What a Day

Yesterday, I had the great privilege of hanging out with my good friends; Alex, Reagan, Jordan, and Meagan. I've mentioned before how much fun these kids are and yesterday did not disappoint.

We started out kind of early and headed to Grapevine to see ICE! at the Gaylord Texan Hotel. After much discussion the kids agreed that they felt more comfortable calling the hotel the Happy Lord. They referred to it this way most of the day. Here they are in front of the Happy Lord Hotel:

I think the highlight of the day for Alex and Reagan was the door:

Once we got inside we had some fun exploring the big atrium. It reminds me of the River Walk in San Antonio, except cleaner and a lot less humid. We made our way to ICE! and the kids were starting to get nervous about how cold it was going to be. Not to worry my friends, you get a really cool gold knee-length parka to wear:

The highlight of ICE! was getting to go down the slide! I was amazed at how patiently the kids waited in line (at least 20 minutes). They found lots of ways to entertain themselves, like seeing who could hold their hand on the ice the longest, or putting their faces behind the ice and laughing at how they looked. Here's a short little video of them sliding and entertaining themselves:

I let the kids decide where we were going to eat lunch and I told them they could go anywhere they wanted. Drumroll, please: their choice was CiCi's. Excellent, because I know right where a CiCi's is in Grapevine! The iPhone led us astray and we had quite the time actually getting there. Our adventure did allow me the opportunity to show the kids one of my favorite places; the airport. I don't know why, but I have always been fascinated by the airport, the kids didn't seem that impressed :).

After a delicious lunch we headed home! It was a very fun day, full of laughs and interesting occurences!

They brought gifts of Jumbo Jacks, Egg Rolls, and Curly Fries

My sister is the keeper of all family traditions. She keeps record of every holiday activity, food, and memory. Every year there is one tradition that is debated for a good couple weeks before Christmas, the Christmas Eve meal.

I honestly can't recall what we did for dinner before Christmas Eve 2000. We always go to church and then come home and we each get to open one present. That year, however, was different. We were going to be flying to California early on Christmas day so "Christmas Day" was going to happen on Christmas Eve. We went to church and in order to give my parents a few minutes to "prepare," Josh, Ashleigh, and I stopped at Jack-In-The-Box to get dinner. And that, my friends, is how a Christmas tradition is born at my house. According to Ashleigh, it just wouldn't be Christmas without our traditional Christmas Eve meal.

So, while families all over the world will gather around the table tonight to enjoy a special meal, we'll be having Jack-In-The-Box. :)

Merry Christmas! I hope yours is filled with fun, family, and many thoughts of the real reason for the season!

Painball...oops, I mean Paintball

Just kidding! I really enjoyed my first ever paintball experience. It was especially great because it was in celebration of one of my favorite kid's birthdays! Happy Birthday, Reagan! I will admit that I was very nervous about what it would feel like to get shot with a paintball and I won't lie to you, it does hurt. The pain did go away quickly though. I didn't run into any wild animals or hunters, but I did have an encounter with some nasty thorns. And, I don't remember that being included in the "Waiver of Liability" paperwork. All in all, it was a very fun experience. Thanks Reagan for having a birthday and letting me play too!

Now, on to some other news. This afternoon I knocked out a huge chunk of my remaining Christmas shopping. There really is nothing like waiting until 4 days until Christmas to get with it. Everything was going great until I decided to go to the mall. Believe me, this is a place that should probably be avoided this time of year.

Anyway, while I was out today I noticed that new tanning salon is opening up on the other side of town. Now, I'm not going to try to act like tanning is bad or anything. I've certainly done my share, but I don't think what I saw today is a good idea.


I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but this place has about 10 tanning beds. The problem, they are all out in the open. I just don't think that's right. I mean, it's one thing to go in a little room and have some privacy, but I can't imagine being comfortable in this situation.

Now, I realize that they probably just haven't built the walls yet, but the thought of this place opening up as is, made me laugh.

Where do I sign?

This Thursday I am going to do something very exciting and kind of scary at the same time. I am going to get to play Paintball for the first time. While I am aware that there is some level of risk associated with being shot with a high-powered ball of paint, I wasn't quite prepared for what I read in the "Release/Waiver of Liability and Assumption of Risk. I found #2 to be particularly eye-opening:

"The Undersigned...is aware of the possibility of risks of injury, including, but not limited to, falling, tripping, being hurt by a wild animal, snake bite, heat stroke, heart attack, hypothermia, getting lost in the wilderness, being shot by hunters, insect bites & stings, poisonous plants, improper use or operation of equipment by the undersigned or any other player and others not following the safety rules. The possibility of permanent disability or death does exist."

Great! Where exactly do I sign my life away?

Ok-seriously, my brother, the lawyer, would tell me not to sign this sort of thing. But, I really am looking forward to the paintball experience! If you haven't heard from me in a couple days be aware that I may have suffered from hypothermia, I may be lost in the wilderness, or (my favorite) I may have been shot by hunters!

Look, Mom!!

We had a guy come to school today with all different kinds of reptiles to show us. He had lots of different snake species, a couple of huge turtles, and even some alligators. All the kids got to "pet" both a giant snake and a little alligator. It was pretty interesting.

Now, for as long as I can remember my Mom has hated snakes. I'm not even talking like just a little bit. If there is a snake on TV, she has to turn her head. I can only imagine what she might do if she were to actually run across one. Since I had the opportunity to get my hands on a snake today I thought it might be funny to give my Mom a special Christmas gift this year. I was going to frame a big picture of me holding the giant snake. I just know she would love it. :) I won't do it now, because she is probably reading this and I don't want to get coal for Christmas! But, I thought the picture turned out funny.


I was actually looking at the camera and smiling, but then the lady shoved the snake's head right at my face, and that is the moment that was captured! It was just a bit frightening!

My iPhone commercial

Have you seen the iPhone commercials where real people tell us why the iPhone has made their life so much better? Everytime I see one, I think to myself, what would I say if I ever had the opportunity to shoot my own commercial? I wouldn't want to admit that for me, one of the best benefits has been that I can check my "home" email from school, or maybe read a few blogs.

Today, however, I feel like the iPhone may have saved Christmas! There are two items that I spent the better part of today searching for. I went to Target, Best Buy, another Target, Toys R' Us, Walmart, and another Best Buy and struck out at all six places. I know that today is Saturday (a busy day for shopping) and I still have 10 days until Christmas so there is a high probability that one of those stores would have my items in stock at some point before the big day. I just don't have the time to check their inventory daily.

I was truly enjoying my adventure of hunting down a highly sought after gift, but I decided I better not take the chance of not ever finding them. So, after my second Best Buy did not have what I was looking for, I went back to the car and ordered the items online from my phone. Normally, I would have just waited until I got home but I didn't want the internet to be out of them either! As if the internet is a store! :) Now, I just get to sit on pins and needles and hope they arrive in time!

