Riiiiight....

Well, guess what…time has escaped me yet again.  As I sit typing this, I realize that it was been MONTHS since my last post.  I seem to recall talking about being nervous about the first day of school and now it’s November.  Here’s a slight snapshot of what’s been going on…

School is off to a pretty great start.  I really really love my class.  They’re such cuties!  We’ve already finished the first quarter and are one week shy of mid-term of the second.  Now’s the time when things get really hectic…the holidays…I hope they stay as well behaved as they are now…It might be a challenge considering some of them acted like complete psychos today just because we had some major snow flurries…They’re still wonderful though, and who could blame them?  I was excited about our first “snow” too!

I feel like I’ve been going non-stop since September…three Kidstuf’s…tons of meetings…the Eastern Christian Convention…grading papers…report cards…I don’t think it ever ends…

Now…I am so excited about Thanksgiving!  Almost a whole week of relaxing and hanging out with the family…It doesn’t get much better than that…I can’t wait!

So, for all five people who read this, here is my current status…I’m going to put up a Weekend Word this weekend for real…maybe…

~Blevins – out!

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is the first day of school!!!!! The rest of my first week back went well, I didn't get to do everything I wanted to do in my room, but it can be a work in progress....I'm really excited about getting to know my new class! We had an atypical open house (meet and greet kind of thing) this year and I was able to see my "old" kiddos and that got me totally stoked about starting a new year. It's always kinda weird on the first day of school because there's no relationship yet, so it's a little awkward...I really wish I could fast forward through the first month of school to a point where we know each other really well and all of our routines are in place and well-established. I'm actually not totally ready for the day tomorrow, but I still have time to get there. I'm teaching Social Studies for the first time this year and I don't really know the curriculum all that well yet. That's got me stressing a little. Also, I don't have any dress pants that fit...I have two pairs that I can button without a problem, but I have an uncomfortable amount of muffin-top...how depressing...so...I'm hoping to get at least two more pairs today in the midst of getting groceries for the week and finishing up my lesson plans and doing a little laundry. I'm also "planning" on doing a weekend word, but we'll see how that goes...just thought I'd give a quick update on my first full week back and on my excitement about the first day tomorrow...I have to get to school really early because I still have some things I need to put up and I haven't written my objectives yet, but the good thing is that my kiddos have computer first thing in the morning tomorrow, so they'll be with me for fifteen minutes and then I can finish setting things up if I need to...but I should have enough time to finish tomorrow morning...wish me luck...I'll try to post tomorrow with thoughts on the first day...

~Blevins - out!

Yay for Day Two...

I now have day two under my belt...I'm sure when Nick is back home I won't blog nearly as much, but as it stands, Kitty, Peaches, and Rocko are the only "people" I have to talk to so I've decided to "talk" to my computer...

As far as meetings go, today was pretty light, which is much to my benefit...We were in a brief session first thing this morning, and then released to go look through student files. We reconvened for a PTF provided tailgating lunch which was awesome. Today's weather was so wonderful that we were able to eat outside and it was just great!

Then...after a quick department meeting....I FINALLY GOT TO WORK ON MY ROOM!!!!! (imagine hearing fireworks going off in the background as I say this and a cheering crowd) This leads me to the actual topic of this post..........

Let me start with this interestingly funny anecdote...my whole family is on Facebook and it is totally awesome...this being said...we like to send each other fun messages and the occasional piece of flair...(flair are these little buttons you can send to people that have stuff on them...think Jennifer Anniston's character in the movie Office Space...) Anywho...my dad recently sent me a button that said this "I don't have ADD. I'm perfectly focu...ooooooooooh shiny." This quote represents my entire day today...and I'm totally not kidding....

When I am setting up my classroom, it takes a great deal of thought, patience, organization, and basically staying at a task until it is finished...I am horrible at such tasks...I had eight or nine different things going on at one time...I kept leaving my room to go see what other people were doing...I kept walking around the room in circles...it was terrible...let me let you in on a little "in my head" conversation from early this evening...

"Ok...I need to finish putting this paper up on this bulletin board...Oh wait...where are my scissors...I bet they're in my desk...I'll go get them...(on the way to my desk)...where should I put my calendar this year? Should I put it in the same place? I'm a little bored with where it's been for the past two years....where is my calendar anyway??? Oh yeah...it's in my poster box on top of my cabinet...let me go get the step ladder because I don't want to stand on a chair....oh remember that time last year when you climbed up on top of the cabinet by putting a chair on top of a desk??? That was probably a really bad idea...I'm surprised I didn't get hurt...but then I ended up falling down the stairs about three hours later...that totally sucked...where is that calendar??? Oh here are a few posters that I definitely need to put up...oh look at this monkey...that was cute last year how I decorated everything in monkeys...maybe I'll do that again next year since none of the kids on the third floor would have seen that motif before...Oh look here's my calendar...I'll put it in this stack of six other posters I just pulled out of this box (climb off step ladder)...Now, what was I about to do...(look around the room in confusion)...oh well...I'll go see what's going on across the hall (walk out the door)...I wonder if I can jump up and get the boarder off of the top of the bulletin board in the hallway...let me try it....yes! I did it; I'm awesome...I better get back to work...I'll go work on my shelves a little...(walk in room)...oh I never did finish putting the paper up on my board...look at that alphabet line...that's awfully crooked at the end...that's gonna be a pain to fix...let me go get the step ladder (bring step ladder over to bulletin board...not to alphabet line which was what I had planned on doing...) What did I do with those scissors...there they are...now why did I need them????"

This type of conversation is going on in my head, rapidly, every moment of every day....obviously it's not always about school stuff...another example from today is about Friends...we were working on our files, and I totally zoned out trying to think of the words to one of Phoebe's songs...one of the other teachers I was working with at the time started cracking up laughing and told me she could tell that I was having a really hard time today focusing (and this was in the morning...)

I blame the Diet Pepsi Max....

~Blevins - out!

Back in the Saddle Again

Well...it was time to go to work again for the first time in forever...Even though I stayed up relatively late last night, waking up wasn't all that hard. Today was pretty much really easy...we sat in a meeting all day long....It really showed me a few things...(now for a numbered list...my FAVORITE!!!)

1. Diet Pepsi Max really has a MAJOR effect on me...I noticed the other day that I got toally hyper and couldn't sit still because of it, but I thought it was a one time thing...I cannot possibly explain this caffeine "high"...I can only imagine it might be similar to what it may feel like to be...shall we say...three sheets to the wind....

2. I am waaaaaaaay too ADD to sit in meetings...although I did a pretty nice job of not talking while my principal was talking, I was having a really hard time staying focused....I will say in my defense that I did much better today than I normally do...despite the Diet Pepsi Max...

3. I prefer working with kids rather than adults...although all of the people who were sitting at my table are awesome and really some of my all time favorite people at school...I still think I'd rather be in the classroom with the kiddos...as unprepared as I am right now...I am totally cool with being back with my new batch of students....

4. Not necessarily related to being back at school, but....I absolutely love the new "Chick-fil-a" sauce...it's soooo good....I like to put it on my chicken sandwich (wheat bun, no pickle)...it's also good to dip your fries in as well...

5. Since I prefer multiples of five, I had to put something else on this numbered list...along with the new school year, I got my school laptop back...for some reason it's being massively slow right now...I am hoping that when Nick gets back from his staff retreat he'll be able to figure out why...

This concludes my numbered list about being "back in the saddle again."

~Blevins - out!

Weekend Word Part IV

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:16-17

These words in Colossians are taking on a whole new meaning right now in my life. As I type this, I am thinking about and planning for the 2008-2009 school year. Being a teacher is such a rewarding calling and something that I really do take seriously. When I read about teaching in the Bible, it gives a greater sense of purpose to what I do as a career.

