This morning L was in such a rush to wake up and have some serious Disney fun, she totally neglected the fact that the parks wouldn't open for about six hours. Yeah. Someone decided it would be just swell if she woke up at 3:30. Why I was the only person who was waken up by her pleas for fun is beyond me. Actually...that's probably not true. It's probably biology....moms tuned into the sounds of their babies. ...Stupid biology. Why did no one think to program the dads to wake up to their babies?
Either way. In a room that is about the size of most standard hotel rooms, both B and my husband were out cold, leaving me to fend for myself with a baby too excited to sleep. Luckily, along with that pesky wake up thing God programmed me with, He also blessed me with, what I like to believe is, some pretty awesome resourcefulness, too. Yeah. That's right. I'm sagacious.
You better believe I shoved (in a completely motherly and tender way, of course!) my daughter to the far side of the bed, and crawled into bed with L. Maybe she was too excited to sleep. But I wasn't. Not since I'm the one responsible for pushing the stroller and/or carrying any one of two children at any given time throughout the day...in Florida. In June. (Oh....B and I decided to share a bed since the two beds in our room were doubles and my husband would be all cramped if we shared, what with being 6'8" and all...and plus he'd just squeeze me out anyway. He swears he doesn't. But we've been married almost 7 years. He loves me. But he does. Just sayin'. :) )
With my 4 year old shoved to the far side of the bed, and unwittingly sleep rolling her way back to the middle (Grrrrrrr!!!) and L cradled in between us, I decided to try to get some sleep. ...If there are 10 levels of sleep.....just pretend with me.....trying to sleep while cradling an 8 month old, in an awkward position, I was probably in level 2 of sleep. Keep in mind that Level 1 is the suckiest.
So when morning rolled around, finally, I was not ready to get up. By that point, I had given up around 6:30 (after repeated attempts to put her back in her crib) and forced our youngest on my husband to be in his charge while I desperately tried to catch up on sleep before it was officially time to start the day.
Whatever time it was my husband finally forced me from the comfort of my pillow was too early, but I was up. We rushed around getting ready. My parents had agreed to take the girls to Magic Kingdom for the day, allowing Matt and I a rare day to ourselves. We would be heading to Universal Studios, our first time there. I was in such a rush to get myself ready and make sure the girls' bag was packed for my parents, I forgot to eat. My husband forced me to share a Cinnabon with him at the park. Seriously. Forced me. I told him it wasn't good for me; too much sugar and fat; not good for all the progress I've been making health/workout-wise, but he insisted saying he didn't want me to get sick. Well...okay....if it's my HEALTH you're concerned about. ...Okay, so I caved. But we shared, and we had water. And I'm pretty sure I walked enough at Universal to burn off two WHOLE Cinnabons.
So. Some highlights of our day (with pictures to follow at a time TBD)....
-The Hulk--CRAZY INTENSE! How intense was it? Well, in the line, some girl passed out. In the line! At like 10:30 in the morning. It wasn't even hot yet. Okay...so I'm 99.9% sure there was more at play with her dilemma than pure Hulk Intensity could account for, but still. ...(She was okay.) We waited in line for like 8 millenia. No, really. It was a long line. But once we were on, the ride did not disappoint. ..Aside from the fact that the ratio of wait time to ride time seemed disproportionate, but who said life in a theme park was fair and proportionate? Right. So it is what it is. After we got off the ride, I felt a liiitttttle bit disoriented. I've never been drunk, but I imagine that the woozy walking that I see in movies would be something like what I experienced disembarking from the Green Machine. Also I had a headache from having my brain shaken (not stirred) by what had to have been at least 5 upside-downy twists and corkscrews. It was fun.
-Hogwarts--We rode the ride in Hogwarts. The line was 60 minutes, but since my husband and I know how to take one for the team, we opted for the Single Riders line, which boasted an impressive wait time of only 10 minutes or so. And, for our sacrifices, the ride person-getter-onner lady ended up needing two singles. Bingo! We get to ride TOGETHER! This ride was fun. It was like part simulation ride part...yo-yo? I don't know how else to describe the pully/droppy motion of the ride. It was a pretty great ride.
-The Harry Potter dragon ride. This one was fun. This one we waited forever for. Again, the wait time, in my mind, didn't totally justify the wait time, but some theme park employee "strategically" placed at some point in the queue, did offer to take our picture in front of the flying car from "The Chamber of Secrets"...so that was cool.
Those were our favorites of the day. We did have to leave a little earlier than we had planned, though. Matt started not feeling well. And by the time we rode Krusty's (The Simpsons) Funhouse Ride (Hey, it's crazy what a 10 minute wait time can convince you to do!), Matt was feeling sick, hot, and sweaty. ...And the ride wasn't any of those things. So we decided to head out and get him some rest. I'm pretty sure he was dehydrated, because once we got him some water, food, and rest, he bounced back pretty quickly, but he sure wasn't looking so hot there for a bit.
While off on our adventure, the girls were off on their own adventure with my parents in the Magic Kingdom. I was not privy to their day, of course, since I, as a mother, have not yet perfected the skill of being in two places at once (although that is on my list of things to do by the end of 2013). However, after picking the girls up in Downtown Disney (my parents headed back out to Epcot), this is what I was able to discern:
-L rode "It's a Small World After All". She did not care.
