Why I Love My Job at the Elementary School

Every morning we do a "this day in history" with our kids. This day in history Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the constitution. The kids were then able to ask teachers, etc. for the answer to the question "What was the first state to ratify the constitution?" One of my girls came up to me later this morning and said "What was the question we are supposed to figure out? Was it 'what was the first state to ratify the consummation?'"

Kids....gotta love 'em!

"I like to move it move it"

A little buddy of mine at school loves to sing this song in the morning. She's adorable and she dances like the do on the movie "Madagascar".

I am running, running, running, all the time right now. Ninety percent of the time, I love it.

I'm tutoring an adorable kindergartener who is struggling to figure out letters, their sounds, and how to put them together to read. He loves to sit on my lap and practice saying letters, take wiggle breaks, and read stories "by himself". He is adorable and time with him is so fulfilling.

Wedding planning is moving full-speed-ahead. I never knew that so much planning went into a wedding! I can't wait for that day-I think things will come together and make a really simple but cute wedding. And I've been practicing using my thriftiness skills. I love looking around to find the best deal-it should be an Olympic sport!

Cole and I made an offer on a build job for our house-and it was accepted! We are building a house in Gardener, Kansas. Just south of Olathe/Overland Park. If you want to see pictures check out Cole's blog at www.hoozh.net.

I have made driving arrangements, done the paperwork, and reserved the hotel room to present my honors research project at the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders later this month in Kansas City. I am excited to be presenting at a national conference and to get to learn so much by being surrounded by the best professionals in the field! Wahoo!

Here it is: we, the office girls, enjoyed this (perhaps too much!)

PARENTAL EXCUSES

These are actual excuse notes from parents excusing their children from missing school (includes original spelling):

~ My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.

~ Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.

~ Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33.

~ Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

~ John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

~ Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.

~ Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

~ Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

~ Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

~ Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak.

~ Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

~ Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

~ I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear.

~ Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.

~ Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.

~ Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.

Things I've Learned Lately

1. I get tired. I get very tired.
   
2. Boys like guns. When we put together our wedding registry, Cole won't share the scanning gun with me. Daniel said he won't share it when he registers either.
   
3. Jesus was probably born on September 29, 0005.
   
4. Life experiences change people. Hopefully for the better.
   
5. I used to be really good at keeping my room clean and bed made. I'm not anymore.
   
6. When you go to the mailbox, there will always be a bill. And a credit card offer.
   
7. I'm not horrible at racquetball. And I enjoy playing-a lot!
8. New life is beautiful-a friend, my amazing mentor, had a baby girl yesterday!
   
9. When I lived in Ohio, it was never more than about thirty minutes to any store I wanted. After being in Kansas for almost six years, it no longer seems weird to block off a whole day and drive two and a half hours to go on a shopping trip.
   
10. Hair grows very very very slowly. (I want my long hair back!)
11. Rain is beautiful.
    
12. When you joke about how you are heading west towards where some friends live, you may actually run into them at a mall in a city where none of you live. And where none of you frequent regularly.
13. My Dad and Uncle are weird together-two peas and a pod. With Cole joining the family, it's three peas in a pod. (Oh dear!)
    

Baby It's Cold Outside!

So, it's amazingly cold outside. And while I LOVE winter and snow and wearing scarves and hats and things....it's not snowing at all, which makes this cold worthless to me. And after working at the elementary school in the morning I get a parking spot 3,000 miles away from campus and must walk long distances in non-snowy cold. I don't like it.

I have come up with a way of staying warm. You know how in your closet you have a bunch of cute little outfits....this sweater and that shirt go together, etc? Well I have thrown that idea out the window.
Instead, here is a new method: First you pick out a hoodie and look at what color it is. Then, you rummage through every shirt on a hanger and pull off every one that includes that color. The third step is to rummage through your drawers-once again, pull out every shirt that includes the hoodie color. The fourth and final step...put on every shirt that you just gathered. You can choose whether to do it randomly or to put on all short sleeved shirts followed by long sleeved shirts and then your hoodie. This is a foolproof method. I just need to find a better way of keeping my nose warm now.

On another, non-passive-passive-aggressive towards the weather, note, today is a "sweet" day to work in the Computing and Information Sciences office (pun intended). The women who work in the college of engineering had a cookie exchange a few days back, and we have tons of cookies in the front office. It's Friday, so of course we have donuts (Donut Friday gives a reason to make it through Monday-Thursday). An unknown friend brought two boxes of Mrs. Powell's cinnamon rolls to the office. And a professor just came through with two boxes of goodies from a party with his students. What a "sweet" day. I may or may not need bigger jeans at the end of the Christmas season in this office.

Also, Lynn and I matched yesterday. Come to think of it, so did Sarah and I. Weird.

Lots of Moving!

After a whole slew of fiascoes involving how and where I would finish my degree, a solution has finally been found.

In order that I might live with Cole after we are married, I will be finishing my degree at KU. I know, a jayhawk! But, do not fear, I plan to remain a wildcat! Now I have all of the paperwork of being a transfer student to work on-eek!

We have also moved our wedding date to August 11, 2007~which is just exciting!!

It's amazing how things have fallen together-it's a God thing and nothing less.

Perfection

I had a new cousin born this week. Meet Henry...

Isn't he a cutie?!? I don't know what it is, but seeing him brought a tear to my eye. Within a baby there is perfection. I love the thought of new life!! It's so amazing - God gives such a great gift in a new life!

Surrender

Surrender by Marc James

I'm giving you my heart and all that is within
I'm laying it all down for the sake of you my King.
I'm giving you my dreams, laying down my rights
I'm giving up my pride for the promise of new life.

And I surrender all to you, all to you.
And I surrender all to you, all to you.

I'm singing you this song, I'm waiting at the cross
And all the world holds dear, I count it all as lost.
For the sake of knowing you and the glory of your name
To know the lasting joy, even sharing in your pain.

Life is a funny thing. You think that you know what something means in life and then it all changes. We had a college ministry worship night on Tuesday and in the light of current events in my life, the lyrics of this song took on a whole new meaning. I don't know what will happen now. But I have surrendered it all to Christ-my heart, my dreams, my rights, my pride. Surrendering all has taken on a new meaning in my life. It means surrendering more than I ever thought I would have to. (It's still worth it!) Knowing the glory of the name of Christ must involve some pain and hard times but will without a doubt lead to abounding joy. He can have his way, and I will do my absolute best not to question his plans.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Cry Out

She is not satisfied with her greatest efforts,
and tears pool in the crook of her eyes.

She feels he must be disappointed in her,
and her heart shatters from the pain.

In the nuances of her voice, she knows she has let her down,
and her legs long to run, maybe never come back.

He laughs when she is vulnerable,
and her stomach sinks.

She tries and she tries, but the words will not come,
and her head spins from the thoughts she cannot express.

It happens over and over again.
Day after day and night after night.
It affects all she thinks and does and says.

At nighttime she cries, in her dreams she fails more,
and she wakes up exhausted from rest.

And she cries out "Father! Hold me!!"

What I Wore Today....

Lynn, a coworker, is convinced that I keep "matching" outfits with people that I work with. However, as memory serves, this is not correct. So, she has asked that I keep a running list of what I wear. Today I am wearing a pink tee shirt and my brown Keystone shirt with pink lettering. I don't think I match anyone in the office today.