Hamper Kitty

Yes, I'm that person. I don't have kids yet, so I'm posting video of my not-so-graceful kitty, Minion.

 

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy holiday season full of laughs, love, family, and friends!  

Let's cry

 Growing up, I learned how to hide my emotions. I'm not entirely sure why, but I know I thought crying made me weak. I remember my best friend in high school trying really hard to find a movie that'd make me cry (Armageddon finally did the trick). My, how times have changed.

As I've matured and grown more sure of myself, my tear ducts have done a complete 180.
I cry when babies get dedicated at church.
I tear up when I read my students' journals sometimes.
And I am a blubbering mess sitting on my couch right now having read these:

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/11/20/60-tiny-love-stories-to-make-you-smile/

"Make you smile" should read "make your mascara stream down your face and onto your white tanktop."

I'm ok admitting this to you because I'm comfortable in my own skin now. Crying doesn't make me weak. It makes me human. I empathize. I sympathize. I experience emotion. And finally, I'm ok with that.

I hope I can pass this acceptable of emotion on to my kids someday, ESPECIALLY my future sons, if we have any. The belief that it's unmanly for boys to show emotion, sensitivity, and tenderness INFURIATES me to the core of my being. Having grown up with a sweet and sensitive brother, I am especially irate when I see or hear of boys being told to "man up" when they're simply expressing their God-given emotions.

So your child thinks it's sad that Bambi dies at the end of the movie? Praise God that he is caring! Seriously. There are so many desensitized children in the world. Let's not contribute to this problem. 

• Let's celebrate their sweetness and sensitivity. 
• Let's teach them to express emotions in appropriate ways. 
• Let's be a safe place for them to cry, laugh, and stomp their feet. 

And every now and then, let's cry in front of them.

The Great Debater

I like (ok, LOVE) to debate. For years, I truly believed I was going to be a lawyer, the only career I can think of where I’d get paid for arguing with people.

I’ve lost several friends (mostly girls) because I’ve said something controversial or offensive and totally not meant it that way. I was just trying to be honest and have a healthy debate.

But despite my love of controversy, I don’t like to fight. When debating, you use your brain… you formulate intelligent points and counterpoints, and your brain hurts afterwards, but not your heart or relationship.

When you fight, you call your opponent “turd-eating idiot” and bring up the countless times he forgot to put the toilet seat down.  

And this is why I love being married to Randy. We debate a lot- football, politics, religion, whether or not to get another kitten, you name it.

But we don’t really fight.

And even when we do, I always know it’ll be ok.

I know we won’t go to bed mad.

I know he’ll hold me while I apologize in a quivering voice.
And he’ll forgive me immediately and never, ever, ever bring it up ever again.

I know he’ll ask me, “What do you need from me right now?” Because most of our (very few) fights stem from my own issues and insecurities, which he unknowingly triggers.

And I’ll blubber, “I…I…I don’t know!” and wipe the snot from my face with a crumpled tissue, and he’ll just hug me and stroke my hair.  

I know he’ll apologize when he’s wrong (which, if I am to be honest, isn’t very often).

I know we’ll fall asleep holding hands, side by side, and that we’ll wake up and snuggle and text each other “I love you” when we get to school or work.

There are countless reasons I love being married to my man. I can’t believe we’ve been together for almost seven years and married for over two of them.

What does “debating” and “fighting” look like in your life?

'Twas the Fortnight Before Christmas

'Twas the fortnight before Christmas

And all through the school

Each student was breaking

Almost all of the rules.

No cell phones? No eating?

No saying "shut up"?

"Forget that, Mrs. Suders!

We'll do what we want."

Some students have mumbled, 

"No half-day before break?

I won't be here, then."

"Oh, boy, that's a mistake!

You see, kids, in my class

We'll be doing work.

An essay, some reading-"

The kids all go beserk!

"You wil'ing, you trippin

You doin' too much!"

To which I just answer,

"Uh huh, yeah, and yup."

A fortnight 'til freedom...

How will I survive?

I'll breathe, and drink coffee

And just stay alive :)

Puke in your face

Well, up until last Monday, my most embarrassing moment was when I stalled my dad's stick shift car in the middle of the road when I was in high school.

