When I can't seem to get a word in edgewise...help me be thankful that they are able to speak at all.
When the laundry is stacked to the ceiling...help me be thankful for the clothes we have.
When the noise level is more than I can bear...help me be thankful that they both have two healthy lungs.
When there is "nothing to eat"...help me be thankful that we've never actually experienced having nothing to eat.
When I can't ever speak in complete sentences because "little ears are around"...help me be thankful that they can hear.
When the house is a disaster...help me be thankful that we have more house than we will ever really need.
When I can't ever just have my own snack, drink, or slice of ANYTHING...help me be thankful that we don't have to battle food allergies.
When the car breaks down...help me be thankful that we are fortunate enough to have vehicles.
When they beg me to play with them...help me be thankful for this time when they are young and innocent.
When the work load seems overwhelming...help me be thankful for the opportunity to teach.
When they develop an attitude that makes me want to scream...help me be thankful for the opportunity to mold their character.
When too many things pile up at once...help me be thankful for family who will help.
When the sibling rivalry just won't quit...help me be thankful that they both HAVE a sibling to fight with.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
It's All About Perspective
Tonight we had a great lesson on perspective.
My husband had been thinking lately that maybe we should buy an elliptical machine. At first I about passed out in shock, because he does not usually make purchases like this. Or more accurately, HE is not usually the one who has the idea to make a purchase such as this one.
But...for a couple years now we have been working out at the weight room attached to the local high school. The weight room where loads and loads of stinky, sweaty, dirty football and basketball players work out. The weight room that smells freakishly similar to a boys' locker room. The weight room that has the same weights that I lifted in junior high 20 years ago. The weight room with the dinosaur-age elliptical machine. The weight room that's FREE.
However, much to our surprise, we arrived at there several weeks ago to see a sign posted on the door. "No public access to the weight room until security cameras are installed due to destruction of equipment." This, and the issues listed above, led us to the decision to use part of our economic stimulus check in the way it was intended.
And that, my friends, is a long rambling story to bring you up to speed to tonight. We arrived at the sporting goods store and found an elliptical machine we liked. It was a great deal - a $1,000 machine marked half off. We, of course, being the resourceful shoppers that we are decided to shop around a bit first. However, at each stop, we decided we liked the one at the first store best, and what a great deal we were going to get!
Three hours later we arrived back at the first store excited about our upcoming purchase. We had done our homework, shopped around, and made the best choice. But when we came to the line of machines we noticed something odd - all the sale signs had changed.
Three hours previously, our machine said "original price $999.98 - 50% off - now $499.98".
Now the sign read "original price $599.98 - $100 off - now $499.98."
HUH??? In three hours the original price dropped $400? That's serious depreciation.
It made me mad. I wanted to leave and take my business elsewhere. And then it hit me. This is the one we liked. This is the SAME MACHINE. It is still the SAME PRICE. Why then was this purchase now so depressing? I'm a grown adult. I should know by now how these sales gimmicks work. But, honestly, I'll never be able to look at that machine with quite as much excitement as I would have thinking we got it for half off.
It's all about perspective. But I wish we would have bought it the first time we walked in the store.
Ignorance IS bliss.
My husband had been thinking lately that maybe we should buy an elliptical machine. At first I about passed out in shock, because he does not usually make purchases like this. Or more accurately, HE is not usually the one who has the idea to make a purchase such as this one.
But...for a couple years now we have been working out at the weight room attached to the local high school. The weight room where loads and loads of stinky, sweaty, dirty football and basketball players work out. The weight room that smells freakishly similar to a boys' locker room. The weight room that has the same weights that I lifted in junior high 20 years ago. The weight room with the dinosaur-age elliptical machine. The weight room that's FREE.
However, much to our surprise, we arrived at there several weeks ago to see a sign posted on the door. "No public access to the weight room until security cameras are installed due to destruction of equipment." This, and the issues listed above, led us to the decision to use part of our economic stimulus check in the way it was intended.
