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on the first day of summer break my true love gave to me…

June 4, 2011 By

Starting summer break is always weird.

I look forward to it for weeks while I finish up the million things that I have to do at school.  This year was especially taxing.  Not only did I have six classes instead of five to wrap up, I had graduation to run.

I had tests and quizzes and essays to grade.

I had make-ups and credit recovery to chase.

I had seniors to hound about credits, parents to call about failing grades, graduation rehearsals to plan and run, a senior picnic to organize, and the list really keeps going.

It was a whirlwind.

This past Tuesday I was at school from 7:15am until 8:30pm because of graduation.  I didn’t go home between school and the ceremony because I had so much to work on and it seemed silly to drive 40 minutes home just to turn around and come back.

Wednesday and Thursday were half days for the students, but I still had meetings and grading to get done in the afternoon.

When Friday finally showed up, I was in sort of a daze.

For two hours the staff had their final meeting of the year and then we were free.

We had our annual staff get-together at a teacher’s house to unwind and gab about the latest dirt and rumors in the district about what could possibly happen to our jobs, and then it was time to go.

I got home and just sat.

After all the constant going and doing over the past few weeks I was suddenly done.

So what did I do?  I fell asleep on the couch while Cort watched Tivo-ed episodes of Whale Wars.

Today I woke up somewhat refreshed.

Cort bought me a Groupon to get a shellac mani/pedi so I cashed that in, treated myself to a venti frappacino at Starbucks, and did a little shopping at Target.

I still don’t think it’s sunk in yet that I am done with work for a few months.

And it’s hard to enjoy because my district faces a pantload of cuts again due to decisions made in Lansing, but we won’t know until the end of June who is getting pink slipped.

And it could be August before I see a teaching assignment or schedule.

Of course the snide comments about how easy my job is because I get 2.5 months off each summer have already started.

It’s hard to come off one of the most difficult teaching years of my career and get slapped with a “pfft.  I wish I got more than two months off every year.  must be nice!”

It is nice, yes.

And if I had to teach year ’round?  I would consider another job.

And if you want your summers off too?  They DO still have teaching certificates available.  You could go to school for the rest of your life and pay $175 each time it expires to keep it too.

Go ahead.

I’ll be your biggest cheerleader.

Anyway…what was I talking about?

I don’t even know.

This post is not going anywhere.

But I am off for the summer.  There are haters, but guess what.  I still have the summer off.

Well, until I start that class in two weeks that I have to pay for in order to keep my teaching certificate which expires next year that I have to pay $175 to keep so I can have a job…if there is a job for me.

Yay!  Summer!

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I Was A Senior Hottie!

May 25, 2011 By

Leave it to Liz to come up with a little blog hop of our high school years.

It’s only appropriate that as a high school teacher who doubles as the senior class adviser I get on board and participate.  In fact, I am planning my very last graduation since I have resigned the job of senior class adviser effective at the conclusion of this school year.

So, to celebrate this lovely time of year and my (hopefully) new found freedom to see my family, I give you ME as a SENIOR HOTTIE…and yes, I protected the innocent victims of 90’s.  Except for Cort.  You can see how goofy he looked.

 

contrary to today’s fashions? we wore flannel mu mu’s in high school…or our dad’s shirts. whatever.
Senior Prom. The theme? Hollywood Nights. In small town Michigan. Yeah.

this is so classic '90's. The gold chain, the hair...oh how I prayed for bangs. sigh...

and of course I had to share graduation day! Class of ’96! Go Brown, Go Gold, Go CHIX!!!

Want to see more lovely Senior Hottie Pictures?

Head over to A Belle, A Bean, and A Chicago Dog…it’s five days of senior pictures pandemonium!

 

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PEOPLE!  I got an email tonight that immediately made my feet sweat and the tummy butterflies go crazy.  Little ole Sluiter Nation has been nominated as one of Circle of Moms Top 25 Mental Wellness Blogs!

My jaw hit the ground.  I am incredibly honored to be even mentioned, let alone nominate with the blogs listed there.

If you want to check the list out, you can vote for your favorites (me?) once a day through June 15!  Just click the button below.

 

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the way my mind works

May 19, 2011 By

Last night I was on twitter.

(I know, shocking).

