Christmas Time's A-Coming

1. Today was my last day of teaching before Christmas. The kids were bonkers, and so was I. I received tons of gifts. Some interesting choices of course. My favorite moment was after opening a teacher-snowman figurine, a boy said "Can you believe we just found this in the bottom of our ornament box??"
Grown-ups do that all the time probably, but kids have no censor. Cracked me up.

2. Speaking of censors: I really dislike children in Wal-Mart as a general rule. But one kid was following his mom around and kept asking, "Have you ever been drunk?" The mom kept ignoring him, but the kid probably asked 5 times. Again, I am cruelly laughing at kids.

3. We had time to spare today, so I read The Velveteen Rabbit to my kids. A personal fave. (It was the new copy Jen just got me) We started talking about why the horse said it sometimes is hard to love and live and be real. Everyone sort of got clingy and emotional then and were hugging me and each other when the bell rang.
I think they like me! But more importantly, I hope they are learning to like each other. And themselves.

4. My all time favorite Christmas movie is The Muppet Christmas Carol. Brilliance. If you've never seen it, let's make a date to watch it together.

Scrooge: "Are you a little absent minded Spirit?"
Ghost of Christmas Present: "No! I'm a large absent minded spirit!"

5. Christmas Carols = delight. I can never get enough Raffi at Christmas.

6. Also, I'm wigging out a bit about having survived 1/2 of my first year already. I can't believe that in two weeks, I'll be back teaching with the same kids. Semester breaks are a time for new classes, new textbooks and a complete life readjustment. Continuity?? Steadiness?? Am I really for that in my life? Woah.

7. Decatur assimilation update: Went on "Tour of Homes." With teacher friends. Who are real grown-ups. My young adult life is over. Revive me! :) haha

Peace, my friends.

"I believe in love, but it don't believe in me"

I could tell you about my wonderful Thanksgiving break. Of Friendsgiving, and catching up with the closest of close. Or about how jealous you probably are that I rocked out to Rhett Miller (Old 97s) at the Granada. Or I could elaborate on his lyric I stole for this here blog title.

But I'd prefer to discuss important topics. Hair.

Did you know lice is not contained to tiny little kindergarteners? Let's just say that I'm wearing hairspray now (yuck). The authorities say that lice do not like hairspray, and so far I haven't caught the bug. (fingers crossed constantly)

Also, I am due for a haircut. Which makes me consider that after 22 years, I'm still not a pro at taming the curls. Should I abandon the ol' mousse and defuser method? Is that sooo 2003? If there is a new technology I need to be updated on, please enlighten me. Please share your thoughts... now.



Final thought: Literature holds a mind controlling power. My class is reading a book called Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio. Now, every muscle spasm sends my brain into Polio panic mode. I begin to dread the "inevitable" hot pack treatment for my imaginary disease. I might have issues or something?

"Your magic, he said, But don't let it all go to your head"

Hellooo November.
You are my favorite. High school football playoffs, crunching leaves, my Grandma's dressing. Lots to look forward to!

As you can tell from this bad-quality scan, I have a school picture. It freaks me out so I wanted to share. Who am I??

I had my PDAS Appraisal/Evaluation. I won't know the results for a few more days, but I think it went okay. It's really bizarre to have your principal hanging out, rummaging through all of your shelves and lesson plan book while you are trying to teach.

Updates on the Decatur Reassimilation process (which only 1 or 2 of you will get)
Stage 4: Shop at Beall's on purpose, not out of immediate necessity. Also, I think I get bonus on this one cause I bought my shoes using my teacher friend's employee discount. Very Decatur.
Stage 5: Leisurely shop at "The Gift Shop" twice in one week. Check, done. FYI, if you want to buy me a cheesy gift that I would secretly love, I suggest the Cowboy-themed nativity scene. You have to see the harmonica playing "wise man."

Oh, and Halloween. I was totally in love with my Ms. Frizzle costume. I want to find a way to tame down the hair and actually rock an up-do again. It just felt cool. I'm sure you found the pictures on Facebook- and if not, go check em out. The kids were cute! I had an old man, some Ninjas, a girl dressed like a boy, a pirate, and "a decrepid, evil, mentally ill old woman" (her exact words!!)

