!

My mom flew in from Alaska on Tuesday night and we barely stopped once while she was here! She came to my classroom for two days, we went to the Husband's last track meet, went out to dinner, visited with my SIL and nephew, went to the outlets up north, went to Bellevue for shopping, visited Target and Cost Plus, bought out the nursery and planted some flowers to replace the UGLY things that use to be in front of the garage, took Rex for a walk, went to the Marina, and watched a few movies. I just dropped her off at the airport (insert sad face here) but luckily I'm not feeling too down because. . . we'll be in Alaska in a month! With the dog! I'm really worried about him flying on the plane but of course we'll take him to the vet before so I'm sure everything will be fine. Another reason I'm excited is I'm leaving in an hour to go pick up the Husband at the train station! (I know, how romantic-a train station!) He's been in Oregon for 4 days visiting some friends. I missed him a lot and the dog moped around the house the entire first night he left!
That's enough exclaimation marks for now. Okay, one more!

Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself

"I ate a nail this weekend."

"I feel ready for 4th grade."

"I need a band aid."

"When you lie, you get bumps on your tongue."

"But I didn't need to go to the bathroom at recess!"

"Why do we have to, like, do math?"

"Can I have a band aid?"

"What's the surprise for tomorrow? I promise I won't tell anyone!"

"I get up on me and that's what I said."

"You can be good or bad, it's your choice."

"Summer school's going to rock."

"My mom is old. She's 30something."

"But you never told me I couldn't put the book on my head."

"Can I get a band aid?"

"We only have 21 days of school left so I don't care if you're gonna be my friend anymore."

"I have a new counselor and I think I'm gonna like her."

"That's mines."

I swear, every single one of those statements was uttered in my classroom today, none of which by me.

I knew I married the right man

when he stopped mid-Sunday-comic-reading and went to the store to buy milk for my cereal this morning.

when he rubbed my back during The Davinci Code as I leaned forward, trying to get comfortable in the uncomfortable seats.

when he vaccuumed before his own party even though I told him he didn't have to.

everytime he cleans up after the dog in the backyard.

everytime he grabs me and makes me dance, in our living room, in the backyard, in the street.

when he agreed to take Rex for a walk in the rain today.

when he tries to get out of bed really carefully so he doesn't wake me up and I get a few extra minutes of sleep every day.

Happy Birthday Uncle!

Happy 27th to my love

I can't believe this is your 7th birthday that we've celebrated together. It makes me feel like we've been together for an eternity, but in a good way. I know things are a bit up in the air right now with the work situation but I have to tell you I'm so proud of you for everything you have already done in your entire life. Thank you for letting me be such a big part of it. I love being your favorite person to lay on the couch and watch Scrubs with. I love it.

Somewhat off topic here. I'm watching Felicity, (Senior year) and it's the one where Ben just came home from being away at EMT training all summer and the pure look of joy on Felicity's face as she saw him walk into the room reminds me EXACTLY how I felt every single time you picked me up from the airport after being away from you in college for winter/summer/etc. break. I just wanted to tell you that. I can remember the actual feeling that my heart was going to literally explode all over the inside of the airplane and the other passengers. It still makes me smile.

Been here long?

Jade has made me think about moving. I like lists so here it goes.

1. Born in Sacramento, California and lived in a house with Mom, Dad, and big brother.
2. At 11 months, moved to Anchorage Alaska and lived in a duplex for a year or so.
3. Moved to our first house in Anchortown. Nice swingset in the backyard. We were there for a few years.
4. Moved to an amazing house that had a wishing well in the backyard, a library with marble floor converted into a playgound, and a sauna and massage table in my parents' bathroom. Unfortunately the heating didn't work well, which, in Alaska, makes people move out. Fast.
5. Moved to the house where I met my childhood best friend.
6. Moved to the house we lived in for the longest span of my childhood. It's the house we had my dad's surprise 49th birthday party, I brought my first "boyfriend" to, the house I was an angst-ridden teenager in, and the house my brother left when he moved out when he was 16.
7. Junior year of high school, moved to the house my parents currently live in. It's a great house that they've worked to remodel quite a bit and hope to sell in a few years when my dad "retires."
8. I moved to Corvallis, Oregon and into the dorm, where I met the Husband! :-) Best move of my life. My dad took me to college and helped me carry all my belongings up the 84 stairs (the elevator was VERY crowded and my dad isn't a fan of them anyway) in 95 degree heat. No air conditioning.
9. Sophomore year of college-moved into my first apartment with crazy roommate #1.
10. Summer after sophomore year-stayed in town for summer school and moved into the house the Husband (then boyfriend) shared with two other guys and two other girls. We were cozy.
11. Junior year-moved into apartment #2 with crazy roommate #2. I can pick them.
12. Senior year-moved into a townhouse with the Husband (great move!) and lived happily ever after.
13. Spring/Summer of senior year, during which I graduated, got married, and, yes, moved! Moved into my in-laws house up near Portland, as they packed up to move to Washington and we tried to decide between Washington and Colorado.
14. We decided on Washington. Went to Alaska to get married. Moved to Washington and lived with the in-laws for a few weeks in THEIR new house while we found an apartment in Seattle.
15. Moved to cute one-bedroom, one-closet apartment in Seattle.
16. 1 1/2 years later, bought our wonderful new home.
One year later, we're still here and planning to be so for awhile!

