Airport 77 just met Posidon

I feel like a bad episode of Lost.

It is so apparent that God is in my life as I am surrounded by amazing and truly loving folks like you all. You need to know that I consider you as one of my most wonderful blessings.

After much thought and little sleep, I realized that it's probably more me that needs to forgive me than anyone else. Some of my issues weigh heavily on my mind when I sit in church. I know that God has forgiven me, but I often wonder why. How could anyone forgive some of the stuff that I have done? Then, of course, my mind throws me back to the fact that our Lord is not just "anyone". He is kind and gracious even when we don't deserve it. Actually, ESPECIALLY when we don't deserve it. I never really doubted God's love for me so why do I doubt his grace? Why do I doubt his desire for others to forgive me? Why do I doubt his desire for me to forgive me? Judgement is something that I think about regularly. I know that I am guilty of judging others so I shouldn't be surprised that others might judge me. More verbal vomit...sorry! My brain has been so full of this stuff lately and church made it all come to the surface.

That's all I have for now. More later when I can form some complete thoughts.

BTW - Michael, sorry about the unibomber comment. Your beard looks, well, like a beard. I'm a wife and beards are not my favorite...so, there you go. Notice, I opened my mouth before I thought about what might come out!

Titanic meets Airport 77

Today was one of those days where the thoughts just keep coming and they just bump around in your head until you decide to get it on paper. It’s a little like tipping your head over and stuff comes out of your ears. Maybe I have been spending too much time with children. That was a really lame explanation.

I went to church today for the first time since Kath left. It made me wonder what I missed more, church or worshipping with Kathie. It felt really weird at first and then it didn’t. Warning…this post will only make sense to me! I’m not sure how comfortable I really was this morning. Joanna reminded me that sometimes it is about doing what God wants us to do, not what makes us comfortable. That being said, I completely agree but, should you feel nauseous? The worship was a little slow and I like it fast and loud. I love to sing my love of Christ really loud. We repeated some stuff that I wasn’t paying any attention to so I was lost and didn’t much care for that portion of the morning. The sermon, which started after a discussion about marriage and homosexuality that made me uncomfortable, was about Romans 5:1-5 and really hit home for me. I need all to know that I am in no way bashing the church; I am simply writing about my morning. Back to Romans…I often feel like the HUGE mistakes, ok sins, I have committed in my life are branded on my forehead for all to see. I feel like people know what I’ve done and are wondering what kind of Christian I really am. I realize that is my problem and nobody else’s. How vain of me to think that people have nothing else to think about than my salvation. Kathie can attest to the fact that there have been incidents in the past that tend to push me to those thoughts. I do have a couple of people in my life that feel the need to keep track of my indiscretions and remind me and others that I have sinned BIG.

Then, I read Kathie’s post. AMEN sister! That is how I feel every day. I used to pray that I could just be quiet. If I’m quiet, I can’t possibly say something offensive or shove my foot all the way down my throat. Obviously, I have been praying the wrong prayer. I love what Kathie wrote about praying that God puts kind words in my mouth. That’s exactly what I should be praying for these days. I am not always kind and I often say things before I think about them. So, Kathie and the sermon about working hard not to sin the same sin again really kicked my butt today. It’s actually much deeper than that, but that’s what you get today.

I am watching Ace of Cakes and someone ordered a cake of the Titanic sinking with an airplane crashing into the sinking ship. That is EXACTLY how I feel today. Titanic meets Airport 77. I want to go to church, but I want to feel good when I’m there. What’s wrong with warm and fuzzy while I worship? That was a completely rhetorical question for those that are chomping at the bit to tell my why Christianity and my faith are not always warm and fuzzy. I think I will give the church another try next Sunday. Remember the time I took Synnove to LGCC and the pastor was in the baptismal pool in his hip waders? Well, nobody was wearing hip waders so I guess one more chance won’t kill me.

13 days of school left before break.
3 of them are minimum days.
2 of them are field trips.
26 report cards to complete.
52 writing assignments to grade.
1 Valentine party to pretend I'm not having.

:)

That's all for now!

Why not.

