturday night:

That's right, we were rockin' out to Singstar - The 80's!! It was totally radical!

Questions...

1. Do you like blue cheese? nope 2. Have you ever smoked? nope 3. Do you own a gun? nope 4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? Red 5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? sometimes 6. What do you think of hot dogs? I prefer not to think about hotdogs - they taste better that way. 7. What is your favorite Christmas Movie? Grinch - the old one! 8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? water 9. Can you do push ups? a few before they start to look embarrassing 10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My engagement ring 11. Favorite hobby? right now blogging & facebook are taking over...weird. 12. Do you have A.D.D.? nope 13. What's one trait you dislike about yourself? pride 14. Middle name? Field 15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment... John's party, Lucy is whining in the bedroom & she's gonna wake John up, time to let her out to go potty 16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? coke, water...that's about it 17. Current worry? We're gonna be late for Lauren's recital 18. Current hate right now? negativity/whining 19. Favorite place to be? home 20. How did you bring in the New Year? can't remember back that far... 21. Where would you like to go? Hawaii - again. 22. Name three people who will complete these questions? No clue 23. Do you own slippers? Somewhere in the bottom of my closet, they may still exist 24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? grey - 5th grade camp shirt - yeah baby! 25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? yeah, except your pillow always slides off the side of the bed! 26. Can you whistle? yes 27. Favorite color? a nice calm blue, or pink 28. Would you be a pirate? um...no - random. 29. DO YOU SING in the shower? yeah 30. Favorite Girl's Name? Madeline 31. Favorite boy's name? Christian 32. What's in your pocket right now? PJ pants don't have pockets 33. Last thing that made you laugh? My student getting chosen to go up front in an assembly & the guy making him dance like a ballerina. 34. Best bed sheets as a child? can't remember 35. Worst injury you've ever had? split my chin open by falling in (the shallow part of) a river in 8th grade 36. Do you love where you live? yes 37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2 38. Who is your loudest friend? Dori or Jana - hmmm...it's a toss up. 39. How many dogs do you have? 1 - our little Lucy! 40. Does someone have a crush on you? Only children - but that's what happens when you teach. 41. What is your favorite book? Right answer: The Bible, Current books obsession: Twilight series 42. What is your favorite candy? snickers 43. Favorite Sports Team? TCU - go frogs! 44. What song do you want played at your funeral? I Can Only Imagine, less specific - any songs of celebration - 'cause I'm gonna be dancing with Jesus!

Happy Birthday, John!

I just had to give my awesome hubby a shout out on his big 3-0! Neecy already accosted the front door of our house with streamers & a sign that says, "Welcome to the old folks home". I'll have to add a picture of her masterpiece on here later - I can't possibly describe her artistry without one. Happy Birthday, John! I love you!

What we've been up to

This weekend was nice. We pretty much got to hang out, run errands, and visit friends. I love my friends. Last night we went to M&L's house & ate pizzadillas & played singstar. It was awesomeness. The hightlight had to be John & Logan singing a duet of "More than Words". It was truly inspirational. It's true, we don't have kids yet, but we sure do love hanging out with everybody else's kids! We got to see a soccer game played by a bunch of Kinder kids - which was incredibly entertaining. I got to hold/rock a precious little 8 week old & watch him sleep in my arms (thanks for the baby fix, Dori!) John got to play tag with R all around the backyard (maybe that was more fun for me to watch than for John...although he seemed to be having fun). It was just a fun & relaxing weekend all around!

Peaceful Easy Feeling

I love my kids. They are adorable (they would gag if they heard me say that, btw). Today at recess I was sitting out in the sun, enjoying the cool breeze, & watching my kids play. Here's what I saw: ~2 pairs of kids sitting together in the shade reading books - adorable. ~6 boys playing tag football in an almost choreographed way. They even had their post touchdown celebrations worked out - adorable. ~4 kids racing hotwheels - adorable. ~And my favorite: 8 kids playing 'City of Ember'. Yes, the book we read at the beginning of the year. They started by voting on who should play each of the main characters, then chose their setting. There is a conveniently located drainage ditch closed off by a metal grate that goes underground at the edge of our playground. They decided that was the entrance to Ember(if you know about the book, you know why they chose that as the 'entrance'). After all the important stuff was decided, they proceeded to play. Just play. Running & jumping, & skipping around using their imaginations - I half expected to them to break into song - it was very 'Sound of Music'-esque the way they were running around & laughing together - adorable. It may sound weird, but this was a serious 'God is in this place' moment for me. I felt like I was basking in His presence surrounded by His peace & joy. It reminded me to thank God for the precious gifts He has entrusted to me this year. It also reminded me I am called to love & serve them/Him with my whole heart. "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' -Matthew 25:40

Will you be my friend?