Four calling birds

I've never really given much thought to the words of the Christmas classic, The Twelve Days of Christmas. Never before this year anyway. A week ago today, I received a Christmas Tree candle as a gift from a student. My first thought was, Wow - it's early to be getting gifts! Then, the next day, from the same student I received 2 Christmas ornaments. It took me awhile but I finally got it. I was experiencing my very own twelve days of Christmas. The third day was three gift bags, the fourth was four pieces of fudge, the fifth was a $5 Sonic Card, and today I got six bows. It has been very fun to receive a gift each day.

The experience got even better when on Monday another student began their very own daily gift-giving. Monday I received a Starbucks card, Tuesday I got two Dove chocolate bars, Wednesday I received three candy cane pens, and today was the funniest thing ever. I opened up the little package and found four bird ornaments:



Do you get it? It's four calling birds! Well, two of the four calling birds. They're on the telephone. I think this might be one of the best gifts I've ever been given. It obviously doesn't take much to make me happy!

Kids are funny

One of my favorite parts of my job is having conversations with kids. They say the funniest stuff without even realizing it.

Wednesday I was eating lunch in the cafeteria with my class and we were all enjoying our chicken nuggets. I think every single one of my students bought lunch that day. Here are a couple conversations I had at the lunch table:

Me: (speaking to the boy on my left) I need to remember to bring my lunch tomorrow! We are going to have fish sticks. (I do not enjoy the fish sticks, from my own oven or anyone elses).

Boy: Me too! I only like regular fish, the kind without the sticks.

So, I'm not sure what kind of fish sticks he's been eating, but I don't remember the fish sticks I ate as a child actually having sticks in them.


Just a few moments later I had this conversation with the girl sitting on my right:

Girl: Can you write with your left hand?

Me: Sort of. I mean, I can do it, it just doesn't look very good.

Girl: I can write with both hands. I've been practicing a lot with my left hand. I just feel it's important to be able to write with my left hand because you never know when your right hand will stop working.

Me: That's a really good point. Way to be prepared!

She said it as if your hands have some sort of writing limit, once you reach it, that hand is no longer of any use to you. As long as I can read her work, I don't care which hand she uses, but I wonder what she'll do if both her hands reach their limit?

Randomness

I have had several random (or are they?) thoughts lately:

Randomness #1
It is no secret that I spend way too much time thinking, worrying, dwelling on things. Sometimes this is not a good thing and sometimes I get something out of it.

Last night, I was talking with a friend about a couple situations where two seemingly happy, healthy people had their entire lives changed in an instant. We're talking major, difficult, painful life change. Not like a new job or a new puppy kind of life change. I tucked these situations into the back of my mind and they have been at the forefront of my thoughts for the better part of this afternoon. I have been blessed abundantly in my life and while it has had its challenging moments I can honestly say that I have never had to endure such an extreme experience like these.

Thinking on this led me to this conclusion: I have spent way too much time lately complaining or worrying about other people's actions and other stuff I have absolutely no control over. I have not spent nearly enough time worrying about my words, actions, and reactions. I have not spent enough time enjoying the people and things God has put in my life. And, I have not spent enough time enjoying God and His goodness. Here's to hoping that begins to change!

Randomness #2
Baylor hired a new football coach this week. His name is Art Briles and he comes to us from the University of Houston. This seems like a really smart hire and once again pride in the Baylor Bears has been restored. Here's a picture of Coach Briles being introduced at a basketball game the other night. There are three things to note, the first being Art Briles shirt, what a cool guy to put on a "Bear Pit" jersey before his big introduction. Secondly, it appears that he has already been practicing his "Sic'em Bears." Lastly, check out President Lilley's shoes! Those are so cool, I definitely want some. Now I can't wait for football season to begin again!


Randomness #3
I think this is one cookbook I don't want to see when I visit someone's house for dinner. It totally cracked me up though.


Randomness #4
My outside Christmas lights are complete. I know the anticipation has just been killing you, let the drive-bys begin! :)

Can they stay up until next year?

I thought that I really enjoyed putting Christmas lights up on my house. I was so proud of myself last year and have no recollection of it being a tiring, frustrating, or really cold experience. This year, however, has left me wondering what people would say about me if I left my Christmas lights up all year long.

I officially started decorating on Sunday. It was about 41 degrees, there was a light breeze, and some occasional rain. It was probably the worst time to put up lights ever, but for some reason, I really wanted to get it done. Today it warmed up to at least the low 60s so I thought this afternoon would be the perfect time to finish the job.

I started putting up the lights and really was hating the way they looked so I stopped and decided to switch the type of light. The only problem was, in order to get the lights to line up straight I was going to need to be much closer, and, I don't own a ladder. I did what any problem-solver would do, I decided to climb out of a second-story window onto the roof. I called my sister so someone would know what I was doing, just in case, then I did it. I have never, ever, been on a roof before so it was kind of exciting and totally terrifying all at the same time.

My sister came by a little while later to make sure I wasn't splattered on the ground. Thanks Ashleigh! She also took some pictures, because well, it's probably never going to happen again.

This is me, just chillin' on the roof-

This one looks like I'm about to fall off -

Here's a couple things I learned from climbing on the roof:

• Don't wear wind pants, they don't have any traction

• Make sure you have everything you need from down below before you go up

• Daylight is probably a good thing

• It might be a good idea to have someone there just in case you do fall or need something

Don't come look at my lights yet, I'm not quite finished. Think Chevy Chase's "Christmas Vacation," with class. :)

The Day After

I always spend part of Thanksgiving Day going through the ads in the paper. I also always say that I'm going to get up before the crack of dawn to go experience the craziness that is Black Friday, I never do. Rumor has it that back when I was in high school I did actually get up one year. However, it has been many years since then. This history of mine made me a little nervous when I committed to going shopping with my friend Kristy this year. But, I made it. I arrived at the Walmart at 4:45 am. I couldn't help but laugh as I saw people standing guard at various pallets throughout the store. Black Friday shopping, it's serious business!

I prefer to do my Christmas shopping at the last minute (probably because I prefer to do most things at the last minute), so there really wasn't anything that I had to have. In roughly 9 hours of shopping I was able to mark one person off my shopping list. The sad thing is, I really thought I'd found a deal. Apparently, Kohl's just marks up the prices on things and then sells them for 50% off so you think you are getting a great deal. I'd tell you what I bought, but I wouldn't want my 2-year-old nephew to get on here and read about it! :)

Even though I have very little to show for it, I had a great day. There was much fun and much laughter, and that made it all worth it!

Thanksgiving and The Rolls

I had a really great Thanksgiving on Thursday. I spent the day hanging out with the family, watching a little football, and eating great food!

For as long as I can remember there has been one part of Thanksgiving that I enjoy far above anything else. The Rolls. I don't know when homemade rolls made their first appearance at our Thanksgiving table, but I know they are a must. For the past several years my sister and I have volunteered to make the rolls, because if we don't, nobody will. Usually "we" volunteer but Ashleigh is the one making the magic happen. Not this year, my friends, not this year. I definitely put in a little elbow grease to make the rolls happen this year. And they did happen, even if someone only put in half the yeast. I'm not going to name names, but it wasn't me! :) I'd share "The Rolls" recipe, but let's be honest, making them is way too much work. Here are some pictures of the experience.