-B made my dad (Pops) take her on the teacups twice. She likes to spin the wheel and go super fast. My dad did not throw up. Props to dad on that one! :)
-B rode Space Mountain. (Whaattt?!?!) She had assured us when we arrived on Sunday that she was not riding that ride. Look at my little 4 year old all grown up and being brave! When I asked her what her favorite thing of the day was, she boldly, and without hesitation, announced, "Space Mountain."
-Bella met the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. My mom took some video. She looks very unsure of the rabbit, and rightly so. She's never seen the movie before.
So not many pictures taken today, but I'll try to upload what I have later. As for now...time to get to bed. Early day tomorrow back in the magical world of Disney. :)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
The Magic of Disney: Days Travel, 1, and 2
Travel Days
So we drove from Texas to Florida. In a car. With two children. Under 5.
It was, by and large, a huge success. I have no photographic evidence of this, but we did arrive at our Saturday night travel stop (Tallahassee) around 4:30ish when we hadn't planned to get in until between 6 and 8. Soo...success. The girls did great in the car. We left from Houston around 3:30am on Saturday, which seems insane, but that meant that we got a solid 5 hours of drive time before the girls woke up.
B had a mosquito bite that was apparently insanely painful, as she kept insisting that she needed itch cream every 10 miles or so. ...So glad I stopped at Target before we left town and picked some up!
In New Orleans, we drove over several bridges that crossed marshy/watery areas. We had discussions, at length, about the wildlife that existed below...mainly the presence of alligators. B looked, but never did spot any. She insisted they were down there (and may very well have been), because they like brown and green mud, both of which she was able to identify as we blazed over bridges at speeds of 70mph.
Later B announced that she didn't want the alligators to bite her, as that would hurt her "skeeto" bite. Yes. Because her "skeeto" bite would be all that would hurt. :)
Day One
Sunday we left Tallahassee for Orlando and made it in (finally) around 1ish? With a check in time a good three hours off still, we headed to Downtown Disney to get our feet wet. ...And so I could change from travel clothes (jeans) to park clothes (shorts).
While in Downtown Disney, we stopped in a Disney store to let Bella have a look around. Not a ride had been ridden, and she was already in Disney heaven! I forced myself not to tear up, because I am that much of a mush. It's true. I'm just so excited to get to share this with her. She spent several minutes perusing a bead stand.
With her first Disney experience under her belt, we headed to the buses to make our way to the Magic Kingdom.
Fact: Getting a stroller on a Disney bus....doable, but extremely awkward and time-consuming.
Fact: Paying 14 bucks to park seems well worth it after having to drag a stroller through a crowded bus, trying not to whack every knee in your path.
Upon arriving to the Magic Kingdom, we sunscreened up and headed down to the entry path, where I was attacked by a bee. I hate bees. I have had one too many run-ins with them, and I do not trust them to leave me alone if I leave them alone. Unless my children are in mortal and immediate danger, all bets are off, and I will (and have) run from bees, even at the expense of my dignity. ....And I did. Hey! It was just like 5-10 feet, and I went back for her. :)
We only stayed at the Magic Kingdom for an hour or so before it was time to head back and check into our hotel. Some highlights from our afternoon....
Day Two
Monday morning we woke up bright and early. We had reservations at the Cape May restaurant in one of the hotels for a character breakfast. We hadn't told B what we were doing. She was SO excited! Just to see the look on her face when she got to meet the characters was priceless! And a HUGE relief. You never can tell with B how she will react. I wouldn't have put it past her to tense up and shut herself off.
After breakfast we headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios. We were there all day, and we had a blast! The girls did great with very few meltdowns for either of them. Some highlights of our day...
Ughh. Pictures won't post right now. I'll have to edit later. :)
So we drove from Texas to Florida. In a car. With two children. Under 5.
It was, by and large, a huge success. I have no photographic evidence of this, but we did arrive at our Saturday night travel stop (Tallahassee) around 4:30ish when we hadn't planned to get in until between 6 and 8. Soo...success. The girls did great in the car. We left from Houston around 3:30am on Saturday, which seems insane, but that meant that we got a solid 5 hours of drive time before the girls woke up.
B had a mosquito bite that was apparently insanely painful, as she kept insisting that she needed itch cream every 10 miles or so. ...So glad I stopped at Target before we left town and picked some up!
In New Orleans, we drove over several bridges that crossed marshy/watery areas. We had discussions, at length, about the wildlife that existed below...mainly the presence of alligators. B looked, but never did spot any. She insisted they were down there (and may very well have been), because they like brown and green mud, both of which she was able to identify as we blazed over bridges at speeds of 70mph.
Later B announced that she didn't want the alligators to bite her, as that would hurt her "skeeto" bite. Yes. Because her "skeeto" bite would be all that would hurt. :)
Day One
Sunday we left Tallahassee for Orlando and made it in (finally) around 1ish? With a check in time a good three hours off still, we headed to Downtown Disney to get our feet wet. ...And so I could change from travel clothes (jeans) to park clothes (shorts).
While in Downtown Disney, we stopped in a Disney store to let Bella have a look around. Not a ride had been ridden, and she was already in Disney heaven! I forced myself not to tear up, because I am that much of a mush. It's true. I'm just so excited to get to share this with her. She spent several minutes perusing a bead stand.
 |
| B showcasing one of the gillions of beads in a Downtown Disney store. |
With her first Disney experience under her belt, we headed to the buses to make our way to the Magic Kingdom.
