It's The Little Things

Sometimes just the smallest moment renews my faith in humanity.  Everyday I watch the news and after a while it can get a bit depressing.  I am an urban teacher, I see things that quite frankly are not fair.  But yesterday I had one of those small moments that remind me that there is good in this world.  I was packing my car getting ready to leave my parents' house after a fantastic visit and we heard a motorcycle ride.  Mom explained to me that this was a ride that happens every year.  These riders were taking stuffed animals to the local hospital for the children who were patients.  She wasn't kidding!  There were HUGE stuffed animals on the back of these bikes riding through!!!  It gave me that lump you get in your throat before you cry!!!  What an amazing journey for those riders and their care packages!!!  Thank you!!!!  Sometimes even the smallest moments carry big messages!!!

And...The Kids Turned Out Okay (Part 1)

Well here I am on a little vacation at mom and dad's.  I have come to realize a few things while here:

1. When all else fails, dad takes care of it.
2. Sometimes when I open my mouth my mom comes out.
3. Sometimes when I open my mouth my dad comes out.
4. The kids turned out okay.

Okay, I realize that I am a grown-up or as I put it ever so eloquently when I am on a roll "I am a grown a** woman!".  I also know that I am extremely capable as that is how my parents raised me, however, there are times when I just need help or more hours in the day (I would gladly work with either!).  About two months ago, DH was fussing that I needed to get an oil change in my car, not once, not twice, but probably more than any "grown a** woman" needs.  I finally looked at him and asked him to take care of it for me.  His response? "If something were to ever happen to me, you need to know how to take care of these things".  I fired back with "I know how to take it to a mechanic plus my dad used to always do this stuff for me".  Next thing I knew my car had an oil change!  DH was kind enough to take it.  Fast forward to now.
Dad drove my car the other day to take Peanut to the local library.  When he got back, he asked me if I was aware of that noise in my car.  I told him I was and I just hadn't had a chance to have it looked at.  Well after a short conversation with DH, mom and dad, it was decided that we would have the car looked at while I was here.  When the mechanic called to explain what was going on with my car he asked for my dad, I told him he could talk to me - hey it was my car right? Dad got on the phone too and did all the talking!  Thank goodness!!!!  I was honestly clueless!  Dad saves the day or as I said earlier, when all else fails, dad takes care of it.

I know that many of you have experienced this, you are in the middle of telling your child to do or do not do something.  It really doesn't matter what it is but you are on a roll and then it happens, the one thing that you swore would NEVER happen, your parent comes out!!!!  AHHHHHH horrors (crap that is a dadism)!!!!!!!!  Until now, I did not realize how many times I open up my mouth and one comes out!!!!  But there are some life lessons that ESSENTIAL, because I said so (crap a momism)!!!!  But as my brother and I often assure my mom and dad - don't worry the kids turned out okay!!!! 

Summer Vacation!!!

Today marks the official first day that I did not have to wake up at 4:30 to go to work!  It is summer vacation.  I marked this momentous occasion by doing two things 1. I read a book FOR FUN!  That's right!  Not a journal article, not curricular material that needed to be evaluated, an honest to goodness pleasure read! 

 

My mom gave the book to me to read back in April.  I told her it was going to have to be when I was done with my grad class and the school year.  This was such a lovely story!!!  I tend to finish books quickly as I get sucked into the story and I just cannot wait to find out what happens to the characters that I love.  

2. I cleaned my kitchen top to bottom.  I wiped the cabinets down, dusted the light fixtures, wiped down the appliances and generally just gave everything a good scrub.  Look how shiny it all is!!!

 So far, I would say that this vacation has started off a success!!!  Looking forward to a mini trip this week with the peanut, starting some professional reading that was given to me and continuing my cleaning rampage on the house!!!!!!