And I was having a discussion with @prettyalltrue and @moveovermaryp about school crossing guards.  @prettyalltrue was letting us know her daughter–who is a crossing guard–does not approve of talking to the guard.  not even a “thank you.”

This prompted me to remember that Cort was once a crossing guard, but we called them “safety’s” back then.

Which caused me to ask Cort, “who sang “The Safety Dance?  Was it Men without Hats?”

He thought it was Men At Work.

So I tweeted that I was thinking of Men at Work.

But then I tweeted, “You can dance if you wanna,” and I was quickly informed that I was thinking of Men Without Hats.  Which is what I thought in the first place, but every time I tried to picture them, all I could see in my head was the Devo “Whip It” video.

So i tweeted that.

And @prettyalltrue commented on the fact that my mind works like hers…strange connections.

This is not new, people.

In high school?  I would do the same thing, but instead of explaining the transition?  I would just go from us all talking about Spanish class to me saying something like, “My brother used to ride a bright orange bike!”

Forgetting that no one is in my head getting why I just said that.

In college I realized the blessing of these random connections.

I had this Children’s Literature class with a crazy professor who insisted that every week we take a matching test of 40 authors and the kid books they wrote.

every week.  40.  for 16 weeks.  You do the math.

Anyway, everyone always failed them because REALLY?  Everyone except me.  I aced those mother hubbards.

The girl next to me caught wind and asked me in front of everyone the next week how I did it.

“I just make connections.  Connections and flashcards.”

They didn’t get it.

“Ok, so like this guy’s name is Paul Weiserman* and he wrote that book about “Billy Brushes His Teeth.* First I put that on a flash card.  Author on one side, Title on the other.  Then I start thinking.  Paul Newman always had really straight teeth.  That is an easy one.  That is how I would remember that one.  But sometimes they get more complicated.”

(*these are fake.  I am clearly too lazy to look up anything real)

Everyone just stared at me.

When class started?  I was handed another test with an A on it.  They were all there early the following week quizzing me on how I remembered each one so they could use my tactics.

Fast forward to the present day where I am all older and more mature and a teacher of the next generation and stuff.

I am still using my crazy connection skills.

Because I teach English, I am required to teach vocabulary.  We have these orange vocab books that have units in them of 20 words/definitions.

Since we really don’t have time to spend hours and hours working on vocab (and we shouldn’t anyway, these are high schoolers), I usually go through the words with the kids the first day of the new unit.

But instead of just reading the word and definitions, I go through them and talk about how to remember the words and their definitions.

You want an example? Ok…let’s see…ok…last year we had the word “aplomb” meaning poise or assurance.

I told my students that I imagine a PLUMBER.  They have so much assurance in themselves that they just feel cool about their butt cracks hanging out.  He’s got butt crack poise.

This is ridiculous, of course, so no one ever forgets the poised plumber with his plumber crack.

And then there is the word “assuage”.

My students always think it looks like “a sausage” so I go with that.

Since it means to make something milder or to soothe, I tell my students that to assuage my dog* while giving him his heart work pill, I give him a sausage.  An assuaging sausage.

(*I don’t have a dog, duh)

Anyway, these are easy ones.  Some (like the word bona fide) involve me remembering lines from movies (O, Brother Where Art Thou, anyone?  yeah, my students don’t know that line or that movie either).

My logic can get pretty crazy.

Um. wait.  Where was I going with this post?

See…I don’t remember.

You can dance if you want to!

D’oh!

Please tell me I am not the only person who makes weird connections and transitions.

Tell me I am not the only person that while someone is talking you really want to bust in with what you just thought of but realize because it took you 37 connections to get to that thought?  It really doesn’t apply at all.

Please. Tell me I am not the only one.

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Love Scentsy?

Want to send me across the country on a plane far, far away to learn how to do nonprofit for cancer via Sluiter Nation?

Check out my Scentsy Fundraiser going on now!

20% of the sales go into my BlogHer/Write Away Cancer fund.

 

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Secret Mommy-hood Confession Saturday

February 19, 2011 By

This bothers a bunch of my family and friends but…

I don’t do the telephone.

I hate it.

Talking on the phone for non-business reasons gives me hives.