Fact: Getting a stroller on a Disney bus....doable, but extremely awkward and time-consuming.
Fact: Paying 14 bucks to park seems well worth it after having to drag a stroller through a crowded bus, trying not to whack every knee in your path.
Upon arriving to the Magic Kingdom, we sunscreened up and headed down to the entry path, where I was attacked by a bee. I hate bees. I have had one too many run-ins with them, and I do not trust them to leave me alone if I leave them alone. Unless my children are in mortal and immediate danger, all bets are off, and I will (and have) run from bees, even at the expense of my dignity. ....And I did. Hey! It was just like 5-10 feet, and I went back for her. :)
We only stayed at the Magic Kingdom for an hour or so before it was time to head back and check into our hotel. Some highlights from our afternoon....
 |
| Daddy and B on the "People Moves" ride. ...Very kid friendly and easy on the feet. |
 |
| Daddy and B on the Speedway ride. Matt insisted that B didn't want to drive |
 |
| Daddy and the girls in front of Cinderella's castle. B was insistent that we go in and find Cinderella. Do you know how hard it is to convince a four year old that one of her favorite princess can't come out right now?? |
 |
| Last ride of the afternoon...the carousel. B loves carousels and was thrilled when her horse ended up high when the ride stopped...like....above Mommy's head high. Getting her down was fun! |
 |
| Cutest little mouse on the block! Back at the hotel after a long drive and fun afternoon at the Magic Kingdom. |
Day Two
Monday morning we woke up bright and early. We had reservations at the Cape May restaurant in one of the hotels for a character breakfast. We hadn't told B what we were doing. She was SO excited! Just to see the look on her face when she got to meet the characters was priceless! And a HUGE relief. You never can tell with B how she will react. I wouldn't have put it past her to tense up and shut herself off.
After breakfast we headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios. We were there all day, and we had a blast! The girls did great with very few meltdowns for either of them. Some highlights of our day...
Ughh. Pictures won't post right now. I'll have to edit later. :)
Monday, May 28, 2012
Walk to End Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer.
Nasty stuff. Scary stuff.
I have been blessed that the list of women I know who have been affected by this disease is short. And every one of those women survived. But I know as I get older and the years blur together and stretch out that my list will grow. And I know that there will come a day when my list will not boast a 100% survival rate.
This November I will be taking part in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk for the cure. This isn't the first time I've participated in a Susan G. Komen event, but it is the first time I will be personally and heavily invested in it. By registering for the walk, I have been tasked with raising $2,300.00. It's a lot money to me. It's not something I've got lying around the house, under a matress or in a piggy bank. It makes me nervous thinking about how I will raise the funds, and I know I will have to put my faith in God that He already knows how...and then I'll just have to rest in that knowledge.
If you haven't heard of this program before, I invite you to take a look. I invite you to support me as I raise the necessary funding that will allow me to participate in this event. I invite you to walk, too. And if you're not sure why it matters or why I walk, I invite you to watch the following:
Friday, May 25, 2012
It Begins!
I am a mother of two beautiful young ladies. It is truly a blessing to call these two sweet young ladies my daughters. And as their mother, I want to savor every moment. I want to take pictures of everything. ...And I have...it's why I currently have no space on my iPhone and two digital cameras. ..I'm afraid that even though I've downloaded all the images, if I delete them, every hard drive they exist on will suddenly melt into oblivion. ...I should probably go buy a new digital camera. ...Or print the pictures, but whatever.
So anyway, I want to remember everything, and this what is about to follow is a story that I do not want to forget. Ever. And it's one that I find so freakin' adorable, I also wholeheartedly believe it is my duty as a human being to share this story with every person I possibly can. ...It's just that sweet!
So Thursday night my husband had a meeting and wasn't home. Just me and the girls. My oldest, B, is four, and my youngest, L, is 8 months. She's just become independently mobile and is extremely proud of this fact. ...I am regretting ever wishing her mobile. I have seriously got to invest in some baby gates pronto. (B never really got into anything as a baby (REALLY!), so we never really needed to buy them with her.) At any rate, this new found independence and desire to go explore and play has been read by my older daughter as, "Yes! Finally! Someone to PLAY with!!!"
It was in this mindset that B insisted that I leave the room so she and L could play alone. Because my daughter is actually fairly responsible and attentive for a four year old, I obliged her, and ducked into my bedroom not far away, with the door open. A few minutes to myself? Sweet! I sat in there listening, because truthfully, I didn't really have anything to do, I just wanted to give B some time with her sister.
Then it happens.
L: (starts crying)
B: (borderline shouting) "I'm SORRY! I didn't MEAN to! Stop crying! Stop Crying! I didn't mean to!" (starts to cry)
quiet...and crying....
L: (still crying)
B: (now crying, mumbles something incomprehensible) then...."You hurt my FEELINGS, L***!!" (more crying)
I sit on the edge of my bed, half laughing, wondering what an 8 month old could have POSSIBLY done to hurt the feelings of a four year old. Finally, I walk out to the living room to assess the damage. I see, in one corner, L, sitting and crying. About 10 feet away, I see B, lying prone on the floor, her face buried in a pillow, sobbing. I choke back my laughter; B is very sensitive to being "laughed" at. Walking over to B, I scoop her up.
