I'm A Ninja...

on the side. Sometimes, I like to walk through the house on my very tip toes so that I don't make any noise. When I reach my destination, usually Andrew's room, I very quietly put one of my hands on his door handle and then the other hand on the light switch and bam all at the same time turn on the hall light and open his door and catch him in the act! He is almost always playing with something in the bed, on occasion, I have busted him trying to sleep in the closet or reading in the closet. I tell you what, my ninja skills have been sharpened the last few months and his have increased as well, because he can escape out of his room and into my room without a sound scaring me to death! I only blog about this because lately I find myself snickering as I very quietly try to walk across the house so I can launch my surprise attack.

Bubble Busted

I am a teacher. I like to think that on a good day I make a lasting impression. Not like I am the best teacher, but maybe with a saying or a good joke or an action or better yet an impactful lesson. Today, I finally had the chance to go through a former student's line at the grocery store. Yes, he is old enough to work now. :( He was very friendly joking around and I said, "Do you not recognize me?" Because really how much have I changed? He said, "Should I?" I said, "I was your third grade teacher." He said, "Wow! I am all big now. Third grade was a long time ago." I said, "It took me back when I first saw you working here. I said to myself, he is old enough to work!" He laughed. "He said, you are Ms." Nothing. Nothing other than Ms. this is where I felt the bubble bust. He doesn't even remember my name. I said, "Mrs. E...." He said, "Oh yeah! Mrs. E...." I then said, "See you next time." I then rushed my children out of the store. For about thirty seconds I thought, well, so much for touching them all. Then I thought I was being pretty selfish, I might not be the teacher that spoke to him, I just hope there was one along the way. I am surprised I even remember his name it was my first year of teaching and what a whirlwind that was! So, hopefully next time I see Mr. Iamoldenoughtoworknow he will remember that Mrs. E... was his third grade teacher.

On a not so bubble popping moment. I just completed creating over 150 cupcakes, it only took eleven hours including clean up time. The first 78 have designs on them, I am not 100% thrilled with them. But the rest, oh I am in love! They are pretty. If the camera weren't charging getting ready for PK musical and PK4 graduation I would post some pictures!

It Was Deep..

Today, I was scrubbing some cupcake pans that I borrowed and I was having some really profound thoughts. Where did those thoughts go? I have no idea. All I know is this, I was thinking deeply and thought it was worth blogging about...and now nothing.

So, I will blog about these pans. I was so excited about these pans until I got them home and started looking at them. They were NASTY! Like beyond nasty-nasty. So, I tried to clean them with some soap and water, nothing. I sprayed them with oven cleaner and let them sit overnight. Then I used a Brillo-type thing to scrub like crazy and the thoughts started. What happened to those pans? They look great! I put them in the oven for a test run and well, they don't smell so great...so we'll stick to the pans I have here at the house or pan I should say. Someone did let me borrow their pan so that will help. The last thing I want is funky tasting cupcakes because those pans were smokin'.

No deep thoughts here, not tonight. I am sure whatever it was I was thinking about was really good stuff.

I did want to post on fb tonight that I'd like to retain my whole class this year, but I didn't think that would fly well on fb and well honestly, I don't think that would fly well with parents. Onward! That is what I keep telling myself: ONWARD!

Aunt Jemima

Andrew: Who is that lady on the bottle of syrup? Me: Aunt Jemima Andrew: Why is she so happy? Why is she laughing? Me: Because she is happy we bought her syrup. Andrew: Is she dead? Me: No, she isn't real. She is a cartoon character. Andrew: She's happy we bought her syrup? Because she's dead. Me: Sure. Love these conversations! :) I love his three year old mind.

Oh, the Pressure!

