Winter Camp

My eyes are small

but they have seen

the beauty of enormous things

Which leads me to believe

there's light enough to see that

You make everything glorious

You make everything glorious

You make everything glorious

And I am Yours

Random

20 random things about me:

1. I used to think "night people" were a special species of people, like werewolves. And I'd be afraid when I'd stay up late that one of them would get me. The irony is that I am one.

2. My earlobes are "attached" which means they are shorter than normal earlobes. Earrings look funny on me.

3. Bad grammar (you're/your, etc) really really really bothers me. I instantly assume a person is drastically less intelligent when they use it.

4. I am a huge sucker for teeny shows, like Hannah Montana and High School Musical.

5. My "bucket list" includes seeing a game in every single Major League Baseball stadium.

6. I played the Alto Saxophone in middle school and was a soloist in Jazz Band. I loved playing and am sometimes tempted to pick it up and try again.

7. My "go-to" menu item is chicken strips - but the dipping sauce always varies depending on the venue. McDs - Sweet and Sour; Steak and Shake - Honey Mustard; Whataburger - Gravy; Wendy's - Ketchup; Dairy Queen - Ranch; Chic-fil-A - honey; frozen nuggets - Barbeque...

8. I have a sister who is 9 years and 10 days older than me.

9. I take pride in my DVDs and Board Games collections, but rarely use either of them.

10. My first kiss took place on the stage of an old junior high building.

11. I played softball, basketball and soccer growing up. I was known for my "sliding" move in all three...

12. Job Titles I've had: umpire, hostess/service assistant/server, activities assistant, computer lab asst, youth ministry intern, paraprofessional, substitute teacher, secretary, teacher, assistant to the youth minister.

13. I got my first speeding ticket 3 weeks after getting my driver's license.

14. I sing in the shower, everyday.

15. I prefer getting new pajama pants to new jeans cause I wear the PJs more often.

16. I love trying new things even though it terrifies me greatly.

17. I get claustrophobic when I drive. I will choose the left lane whenever possible so there's nothing next to me. I hold my breath if the median is within a foot of my car. After long trips, my shoulders hurt from being so tense for so long.

18. I graduated college a semester early. The only time that means anything is on a random list about me.

19. I grew up in the same town as a Six Flags and went every day. I was one of the first people to ride the Batman when it first opened.

20. I was at Busch Stadium when Mark McGwire hit his record-breaking 62nd homerun on September 8, 1998.

the NEW of the YEAR

Last year, I made a list of all the new things I had tried that year (2007), and more or less made a resolution to do the same kind of thing this past year (2008). I generally try to go new places, try new things, etc. I don't necessarily keep track of them, so I'll just make an overall list of new things I tried/experienced in 2008.

In chronological order (or close enough):
*Finished my 1st semester as a teacher
*Went to St. Louis for a record low of 24 hours
*Earned a free flight from Southwest
*Took an ESL exam and passed
*Got accidentally fired
*Had a superintendent apologize to me for her mistake
*Was a teacher sponsor for a math competition
*Had 2 weeks of Spring Break
*Voted in the Texas Primary
*Experienced the joy of IKEA
*Threw Andrew a surprise party
*Bought my first laptop
*Finished my internship/won awards as an intern
*Voted for the American Idol winner
*Moved to a 2br/2ba apartment with a pool!
*Watched my seniors graduate
*Finished my 1st year as a teacher!
*Got my first pet!
*My first summer on salary
*Got a team of teenagers and adults ready to go on an international mission trip
*Spent 11 days straight without my husband
*Experienced the joy of American Idol Karaoke
*Uploaded my first video onto youtube
*Went to the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, TX
*Went to Austin and saw UT and the capital building
*Had a surprise birthday party
*Experienced public transportation in Ft. Worth and Dallas
*Voted for the first time in a presidential election
*Successfully sponsored a school-wide mock election
*Went to a toga party
*Got cable/dvr for the first time ever

Those are the things I can think of now. I may add later. But it is always refreshing to look back at the new things I tried/experienced and realize that each year really is NEW. It's a chance to try something different and explore the world around me. I get to grow and learn and overcome.
I hope each year, you get to experience the same thing.

Ten Christmases

Today, I watched the movie, Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon and boy did it ring true. Traveling from house to house to house, and by the end, you start to question what the whole thing is even about. It's enough to make you not want to celebrate at all.

Except my version would be called Ten Christmases. I even came up with a coding system on my detailed week planner to make sure we're seeing everybody. My immediate family, my mom's family, my dad's family, Andrew's immediate family on his dad's side, Andrew's immediate family on his mom's side, Andrew's dad's family, Andrew's mom's family, Andrew's stepdad's family, Andrew's stepmom's family and then, of course, we need to save time just for Andrew and me. And somewhere in the midst of all the chaos, we stop to ask ourselves why.