Me: "B, what's wrong?"
L: "L*** wouldn't play with me!"
Holding her in my arms, I try to comfort her and explain that she's just a baby; she doesn't know better. While I'm holding her, L starts to feel left out and is crying the most cute, adorable, pathetic cry ever. She begins crawling over to me, crying. When she gets over to me, I scoop her up, too. Two crying girls in my arms.
Anyway, my description doesn't do the situation justice. But it was about the cutest, most pathetic, most adorable little scene ever, and I'm so glad that B is so interested in spending time with her younger sister. I hope that is a desire that lasts the rest of her life. ...And I hope that L reciprocates this, too. On the other hand, it made me extremely nervous for what kind of scenes await me in their adolescence if this is what I'm dealing with now, all before either child has entered kindergarten! lol Don't know. ...We shall see... :)
So anyway, I want to remember everything, and this what is about to follow is a story that I do not want to forget. Ever. And it's one that I find so freakin' adorable, I also wholeheartedly believe it is my duty as a human being to share this story with every person I possibly can. ...It's just that sweet!
So Thursday night my husband had a meeting and wasn't home. Just me and the girls. My oldest, B, is four, and my youngest, L, is 8 months. She's just become independently mobile and is extremely proud of this fact. ...I am regretting ever wishing her mobile. I have seriously got to invest in some baby gates pronto. (B never really got into anything as a baby (REALLY!), so we never really needed to buy them with her.) At any rate, this new found independence and desire to go explore and play has been read by my older daughter as, "Yes! Finally! Someone to PLAY with!!!"
It was in this mindset that B insisted that I leave the room so she and L could play alone. Because my daughter is actually fairly responsible and attentive for a four year old, I obliged her, and ducked into my bedroom not far away, with the door open. A few minutes to myself? Sweet! I sat in there listening, because truthfully, I didn't really have anything to do, I just wanted to give B some time with her sister.
Then it happens.
L: (starts crying)
B: (borderline shouting) "I'm SORRY! I didn't MEAN to! Stop crying! Stop Crying! I didn't mean to!" (starts to cry)
quiet...and crying....
L: (still crying)
B: (now crying, mumbles something incomprehensible) then...."You hurt my FEELINGS, L***!!" (more crying)
I sit on the edge of my bed, half laughing, wondering what an 8 month old could have POSSIBLY done to hurt the feelings of a four year old. Finally, I walk out to the living room to assess the damage. I see, in one corner, L, sitting and crying. About 10 feet away, I see B, lying prone on the floor, her face buried in a pillow, sobbing. I choke back my laughter; B is very sensitive to being "laughed" at. Walking over to B, I scoop her up.
Me: "B, what's wrong?"
L: "L*** wouldn't play with me!"
Holding her in my arms, I try to comfort her and explain that she's just a baby; she doesn't know better. While I'm holding her, L starts to feel left out and is crying the most cute, adorable, pathetic cry ever. She begins crawling over to me, crying. When she gets over to me, I scoop her up, too. Two crying girls in my arms.
Anyway, my description doesn't do the situation justice. But it was about the cutest, most pathetic, most adorable little scene ever, and I'm so glad that B is so interested in spending time with her younger sister. I hope that is a desire that lasts the rest of her life. ...And I hope that L reciprocates this, too. On the other hand, it made me extremely nervous for what kind of scenes await me in their adolescence if this is what I'm dealing with now, all before either child has entered kindergarten! lol Don't know. ...We shall see... :)
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Secondhand Blessings
So driving to work this morning, the thought of "secondhand blessings" crossed my mind. ...Probably a song I was listening to on the radio, who knows. There isn't always a rhyme or reason as to why some thoughts occur to me when they do, but I found this one to be profound, and I wanted to spend some time on it. And since I haven't blogged in so long, my blog is probably starting to develop digital cobwebs, I thought I'd take my thoughts to the web.
I started thinking (and again, how I got on this train of thought is beyond me!) about all of the blessings in my life, and many of them, if not most of them, were not blessings I had expected, asked for, or wanted.
I teach 8th grade ELA at Sam Rayburn. I love my job. I love almost everything about it. Having to take what some of the kids throw out (not literally!) and not be able to dish it out can be very humbling. But, what kind of professional, role model, or person would I be if I lashed back? I'm not really a "fight fire with fire" kinda girl, especially not in this scenario. But for the most part, I adore what I do.
But I didn't think I'd be here. Sure. I've wanted to teach since I was in the first grade. True story. Ask my dad. He remembers. I remember. I wanted to write on the chalkboard. You'll be happy to know that my reasons have changed over the years. I mean, really, they had to. Chalkboards are so last decade! It's all about the dry erase boards and SMART boards now! Gahh! Duhh! Okay, so my reasons actually have changed well beyond what medium I use to display information that, apparently, is only read by me anyway! ...Given that my students always ask me what we're doing each day, despite the fact that the daily objectives and agenda are written on the board, in the same spot, in the same manner, every day of the school year. ...Oh, to be a middle schooler. ;-)
Anyway, I digress. So I wanted to teach littles. Not Kinder-little. I don't have that in me. That's not my "GIFT". No, no. But 3rd, 4th, 5th grade, Yeahhh! For each of my college observation credits, I was placed in a middle school classroom, and well, it stuck. Stuck hard, too, because six years later, I'm still here, pounding the rock, day after day, listening to middle school drama the kids don't think I can hear.