4 Things About MEME

4 Jobs I've Had

• Busgirl at Country Store
• Kitchen / cabin cleaner at Camp O-Ongo
• Hotel Manager
• Teacher

4 Movies Watched Over and Over

• Princess Bride
• American President
• Steel Magnolias
• Top Gun (I'm not afraid to admit that Tom Cruise was hot BEFORE he was wacked)
  

4 Places I Have Lived

• Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Charleston, South Carolina
• Glendora, CA
• Running Springs (30 years this month)

4 Shows I Watch

• Frasier
• Cashmere Mafia
• Good Eats
• Gray's Anatomy

4 Places I Have Been

• Disney World
• Yellowstone
• Hawaii
• D.C. (Obviously, never out of North America)

4 People Who E-mail Me

• Heidi
• Jerry
• Mario
• Tim

4 Favorite Things To Eat

• Chocolate
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Steak
• Big, juicy cheese burgers w/fries

4 Places I Would Rather Be

• Hawaii
• Anywhere with my husband
• Idaho or Georgia
• Disneyworld / Disneyland
  

4 Things I Look Forward To This year

• Summer vacation
• Tim flying in an airplane
• Girl's weekend in Idaho
• Paul Bunyan's first summer job

4 People To Tag

• Heidi
• Jerry
• Mario
• Synnove

Not so sick anymore, but not completely healthy. You never know how good "well" feels until you don't have the energy to blow your nose. Trying to talk to children and walk at the same time had become a HUGE chore.

I get to sew with Joanna, Synnove, and Deborah on Sunday and I'm really looking forward to spending some time with adults. Tim has been gone for the last week and will not be home until the 9th. I miss him terribly! It's hard to have your other half gone for that long. Paul Bunyan is great company, but it's not the same so I am really excited about Sunday.

My kiddos are getting a little hyper these days and they needed to have a "talking to" by the principal while I was out sick yesterday. Their little faces looked pretty pitiful when they found out today was "silent day". That is exactly what it sounds like...no talking for the entire day. I don't think I've ever seen them produce so much work. My autistic student is falling farther and farther behind so we are working on placing him in SDC to prepare him for Jr. High. I don't really want him to go, but the rest of the class is so much further ahead of him that he really shouldn't be considered "mainstream" anymore. It's a double-edge sword if you think about it. He does well behaviorally in the class, but he reads and works math problems at a 4th - low 5th grade level. I end up having to make a lesson plan for just him and, lets face it, I really don't have time for that when I have 25 other students. Bummer.

In other news, I had a puppy for three hours the other day. He was adorable and Paul Bunyan loved him for the 30 minutes he was able to be with him. We noticed fairly quickly that he was throwing up water so I took him to the vet almost as soon as I got him home. Note - he was a stray that I found at work. To make a really long and sad story short, he had Parvo and I had to put him down that same night. According to our vet, it would cost $800-$1,000 to help him and he would have had a less than 50% chance of living. At least he didn't die in a ditch in Colton. He was warm and loved for the time that we had him. Needless to say, Tim is taking King to the vet next week because I can't go to the "house of death" for a little while.

Have a good weekend!

I have found the downside to teaching...germs! My class could be a lab for the CDC. My luck, I got this raspy, gross cough over the weekend. What a lovely way to spend my time off. UGH! I was supposed to sew with Joanna and Synnove today, but decided not to share the wealth at this particular time. Call me selfish. I want all of the good germs just for me. The real bummer is the fact that I absolutely hate writing sub plans so I will limp my hacking self to school tomorrow. I would feel worse about that if I hadn't been coughed on and sneezed on every day for the last two months. At least I cover my mouth and wash my hands.

Every time I take my cough medicine I think of Lucille Ball and her famous Vitameatavegamin episode. This is pretty much what I look like every six hours. That stuff is nasty, but it sure works.

Friday funnies and other goodies

So, there I was teaching about ratio and rate when I heard a little voice singing "super freak, she's super freaky" just over my shoulder. There was my autistic student singing his heart out instead of taking his math notes. If you know anything about the tone and inflection of an autistic child then you know that this was more of a yelling than a singing. Ok then. Nothing better than some comic relief in the last 30 minutes of a Friday.

Next. Sound out this word - sexion. I had to, so you should too. That was on the paper I read this morning. I love my job.

Praises, praises everywhere. My year is now officially half way over. I have six weeks left until we have another 4-week break. I can't believe how amazing this year has been so far. My principal has been so wonderful and he makes my job easy and fun. I am learning a ton from all of the teachers and even more from my kiddos. They make this job worth all of the political crap. Who needs drugs? This is the best high ever!