Why do we drive all over the Greater St. Louis area 5 times in one day? Why do we go see one family just to see the basic components of that family with a few additions a few hours later? Why do we eat cookie after cookie? Why do even bother taking off our coats?

In the movie, this same basic plot laid itself out, so that at one point, the main character's didn't even know who they were or what they were doing. It was that crazy. But somehow, by the end (of course), they realized, more than ever, what the meaning of family was and why they needed them. The ritual suddenly seemed important, nay, crucial to their lives.

And already in the midst of a weeklong battle for my time, I often stop to ask myself why and start to go crazy. Until I realize just how important family and friends are to me, and the why becomes so obvious. I need these crazy busy trips to St. Louis.

gone

I have tried. Really, I have.
I bought 4 CDs - 70 songs.
I bought a new movie and watched it.
I decorated.
I baked cookies and dipped pretzels.
I went to parties.
I bought outfits for the cat.
I've watched all the special episodes.
I even watched the muppets.
I've bought gifts.
I've gotten gifts.
I went to the special presentation at church.
I've listened to special sermons.
I taught special Sunday School lessons.
I even taught it to my 6th graders in a comparison of other cultural celebrations.
I've worn the special colors and special jewelry.

Nobody can say I haven't tried.

But I can't seem to find the holiday spirit within me. It's not there. It was killed by the cynic. The realist who doesn't buy the BS. The tack. The greed. The COLD. The traffic. The stress.

The grinch inside of me says "Bah Humbug" (yes, mixed metaphors. It's that bad).

In all fairness, you had to see this coming.
At least last year, I seemed to find some sort of hope.
Don't say I didn't warn you...

meany-head

So I've got another teacher story to tell:

We went to a block schedule this year with A and B days. Well, we also have C days on Wednesdays where we meet with every class for 35 minutes. On 4 day weeks, we just scrap the C day and ABAB. It's ok if you can't follow along, either can we. All you really need to know is that classes were shorter and we still aren't quite used to the schedule. Not to mention, I'm fighting off a winter cold and didn't want to wake up this morning...

So it's 2nd period, and I'm apparently in the no-tolerance zone. I'm snapping at students and being really sarcastic and demanding with them. At one point, I kicked a couple students out of my class for interrupting me. And I finally get my class focused to teach and I hear commotion in the hallway, so I go out and yell at them.
Not just a "Be quiet!" like usual, but a full-out lecture on how its rude to be loud in the hallways while a teacher is trying to teach and how would they like it if i made a lot of noise in the hallway while they were trying to work, etc etc...
and I return to my class who immediately becomes stoic and is paying attention as I continue. More noise in the hallway draws their attention away again, and so I yell, "Is there somebody teaching in the hallway? Is that why your attention is there and not on me? Or is there somebody right in front of you trying to teach that you should pay attention to??"
So I get their attention again and continue to tell them what their homework is going to be for tomorrow.
Being a schedule I'm not familiar with and feeling toward the end of my lesson, I check the schedule on the wall and look at my watch to see how much time I have left. I get a real confused look on my face as I keep trying to figure it out because the time on my watch is 10:32 and there's nothing on the schedule that fits that.
I couldn't make sense of it, until a student, very quietly and politely says to me, "um, you were supposed to let us out of class 5 minutes ago..."

ohhhhh.....
so that explains the commotion in the hallway...
I immediately dismiss them and tell them I'll notify their teachers.
To top it all off, one student says on his way out, "I thought about telling you, but I didn't want you to yell at me for being off-topic."

Yeeeaaahhh.... I'm one of those teachers that the students are so afraid of, they won't even tell me when class is over...

6th graders

There are so many moments that I think to myself "Oh I should write that down" and most of these moments happen in my classroom. I honestly think 6th graders are the cutest, funniest, most adorable group of people in the world. The things that come out of their mouths would make you laugh so hard...
and for so long I've wanted to share cute funny adorable stories with you... but by the time I get home and get to posting (which is long after ive checked email, facebook ten times, etc), I really do forget the details. And I hate telling stories where I don't remember the details (that's where the greatness lies of course).

So alas, no stories.
Besides, there's a large part of me that thinks you wouldn't appreciate them nearly as much as I would. Although some of the things are truly universal.

well, let's try this one that just came to me:

So as class is getting started yesterday, a student says to me, "You look just like this teacher I had last year."
I instantly reply, "So she must have been beautiful...?"
[Laughter] "Oh no..."

I suppose I set myself up for that one, but I really thought I taught my students to at least lie for tact's sake... which I instantly taught him, don't you worry and he instantly corrected himself.
Oh, the real lessons of the classroom...