Little kids make friends so easily. We went to dinner with Mike & Betsey & their kiddos at the end of the summer & ate outside on a patio of a local BBQ place. By the time dinner was over Luke & Lauren had made a new friend (a little girl who was there with another family). We all laughed as we watched them playing together. The highlight of the the night had to be when we were leaving & the little girl gave Luke some sad puppy-dog eyes. Luke turned and said in a solemn voice, "Don't worry, we'll see each other again." It was very Last of the Mohicans (I will find you, just stay alive!) I share this story 1. Cause kids are awesome, and 2. because I made new friends! I know there's been a lot of blogging around my workplace about the awesomeness of our staff, but I've gotta talk about it more. I can't believe I've worked with the likes of Laura & Jana (for what, like 4 years now?) & am just now getting to know them! If you've been reading my blog, you'll probably remember me whining about starting a new school year & worrying about losing my best friend at school (I still miss you at school MD - there's NO cure for that!) but I'm realizing God is working (as always) through my weakness & insecurities. He has really blessed me this year & I am happy where He has me. Apparently my 'happy' look is coming off as more of a glow lately b/c people keep asking if I'm pregnant (No, people, I'm not - and I'm not lying either, so stop giving me the smug 'sure you're not' look!!) Anyway, I'm just thankful for the gifts God has put in my life lately, so I had to share! BTW, speaking of blessings - I got into BSF! They ended up starting a new group which never happens. So, I'm really thankful, & excited about learning more about my boy Moses & his peeps over the next year.

Crazies on Display

Everybody's crazy. However, in normal life we hide/control/restrain our crazies. Only the truly privileged (i.e. spouses, parents, closest friends) get to experience the crazies. This system works out well for everyone involved. Here's the problem: sometimes the crazies escape - then they're out there for everyone to see. Tonight some of my crazies escaped in the form of irrational frustration/tears. Yuck. I'm sitting here trying to figure out what led up to this breach in security, & I'm thinking it's just being tired. This whole getting up at 5 to leave by 6:15, then not getting home until 9 or 10 at night does not work for me. The good news is I'm done with that schedule for a while. The bad news is there were witnesses to the breakout, & if you were one of the innocent bystanders, I'm sorry. Now it's time for me to go pour out my crazies to God. Thank you, Lord that Your grace is enough for me...and my crazies.

Reminiscing

This weekend is my 10 year high school reunion. The formal shin-dig is going on now, but I decided not to go. Last night we hung out with a couple of my guy friends from back in the day, went to dinner, & stopped by our Alma Mater to see our football team crush some team I've never heard of 50-0. When did we get a good football team? Clearly, things change. But you know what? Some things don't - at least they haven't yet. I've never been super sentimental, but when I heard Crazy Army & Thick as a Brick break out from the drumline, I went full out flashback mode. It's amazing how 3 years of intensive marching band/drumline brainwashing sticks with you. It was next to impossible not to shout B. H. S. at the end of the cadence I've played a million times as the band took the field, & I'm pretty sure I still have the muscle memory to play our fight song on the tenors. We (my fellow former drumline member, and some weirdo trumpet player + his sweet girlfriend) enjoyed watching the half time show, but the best part was watching the band in the stands during the 4th quarter. They were breaking out all the same beats & moves we did back in the 90's. Yeah baby! It totally brought back memories of pixie stix & broken drumsticks. So, you may be laughing at my nerdiness right now, but I don't care! I shall now press on by adding a nerdy list to complete this entry! Flashbacks brought on by reunion weekend: 1. 6am practice using colored chips to learn our show - I can still feel them in my hand... 2. Me & Ashley thinking we were the coolest chicks EVER, 'cause we were. Duh! 3. Fridays filled with pep rallies, practice, football games, & CiCi's Pizza 4. Saturdays filled with back pain - doh! 5. Band buses - I can still smell the sweaty feet. Oh yeah, those were the days! One more note...I think I'm gonna have to break down & do the Facebook thing now. Apparently peer pressure is still as effective today as it was in good ol' 1998 (yes, I did have the Rachel haircut, thank you very much!)

Thanks, but no thanks!

This posting is dedicated to a special friend whose name I will not mention here (but will mention multiple times below). I started this yesterday afternoon, but didn't get around to posting it until now. Thanks for the Rangers tickets, Jana! Monday night the whole praise team + M&L went to the the Ranger's game & had a blast. The weather was perfect, & it was really relaxing & fun. Plus the 3 girls all enjoyed eating our way through the innings, & John & I made a new little friend (the Kinder kid sitting in front of us who was determined that Blue was going to win the dot race.) Overall it was a great night! Since the game got over so late, I stayed up way too late, so yesterday I was tired! This would be the day Jana chose to comment on the science lesson I was teaching - well kind of. We were learning about conductors & insulators, so I was carrying a jug of water down the hall. Jana decided to compliment me on the container I was carrying. Ha ha. (That was a humorless laugh.) Throughout the day I had countless inquires about my...science lesson. Very nice. At the end of our staff meeting, the secretary came up to me smiling & I just knew 1 more comment was headed my way. I quickly shielded myself with my notepad & asked the accusatory question: "What?!?!? Have you been talking to Jana?!?!?!?!" The secretary stopped, started laughing & said, "Actually I just had to tell you something about a science training." Doh! In summary, I would like to send my special friend a big 'Thanks' for Rangers tickets, and send her a big 'No Thanks' for her 'compliment'.