Next month in Discovery Island, the children’s environment at CCC, the kiddos will be learning all about the virtue of knowledge – “learning something new so you can be better at whatever you do" (Courtesy of ReThink Group’s 252 Basics curriculum). I think this verse really speaks to this idea because throughout the month the students will be encouraged to commit God’s Word to memory so it can help them everyday in every situation. How much more important is it for me, as a teacher, to have God’s Word dwelling in me richly so that I can teach with wisdom?! During the times when I am tempted to shut out the fruits of the spirit (I thought that was a delicate way to say flip out at a kid…lol!), I can think about God’s Word to help me show self-control, kindness, and gentleness (this really doesn’t happen all that often, but those are the times that I need these thoughts the most).

Another thing that I like about this verse is that it links scripture to music. Some of the most meaningful verses in my life have been taught to me through songs, whether it be the cheesy kiddy songs that I learned as a kid, or something from one of my favorite artists like Charlie Hall, David Crowder, or Watermark. One of the best ways for me to learn and remember things is through song and thanks to talented artists, thousands and thousands of God-followers can keep His words in their hearts at all times.

Finally, this leads me to the last part of this passage, and boy is it a kick to the face…” And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” How often do I just go about my business, working non-stop, going non-stop and don’t even think about Who I’m doing it for? I think this is really easy when I start the school year. I get so wrapped up in the busyness of life that I rarely get a chance to focus on living and working for God’s glory, not to mention the fact that when I’m moving at the speed of life, it’s hard to take time to be thankful for all that God has done for me.

So this is my challenge…to live this verse daily…to let God’s Word fill my heart as a teach others, to give me wisdom, and to always be thankful for the chance to live for God’s glory and serve him daily…It’s quite a difficult challenge, but one that makes all the difference in the world.

It's the End of August...

So....on July 6 I vowed to do a better job with blogging this summer....welp....this is the first one since and it's the end of August....I'm such a slacker!

Since I said that I'd write about the movies I've seen and books I've read this summer, I'll start with that...

Books:
1. I started out the summer with a bang by reading all of the books in C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. This is an amazing series...I totally recommend reading them without delay. If you don't think you can read all seven, I'd say you can skip The Horse and His Boy because it doesn't necessarily pertain to anything else in the series. Some of the characters are referred to later on, but it's really no big deal and the beginning is a little boring...

2. After reading C.S. Lewis, I thought I’d give his pal J.R.R. Tolkein a shot. I chose to read The Hobbit. It is a nice read, but I had moments that were somewhat torturous because I had trouble focusing from time to time. Overall, it’s a nice fantasy/adventure book that has a great deal of action and really explains the beginnings of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (I didn’t read the books, just saw the movies).

3. I read a few totally random books that had been on my bookshelf at school that I’d never read. Among them were Kingdom Keepers, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Giver, Number the Stars, and The Secret School. These were all really good…I still have two more that I’d like to read, but I’m not sure if time will permit.

4. A Whole New Mind is a book that I was required to read for school. It was totally interesting and thought provoking. If you’re into business or current world-wide trends, you’d really like this book.

5. Some friends recommended the book The Shack. I wasn’t really all that into reading it, but I totally trust the opinions of those who recommended it so I thought I’d give it a shot…Oh my goodness…I laughed, I cried, I got mad, I questioned, I prayed…it was pretty awesome…definitely a thought provoking read that will make you think deeply about life and your relationships…

6. So, I got this random movie from Blockbuster Online called The Jane Austen Book Club…the movie was ok, but it really inspired me to read a little Jane Austen. I had never read any of her books before, so I decided to give Pride and Prejudice a whirl. I really enjoyed it. I think I’m partial to that time period and I really liked that it wasn’t mushy gushy like I thought it would be.

7. I also read and started a few other non-fiction titles besides A Whole New Mind. I read The Five Love Languages, which I thought was pretty good. I don’t really know that I’ve worked at trying to speak Nick’s love language all that much, but at least I know which one it is and he knows mine…I started Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, The Cure for the Common Life, by Max Lucado and a Rob Bell book, but haven’t finished them yet. I got mad at the Lucado book and quit reading it because it challenged you to find out what you were really good at as a kid and try to do that for a living…I couldn’t think of anything so I got frustrated…I have yet to finish Captivating by John and Stasi Eldridge…I worked on it a little at the beginning of the summer, but it quickly got pushed to the end of my list. I have a book about assessment that I need to finish before next week and I’d like to try to at least finish Miller and Bell as soon as I can.

Now for the movies…I’ve been to the movies a few times this summer and am more than willing to give you my opinions…I think I’ll give them grades just like some other reviewers do…I must say upfront, however, that I pretty much like everything I see…

1. Ironman – This movie was the first movie I saw this summer and it was awesome! I give it an A+.

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Well, I think it did I nice job of keeping the integrity of the initial trilogy…Shia LeBeouf (sp?) was pretty great in it…I’ll give it an A-/B+.

3. Kung Fu Panda – Jack Black is one of my favorites and I think he hit the nail on the head with this one…I laughed out loud and absolutely loved it…A+.

4. The Incredible Hulk – Surprisingly, this was pretty great…I really enjoyed it and liked the Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. from Ironman) cameo…A.

5. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan – Pretty disappointing…B-.

6. The Dark Knight – One word…AMAZING!!!...A+.

7. The Mummy III – This was another sequel that I think was true to form…I liked it and will give it an A.

8. Tropic Thunder – Really funny…totally random…A.

I feel like there may be a movie or two that I’m missing here, but for some reason I can’t think of them right now…I’ve seen tons of random dvd’s but nothing to write about…As of now, I still haven’t seen StepBrothers which is seriously disappointing, but I’m hoping to remedy that very soon…

Now I feel a little bit better about my lack of posts this summer…I think I’ve done enough for two or three posts just in this one entry…I’ll try to do some more catching up this week by writing about our vacations and maybe I’ll try to get a Weekend Word up since I’m like eight weeks behind…

Peace, love, and chicken wings…
~Blevins - out!

Weekend Word Part III

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:5-11

This is one of those rich passages from scripture that served as an early hymn of the church. In these verses, Paul hits on something that I love about Jesus—humility. “Being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing…” I can’t imagine what it took to make this decision, to leave a throne in glory to walk the earth as a person…and it’s not like Jesus was leaving God’s side to live a nice cushy life here on earth. His life was hard. The son of a carpenter did not experience the niceties of life by any stretch, but Jesus was willing to live a demanding, uncomfortable life and die an arduous and horrific death, just to give God glory, to save us.

Many think of humility as a bad thing—to feel inferior is something that is frowned upon in society and I agree. I don’t think anyone should feel inferior because we are all equal in God’s eyes, but I don’t think that’s the kind of humility we are called to show…the kind of humility that Jesus exemplified for us. His life embodied a submissive humility that is necessary in the life of all Christians. Jesus knew God’s plan and humbled himself to fulfill it and because of his humility, he was lifted high—exalted. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Like Jesus, a true leader, a leader that God blesses, is one who is humble and submissive to God’s will. A true follower of Christ knows who they’re following and realizes that there is something much larger than themselves. I think it’s easy, when looking at the grand scheme of things, to realize our “smallness.” On the other hand, no matter how small I feel, it’s still hard to be humble. It’s still hard to put aside my selfish desire to be in charge and submit to God’s will—to show the ultimate act of humility. I think when Christ followers make this realization and jump in with both feet to follow God’s plan, big things can happen…God-sized things that can change the world…

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

My Greatest Aplologies...

To all five people who read this blog....