This is the "roll bowl." See, I told you we've been making them for awhile, they have their own bowl.


This is the warm water and the yeast dissolving, just half the yeast, mind you.


This is usually the point that I get bored and give up. Here I am taking a little break. I did persevere though.


This is the dough once about half the flour has been added. Look at me stirring furiously.


Here I am kneading the dough.


Here I am with proof that I was working hard. I even have flour on my face. :)


And here's the finished product, before being baked and after.




As if "The Rolls" weren't excitement enough for one day, it also snowed! It was a very cold Thanksgiving, but it was pretty cool to see the snow falling as we ate. Since this is Texas, I bet I'll be wearing shorts at some point later this week.

Thankful

I've mentioned a time or two on this blog that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I just think it's so great that our entire country takes a day to stop our busy lives, spend time with family and friends, and just be thankful. Really the only downside to Thanksgiving is that someone has to die, the turkey. I digress. For me, Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without thinking through some of the hundreds of things I have to be especially thankful for this year. Since this is the place where I think out loud, here are some of my thankful thoughts...

My family will hopefully always be at the top of my list.

My Mom and Dad: I'm thankful for their encouragement, their generousity, their wisdom, their love, their friendship, their godly example. I am especially thankful that tomorrow my Dad is going to come over and beat up some wasps for me and maybe change some batteries in my smoke detectors! And, I'm thankful that my Mom is going to go through the trouble of making Stove Top Stuffing for me because she knows that's what I like best.

My brother, Josh: I'm thankful for his sense of humor, his intelligence, and I'm really, really thankful for his family! Kelley has been a wonderful addition to our family, I can't believe they've been married for 5 years already. And, I think my love for Will and Allie is well-documented here. The four of them, they make my life really fun, and I'm thankful for that.

My sister, Ashleigh: I'm thankful for her honesty, her teaching wisdom, her listening ear, and her ability to forgive me when I drive her crazy! :)

My Grandmas: I can't think of two better people to be the foundation of our family. Both of my Grandmas would do absolutely anything for any one of us. They are kind, they are generous, they are constant. They have taught me the value of being thankful. I'm so very thankful to have the influence of two very wise and very loving Grandmas on my life. You guys are the best!!

These are some people that I haven't known that long, but this year, I'm just down-right grateful for them:


Apparently, God likes to use kids to change my life, because last year these four did just that. Two of them were in my class last year and the other two were just a bonus! In a crazy way that I would have never imagined these four kids and their families have become some of my closest friends. I'm thankful for their encouragment, their time, their wisdom, their laughter. I'm just thankful for everything about them. They make my life so much more fun, more exciting, and a lot fuller!

I could probably go on for a long time about everything that I'm thankful for...all my other friends, Diet Coke, Peanut M&Ms, flying insect spray, my house, my car...but I don't want to bore you.

I'll close with the thing that I'm most thankful for this year. I'm thankful for my Savior. I'm thankful that He's a good God who loves me, who cares about me, who has every little detail of my life figured out. I'm thankful that He continually offers grace and mercy to me. It is a grace that is a mystery to me, but beckons me to live, to not take any day or any opportunity for granted.

I have so very much to be thankful for. If I never experience another blessing, I think the overflow of thankfulness my heart is experiencing right now could get me through. I am blessed indeed.

I love pictures

I sort of have a thing for pictures. I really like looking at pictures and I love taking pictures. A couple years ago I believed so strongly in my love for taking pictures that I bought a crazy nice digital camera. At the time, it had an unheard of amount of megapixels and was more camera than I would ever know how to use. And sadly, I rarely use it. Today I decided that should change. I was granted the priviledge of watching Will and Allie today and I decided to have my fancy camera handy just in case something happens that is worthy of taking a picture. A quick trip to the park provided just the opportunity. I took about 100 pictures and there are really only about 2 that I think are "good."

This is a picture of Allie on the swing. She loved it. She would just laugh and laugh every time I pushed her. I really like her a lot.


And here is one of Will. Most of the pictures I took of him were of the back of his head, he just moves too fast! I'm not sure what he is thinking about, but it looks serious.


Last night I was looking at my desk and I noticed this picture:

This picture has been sitting on my desk for about three years now and I see it all the time. I guess I am just so used to seeing it that I don't notice it. This is a picture of Tyre, Demontrey, and Kedarion. Three brothers that I met while I was in college. More than anything else I experienced during my four years at Baylor, these kids changed my life. Waco is an interesting town, the wealthiest people literally live across the street from the poorest. There really aren't many "nice" parts of town and you can easily find yourself somewhere you shouldn't be. My freshmen year I ended up at an apartment complex that definitely qualifies for the "somewhere you shouldn't be especially if you're a Baylor student" category.

While scared out of my mind, I was there on purpose. Myself and a couple other naive, nice-looking, Baylor students had descended on this apartment complex in hopes of putting together some sort of Backyard Bible Club kind of thing. We thought that maybe, just maybe there was something we could teach the kids that lived there. In reality, they taught us. They taught us what it's like to be 3, 5, and 7 years old and have to take care of yourself. They taught us what it looks like to live next door to a drug dealer. They taught us what gun shots sounded like. They taught us how to cope with never seeing one parent and never knowing the other. They taught us what a priviledge it is to have a car. They taught us how joyful an experience a Baylor football game should be. They taught us how exciting it is to get to go to McDonalds. They taught us so many things.

Somehow throughout four years of college, my roommate and I became particularly attached to Tyre, Demontrey, and Kedarion. We started bringing them to church with us. You should have seen some of the looks we got! The kids obviously dressed themselves, in clothes that hadn't been washed, maybe ever. I also wish you could have seen the way their faces lit up every time they learned a Bible verse. I remember one Sunday we were driving home from church and Tyre had been working so hard on Luke 1:37, "Nothing is impossible with God." He was sure he was ready to say it and this is what came out (I can still hear his voice), "Nothing is important to God. Lukus 1:37." After a brief explanation that EVERYTHING is important to God and congratulating him for being so close, he tried again. And, he got it.

Just looking at that picture last night I was reminded of the impact they made on me. I was reminded that I want to approach life with their joy, their energy, and with their belief that they could accomplish anything. I was challenged to stand up for injustice and to live out Matthew 25:31-40. That picture reminded me to be Jesus to the people God brings my way. Pictures, they can be powerful.

The Terminator (I mean exterminator)

Today is the first day of a lovely week for me! I get the whole week off of school and it's Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. While I don't have any super exciting plans I just know it's going to be a great week! I started the week by catching up on my sleep and according to my calculations, I slept for about 14 hours last night! Crazy!!