And that, my friends, is a long rambling story to bring you up to speed to tonight. We arrived at the sporting goods store and found an elliptical machine we liked. It was a great deal - a $1,000 machine marked half off. We, of course, being the resourceful shoppers that we are decided to shop around a bit first. However, at each stop, we decided we liked the one at the first store best, and what a great deal we were going to get!
Three hours later we arrived back at the first store excited about our upcoming purchase. We had done our homework, shopped around, and made the best choice. But when we came to the line of machines we noticed something odd - all the sale signs had changed.
Three hours previously, our machine said "original price $999.98 - 50% off - now $499.98".
Now the sign read "original price $599.98 - $100 off - now $499.98."
HUH??? In three hours the original price dropped $400? That's serious depreciation.
It made me mad. I wanted to leave and take my business elsewhere. And then it hit me. This is the one we liked. This is the SAME MACHINE. It is still the SAME PRICE. Why then was this purchase now so depressing? I'm a grown adult. I should know by now how these sales gimmicks work. But, honestly, I'll never be able to look at that machine with quite as much excitement as I would have thinking we got it for half off.
It's all about perspective. But I wish we would have bought it the first time we walked in the store.
Ignorance IS bliss.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Quotes from the Kindergartener
1st Day of School:
Me: How was school?
Him: Good. I'm the line leader!
2nd Day of School:
Me: How was school?
Him: She hasn't taught us how to read yet!
3rd Day of School:
Me: How was school?
Him: She said we would know how to read by the time we eat chicken on Mother's Day.
Me: Huuuuhhhhh? Oh, you mean by the time you eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
Him: Yeah! That's it!
(And to all my food-harrassing obnoxious friends...yes, I KNOW we probably eat CHICKEN on MOTHER'S DAY in this house, but that's not the point...)
Me: How was school?
Him: Good. I'm the line leader!
2nd Day of School:
Me: How was school?
Him: She hasn't taught us how to read yet!
3rd Day of School:
Me: How was school?
Him: She said we would know how to read by the time we eat chicken on Mother's Day.
Me: Huuuuhhhhh? Oh, you mean by the time you eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
Him: Yeah! That's it!
(And to all my food-harrassing obnoxious friends...yes, I KNOW we probably eat CHICKEN on MOTHER'S DAY in this house, but that's not the point...)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
SERVE
This week at teacher in-service, our administrator at school told us a story about three men who were incredibly close to reaching their lifelong dream of climbing Mt. Everest, when they came upon a man who was half-frozen, semi-delirious, and suffering from oxygen deprivation. They had a choice to make - abandon their dream or abandon this man. The man was already half-dead. Who even knew if he would survive the treacherous trip down the mountain? And even if he did, would he ever be "normal" again?
The men chose to let go of their dream in hopes of saving a human life. And, miraculously, the man survived, was reunited with his family, and recovered from his near-death experience. The whole point of the story centered on service. How willing are we to lay aside our own wants and desires to serve others? How willing are we to detour from our to-do lists and put the needs of someone else first? How willing are we to even take the time to stop and pick up the trash laying around?
After discussing the importance of serving one another, we were challenged to develop an acrostic for the word SERVE to create a theme for the school year.
Here it is:
S - Surrender Self
E - Encourage Others
R - Refuse to Complain
V - Volunteer for the 2nd Mile
E - Extend a Hand
I have to admit, this hit me pretty hard. I typically have an agenda, and a will to get it accomplished. I do not naturally or easily set aside what I have in mind to get done and let the needs of others take the place of my own. Oh, at times it may come across like I do this well, but usually only when I can fit it in neat and tidy with whatever else is going on in my life.
That is so sad. So, I am attempting to rise to the challenge. I know it's not going to be easy. I'm in way over my head with teaching (just added one more class to my schedule yesterday), accreditation work, keeping the family fed and the clothes clean, and still being a good wife to my husband, a good mother to my kids, and a good friend to my good friends. But I am going to attempt to filter it all through "SERVE" and see how it goes.
I may need a few gentle reminders along the way.