Deep Thoughts (not by Jack Handey)

My brain's been busy the past couple days & for some reason I feel the need to share some of my processing. Yesterday afternoon a friend at school was stumbling over her words & made the comment, "Some day I'll learn to talk!" My immediate response was, "Someday I'll learn not to talk!" That phase summed up my day yesterday. From saying the wrong thing completely, to blurting out sarcastic comments before engaging my brain, I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. I felt really annoyed with myself by the end of the day, & was kinda beating myself up about it when I realized that wasn't the best option. So, I whined to God for a while & was reminded of this verse: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. -James 1:19 Another verse that came to mind was: Your beauty should not come from outward adornment...Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. -1 Peter 3:3-4 So today (which included last night 'cause I don't think I slept at all due to my brain being on overdrive & John having an allergic reaction - he's fine BTW) I was just tired & mellow feeling. I had a training for school & was about to show some coworkers a picture of my yard when I saw a picture on my cell phone I didn't recognize. It was a picture of 2 of my students reading, & I deduced from the angle that the picture was taken from under my desk. Since I was not under my desk, (I was sitting on the other side of my desk reading aloud to the kids) I realized that one of my kids had climbed under my desk, taken my phone out of my purse, & taken a picture with it. Ouch...shock...disbelief...wonder...anger...frustration...sadness. I mean, on one hand I was pretty impressed, on the other seriously disappointed. I know kids are kids & they make bad choices (like we all do) but for some reason this really hurt my feelings! Luckily I was stuck in an 8 hour training, so I had plenty of time to process it all. I thought through all the emotions I was feeling, & figured out a game plan. Once I made it to that point I actually had a fun afternoon! I have to say, I work with some really fun people! Who would have thought we would enjoy working on a Saturday? I'm pretty sure we had more fun than the other groups by laughing A LOT, winning the jeopardy game (by winning, I mean losing) and making plans for some cool happenings around our school. I'm really glad I'm a part of such a fun staff! Lastly, I'd like to give Laura a shout out for making the biggest mess with markers & coming up with the best T-shirt idea EVER.

The whole world's gone crazy!

OK, so maybe not the whole world, but my classroom was a big ball of chaos today! I mean if you know anything about my school, I had 14 kids NOT MYD today - FOURTEEN!!! That is insane. When I picked my kids up from lunch one was already in the office, & had to talk the rest of them out of a full scale revolt - apparently they had had some disagreement with some adult during lunch (5th graders are very big on fairness & if they sense injustice of any kind- watch out!) We had a 30 minute discussion about their concerns, fairness, doing the right thing, what is in our power to change in this situation, etc. etc. etc... After going through the whole talk I felt it was time to move on, but before I could say a word, a kid blurts out: "So, can we just start a petition, or come to school with signs that say 'Fire her' or something?" So after cleaning up that mess, we did our reading lesson. We barely made it through & I got the feeling they were pretty much 'at capacity' (i.e. they were still feeling really frustrated about earlier happenings & everyone was getting on every one's last nerve). So what did we do? We went outside to run it off. I simply said, "You know what guys? I love y'all so much that I am going to give you a one time treat: we're going outside." Their reactions were hilarious (picture the people being chosen for the Price is Right). Apparently 15 minutes of outside time is enough to buy the love of 23 kids, in case you were wondering. As I told my kids (and continue to tell myself) tomorrow is a new day. Thank you, Lord! Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Digging through Dog Dirt

We had a great, relaxing weekend hanging out at home and basically doing nothing...until yesterday. When we got home from church Lucy had barfed all over the dining room. Ewww. She continued to throw up Sunday evening & this morning at 5am (the worst wake up call ever), so we took her to the vet.

The poor dog got x-rays that revealed a metal mystery item in her stomach, so she then got her stomach pumped. Apparently, our dog is weird, 'cause instead of the mystery item coming up like it's supposed to, it moved on down to her intestines (it's always ominous when the vet says, "I've never seen that happen before"). By the time John picked her up at 4:30, the item had traveled to her colon, so now we're...waiting expectantly (?) for the big reveal.

I'll be sure to post numerous pictures when I finish digging for the treasure, or maybe not.

Here she is sleeping on John's feet instead...

That's not what I meant to say...

Let me set the scene: I'm sitting in a curriculum training today with some colleagues. There are six of us squeezed around a table making some teaching models. So I'm working as fast as I can (as is everyone else) so that I can get out of there ASAP & go home. At one point I grab a pair of scissors from in front of the guy next to me. Here's what happened next: I think: Oh, did I just steal that guy's scissors, or does he have more? What comes out of my mouth: Oh, Roger, do you have a pair? I think: Why did he just pause like that? Is it because he thinks I'm looking at his crotch? - I mean I wasn't looking at his crotch, I was trying to check his hands to see if he was holding scissors, but his hands just happened to be in his lap...Oh crap!!!! Realization hits & I say: I meant a pair...of SCISSORS. He laughs at me...a lot, I turn red, & the lady leading the workshop comments, "Sounds like the back table is having fun!" I couldn't tell you what the rest of our table was doing, I was hiding under it by that point. Just another day at the office.

BSF

BSF stands for Bible Study Fellowship. For all the info, look here: http://www.bsfinternational.org/ After college I attended BSF for 2 years, then quit to start my preschool ministry position at church. After that there was grad school. This year I am back down to a less than a 'level red' commitment load in my life, so I decided to check out BSF again. Tonight was the introduction class, & this year's study is the life of Moses. I am so excited! I may be on the waiting list for a while (or not - we'll see) but I know tonight was exactly what I needed.