All was going well this morning until I realized I had some house guests; wasps. That's right, I woke up this morning to 5 big, ugly, red wasps flying around my house. To say that I'm not a fan of bugs would be a huge understatement. And now I've got a whole family of mean, stinging bugs living in my house. I left the house a couple hours ago in hopes that when I return they will somehow all magically disappear. Just in case that's wishful thinking, I stopped at Home Depot to get some "flying insect" killer. As soon as I find a gas mask, a parka, and some very thick gloves I'm going in. I'll let you know how it turns out.

It could've been Ed McMahon

We had a little excitement today at Camp Learnalot. I was right in the middle of teaching Social Studies to one of my classes. I was very passionately convincing my students that they too could leave an impact on the world like Christopher Columbus. And maybe, just maybe 500 years from now kids would be reading about them in a history book. It really blows their minds to know that Columbus discovered North America by mistake!! So, anyway I'm teaching this truly life-changing lesson and we begin to hear bells out in the hallway, and they kept getting louder and louder. We seriously thought Santa had come a few weeks early. My door is thrown open and the bell-ringing people pile into my classroom. These aren't the kind of people that you normally have in your classroom; the Superintendent, school board members, important business people, the Principal, Assistant Principal. To say that I was a little nervous and shaking a little bit would be an understatement, hopefully I covered it well. They were there to tell me that I was receiving a grant that I applied for about a month ago. They had balloons, bells, and a very big check. It was pretty cool, the kids all thought I'd won millions for my own personal use and maybe even a car to go along with it. In reality, it was $283.65 to spend on a new Science project.

My friend Shellee came to school to eat lunch with her daughter Abbee today, and she (who is in a class right next door) convinced Shellee that the Publisher's Clearing House people came to school to give me a bunch of money. It was pretty funny. While this money means that I've created a bit more work for myself, it made for a very exciting day. Even if Ed McMahon and the Publisher's Clearing House people had shown up with a check for Ten Million Dollars, after taxes I probably would have ended up with about $283.65. So really it's just as great!

I really feel bad for them

Is anyone else worried that Hollywood is going to shut down and we won't get to enjoy new episodes of our favorite TV shows? I know I just feel terrible for those poor writers. I'm really glad that all the actors are getting in the act and walking the picket lines too, what solidarity!

It's a shame that there are people in this world who work really hard and don't get paid what they think they should. I heard the other night on Entertainment Tonight that TV show writers make about $250,000 a year and their just looking for a fair deal. I know my heart just aches for them. Nevermind the fact that thousands of children, in the United States alone, are homeless and malnourished, or the countless families that have been bankrupted by unexpected medical bills, or the single-parents working two or three jobs just to keep the lights on. These writers, they deserve so much more.

It kind of reminds me of the great Major League Baseball strike a couple years ago, or even more recently the NHL strike. Whatever happened to going to work and working hard because you are doing something you enjoy? I'm sure this will all get settled soon, I just heard that Bill Clinton has offered to be a mediator for the situation. Maybe while they are working out a new deal that will give writers a few more cents a month they can finally nail down a definition of "is."

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go ahead and step off my soapbox now. :)

I'm not good at bowling

My life is really just a journey towards authenticity. So in an effort to be as authentic and transparent as I can, I will confess my shortcomings in the sport of bowling. That's right, I got the opportunity to be a substitute bowler again this week. It didn't go so well. I feel particularly bad because the person I was subbing for really is a great bowler.

Even though I'm not going to be joining the Professional Bowler Association of Whatever, I did have a very fun time. I think I bowled my lowest score ever in my life and the really sad part was that I really was trying. Sometimes things just don't go our way. I'm so embarrassed by my score that I'm not even going to put it on here, although I'm sure someone who reads this will be happy to leave it for everyone in the comments section. I will say this, my score has a digital root of 4. I'm hoping there aren't any mathematicians out there working hard on their calculators. :) For those of you who don't know, a digital root of 4 could include the following possibilities: 202, 121, 49, 211, 94, 103, 22, or even 112. The possibilities are really endless.

During the third game Kelly, Deneise, and I made a bet that the loser has to buy Slurpees for the other two. I thought a little wager was all I would need to get my game in gear. It happened quite the opposite. Those two are so particular about their Slurpees that they drew me picture of exactly how to create one to their specifications. And, here it is:


In other news, only 8 school days until Thanksgiving Break! Eight days and I get a whole week off. I'm quite excited about it even though I have no particularly fun plans, as of yet. :)

Seriously??

I had the great privilege of going to Walmart this afternoon. Imagine my surprise when I was greeted by a cute little snowman instead of the spooky looking mummy that has been at the door for the last month or so! Yesterday was Halloween, and I guess I failed to realize that Christmas is the next holiday!! It seriously looks like they had little elves working all night to transform Walmart into a Christmas wonderland. It kind of makes me sad because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

For any of you who haven't heard yet, there are 54 days until Christmas. I'm really running out of time so, if you need me this weekend, I'll be in my yard putting up the Christmas lights!

Tuesdays may be my favorite

Tuesdays are turning out to be quite unpredictable here lately. That's not a bad thing at all, I'm just noticing a pattern. Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to go to Bass Hall with Deneise. You can read all about that experience, here. Last Tuesday I got to experience my first sick day, which was made the best-sick-day-ever because Kristy brought me lunch, which was so very nice of her. Then, tonight (Tuesday) I was given the opportunity to be a substitute bowler in my church's "Just for Fun" Bowling League.

It all started when I was walking out of school on my way to watch some former students play football. I noticed that I had a missed call from Deneise so I called her back:

Me: Hey Deneise! What's up?
Deneise: Hey Emily, I was wondering how you felt about bowling?
Me: Hmmm, I feel fine about bowling, I guess.
Deneise: Well, do you want to bowl tonight with me, we need a sub?
Me: Uh yeah, I could do that. That sounds like fun. I don't have to be good do I?
Deneise: No, no, you don't have to be good. It's all just for fun.
Me: Ok, well, I'm on my way to watch some football and then I'll just need to run home and change clothes (sound familiar?)
Deneise: You don't need to change clothes, you'll be fine

This time I did insist on changing clothes. I am at least a little bit ok with being underdressed for the theater, but way not ok with being overdressed for a bowling alley. :)

Here's a quick recap of the bowling greatness:

Game #1, unfortunately, was my best game and I beat Deneise.

Game #2, something was wrong with the pins or something, they just wouldn't move in front of my ball. Deneise did quite well and beat me. Best two out of three, right?