My greatest apologies for the lack of posting this summer thus far. I don't know what has happened...time just seems to be passing me by way too quickly! I am waaaay behind on my Weekend Word posts (I think it's been three weekends or so now!) and I still haven't blogged about my visit to Orlando or my summer reading and movie reviews! I'll try to get caught up some this week, but I can't promise anything seeing as how I have a "To Do" list that's about three miles long and I have a list of books I'd like to read this summer that's about the same length...I vow to do better...

Update on the Bad Mood...

It's morning and I think I'm doing a bit better...just thought I'd put a little update out there...I've been cleaning for the past three hours and perhaps the self-satisfying feeling of accomplishment has helped my mood improve for the better...

Today's "To Do" list is quite long, but I feel pretty confident that I should be able to get everything finished by the late afternoon...I hope...

~Blevins - out!

Bad Mood...

I am normally a very happy-go-lucky type person...right now...I'm in a foul mood. I don't know why. My tummy feels kinda weird, I have a good bit of work to do, and I'm totally not motivated to do anything...Just thought I'd throw that out there...

Does anyone else just get into bad moods for no reason at all? I suppose there's no reason behind it...I'm not really sure though...Sometimes I think it's just because I feel overwhelmed or maybe that I'm bored and don't know what to do...I don't know, but whatever the reason, I'm feeling totally apathetic right now and I'm hoping when I wake up in the morning, my bad mood is a distant memory because I have mucho errands to run...

~Blevins - out!

Four Things

Here are four things that are on my mind at this exact moment. I'm sure tons of people are interested in this...(by tons I mean all 5-10 people who read this blog...according to Google Analytics no one reads this, but I know that's not true because I actually have two new comments...go me!):

1. Why must my dog shed all the time? I love Rocko, he's the best dog in the whole wide world (in my opinion), but man can he shed some hair. I have had three marathon brushing sessions with him outside and I think that I could have possibly created three dogs his size with the amount of hair taken off of his coat each time. Have these sessions helped the problem at all??? That's a big fat no! He is still shedding enough to make warm winter coats for all of the poor orphans in Siberia (Siberia was the only cold place I could come up with right here on the spot). It's about to drive me insane at this particular moment in time, because we have people coming over on Saturday and I'm preparing food for them. Oh how embarrassed will I be if someone bites into a muffin and gets a big chunk of Rocko hair...I'll just choose not to think about that...ewww...

2. I really need to touch up the paint in my downstairs bathroom, living room, entry-way and kitchen. When I painted at the end of last summer, I was in quite a hurry and was painting without a ladder (which is a bad idea considering I am a huge klutz and was using bar stools - and my tippy-toes - to reach the top of my nine foot ceilings). It's just not as clean as I'd like it, especially around the edges. I'd also like to paint my office too, which is downstairs as well. I have tried out a few sample paint colors and don't know what to do. Part of me would like to paint it really dark brown because it might make it feel really warm and cozy, but I also really like that kinda sagey-green color...I was thinking since I like that green color, that I may use it in my upstairs hallway, but I just dont know...I wish Nick had an opinion on such matters...I know I want to paint our bedroom a darkish-purple and our bathroom tan (the same tan of my entry way) but now I'm really wondering why I've written all of this...

3. I really wanted this to differ from my earlier "Three Things" blog, but I am having a little trouble coming up with four things. Maybe I should have entitled this blog "Two Things;" however, I have come up with a number three...this whole tomato, salmonella stuff. Frankly, I'm a little concerned. I don't understand why we can't eat tomatoes anymore. Are all of the tomatoes bad? Do we know where the contaminated tomatoes came from? Will we ever be able to eat tomatoes again? Is this phase one of "The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes?" Why aren't all tomatoes banned from public consumption? Are there only certain types that make people sick? How many people have gotten sick so far? Has anyone died? Has anyone taken the time to read all six of the above mentioned questions? Does anyone else care about this topic at all?

4. At this exact moment, I am thinking about possibly either playing Nintendo Wii or going upstairs to watch disc 2 of volume one of season six of the Sopranos. I gotta say that so far, although somewhat intriguing, this sixth season has been a little strange. The Sopranos has always had that "artistic" flair to it that I really appreciate, however, right now I'm semi-confused. I know it has a weird-ish ending and that a lot of people didn't like the last episode, but who knows why? I do know this...AJ's hair looks really bad right now and I hope he gets it cut. Sometimes I like long hair, but not on him, it looks horrible...

This concludes my list of four things that I'm thinking right now. I hope it has helped brighten your day to know that I have totally random thoughts all the time and that this feeds in to my total ADD-ness that seems to be growing with each passing year...

~Blevins - out!

Weekend Word - Part Two

“Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are His riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is to understand His decisions and His methods! For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be His counselor? And who could ever give Him so much that He would have to pay it back? For everything comes from Him; everything exists by His power and is intended for His glory. To Him be glory evermore.”
Romans 11:33-36

These verses from Romans are titled “Doxology,” which comes from the Greek word doxologia or doxologos, meaning ”praising, glorifying” (doxo – praise, logos – speaking). I love this passage because I feel like it puts my feelings into words. The first part that stands out to me is the portion that states “How impossible it is to understand His decisions and methods!”…Boy isn’t that true…I’m sure that I’m not the only one who has stopped and asked, “God, what are you doing? What are you thinking? This can’t possibly be right…” I can’t begin to name all of the times I’ve stopped and questioned God’s decisions and methods, His plan. It’s kinda funny because as a teacher and a “storyteller” at church, I am constantly directing children to “Trust God No Matter What” and to know and remember that “God’s way is the best way.” I think this is one of those easier said than done concepts. That’s why this verse is one of my favorites. It sort of puts me in my place. It’s not even remotely possible to be in on God’s whole huge plan. Our finite minds wouldn’t even begin to be able to understand or even handle God’s mind, His heart, therefore, we cannot even really have an inkling as to His decision making process and motives…

The next parts I like are the three big questions: “For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be His counselor? And who could ever give Him so much that He would have to pay it back?” Talk about feeling small in the huge story of God! As puffed up and proud as I can feel when something great happens because of me or my efforts, it’s quite humbling to think that I cannot even come close to paying Him back for all that He has done for me. It’s easy to feel like I’ve got it all together, especially during those rare times that life is running on all cylinders and things just seem to fall in to place. Sometimes I get really sucked in to the day to day things that I have a tendency to think I can do everything on my own, that I don’t need to rely on God or His wisdom because I’ve got it all figured out, I can take care of it all on my own. In reality, I typically have no idea what I am thinking, so I can’t even begin to know about what God is thinking, more or less think that I know what I need to do better than he does. “Who could ever give Him so much that He would have to pay it back?” I do a lot. I’m not trying to be boastful or anything, but I know that God has created me to be a servant so “doing” comes naturally to me. I rarely mind, or even call any attention to what I do to serve others and God. That being said, I have had many times when I have kinda kept tabs in my head…”Well, God must be really pleased with me this week, I spent almost every night working to bring others closer to Him…I wonder if He’ll send an extra special blessing my way because of it…” I’ve even said things like “I bet I get another crown for this one.” (as in my heavenly reward) I don’t have too many moments when I feel like God “owes me one.” On the other hand, I have had times when I need something from God, whether I’m in a tough spot or someone close to me is and I sometimes, inadvertently, try to use my service as a bargaining chip. This question helps remind me that God doesn’t owe me a thing…no matter how much I may think I deserve it. Serving is not something I do to get paid back by God, it’s something I do to honor and glorify His matchless name.