Many of you know that Tim has been working toward a job as a boom operator since July. We made it through many days of depression and sadness because flying is the only thing he has ever really wanted to do in the Air Force. Once they started allowing Lasik, he was all over this. The last couple of months have been awful, one disappointment after another. I have been praying and re-praying and changing my prayers for months. I have consoled and promised that all would work out for the best. I put my faith way up in the air and promised that God would not fail him. I know that really is not my place, but I did it anyway, mostly because I believed it. Well, Tuesday we found out that all of the paperwork was finally approved and Tim will be living his dream very soon. His cheeks are rosy and he smiles constantly. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire! Kath, you thought he looked good in his uniform, you should see him in a flight suit. Now, we just wait to find out when he leaves for a three-month flight training in Oklahoma. Sounds fun, don't you think? I am so thrilled to see him excited about his job and I can't wait to see him with his wings.

Well, that's enough gibberish for now.

What? Where?

So, Paul Bunyan is now a licensed driver. Or, the way I like to put it, I am now the proud owner of my very own errand boy. Talk about mixed emotions. I love being able to send him out to run the errands that I am to lazy to do, but he's alone in the car for Pete's sake! What? The look on his face after he passed his driving test was priceless. He was crying, I was crying...I'm sure all the lovely the people at the SB DMV thought we were nuts. At least we had all of our teeth while we were hugging, jumping, and shouting.

Today was the first day back from break and, of course, it snowed this weekend. I am fortunate being a dainty girl and all, I didn't have to shovel one flake of snow. My boys took care of all of the blowing and shoveling. I don't know how we ever lived without our snow blower. Not that I have to use it very often, but when I do it's wonderful.

Should I be scared by Kathie's You Tube find? Just for her and Liann, MSN says that today is "National Pass Gas Day." Really? They have a day for that? Ok then!

Well, today is a first. We actually, for the first time EVER, purchased firewood. Um, ok. Tim and Bob got a dead wood permit and went out in search of firewood, but found that the forest had been picked clean. Actually, the lumber places on the mountain had cut down all of the burned trees as well as picking up all of the dead wood. So, now we have to pay for our wood. That seems a little obnoxious to me. I have always seen that as one of the benefits of living in the woods. Maybe they just weren't looking in the right place? Oh well. We ordered a cord of eucalyptus and we will see how long that lasts this winter. It will kill me if I have to buy wood again this season considering we paid more for the wood than I would have paid for a ticket to go see Kath.

I have successfully put off lesson planning and my BTSA assignments over the vacation. I suppose it will be a long night on Sunday. You would think that I would get started early considering I had two weeks, but alas, old habits die hard. Ok, once you reach a certain age, old habits are pretty much set in stone and will limp along as usual.

One of the big pluses of vacation is the amount of family time we've had lately. Paul Bunyan and I have had some great mom and son time the last couple of days. I'm even venturing into the world of Guitar Hero III. What I have managed to prove is that I am not coordinated in the slightest. Pretty much, I suck! Paul Bunyan just laughs and tells me that with practice I will improve. I'm thinking that I've had enough of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and I'm ok being a lame video game player. Tim, on the other hand, is working feverishly to get me interested in World of Warcraft. Why? Why would I want to play this game? He keeps trying to work the angle of "family time". Seriously? He has plenty of friends to play the game so he is just going to have to be happy with me making dinner and doing the dishes. Maybe I should convince him that laundry and toilet cleaning can also be used as "family time". We do have three bathrooms, one for each of us :)

Found friends

Found friends are fun. Just as I was feeling sad that so many of my friends are so far away, I do a little mid-morning blog reading and find long lost friends. What a treat. It is great fun to find out how our old school chums turned out after so many years.

Wow, another year is beginning. It always feels so hopeful.

Our holiday went off without a hitch. We hosted appx 30 friends and family and we had a wonderful time. We even had Kathie and Tony stop by and that was great fun. I really miss having her around...and she does dishes.

The kiddos in class did fine and were genuinely excited by the gift bags Santa (that's me) left on their desks on the last day of class. God was definitely with me that day and I could see him working wonders with all of those kids, not to mention me and my heart. We had a party, the last time I do that but that's a story for another day, and we had tons of great homemade food. The kids ate like champs and sat patiently while I tried in vain to get my speakers to work so I could show "Polar Express". No luck, but all was not lost because I had read it to them the day before and the applauded at the end. I also read them "The Night Before Christmas" and I was surprised how many of them had never heard the story. They applauded at the end of that one too and I found myself getting a little choked up while reading. Many of the kiddos just stared, wide-eyed while I read and they loved both stories. Never underestimate the value of reading to kids. Especially if you can begin a tradition. So, without the movie the kids just sat and talked to each other. Those are conversations that are always fun to overhear. I wonder how many X-Boxes and Wiis were actually under the Christmas trees. I'll find out on Monday. I actually miss my kiddos and am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. We have eight weeks left before we are off for the month of March. I know it will fly by.