I need to stop moving.

My mom said she teared up a little when she read the list (I emailed it to her) for Mother's Day. She's coming here next Tuesday night for 5 days. I can't wait!

Thank you Mom for. . .

deciding to have another baby after being in labor with my brother for 47 hours.

not getting rid of me when all I did was cry. And cry. And cry. For months.

staying home with my brother and me during our childhood.

baking homemade playdough.

going back to college and get your teaching certificate. That was aweseome.

teaching us, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

those little newspaper clippings and notes you send to me.

all the cards you've ever given me. I still have most of them.

trying to teach me to cook before I went away to college but not saying, "I told you so" when I called you a million times when I moved into my first apartment.

letting me move off campus my sophomore year even though you didn't really want me to.

paying for college. Wow.

telling me it was okay to not know what I wanted to major in. Then probably laughing to yourself when I declared Elementary Education when we probably all knew it was what I was going to do.

buying me as many books as I wanted and taking me to the library constantly as a child. You helped me learn to love reading.

letting me pick out the glasses I wanted in the 3rd grade. Did you want to laugh out loud when you saw them? They were AWFUL.

driving me to. . .thousands and thousands of dance classes.

paying for thousands and thousands of dance classes. Even when you knew I wouldn't be a prima ballerina.

paying for costumes for recitals.

letting me continue dance classes when the doctor said I should cut back because of my ankles.

taking all the pictures at the recitals, then saving ALL the pictures and programs and giving them to me with scrapbook materials to make a scrapbook.

letting my best friend live with us in High School.

letting me date losers. It really did teach me things.

letting all my friends stay over after Senior Prom and you and Dad leaving. I am so glad I was the kind of kid you trusted enough to do that.

becoming friends with all your friends so I became friends with all you friends' kids.

letting Ry and I have Cinder, Cinderella, AllStar, and Abby.

all the birthday parties you planned and beautifuly executed.

being with me when I passed out at Carrs and trying not to freak out in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

making me stay home from school a week because of the concussion.

allowing me to become a vegetarian when I was 12.

paying for me to go to camp in the summer.

all the elaborate Halloween costumes you MADE. Do we have pictures of the Tea bag one? That was insane.

the clothes you made for me.

volunteering at my elementary school.

all the vacations to California and Hawaii.

reading that letter I wrote to you about wanting a "Mother-Daughter" trip to Seattle and agreeing!

standing up for me when an unnamed teacher was being unfair to me.

calling me from the grocery store to ask me the most random questions.

coming to help me set up my first classroom.

letting me go to college out-of-state.

giving me that card in high school the day I was finding out if I made the soccer team after the week of tryouts and it said you were proud of me either way.

paying for everything my entire childhood.

taking care of me every time I had the flu, a sinus infection, ear infection, streap throat, h-pylori, pnemonia, cramps, and any other childhood illness I ever had, including every other Halloween when I got sick!

paying for so many airline tickets, even one I lost. Why am I bringing that up?

enrolling me in an alternative elementary and then supporting my decision to transfer schools in sixth grade. Not many parents would agree to that!

letting me be an angst-riden teenager and stay in my room for hours, listening to Smashing Pumpkins.

getting me a limo as a surprise for my 16th birthday.

shopping for (and finding!) my wedding dress.

riding up the hill with me on the way to my wedding ceremony and telling me I looked beautiful and holding my hand.

waiting to make sure I was at home/with my husband/okay to tell me my Great Grandma and Grandpa died.

the books you buy for my classroom.

letting me vent about work.

chaperoning field trips.

showing me a woman can be successful in the home and in her career.

always telling me I was great.

loving me.

