Oh dear

I told Adam, "I accidentally said a swear word in my class today."

He said, "You did?" like he hadn't heard me right.

I said, "Yes."

"But you don't even swear."

I know.

I was reading (with great gusto I might add) Ramona the Pest.  I was reading about the kindergarten Halloween parade when Ramona was dressed up as a witch.  She went around the parade yelling, "I'm the baddest witch in the world!"  She said it several times and one of the times I was reading, my tongue got twisted and I said a word that very much rhymes with, but isn't, witch.

I kept going, thinking maybe, hopefully, they hadn't noticed.

Narrator:  they had noticed.

When I finished the chapter, one of my students said, "Teacher...did you accidentally say a swear word?"

I said, "Yes.  I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to."

A boy cheerfully said, because it is our mantra in class, "Mistakes are proof that you are trying."

And a girl said, "And you were trying!"

Then I hoped we could move on.

Narrator:  we couldn't move on.

They giggled and whispered and covered their faces and were just generally delighted/shocked/flabbergasted and I was just generally embarrassed.

The good news is that I have a new low bar.  If ever I think things aren't going well, I can think, "At least I didn't swear at them...."

My businessman in shining armor

 Yesterday was a rough day.  I was ill prepared and I don't do well when I am ill prepared. (It's why I am a pre-crastinator.  I know myself.)

I missed Thursday and Friday last week because of my conference and so in addition to being behind on grading and organizing, I missed some prime planning-for-next-week time.  I could have stayed late last week.  I could have gone in on Saturday.

I didn't do either thing.

So I was trying to make it work.  My first terrible realization was that I had forgotten a birthday treat for my class.  I can't emphasize enough how many times we had discussed the fact that we would celebrate my birthday on Monday.  They were very concerned about it.  They were very interested in me bringing them a treat.

And I completely forgot. 

I decided I would go to the store during my lunch break.  It would mean I wouldn't be able to do a scramble prep time, like I was planning, but needs must.

Then Adam texted he would bring me a treat. 

He is a gem.

That is all. 

It turned out we had inside recess, because of snow.  We don't have prep time on Monday and we had a district professional hour after school so I didn't have time after school either.

(Which is why I left the school after 5:00 last night.)

Back to Adam.

My very concerned (about their treats) students were very interested.  They knew I'd forgotten the treat and they knew that I couldn't leave at lunch.  I told them, "My husband is bringing the treats.  Isn't that so kind of him?!?"

"What about work?  Is it his day off?"

I said, "He'll just leave his work and then go back later." (He just worked from home the rest of the day.)

"So you won't see him tonight?"

I said, "No, I will."

"Is he a construction worker?"

I said, "No, he works in an office."

That was a very novel concept to a lot of them.  "So is he a...businessman?"

I said, "Yes."

Adam came in with a grocery bag (during science) and went to put it on my desk like he wasn't going to disturb us.  I knew that wouldn't work.

I introduced him to everyone and told them we had the same birthday.  Adam said I was older so I had them figure out how many hours older I am than he is. (We coincidentally started learning time yesterday and exactly two of them even have an analog clock at home and it is hard!)  They sang happy birthday to both of us.  They added their cha cha cha verse that 3rd graders are seemingly incapable of omitting.  I gave Adam a candy "candle" out of my birthday cake.

My students were completely delighted by the whole thing.

Then, without really thinking about it, I kissed Adam good-bye and that sort of mortified them.  

I said, "It's fine.  We're married.  We can kiss."

Weekend

 Friday was another great day spent at the literacy conference.  I loved it.  The only thing marring my joy was that something is blooming or pollinating that is making my eyes itchy and watery.  A lot.  I pretty much wept through the day which must look weird when you're sitting in a class about teaching writing.

I came home exhausted.  However sitting still all day is more tiring than teaching, I'll never know, but it is.  Hats off to people with office jobs.  I am way too fidgety to like to sit all day.

Adam and I usually go to dinner on Friday night, but I was too tired.  Instead, I made an oven pancake.  I am not sure how that was less tiring than having food served to me, but it was.  Maybe because I didn't have to decide where to go and what to order.

Oven pancake for dinner.

Being empty nesters is nice.

Saturday was the big 5-1.  We both slept in a bit and although we meant to go to breakfast, it was more lunchtime.  We enjoyed our breakfast food for lunch and then went to IKEA.  We bought a few things and looked at more and pointed to things we liked and things we didn't and I always just enjoy walking around holding Adam's hand. 