His car was blocking my car, and I wanted to go somewhere really important. Target, probably. Or Wal-Mart. So, I figured I'd just pull it out of the driveway and park on the street. Easy peasy.

Except I stalled out in the middle of the road and could not get it into first gear to save my life

In case you've never heard this story, it has a happy ending: a bus full of children had to sit for two (ok...it was probably more like seven or eight)  minutes while I tried desperately to move out of the way. And then the bus driver called the cops. And then the cop told me I needed to go to driving school to learn how to drive stick, and I giggled because thought he was kidding.

He wasn't.

And then the cop hopped in the car and parked it for me... back in the driveway behind my car. Fail. 

Anyway, I have a new embarrassing moment: walking out of class to throw up. True story.

It all started when I woke up Monday morning with a fever and an upset tummy.

And it ended when I walked out of my fourth block class while the kids were doing a writing prompt. At least I made it out of class first, AND all the way to a trash can (cue applause).
As I was vomiting little chunks of granola and the two ibuprofen my sweet friend brought to me in the middle of class, I heard students (not mine) yelling, "EWWWWW, is she PUKING?! That is SO GROSS!" and laughing. The primal part of me I wanted to go puke in their faces, but that would be extremely unprofessional and kind of gross.

One of my students, however, sweetly asked me if I was ok and offered to move the trash can near the door. I wanted to hug him. Again, though, unprofessional and gross.

Moral of the story: when someone is puking, don't laugh. They might puke in your face.Or not. But either way, it's just mean.

Yoda, an Owl, and Little Women

I'm sitting in our living room, the smell of cinnamon ornaments drifting in from the kitchen, watching some modern version of Little Women on Lifetime. Part of me is kind of Meg-ish, too: practical and a bit bossy at times. Part of me is a bit Beth: I play piano. But I always really connected with Jo- you know, the independent one who read books and wrote stories and was a huge tomboy.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to grade anything before tomorrow. I probably won't. After all, I have to stay at school until 6 for a meeting tomorrow, so I may as well just stay and grade stuff after school. Practical, right? Not the best decision, I'm sure, but I'd really just like to enjoy the rest of my Sunday. That's logical, I think. I have 90 Beowulf tests to grade and numerous other worksheets to look over. But...here I sit, enjoying a break, willing Christmas break to hasten its arrival by decorating our tree and wrapping gifts.

I bought some new ornaments today. One is a stuffed owl, because owls make me think of Harry Potter, and Harry Potter makes me happy. One is Yoda, for my nerdy hubby, who is so excited about the new Star Wars movies that he talks about it almost daily :) One is a kitty ornament- Minion is like our kid right now, so I figure she deserves her own ornament. She already has a stocking.

And the last ornament simply says "LOVE." The reason we celebrate Christmas anyway. I know Jesus wasn't born on December 25th, but we choose this time of year to celebrate God's love for us. We celebrate our love for our friends and family. We love the Christmas movies, the hot cocoa, the twelve kinds of cookies, the renditions of "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World."

What do you LOVE about Christmas?

My new list

I'm a list person. I love all colors, shapes, and sizes of sticky notes. When I color coordinate lists and scribble out items, I want to frolic around the room humming The Sound of Music while simultaneously fist bumping myself. 

I love the satisfaction of clutching my pen and scratching through list items. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

And this is (partially) why I'm going to grad school (sometime in the next five years).

I need goals. I need a list so I can scratch things off (oh, and also, I'm terribly forgetful). Seeing this on a sticky note satisfies me deeply.

Now that I've graduated high school and college with acceptable grades...now that I've obtained my dream jobs of teaching and coaching... now that I'm happily married to my love... well, my lists say things like "grade papers tonight" and "match up socks that went missing in the dryer" and "clean litterbox," and quite frankly, I'm just getting a little bored.

I need things to strive for. I need my sticky notes to say things like, "study quantitative reasoning for an hour tonight," and "get accepted into grad school," and "actually participate in college graduation, since you didn't walk when you finished undergrad." I need to feel accomplished and like I'm tapping into the gifts and abilities God's given me.

I need better lists on my sticky note. So, today, mine says, "Ace GRE on January 5th." Check back then to see if I can scratch this off. I'm not the only one who loves lists, right?