It's funny that this study revolves around a desert journey, because I feel like tonight God dumped a bunch of water on my dried out soul. I'm also wondering if the lady who did the talk read my last blog posting because as she was talking about the Bible she said, "This book is better than any New York Best Seller on the market". So, I'm thinking, just maybe, God is trying to make something clear for me...what do you think? :-)

Obsession...Apathy...Enough

Jana gave me the kick in the booty to post, so here I am! So, if you read my TV on DVD post, you know that I have a problem with addiction. Once I start a TV series - I can't stop. Well, apparently the same goes for a book series. The last time I read a whole series in a matter of weeks, it was the Harry Potter books. For those of you that don't know - I love those books!! So, over Labor Day weekend, I thought I'd try out a new book (recommended to me by Louise). This explains why I haven't posted. In less than a week I have finished the entire Twilight series. It has 4 books: The first book is Twilight (498pages) which I read over a couple days. Next came New Moon (563 pages) that I read in less than 24 hours. Over the next 24 hours I read Eclipse (629 pages). At that point I had to go to work and stuff (darn it!), so it took me a few days last week to finish off Breaking Dawn (768 pages). I don't know if you heard me counting, but that's 2,458 pages in about a week. Don't act like you're not impressed (shout out to Anchor Man). Here's the dilemma of spending a week completely obsessed with reading a book series: it ends. Then, if you're like me, you're thinking, "Now what?" So, last night & today I've been feeling really apathetic & I think I've traced it back to withdrawal. All I really want to do is read...but I'm done...so what now? John suggested reading something that's actually good for me - we just got the book unChristian at a conference we went to this weekend. It basically discusses perceptions of Christians in today's culture...I am excited to read it, but it's just not the same! Anyway, today I've been praying to get over my addiction & the withdrawal/apathy that has followed & I'm pretty sure God shoved this song into my head as a response. Cause it's stuck now & I know I didn't hear it today: Enough by Chris Tomlin: You're my supply My breath of life still more awesome than I know You're my reward Worth living for still more awesome than I know All of You is more than enough for all of me For every thirst and every need You satisfy me with Your love And all I have in You is more than enough You’re my sacrifice Of greatest price and still more awesome than I know You’re my coming King You're my everything and still more awesome than I know More than all I want More than all I need You are more than enough for me More than all I know More than all I can see You are more than enough All of You is more than enough for all of me For every thirst and every need You satisfy me with Your love And all I have in You is more than enough

Happy New Year!

Everyone's been asking how my first week back was, so here are my top 3 moments: 1. The realization - as I mentioned before I've been having a hard time getting excited about a new year. So, the first morning, I was praying for a better attitude while feeling apprehensive & stressed. The answer to my prayers came as a flash of realization. As I was standing at my door, waiting for the first bell to ring, I realized that no matter what stress I was under, in just moments there would be 20 something little faces looking up at me, needing me, depending on me - 20 something kiddos who deserve my best. 2. Teaching reading - I'm still teaching science this year, but I'll also be teaching reading for my homeroom kiddos. On the first day I started telling the kids about how excited I am to read with them this year & how there are so many books I can't wait to share with them. As I was winding down, one of my kids raised his hand and asked, "So when are you going to start reading with us?" I responded by showing them the first book I had planned, telling them it would probably be later in the week, & quickly beginning the next activity. Before I could get a word out they started arguing with me. OK, maybe not arguing...more like begging. They didn't want to do my fun little 'get to know you' first day activity. They wanted to read. I think my jaw must have dropped, but how could I resist? We read 2 chapters of the book. By Friday we made it to page 86. Every day so far, my kids have not begged me for more recess or free time; they have asked me to read 'just one more chapter' (pleeeease?????? ). What can I say? They won me over. 3. Love is a gift from God - I'm sure there will be days where they'll drive me crazy (actually there already have been), but I already love these kids. I'm seriously amazed by how quickly it happened, but I feel like I've already bonded with this crazy group of kiddos. I know it's gonna be a rough year academically because we have a long way to go, but I'm looking forward to the journey with them.

Time to replace the filter

So, you may have already heard I recently embarrassed myself by disclosing thoughts that should have remained safely tucked away in my brain. See: http://sarahupchurch.blogspot.com/2008/08/which-one-kt.html

Anyway, despite Sarah's ominous warning at work earlier today, here are the events that followed the opening of her post:

1. Me turning bright red.

2. John's response: "I can't believe you said that. Did you forget to turn your filter on while you were talking to her?"

3. Me attempting to defend myself.

4. John telling me that there is no redeeming myself & guilting me about embarrassing Sarah's husband.

5. Me retaliating with this: John once said, "I think Sarah's husband is cool looking."

So, I don't know why I associate Jeremy with an elf - I really did mean it as a compliment, but when I tried to explain to Sarah it just sounded like I was being too complimentary in a creepy stalker kind of way. So, I'm pretty sure there's not a way to dig myself out of this one. All I can say is this:

I'm sorry Jeremy. To borrow my husband's words, I think you're cool looking too, but in my mind, for some reason cool looking = elfish (as seen below).

Looking ahead

At the beginning of each school year I find myself formulating goals for the coming year. Here are the things rolling around in my brain this year.

John & I have talked a lot about this year being 'our year'. No, that doesn't mean we're going to neglect everyone & everything, it just means we're going to focus on our marriage & look for ways to grow together, especially spiritually.

Workout! This is another goal John and I have been talking about ('cause it's much easier to talk about than actually do it!) But seriously, we decided now that we're getting old and stuff, that it's time to be healthier.

I hesitate to make the third one known because I'm already justifying my way out of it & the year hasn't even started yet. But here it is: Work on my Spanish - more specifically, my plan is to try to take the bilingual test next summer...but the thought of this is just stressing me out right now. We shall see where this one goes...

