One of the benefits of my job.

We went to the zoo in Tacoma today. Some of these kids don't get to the city very much and here's how I can tell:

Student: "Look, teacher, there's cool writing and pictures and stuff on that wall."
Teacher: "Yes that's very nice"
Teacher: (to herself) "Yeah, that's called grafitti"

Smile

I really miss college sometimes, especially MY college, MBC. Here's one (of many) reason why:

Once found, now they're lost

"Yeah, we voted for Taylor twice. We were gonna vote again and then daddy told us it was a dollar each time you vote."

-Kindergartener

My husband works very hard.

Wife: You are going to get sick if you don't sleep and relax more.
Husband: I don't get sick lady.

Two days later:

Husband: Well, lady, you're gonna say 'I told you so'...

(no, I don't nag my husband and yes, 'lady' is a term of endearment in our house)

Post #555 - a post about nothing in particular

This is one of the two personal days I get per year. I always save them until the end of the year in case I have an emergency. But then I get to the end of the year and realize that I can't take a day off because there is too much to do. But I did anyway. How can you just give up a day off? That's why I'm blogging at 9:28am, contemplating doing laundry and going to the gym or Walmart to get my oil changed.
At school my students have been taking standardized tests. They have been so good about it, and have been trying so hard. I'm really proud! I think Kindergarten is a little young for standardized test (ya think?) but they think it's a pretty fun game and it makes them feel like big kids so I guess there's no harm done.
Well, the day stretches out before me and I'm sure it will be gone before I know it. I went to a Christian elementary school and in the morning we would always sing, "this is the day, this is the day that the Lord hath made..." What a great start remember that God made this day, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Of course, it's a little easier to "be glad in it" when you have the day off, but you get the idea. I think there is a treadmill with my name on it...

For a while I have been so irritated at the evangelical community that I am a part of. Why so much hysteria over the Davinci movie? It's just a book / movie, and it has lies in it, but people tell us lies all day long, what's the fuss over this one? I finally put my finger on it today when I read this very articulate article. Let me know what you think:

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc_article.php?id=7179

Maybe we could take some of this fear / hysteria and direct it at the pornography industry? abortion? anything else! just a thought.

Paul and I saw Caedmon's Call this last weekend! I was not disappointed. I have really liked this bands sound and message for a long, long time and it was neat to be able to see them in concert.

Mother's Day Spruce Up

I have a picture of them doing this when they were teenagers. There was the inevtitable "whoops" (something you don't like to hear when your hair is being cut) and "how do you feel about a shorter hair cut?" Dan's hair started out about 5 inches longer (not kidding) than it is now.

Wes and Paul share a love of books, books, books. Wes seems to be fixated on a certain page of this I Spy book. It's seriously all he ever wants to look at.

Paul and the fam have started demolition of Kyle and Anna's bathroom in thier NEW HOUSE. They had fun tearing down walls and pulling up floors, now comes the hard part of actually putting the bathroom in.

Paul got the internship! Also, it will turn into a part time job in the fall (he has a few more classes to finish up) if they feel they work well together. This development is moving at the rate of six (cookie-cutter) houses a month, so you can imagine that it will be a busy place. Paul is excited! He will be working on scheduling and infrastructure (i'm not really sure what that means) and helping manage things.

Paul has an interview today: Please pray for him if you get a chance! It is for a summer internship with a developer in the area (and by area I mean our county, which is what were hoping for).

Also, our chicks are beginning to hatch. Every year we hatch chicks in our classroom. I love this celebration of life. They are so fragile and have to be handled with care. It's good for the kids to have a part in such an important task. There are two that are just beginning to poke holes in thier shells, and I hope is that the students will be able to watch the hatching process from beginning to end.

Wanna buy a GOWN? I am selling my wedding dress. I told someone and work this and they said, "Oh, so you're not sentimental, eh?" I guess not, it will be hard to see it drive away though. I never wore it with the train out because I had an outside wedding (five years ago if you can believe it). If I wait too much longer to sell it, it will be out of style. The proceeds will go to our church's Alaska missions trip.

The sweet potato quesadillas were very good! I was surprised and I will definately make them again. I used goat cheese, since I don't do cow's milk (I'm not snobby, it's a crazy sinus thing). And I made Paul's with cheddar. I would post the recipe, but I am afraid of copywriting. It's from a book that my dear friend Kara got me, Simply in Season, GREAT book, especially if you like vegis, or even if you don't, you will after this book.

I have been teaching about non-fiction procedural writing, which is fancy for "how-to". One of the things we are studying right now is recipes, and I thought it would be cool if each child brought a recipe from home and I made a recipe book for each mom for mother's day. So I ask each child to bring a recipe from home, one that's special to them or that they just like a lot.

Child: "In our family, we don't use recipes, we just eat normal food."

I ask you, what has this world come to? Now I am one that makes more homemade food than most, but NO recipes? All food from a box? I find it hard to believe. Anyone, woman or man, with the least streak of domesticity would have at LEAST one favorite recipe. Do people not ever cook? At least on Christmas?
I do find that the freezer section at my local Walmart is strangely crowded. And I do admit, I have a weekness for fish sticks. And when I am busy I do pop a 50 cent chicken pot pie in the oven. I guess I just found this comment very sad, because I love food so much.

To each his own, however unhealthy it may be.

Currently Reading: Dwelling Places

This is a little bit depressing, but has me hooked and I really want to finish it.

Currently listening to: Watermark "The Purest Place"

I love this!

Thirty more school days and counting...

and I can't believe all I need to do before school gets out. Did I really teach them all I needed to? I guess it'll have to do. This is that panic time of year again, but also exciting because, well, thirty more days until FREEDOM. I am planning a very full summer. My brother and sister in law might start a fruit stand that I will help with, I am going to camp, going to Alaska, I have a week long math class to take, actually, I am a little afraid that I won't get my canning done. Ah, that would be a tragedy. Paul and I are on a high-stress course until classes are over for him. If you know us, you know that we are low-stress people. We really try hard to live slowly and purposefully, but the world has gotten the better of us. We miss having people over for dinner and hanging out, just the two of us.

Yesterday I took care of my two year old nephew for the whole day. It was a lot of fun, but I think I tried to have TOO much fun. We played at the playground, and we went swimming, and we went to McDonald's (this is his restaurant of choice) and we played with Paul and we played at Grandma's house. By the end of the day he was ALL wound up, but also really tired, so, you know the rest of the story...

The whole day I kept apologizing to him. "I'm sorry, Wes, Aunt Nanny doesn't know how to put on the swimming diaper." or "I'm sorry Wes, I don't know what 'nee' means." Sooner or later I will get the hang of it, I hope.

Today we witnessed the baptism of some of our friends, Brandon and Casey, and I always cry at baptisms but this was really special, it was really neat to see their enthusiasm for Jesus. And then we took the membership class for our church. So now we are enjoying the calm before the storm of the week takes over, maybe watch a movie from the library. I am off now to make "sweet potato quesadillas", I know it sounds like a bad idea, but it's from a reputable source. Have a great week!

"To go faster you must slow down."

— John Brunner, Author