Secondhand Blessing. Who knew I'd end up LOVING middle school?! Apparently God did, thus His insistence that I not be placed on an elementary campus during my college observations. ..And I tried. Actually I was supposed to be placed in a 4th grade class for my student teaching. But, when God says no, well, you can argue, but no is no. It is what it is. Que sera, sera.
Secondhand Blessing....I thought I'd be hired at Jane Long, the school I student taught at. It was an amazing bunch of teachers. The kids were great. The staff was great. I had great recommendations from my cooperating teacher. There were at least two positions, I think, opening on the team that I was actually student teaching on. Didn't happen. I was heartbroken. Instead, Sam Rayburn scooped me up, but not before God plopped me right down in their laps. Through word of mouth, I was recommended for a long-term sub position. The first day I showed up, the principal at the time, Mr. Ellis, walked me to the choir room, feeding my ego with all these great things he'd heard about me and promised he wanted me on his campus if a spot became available. Do you have ANY idea what it does to your little tiny Teacher Ego when a principal tells you that he wants you at his campus?! He retired before he had the chance to hire me, but his replacement, Mr. Hord, did.
And now here I am. Secondhand Blessing. Surrounded by a group of people who couldn't love these kids more than if they were their own children. And that's saying a lot, because some of our kiddos have some rough edges. And they've seen more in their young lives than I have in my 31 years. These kids are tough. But they're so sweet. And they just wanna be loved. And they need to be. They don't always tell you that with their words...or even their actions...but it's still true.
Secondhand Blessing....Really? I graduated in 2006, and I'm still stuck here in Aggieland?! The plan was to get out! Go back home to Dallas. Be near family. Teach at a school I went to. Didn't happen. It was heartbreaking. And I still miss Dallas. And I want to be there so badly. But when I look, really look, at what's around me, I know God has me exactly where He wants me. And I'm where I need to be. A wonderful job. Amazing co-workers, who are more than just people I work with; they're my family. An incredible church that lives to be the hands and feet of God and serve without judging, which is, I believe, a cornerstone of Christianity. Many of the leaders in the church have very colored pasts, and their testimonies are incredible and speak to the love, mercy, and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father.
I could go on for pages listing and describing the secondhand blessings in my life. ..That reallly aren't secondhand blessings at all. They are rich blessings, planned by God, to bestow upon His children, who He loves with every fiber of His being. Who He sent his only son for. Who he died for. My blessings aren't secondhand. They are purposely chosen just for me.
Sometimes my daughter gets upset. So upset when she doesn't get what she thinks she wants. And I get so sad, because when she acts out and misbehaves as a result of her feelings, she needs to be disciplined in love, when what I have planned for her is SO much better than the little things she thought she wanted. I want so badly to give her those blessings. Because even though she doesn't think she's getting top notch, the blessings I have for my daughter are not secondhand. But special. And sweet. And chosen just for her. Chosen for her the way our Father in Heaven chooses them for us.
Sometimes "no" isn't "no". Sometimes "no" is, "There's something so much better for you. Wait. Be patient. I love."
I am so grateful for the "secondhand blessings" in my life. My life has been enriched more than I could have ever dreamed on my own. ...For who am I to tell God what is best for me? ...I mean, really, have we watched the replay/blooper reel of my life?! ...Like I make the best decisions out there! Yeah... :)
I started thinking (and again, how I got on this train of thought is beyond me!) about all of the blessings in my life, and many of them, if not most of them, were not blessings I had expected, asked for, or wanted.
I teach 8th grade ELA at Sam Rayburn. I love my job. I love almost everything about it. Having to take what some of the kids throw out (not literally!) and not be able to dish it out can be very humbling. But, what kind of professional, role model, or person would I be if I lashed back? I'm not really a "fight fire with fire" kinda girl, especially not in this scenario. But for the most part, I adore what I do.
But I didn't think I'd be here. Sure. I've wanted to teach since I was in the first grade. True story. Ask my dad. He remembers. I remember. I wanted to write on the chalkboard. You'll be happy to know that my reasons have changed over the years. I mean, really, they had to. Chalkboards are so last decade! It's all about the dry erase boards and SMART boards now! Gahh! Duhh! Okay, so my reasons actually have changed well beyond what medium I use to display information that, apparently, is only read by me anyway! ...Given that my students always ask me what we're doing each day, despite the fact that the daily objectives and agenda are written on the board, in the same spot, in the same manner, every day of the school year. ...Oh, to be a middle schooler. ;-)
Anyway, I digress. So I wanted to teach littles. Not Kinder-little. I don't have that in me. That's not my "GIFT". No, no. But 3rd, 4th, 5th grade, Yeahhh! For each of my college observation credits, I was placed in a middle school classroom, and well, it stuck. Stuck hard, too, because six years later, I'm still here, pounding the rock, day after day, listening to middle school drama the kids don't think I can hear.
Secondhand Blessing. Who knew I'd end up LOVING middle school?! Apparently God did, thus His insistence that I not be placed on an elementary campus during my college observations. ..And I tried. Actually I was supposed to be placed in a 4th grade class for my student teaching. But, when God says no, well, you can argue, but no is no. It is what it is. Que sera, sera.