"All the sweetest winds they blow across the south"

I was lucky enough to have two special men in my life this weekend. Big Tex and Ryan Adams. I've lived in Texas my whole life, and this was my first time to eat a State Fair corn dog and ride the Texas Star.
But more importantly, I breathed the same air as Ryan Adams for two beautiful hours. I barely moved as I sat, staring at the boy in platform boots, as he broke my heart and fixed it again. Sometimes he sings my soul I think.

With the TCU game, and the concert, and spending the night at Jess's house - it was a lot a FW time. And made me think about things I try not to think about. We all knew things would change this fall, I just don't think I knew how much. Things are different and weird, where before they were everything good. It's easy for me to shut the door to that when I'm home, but then I came home to a long email from the one who's farthest away.
It sounds silly to be sad over friends you haven't really lost, but it sucks somedays. It feels like a bad breakup that we don't know what to do with.

But still, I love fall, high school football, friends who are close, Ryan Adams, and you.

Worthy of it's own post, I feel

In a science lesson about animal behavioral adaptations:

Kid 1: "I want to say something, but it's kinda religious"
Me: "Okay, but think carefully before you say it."
Kid 1: "I don't think migration is an instinct because God probably taught the first bird where to go."
Kid 2: "Does God have instincts or learned behaviors?"
Me: "I'm not sure because God is not in the Animal Kingdom."


I probably could've responded better, but that's all I had at the moment. Oh my...

Somedays, I just love my job.

"Well they call me the fireman"

The 1st six weeks is over. Yay and Yikes. I'm scared for report cards to go out... Grades are seriously stressful.
Today during the intercom announcements, I found out that my class was picked as the best behaved class during rotation time (music, pe, etc) Hooray for us!!! Which meant of course we had to act up for the rest of the day. Oh kids.

Also today, we had firemen visit our class and a Firemen Clown Brigade assembly. I was definitely hit on by a clown/fireman. Weird

The interested clown was none other than an odd boy I went to school with. (Kali and Lisa read: Nathan Mara.)



He did not look like the picture above. No, this picture is a shout-out to Lisa since it is from 2gether, an mtv movie about a fake boyband. If you didn't know me then, you missed out on how cool I was in the early 2000's.

Decatur high-light of the week: Upcoming Battle of Big Sandy
Get Fired Up, Eagles, Get Fired Up.

I want an easy plateau, someplace to rest my head

I am now at Stage 4 Decatur Re-Assimilation. Decatur Eagle window decal. It is done.

I am basing this off of stages that I make up as I go. So far:
Stage 1: Eat at Casa Torres once a week. Easily accomplished soon after arrival.
Stage 2: When a friend asks you to visit their house and they tell you it is in Heritage Creek - expect it to be "Ritzy Rural." Usually "new money" types from Keller. And it was.
Stage 3: Attend all home football games. In process, but consider this one a given. And I went to an away game to make up for any I may miss in the future.


I finally got my 1st paycheck!! My checking account jumped up from literally $9.95 which it had sat at since the beginning of the summer. Hooray! I celebrated by splurging on a TCU jersey. Those things are pricey. But now I'll have something cool to wear during Red Ribbon Week. Haha!

In other school related things, the principal helped my class start a recycling program for the 4th grade. We are spreading our hippie love throughout the school. Although they now refer to themselves as tree-huggers instead. Oh my, they are crazy, but entertaining. And I am now the UIL Spelling Coach, so that will be fun I hope.
It's still going okay, but I am really tired. Really, really tired.

Bei Mir Bist Du Schon Means That You're Grand...

If you could overdose on Robert Sean Leonard or Airborne, I would have done it already this week. I don't like kids when they give me sniffles. Not at all. I also don't like grading papers. But, I've started using that time to have Swing Kids on in the background so I have his pretty face to look up at every once in a while. I know he's not everyone's dream man, but I'm weird I guess.

Just a few quick things of note:
1. I think my average age of friends just jumped up a decade and a half. At least.

2. I probably go to the library too much. Maybe because "the" librarian looks a little like the above mentioned fella. Or maybe I actually do have a lot of things to laminate. Probably both, but you never can tell.

3. Today we had our first assembly. I had an identity crisis when I realized I was one of the teachers sitting on the side instead of a kid on the floor. In 1992 I sat on that very floor to sing along with Joe Scruggs.