Procrastination

I've been meaning to blog for the past two weeks. Really, I have.

I wanted to blog about the election, and how Randy and I waited in line for an hour and a half in the cold, and how I kept saying things like, "They should have Starbucks stations out here.I could use a peppermint mocha."


I wanted to blog about how much I dislike this season of The Office. It's just.not.funny without Michael Scott. 

I wanted to blog about my students. For example, I asked the following question: "Was the presentation boring or not? Why?" and got the answer, "Yes." This is a true story. It happened today.

I wanted to blog about how Randy "walks" the cat by just dragging a string behind him. It's adorable.

 But I can't focus. I can't string a coherent sentence together. Right now, I'm only blogging to procrastinate studying for the GRE. Some things never change.

So...what do you do to procrastinate? :)

Oh, Sandy.

I'll admit it...I've never really taken hurricanes seriously. When Hurricane Isabel hit in 2005, I spent the night at a friend's house, playing spatula mini golf and growing fond of not shaving my legs due to the lack of running water available. When Hurricane Irene hit last fall, my husband, mother-in-law, and I spent several hours playing board games by candlelight.

This year, though, is the first year I've ever prepared for a hurricane. Hurricane Sandy had me scared. I went to Target and bought Starbucks doubleshot energy drinks, waters, canned tuna, and animal crackers (all necessary for survival, of course). I purchased two flashlights, extra batteries, extra cat food, and some extra Yankee candles.

I was ready, people. I even researched "where to buy dry ice" with every intention of buying some in case the power went out and I needed to preserve the Lean Pockets and frozen spinach in my freezer.

The county I teach in was scared, too! They cancelled school Monday (hallelujah!). A day to do laundry, sleep in, eat Halloween candy that was supposed to be for kids while lounging on the couch glued to HGTV, and crochet that blue scarf I've been working on for two years!
But then county officials went all paranoid.

We also had Tuesday off.

Thank you, Sandy, for not destroying Virginia. To all you up north and on the coast- thoughts and prayers are with you. I know so many of y'all don't have power or transportation. Hugs to you all! Wish I could send you some tuna and animal crackers!

Not for kitties

List of items currently strewn around our house that are not for kitties:
Cough drops.
Bottle caps.
Pens.
Hair ties.
Pencils.
Twist ties.
Paper clips.
Bobby pins.
Toilet paper (not currently strewn...but has been on occasion) 

List of items Minion plays with on a daily basis:
Cough drops.
Bottle caps.
Pens.
Hair ties.
Pencils.
Twist ties.
Paper clips.
Bobby pins.
Toilet paper (not currently strewn...but has been on occasion) 

*shakes head*
How come she wants to play with everything that is NOT FOR KITTIES but her fuzzy toys and jingly ball remain untouched, sad and lonely, wondering what makes a cough drop more interesting than they are?

We always seem to crave what is not meant for us.

What I wish I could tell my students

Sometimes I wish I could take each of my students out for a cup of hot cocoa and just level with them.

Kids...I would tell you that I hold you accountable for tardies and don't accept late work because I know you will rise to the challenge when I set the standards high. When we adults don't expect a lot from you...well, what are we teaching you? We are teaching you that we DON'T believe you can be on time, turn in work on time, or behave responsibility. I hold you accountable because I care about you. Trust me, it'd be a LOT easier to be a slacker with the rules. But that wouldn't do you much good.

I make you read for thirty minutes every day and let you choose your own books because there is value in reading for pleasure! Public school has ruined reading for so many kids. It's sad. I know I was one of those kids who loved reading until I started high school. So, kids, I give you a chance to choose WHATEVER book you want and read it for 30 minutes every day so you will increase your vocabulary, yes, and learn new things, yes...but also so you will just learn to like reading again. 

Girls- TRASHINESS IS NOT CUTE. It is not attractive. It shows that you do not respect yourself. If you don't show self-respect, how can you complain when guys don't respect you? You do not need boys to make you feel beautiful and important. You were born that way. 

Guys- You don't need to act tough in front of me or your classmates. It's ok to admit that your mom is the woman you admire most (this comes through in almost EVERY journal I read, so moms, be encouraged). It's ok to try in school- making good grades doesn't make you nerdy! It's ok to show emotion and to let your guard down every once in a while. You don't have to convince me you're tough- I know better.