Secondhand Blessing....I thought I'd be hired at Jane Long, the school I student taught at. It was an amazing bunch of teachers. The kids were great. The staff was great. I had great recommendations from my cooperating teacher. There were at least two positions, I think, opening on the team that I was actually student teaching on. Didn't happen. I was heartbroken. Instead, Sam Rayburn scooped me up, but not before God plopped me right down in their laps. Through word of mouth, I was recommended for a long-term sub position. The first day I showed up, the principal at the time, Mr. Ellis, walked me to the choir room, feeding my ego with all these great things he'd heard about me and promised he wanted me on his campus if a spot became available. Do you have ANY idea what it does to your little tiny Teacher Ego when a principal tells you that he wants you at his campus?! He retired before he had the chance to hire me, but his replacement, Mr. Hord, did.
And now here I am. Secondhand Blessing. Surrounded by a group of people who couldn't love these kids more than if they were their own children. And that's saying a lot, because some of our kiddos have some rough edges. And they've seen more in their young lives than I have in my 31 years. These kids are tough. But they're so sweet. And they just wanna be loved. And they need to be. They don't always tell you that with their words...or even their actions...but it's still true.
Secondhand Blessing....Really? I graduated in 2006, and I'm still stuck here in Aggieland?! The plan was to get out! Go back home to Dallas. Be near family. Teach at a school I went to. Didn't happen. It was heartbreaking. And I still miss Dallas. And I want to be there so badly. But when I look, really look, at what's around me, I know God has me exactly where He wants me. And I'm where I need to be. A wonderful job. Amazing co-workers, who are more than just people I work with; they're my family. An incredible church that lives to be the hands and feet of God and serve without judging, which is, I believe, a cornerstone of Christianity. Many of the leaders in the church have very colored pasts, and their testimonies are incredible and speak to the love, mercy, and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father.
I could go on for pages listing and describing the secondhand blessings in my life. ..That reallly aren't secondhand blessings at all. They are rich blessings, planned by God, to bestow upon His children, who He loves with every fiber of His being. Who He sent his only son for. Who he died for. My blessings aren't secondhand. They are purposely chosen just for me.
Sometimes my daughter gets upset. So upset when she doesn't get what she thinks she wants. And I get so sad, because when she acts out and misbehaves as a result of her feelings, she needs to be disciplined in love, when what I have planned for her is SO much better than the little things she thought she wanted. I want so badly to give her those blessings. Because even though she doesn't think she's getting top notch, the blessings I have for my daughter are not secondhand. But special. And sweet. And chosen just for her. Chosen for her the way our Father in Heaven chooses them for us.
Sometimes "no" isn't "no". Sometimes "no" is, "There's something so much better for you. Wait. Be patient. I love."
I am so grateful for the "secondhand blessings" in my life. My life has been enriched more than I could have ever dreamed on my own. ...For who am I to tell God what is best for me? ...I mean, really, have we watched the replay/blooper reel of my life?! ...Like I make the best decisions out there! Yeah... :)
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
33 is the New 21
So today was my birthday. I quit being "neighbors" with 29. It is what it is.
I felt better, though, when I came to school and my co-worker told me that she heard on the news this morning that 33 is the new 21, which would put me at 19. Cool. :)
My birthday was a success, and I'm so blessed for all of my wonderful family and friends who took time out of their day to send me happy birthday wishes. Funny how things change when you get older. I really enjoy sweet birthday messages, but I've found as I get older, as fun as gifts are, I'd rather just spend time with the people I love and go to bed early. :)
Some birthday highlights:
-All of my classes discovered it was birthday. 1st period burst out into some weird birthday chant? ...that never quite fully materialized. They wanted to know how old I was. I had several guesses in the mid 20s. Why yes, yes I am! ;-) In 6th period, I actually share a birthday with another student who I also taught in 6th grade. So the class came flooding in with birthday wishes, and they all burst into song as soon as the bell rang. And as much as I have to get onto to this group for their silliness (and chattiness), you'd never know it by their song. They sang the birthday song, all 23 of them, at the top of their lungs, and then cheered for a good 15 seconds. I'm just grateful that the teacher next door to me is not bothered by the occasional noise, because I KNOW their sound was not contained by our four walls. lol They assured me that she didn't have a class that period. 7th period sang to me also, and offered that, since it was my birthday, I shouldn't have to do work and teach. Hmm... How sweet of them. lol I thanked them for their offer, but professionally declined. :)
-My Mom sent me an Edible Arrangement at work "from my girls". That made my day. I love those things! And getting things delivered to you at work is even more fun.
-My sweet team brought cupcakes to work, and they were delicious, and the ELA department sang to me during our Teaming Period.
-My husband was going to get up early and make me breakfast, but his alarm didn't go off. I'm not made, or even disappointed, even the thought of the gesture I find extremely sweet. And I came home to a homemade dinner and cake.
Today was a great day, and I am truly and richly blessed by the people God has surrounded me with.
...So, today was great, and since 33 is the new 21, which really makes me 19, I should probably be off doing something "age appropriate"...like vegging or sleeping. I think I'm gonna like being "19".