Game #3, I was having the same problem with the pins and really just couldn't get anything happening. Unless, of course, you look at it this way...Imagine the 9th Inning of the Seventh Game of the World Series. Your team is gonna lose but you want to end it on a high note by hitting a home run. This was the pressure I was putting on myself, I wanted to finish strong. So, here we are, 10th frame of the third game. I'm getting beat pretty badly but I want desperately to save face and maybe, at least get a spare. First bowl, I knock 8 pins down. Guess where the remaining pins were? That's right, they were at opposite ends of what looked like the Grand Canyon. With all the courage I could muster, I bowled that ball perfectly, and knocked both pins down. People were cheering wildly (ok, they were cheering but the wildly was probably in my head), Deneise looks up and says, "What happened?" I say, "you didn't see that?" Her response, "No, I wasn't watching because I knew you wouldn't get it!" This response made me laugh really hard and I told her that I was going to write it down so I would be able to blog about it. I didn't have anything to write on so I wrote it on the bottom of my Sonic Cup and Deneise tried for the rest of the night to get me to throw it away. :) So it can live on forever in Internet glory, here it is:


So, I didn't come home the big bowling winner, but I did get to come home smelling extra special. I also came home with a thankfulness for all the new, amazing people that have come into my life in the last year. People that have made Tuesdays, and really every other day of the week, the best days ever. :)

Every kid should experience this

When I was a kid there wasn't anything better than going to McDonald's or Chuck E. Cheese and getting to play in the ball pit. Somewhere along the line though people got smart and realized those things were a breeding ground for all kinds of nasty stuff. Now it's nearly impossible to find a good ball pit to jump around in (with good reason), unless of course, you're 2 years old and have people in your life that like for you to experience such things.

My Mom found the famous ball pit balls not too long ago at some store so she bought some for Will to play with. We started out kind of small and Will did love it. Somehow though, this just wasn't quite the same experience I had as a child.


He was just about beside himself today when the number of balls tripled and he got his very own ball pit contraption. It was cool and I have to admit, I had a pretty good time myself!! :)

Fires, sick days, and other random thoughts

The news about the fires in California is really crazy! I can't believe someone would do something like that on purpose. It is especially disconcerting to me because San Diego County, where a lot of the evacuations are taking place, is where I am from originally. In fact, up until just recently my Grandma, Aunt, and Uncle lived right in the middle of all that is on fire right now. They moved to Oregon about two months ago but they haven't sold their house in California yet. The latest word is that the hill their house is on, is on fire. Scary! But thank goodness they aren't living there now.

Wildfires in Calfornia certainly aren't a new phenomenon, but everytime we hear about them it reminds me about the time one was close (but not really) and my Mom packed up the car with as much of our stuff as she could. She just took the dresser drawers right out of the dresser and took them to the car. At the time it was kind of scary because I was just a kid. But, soon we learned that the fire wasn't really threatening our area at all. It is a story we laugh about often. Seriously though, if you only had one hour and just your own vehicle to save what you could, what would you take?

On to another topic. I started feeling not so well last Thursday, then felt better on Friday. Then by Saturday, I was pretty sure I had Strep Throat. My parents got home from their cruise and immediately started me on a regiment of Tylenol and an antibiotic that came from another country (the directions are all in Spanish). I felt better on Sunday but then Monday morning I felt worse than ever. Now, anyone who knows me well knows I don't like going to the doctor. I avoid it at all costs. But as bad as I was feeling I knew I had to do it. It has been so long since I've been to the doctor that this was the first time in my life that I called the doctor on my own, made my own appointment, and went to see him all by myself. I know, it's crazy. Anyway, I waited for what seemed like an eternity and then spent all of five minutes with the doctor. He quickly diagnosed me with a, "woooooooeeeeee that's bad" ear infection in both ears! Both ears!! How does that happen? Also, he ordered me to stay away from school until I have been fever-free for 24 hours. So, the first thing I did was go back to school (just to prepare for not being there today)!

In all my free time today I've done some math, I have been teaching for 407 school days. This is the first sick day I have taken. It's ironic really, as a student I missed lots of days. In my first job out of college I had no trouble using every single one of my sick and vacation days. I'll even admit it, a lot of the time I wasn't really sick. So, somehow I've managed to last 407 days without taking a day off and this one is killing me. I hate being away from school. I guess it just goes to show you how easy it is to go to work when you do something you love! Thankfully, I have great family and friends that are going way above and beyond to help me get better quickly! Thanks guys!!

Happy Birthdays!

This is a busy Birthday week for my family! Today, Ashleigh turned 23! That's crazy to me. It pretty much means we are all adults now, but I don't really feel like an adult. My parents are out of town so we celebrated her birthday by going to dinner at La Familia. Josh, Kelley, Will and Allie all came too so it was really nice to seem them! Happy Birthday, Ashleigh! I hope this is your best year yet!

Tomorrow, little Allie turns the big 1! I can't believe it has already been a whole year since she was born. For me, the last year went by very quickly. At this time last year every time the phone rang I would hope that it was news she was on her way! She did a nice job by making her debut at a reasonable hour, unlike her big brother. Allie has got to be the cutest little girl I have ever seen. She's got the sweetest little laugh and a smile that will make you melt. She walks, claps, waves, smiles, talks, and so much more. I also heard a story tonight about how she has already figured out ways to get Will in trouble. They are going to be quite a pair!

Here is a picture of Allie, 1 year ago:

A funny thing happened on the way to...

For the most part, my life is pretty predictable. Monday through Friday from about 7 to 4:30 you can find me at school, Saturdays you can find me at the ballfields, and Sundays you can find me at church. Sometimes though, my life can be totally unpredictable and quite spontaneous. Today was one of those days!

School was pretty normal but instead of staying until 4:30, I left at 3:20! Watch out!! I then ran home to change clothes (Baylor T-Shirt, jeans, tennis shoes) and then headed up to the Intermediate School to watch some of my former students play some football. When the games were over I made my way to Walmart to grab a couple things for school and church tomorrow. As I was pulling into the parking lot my phone rang, it was Deneise. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello
Deneise: Hey! What are you doing?
Me: Oh, just on my way to Walmart.
Deneise: Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Bass Hall with us to see Cirque Dreams?
Me: Well, sure, I could do that. That sounds fun! Count me in.
Deneise: Ok, we're going to go eat before we go, where are you?
Me: I'm at Walmart.
Deneise: Ok, stay put! We're coming to get you!
Me: Ok, should I go home and change clothes or something?
Deneise: Oh no, you'll be fine!

So, five minutes later I'm heading to the Bass Hall to see Cirque Dreams with Deneise and her Mom in my Baylor t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. We enjoyed a lovely meal at El Ranchito in the Settlement (which I promised I wouldn't blog about) and then got on I-30 West to head to downtown! :) We made a brief stop at Barnes & Noble where I located a book faster using my iPhone than the store employee could using their system! The iPhone, my friends, rocks!

Soon we were safely in our seats and the show was about to begin! It was interesting for sure. I was amazed at the abilities of those people but it left me wondering how in the world do you get started in something like that? For example, where do you go to school to learn how to contort your body into the shape of an emu? Or how to balance on a rolling coffee can? Or how to old up another person using only your neck? These are all questions I will be seeking answers to. I'll keep you posted! It was a lot of fun though, thanks Deneise for thinking of me! By the way, I didn't feel underdressed AT ALL!! :) Also, just in case anyone was wondering, I've reached my quota of seeing people in tights for like the next fifteen years!