You might think I don't like you because I wrote you up for a rule you broke. You might think I'm too strict because I won't let you text in class. That's ok. I will validate your feelings and emphasize your right to make choices. After all, kids, you are young adults. I cannot control you, and I don't pretend that I can.

But I hope you know that I care. I believe in you. I want you to learn, to love learning, to enjoy reading, to like writing, to think critically, to connect your learning with the world around you, to ask questions! Because YOU are the reason I teach.

I'm 24

Birthdays are a bigger deal to me than I let on. I really like when people remember them, but I try not to sound like an attention hog by counting down to my birthday on Facebook or reminding my friends of it.

That's why I was especially blessed this year when my bestie, Ashley, took me to lunch and shopping! And my friends threw me a surprise party (super well organized, may I add...bahaha). And my parents came to watch me coach the night of my birthday.

Thank you, all, for the love. I am lucky to have such caring and wonderful friends.

All that being said...I really hated turning 24. I know, I know- it's SO YOUNG. But, man, is it really unexciting. It's a few years out of college. It's not old enough to really sound "adult" to me. It just feels like a "blah" age. I can't even rent a car on my own (at some rental companies, anyway).

"24" is a great TV show, though. So I guess that's some consolation.

Speaking of great TV shows...anyone watching "Breaking Amish"?!

Assert Thyself.

Soap box issues. You know you have them, too.

I have a LOT of these issues, and if you read my blog or know me in real life, I'm sure you know what they are by now. Standardized testing. Gentle parenting. Cats being highly evolved and superior to dogs. Grammar. Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom from our over-involved big government. Teaching.

And I'm trying to temper my desire to constantly spout my opinions about these issues, because I know it's a turn off. But today, you have to indulge me.

Women who have opinions, a backbone, and an assertive nature are NOT bad people, or "b-words." I'm not sure what it is about us girls that makes us think we have to be super nice all the time and let ourselves get walked all over. There is nothing wrong with an assertive, firm, "No, thank you" when a telemarketer calls. There is nothing wrong with telling a guy who whistles at you and yells dirty things "You may not speak to me like that. That is disrespectful." There is nothing wrong with telling someone who's talking your ear off, "I have to go. We can continue this conversation at a later date."

I'm just trying to figure out why some people think it's "mean" or "rude" for women to be assertive and stand up for themselves. It is absolutely not. Is it because of the patriarchal roots of our society? Is it because we as women tend to be more relational...we don't want to offend people and have them not like us? Something else?

I'm not entirely sure. But what I am learning is this: I have big feelings and strong opinions. In the past, I have oscillated between fake, pleasant smiles/keeping my mouth shut and saying whatever comes to mind/disregarding others' feelings. Now, I'm trying to find a balance.

Kindness and assertiveness are not mutually exclusive.

The Autumn Leaves

Every single time I hear the phrase "autumn leaves," I think of this Victor Borge video. Yes, I love this man and his sense of humor. What formerly homeschooled piano player wouldn't? :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by8q5uHDhNU

I think that Victor Borge and I would have been good friends. I could see us walking around Colonial Williamsburg together, pranking unsuspecting tourists and sneaking into the Geddy House to play a chopsticks duet on the harpsicord. Sidenote: did you know that a harpsicord looks like a piano, but the strings are plucked instead of hammered? Someday, when hubby and I have a house, I want a music room with a piano, harpsicord, English guitar, hammer dulcimer, and pennywhistle. /sidenote

I doubt that I'll ever formally study music again; I'm not disciplined enough. Also, I'm really out of practice at actually reading music and prefer just to listen and parrot. I like to just have some chords in front of me as a guide (as I'm also TERRIBLE at memorizing music...oh, and I get nervous playing in front of people).Thus, playing acoustic covers of "Titanium." and "Call Me Maybe" is sufficient for now.

Does this mean I'm wasting my musical talent? I don't think so. I'd like to use it to bring joy to others, God, and to myself, too. I would not like to end up all over YouTube with people making snide comments. And maybe this is why I never post videos of myself playing or singing...maybe I'm just too insecure and would prefer this gift to remain hidden from the outside world unless I'm doing something just for the fun of it.

