Saturday, August 25, 2012

Winds of change

They've been a-blowing.

I love that verse I quoted in my last post about how God knows the exact time and places for us. I find so much comfort in that. I also find comfort in the Ecclesiastes verses about having seasons for everything under the sun.

This is a season of change for sure.

I have traded my high schoolers for pre schoolers. I have traded my stressful yet secure and empassioned full time teaching career for 3 part time jobs. Sometimes I wonder what I have gotten myself into. Other times I thank the Lord that my husband had the faith and desire to encourage me to make this change. He knew I needed one. After 8 years and 8000+ essays that have been graded in that time, I was weary. As a wife, a mom, a friend. As a teacher.

I now teach a preschool class at Sunshine Day School on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-2. I tutor essay writers at tutor.com. I will also teach college English courses at University of Phoenix.

I am thrilled and thankful.

Even though there are busy days ahead, I am so excited to spend my days with my girls. I am thankful to still be teaching and learning. I am thankful to see how God will use this season.

For the first time, I have made bulletin boards and name tags. I have printed color sheets and handwriting sheets. I will sing clean up songs. Then I will put on pjs and help students with papers, and I'll even dress up one night a week and do my English thing in higher education.

I am so excited and again so thankful. Here are some pics of my classroom. Let the adventure begin!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Pioneer Pinterest Party

Friday night I had a party with some of my favorite girlfriends. We all met while working at Independence High School over a 5-year span. Of the 7 of us, only 2 remain at IHS, but our friendships continue to flourish. We have done life together--through boyfriend drama to to engagements and marriages. When our friendship began, there were no children in the mix. Now we have 11 babies between us. I love these girls.

I really love their style, and Pinterest has just enhanced that love. I repin them more than any other friends I have.

So we decided to have a Pinterest party. We created a board that we could all pin to, and each person made an appetizer that they found from Pinterest and brought their crafts to make a fall wreath. Then we ate and crafted the night away. We had a ball.

This is what we ate: cream cheese dill cucumber bites, pizza roll ups, hummus, sausage cheese dip, fruit pizza cups, chocolate chip pound cake, and chocolate peanut butter squares. Talk about decadent.

We made burlap wreaths, linen wreaths, moss wreaths, and team wreaths. I only have 4 pictured below, but they were all unique and beautiful.

It was so much fun, and we are already planning our next one!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Mrs. Dash

I have a new friend. I read her writing, correct grammar, make revision suggestions, ruminate on the tricks of the English language, and we talk. We talk about her life in India, her family, her cancer treatments. We talk about dreams that we have for the time that we have on this earth. In some ways, she's my new gig. My first freelance client. In other ways she's a new purpose in my life. I can't help but imagine that God knew we should meet. I wonder what our friendship could produce?

Acts 17:26-28
"From one man he made every nation of men,
that they should inhabit the whole earth;
and he determined the times set for them
and the exact places where they should live.
God did this so that men would seek him
and perhaps reach out and find him,
though he is not far from each one of us.
For in him we live and move and have our being.
As some of your own poets have said,
"We are his offspring."

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Mommy 911

Yesterday was one for the books... The books to be hidden away and/or burned...

I. LOST. IT

By 10 am, I had already spanked Addison 4 times (yes, I spank)... for not obeying, for using electronics without permission, for bullying her sister. Nothing was working. Not time out, not threats, not taking away privileges. She is at this age where she is fighting for every bit of independence that she can squeeze out, and it is a beautiful thing... except when it is NOT a beautiful thing. I don't like that she thinks she can open my fingernail polish and paint her nails by herself. I don't like walking in the pantry and her helping herself and her little sister to snacks 1 hour before dinner. I don't like the ownership that she takes of my iphone and ipad. I need her to ask for permission... Too much? Well she didn't and she wouldn't and when she tried to "help" clean by soaking one of my makeup sponges and drenching my wooden bench, I had had enough.

I told her that I was going to call the police and have them take her away.

Go ahead, judge.

What's worse?

I meant it.

What's even worse?

She totally bought it, and it is the ONLY thing that worked. Talk about shape up or ship out.

I went to the closet, shut the door, cried, and prayed for a better afternoon.

We had one, thankfully, and I definitely adore my little big girl. We are so much alike that I get her. I really do. I just know that we will clash because of it. But lots of hugs and laughs and make believe moments later, my horrible threat is overshadowed.

But I am still fiesty. And I found myself writing down a list of things that are making me grouchy right now:
1. The hashtag #firstworldproblems. It usually follows some pompous, entitled, obnoxious statement, and even though some people mean it to be self-deprecating, it really bothers me. What does that say about what is important to us?
2. Hope Solo. Wish she would just retire and get a life instead of glorifying her bawdy debauchery and soiling the image of the Olympians.
3. My garage. I emptied my classroom into it, and I just don't even know where to begin.
4. My reading rut. I have never really fully recovered from The Hunger Games. Any good recommendations? I just finished The Paris Wife...
5. All of this Chick FilA nonsense. I wish I could block all related posts on any and all of my feeds.

That's all for now.