The whole day allowed me to come to this conclusion: I'm thankful that for right now, I can live my life that spontaneously. It leads to lots of fun/crazy/interesting experiences!!

Just for Fun

This summer I had the opportunity to spend a day in Seattle, Washington. I had been to Seattle once before, but I never made it to the world famous Pike's Place Fish Market. I was particularly interested in seeing the fish market because I was planning on implementing the FISH Philosophy into my classroom this year! It was really neat to see all the people gathered around the Fish Mongers just waiting for them to throw the fish and other seafood to each other. Then, it became even cooler when I got to get behind the counter and try to catch a fish myself!! Honestly, I can't stand fish, but I really wanted to be able to share the experience with my class. It took me a couple tries but I finally caught a fish! It was really cool and I am really glad I did it!!

I have been meaning to make a little movie about the experience but I just got around to it! I also thought it might be fun to try to post it on the blog. We'll see how that goes!



Also, I'm aware the song choice may be a little strange, but I was happy that day and nothing else really seemed to fit! :)

New Slogan

Did you hear that Walmart just changed their slogan? Instead of "Always Low Prices," they went with "Save Money. Live Better." I know that makes me want to shop there even more. Actually, it kind of makes me feel like their mocking my inability to save money!! I digress. The real point of this post was to give the Walmart execs a whole new slogan to consider, "Always A Bizarre Experience."

Every time I go to Walmart something really strange happens. Tonight was no different! I was really enjoying Grey's Anatomy (actually it wasn't that exciting) and I remembered some things I needed to get for school tomorrow. So, as soon as Grey's was over I headed to Walmart. I was only there for about 30 minutes and I had three bizarre experiences in that short time.

Bizarre Experience #1
This probably doesn't qualify as bizarre, but more of an observation. As I was walking around the store I was amazed at how many small children were there. I understand the busyness of a working person and not being able to get your shopping done until 9 o'clock, but is it really a good idea for the kids to be out too? I actually was just told yesterday how detrimental losing just one hour of sleep can be for child! I think I'm going to start encouraging my students to be in bed by 7:30! I'll tell them it's the cool thing to do!

Bizarre Experience #2
As I was walking up to the checkout line the cashier was chewing on some food. She practically begged me not to turn her in for eating on the job. I assured her that it really didn't bother me as long as she didn't start eating my food! :) She apparently felt like I was the run-to-her-boss-and-tell-on-her kind of person because she just would not let it go. She really wanted me to understand what it was like to only have a 15 minute break to eat and she just needed that one bite. I kind of felt bad for her, because I know all too well what it is like to only have 15 minutes (or less) to eat!

Bizarre Experience #3
Once I leave the eating cashier's line and head towards the door I notice a man standing in line at one of the other checkout lines. First of all, the little blue tooth wireless headsets for cell phones totally crack me up, good for those people seeking safety and convenience, but have you ever watched someone in their car and it looks like they are having a very in depth conversation with themselves? It's good stuff! Anyway, I see this guy and instead of a nice little sleek headset he's got this big ol' honkin' wirey setup. It was like one of those headsets that people who sit in an office and answer phones all day wear. Gigantic earphone, speaker, and all. I was actually laughing (out-loud) to myself as I walked out of the store. Then as if God was saying, "You shouldn't laugh at people," I started cough/choking. It made me laugh even more. Then my cell phone rang and I was saved!

Walmart, it's a crazy place.

Fun Times

This week has been full of some really fun times! It started Monday night when some great friends came over for dinner. For me, the whole experience was just really great! I don't cook, ever, so I was a little nervous about preparing a meal for them, but I think it all turned out ok. It gave me a whole new respect for all the moms in the world who plan a meal, cook a meal, and clean up after a meal on a daily basis! Monday night was easily the highlight of the week so far!!

Then today, I got to hang out with some of my favorite people in the world! Don't let the fact that they are ten-years-old take away from their greatness. These kids are full of funny stuff and when you get them all together they make me laugh so hard. After school we went to the local Main Event and played some laser tag. I am not sure the teams were balanced but we all had a great time! Here is a picture of the kids in their gear:


I was sure to take the picture in the dark so you couldn't see their faces, you know, internet security and all! :) Just kidding! The iPhone camera lacks a flash. Thanks to their great parents for letting me hang out with them today! I can't wait to see what the rest of the week has in store.

Much appreciated

The first six weeks of school has officially come and gone! Boy, it went by quickly. This has already been an interesting year for a lot of reasons, but I feel like today was a much needed turning point.

I had a meeting this afternoon at my sister's school so when I was done "meeting" I headed down to her room to see how things were going for her. I hadn't visited her classroom since about a week before school started so there was lots of stuff I hadn't had a chance to see. Let me just say this, she has a gift. It was so refreshing to sit in her classroom and be so inspired by all of her great ideas. As if just sharing her ideas was not enough (I left with a whole page full-front and back), she went through the trouble of making me a bunch of stuff to use in my classroom right there while I waited!!

She actually went to school to be a teacher so she totally knows what she is doing and she is really great at it! I'm so proud of her and can't wait to see how the rest of her year turns out! So, thanks Ashleigh for all your inspiration, it was much appreciated!

I saw a boat

Earlier this evening I was doing some major multi-tasking. I was vacuuming, listening to my iPod, and thinking about my lack of blog material. I mean, seriously, I haven't posted anything new since last Sunday. So, I was thinking really hard and then my sister sent me a text message and suddenly I have enough material for several posts. :)

Ashleigh's message was simple, "I'm buying a car!" I sent her one back, "Cool! What kind?" Then she called and filled me in on all the details. She "bought" the car but she is the third person in line to actually take delivery. I am way impressed with her patience, because I would have totally given in and settled for something that I could have driven away in right away. Things got very interesting with her next statement:

Ashleigh: "After we leave here we're going to grab some dinner and then go to the lake to play with Dad's new toy."
Me: "What new toy?"
Ashleigh: "Dad bought a boat!"
Me: "He bought a what?"
Ashleigh: "He bought a boat!"
Me: "A boat, like what people ride in?"

I need to provide some background. For the last several years my Dad has been very mildly obsessed with sailboats and sailing. For Father's Day this year my Mom gave him sailing lessons. So, this summer he spent about 10 hours one weekend taking sailing lessons and it honestly wouldn't shock me if he had decided to buy some small sailboat. I was just a little shocked that I hadn't heard anything about him buying a boat and suddenly we're going to the lake to ride in one. Imagine my surprise when I find out this is what he bought:


Another great moment came when I realized the "lake" we were going to go to was really just a very small pond in a nearby neighborhood. He has also decided that his remote control speedboat is a lot more fun than really sailing. I have a feeling we'll all be getting our own for Christmas!!