Finally, “For everything comes from Him; everything exists by His power and is intended for His glory.” As a college student I had the privilege of being a part of a great student “movement” (for lack of a better word) called Passion. One of the things I love about the leaders of this movement is that everything that comes from them, whether in word or in deed, points people to God. It’s designed to be for His glory. I learned from them that that’s what we’re here for…to give God glory. When you look at your life in this light, it changes things…it changes how you spend your time, who you spend it with, what you say, what you do, even what you think…If I can live my life with this statement in mind, that “everything comes from Him; everything exists by His power and is intended for His glory,” then I believe I am on my way to becoming the kind of person God wants me to be—someone who realizes my dependence on Him and points others to His love and forgiveness.

“To Him be glory, evermore.” – Amen

2007-2008 School Year in Review

Another school year has come and gone. It really is a strange feeling to know that I don’t have to worry about any plans for next week, grading papers, being the disciplinarian, keeping an orderly classroom…you know all the things teachers have to do…I can finally “relax” a little and enjoy some time to recharge and renew.
This year has been quite unique from beginning to end. I started out the year breaking my ankle while walking down the steps the Friday before school started. I thought at the time that this was a sign that this year was going to be quite a bear, but it was actually not that bad. I really, truly enjoyed the kids in my class. I liked seeing them everyday, getting to know them, and teaching them. One of the things I love about my job is that I not only get to teach kids about Math and Science, but that I get to teach them about our God, who created them and has a purpose for their lives.
I was truly blessed with gifts from my kiddos this year. I don’t mean that I got really great stuff (which I did, many parents were quite generous), but I’m talking about the cards and kind words I received. “You’re the best teacher I’ve ever had.” “You always made everyday fun.” “My three favorite things about you…One is that you smile all the time which makes me feel happy to be at school. Two is that you are really funny. Three is that you are someone I can look up to and be like when I grow up, like a big sister.” (I really love how she didn’t say mom) “You make me want to be a teacher too.” “Thank you for teaching our son how to be a better Christian.” “At first I was really scared about being in the fifth grade, but you have made this the best year ever.” “I really am going to miss you this summer.” “Is it too early to request you as a teacher for our other son—he just finished Kindergarten?” “Can’t you move up to 6th grade?”
There are days when I don’t feel so great about myself. I have a tendency to be rather self-deprecating and I definitely struggle with self-esteem. My students were the remedy for that this year. Each morning, I had several kids who couldn’t wait to get upstairs just to talk to me. They wanted to tell me every little thing they were thinking and feeling. They totally made my day just by coming in and saying, “Mrs. Blevins!” in that cheery tone of voice they get when they’re really happy/excited. I really am going to miss that. I’m not saying that I’m the best teacher ever—I’m not even saying that I’m really all that great at teaching at all; however, I have been able to get to know some really great kids, who taught me a lot about myself. They taught me the importance of listening and truly caring for one another. They taught me patience and self-control, even in some of the most difficult circumstances. They taught me about unconditional love and forgiveness. They taught me what it means to make a difference in the life of someone else.
May I never forget how great it feels to end a school year on a high. Not every day or week or even month is perfect when you’re an elementary school teacher, but it’s my hope that I’ll be able to remember the big picture as I go through those days when the kids just seem to talk incessantly, or I’ve repeated the same direction eight different times. All I really remember now about this year are the good times and how much fun we had growing together as a class. You know, they say child birth is the same way…it hurts like nothing else, but you forget all about the pain as soon as you get to hold your precious little baby. Well, I’ve never really fallen for that argument before because frankly, I’ve always thought it was a load of poop, but maybe there’s something to it after all…
~Blevins out!

Weekend Word - Part One

This is my first “Weekend Word” blog. My goal is take some time each weekend and share some of my favorite verses from the Bible and why they’re special to me. I keep a notebook where I write down scripture as I read. Now obviously I don’t write down everything, but sometimes as I’m reading I run across something that hits me in a special way. Most of the verses I’ll write about will probably be somewhat familiar to most Christians, but many times we (me especially) often forget about the great truths God has given us in The Bible. It is my attempt to remind myself of how awesome God is and how integral His word is in my life…hopefully you’ll come along for the ride.

“These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
1 Peter 1:7

I have always loved this verse. This was a verse I committed to memory when I was in college to give me strength and courage. We all have trials…it’s a guarantee…even Jesus promised us we would have hard times. The great thing is that the trials aren’t needless; they’re for a purpose—to show that our faith is strong and pure. How easy it is to crumble during difficult times. I mean, these are the times when our faith is totally put to the test. I love how this verse says that “it is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold.” Fire destroys almost everything it touches; however, it has the opposite effect on gold. Gold, instead of crumbling under the heat and pressure from fire, only gets better. The purpose of trials is to make our faith “better.” I know it’s so hard to remember things like this when we’re struggling, but when we get to the other side (and I say “when” because we always make it through) we are able to see how God has seen us through and we’re better for it.

“And your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold”…wow. I love this. Imagine for a moment, the God of the Universe…Creator of everything good and perfect. I would venture to say that God has made some pretty precious things, including gold—which is considered to be the most precious of metals. But, our faith, little old me, my faith, is far more precious to God than mere gold, mere gold. This most precious metal is meager to God in comparison to our faith. This puts great value on us as God’s beloved. I think this also puts great value on our trials as well. If it’s these trials that make my faith more valuable, increase my “karats”, if you will, then they mean all the world to me as a Christian. They make everything worthwhile. It’s my job to make choices that will bring me closer to God. The way I react to “fiery trials,” determines whether my faith is strong. Now, I don’t believe if I “fail” a trial, then that lessens or diminishes my faith, or that God will be disappointed in me. I think it just means that I’ll have more chances to grow. Oh that my faith will stand the test of time, the test of fire, the test of temptation, the test of loneliness, fear, and doubt, the test of life—because my faith matters to God.

Yeah, It's Been a While...

Whoa...it seems like it has been forever since I've blogged...Nick just read some stats to me about blogging...he said about 16 million people blog and most of them are single, homosexual males and agnostics...I don't really think I fit in to any of those categories last time I checked so this is quite puzzling to me...oh well...maybe that's why it's so hard for me to keep up with mine!
So, I totally have these huge plans for my blog and I never have time to put them into action. I wanted to have a weekly post that shared some of the wonderfully funny and random things my kiddos did at school, but alas, that has not and probably will not happen. This is so for many reasons...the top two being the fact that I have no time and no short term memory...Now, my new thing is to try and do something weekly like Nick does. He does this Friday Five thing (that he totally stole from somebody else) where he lists the top five blogs he's read from the past week. Given the fact that I only currently subscribe to two blogs in my reader, I don't think my weekly post would be anything like Nick's. I have a few ideas floating in my head...One is that I'd take one day each week to post a Bible verse or two that I really like and say why I like them. I know this wouldn't really be all that funny or anything, but I would like to feel that my blog is bettering the world (when I say world, I mean all three or four people who read this...). Another addition to my blog that I'd like to make is a movie and a book review post. Maybe a few times a month, I'll write about some movies I have seen recently or books I've just finished. These are just a few ideas that have been floating around in my head...I'm not quite sure what route I'll take yet. I figure I'll have a little more time once school gets out, but then again, I always think I'll have tons of time during the summer and then before I know it, it's over and I have nothing to show for it...
On a totally different note...I had such a great weekend even though I was as sick as a dog...I got to hang out with all kinds of friends and it was great. I think that I saw most of my favorite people in the span of three days...pretty awesome...if I saw you on the dates between May 23 - 26, 2008, then you should feel honored and privileged because you're on my list of people I really like...The only thing that would have made it better would have been if I could have seen my mom, dad, and sis too...I did get to talk to all of them via text message, phone, and facebook, so I guess it was kinda like seeing them too...Anywho...I can breathe now and I'm really happy about that...hardly have a voice which could make tomorrow difficult, but I'll deal with that in the morning. I guess better go now that I don't feel like a total blog slacker...
~Blevins - out!