Ok, to be honest, I am not a fan of making business-type calls either.  But when I can have a script in my head of what is going to be said by me and then by the person on the other end?  I am better than just a friendly call.

Most people think I am just being silly when I tell them to text or email me, and they call me anyway.  And they go to voicemail.  And they get a text back.

I am serious, people.

I don’t do the phone.

Yes, I will return parent phone calls at work and occasionally make calls to parents when it’s necessary.  But I prefer email or face to face.

The only person…and I mean ONLY person…I do not feel weird with on the phone is my mom.  I call her ALL THE TIME.  Probably because she is my mom.  I don’t need a script with her.

But even with Cort…I prefer an email if I am at work or a text if I am elsewhere.

It doesn’t help that I HATE to be on the phone outside of my house even more than I hate being on the phone inside my house.

I don’t hear people well on the phone…that could be another one of my issues.  And because it’s the phone I can’t figure out what they are saying by gestures of facial expressions.

Yes, I have had my hearing checked, and even after the years of loud concerts it is perfect.

So I don’t know.

I don’t even like to call for pizza or Chinese food.

It is that bad, people.

Cort tries to MAKE me call sometimes, but it’s of no use.  I will change my mind about dinner just so I don’t have to call for it.

(On a side note:  God bless online ordering.)

I am just better in writing.

Writing gives me time to think…to pick just the right words.

I like to think I am great at communicating in writing.

On the phone (and even sometimes in person)?   Not so much.

I am awkward.

So now there are people out there who are begging me to get on skype.

What are you trying to do to me, people?

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this is not about the Olive Garden

February 16, 2011 By

This weekend Cortney and I went out for a much needed date.

In fact I am pretty sure the last date we went on was for his birthday.  At the beginning of December. So to say this was much needed?  Is really kind of an understatement.

ANYWAY…

For Christmas two alumi of mine gave Cort and I gift cards to the Olive Garden–one of our favorite chain restaurants–and we figured it’s the weekend before Valentine’s Day, we should go out.

Now considering we were going to the Olive Garden, I didn’t feel the need to put on a dress and strappy sandals and make an appointment to get my hair and nails done, but I did put in extra effort.

I took a shower AND dried my hair with a hairdryer AND curled it.

And for effect?  I stuck a cute flower in my hair.

See?

oh hey!

We both wore our nice, dark wash jeans.  Cort wore a button down that I gave him for Christmas, and I wore a cute sweater from the Gap.

Nothing super fancy, but not my yoga pants.

I figured this is what people do when they go out for dinner to any place that has a hostess and serves wine.

I would be wrong.

People?  I am not saying that you need to wear your Sunday Best to a chain restaurant, but I did think that clean clothing was sort of a given.

Again, I would be wrong.

When we arrived at The Olive Garden, there was a 40-50 minute wait.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  And we were out for the night, so regardless of if we were sitting at a table or sitting in the lobby, we were still playing on our phones enjoying being alone together.

A 40-50 minute wait will give you a lot of people watching opportunities.

For instance, did you know that apparently wearing an old valour sweat suit with worn out patches at the knees and elbows is totally proper attire for dining at The Olive Garden?

Or that it is completely acceptable to wear tights (not leggings, people.  TIGHTS) as pants with a “dress” (um, SHIRT), is so short your cheeks are not covered…to the Olive Garden?

Perhaps you were aware that wearing hats (ball hats, stocking hats, cowboy hats…) are ok to wear INSIDE the Olive Garden…while you eat.

I was clearly ignorant of the fact that I could have come to the Olive Garden in my pajamas…slippers and all…for this dining experience because a couple times Cort had to give the shush and and tell me to get my jaw off the ground and quit staring.

When our little disc light up happily announcing it was our turn to be seated, I breathed a sigh of relief.  Maybe we would be put into a nice little romantic corner.  Away from…the fashion police rejects.

Or we would be eating at that table right there that is within reach of the lobby.

No problem.  I will sit with my back to them.  Cort is more tolerant.  He can stare at that herd.

We decide to sample a Riesling.

I settle into my chair.

Only to observe the table over Cort’s shoulder.