It is March, almost April; two more months of school. That isn't a long time. I love, love, love the class I have, LOVE them. (Don't Bring Me Down just came on...wonderful-it will make sense in a minute). So it pains me, literally, I feel a stomach pain when I think about next year. I go to lunch and develop this gut wrenching pain because of the behavior of that class and because of the stories. Oh, the stories! The stories that have followed them for a long, long time. I feel the pressure. I am expected to fix this class and I literally stood in the boss's doorway and said, "I feel as though I am expected to fix these kids and that is a crazy expectation." Each passing day people tell me, "I can't wait until you get them next year. I am coming in your room for some comedy relief." Good gravy navy! I can't handle that kind of pressure. So, I have started praying-seriously-give me the guidance, give me the strength, give me the confidence. I feel a bit better just actually saying it out loud (or writing it). This week I have been heard saying, I am not coming to lunch anymore, I am not listening, you people are killing me, no way! I am going to start singing "Don't Bring Me Down!" Thanks for reading!

Ready and KICK

Nothing is more disheartening than a swift kick in the balls. Pretty harsh, right? Well, that is how I am feeling, pretty harshly treated...disconnected...I feel like yelling meany! Isn't that mature? I don't get angry often, actually it is pretty hard to anger me quickly, but when I am there, I am there. I am now on hour two of trying to get over it and just seconds away from sending a text that could be very mean...or maybe I will send a very nice text. OR just maybe I will kiss the last thirteen years off because for the last eight I have been busting my butt with no return. So, what is the loss anyway? How long do you try? How long do you attend other people's functions with no return? How long do you put yourself out there for no return? BLAH! All of the sudden I feel like I am thirteen and my friend just hit on my boyfriend or said something tragic like my new shirt was crap when I was proudly wearing it as gold. Hate-this-feeling. Thirteen years is a long time. Here is a lesson, just because someone sends you a text and says call them when you can and then twenty-five minutes later they don't answer don't send them the following text: "Liar...:-(" because that is some hurtful stuff. Instead if you feel the need to send a text it should read like: "Hey, call me I am able to talk" because that is much much nicer.

And now, I actually feel better.

Bumper Sticker Fun

If you had to have a bumper sticker on your car that described you, what would yours say? I am not so sure what mine would say, I have to keep thinking on this one.

I did see a car a few weeks ago, it had four bumper stickers on it. One was just red eyes staring back at me, the others read like this:

"I found Jesus, he was behind the sofa the whole time."
"Born OK the first time"
"Tolerance"

See the irony? I do hope you do. If I didn't have two kids in the car I think I might have followed her and asked her about each one. How can you have a tolerance bumper sticker with two Christian slams to the left of it? Why would you settle for "ok" when you could have the promise of something far better than "ok"-I'll take the free gift and welcome the promise.

Fifteen minutes

On MSN they have something about what happened to America's Next Top Model winners. I didn't click on it, I could care less, but it did give me a thought. Hold on, we are going to go deep. Not really. I just was sitting here thinking many things, first of all, who cares? Really? I don't sit around wondering what happened to so and so from a reality show. Ever. End of story. Second, I was thinking so many people want to get on t.v. and they do really ridiculous things to be seen to get chosen to be on t.v. Again, I wonder, who cares? You will be on the twenty-eighth Survivor show or the one billionth episode of The Bachelor (which I only watched the very first season) where no matter what you do on the show you are one of three very stupid stereotypes: 1. slut 2. nasty mean girl 3. way too "innocent"/push over/PSYCHO. The point of this thought is this; why do you want "that" type of attention to be on t.v. for a short time period, whether it is one season or endless annoying Jersey Shore seasons-stupid, stupid, stupid show, I feel like I lose brain cells just passing by it when channel surfing-who will remember you in five years? They might remember what you did if you do something really stupid, but who will really remember you? If they by chance to remember you, it isn't the real you, it is someone the editors made you out to be, no one really knows you from a t.v. show. More importantly, do you want them to remember you that way? So, you can keep your fifteen minutes of fame. I would rather sit back in my life, the one I get to live daily, no scripts, regular drama (my goodness, can we eat muffins again for dinner tonight?!?) and touch people in real ways. I want to have relationships, real relationships, ones that matter, ones where people think of you for the big things and most importantly for the small things. I want to hope that I made a difference to someone. I don't want to know I made a difference, I want to hope I did. If I do things the way I am supposed to do them, I will do them without want for attention without want for rewards without want for recognition, you just do it because you know it is the right thing to do.