Since it was too late to take the new boat out on the "lake" we decided to just go eat. They came and picked me up and then we had to make the toughest decision ever, where do we eat? My Mom said she wanted Italian and suggested either Olive Garden or Margie's. Now, I had never even heard of Margie's but let me assure you, it is a fine establishment. I mean what place isn't that boldy advertises this:



That'll teach me not to take indoor plumbing and air conditioning for granted! I kind of felt like I was in the middle of a Mob movie or something, but it was good and we laughed so much that I'm pretty sure people were pointing and staring. Oh well. Besides the fact that they had indoor plumbing and air conditioning my favorite moment was when my Dad tried to open the door. He pushed hard a couple times and we started to question whether or not they were even open, then we realized there was door knob that just needed a little twist. We were laughing before we even made it to our table.

Because I want to remember them, here's a couple more funny moments (probably only funny if you were there):

1) Ashleigh's talking really fast (because she does that), looks at me, and says, "Your pupils are huge!"

2) Mom, Dad, and Ashleigh are enjoying their salads and the waiter comes by to check on them, he asks, "How are your salads?" I (who does not have a salad) responds, "very good." I think I was actually crying from laughing so hard when we all realized what I said.

Good times. Congratulations on your new car purchase, Ashleigh! Welcome to the world of car payments and insurance. And, congratulations on your boat purchase, Dad! Welcome to the world of, you know I'm not really sure what world that falls into! :)

Perspective

I've heard it said many times, life is all about perspective. Well, for a little over a week now my little world has been shaken by this truth. My favorite football team may lose a game they should have won, but, it's still just a football game. I may spend days planning an amazing lesson that doesn't go off like I'd hoped, but, it's just one out of hundreds. I may have a no-good-horrible-very-bad day, but if I'm here writing about it, then I survived. You might be thinking, "Where did these thoughts come from?" Well, my friends, the blog world is crazy and it has deeply impacted my life this week.

It is amazing how reading one blog leads to reading another to another to another, until you have just about seen the whole internet. The blogging world has really become like a world-wide community where people literally share their lives with people they don't know and most likely will never meet. It is kind of strange actually, but, there are a lot of really smart, wise, and funny people out there who make it easy for you to get hooked.

In an effort to become more authentic, I'll admit it, I'm a blog lurker. I'll check on one of my friend's blogs and then click on a blog they read which leads me to another one. It unfortunately could go on for hours. Well, a little over a week ago I was reading Kristy's blog, which eventually led me to a blog about a newborn baby and family with unbelieveable faith and courage. At the time I discovered this family, the baby, Copeland, had just been born and they were rejoicing that she was alive and really doing quite well. You see, Copeland was born with Trisomy-18. Since there is no way I could adequately explain what that is, this is some information I found on the Trisomy-18 Foundation website:

Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) is a chromosomal abnormality where there is an extra chromosome present in every cell of the body. This is an example of where “the more the merrier” is not true. This extra chromosome means that every cell has extra information encoded into it. The extra information causes confusion in the way that the cells are formed and results in the potential malformation of all of the body systems. Just like with Down's Syndrome (Trisomy 21), there is a wide range of how this condition will play out (what the doctor's will refer to as your child's phenotype). Unfortunately because there is more information encoded on the 18th chromosome, the severity of this condition is greater than that of Down's Syndrome. Current studies show that while 1:1500 children will be diagnosed prenatally with trisomy 18, only half that number (or 1:3000) will be born alive at full term. Of those who survive to birth, only half will make it to two months of age, and only 10% will survive to their first birthday. Children who live can be an important part of their family and community, but are profoundly developmentally delayed.

So, every single cell in Copeland's body was effected by this condition. Her parents found out she had Trisomy-18 about three months before her birth. Can you imagine, rejoicing over the fact that you are going to have a baby in a few months and then suddenly finding out that if she is born alive at all, she will only live a short time? I have yet to experience the whole power of a parent's love for their child and all that good stuff, but still, I can't even begin to begin to begin to understand what news like that would do to me. That is why Copeland's story has intrigued me so much. The first night I found their blog I got all caught up and was totally blown away by this family's faith. While using their blog to pour out the truth of what was coming they simultaneously used it to proclaim God's sovereignty, His faithfulness, His goodness, and their unwavering hope in Him. I was hooked immediately. I checked their blog at least five times a day to check on her and to see how she was doing, sometimes even walking around my classroom with my iPhone in my pocket ready to check at any free moment. Her parents would post frequently with updates on how she was doing, if she was having a good day or bad day.

I will admit that I struggled deep in my heart with questions like, "How can they be so full of hope knowing what they know?" Or more importantly, "Why would God allow a little baby to be born just to die?" Last Tuesday night they celebrated her 1-week Birthday, knowing they would never get to share a real Birthday with her. Then Wednesday afternoon she was gone. A friend of mine who was also keeping up with Copeland broke the news to me. As I was driving home from church that night I was thinking about those questions I had been asking myself over and over. Then, like I've never really experienced before, I felt like God gave me an answer. Question: How can they be so full of hope knowing what they know? Answer: Jesus. Question: Why would God allow a little baby to be born just to die? Answer: Jesus.

God does and always will know exactly what He is doing, I will not. The Farley family rejoiced in the fact that while their time on Earth with Copeland was short, their time in Heaven with her, in perfect form, will last for eternity. While only for a short time, they loved her well. God knows exactly what it feels like to rejoice in the birth of a child only to have them die an undeserved death. And, just like the life and death of Jesus has completely changed my life, the little life of Copeland has also impacted me in a way that I hope I will never forget. This is just a temporary life and while I want to live it well and bring glory to God, my heart aches for home.

Yesterday was Copeland's Memorial Service and her family just posted the video they played and the letter they wrote to her. If you'd like to check it out, be warned, you will probably need some kleenex. Here is the link, Copeland Farley.

I'll end with this, no matter what happens on any given day, as long as I have Jesus, I have everything. I am thankful that God put some perspective back in my life this week.

Football has 4 Quarters

Today I got the opportunity to travel with some good friends (Aggie fans) to College Station, TX to enjoy a little football game. The day started out early, we officially hit the road at about 8, and arrived in Aggieland at about 11:15. This was my second time to attend a game at Kyle Field and I'll give the Aggies credit, 83,000 fans makes the game very exciting. I was pleasantly surprised by the way the Baylor defense was totally hanging tough and keeping us in the game. The offense, unfortunately, only showed up to play about one quarter. It was ridiculous, 70 yards of total offense and 5 completed passes at the end of the third quarter. And, honestly, it wasn't like A&M was just playing amazing defense, we were just stinking it up that bad. I believe the time of possession looked something like; Baylor 9 minutes and A&M 51 minutes. Which brings me to my point, you can't win a football game in 9 minutes, you have to play the whole game, all 4 quarters. So, surprise surprise, Baylor lost again. The final score was 34-10. At least Texas and OU lost too so it will totally take the attention away from Baylor. :)

Here are a few pictures from the game:

This was our view for most of the 1st Quarter, this guy and his sombrero just would not sit down.

This was our view once the guy and his sombrero sat down, much better!