No resolutions this year. No real reason for the decision, just decided I didn't want to do it this year. I actually feel very comfortable about this so no worries there.

Happy New Year!

So, I've been having a really tough time getting into the Christmas spirit lately. I was originally thinking that it was because we are still in the process of catching up from the last year of me not working, but we've had tougher financial years so that can't be it. Then, I thought it was because most of my close friends have moved away and I miss them terribly. My next thought was that this will be the first Christmas without my grandma and that really sucks. I really still haven't narrowed it down, but I did notice that the last two days of shopping made me physically weepy and a little nauseous. Today while I was standing in Target trying to decide if I had "enough" for all of my nieces and nephews I realized that what was bothering me was the utterly disgusting excess of the whole thing. Tim and I had a looooong discussion the other day about spending the day together alone rather than spending money on crap that we really don't need. Paul Bunyan goes to his dad's house on Christmas day and Tim and I are just going to spend the day together. Some of this came from being totally broke this year, but after much racking of the brain, I really couldn't think of one stinkin' thing that I need this year.

On a side note, Suze Orman says that the first step to dealing with debt is admitting what you don't have rather than talking about what you do have...so, I am here to admit that we are 100%, prime time broke this year. There, whew...

Ok, back to my holiday rant...While I was standing in Target I realized that, even if we had disposable income this year, there isn't anything that I need. I am so blessed to have so much more than most. I apologize to you all for all of this rambling, but this was all just bumping around in my head like a pachinko game and I knew that I need to write it down. I just stood in the candy aisle listening to parents bribe, threaten, cajole, codle, and indulge their children while the children whined and moaned about what they wanted. AHHHHHHHH! What have we done to our children? We lived just fine without X-boxes and Play Stations. Somehow, when my mother said "no" we just dealt with it and moved on. Maybe not all the time, but the majority of the time. Heidi and I turned out just fine only getting a couple of gifts from Santa and a couple from Mom and Dad. I also got one, reasonably priced gift from my grandparents. They had seven grandchildren for Pete's sake. Needless to say, I took my crap to the check-out and ran to my car. I couldn't wait to get home. What happened to the "reason for the season"? Our Lord gave his life for us and all I can think about is whether or not I had enough stuff for my nieces and nephews. When is enough, enough?

My students asked me what I'm getting them for Christmas. What? There are 30 of them. I told them they would be lucky if I got them a pencil and a couple pieces of candy. I don't want to be bitter. I don't want to dread the holiday. I had a talk with them about respect and grace. I don't know if it will help any of them, but it certainly helped me. Ha!

Blah, blah, blah.

By the way, I kind of get Slater's comment thing. I obviously don't know his reason, but I know why I would do it. Does that make sense? Find your own drummer...

Science Camp

Blogging, blogging! I haven’t blogged in like forever. Don’t mind the grammar. These days I spend more time trying to decipher bad grammar than I do teaching good grammar. Make sense? I tend to pick up on some of the bad stuff because it’s actually pretty funny sometimes.

Never mind that. I am blogging today because I don’t have to plan lessons this weekend. Why? I am not planning because I am packing to go to science camp. Um, what did I get myself into? Three of us teachers are taking 80 sixth-graders to Angelus Oaks for the week. I was really pumped for this trip until it snowed yesterday. It’s not the pretty, white, fluffy snow with warm sun. It is the hard as a rock, icy, freezing snow with bone-chilling cold. Now I know this is the stuff that young Mr. Slusser would love, but not me. I am a curl up by the fire when it’s below 65 kind of girl. The good news is that I get my own warm and toasty cabin. The kiddos are staying in cabins with counselors. I get to lead a hike each day and I signed up for the 1.5 mile ecology hike. This should be interesting. My saving grace is that most of these kids have never been out of Colton so they will be amazed by anything that has to do with nature. I don’t know about the other sixth grade classes, but my kids loooooooove science. If I did science all day, they would be the happiest students in the world. They even like to talk about “biotic” and “abiotic” factors. They will proudly tell you the difference between them and give you lists if you like. They are really out of this world excited to go tomorrow. God was kind, and I don’t have to ride the bus. The principal decided it would be good to have at least one vehicle with us, and since I have the most experience with mountain driving I was nominated to drive my car. OK, maybe I nominated myself, but the other two absolutely did NOT want to drive. Yeah for me.