Time Machine

You know what I love about music? It is a real time machine, the power of a song is often overlooked. A song can take you back to a time in your life that you forgot all about, it can bring back warm and fuzzy memories, laugh out loud memories, it can also on occasion strike a sad cord making you remember the not so great times. Maybe a song can make you remember a break up or what was on the radio after your first time, there are so many memories a song can bring on. I love how a song can make you feel, some songs are hands down turn them up as loud as possible and sing at the top of your lungs songs, they never ever get old. I love music, all types of music, I don't like to be restricted to a certain genre, that is why on mornings like these-these very rare mornings-no one is here but me and the laundry and I can crank my playlist up. So here is to a morning full of good music and great memories!

King James What?

Last night I escaped the house after dinner and hit up Books-A-Million to spend the gift card that was re-gifted back to me for Christmas. You did read that correctly, I gave my mom a gift card for watching the boys and she sure enough gave it to me for Christmas. I went to check the amount but the website or number wasn't listed so I just called to ask her directly. She said, it was worth twenty-five dollars and then it hit me as we talked, this was the exact card I gave her, so I point blank asked her and she admitted to re-gifting it. I need to teach her how to re-gift properly. So, I am at Books-A-Million and I am looking in the "Inspiration" section looking for the Max Lucado books because I find his books interesting. So, I am looking through the books and notice an elderly guy behind me looking at Bibles. Thinking this was my time to talk to someone I asked if he was looking for a new bible and if he was did I know the one for him! I just got my dad a Bible that incorporates history with it, if this guy was a history buff, I had my speech ready! But he told me he was looking for something other than a King James Version. I volunteered that I have an easier time with the NIV and I use the NIrV in my classroom. We started chatting and I found out he lives in Locust Grove, is currently between his home and staying with his three kids, one in Georgetown and two in South Carolina. I also learn that he has battled and won the battle over colon cancer and is currently fighting liver cancer. I ask him where he goes to church, you'll never guess, he goes to my church. We talk about how great our pastor is and how he isn't afraid to tell it like it is and how much the church has grown and what a wonderful place it is to be. I tell him my kids go to school there, but don't volunteer the information that I work there, that gets a little too personal. We get back to the KJV conversation where he tells me that he has read some place years ago that the KJV isn't correct and he wants the "other version that I think starts with a c" to compare the two versions. Which stumps me. In a weird way. I suddenly want to flee the aisle because I become painfully aware I am about to enter a conversation I can't hold my ground in, what do I know about the various versions of the bible? I do say, that I find it odd that the KJV could be that inaccurate considering it is the most used version and a lot of people say it is the only "true" version, which the Word is the Word no matter which version, God promises his Word won't die-in all versions. He then questions if God will be disappointed with his choices all these years because he grew up with the KJV but has felt all his life that it wasn't "right"-to which the only thing I can say is-I don't think God punishes us for trying to worship with Him and to learn the Word, even if it is the wrong version, even if we missed some stuff, it is our relationship with God that matters not if we lived perfectly, no one can live perfectly. He tells me that he read in that elusive reading that King James didn't like the way the translations made him look so he fired the first round of translators after they refused to change it to make him look better and hired a new crew to write it to make him look good. I am dumbfounded, he found the corner I can't get myself out of, I just say, where did you read this? Was it a creditable source? He says he can't remember it was in a newspaper or magazine. I just smile and say, you can't always trust everything you read in the paper. He nods politely, I continue to help him look suggest that he ask the reference desk for help. I then ask him his name and tell him I will pray for him and his liver cancer, his family, and his travels. I then dismiss myself back to the Max Lucado section feeling very strange. I get out to the car and think, what just happened. Here I was talking to a guy that I thought maybe needed me in some way because I felt that nudge and I ended up feeling odd and highly uneducated in the ways of the Bible or how the versions came about. But I just ended up with this, I did say that our God was a very forgiving God at some point in that conversation and I did say it didn't matter how perfect we got it, just that we listen and obey God and maybe that is what he needed to hear even though I felt odd, very odd about the whole conversation. Tonight, I took a few minutes to Google the different versions of the Bible and I have concluded he must be looking for the Greek version, bless his heart if he is going to try to read the Bible in Greek or Latin, for me, I am willing to take the gamble. I do find it ironic that the pastor he enjoys the most, in fact he said, "He is the best pastor I have run across in years" uses the KJV to preach and study out of each week, studies it daily, and has it with him on the podium each Sunday.