Welcome to the World!

After a kinda scary morning, one of my closest friends & her hubby have welcomed a baby boy into the world! Congrats to D&C and the 3 big brothers! Also, praise be to God for His sovereignty & protection in a frightening situation. Please keep praying for the little one as his lungs, etc. continue to develop - he was a little earlier than expected, and please pray for a quick & smooth recovery for mommy too!

Over already?

So, I'm now in the place where I can no longer ignore the back to school vibe that is reaching out and sucking me in. When I say 'vibe' I mean my boss calling my cell to schedule a meeting after I ignore his email, messages from school about various back to school happenings, and the annual first day of school dreams. Yes, I said dreams. I'm pretty sure this is a normal educator thing...I know I'm not the only one who has them. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, let me explain. EVERY year I have worked in education I know the beginning of the new school year is approaching because I begin having dreams (maybe nightmares would be a more appropriate label?) about school - most of them following the theme of not being prepared for the first day. I've had 2 so far this year. My favorite being the one where I find out my old job has been filled & I will now be teaching 7th grade math at a new school. After running around for 15 minutes, searching for my Sonic drink (I think the meaning behind that part is pretty literal - I can actually get to Sonic, buy a large coke, & be back in my classroom in 12 minutes), I walk into a giant classroom (late) to see a huge group of teenagers staring up at me. At this point I realize I have no plans, no books, no curriculum, no idea what the heck I'm doing...I think you get the point. So, the time has come. I'm having a hard time getting excited, although I know it's going to be a great year. I'm sad about silly stuff like no more flip flops, sleeping in, & having no set schedule what-so-ever. I'm more sad about losing my best friend at school, even though I'm SO happy for her that she gets to stay home with her precious little one. Other than my first year teaching, this will be the first time I'll be without her - the thought makes me tear up, so it's time to change the topic...It's going to be a different kind of year, that's for sure, & as I continue to process through the transition back to 'real life' I'm sure I'll post some of my goals, etc. for the coming year. For now I'm going to spend my last few days of freedom wearing flip flops & hanging out, while trying to work through my grief over the loss of summer.

Sorry Ladies, He's taken! Part 3

Wednesday night Dori couldn't make it to Praise Band practice. For those of you that don't know, Dori is an AMAZING vocalist & sings many parts that involve various runs, vibrato, etc. Well, my darling hubby, not wanting to leave her parts out of Wed. night's practice sang all the Dori parts (including harmonies, runs, etc.) in his 'girl voice' - in the microphone. It was quite inspirational. Dori, did I mention I miss you already? No telling what lies ahead when you're out with the bambino...the congregation could be treated to 'Take my Life - The John and Nate duet'.

Almost 30?

We went to see Step Brothers last weekend, which was really funny, yet really awkward due to the family of 4 sitting next to me, including the elementary age girl who looked at my face to see my reaction during every awkward moment of the movie. Side note: Seriously??? You bring your kids to a rated R movie??? I looked up the detailed rating after we got home and this is what it says: Rated R for crude and sexual content and pervasive language. (That makes me kind of embarrassed that I went to see it) But seriously??? – You take your KIDS to this kind of movie??!?!?!?! Although I could rant about that topic for a while (especially since I work with kids who see EVERY R rated movie that comes out) that’s not the point of this posting. So, as we are walking in to the theater, the 16 yr old movie theater worker boy (complete with headset) stops us at the door of the theater and asks us…for our IDs! We kind of laugh, and ask, Really? He doesn’t laugh. John pulls out his License & the guy examines it for a minute & tells him he’s fine. He looks at me and asks me for my ID. At this point I begin to panic – I look at John with wide eyes & say “I didn’t even bring my purse!” I look at the kid for a minute & finally he says, “I think you’re ok”. Whew! So either I can pass for being 17 or older, or he just figured if a 29 year old was taking a 16 year old to the movies, there were much bigger issues at hand.

Sorry Ladies, He's taken! Part 2

So Wednesday was a big day for me. I was nervous & stressed & had to leave the house by 7:30. So Tuesday evening I'm telling John how I'm worried my alarm won't go off, or the car won't start, etc. & he tells me he'll just get up with me. This calms the alarm worries because he has THREE - yes, three alarms (that's a story for another post). So with the assurance that surely one of the 4 alarms will wake me up in the morning, I finally go to bed. In the morning they all work (amazing, right?) I get up & jump in the shower. When I finish drying my hair, I walk out to the kitchen & John has made me a yummy breakfast of eggs, toast, & fruit. He has it sitting out on the table for me, like it's my own little cafe. I'm pretty sure I'm married to the sweetest, most thoughtful man ever created.

Sorry Ladies, He's taken!

I've just got to take a moment to brag on my man. John amazes me. He is the most talented, intelligent, and hard working person I know. Watching him on mission trip reminded me of all the things he does an a daily basis that often get overlooked. His official title on the trip was 'program director'. However, he did a lot more than plan evening activities for the kids. John worked throughout the day to provide a meaningful worship service for the kids each night. As someone who usually serves as a pianist & percussionist, he found this trip in need of guitar & vocals. Although he claims not to sing or play guitar, he led worship throughout the week doing both. He also spent the days interviewing kids, taking pictures, & playing videographer (He refers to himself as a 'professional amateur' in these areas, yet I don't see anything amateur about them - sorry to disagree with you John). On our last night of worship he incorporated a 15 min. video that completely captured the essence of the trip - bringing laughter & tears in the process. Isn't that what any good movie does?? Above all the stuff he did on the trip, I was also blessed & humbled by his attitude & servant's heart. I think he did more on that trip than Chris (the 'big boss') & me combined, yet he was content to stay behind the scenes. So even though he's going to be crazy embarrassed when he sees this post, I just had to let everyone know that my hubby is totally awesome!