I felt better, though, when I came to school and my co-worker told me that she heard on the news this morning that 33 is the new 21, which would put me at 19. Cool. :)
My birthday was a success, and I'm so blessed for all of my wonderful family and friends who took time out of their day to send me happy birthday wishes. Funny how things change when you get older. I really enjoy sweet birthday messages, but I've found as I get older, as fun as gifts are, I'd rather just spend time with the people I love and go to bed early. :)
Some birthday highlights:
-All of my classes discovered it was birthday. 1st period burst out into some weird birthday chant? ...that never quite fully materialized. They wanted to know how old I was. I had several guesses in the mid 20s. Why yes, yes I am! ;-) In 6th period, I actually share a birthday with another student who I also taught in 6th grade. So the class came flooding in with birthday wishes, and they all burst into song as soon as the bell rang. And as much as I have to get onto to this group for their silliness (and chattiness), you'd never know it by their song. They sang the birthday song, all 23 of them, at the top of their lungs, and then cheered for a good 15 seconds. I'm just grateful that the teacher next door to me is not bothered by the occasional noise, because I KNOW their sound was not contained by our four walls. lol They assured me that she didn't have a class that period. 7th period sang to me also, and offered that, since it was my birthday, I shouldn't have to do work and teach. Hmm... How sweet of them. lol I thanked them for their offer, but professionally declined. :)
-My Mom sent me an Edible Arrangement at work "from my girls". That made my day. I love those things! And getting things delivered to you at work is even more fun.
-My sweet team brought cupcakes to work, and they were delicious, and the ELA department sang to me during our Teaming Period.
-My husband was going to get up early and make me breakfast, but his alarm didn't go off. I'm not made, or even disappointed, even the thought of the gesture I find extremely sweet. And I came home to a homemade dinner and cake.
Today was a great day, and I am truly and richly blessed by the people God has surrounded me with.
...So, today was great, and since 33 is the new 21, which really makes me 19, I should probably be off doing something "age appropriate"...like vegging or sleeping. I think I'm gonna like being "19".
Monday, March 19, 2012
Monday.
Monday.
After Spring Break.
Before the STAAR Test.
Monday.
I was not looking forward to today, and today did not disappoint. Monday was everything I thought it would be. And maybe it was a bit of a self-fufilling prophecy, so I'll try to be in a better frame of mind tomorrow, but today was rough. We're gearing up and trying to review for the state test next week. This is always tough ground to cover; the kids get antsy. And really, the teachers do, too.
So I've been doing this Boot Camp for three weeks now. Well, really today was the first day of my third week, but whatever. I am loving it. I cannot physically see the results yet, although the scale and my tape measure tell me that it's working. I just can't see it in myself. It was nice to have three co-workers stop and tell me that whatever I was doing was working. Yay! That was the boost today that I needed. Well, and chocolate. What can I say? I am a stress eater. Not the best thing to be, but it is what it is.
After a rough start to the morning, I was determined to locate and consume whatever chocolate I could find on campus. At lunch, I headed to the teacher's workroom to raid the vending machines. I actually had some change today. This never happens. Lunch was going to end happy.
Lunch did not end happy. Marching triumphantly up to the vending machine, a slew of quarters in hand, I looked over the offerings behind the glass. Slim pickings. Other teachers must be stressed, too. Good. I'm not alone. I finally decided on a package of Reese's cups. 85 cents. Done. I deposited my quarters purposefully into the machine and searched out the buttons. I punched in "D", located "4", and punched it in with gleeful anticipation. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing.
And that's when I noticed the discreet message reading across the digital display, "Deposit exact change."
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! All I had was quarters! I entered the "Denial" stage in the 5 Stages of Grief scale and punched in the numbers again, sure that the error was not my own. My attempt was in vain. The same results. I stood, in front of the machine, staring despondently at my coveted Reese's cups sitting pretty behind the glass. With a sigh, I stooped down to scoop my quarters out of the change return and headed back to class, wholly defeated and chocolateless.
I know it was for the best. Stress eating is not the way to go, but it is a great way to undo the good I have been doing the last two weeks (plus today). I ate my carrots and tuna fish sandwhich knowing I was better off....
Chocolateless, I went back to class, determined to try to move past my disappointment. The rest of the day consisted of ups and downs. Mine. The kids. Monday's. Tomorrow will be better, I'm sure. I hope. Because I won't have exact change tomorrow, either. ;-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, my girls are getting huge! B is a bonafide "High School Musical (1, 2, and 3)" fan. During Spring Break while I was in another room cleaning, I heard her singing along with one the Gabriella and Troy duets. I was torn between laughing quietly to myself that she was so into this movie and knew the songs and disgust that she'd seen it enough times (and we'd allowed it) that she knew the words. But I remember being a kid and watching movies so repetitively that they are forever burned into the back of my brain. Besides, I have seen all three of the HSMs. There are worse things for her to be watching. And there are even redemptive qualities in the antagonists in these movies, and B and I have talked about this. ...Specifically about how mean Sharpay can be. Luckily, this is something that she has picked up on her own. Good girl! ..I can overlook the fact that Sunday she requested that I do her hair like Sharpay's for church. lol
L is now 6 months and growing like a weed, although she's not nearly as "weedy" as her big sister. While B has always maintained her position at top of, or off of, her growth charts, L is holding her own right around the 50% mark. I'm kinda thinkin' she's not gonna be joining the Tall Ranks with her sister and her Daddy. She and I can hang out in Average Land together. ;)
We're trying to wean her off her Prevacid in hopes that she no longer needs it. So far, so good. We're just giving her one pill a day now, instead of two. Eventually we'll take it down to one, every other day. But considering we just refilled it, I'm in no hurry. Unfortunately, she had a SUPER pukey weekend! She didn't seem bothered by the puke, which is good. It means that she's doing okay on just one pill of Prevacid. And, of course, the reflux medications do not do anything to correct how much or how often she pukes. It's purpose is to keep her comfortable. ...Not sure what the influx of puke means, but she's welcome to stop whenever!