In case you are wondering, I ended up buying Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado and a much wanted book light. The book light doesn't work, I have to take it back, I am hoping I won't run into that guy again.

New?

How long can something be considered new? I was listening to a radio station yesterday that said it was new, it isn't new, it has been on the air for years. After a trip to Google and the always reliable Wikipedia (blah) I found out this particular radio station started in 2006 in its current format, how is that new? So, here is my question, how long is something considered new?

On a random note....I went to the library yesterday for the first time in years. I had to get a new card, I luckily was still in the system, what a relief! For a new card you must pay two dollars and they take debit card! Can you imagine the library now takes debit card? Let me clarify, that is as long as you have your name on your debit card and not your husband's name. Why that extra information was given to me, I have no idea, I don't wear my wedding band often and wasn't sporting it yesterday. I also was free from my two appendages that are usually attached to my left and right hands and usually people assume you are married upon seeeing them, so why was that information given to me? So, I had an overdue fee of $1.50 sitting there with my information, that was luckily still in the system. I had to ask when these charges occurred, I mean it has been years, they were from 2004. Can I call these new charges? According to the radio I can.

My observation about the library, aren't the people that work there supposed to whisper? The staff at the LG library doesn't know what it means to whisper, but they do have being quiet highlighted on their posted rules. How is that for irony?

Also, if you want to broaden your vocabulary I highly encourage you to go to the library. You can hear the word, "crap" from various staff members. One in the children's section, I can only tell you how pleased I was about that, thankfully said appendages weren't with me.

One last note, today we weighed Nick's Algebra book, it is new to him. New being he got it used. I am really on a roll with the new stuff. So, it weighs 6.4 lbs., yes my friends, as much as a newborn baby. There's something new for you, useless new information. According to the media, new never wears off, so take a look around your house at all your new possessions, even if you have owned them for years.

Have a fantastic day full of new observations.

A Counter Full of...

Last weekend, I had a funny moment. I had to clean out a cabinet to make room for all my cake decorating stuff. You know you are really getting into something when you need a cabinet to hold it all. We have two smaller cabinets above our stove, one is now the home to all things for cake decorating. The bottom parts of these cabinets have always been used they hold oils, Crisco, spray oil, hand held mixer, food chopper, and flour sifter. The top part has always been used to hold the shot glasses....many of them.

I had a counter full of shot glasses, there were very dusty from being up in the cabinet for almost eight years with little to no use. I washed them all after letting them soak in very hot water. It was odd to sit there and wash them, each one had a distinct memory to it. Some had really funny stories, like yelling, "Hooters, Hooters, Hooters!" before taking a shot out of the Hooters shot glass. The one I got from Notre Dame on a whirlwind trip to ND for a football game, where I actually became jealous of their "Barnes & Noble" style bookstore. A Clemson shot glass that was never once used, but still holds precious dating memories with Nick. It was crazy to touch & feel each one again. I even have some that my Great Grandma Robins gave me and some that my Grandma Correll gave to me too. The end result? They didn't go back into the cabinet, they are in a bag with the yard sale items waiting to be sold. Now, a few I did hold on to because they really do have great memories attached. I am not a sentimental person, so for me to actually hold on to something is pretty big.

Later that day I had a counter full of cupcakes, a cake, and about five pounds of icing. Then it hit me all of the sudden, in one day, just one day, I had a counter full of who I once was and now I have a counter full of who I am today. Who knew a kitchen counter could hold so much?