A mom wearing the largest pair of mom-jeans I have ever seen on such a skinny body tucked into the biggest moon boots ever topped with a massively huge Bon Jovi T-shirt.  Across from her was a dad with those dude jeans that are all tight around the ankles, but all “loose fit” everywhere else and a GIANT Red Wings jersey.  And a hat.

Their two kids?  Were totally cute.

I understand just wanting to get out of the house with clothes on.  Especially when you have two itty bitty kids.

But shouldn’t your look reflect where you are?

Or am I a snob?  Is it wrong that I was visually offended at the “going out” clothing people deem acceptable these days?

I mean I GET the “come as you are” at McDonalds or Wal-Mart or even Target.  I’ve been that girl getting groceries in my yoga pants and a hoodie.

But I feel like I’ve seen enough episodes of What Not To Wear to know that you need to dress for the occasion.

Yoga pants for home?  Ok.

But at the Olive Garden?

Really?

Or is that joint not as classy as I thought?

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Wacky Wednesday

October 27, 2010 By

Ok, so I usually try to do Wordless Wednesday, but my week has been all wacky so far.  Good things, weird things…just wacky.

Here is a brief rundown…

My brother got engaged!  Yay!  This is HUGE, people.  He and his fiance have a 5 and a half year old together.  This story is long, complicated and beautiful.  I will have to share this story with you, if they give me permission.

We had some VERY bizarre weather yesterday.  We woke up to tornado watches, storm and wind warnings, all out madness.  Many schools closed due to the watches; not ours.  We braved those wild winds and pursued education in spite of the crazy weather.  And in turn, we were rewarded with tornado sirens going off at the beginning of fourth hour driving us into the hallway to take cover.  For most of the hour.  Then, just as we were released back to class?  Four minutes later they re-issued the warning, forcing us back into the hallway into lunch.  To say yesterday was messed up is an understatement.

My son is addicted to Sesame Street.  More specifically he is addicted to sitting on my lap and watching song videos from Sesame Street on my computer.  If he sees me get anywhere NEAR my laptop, he whines and pulls at me until I put him on my lap and youtube his favorites.

In fact, this is the one he likes best.  I like it too because it helps me remember that I can make it through the hard stuff.  That’s right.  I get inspired by Sesame Street on the daily.  What of it?

Oh and also?  I am over at Not Super…Just Mom helping my girl Miranda wrap up and super long, tough month that she has dubbed Hellmonth.  I depart from my usual PG rating, so beware, but go read.  I don’t want to be lonely over there!

Here is hoping for a calmer second half to the week!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Vacation Memories

October 25, 2010 By

Since I am in the midst of the longest stretch of work with no break (from Sept 7 until Thanksgiving), I thought an appropriate Top Ten list this week would be vacation memories.

Lately I have been finding myself dreaming of going far, far away with my little family so that we can get some much needed rest and relaxation together.  These dreams have taken me back to some memories I have of traveling with my family, with my husband, with my friends, and with my little family of three.

So here we go….

10. My mom walking off the dock in Pentwater, MI. I was in high school when my family rented a cottage up north in Pentwater, MI, and my parents let me take my best friend, Tonya, along with us.  This particular cottage didn’t have any private beach, but it did have a private dock that had a lovely wide end to it for sunning and swimming and just having fun in the water.  The first day we were there, my brothers, parents, Tonya, and I were headed out to the dock to hang out.  Everyone was preoccupied with what they were doing.

Apparently my mom was so preoccupied, that she didn’t  notice that the dock ended and she walked right off of it.  She tried to play it off like she jumped in, saying things like, “whew!  it’s hot out!  this water feels SO good!”  But Tonya had watched her do it and was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe.  My mom being totally busted…and soaking wet…was pretty hilarious.

9. Buffalo with my fiance. The year before Cort and I were married we took a trip to New York state to visit friends (oh hey, Phil and Liz!!) who lived in Rochester at the time.  Before we got there, though, we wanted to stop for a couple nights in Buffalo.  I wanted to go to the zoo–which was talked up on their website as being the third oldest zoo in the nation, having elephant washing, giraffe feeding, and camel riding–and Cort wanted to see Niagara Falls (even though I

Monkeys at the Buffalo Zoo

told him it’s just a lot of water).