Teaching is still wonderful. I really can’t believe that my first year has been so nice. The staff is still great and I get along really well with the principal. My five week vacation was really appreciated, but I was happy to get back into the swing of things when we went back on track last Monday. The kids didn’t forget too much. Adding and subtracting fractions is hard even when there hasn’t been a five-week break. Just wait till we have to divide fractions…oy gevalt!
I figured out just how spoiled I really am. I went to WalMart with my mom yesterday and one of my chores was to buy cables for my new car. Ok, that doesn’t seem so difficult. We found the tire aisle and they had a nice selection of cables and chains. Seems pretty easy so far. Of course, I forgot my list so I had to call Tim for the tire size. He sat on the phone repeating the size for his challenged wife. “No, 205 55 15 not 255 60 15!” Whatever! Did you know that they list the sizes by the last number in that stupid sting of numbers? 205 55 15 is listed numerically by the 15 not the 205. I felt like a flatlander. I must have stood there for a good 10 minutes while Tim calmly waited for me to finish ranting about how stupid it is to list the items by the last number and not the first. Anyway, I got the cables and got out of that aisle as fast as I could.

Only three weeks until winter break!!

So, I have come to the conclusion that evacuation is no easier the second or third time around. There is something surreal about standing in your home and deciding what is truly irreplaceable and what is just "stuff". At the end of what seemed like hours, but was just minutes, we left with two large containers of belongings. Don't get me wrong, I feel truly blessed that we had so much time to get stuff out and our house is still standing, I'm just commenting on the feelings. What is important? The cake topper from our wedding? The outfit Paul Bunyan wore home from the hospital? The stacking dolls Kathie brought back from one of her many adventures? I think we all packed as though we would be back the next morning. I sit here thinking about all of the other "stuff" that I should have brought. Of course, those thoughts only last a few seconds and then my brain switches over to, "Thank you Lord that my family is here and they weren't what I had to leave behind." Ah, that leads me to my other problem...too much time to think. I am off track at the moment so I generally sit here, alone, and ponder life. Way too much pondering lately. UGH! I'm feeling a little like Slater at the moment. This blog is just all of the junk that's been in my head the last few days. We are back on line, thanks to Tim and his need for all things computer (he has a new cellular access thingy). I'm not even in the mood for paragraph breaks so you will have to find your way through here...sorry. At least I'm using capital letters and complete words...LOL. I miss all of my out-of-state friends even more. It was so hard not to just jump on a plane and visit Idaho, Oregon, and Georgia. The latest word is that we wont be able to go home until Saturday or Sunday. LARGE tear running down my face. I want to sleep in my own bed. Sorry, a little self-pity there. I really just want to get home and start cleaning so we can get things back to "normal". I was soooooo happy to hear that Liann's house made it. I know it was a little sketchy there for a while. By the way, Disneyland is an awesome evacuation idea. Next time (hopefully there wont be a "next time", but it's good to be prepared) we should all meet at Disneyland. So, my wonderful hubby would like to use his new toy so I better sign off. Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes...

I'm not sure that I've mentioned this yet...I love my job!!!!

These last few weeks have been amazing. It's hard to believe that I only have three weeks until we are off track for FIVE weeks. Yes, I said FIVE weeks. What am I going to do for FIVE weeks? These next couple of weeks are going to fly by because I have a ton to do before the end of the trimester...report cards, reading tests, student-lead conferences, two district tests, etc. Along with all that I have to teach AND pack up my classroom. Even with all of that, this job still seems like a dream. Let me get this straight...I only work 185 days, I'm off for a month at the end of each trimester, I'm only contracted to work 7.25 hours per day, I don't pay for my benefits, AND I make more money than I've EVER made. Even on the bad days, I can't believe that I'm finally here.

I got a really nice note from my principal today thanking me for my hard work. It was a great way to start a Monday. I really like working for him and we get along really well. I can't believe how nice my first year has been so far. I have heard so many horror stories (see Christina) and I feel truly blessed to be where I am with the kiddos I have. I have even managed to get "Third-person boy" to stop that horrible habit. It took some work, but I think we licked it.

Enough of that...Paul Bunyan has his last driving test next Sunday morning and can't wait to take his driving test. How can he possibly be old enough to be driving? Where did all the time go?
This is a picture of Paul Bunyan and Heidi's kids at Avila Beach a couple of months ago. Mom and Dad have a timeshare up there and Mom took the kids for a "spoil your grandkids" weekend. They all had a great time and Mr. Bunyan was really good at keeping the kids busy. My mom is trying to spend as much time with him before he heads off to college. It sounds silly, but the time will be gone before we know what hit us. He went to homecoming this weekend. How many of you remember homecoming being a big deal? Now, it's $10, the kids wore jeans, and the dance was on the tennis courts. Whatever! I guess we actually won the game on Friday so, it can't all be bad.