Three Things

Three things tonight...
1. MY class was great while I was away which earned them a little extra recess today from me. On the other hand, the other class who comes to me during the day for Math and Science...not-so-much...That was sad to hear, but the problem had all been settled before I returned from Hot-lanta, so I'm good. I had enough leftover sub plans to not really have to worry about today or tomorrow from a planning standpoint so I'm pretty happy about all of that...
2. WOW, I so did not know my lines as well as I thought I did at Kidstuf practice tonight. I felt like such a loser and like I was wasting everyone's time. I was feeling better about it all by the time we left, but it doesn't change the fact that I hated not being prepared...lesson learned there...
3. I've had some pretty lengthy email discussions today and they've been pretty fun...If you're reading this, you most likely know that I'm rarely a "take things seriously" kind of person. I'd much rather goof off and not be serious...ever...but prehaps this is not always best. I typically don't share my deeper thoughts (this blog not-with-standing) and my email correspondent for the day strongly encouraged me to take steps to be ready and willing to share my feelings. This really got me thinking about why I don't share much. It's not a personal thing against anyone. I mean, I don't really even tell Nick much either and he's my hubby... I think it's possibly because I have this deep down fear that if people knew many things about who I really am, then I'm less in control. For the most part, control is a big issue for me in many areas of my life. Not that I want to be in charge of everything, but more like I always want to be in charge of me. This is probably one of the main reasons why I'll never get drunk...the idea of not knowing what I'm doing totally freaks me out... Perhaps this is because I spent much of my childhood being controlled, all of my actions, decisions, and to a certain extent even my thoughts, were controlled by others. I never wanted to step out of line or do anything that was contradictory of what was expected of me, therefore, I had no real control over what I did. Don't get me wrong...I love that way I was raised. I don't regret not having very much freedom or anything like that because instead I was given a firm foundation that taught me the importance of family and commitment. A great thing about staying pretty grounded as a child/young adult is that I don't really have any regrets. But, I digress...all this is to say that basically, I don't know why I don't talk about my feelings much. I more than happy to write about them and honestly, I'm much more open when I don't have to look into anyone's eyes when I'm sharing my thoughts and feelings...anywho...this is enough spilling my guts for now...I'm totally finished...and now I'm going to bed...
~Blevins - out!

Musings Part Deux

Soooo....here I am at Drive and I totally feel like I'm just playing the supportive wife role here. I can't say that I've had any ground breaking moments whatsoever...I have enjoyed hanging out and I have had a few things confirmed in my life, but that's about it.
I'm sure you're all wondering, "what has been confirmed in Jennifer's life this week?" Well, wonder no more, because I will tell you now! The first is that I'm so totally not a leader. I like to think (quietly in the back corner of my mind where no one can hear me) that I would be a good leader, someone others would want to follow, but the truth is, I just don't have it. I don't have that charisma, that aura that craves the attention of other people, that drive to be in charge...of anything. I am more than happy with someone telling me what to do, and then doing it. I may mumble under my breath that what I'm told to do doesn't necessarily make sense, but I'll still do what I'm told.
The second confirmation in my life is somewhat more ambiguous. I've semi had this major life decision running through the background of my life for a while now. I would honestly say since Nick and I went through the Church Planter Assessment Center (CPAC), this has been something that has stayed in my radar...Let me start by saying, I am and never have been against this "step" in my life. I just don't think we're "there" yet. I found out today, for sure, that we are so far away from being "there," that it's not even funny. I'd rather not divulge too much confidential information, but we'll just say that we don't have one million dollars and if it were up to Nick asking people to raise one million dollars, I wonder if it would ever happen. There was another reason I felt confirmed in this decision, however, at this particular moment, I cannot remember it. I think it has something to do with mentoring, but i have no clue. Anywho, my answer/feelings about this topic still have not changed...plus, I'm starting to gain solace in the fact that I am in good company with many other wives...I'll just leave it at that...
Welp, it's well past my bedtime so I'd better get...I promised someone I'd blog tonight, so I did. I'm too tired to go back and re-read this, so who knows what it sounds like or if it even makes sense...
~Blevins out!

Atlanta and Other Musings...

Well, I'm in Atlanta, GA right now. I truly love ATL...I think if I ever convinced Nick to move, it would definitely be down here to the peach state. I'm not sure why I love it so much. Maybe it reminds me of simpler times, a slower pace of life, gentility, comfort? Who knows...

I guess I'm finally excited about going to the Drive Conference tonight (and the next two days). I must say that these type of events are not something that get me fired up or anything. I know my husband loves them and he (and being in Atlanta) are really the only reasons I'm here right now. Lord knows I hate making sub plans and it was almost the death of me, but I'd do anything to make my hubby happy (except having a child in the next year or two...). I think one of the reasons why I'm conflicted about being here is that it always challenges my status quo. There are times when you experience events and moments that change who you are and how you look at things...perhaps I didn't really want to come because I know deep down that this will be one of those moments...Nick is somewhat of a restless soul. He reminds me of my dad in this way. He's always looking for the next thing, the next challenge, the next step...I, however, am perfectly content to stay where I am. When I finally get happy/comfortable, I don't want anything to change. I am never looking for the next step because I am happy with my current step. I'm sure many people have no idea what I'm rambling on about, but what better place to ramble on about things that are on my mind than my blog?! (Keeping in mind that I can only think of about three people who even read this thing)

Sometimes, I just wish I could see things how God sees things...this may seem totally random and out of the blue, but my earlier comments have gotten me to start thinking in "what if's." (...which I love/hate to do...) What if God wants me to do this, be here, say that, take this chance, make that change, be bold and courageous?....in other words...just trust Him more. It's just so hard to know what God is thinking...planning...urging...All I do know is, is that he's constantly loving. Even when I drag my feet, have a tantrum, live in a conundrum of self-doubt and fear...he's still loving me. I often wonder, what does God think about me when I say...no way, I'd never do that...or when I say, I'm too scared to take that risk? Is he saying...yep, that's Jennifer...I wish she'd just trust me...why does she constantly doubt my love and my plan? or does he just laugh and say...will she ever learn? This is why I say, wouldn't it be nice to just put on God's shades for five seconds and take a look at my life through them. What a great way to get things into perspective? Would I look at my right here and now, would I look at my future, would I look at my past? It's an interesting question I think...maybe I'll get some answers this week...if I do, I'm sure it won't be the answers I want to hear, so I'll probably ignore them...Oh what is God going to do with me?
~Blevins - out!

Apparently this is a Weekly Blog...

So here it is, another week has passed and I have neglected to blog. I'm not quite sure how I get so incredibly busy all the time. I was so busy this week, that there were two full days that I did not get on the internet at all. I know some of you web addicts may find this appalling and absurd, but this is my reality. I typically try to check my email everyday, but sometimes I just don't get to it...

Although busy, my week was somewhat uneventful. I gave a Math test this week and I was really concerned about it. I was told by "the powers that be" that this chapter was too advanced for my class and that I should stop teaching new concepts after this, so needless to say I was extremely nervous about this test. I stay afterschool for Math Help every Monday and this week I ended up staying Wednesday and Thursday too, just for those who couldn't make Mondays. I gave my classes everything they needed to succeed. After school on Friday, I decided to stay late and grade the tests. My class did great! I was so happy. All A's and B's with two C's. That's pretty sweet. I'm not sure about my other class yet because not everyone finished taking the test yet. I looked at some of them and they don't seem like they're going to do as well, but still not too bad. Progress reports go out on Friday, so I'll have a really busy week this week getting ready for those.