She can sit now. She's definitely not a "Weeble". ...You know, "Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down."
But, she is sitting. She's getting better. I usually like to keep my hands up, just in case. And after about a minute or so, she usually topples over, but she's getting there. Won't be long before she's crawling! She does excellent baby push ups. This weekend, I went so far as to shove her legs up underneath her to see if I couldn't jump start the process. She would rock back and forth for a bit and then slowly sink back down to the ground, face first. lol
..And with that, I'm off. Today can only get better, and tomorrow is a fresh start! :)
After Spring Break.
Before the STAAR Test.
Monday.
I was not looking forward to today, and today did not disappoint. Monday was everything I thought it would be. And maybe it was a bit of a self-fufilling prophecy, so I'll try to be in a better frame of mind tomorrow, but today was rough. We're gearing up and trying to review for the state test next week. This is always tough ground to cover; the kids get antsy. And really, the teachers do, too.
So I've been doing this Boot Camp for three weeks now. Well, really today was the first day of my third week, but whatever. I am loving it. I cannot physically see the results yet, although the scale and my tape measure tell me that it's working. I just can't see it in myself. It was nice to have three co-workers stop and tell me that whatever I was doing was working. Yay! That was the boost today that I needed. Well, and chocolate. What can I say? I am a stress eater. Not the best thing to be, but it is what it is.
After a rough start to the morning, I was determined to locate and consume whatever chocolate I could find on campus. At lunch, I headed to the teacher's workroom to raid the vending machines. I actually had some change today. This never happens. Lunch was going to end happy.
Lunch did not end happy. Marching triumphantly up to the vending machine, a slew of quarters in hand, I looked over the offerings behind the glass. Slim pickings. Other teachers must be stressed, too. Good. I'm not alone. I finally decided on a package of Reese's cups. 85 cents. Done. I deposited my quarters purposefully into the machine and searched out the buttons. I punched in "D", located "4", and punched it in with gleeful anticipation. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing.
And that's when I noticed the discreet message reading across the digital display, "Deposit exact change."
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! All I had was quarters! I entered the "Denial" stage in the 5 Stages of Grief scale and punched in the numbers again, sure that the error was not my own. My attempt was in vain. The same results. I stood, in front of the machine, staring despondently at my coveted Reese's cups sitting pretty behind the glass. With a sigh, I stooped down to scoop my quarters out of the change return and headed back to class, wholly defeated and chocolateless.
I know it was for the best. Stress eating is not the way to go, but it is a great way to undo the good I have been doing the last two weeks (plus today). I ate my carrots and tuna fish sandwhich knowing I was better off....
Chocolateless, I went back to class, determined to try to move past my disappointment. The rest of the day consisted of ups and downs. Mine. The kids. Monday's. Tomorrow will be better, I'm sure. I hope. Because I won't have exact change tomorrow, either. ;-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, my girls are getting huge! B is a bonafide "High School Musical (1, 2, and 3)" fan. During Spring Break while I was in another room cleaning, I heard her singing along with one the Gabriella and Troy duets. I was torn between laughing quietly to myself that she was so into this movie and knew the songs and disgust that she'd seen it enough times (and we'd allowed it) that she knew the words. But I remember being a kid and watching movies so repetitively that they are forever burned into the back of my brain. Besides, I have seen all three of the HSMs. There are worse things for her to be watching. And there are even redemptive qualities in the antagonists in these movies, and B and I have talked about this. ...Specifically about how mean Sharpay can be. Luckily, this is something that she has picked up on her own. Good girl! ..I can overlook the fact that Sunday she requested that I do her hair like Sharpay's for church. lol
L is now 6 months and growing like a weed, although she's not nearly as "weedy" as her big sister. While B has always maintained her position at top of, or off of, her growth charts, L is holding her own right around the 50% mark. I'm kinda thinkin' she's not gonna be joining the Tall Ranks with her sister and her Daddy. She and I can hang out in Average Land together. ;)
We're trying to wean her off her Prevacid in hopes that she no longer needs it. So far, so good. We're just giving her one pill a day now, instead of two. Eventually we'll take it down to one, every other day. But considering we just refilled it, I'm in no hurry. Unfortunately, she had a SUPER pukey weekend! She didn't seem bothered by the puke, which is good. It means that she's doing okay on just one pill of Prevacid. And, of course, the reflux medications do not do anything to correct how much or how often she pukes. It's purpose is to keep her comfortable. ...Not sure what the influx of puke means, but she's welcome to stop whenever!
She can sit now. She's definitely not a "Weeble". ...You know, "Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down."
But, she is sitting. She's getting better. I usually like to keep my hands up, just in case. And after about a minute or so, she usually topples over, but she's getting there. Won't be long before she's crawling! She does excellent baby push ups. This weekend, I went so far as to shove her legs up underneath her to see if I couldn't jump start the process. She would rock back and forth for a bit and then slowly sink back down to the ground, face first. lol
..And with that, I'm off. Today can only get better, and tomorrow is a fresh start! :)
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