The second picture is Heidi's youngest hamming it up. Just felt the need to post this 'cause I think she's cute! She looks so much like Heidi!

Off to grade writing assignments. I think I need some wine first! Just kidding...or am I?

Ok then...

So, what do you do with the kid who insists on speaking of himself in the third person? This kid is the fashion plate for the class and the kid that thinks he is soooo good that all he has to do is flash his pearly whites to get what he wants. Little does he know, I don't care about his 12 year old pearly whites. He thinks he is so charming. All I see is all of those guys in high school that got by on their looks and now sell used cars or insurance for a living. I can totally see this kid four years from now and, sadly, I'm not impressed.

Last night was Back to School Night and I had great fun making Liann nervous. She sat down and asked me what I was doing there. The funny thing is that I thought about not going, but was worried about what she would think of me if I didn't show up. How funny that we have known each other for so long yet, we still worry about what the other thinks. By the way, your presentation was great...and not just because I love you!

I'm still enjoying teaching...every day seems to get better and better. My kids are great and I am so lucky that my first year has been uneventful thus far. Oh, I did find a condom under a student's chair yesterday. I'm so looking forward to the conversation I get to have with her parents. Catch 22 - should I be worried that she has a condom at 12 or should I commend her for at least being safe? When did this happen? I am praying that she was just curious and this phase will pass quickly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I admit that I can't pass up a good horoscope every now and then. My horoscope kicked me in the butt today...alright, God kicked me in the butt...

My horoscope said "Be thankful for everything that's going right in your life - it's a long list!" I admit, even will all my whining (which sounds so lame compared to what Christina is going through) I am truly thankful for what I have. I made my list:

the love of the Lord
love for the Lord
the love of a good and caring man (he's nuts)
the love of my healthy, beautiful child
a loving family
wonderful, loving friends
the job of my dreams

So, what am I whining about? Thanks to the advice from my last post. Chris, you sent me on the road to opening my Bible and spending some time in the Word and that is a good thing. Liann, thank you for always posting such honest stuff. I don't feel I have the wisdom for that yet, but it is something I strive for.

It's Sunday morning and the house is silent. My smelly boys are still asleep and muffins are cooking in the oven. Sadly, I am only slightly domestic on the weekends. So, for the moment, I am stuck in the muddy mess of my thoughts.


At the present time I am feeling really lost in my faith. I feel like I am wandering around in circles with the same ideas just bouncing around in my head. I haven't lost my faith, I just don't know what to do with it at the moment. I don't doubt the Lord's love for me, but I am doubting something and I'm not sure what it is. I miss going to church, but I don't know if I actually miss church or if I miss church with Kathie. I love having Christians around me at school. As a matter of fact, this is the first time I have worked at a place with so many Christians. Have any of you ever just felt ambivalent in your faith? Does that make sense? At the moment it is an absolute struggle to open my bible or devotional. I keep finding other things that feel more important. I'm not saying they are more important, they just feel more important. Ok, this is sounding more lame as I go along. I will leave it at this ugly mess of words and move on to grading.

Question of the Month

So, I have been keeping track of the great things the kids ask me on a daily basis. The winner for this month was:

"Why do all Asian people look Chinese?"

Chris
6th grader
Birney Elementary

Needless to say, that question started a mini-lesson on continents vs. countries. I am constantly amazed by the depth of some of our discussions. This is definitely something that you don't get with the younger kids.

Things are moving along and we are half way through the first trimester. The bonding has started and the days are getting easier and easier. For the most part, my kids are sweet and try to work hard. The politics of the school is hard to avoid sometimes, but having your own room to escape to is really nice. It's nice to have so many new teachers to commiserate with this year. There are 7 of us total and it makes a nice team when you are looking at a school where some teachers have been there for 15-20 years. Some of those teachers can be pretty bitter and angry. "Just you wait." That is what many of them say to us. Thankfully, the prayer time helps. There are some amazing people there that want to see us newbies succeed and are willing to do anything they can to support us.

Happy Saturday!

Funny mom stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlY8STkhopc


Not just for moms...for kids too!
This video is soooooo funny. I can't figure out how to do this so you can just watch the video on my blog, and I'm too tired to try to figure it out tonight.