Baseball Conversations

So yesterday afternoon DH and I ventured downtown to the ball game to celebrate my BFF's birthday.  I normally do not get too much into baseball except that they were playing my hometown team and well since it has been forever since I have gotten there for a game the next best thing is to see them here.  Of course this is the 2nd time I have had this opportunity and my team lost again, my brother may ban me from these games if this continues!  Anywho, one really observes some interesting characters during these games, for example:

Interesting Character Number 1:
Skinny Guy
As the game progresses it  is normal for people to get up to use the restroom, get a bite to eat or get a drink.  However, how many times do you really need to get up?  AND everytime you get up, as you walk through the aisle do you really need to tell people "don't get up, I'm skinny I can go right through" EVERY SINGLE PASS THROUGH?  Seriously!?!?!?!?!  The first time he went by I looked at DH and said "I think he just called me fat!", The second time DH and I were not in our seats so we missed it but my BFF said he was being annoying, The third time he announced his skinniness I calmly stated that he "probably needed to eat a cheeseburger or two otherwise I may have to shove my skinny straw up his skinny you know what!"  What a tool box!  Oh and by the way - guys: skinny jeans are not for you, please stop wearing our pants!

Interesting Character Numbers 2 and 3:
Ladies Lacking a Filter
Behind us, were 2 women in my best guess to be in their 30's.  Their conversations spanned the topic spectrum.  My first favorite being about the one woman's two children who are "a handful" but she is very excited because her hubby is working on his MBA and she has decided that her undergrad in philosophy and chemistry just isn't doing it for her and will begin working on her Master's in Special Education this fall.  REALLY?!?!?!?!?  How is that even remotely related?  My BFF (who teaches with me) and I were cracking up!!!!  Don't worry though, it didn't stop here!!!  While BFF and I were at the bathroom these women decided to discuss the one woman's fertility treatmentss and her frozen eggs!  WHO has these types of conversations IN PUBLIC????  Are they for real???

Interesting Character Number 4:
Wave Guy
This poor guy was having a wonderful time.  He was throwing back the brews with his buddies and generally enjoying the game.  But there comes a time where bystanders such as myself really start to feel sorry for him.  All he really wanted was to start the wave.  Our section cooperated so as to appease him but once it left our section the wave became nothing more than a few straggling ripples in a giant pond.  Eventually someone who works at the the ballpark came and started to escort him out.  The guy's wife or girlfriend was with the employee so we aren't really sure if they were just messing with him but he left.  After he walked away there was about a 3 section wave and a huge cheer.  Poor guy!  

All in all we had an amazing time!  Unfortunately people are probably not safe sitting around me as I suck it all in and share with the rest of the world!!!!  

An Adventure!

So yesterday was my annual field trip to the local Dairy Queen with my students.  This is a walking field trip and sometimes one really takes a gamble with the weather.  In the last 5 years of doing this field trip, yesterday was our most exciting adventure to date!  The walk is about a mile and a half one way so we spend the afternoon making this trip.  As we left school yesterday the sun was shining, the sky was blue and there was a nice breeze in the air.  The kids had a ball walking and talking with one another as well as me.  A school down the road was having their field day and giant bounce houses were on the front lawn make my kiddos smile in delight as they thought about their upcoming field day next week.  By the time we reached DQ it had become overcast and the wind had picked up.  The kiddos got their ice cream and we sat at a picnic table to eat.  
Then there were a few drips of rain.  As we cleaned up, there was a huge crash of thunder.  My kiddos screamed.  I got them all lined up and we began the track back to school.  The kids were so good, I told them that we were going to be ok, we may get rained on but we will be rained on together and we will be ok.  As we walked back, the local police department pulled up in a large van and began shuttling my class and the other two classes back to school.  The deputy chief saw us walking to DQ and started watching the weather.  He was able to shuttle us all back in 3 trips before it started POURING!!!!!  How awesome is that?!?!?!?!? Of course one of the first things a kiddo said when we got back was "I can't wait to tell my mom the police picked us up!!!"  Oh geeze!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!