Then again, Victor Borge did both. He played in public AND he had a heck of a lot of fun doing so.

Maybe the key is just being yourself, using your gifts in a way that YOU know you're called to do, and saying "whoop-dee-doo" to the people who try to tell you what you should be doing with your talents and abilities.

Or maybe, sometimes those other people have a valid point that should be considered. Maybe they are giving you the kick in the pants you truly need, even if you don't LIKE it. Maybe they're what God is using to get you where you need to be doing what you need to be doing.

All that from a Victor Borge video, ladies and gents.

Why don't I like Twilight?

I've always been an avid reader. Mom would take us to the library as kids, and I'd leave with armfuls of books. Then, the next day, when I'd finished those, I'd start reading the books Mom was reading (mostly Christian fiction). She'd start to get a little annoyed when I'd catch up to her spot in the book/pass her/bug her to just "hurry up and finish it" so we could get the sequel from the library.

Anyway, the point is, I have always loved reading. Well, except for those two years of college when I majored in English and felt I could never devote the proper amount of time to the three novels I had to read per week or whatever ridiculous amount of reading we had to do. But I love it again now. I try to read books that are relevant to my high school students so I can make good book recommendations to them.

Thus, it is with a valid excuse that I can say, "I have read all the Twilight books."

And, as an English teacher, I can also say, "Those books are awful. They are poorly written. The characters are lame. The 'girls need a boy' message makes me want to vomit. Reading this series was more painful and torturous than slowly pulling Band-Aids off my abnormally hairy arms while simultaneously being submerged in an ice bath."

So, you should check out this hilariously brilliant Tumblr: http://reasoningwithvampires.tumblr.com/page/2

Seriously. It is my new favorite. Enjoy!

Edited to add: Thanks, Emily from GCM, for sharing that website. And there might be some occasional language on the website...but it's still worth taking a look at! 

A week of SURPRISES!

Well, let me tell you...I am all about rolling with the punches. Going with the flow. Taking life as it comes. Or, at least, so I think.


This month has challenged me and my need to be IN CONTROL. Because, as anyone who remotely knows me can affirm, I like being the boss. My mom tells a story about an interaction between my dad and three-year-old me. Apparently we had just eaten at McDonald's, and Dad told me to get in the car and get strapped in. "Why?" I retorted. Dad replied, "Because I said so, and I'm the boss."

My reply? "Well, someday I'M going to be the boss!"

Even at a young age, I exhibited a desire to be the boss. And so as much as I try to repress this desire, it rears its head over and over and over...

Like I said, this week my need to be in control has been tested.

1) Our kitchen was flooded. As in, I walked into my kitchen and thought Minion was having a pool party. There was about an inch of water on the floor, and the carpet got wet. Thankfully, our apartment complex came and cleaned it up (after 1.5 hours...). Less fortunately, a rug and a bookshelf were damaged.

2) Our AC stopped working. At least it's not 100 degrees outside, and Minion is LOVING the open windows :)

3) I was, without my knowledge, chosen as 12th grade English team leader at school. *jawdrop* Prayer much appreciated!

4) Oh, yes, the AC in my car is out, too. I've been blowdrying my hair by driving with the windows down. 

5) Our school gym will not have bleachers (sorry, visiting athletes and coaches). So, my poor senior volleyball players will not be able to have senior night in their own gym because bleachers will be getting installed near the end of the season :( That just plain SUCKS for these girls!

I know this isn't anything major; it's not life-altering. But, guys, it's HARD not being in charge! I tend to worry about stuff and how things are going to work out. I want to make life BETTER for people. And sometimes, I need reminders like THIS: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

Happy last-week-of-August, dear friends! 

Not afraid

Today I'm blogging from one of my favorite places ever: Starbucks. I know the drinks are overpriced (I have a gift card today). I know coffee isn't all that great for you (everything in moderation). And I know that the barista messed up my drink (I saw her pour nonfat milk instead of soy), but she looks like she is having a stressful day and they are understaffed, so I just smiled and thanked her. Everyone makes mistakes.