4. While I was busy getting some stuff together one boy asked me, "Do you ever get mad at us?" I was preoccupied and accidentally said Yes. Oops, maybe I'm not cut out for this! Oh dear!

5. I'm famous. I was sitting in the library waiting on my lamination, reading Merle Haggard's autobiography {seriously, I couldn't make that up if I wanted to} and I overheard a girl telling her mom who I was. I looked up and had no idea who she was. It might not sound that weird in writing, but when lots of town-children know who you are and you don't know them, it's kinda freaky.

This, friends, is Kevin Kolb. A new quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. And my 3rd grade crush.

Two questions arise from this news. Where did my life go so terribly wrong? OR Why didn't I manage to make him fall in love with me across the 3rd grade lunch table?

Seriously. We ate together most of the time. People tell me I'm funny, so he must have been a little bit smitten and just never said anything. Or I could blame the fact that in that one year I got glasses and cut my long straight hair. Too bad my awkward years started so soon, or I just might have been calling you from an NFL skybox with all the the other players wives.

Instead, I guess I'll go teach 4th grade again in the morning.
Oh and by the way, I've somehow gotten my entire class obsessed with hippies. Not sure how it happened, but I don't think it's going away any time soon. Oops.

Rock me like a baby doll and hold me to your chest, but I'm always moving too fast

Sorry it I didn't return some of your phone calls today, but I was soooo drained. The first day of school was exhausting! I feel like I haven't done anything except work for the past two weeks, which is a bummer.

But today went fairly smoothly. The kids are cool, some will be handfuls I can tell. And I don't think I was strict enough today. At lunch they told me I was "sooooooo nice", so that must mean I'm doing something wrong. They'll probably run all over me tomorrow.

I ended up going with a Frog theme for the room, so I thought I'd give you a few pictures.

The infamous green wall: (the other teachers at my school think I'm crazy for keeping it that color, but I like it)


The door view:


And the reading area complete with the bathtub:



{** I just discovered these pictures are WAY too big to fit, but it's too late to fix the problem tonight. Maybe tomorrow I'll figure it out**)


Also, funny story. At Meet the Teacher night someone seriously said to me: "OH My GOSH, you are the little girl from down the street!!"
I was totally embarrassed and slightly amused.

[oh, and for you professional bloggers, I know my titles are obscenely long, but a good song lyric is always better than something witty/corny I might make up myself]

thank god that life is so long, and the city's so big

Friday was supposed to be the best day of inservice so far. And it kinda was. My task was to spend $400 of the school's money on supplies for my classroom in 3 hours. The day started out pretty rockin' -- I secretly love office supply stores. I don't know why, but nothing cheers me up like a new sharpie. I got this super expensive pencil sharpener that holds your pencil for you then ejects it when the point is nice and sharp. (ps, these are too expensive to buy on your own)



We were doing our shopping at The Wise County Messenger, which in case you don't know is the city newspaper offices/town office supply store. The day quit being the best day when I got a call that my friend Jackie had been hit by a drunk driver at 8:30 that morning and things were not good. Obviously, the Messenger is the information hub of the town, so I was right where I needed to be to get the updates about what was going on.

Within the hour I saw almost the whole town share the information about what they knew, and how they knew her. The next day I saw two whole hospital floors filled with people from our high school, our church, and family. I saw adult friends comforting each other like I do with my own friends. I saw people turning inward to their faith, and outward to each other.
But mostly, I renewed my ideas about community. Maybe it doesn't have to be a bunch of twenty-somethings and cute older man in a funny hat that we all love. Man, when it is, it's awesome... but maybe the people here have something to offer me too.

Things are starting to look up for her, and I hope things keep on improving.

Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down

At the request of some friends, I've decided to start up this ol' blog thing. Just a way for me to update you on the silly happenings in my life as I'm starting my journey into the grown-up world of teaching and health insurance. Well, I probably won't actually write about health insurance much, it's just one of the things I had to make an uneducated decision on this week...

Anyway, come back a lot, comment away, read my weird thoughts, and don't forget me while I'm out here living the small town life. :)



Oh, and if you haven't seen me recently, this is what I look like now. Just so you recognize me if you see me in Wal-mart or something.