Happy Mother's Day!

Talent Show Auditions Day #4

A fourth grade boy came to auditions yesterday and didn't really know what he was performing. A figurative lightbulb appeared over his head and he said, "I've got it!" He walked to the middle of the music room and stood still for a few seconds. Then, without saying a thing, he fell face first to the floor. A few seconds later, barely audible due to the fact he's mumbling into the carpet, "See. I can play dead."

I went back to the doctor yesterday. I have the beginning of a sinus infection so I'm on antibiotics. I'm also having a CAT scan tomorrow for my headaches. Should be an interesting Friday. And the rash? The doctor thinks it's because of the dryer sheets we use. Or, use to use.

It's 11:51pm and I'm drinking Throat Coat tea-I can't seem to get a tickle out of my throat. I'm not a happy camper. The Husband is sick (He never gets sick) so he's sniffling (we don't have any Nyquil!) I made him get up and drink Theraflu and I have a crazy rash that is also keeping me up. What do you do when you can't sleep and you have to get up in 6 hours for work? I'm trying not to panic-I usually do about this time if I'm not asleep-but I know that won't help me get back to sleep. I'm going to go try to read. I know in about 30 minutes I'll have to pee anyway. Arg.
See ya,
Itchy, coughing, tea-drinking C

My day included:
spending ALL of my planning time and 20 minutes of my lunch time getting the room ready for Science
showing 24 kids how to plant flower seeds
mailing my mom's mother's day present (it will get to Alaska by Saturday, right?)
being a judge for talent show auditions at first recess
researching my headaches online, not really a good idea
and last, but definitely not least, recovering the music teacher's stolen rubber chicken.

This is why I teach

A student from my class last year, now a fourth grader, stopped by my room before school started on Friday morning. "Hi Mrs. E. I've been doing really good in reading this year. I just wanted to say thank you for helping me."

Fall At Your Feet

I've been listening to James Blunt's cd Back to Bedlam for months now. There's one acoustic song in particular that I really love. You can hear a snipit of the song on itunes.com, which is where I bought it.

I'm really close tonight
And I feel like I'm moving inside her
Lying in the dark
And I think that I'm beginning to know her
Let it go
I'll be there when you call
And whenever I fall at your feet
Do you let your tears rain down on me?
Whenever I touch your slow turning pain

You're hiding from me now
There's something in the way that you're talkin’
Words don't sounds right
But I hear them all moving inside you
Go now
I'll be there when you call
And whenever I fall at your feet
Do you let your tears rain down on me?
Whenever I touch your slow turning pain

The finger of blame has turned upon itself
And I'm more than willing to offer myself
Do you want my presence or need my help?
Who knows where that might lead
I fall

The finger of blame has turned upon itself
And I'm more than willing to offer myself
Do you want my presence or need my help?
Who knows where that might lead
I fall at your feet

I spoke too soon

The headache from Hell is back. I took one of the pills the doctor prescribed for me (Midrine) and it's dulled the pain but it's definitely still there. The pill has, however, made me feel "floaty." This is NOT something I could take while teaching. I'm off to wallow in my pain. Adios for the evening folks.

A Good Day

Can you believe it? A good day!? I went to the doctor on Wednesday and haven't had a headache since. I haven't written about them all that much on here but I've been having awful (but not migraine) headaches for weeks now. EVERY day for weeks. The doctor still isn't sure what's causing them but she did some blood tests and gave me a prescription for some meds to try if the pain does come back.
The other reason my day was good involved the sun shining! My yoga/pilates class took place outside in the sun and it was splendid. There's not much more relaxing than doing a tree pose while watching the breeze blow through some real trees.
My kids were great today too-let's hope they keep that up. They had a new seating arrangement today which always looses its novelty but I'll enjoy it while I've got it.
I stayed after school today with my grade-level partner and we helped each other set up our new science unit-Plants. It feels good to have something new to do with the kids tomorrow. They CAN'T WAIT to do science. With the school/district/world focus on Reading, science has definitely been put to the side, sadly. At least we're doing it now.
And the Husband's middle-school track team he coaches won their first district meet today. Yeah!
That's all now, The Office is on so I'm off!

Where do 8-year-olds come up with this stuff?

One student to another, walking in from recess today, "I ain't gonna be your Michael Jackson!"

Attacked by Bugs