This story could be a whole post, but I will boil it down to this:  Buffalo Zoo?  Lame.  We did not get to feed any giraffes, wash any elephants, or ride any camels.  We set aside a whole day for a zoo we walked int 20 minutes.  And Niagara Falls?  Cort agreed it was just a lot of water.

But we had fun laughing at our misfortune, AND we had a super time once we got to Rochester!

8. Spring Break in college. The one and only time I ever went on a spring break trip was my sophomore year in college.  A group of friends (Go Broncos!!) and I took a plane (my first jet ride ever) to St Petersburg, FL for a week-long stay.  Every day we sat by the pool and tanned.  Most of us were under 21, so we didn’t do a lot of night life, but it didn’t matter.  We had so much fun just hanging out!  And since there were five of us and only two queen-sized beds?  We rotated the person who slept on the floor. It was just plain fun and crazy.

7. Florida with my family. About four years before the spring break trip to Florida, my family took us all to Orlando, FL.  It was one of the first “big” trips my family ever took together (we usually just rented cottages for a week).  We drove the 24 hours there as a family in a van.  I have lots of hilarious memories from this trip, but one that has to do with me was when we were in the Magic Kingdom and I (an almost-sophomore in high school) was SO crabby, my mom actually made me take a time out!  While my dad and my brothers enjoyed Thunder Mountain?  I was stuck on a bench sipping a diet coke until I could “improve my mood.”

6. Tigers baseball game with my family. We have been to MANY Tiger Ball games together as a family, but one in particular sticks out to me because I. DID. NOT. WANT. TO. BE. THERE.

My family had just gotten down with a trip that included Cedar Point and a drive-thru safari (a WHOLE different memory), we were making our way back through Michigan via Detroit because my parents had gotten us tickets to see a game.  People?  As a 16 year old teenager?  I was done.  I did NOT want to be on this trip anymore.

To show my displeasure, I ridiculed (loudly) everything about the game, I insisted on showing off my new Spanish skills (thank you, high school Spanish II) by ordering my refreshments only en espanol, and I targeted the poor kid who was sitting in front of us.

That was probably the most obnoxious thing that I did.  This kid was a total Ken Griffey, Jr fan and every time Griffey did something great, he would say, “ROOOOUTINE hit for Griffey!”

It was that annoying.

So I started quietly heckling.  Finally, Griffey struck out and I leaned forward and yelled, “ROOOOOOOUTINE HIT FOR GRIFFEY!”

Dining at the Experience Music Project

The kid did not say another word the entire game.

5. Seattle with my hubby. One year after being married, Cortney and I decided to fly (my second time on a jet) to Seattle–the home of his favorite band, Pearl Jam–for a week-long vacation.  He didn’t want to be around for the “anniversary” of his dad’s passing away, and Seattle was some place we both really wanted to visit.  So we went.

We went to a zoo (duh), and aquarium (duh), the Experience Music Project, the Space Needle, the Pacific Ocean, Pike Place Market, and lots of downtown wanderings.

4. Montana for one of my best friends. Because I will do anything for my friends, Cort and I decided our vacation in 2007 would be the trip we were making to Montana for a wedding that I was in.  I blogged about it here.

Looking good at the Montana wedding

We found out a few things on that trip:  North Dakota is boring.  Montana is beautiful (and boring), Wyoming is beautiful (and boring), South Dakota has some good place to stop, but the Mitchel Corn Palace is not one of them.

3. Camping/Canoeing with the in-laws. Ok, I hate camping.  It is NOT my idea of a vacation.  But we have gone twice.  TWICE!  I blogged about both trips here, here, and here.  Despite my hate of all things camping, we have a pretty damn good time!

Canoe Trip 2010

2. Indianapolis with my family of three. This past summer’s trip to Indy will always be a favorite of mine because it was our very first vacation as a family of three.  Granted, it was only three days, but in that three days, we spent two (successful) nights in a hotel with a toddler, did some sight-seeing, visited with great friends, met some new great friends, and spent a total of eight hours in the car with

My bloggy friends in Indy

a screaming toddler.

1. My honeymoon. You knew this had to be #1, right?  Most people at this point would talk all about their magical getaway to some all inclusive resort, or perhaps a romantic trip to Europe?  Maybe a cruise?

Not us.  We were on a budget, people.