Jr. High Mission Trip

We just spent 6 days in Cleveland, TX with about 50 Jr. High kids. Confession time: I did NOT want to go at all. I’m usually excited about going (we do this every year), but this year summer seems shorter than usual & I’ve been feeling really selfish with my time. Well, leave it to God to change my mind & heart about the whole thing. It was an amazing week. This was truly the greatest group of kids I’ve ever seen on a mission trip. They were polite, hard working, patient, & helpful. They were not just willing, but excited about spending 4 days in the hot & humid weather digging post holes, scraping & painting, tearing down old structures, and building new ones. God really taught me a lot through these ‘kids’ & His joy was truly flowing out of them as they served Him. He reminded me of so many things & I’ll try to sum up a few here: I had the opportunity to do 2 of the evening messages & I really love sharing His truth with kids in this age group. The first night was about our personal journey with God- how He meets us where we are, knows us better than we know ourselves, & loves us more than we know. The second one was about our response to God’s love though serving Him & ‘shining as stars in the universe’ as we live out His ways of love.

The Bible is so amazing! I was completely enthralled by Philippians as I read it this week. It’s always been one of my favorite books & one that I know better than others, but have you ever have those moments where a certain passage you’ve read a million times suddenly becomes new again? That’s what it was for me this week. I put a few of the verses that inspire/challenge me in the margin.

I also had one of those humbling experiences where I was reminded that it’s not all about me, & all those good things I think I’m doing for Him are really gifts from Him.

Prayer Request

Please pray for the Anderson Family - see Esther's request below. For those of you who don't know Esther, she is my friend who was married to Aaron this June (see pics in the margin). I will send her the link to this posting if you would like to comment directly to her. Dear friend, This is a prayer request for my dad Jim. Yesterday he was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma. This is a very rare and aggressive cancer affecting the smooth muscles (the involuntary ones). It has been found in his liver, lungs, spinal cord, pelvis and in a large tumor behind his kidney. The tumor on his kidney is pressing against the major artery leading to the heart. This is also very serious, as any blood clot could cause a stroke leading to death. Dad is in stage IV, the latest stage of cancer. The doctors are saying that he has an average of six to nine months to live. This all comes as a tremendous shock to my family, especially as my Dad has been in great shape and health most of his life. My Dad is a man of faith and prayer. I know that my Dad will not be promoted to Glory until his assignment here is done. I believe there is more glory for him to behold and share here on Earth. Both my parents are wonderful people and have been very calm about the whole thing. They told me they are choosing to take this one day at a time and to thank the Lord for all the blessings He brings them each day. I'm asking God for his healing—for a miracle. I'm praying for a revival of faith for my whole family. I'm asking the Lord for wisdom on when to visit and what to bring (spiritually) when I go. I'm praying that through this the Lord will receive all the glory that is due His wonderful, powerful and holy name. I want to say that I am so proud of my mum and dad. Mum has been the perfect helpmeet for dad, pressing on with doctors visits in her usual persistent manner! Dad has been humble and faith-filled, and is feeling the best he has felt in a long time now that the fever/shivers are under control. Together they are strong, full of hope, and courageous in the truest sense of the word (ie: not absent from fear but overcoming it). On our end, there have been many tears, but none fall without hope. I pray that God would steady us with His guiding Spirit, teach us to pray & believe, and renew dad to the likeness of His image. Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want. In a place of green pasture, there hath He made me to dwell; Beside the water of rest hath He nurtured me He hath converted my soul He hath led me on the paths of righteousness for His name's sake For though I should walk in the midst of the shaddow of death, I will fear no evil, For Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they have comforted me. Thou hast prepared a table before me in the presence of them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil, and Thy cup which fillesth me, how excellent it is! And Thy mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days. "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor mind conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, BUT God has revealed it to us by His Spirit…"(1 Cor 9-10). So, if you will, please pray with me. Esther

TV on DVD

Hi, My name is KT & I’m a TV on DVD-oholic. If you read this posting & feel inspired to admit your own TV addiction, please feel free. This is a safe space.

For me (& my hubby) it all started with LOST. Everyone had been talking about it for over a year, & we finally decided to check it out. So, over Thanksgiving break we rented the first disc of season 1. We quickly realized, this would not be sufficient (we watched it straight through without leaving the couch). We went back & rented the rest of season. When we finished that we rented Season 2. In 3 days we watched 48 episodes (about 40 min. each).

Next came Scrubs & the Office. These we had seen before, but there’s something about watching episodes back to back, that keeps you from turning off the TV. We own all of the released seasons of both of these shows & have watched them all…more than once.