We mowed our grass yesterday and I biffed my foot. It's a little swollen and bruised...it totally hurts like poop. You see, I fell in a hole (no surprise....I am a spaz) and when I fell, I fell into our fence and hit my foot. I finished mowing the front yard (which took me forever because this was our first mow of the season) and I didn't go inside until after eight o'clock...long day. The really sad thing is that last week, I finally started working out again...much like my brother-in-law, I have gained about thirty pounds since getting hitched...now I'm sad and don't want to go out of my house looking the way I do...so...I started going to the gym again and playing raquetball with Nick. I was waaaay out of shape at the beginning of this school year and this was only added to when I broke my ankle because I couldn't do much without hurting it. I still have to wear my brace because it's pretty weak and now I've hurt my other foot and cannot walk on it without pain...what the poop?!

Someone in my class wrote on my markerboard and no one's fessing up...I told them they don't get recess until we get to the bottom of it...we'll see what happens on Monday

Well, I feel this is a boring blog, but I'm really tired. I don't think that I could be funny due to the sleep deprivation I am enduring at this point in time. It's amazing how tired I am...I am more than happy to go to sleep right now...Nick's watching a bunch of crap about the NFL Draft so I'll have to use my ear plugs and sleep mask to get to sleep tonight I think...Peace, love, and fried chicken to all...
~ Blevins-out!

Has it really been so long?

Wow, so here I am, sitting in bed watching I Love Lucy and I'm thinking...whoa, I can't believe I went all week without getting on the computer to create a new blog. I'll admit, I'm not as much of a computer psycho as my hubby, but still, I'm ashamed of myself! I don't necessarily have too much to say. I will give an update of my week (as I'm sure everyone wants an update...)

This week Nick and I decided to start playing raquetball...in a word...hillarious. Our first outing was on Tuesday and we were pretty bad. I ended up running into the wall like four times and I developed a large bruise on my left knee from it. We couldn't really keep a "volley" going (I'm not really sure if they call it a volley in raquetball or not) and I personally got pretty lazy after about twenty to thirty minutes...(perhaps that's because I'm sooooo out of shape). We played again on Thursday too. We set up appointments to reserve the court one week ahead of time. We had to miss a meeting for a children's ministry conference to play on Thursday, but that was actually best because the meetings are so far away from our house and we had been out really late the night before.

On Wednesday we went to a friend's house for a meeting and had a blast. I had some weird, grotesque rash on my left cheek develop on the way to her house. It really itched, but it went away by Thursday. While we were at this "meeting," Nick and I stayed later and ended up playing Wii and talking. All of a sudden, it was midnight! Yikes...we didn't get home until almost one because Nick wanted to get something to eat and we tried Burger King and McDonald's and they were both closed...I was totally carsick because Nick drives like a psycho and I had a massive sinus headache. I really thought I was going to vom...and almost did when we got home, but I was ok. We had such a nice time and I was inspired to download Super Mario Brothers on the virtual console of my Wii...too much fun!

Last night, Nick and I went to the Drive-In. We had a nice time and the weather was beautiful! We took my car and sat in it with the windows down and the sunroof open. I was really glad I had my Nintendo DS and a book to keep me occupied before the movies started (we got there like 45 minutes early) because Nick spent this whole time sleeping. I ended up erasing all of the files on Mario Kart DS and starting over. I bought the game used and the previous owner had unlocked almost everything and I wanted to do it for myself. The lineup at the Drive-In was pretty good this weekend. I actually wanted to see all three movies. The first movie was Penelope. It was really cute. Nick ended up watching it too and even he said that it wasn't all that bad. Then was The Forbidden Kingdom with Jet Li and Jackie Chan. What I saw of this movie I really enjoyed. It was kinda like a mixture of a comedy/kid's movie and a traditional kung-fu type movie. Unfortunately, I only made it through about twenty to thirty minutes of this movie. I hate the fact that everytime I go to the drive-in, I always fall asleep after the first show. I even drank so much Diet Coke it was insane and I still fell asleep! Oh well, the last movie was The Bank Job. Nick said it was really good. I guess I'll have to catch it on DVD. Speaking of DVD....

Nick and I are still on the fifth season of the Sopranos. We had to put two disks on Nick's computer and this totally shafted us because Nick doesn't like to be without his computer and we have no blank DVDs to burn the episodes onto (I know I ended this sentence with a preposition, but who cares!). I don't know how to set it up or anything because if I did, I could totally be watching it now so I could catch up to Nick and then maybe we could finish season five this weekend, but I don't see that happening. Nick said he didn't want to sleep past noon today and it's currently 11:57. I guess that means I need to try and wake him up. He said putting on the NFL Network would be the best thing to do, but I'm really digging I Love Lucy. It's one of the one's when they're in Hollywood...I love these episodes. I think if I could have anyone's talent I'd first choose Kristy Nockels (from Watermark) and then Lucille Ball...what a riot she is! Anywho...I need to wake-up my man...we're taking Rocko (our German Shepherd/Border Collie mix) to the dog park today (hopefully). I can't wait!

~Blevins-out!

At Last....

Yay! I am finally able to write my first official blog on my new page...at last! So...this has been a majorly busy couple of weeks. My team teacher has been in the Ukraine for what seems like forever and I have had to take on a little extra responsibility...if you know what I mean. It hasn't been that bad though...She's back for now and I got to see her for a little bit today...that was cool...We had report cards go out last week...Standardized testing this week...whew...lots going on lately. Tonight, Nick and I went to a Silent Auction at school to support our school-wide safety initiative. It actually wasn't all that bad. We got to sit with some parents from our church which made the evening go by fast.



So...I have some major plans for my new blog...One thing I'd like to do is keep a running critique of movies I watch or have seen so I can share my opinion of good movies...and not so good ones. Another thing I'd like to do is try to keep a log of the funny things my kids say...I just hope I can remember such things by the time I get home each day...



To sum up...it's been a busy week...I hope to do a better job with blogging...and I'll actually have topics from time to time instead of randomness...

The Blog Formerly Known as MySpace...Part VII

December 8, 2007 - Saturday

In case you didn’t know...

So I thought it was about time to finally update anyone who was wondering about my previous incident and how I am fairing now...
My ankle is all better. It hurts when the weather changes, but I guess that's something that I'll just have to live with forever. I am still a little scared to run...it hurts just a smidge when I try...I did try dance dance revolution the other day and that went ok, but after about five songs I had to stop due to pain in the ankle.
Nick was a great help during that time...he was my personal driver and even helped clean the house a little, but alas, those days are gone. Now I have to clean the house and I had better get to it...seriously...I need to go do that.
Unfortunately, I have no major life lessons from the ankle incident. I did learn that an orthopedic doctor with no computer and a massively scary combover really can know what he's doing, you should always hold on to the rail when walking down the stairs if you're as clutzy as I am (and definitely don't carry a really large, heavy box), and finally, life is not worth living if you're going 1000 miles per hour...we all need those times where we slow down, stop, and smell the roses...it just took breaking my ankle for me to do it.
~Blevins--out!

The Blog Formerly Known as MySpace...Part VI

September 30, 2007 - Sunday

Things that bug me...

