SOOOO Sick

I'm terribly ill. There's a porcupine in my throat. My nose is all stuffy and it's hard to breathe. Whoever invented being sick...sucks!
On the upside, my first graders were really good today. I taught them some "make-shift" sign language and we used it all day, since Mrs. Cotten's voice was "broken".
They really got the hang of it after about two practices. You really underestimate the tenderness of their little hearts sometimes. But they really do just want you to love them. Which I do...so we all win.
I'm so ready for this year to be over - but I'm already feeling the excitement for next year. That's one good thing about being a new teacher - it's easy to see things that I can change and make better for next year. The bad thing is - there's so MANY ideas you want to implement them all, but you can't.
ANYWAY - I was ALSO late for the first time in three years today! I just didn't turn on the alarm last night - I always turn on the alarm! Jeff - of all people- woke me up (if you knew what a hard sleeper he is, you would find that funny). And Catherine called AS I was rolling - or leaping - rather out of bed. It was 7:50. I had to be at school at 7:45.
I think I set the world record for getting dressed and I was at school by the time they finished the pledges. (8:05).
SO - I think I was still asleep for a little while this morning, I have no memory of walking the kids back to class from the gym.
AND our Walk Across Texas team is in first place this week with the most miles and they made us Tooty Ta in front of the whole school.
(Which I didn't mind, only I was TERRIBLY ILL, and late for school). So - that's all. I do have an antibiotic (thanks Catherine) and hopefully it will kick in like...now!

The DANG Gym

Well, I'm on the fad band wagon of dieting and gym going. Never thought I'd be part of that scene, but time, child bearing, and gravity has taken its inevitable toll on this once tiny body of mine. Oh, how the mighty have fallen......
Anyway, I have a very good and faithful friend who tortures herself there with me four times a week. We particularly loath the "leg machine of death" and the "ball of death" (it's that half ball thing on which you do these grueling sit-up/curl exercises). OH - and I couldn't possibly forget the "shoulder press of death".
BUT - on the up-side. We are seeing results. We've lost TWO - count 'em- TWO pounds and have added weight to the quad lift machine thing. We also can kick tushy on the elliptical machines. We did do a "spin class of death" once, and perhaps will again one day. We limped around school for the next week after that one. It's hard to teach first graders when you can't MOVE!
So, we will press on - to the Dang Gym, to do our Dang workout, and lose all this Dang weight and gain some Dang muscles. (The gym really is called the Dang gym, I'm not just being crass)

Get a hair cut and get a real job!

Well, he's done it. Jeff's given up the self-employment lifestyle and has matriculated into the workforce as a maintenance supervisor at a local nursing home here in Cleburne. It was kind of a surprise since I didn't really even know he was looking for a job. He just showed up at school today all dressed up and said "I got a job!" I think our lives are in for a big change. It was scary - money wise - with him being self-employed, but we always made it. On the upside, he was always available to take care of things and we could go out of town whenever we wanted. NOW - the fun has ended. Yes, we'll have more cash, but at what other costs?
Dash-it-all why does every silver lining have to have a cloud? I certainly DO want to have my cake and eat it too. What's the point of having cake if you can't eat it? I've never understood that metaphor.
So...that's big news - ALSO, it was the 100th day of school today, much celebration was had by all in my class. Oh yeah, they all worshipped me today. Anytime the teacher lets you sing, do jumping jacks, and eat stuff she becomes the BEST TEACHER EVER!
I also go the cutest note from one of my kid's dads. It was addressed to me, Mrs. Cotten from (I'll change his name)" Jim Smith, Jim Smith Jr's Dad." Apparently, Jim forgot his reading book at school and Mr. Smith was writing to tell me and say that he would help him with it tonight. He also said he was sorry for the "inconvenient". But he always signs his notes "Jim Smith, Jim Smith Jr.s Dad" It's cute. And I do have to say, Jim is the sweetest most gentlemanly six year old I've ever met. You rock, Jim Smith, Jim Smith Jr's Dad!

Just for the sake of it

OK, so I was recently informed that my blog was not blogtastic. "Need more posts!" So, in the interest of being interesting - here's something I found out. There are such people as "technopagans". Witchy wanna-be's who have their little online covens. Wierd, huh? So - that's all I can think of right now. After a day of "I REALLY like the way that Jose is sitting quietly" and "We should all be sitting now, thank you." My mind is a little - tired? I'm just not very interesting this time of day. OK - so this job seems to be sucking the life out of me. Now...I'm not only NOT interesting - but also now...very depressed. GREAT!!! This is the last time I blog for the sake of blogging.

If only I were a Quaker.....