This is how Deneise enjoys an A&M Football game! I was impressed she could read with all that noise! :)
It really was a great day. We had lots of fun and laughed way too much. I am even sportin' a new sunburn, I like to call it "half-baked," because really only one side of my face is red. Thank you so much Deneise, Shellee, and Kelly for taking me along and tolerating my gold shirt. :)

Game Day

Today's the day! The 104th meeting of the Baylor Bears and the Texas A&M Aggies will begin in about 4 hours. A friend asked me last night, "Is there any possibility Baylor could win this game?" My answer, of course, was YES! As long as I've been a fan this game has been close. Now, I just read some statistics that made me a little nervous, Baylor has only won this game 10 times when it has been played in College Station! This is what is going to make today so special! :) If we were to pull out the win it would be my first Baylor win over A&M to witness in person. I'll let you know how it turns out! Sic 'em Bears!

At a loss

Once again, I'm at a loss for blog material. This will have to do...

At the moment, I'm quite frustrated with my computer. I have spent several (really too many to count) hours trying to create "Science Licenses" for my classes. I made them take a test over the Scientific Method and our Science Safety Rules, and in order to earn their license they had to make at least a 90 on it. It is kind of like a Driver's License, you need it to drive, so you need your Science License to participate in Science experiments. For some reason Microsoft Word is not working quite right on my computer. It litterly takes forever, when I started this little project it was still Summer, now it is Fall. Do you see what I mean? My plan was just to print them on business card paper for quickness and neatness. I just finished my first 10 out of 60, I went to print them and they were all messed up. They don't line up with the perforations on the paper. I'm giving up for tonight. I will just tell the kids who have been begging for their licenses that it's like getting a real license, it takes a couple weeks for them to send it to you. :)

On a brighter note, I have had a really great weekend! I made it to 7 baseball games yesterday, all of them very entertaining. Unfortunately, I will be unable to make it to any games next weekend. I hope I don't disappoint anybody! I also went to the mall and out to eat with a great friend. The highlight of the evening for sure though was learning that an optimal pool shape is indeed five concentric circles. Then today I went to church and got to spend the evening with great friends again. We went and saw "Hairspray." It's definitely an interesting movie, but I don't know that it's going on my must-see-again list. It was still a very fun time though! :)

Now, this is a big week. It is the one week out of the football season that I set myself up for the sweetest victory or the most disappointing defeat. Just for fun and to get some of my good friends all fired up, I'll leave you with this:

Multiple Personality Disorder

Today, I finally got to teach Science for the first time this year! I really love teaching Science because it's fun and the kids love it so much. Well, before we can get to the good stuff we have to know the Science Lab Safety Rules and the steps to the Scientific Method. In the middle of the night during my first year of teaching I had a brainstorm. I thought it would be fun to dress up as a "scientist," and be a guest speaker for my class to teach them the basics. The first year all I could pull together was a white lab coat and some glasses. Last year I traded in the normal glasses for the big fake nose disguise glasses. This year though, I took it to a whole new level. I added some crazy hair. This other personality of mine, Dr. Experimenta, has truly evolved! I didn't actually see myself until the end of the day when I had someone take a picture of me. It made me laugh so maybe it will make you laugh too!

Quite a day!

Yesterday was quite a day! In one word, it was full. Yesterday was the first day of the Fall baseball season and I got to spend all day yesterday at the ball fields catching game after game. It was really fun to watch some baseball and hang out with friends. I may have spent a tad bit too much time in the direct sunlight, but my bright red head is already looking better.

Once I got home from the ballgames I got to spend some quality time with Will and Allie. Seriously, could the day have gotten any better? Allie was her usual cutest-kid-ever self. She's very into copying your facial expressions so I had a good time teaching her a really great smile. I think Will has learned the power of saying just the right thing to get what he wants. First of all, if he is talking to anyone else about me he calls me Aunt Emily, but if he is talking to me and needs to say my name he calls me Miney. That was his name for me before he could say Emily and I guess it stuck. It makes my heart smile every time I hear it. So, anytime he wants me to do something for him he calls me Miney. It's very cute.

Will and I were getting ready to go on a quick walk to the park and while I was trying to change his diaper we were talking about his sister Allie and what he likes to do with her. This is a portion of our conversation:

Me: Who's your sister?
Will: Allie's my sister
Me: What do you like to do with Allie?
Will: I teach her how to say Miney.
Me: (I couldn't respond, I had melted into a puddle on the floor)

He continues to amaze me. We had fun at the park, but Will was disappointed because we forgot to bring "hamburgers" for the ducks. I guess the last time he went to see the ducks he had some hamburger buns for them. I assured him that next time we wouldn't forget. Here's a self-taken photo of us at the park (I told you my face was red)!

The Magic Number

I have mentioned once before my high hopes for a Baylor Bowl Game. I'm certain there have been many in my lifetime, just not any in my lifetime as a fan. The thought of spending a few days out of my Christmas break traveling to a Baylor Bowl Game just makes me really happy. Every season starts off with the hope, it just always ends disappointingly (is that a word?). Now, I'm not expecting the Rose Bowl or the Orange Bowl, I'd even settle for the Toilet Bowl. I just want Baylor to go to a bowl game. In order for Baylor to be bowl-eligible we must win six games. We are well on our way with 2 wins. We've got an away game at Buffalo this week that SHOULD be very winnable. If we win, we would need to pull out 3 Big 12 wins. Tough, but not impossible. For now, the magic number stands at 4. Just for fun, the three I would most like to see us win: Texas A&M, Texas, and Oklahoma. And, because I'm realistic, the three we have the best chance at winning: Kansas, Colorado, and Kansas State. We'll see how that goes, just keep believing!!

Postal Peace Restored

About three weeks ago I came home from school to find this:


I was really quite bothered by the sight of my nice brick and mortar mailbox leveled. I immediately wondered who I made mad enough to take a bulldozer to my mailbox. I was a little in shock. I mean I had so many questions...How? Why? How much will it cost to fix? Will the mailman deliver to the ground?

It was really a rough few moments until I made it to the front door. I soon discovered a business card slipped between the door and the door post. Apparently, a concrete truck pouring a foundation next door backed into it trying to get into position. I was really relieved that it wasn't an act of vandalism, and perhaps, more relieved that I wasn't going to have to pay for it. After a couple weeks of hunting down the right people to fix it, I now have a new mailbox and all is right with my mail again.

It was nice.

Tonight was the big ribbon-cutting/meet the teacher night at my school. I'm guessing the fact that it was raining and most of us have already met all of our student's parents was the reason for the low turnout. There were still lots of people there, just not as many as usual. Well, the highlight of the evening for me was when all my former students came to my room to say hello. The cool thing was they didn't just come say hello, they came in and got comfortable, like they belonged there. At one point there were 6 kids from last year in there at one time, all just talking, relaxing, and maybe having a little too much fun. I loved that they felt so comfortable and wanted to stay awhile. It was nice.