After that, I really thought we were over the whole TV on DVD addiction thing - until this summer. So, we’re walking through Blockbuster picking up some new releases because we have a WHOLE WEEK to just hang out at home and enjoy time together. We walk up to the counter with 4 new releases & worker-boy starts the sales pitch about blockbuster rewards, blah blah blah…we pretty much tune him out at the beginning, but soon crack under the promises of great savings, etc. So we join. Our immediate deal is we get a free ‘old’ movie for every new release we’re renting – cool. We begin to peruse the aisle & come upon Grey’s Anatomy. We’ve never watched it, & according to many friends & family members, it’s all the rage. So we get the first 4 discs (basically season 1).

Thus, the addiction begins again. In less than a week and a half we have now completed 4 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. What’s that? Season 4 isn’t out on DVD yet, no problem, we can get it on iTunes – and we did. To sum up, this means we have watched 78 episodes, about 40 minutes each, which = 3,120 minutes or 52 hours of viewing. That would be over 2 and a half days of couch time. We’re sick people, really sick.

I love the beach!

Once you endure the preparation stage of gathering supplies, slathering on the sunscreen & securing a good location on the beach, it's the best ever.

Our activities included:

• Sitting/Talking/Dozing under a nice little canopy in our cheap-o, yet fabulous chairs we bought last time we went to the beach.
  
• Helping our little friends Luke(5) & Lauren(3) fly their Winnie the Pooh kites - My hubby looks especially macho flying one of those bad boys!


• Playing in the waves & watching the fish while discussing how unnerving it is that we are basically standing in the middle of a giant fish tank (full of giant fish & other critters).


• Discussing the probability of sharks eating us.


• Discussing the probability of jellyfish stinging us.


• Building sandcastles - it's a must.


• Watching Lauren sit in the huge moat of the sandcastle & proclaim that it is her bathtub.


• Watching Lauren destroy the sandcastle.
  
• Watching Luke, I mean Batman, fight off the forces of evil (i.e. waves) using his amazing superhero moves.


• Sitting at the edge of the water until we start getting buried in the sand, then contemplating how to best get the sand out of our bathing suits without flashing the world.


• Digging up the tiny clam thingies & watching them burrow back down as the next wave comes in. Yeah, so maybe that's weird, but it becomes like some sick obsession - you just can't look away as they're wriggling back down into the sand...I know...I'm a freak.


• Catching little fish with a random family (who happened to own a really cool net). The most surprising part of this experience was when the dad asked his cute little girl if she wanted to release the fish when we were done (they were keeping them in a bucket of water). She shook her head violently & said, "No! We should feed the gulls!" So, for the next few minutes the kids took turns grabbing a fish from the bucket & throwing it as high as they could. Then the gulls would swoop down, catch them in the air, and swallow them whole. Poor fishies.

Pain in the...

I had to get a steroid shot today to help ward off a nasty sinus infection before we leave for vacation tomorrow. All I have to say: Ouch.

The Battle for Flopsy

I have the greatest pillow ever. It’s flat & squishy & the softest ever. It’s so great in fact, she has earned the name Flopsy (I decided Flopsy is a ‘she’ because of the pretty pink flowered pillow case she wears). Every night I hug Flopsy & wedge her up under my chin which leads to instant sleep. So the other night I wake up at some point & I can’t fall back asleep. I realize the problem: Flopsy is missing. Once I start groping around in the darkness, I realize my thieving husband has kidnapped Flopsy & cuddling with her while I sleep! Instead of ripping her out from under his head, I decide to kick him lightly so he will roll over. The plan is a success & I retrieve Flopsy. Well, apparently my darling hubby has similar tactics, so we’ve now developed a pattern of stealing Flopsy back and forth all through the night. Although we don’t talk about it or acknowledge this battle is going on, it has reached the point that when I get up to go to the bathroom, I hide Flopsy under my other pillows to keep her from getting stolen. I’m not sure this strategy will last long (I’m guessing it’s all over as soon as my hubby reads this), but chances are the battle will continue to escalate. Maybe we’ll have to work out a joint custody agreement, or maybe I’ll have to find a new Flopsy – not for me of course – for Him. Whatever the case this can’t be conducive to a healthy sleep pattern, so it’s gotta end…soon.

Enjoying the View

So this was supposed to be a summary of summer activities, but has clearly morphed into something else, so I'll have to catch you up on summer in the next posting! The month of May was basically a blur which culminated in a new diploma hanging on our wall & a new job - for the summer at least. I graduated with my masters degree in Educational Leadership this May after a year and a half of grad school - an experience that is too difficult to describe in a few words. To sum up, I loved it (at times, loved to hate it)! At this point I am planning on spending another year in the classroom, & pursuing an Assistant Principal position next Spring. However, I have had the opportunity to serve as the administrator for summer school at my home campus, which brings me to June. I have loved every moment of my summer position. It has allowed me to try out my mad leadership skills (ha!), and has served as yet another affirmation that this is what I really want to do. More specifically, I think this experience is helping me realize I really can do this. A few months ago, I was extremely timid about the idea of moving into this type of role, but now (by jumping/falling in the deep end) I realize not only I can do this, but this is what I'm made for. Have you ever been hiking? On one trip to Colorado my high school youth group hiked across the continental divide. This consisted of walking uphill - a lot. We climbed & climbed & climbed, wondering at points where the heck our youth pastor was leading us. Then it happened. We reached the top - a ridge. And standing at that ridge, we could see the beautiful landscape stretched out around us - where we had been & where we were going. It was an incredible experience & one I will never forget. I feel like this is one of those times in my walk with God. He's led me to a ridge & He has allowed me to see more clearly the next leg of the journey. I feel a sense of accomplishment, yet humble thanksgiving that God has brought me to this point & allowed me to see a glimpse of what's coming up next. I find myself thanking Him for who He has made me to be, & finding my security in knowing He loves me, He has a plan for me, & He is with me every step of the way. At this point, I'm kind of at a loss for words, so I'll let David take it from here: Psalm 139: 1-18, 23-24 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

You must have ESPN or something...