When I was in high school, I remember thinking that I was old, wise, knowledgeable, and mature. I remember looking at my friends and going, "What the heck are you thinking? You idiot!" when really, I was jealous of them for taking risks and being goofy. I was afraid of what people thought of me, afraid of not being perfect. I was afraid to make mistakes. To try something and fail. To not be good at something, like dancing or water skiing or playing guitar. I was afraid to raise my hand in class in case I said the wrong answer (this is something I should probably address in another post, now that I'm a teacher).

I am still awful at a lot of things. I am a slightly better dancer now, and I will speak up in class. But the difference between 16-year-old me and 23-year-old me is this: I am not as afraid to mess up.

Notice I didn't say I'm not afraid at all. I am. But I don't feel the need to punish myself over mistakes or to pretend I'm someone I'm not, most of the time. There is freedom and grace in Christ, not condemnation and shame. My self worth doesn't come from my abilities or talents or looks or any of that other stuff that used to matter so much, and sometimes still does. What's important isn't what I do, necessarily, but who I am. How I treat others. How I love others. How I serve and accept.

Someone who's taught me a lot about this is my sweet husband. He knows allnabout me, and he loves me unconditionally, really and truly. He is one of the kindest, most caring souls I have ever met, and I have become a more selfless person because of the way he has treated me. He reminds me that no matter what I do, he will support me.

And that, friends, is one of the greatest gifts of all. When we feel safe-both emotionally and physically- we are not so afraid to take risks and be ourselves. Knowing this makes me want to be a safe person to be around, too.

And now I'm out of coffee, so I bring this post to an abrupt and awkward end. But I'm not afraid because I know you will all love me anyway.

Anniversary Number Two

It's impossible to pay tribute to the two happiest (and in some ways toughest) years of my life. When a couple prepares for marriage, they hear all sorts of comments. Everyone has their own unique understanding of marriage; marriages are like fingerprints- unique, twisted, complicated, intricate. So here, after two wonderful years, is my understanding:

Marriage is sitting in silence and being completely comfortable, knowing we don't have to say a thing. It's just being together. Sometimes it's me just listening while Randy talks about pharmacy school stuff and chemistry stuff, because even though it all goes over my head, I love hearing his passion and excitement.

It's sometimes fighting about silly things (remember when you ruined my sandwich, babe?) but always forgiving because it's never worth it to hold a grudge. Sometimes it's Randy staying up until 2 a.m. while I tearfully work my way through some emotional crisis I'm having.

It's putting someone else ahead of yourself and encouraging that other person to follow his or her dreams. Because you know they will also encourage you to follow yours.

Marriage is doing the HUGE pile of Randy's dishes even when I really don't want to or picking up a pair of dirty socks on the floor for the thousandth time and getting annoyed...until I remember that if this is the worst of Randy's  flaws, who am I to complain?

It's knowing weird little things about someone else, like where all their birthmarks are or that they always sleep with a shirt on because otherwise they feel itchy or that they don't like the grape flavored Tums.

Marriage is an ebb and flow, a give and take, a complicated dance that alternates between graceful and clumsy, depending upon what you're going through. After all, no one's perfect, and imperfect people result in imperfect marriage. But marriage, like many other things, is a learning experience. Even when you don't feel like dancing anymore and you're stepping all over each other's feet, you keep dancing, because you've promised you will.  I hope we dance until we're old and gray.

And there's a lot that marriage isn't. It isn't all cuddling, snuggling, flowers, romantic dates, and sexy lingerie, though those are certainly good things to incorporate. It isn't always easy, and it's certainly not always painless. But despite others' skepticism about getting married at 21, and despite the moments when I wonder, "What did I get myself into?" and despite the dirty socks on the floor and facial hair in the sink...

I wouldn't want my life to be any other way. And I wouldn't want to share life with any other person.

Happy second anniversary, love.

Color Me Rad

Have you ever had blue boogers? I have!

Last Saturday, my friend Lindsay and I ran in my first 5K. Lindsay is a super-athlete, so three miles was nothing for her. She doesn't even run and still made it look easy. I had secretly been running for a few months to at least semi-prepare (read: not have to walk).

If you've never done a race, I definitely recommend starting with something like Color Me Rad for several reasons:

1) They don't even time you. There's no watch, clock, stopwatch, hourglass, or sun dial. They seriously don't care about time.

2) It's for charity. Part of the race proceeds went to the Special Olympics. A really neat component of this race was the fact that a Special Olympic athlete led each heat! So cool!