I'm not in a bad mood or anything...just feeling the need to vent for health reasons...(I don't even really know what that means...)
1. The Ravens - What the crap?! I don't seem to understand why a team that has everything it needs to make a legitimate run at the Super Bowl can't even beat the freakin' Browns. I mean, come on...the only teams that we have defeated this year aren't even in our division. If life doesn't turn around soon for our boys in purple and black, we will be looking at another "short" season...
2. Fantasy Football - Although my entire list will not solely consist of football "pet peeves" (sp?), my first two will. I had a relatively successful rookie season last year, making it into the playoffs. This year, however, I couldn't catch a break if it was thrown to me. Holy cow! Last week I had 111 points...on my bench! Now, for those of you who know nothing about fantasy football, this will make no sense to you, but for those of you who do, let me say this...my bench points would have beat any team in my league, but they were all on the bench. I am 0-3 currently and am looking at going 0-4 unless Carson Palmer and Lawrence Maroney have great games tomorrow night. Every match-up that I have lost has been by less than ten points...sadness...
3. Rocko - Rocko and I went on a date to PetSmart today. Nick is out of town and I had to go get pet food and kitty litter, so I decided to take Rocko with me. I even dressed him in his lime green polo shirt...he looked adorable. At PetSmart, he did an incredible job. He didn't pull the leash, he stayed right by the cart, he didn't pee/poop in the store (which is something I have seen countless dogs do), and he didn't even bark at all. As a reward, I got him a toy...here comes the thing that bugs me...as I type, he is completely destroying this toy. I don't understand why they can't make more dog toys that are indestructable. Now I'm going to be cleaning up stuffing for the next day and a half...this leads me to my next "problem"....
4. Cleaning house - I'm tired of cleaning house. I officially hate it and am ready to hire a maid. It's not even that I don't have enough time (which is partially true), I have just become so lazy...I don't know what my problem is...I just don't have any motivation.
5. Stamps - I never have any stamps. Yesterday was my grandma's birthday. I have had a card for her since Wednesday and haven't sent it yet because I never have any stamps...what the crap.
This concludes today's list of things that bug me. On a side note...I've been walking for one whole week now. My ankle is definitely very weak. I walked outside today in the grass without my "cast" and it hurt like poop. I would have most likely been fine on a regular surface (I should have stayed on the sidewalk). Either way, I am really ready to have full strength/range of motion. I've been working really hard on it. It's weird not to be able to run if I want to...I'm really missing the opportunity to play volleyball and flag football right now...I don't think I'll ever play any type of sport again without an ankle brace...I refuse to use crutches ever again...

The Blog Formerly Known as MySpace...Part V

September 15, 2007 - Saturday

In case you didn’t know...

*Disclaimer: This is not by any means editted properly. I am fully aware of my lack of consistent verb tense; however, I just don't care to fix it. Please do not judge my writing/teaching skills based on this particular blog.
Hmmm....I just thought I'd blog about this because I don't know what else to do with my extreme pain and frustration....so here goes:..
It all started on the day after my 25th birthday. All in all, I would say it was a pretty great day. I was working really hard in my class room and decided it was time to take a rest and go on home. As is my custom, I was taking tons of work home with me, in hopes of working over the weekend to finish getting ready for the first day of school. I packed my things in a box (a relatively heavy box, but not too difficult to handle) and headed down the three flights of stairs which stand between my room and my car. I'm in a slight hurry because I was totally ready to get home. I have almost made it to the second floor landing, and….BOOM! I'm down. I fell down the steps! Now, for those of you who know me relatively well, you might be aware that an event such as falling down the steps is relatively common place in my life--I am not the most graceful person in the world. In fact, not only do I fall and run into things quite often, I have actually fallen down these exact steps before; however, this time, it was bad…really bad. My fall was accompanied with some of the worst pain of my life. Instantly I knew that this was no ordinary pain; this was mega-pain. I try to stand up, but I can't. This was not good. I didn't know what to do, so I scooted myself over to a wall and called Nick. Nick answered the phone to my frantic voice…"Nick this is an emergency…I need you to come to school right away…I just fell down the steps and hurt myself really bad…I think my ankle is sprained and I can't walk…" Poor Nick left straight away to come rescue me, bringing reinforcements in the person of Dave Greene. So here I am, sitting on the steps waiting…about five minutes later, a colleague came up the stairs and found me just sitting there on the floor. I'm sure this was a totally random sight, but I think it was obvious right away that something was really wrong. I told her what happened and she sprung into action, bringing ice, my principal, and the always handy Kate Kick. They quickly find a wheelchair for me and get me outside to await Nick. Once Nick arrived, we loaded me into my little Tiburon and headed for Patient First Bel Air…
Our arrival to Patient First presented us with our first problem, how to get me into the building…I hopped for what seemed like forever, but we made it into the waiting room and signed in. After a relatively short wait, I was rolled in to have an x-ray (this would be the third time I've had an x-ray…the first was a chest x-ray when I was having allergy induced asthma attacks and the second when I broke my finger…that was bad too…). I got up on the table and the x-ray technician came in and totally man-handled my ankle (or in this case, woman-handled). I'm not sure if she thought I was faking it or what (although the incredible amount of swelling should have told her this was serious), but she was not very gentle at all. She at least apologized once when I winced with pain. Finally the x-ray was over, so Nick rolled me into an exam room. Here we waited forever until a doctor came in, but when she arrived, her accent was so strong that I couldn't understand any thing she said. Nick laughed at me, but I had no clue as to what she was trying to ask me. I seem to remember her saying something about x-ray…no break…just sprain. So, apparently I have a sprained ankle, thanks for letting me know…then she just left. Another lady came in and fit me with some kind of cast/splint thingy with a very fashionable shoe and taught me how to walk on the crutches and told me that I was free to go. On my way out, the doctor said I should be able to put some weight on my foot in about five days. I'm thinking…this is great! I have three full days to rest up before the first school and by the second week I should be walking! So I go home…swelling and throbbing…but all in all pretty happy.
After doing a really great job of keeping my foot propped up and putting ice on it for a whole day, I started getting stir crazy. I made my way over to the Marshall's house for the "luau" (where I had to keep my foot propped up the whole time and felt pretty retarded asking people to get things for me). As the evening started to come a close, I decided to head down to the fire pit area to make some smores and enjoy the company of others…Let me just say, me + crutches + grass + camping chairs + fire = disaster. When I finally made my way to the fire pit, almost fell face first into the fire! Not good…I almost gave Kenny a heart attack, plus, I put my foot down on the ground out of habit and put myself into a major pain attack. I think that the pain in my foot was so extreme that I didn't even realize that my hand was resting on the fire pit! Wow, that was stressful. Later on, we all made our way into the house where we decided to watch a movie. Nick and I both fell asleep so we decided to crash at the Marshall's…
The next morning I had a nice before-nine-conversation with Bailey, and then my phone rang. It was Patient First. Turns out they were wrong about my x-ray…I did have a fracture in my ankle and I need to make my way to an orthopedist ASAP. Now I'm freaking out for several reasons…one…tomorrow is the first day of school…two…how in the world am I supposed to find an orthopedist…and three…holy cow, I broke my ankle! Stressful…on top of it all, now I have to get sub plans ready for the first day of school. I am going to have to miss out on meeting my kids on the first day …This is sadness that goes beyond what a teacher can stand…
Tuesday, the first day of school comes and I don't get to teach, I get to spend all morning on the phone looking for a doctor (again, if you know me, having to talk on the phone is another major stress for me). After what seemed like a million phone calls, I finally found a place that could fit me in, but get this…they don't have a computer, so I have to get the film of my x-ray…What?! This is 2007, and they don't have a computer…this sounds like a bad idea, but what other choice do I have. Nick and I went up to Bel Air to fetch the x-rays and then race back to Rosedale for my appointment. Half-way back, we realize we don't have the actual x-rays, we have a computer disk. Oh no, what are we going to do! Well, improvisation is the key…we called the doctor and found out we could just take Nick's laptop in and we could read the x-ray from there…sketchy, but ok. We get there and the joint is deserted, but that's ok. We get into the doctor (who incidentally has the worst comb-over I've ever seen and is older than dirt…he graduated form college before my parents were even born…), open the x-ray, and he found two fractures right away…maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all…He said that it would take 4-6 weeks to heal, but he would give me an air cast so I could shower and everything…I just have to be very careful…ok, I can do that…let's get out of here (doctors stress me out).
My first day back at school was not highly eventful…I got up the stairs (finally) and was able to stay in my room all day because I have wonderful colleagues who help me out tremendously. My class was great and they really tried hard to take excellent care of me, and they did a great job….
Fast Forward…I have now finished my second gimpy week of school…it's really hard, and I don't recommend it, but teaching with one leg can be done. My class is great about it. I roll around my room on my desk chair all day. I jokingly said I should use a paddle to help me get around and yesterday, my class brought me an autographed paddle. It is so cute I just can't stand it…(thanks Mrs. Brant!…friend request me when you read this because I can't find you on myspace…). You can't buy memories like that. I have gone back to the doctor once since my original visit. I have been cleared to move my foot as much as I can and to even try to put some weight on it. I can kinda walk a little, but it hurts waaaay too bad. It's funny…I almost feel like I've forgotten how to walk and it's only been two weeks. I will continue to keep my blog updated with my progress and I will surely blog again when this whole dumb thing is over to impart on the whole world the great nuggets of wisdom I have gleaned from this experience…peace out for now…and don't break a leg…seriously…it's not a good idea.