The men chose to let go of their dream in hopes of saving a human life. And, miraculously, the man survived, was reunited with his family, and recovered from his near-death experience. The whole point of the story centered on service. How willing are we to lay aside our own wants and desires to serve others? How willing are we to detour from our to-do lists and put the needs of someone else first? How willing are we to even take the time to stop and pick up the trash laying around?
After discussing the importance of serving one another, we were challenged to develop an acrostic for the word SERVE to create a theme for the school year.
Here it is:
S - Surrender Self
E - Encourage Others
R - Refuse to Complain
V - Volunteer for the 2nd Mile
E - Extend a Hand
I have to admit, this hit me pretty hard. I typically have an agenda, and a will to get it accomplished. I do not naturally or easily set aside what I have in mind to get done and let the needs of others take the place of my own. Oh, at times it may come across like I do this well, but usually only when I can fit it in neat and tidy with whatever else is going on in my life.
That is so sad. So, I am attempting to rise to the challenge. I know it's not going to be easy. I'm in way over my head with teaching (just added one more class to my schedule yesterday), accreditation work, keeping the family fed and the clothes clean, and still being a good wife to my husband, a good mother to my kids, and a good friend to my good friends. But I am going to attempt to filter it all through "SERVE" and see how it goes.
I may need a few gentle reminders along the way.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Ode to Free Time
Oh free time, how I miss thee
Let me count up the ways
I miss curling up to read a good book
And vacationing for days and days
Oh free time, how I miss thee
The TV is a thing of the past
My laundry is no longer caught up
And the dust is piling up fast
Oh free time, how I miss thee
I wish I could go to the pool
I miss my cell phone and all of my friends
Instead I spend hours at school
Oh free time, how I miss thee
My family wants a home cooked meal
I'm sure I'll get around to it soon
Is 8 days of hot dogs really a big deal?
Oh free time, how I miss thee
I don't have any more time to write
This page may feel very abandoned
Unless I drop in late at night.
Oh free time, how I miss thee
My scrapbooks all look really sad
But so does my desk and my shelves and my room
The organization has gotten quite bad.
Oh free time, how I miss thee
I will see you again come next May
The class will be taught and the work will be done.
Oh, what a glorious day!
Let me count up the ways
I miss curling up to read a good book
And vacationing for days and days
Oh free time, how I miss thee
The TV is a thing of the past
My laundry is no longer caught up
And the dust is piling up fast
Oh free time, how I miss thee
I wish I could go to the pool
I miss my cell phone and all of my friends
Instead I spend hours at school
Oh free time, how I miss thee
My family wants a home cooked meal
I'm sure I'll get around to it soon
Is 8 days of hot dogs really a big deal?
Oh free time, how I miss thee
I don't have any more time to write
This page may feel very abandoned
Unless I drop in late at night.
Oh free time, how I miss thee
My scrapbooks all look really sad
But so does my desk and my shelves and my room
The organization has gotten quite bad.
Oh free time, how I miss thee
I will see you again come next May
The class will be taught and the work will be done.
Oh, what a glorious day!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
TMI
35 minutes ago I tucked my little one in for a nap. 10 minutes ago I heard him upstairs talking in his room. There is absolutely nothing positive that can come from him being awake for nearly half an hour without me knowing about it. So, I walk into his room to see what's going on.
Him: "I have poop on my finger."
Yes he did. And all over his hand too.
Him: "And it's on the wall too."
Sure enough. Right there. Big streaks.
Him: "I wanted to get it off my finger."
No kidding. It sorta worked.
Him: "And there's poop on my bed."
Great. Cause when the wall doesn't work, one should always try the bed next.
Him: "I dug in my diaper and got poop."
This must be my genius child. At least he's honest.
Him: "I have poop on my finger."
Yes he did. And all over his hand too.
Him: "And it's on the wall too."
Sure enough. Right there. Big streaks.
Him: "I wanted to get it off my finger."
No kidding. It sorta worked.
Him: "And there's poop on my bed."
Great. Cause when the wall doesn't work, one should always try the bed next.
Him: "I dug in my diaper and got poop."
This must be my genius child. At least he's honest.
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