3) It's incredibly fun and not boring. You are always looking forward to the next "color station" where volunteers bombard you with colored cornstarch. Then you end up looking like this:

Thank you, Lindsay, for buying this picture so I could steal it from Facebook.

I'd always wondered what I'd look like as a Smurf with a mustache, and now I know.

"Good Behavior" at what expense?

Friday night, my dear friend and college roommate came to visit us. I was so excited to see her and her husband, and I was also excited to meet their dog, Swarley.

For those of you not familiar with why this name is possibly one of the best dog names EVER, please view this video.



Anyway, I knew their dog was going to be epic, and in fact, he was. He was a sweet, fun little pup. However, our kitten, Minion, disagreed. Being the idealist that I am, I was sure that she would be a little scared but that her curiosity and talkative, friendly nature would win out, and she would make a canine friend.

I was very wrong.

Minion hid in our room pretty much all night, even though Swarley came up to the bedroom door and tried to befriend her. Even after my friend and her husband and Swarley left, Minion was so quiet that it was eery. It was almost like having a completely different cat.

And it got me thinking... even though I complain about how talkative and hyper she is, I felt a little sad when she wasn't acting like herself because I knew she wasn't being Minion. She was acting out of fear, and she wasn't being herself.

And then somehow THAT got me thinking about teaching, coaching, and parenting (Minion is the closest thing we have to kid) ;) It's hard to balance modifying behavior with encouraging creativity and individuality. It's important to validate students' feelings while still holding them to certain standards. It is necessary to teach kids social practices and social norms while still encouraging them to be true to themselves. And it's a huge balancing act!

I often ask myself, "Is the MOST important thing to have well-behaved kids? Is that really the end goal of being a good teacher or parent or coach or whatever? Is the MOST important thing to have kids who are confident in themselves? What IS the most important part of being a teacher (or, I guess if it's more applicable to you, parent/coach/mentor)?"

And I don't know the answer to any of those questions. I do know that kids are resilient, but they are also fragile. And there are some people who assert that kids need to just conform to the system or whatever adults tell them, even at the expense of breaking their spirits. The most important thing, some people argue, is that kids always just comply without question.

I know I don't agree with that because it seems like a slippery slope. Personally, I WANT my kids (students AND future biological kids) to learn how to think for themselves- how will they do that if they are taught to just always comply with every adult authority figure, even if that authority figure is wrong?

I am still working on balancing certain aspects of teaching. I do know that I don't want my students complying with me solely because they are scared (just like I really hated that Minion was "quiet and good" because she was terrified). I also know that I am willing to listen to them in an appropriate time if they address me in a respectful manner. They can always come talk to me after class if they feel strongly about something that happened in class. Usually we can work out a solution together and move on in a positive direction. I like when they question me respectfully because it shows me they are thinking for themselves, and this is something SO MANY KIDS nowadays do NOT do!

I don't have a neatly wrapped, insightful ending for this jumbled post. Sorry :)

So, what do YOU think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

We're losing the art of writing

Sometimes being a high school English teacher is downright discouraging. How do students make it to me, in eleventh grade, not knowing how to use "to" and "too" correctly, or how to correctly conjugate verbs, or how to organize thoughts into paragraphs? How do they pass middle school unable to write in complete sentences or correctly capitalize proper nouns or join together two independent clauses using a coordinating conjunction? OK, that last one I can maybe understand, and I don't mind teaching them that. But I feel so disheartened by all the other stuff!

This week of "summer school" has been especially discouraging. I am in charge of five three-hour days of intense tutoring (with 15-20 students, depending upon who shows up). And then, they take the state writing test. I'm scared. The kids HAVE to pass this test to graduate. I'm scared many of them won't. I'm scared that if we keep failing our kids, we'll have generations to come who will only b able 2 talk lk ths and wont kno how 2 rite right.

Today I got to thinking...how did I learn how to write? First and foremost, I think learning to write comes from READING. As a reader, you're exposed to masters of the language, those who weave words to paint pictures and propel a plot and create characters who make you laugh and cry. You pick up on certain words' connotations. You know which prepositions to use with what words. You just KNOW things about the English language because you've encountered them in reading. Research shows that reading and writing are intertwined, and we as language arts teachers are instructed to teach reading and writing together.