The Blog Formerly Known as MySpace...Part IV

July 9, 2007 - Monday

"clubbin"

So, I had my first (and hopefully last) experience at what some would call "club." I will preface this particular blog with a few disclaimers...first of all, I want to say that I do not think that drinking is wrong or that you are a bad person if you choose to partake in an occasional alcoholic beverage. Second, I on the other hand do not drink, ever. Last, the following statements are not meant to pass judgement in anyway shape or form. They are simply thoughts that I had just after this experience...

June 30, 2007-Kristen's Bachelorette Party. We started at TGI Friday's for dinner. This was a very fun time. The wait-staff of Friday's sang "Going to the Chapel" for Kristen and that was quite hilarious. Then the craziness began...lol! We left Friday's for The Lodge, a bar at the Power Point Live area of the Inner Harbor. In my vehicle I had Rikki, Kristen's aunt, cousin, and his girlfriend. (yes, I said his...we are probably the only people in the world who had a guy with us for a bachelorette party). I had a feeling we would have a relatively crazy ride home...if I only knew then, what I know now...So we get there and we have our champagne toast (I chickened out and didn't do it). Then, we had our round of shots for the bridal party (chickened out again). So here I am, at a bar, not knowing what to do. I decided that it would be my job to be the "mom" of the evening. This meant that I spent the next few hours watching those who were with us like a hawk. I was so afraid that someone was going to get kidnapped or something...Thankfully Rikki was stuck there with me so she kept me company (even though I'm sure she would have loved to have been at home, we did have fun making fun of other people). Then around 2 am or so, we finally get to head home. Just about everyone in our car was a little wasted so it was a really funny ride home. I don't know that I've ever been around a crazy drunk before, but it was pretty funny.

Fast forward three hours...I was getting ready for church, wishing I had had more sleep and regretting the fact that I had stayed out so late. I got to church and went into the service. We sang one of my very favorite songs called "Sing to the King." Part of the chorus sings, "Come let us sing a song, a song declaring that we belong to Jesus, and he is all we need." This got me to thinking...Just a few hours prior to this, I was surrounded by hundreds of people who were drinking and partying and having a grand old time, but why? I was suddenly full of gratitude for the fact that I have Jesus in my life and that He really is all I need. I don't need to go out and drink and look for something else to make my life feel complete because it already is. I don't know that I am always all that thankful for the fact that I knew at a young age that I needed Jesus in my life and that I was going to make my life revolve around serving God, but this was definitely one of those moments. I felt a strong need to "blog" about this because I didn't know what else to do with these thoughts. Yes, I am totally a "goodie goodie," but I am glad about that. Again, I don't think there's anything wrong with drinking and having a good time. Now, I do think that if you're getting drunk and things like that, there is a problem there, but that's a different story. I am just thankful that my life is the way it is...clubbin' is not for me and it's a good thing because I am pretty bad at it...

The Blog Formerly Known as MySpace...Part III

March 27, 2007 - Tuesday

Procrastination

So, here I am, the end of the third quarter knocking on my door, a paper on the churches at Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae breathing down my neck, and a Kidstuf script that I need to have memorized by tomorrow night, and what am I doing...goofing off on my computer. I swear, sometimes I am such a goober! When will I learn to prioritize my life and get things done in a timely manner instead of major cram sessions at the last minute?! One would think that finishing many a papers in the post-midnight hours throughout college would have encouraged good time management skills, but alas, here I am, in that same old familiar boat. You know the boat I'm talking about, the one with so many holes in it, it is almost impossible to stay afloat. You have to keep on bailing out water as fast as you can while also trying to plug up the holes. Everytime you get a whole plugged and are almost finished bailing, a new hole springs up and you're right back to where you started. Ahh, this boat is the metaphor for my life...if you've never been in this boat, consider yourself blessed...if you're thinking, "wow, I know exactly what she means..." then I pity you. I read a t-shirt one time that said "Procrastinators unite! Let's do it tomorrow..." I should look for that shirt and wear it everyday. Oh, boo....I guess I really need to get to work. Yikes, I've just wasted another fifteen minutes....

The Blog Formerly Known as MySpace...Part II

October 10, 2006 - Tuesday

B.O.

So, I noticed today after recess that my room REAKED of major b.o. My guess is that the boys have not made that major leap into wearing deodarant. At what age is it necessary to wear deodorant everyday? I'm thinking at least by the fifth grade. Now I'm at an impasse...should I say "hey guys, something smells nasty in here and it's not me...you have major b.o. and you need to start wearing deodorant everyday." or just let it go? Hmmm...just my thought for today. I'm sad the Ravens lost, but happy our volleyball team is 3-0...I need to go to bed so I can get up early and start another great day...too bad it's supposed to rain because that means we have indoor recess and indoor recess stinks...not as bad as fifth grade boy b.o. but you know what I mean. I guess if we stay inside they won't get stinky and sweaty...Anywho...this is random as all get out, so I should stop rambling now and move on with my life...

The Blog Formerly Known as MySpace...Part I

Since I have a new blog now, I have decided to move my blogs from MySpace here...They are in order for oldest to most recent...

September 9, 2006 - Saturday

The 5th grade

So, I have decided to "blog" about my first week in the fifth grade...all in all I'll say it went pretty well. It's so much different than first grade that it honestly makes me wonder how the heck I made it through last year. I love my little first graders, but fifth graders are so much more independent...it's awesome. Mountain is such a great school...I feel so blessed to be there and I truly feel that is where God wants me to be...finally a sense of purpose! My kids are fun...a little chatty and we get really random at times, but they definitely keep me on my toes. I am working with a great mentor teacher who takes great care of me and I just couldn't be happier! I made a few major boo boos this week, but I had it all figured out by Thursday so...not too bad. We were majorly late for dismissal the first two days of school and we got into a little bit of "trouble." It's all good in the hood now though. We have chapel every Wednesday and our first one was soooo awesome. I think that will definitely be something I look forward to every week. It really is a great time of praise...which is not really what expected. I expected it to be a cheezy kids worship time, boy was I wrong. Umm...I think that about sums it up. Fifth grade is fun. We had a great week this week and for the first time I ever, I don't dread going to work. Yay!

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