So this morning it was hard to get up. Perhaps this has something to do with our recent addiction to Grey's Anatomy, & the fact that we stay up way too late watching 'just one more episode'. I don't know, but I was just tired. So I'm driving to school all I can think of is the Coke (2 cans) I stashed in the lounge fridge last week for such a time as this. I arrive at school, get settled in my office, and head for the caffeine that is calling out my name. Then tragedy strikes. I open the fridge - no Cokes. Yes, plenty of nasty ol' Diet Cokes, but MY Cokes are M.I.A. Someone has stolen them (at this point I began having flashes of the Friends episode where Ross' post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich gets stolen - isn't that what gets him sent to anger management??) I take a deep breath and begin to investigate. No one admits to the cokenapping, however one teacher does say, "I didn't steal your cokes, but I did steal a dollar out of your desk to buy a diet coke from the machine." Good to know. However, this doesn't solve my problem. My brain starts whirring: Seriously, who would take, not 1, but 2 Cokes from the fridge that don't belong them??? This is why during the school year I write my name all over my Cokes with thick, black sharpie (people actually laugh at me for it). Why didn't I do that during summer school??? All the ridicule about being over-protective and possessive would have been better than this. At this point my thinking is interrupted & I must give up the pursuit because I promised a friend I would get her class started for her. A few minutes later my friend arrives to take her class back, and what does she have in her hands??? A Large Sonic Coke!!!! Side note: In my opinion, A Sonic Coke is the only Coke on the same level of tasty-goodness as an icy-cold can of Coke (the bottles just aren't the same). So this whole story is to say...my good friend KP can read minds. Pretty extraordinary, I know. So thank you KP, for sharing your gifts - you felt my need from miles away & rushed to my rescue. So, Yay for Cokes, Yay for mind-reading friends, and Yay for Mean Girls references.

Oh Sweet Memories

I was cleaning out my school email account earlier, and I ran across a story from my classroom this past year. So, even though some of you have probably heard this one already, I want to take a moment to remind us all why teaching is such a fabulous career. Here we go: So this morning as I’m giving directions, one of my kids has his hand up the whole time. I remind him to wait until after directions to ask questions. He keeps his hand up the whole time, so I finish explaining the activity and call on him. Here is the convo that followed: Me: OK, Bob*, now you can ask your question. Bob (very concerned sounding): Well, Ms. M, I was just wondering…Are you having a bad hair day? Me: What? Bob: I mean, it’s really frizzy or something… Several other kids chime in in agreement: “Yeah, you kinda look like a witch.” “It’s like the day you dressed up as the evil teacher.” (I was Viola Swamp for storybook character day.) Me: Wow guys, how do you think that makes me feel when you say things like that? Johnny*: Well, Ms. M, we don’t think you’re a witch – you’re a really nice teacher, it’s just…your hair…looks… Several other kids chime in again justifying…then one of my girls says (in a trying to sound sincere kind of way) “It’s alright, Ms. M…it looks…ok” Now my kids are at P.E., so I have searched the school and located a broom. I’m set for the day. *Names have been changed to protect the ‘innocent’. Wow, I miss my little darlings already. And by the way, when they were at PE, I took my broom out and asked if anyone needed me to pick them up something at the store because I was heading out to run some errands.

Why Summer Rocks

Here are some reasons I love summer (in no particular order):

1. A change of pace - I get to escape the daily grind of school and schedules & enjoy staying up late, being spontaneous, traveling, and being just plain lazy!


2. Time with my hubby - No matter how crazy the year is, summer's when we get to hang out TOGETHER almost all day, every day. I love it!


3. Fun non-work clothes - flip flops, shorts, tank tops, bright colors...


4. Time for hobbies - Things haven't completely slowed down yet this year, but we have had time to get out in the yard and redo the massive flowerbed in the backyard. As my Aunt Betty (a master gardener) says , "There's just something about getting your hands in the dirt." No matter how much I sweat out there, it still brings a feeling of peace and satisfaction. As it heats up, I'll probably be switching my focus to scrapbooking. However, I'm in no hurry, seeing as how I'm only about 8 years behind...


5. Friends and Family - Summer always seems to be the season to reconnect. This year it has come in the form of me climbing out of my cave of grad school, internship duties, and work commitments, & reintroducing myself to family & friends: Hi guys, I'd like you to meet Normal Katie (as opposed to Crazy Lady-stressed out Katie).


6. Refocus - Living in the academic world, this is the end of my calendar year. So now is when I typically reflect on the past year, set goals, process, etc. Ahhh, having time to think is good.

Diving In

I held out as long as I could. I've long avoided involving myself in the world of MySpace, Facebook, etc. but after being introduced to the wonderful world of blogging, I give up. I'm diving in. I have attempted to resist, but the more I catch myself subconsciously brainstorming ideas for postings, and telling my hubby, "If I had a blog, I would SO put this on it!", I realize it's time. So, here I am & we'll see how this goes. :-)