But I think I really, truly learned to write through letters to my grandfather, who was a published author and poet, a journalist who loved writing about sports and his political views, a man who would send me letters weekly. I remember writing to him and signing the letter "your grandaughter." In Grandpa's next letter, he wrote, "I didn't know I had a 'grandaughter,' but I know I have a lovely 'granddaughter.'" And that's not the only thing he corrected in my writing! I remember working so very hard to create perfect letters to him and Grandma, all the way down to trying to make my atrocious elementary handwriting adult-like.

We live in a world of texting and tweeting. Print media is in danger of becoming extinct. Cursive isn't even taught anymore in many schools because it's "pointless."

I urge you, just this once...get off your computer, get out a pen and paper, and just write something. A poem, a letter, a list of things to do, a story, a journal entry, whatever. Yes, technology is awesome- after all, you're all reading this on my blog, aren't you? But that doesn't mean that writing with pen and paper has lost its value. I think it's just up to us to keep the art alive.

Recycled t-shirt headband? yes, please!

As a teacher, I'm constantly asked what I do in the summer. It's a tough question to answer because I don't want people to get jealous of all the free time I have. Also, I don't want to appear lazy. So I usually list everything I could ever possibly do to make it seem like I'm super busy: work out, read books, clean the house, cook all the time, plan awesome lessons for next year, teach summer school (which hasn't started yet, but whatever)...you get the picture.

One thing I've been doing this summer for real is finding cool crafts on Pinterest. And instead of just pinning them and saying, "Man, I wish I had time for this," I am actually DOING them. Since one of my latest fashion obsessions is headbands, and most stores charge ten bucks for those things, I decided to make some myself. I made a few for my sister Michi (who can make a burlap bag look gorgeous), and then I made one for myself.

I used this tutorial (includes video!) for the headband part and this one for the rose. I didn't have any cute buttons, though :( Next time I will!

 This is what the headband looks like. You can see the poor job I did hotgluing it, so I'm going to be neater about that next time.

This is what it looks like on- the flower is kind of off to the side. Because...well, that's where it ended up. 

And I wore it out today and received several compliments on it. Success!

Happy 4th

Some people post videos of their adorable, babbling babies. Some people share footage of their precious puppies.

Since I have zero kiddos and am not a dog person (though meeting my friend Kara's greyhound may have softened my heart), I have to share kitten videos. Specifically, our kitten Minion the Magnificent, who has not lived up to her name at all but who makes up for it by being quirky, entertaining, and sometimes downright annoying.

Warning: if you hate cuteness, don't watch this video.

Happy Independence Day! Here's to family, pets, friends, loved ones, and all those who serve our country!

Sound the alarm!

Yes. I am a total jeans sweatpants and t-shirt kind of girl. Blame it on the homeschooling. Blame it on the years of being an athlete and the free t-shirts that come with that. Blame it on laziness, being cheap, wanting to be comfortable at all costs...whatever you want.

So why am I dressing up so much lately, y'all? What is wrong with me? Look at these outfits I put on just to go to Target (went once yesterday and once today...I may have an addiction, but that's a different post):

Who is this girl?



Also, my nails AND TOENAILS are painted. I am wearing jewelry-hello, people, a necklace? And my hair is not in a messy bun (although it is in a ponytail...I'm still working on motivating myself to do my hair regularly). I'm a changed woman!

You know, I kind of hate when people say that we shouldn't change. We've all heard it- "Well, she USED to be a, b, c, but now she's x, y, z."

Come on, now. We ALL change. Those of us who used to live in frumpy mom jeans and tattered t-shirts dress up in skirts just to go to Target. Some of us who used to chow down on burgers and fries are now hardcore vegans.

And that's ok. Change isn't necessarily bad. Life is full of seasons. Our friends might change with the seasons; our beliefs may grow and deepen as we become more experienced, wise, and educated.

If you're not willing to change, how will you ever learn new things, explore new ideas, meet new people, or grow as a person? 

I want my old blog back

My other blog got stolen. Not really, but someone bought my domain name.
So I guess I'm going to start over, which is tough. I invested a lot in "BottlesForever," and I kind of want it back.