So, it's almost 2 a.m. and here I am in all my nerdyness looking up stuff on the internet. What can I say? I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
Ok, well, there is a reason behind the compulsive need-to-know. Jeff's out of town (again) and my friend and I go out for a girl's night of dinner and a movie. Sort of a chick date, you know? It was TOTALLY fun, full of painful laughing and a RIVETING game of air hockey.
Somehow, we got on the topic of spiritual warfare and the discovery of Noah's Ark. Don't ask me how, but one rule of girl's night is that the topics MUST be completely random. It's one of those unwritten yet understood by all females rules.
So, she says she's never really heard of spiritual warfare and I'm faced with trying to explain it in 50 words or less. (That's about how long I had until the movie would start) So, without really knowing myself what it is, yet knowing that I do I believe in it much hilarity ensued with the swatting of imaginary demons.
Also, somehow Noah's ark came up (I refer to the aforementioned randomality clause) and I refer to a TV show I saw years ago where they claim to have found the actual ark. She says in not so many words that it was bull-honkey. Well, we discuss the possibilities without much heavy debate and move on to more random topics.
In suit with my nerdish tendencies, upon arriving home, I quickly hit the web for answers. As far as the Noah's Ark thing is concerned, my first search turned up exciting results. The website had all these great photos and scientific sounding evidence supporting the find, but I thought that I better keep looking. Aaaaaaand low and behold, I hit paydirt- ok NO, it hasn't been found, for sure. But there are conflicting statements and it just keeps coming up inconclusive. Apparently this guy named Ron Wyatt claimed to have found it and had a show (which is probably the one I saw) and sold videos and had people go on tours and stuff, but it's claimed that he was really a fraud. Scientist THINK, however, that the ark IS probably is up in the Ararat mountains of Turkey, though. They just don't think it's where this Wyatt guy says it was and pretty much called him a "liar, liar, pants on fire". The mountains of Turkey are very tall and covered in a cap of ice most of the year. It is also very cloudy so it is nearly impossible to get clear satellite images of the area. The only photos clear enough were taken in 1999 (or near then) when Turkey experienced and unusually warm summer. People have been on expeditions up there, but it's very difficult terrain to navigate and nothing concrete has ever been found. So - I was wrong, I admit it. Hey - how was I to know you can't believe everything you see on TV.
As for the other thing - the spiritual warfare topic. That's a tough one. I found a really good website explaining a lot about it. I really like the name, it's called Spiritual Warfare and You. Funny, huh?
http://www.wcg.org/lit/spiritual/warfare2.htm

It talks about what spiritual warfare is and what it isn't and compares some popular ideas to scripture and explains their validity. It reconfirmed my belief in the sanctity and power of God as creator and controller of all things and my belief in the victory of Christ. Basically, God is in control, we've already won the victory over sin and death, but Satan and his homies have limited power here on Earth - which is also controlled by God. Satan is a big sissy who thinks he still has a shot. Honestly, he must know he doesn't, but just wants to take as many people down with him as he can. He's the worst.
I did have a chance to think about some things in a new way. One part of the site talked about how we're not called to cast out demons or continually bind Satan, but James tells us to "resist" the devil. (Which consequently comes from one of my very favorite verses) Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
The Bible tells us whatever things are good, and pure - to think on those things. It also reminds us that God has the power here, not Satan. There is no need nor cause for fear. Fear is not of God and allowing fear is to allow Satan a power he has no right to.
Anyway, I know that I'm a big ole dork for Googling stuff like this in the middle of the night - but hey, this is just a big ole' brain that I can't turn off.
And, although, there is not a soul out there who will long to read this long winded speech, I feel more at ease with my own beliefs and since this blog is ALL about me - I'm satisfied!
Now, I will go and dream of foam goat-men, flying film canisters, and Heath Ledger. (A few topics from the night of random conversation)

This Year's Girl

This is THE smartest, most beautiful -and as April would say "pulchritudinous" -little girl in the world. Ok, so I'm biased - but, hey, a three year old who can successfully locate 6 states on the map after being shown 1 time - hey, that's pretty darn praise-worthy. And how many toddlers can tell the difference between a hexagon and an octagon - or even know what a trapezoid is?!?! So, I feel I have properly justified my previous statement asserting her qualities (and take just a little bit of credit for said qualities) :)

I always say, "It's just not Christmas without a little bit of nostalgia!" Ok, well, I just said that now for the first time, but I foresee myself repeating the phrase. It's the day after Christmas and a bunch of really different people who haven't seen each other in anywhere from 1 to 10 years gather together in one room for a gay old time of reminiscing and sarcasm. Recipe for disaster? Recipe for drama at least.

Actually, it was nice to see that we had all grown. Some of us in maturity and some of us merely in size. At least we all could report our acquiescence of some sort of gainful employment - that's something right? Between all of us there were two marriages, two children, lots of moves all about the country, some painful happenstance, and plenty of old memories. It was quite the mixture of who we used to be and who we are now. On which, for the most part, I'm still a little unclear.
As for me, well, I was able to revert quite easily into my old high school roll of cold shouldered guarded girl who comes across as a serious b-word. Yeah, don't know how that happened. And my friend there, also in the red sweater (so not planned!) mentioned how the long-time repressed ditz just sprung to life unexpectedly. But those young ladies of the past quieted themselves and retreated to their dungeons not long after the "reunion" ended.

It was nice to have come from somewhere and to be somewhere different now. It was also weird to still have things to talk about with people you haven't seen in ten years.
It felt really grown-up to say "I am a teacher". That gives you identity, you know. In Spanish when you say "I am a teacher", you use the word "soy" - which is like saying, "I am a girl". You don't use "soy" when saying statements like "I am cold." "Soy" insinuates permanence - it's what you are - now and forevermore. I won't always be cold, but I will always be a girl. I will always be a teacher.
I also got to say - with permanence - I am a wife, and I am a mother. Both of which were my spoken goals throughout most of my high school career. So, I guess in some way, I have arrived. There are still many goals I've set since that may or may not be met. And to some, the role of wife, and mother is a menial one. In my heart and mind, though, it's a vital role. I'm proud to be part of the familial fold.
SO - to wind up this ramble - it was quite a trip to travel back in time (88 MILES PER HOUR!!) for a while - but I'm glad to be home and glad to be me. I will remember, however, where I came from and the people along the way that helped shape who I am now.

Katy - Almost Three Years old!