We went to Myrtle Beach.  Actually, we DROVE to Myrtle Beach. Yes, I know there are some kick ass places to stay and be pampered in Myrtle Beach.  No, we did not stay at one of them.  We stayed at the Mystic Sea Resort–which, upon arriving?  Cort deemed neither Mystical nor Resortish.  In fact, he may have used a swear word and then commented how it looked nothing like what it did on the internet (you would think we would have learned from the Buffalo Zoo debacle, wouldn’t you?).

Two newlywed beach bums

There are so many stories I can tell you about Myrtle Beach, but the main thing is that we started our marriage off with something we could afford and made it fun.  We laughed until we cried.  We enjoyed being together.  And it was perfect.

Don’t get me wrong, some day I would LOVE to go on a “real” vacation.  Something all-inclusive.  Somewhere that creates little swans and monkeys out of my towels.  But until then, we will have fun with our budget vacations.  It’s what I am used to growing up, and it is what you make it!

Now how about you?  Do you have a Top Ten list of your vacation memories?  Link it up!  And tune in this weekend when I announce next week’s Top Ten Tuesday Topic!

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Getting Pooped On

October 23, 2010 By

I am going to let you in on something Sluiter Nation has been doing for three years now.  It’s a little game Cortney and I made up that relieves stress and brings on a serious case of the giggles just when we need it.

It has to do with poop.

That, my friends, is a fake turd I picked up when I was helping a friend shop at a novelty shop.  She needed dorky award thingys for her seniors.  I didn’t need anything.  But I found the fake yucky stuff section and this little poo needed to come home with me.

Of course I didn’t tell Cortney I bought it.  I just put it on his pillow (like the dramatization shot above), and then quietly went about my evening routine.  As I was brushing my teeth, he walked into our room to get his pj’s on.  That is when I heard, “Aw man, LOUIS!!!  GROSS!”  He totally thought the cat did it!

That’s when he saw me falling over myself (and my toothbrush) in the doorway to our room.  I managed to gasp out that it was fake.

He vowed to get me back.

And that is how the poop game began.

Once in his possession, he had free reign of hiding it anywhere that I would find it.

When it is found?  The rule is you have to say, “Aw, who pooped on my ______”.

The poop has been in my bathing suit, in the bread, in coffee cups, in lunch boxes, on Eddie’s changing table, in the coffee maker, in my water bottle, in Cort’s laptop bag…it is really quite endless.

And of course, once found, the poop changes hands and the poop placer now waits to become the poop victim.

Cort and I have had a lot of figurative poop happen in our lives over the five and a half years that we have been married.  We honestly try to keep a positive attitude and realize that it can’t be forever.

But in the meantime?  We laugh.  And if we need fake poop to laugh?  So be it.

Ok so maybe that last picture was too far.  But you get what I’m saying.  Laugh or cry.  We choose laugh.

By the way, if you are loving the Top Ten Tuesdays, this week will be Top Ten vacation memories!  Write it up and come back and link up on Tuesday!

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I Lost What I Was Going to Say

September 3, 2010 By

My wonderful friend, Adrienne always tells me to “write the story just behind [my] eyes” when I go to her for topic advice.  And I always listen to her.

Earlier today there was something right behind my eyes.  I was going to blog about it.  Then I lost it.  Blame it on mom brain, or the fact that today was suddenly fall around here and I was all cozy and sleepy about it…i don’t know.  I just know I lost the story.

But it’s Ok!  Because also today?  My other wonderful friend, Miranda (who could very well be my long lost twin), tagged me in a blog game thingy.

The idea is to answer the questions that the tagger has.  Then come up with new questions and tag some new bloggers.  and the whole world will be filled with bloggers knowing bloggers…or something.

Anyway…it gives me something to write about in lieu of the fact that I lost the story behind my eyes.  Sigh…

So.  here we go.

1. What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager? Why?First let’s get it out of the way that I WAS a teenager in the 90’s.  And I actually really loved it.  Looking back I totally wouldn’t change being a part of all that teen angst and grunge music and the birth of alternative music and the flannel (oh the flannel!) and the Doc Martins.  It was all so great!  But at the time, I probably would have picked the 70’s.  I loved the peace movements and the bell bottoms and the long, straight hair.  Hmmm…wait.  I did all those things in the 90’s too.  Ok.  So I will stick with the 90’s.  They were awesome.

2. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
Hmmm…lots of nice things have been said to me.  I am all lucky that way.  I think the nicest thing that I can remember ever being said to me was in the 10th grade.  I am from a VERY conservatively religious small town.  Pretty much everyone went to some sort of church youth group on Wednesday nights. 

My friend was newish to town (she moved here from a suburb near Chicago in the middle of our 8th grade year).  Everyone pushed her to come to THEIR church.  It was well known that her family didn’t attend church and it became like a crusade to see who could “save” her.

One time, right in chemistry class, she said to me, “you know, Katie, you have never once pushed me to go to church with you.  Why?”

and I said, “you don’t like church.  you told me that before.” 

and she said, “you are the only person who I would think is like Jesus.  He supposedly just accepted people.  He didn’t judge them.  all these other people are judging me for not going to church.  You have never judged me.  Thank you.”

and that is all we have ever said about church to each other.  But I have carried it with me since.  She taught me that my actions show what is important to me MUCH more than any church membership.

3. What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
I don’t consider much of what I do brave.  Mostly because I don’t really feel brave while I am doing it.

Although I guess for me trying to get pregnant for a third time after two miscarriages was something I truly felt brave doing.  I knew what COULD happen.  I went through it. I knew it could happen again.  But I got pregnant anyway.

4. Until what age would you like to live and why?
I want to live old enough that all children I might have can remember me happily.  I want to live long enough that my children are independent and Cortney does not have to struggle to care for them on his own.  I want to live forever. Just like my cat.  We will both never die.

Ok so now I tag some peeps that I want to answer some questions.  And this is a stumper because some of the people who I would LIKE to do this…probably won’t.  But this is who I am going to tag….
1. Grace
2. Lisa
3. Torie

And here are you questions my dear ones:

1. If you could give your child anything that he/she does not already have, what would it be and why?
2. What do you believe your biggest strength is?
3. What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
4. And the age old question…if you could talk to anyone alive or dead who would it be and why?

Ok…answer those questions, dearies!

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With:

Missing the Silly

August 30, 2010 By

This is it.

Summer is officially over.

I know, I know.  Good old “Kyle” on Storm Team8 claims we are entering into a big old heat wave and temperatures are going to soar into the 90’s.  I realize this SOUNDS like summer is still here.  But it is not.

Tonight (Monday), I start teaching.  Monday and Wednesday nights I will be teaching a composition class at Grand Rapids Community College.

Also this week?  Meeting start at my high school teaching job.  And students will be back in the desks the day after labor day.

I will be logging more than 60 hours a week with driving and working combined.

Every day I will leave before my little buddy is awake.

Two nights a week I won’t return until after he is sleeping.

I will see even less of Cortney because he too is starting classes.  He will be in class Monday and Thursday evenings.  And he will be gone bowling Tuesday evenings.

We will go from being a family of three who sees each other from sun up to sun down every single day, to being a family of 3 who is only together on weekends.

I really, REALLY wanted to blog about something else.  Something more cheerful.  Especially since I was able to find my bond with my little boy (as posted about yesterday…in the post below this one).

How overjoyed was I?  And now?  I feel like I am being ripped away.

Our family has had such fun, silly moments that we totally would have missed out on if we didn’t have all this time together.

Today for instance, my child decided to…

wear a box on his head and walk into things.
place his sippy IN a bucket and drink it this way (he is going to be AWESOME in college, by the way).
And pull his diaper almost completely off while standing and watching Little Einsteins.
And then?  When he noticed that WE noticed what he was doing?  He thought he could distract us by “dancing it out.”  For your viewing pleasure:

How in the world can I go back to work?  I am going to miss so much fun and so much silly!

Eddie is on the verge of saying some REAL words….

He is getting so funny and so crazy…

We have developed a bond…

Cortney and I have just figured out to co-exist at home all day with each other AND still like each other…

I know all the positives about starting school and getting into a routine and making some extra money for my family.

I know this. 

But I am also acutely aware of what I will be missing.

Filed Under: Eddie, teaching Tagged With: , , , ,
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