We went home and did a tiny bit of work and then met Olivia and Edgar and Liliana for dinner although it was late afternoon.  Olivia insisted on buying us tacos and we enjoyed visiting with them.  Because we have to have groceries, even though it was our birthday, we hit Winco on the way home.  Then Adam did some church stuff and I folded laundry.  

We had a late dinner of pumpkin pie.  They had this big display of pumpkin pies at Winco and we decided it was a good birthday cake.  

Since our birthday is the same day and we no longer live by Janet, we never really have birthday cake.  It doesn't really occur to us, so the pumpkin pie was a nice surprise (especially pumpkin pie in March--novelty!)

I felt loved by many who called and texted throughout the day.  Adam's cousin Pam texted us happy birthday greetings and then I felt like a HORRIBLE PERSON because her birthday had been the day before and I'd missed it, her first birthday without her husband, who passed away.

I texted back how sorry I was and then come to find out her birthday was actually the 24th anyway.  I knew it was around our birthday, but I was going in the wrong direction.

Sunday I texted her Happy Birthday, for real this time.  Hopefully she knows that despite my follies, I really love her.

Saturday night we had a terrific lightning and thundering and hail and rain and snow storm.  When the wind and rain blow just right, we get a leaky window.  Luckily it has only happened a handful of times in the nearly decade we've lived here.  Desert living for the win.

Sunday morning we woke up to snow and when I was backing out of the driveway on the way to church, I saw the daffodils with their heads bowed under the new snow.  Poor daffodils!  Then I realized this happens almost every spring and the daffodils bloom anyway.

My new goal is to be like the daffodils.  Bloom anyway.

I was leaving church with a lady in our ward who is older than me and always a little cantankerous and intimidating.  She openly rolls her eyes in Relief Society if she observes nonsense.  As we walked down the steps and the snow was still falling, she said something about not being happy about the snow.  I said, "I have had lots of itchy and watery eyes from allergies so at least the snow will help that."

She said, "I'd rather you had allergies."

Somehow it made me happy.  I felt like she liked me well enough to say a sassy comment like that.  I felt like I'd arrived in some way.

Also Sunday we had a bunch of youth and their leaders for a meeting at our house.  Adam led some training and I stayed upstairs which suited me just fine.  Mark came partway through the meeting and he joined me upstairs in my office.

He brought me a bag of peanut m and ms and said, "Happy Birthday!"

It's impossible not to be happy with peanut m and ms.  (But I said, "Does this mean you won't build those drawers for me?"  Because that was what I requested for my birthday.  He said he would still build them plus he got a haircut.  Happiness all around.)

Grateful Friday

 Yesterday and today I have the blessing of attending the BYU Literary Promise conference.  So far I have LOVED it!  It reminds me of when I used to go to Women's Conference at BYU and get a shot in my arm for mothering encouragement.  

Yesterday I got a shot in my arm for teacher encouragement and inspiration and I'm excited to go back today.

It was also fun to go with my friends.  Jamie drove Holly and Tricia and me from Bonneville and we met up with two other teachers there.  Then Janelle joined us and we were in a huge room with teachers greeting teachers and it was a happy scene.

I'm also grateful for birthday season.  QE's and ours.  What a huge blessing that little girl is in our lives!  Happy birthday little sweetie.

Tomorrow Adam and I are 51.  Every year I get to spend with him is a happy one.

Balancing out

Yesterday was a STRUGGLE with one of my students.  They slept for 2 1/2 hours right at the beginning of the day, which is a big this child is not getting enough sleep and has a super chaotic life indicator.  There were issues/misbehavior/defiance for the rest of the day.

It was egregious enough that I went to the office to report about it (twice actually).

While I was in the office I was told I had $150 to spend that I didn't know about.

There's always something to put a little spring in my step!

Speaking of steps, I wore my new bright pink shoes to school.  My girls were enamored.  One of them told me that when she was in first grade, her teacher had a new shoes song they would sing whenever someone had new shoes.

I need to learn that song.

New shoes just cheer a person up.

Lucky duck

Yesterday before school started I saw an email that there were 20 ducks hidden around the school and if you found one you could take it to the office for a prize.

Then I promptly forgot about it.  

There was an assembly and my BYU teacher was being observed at a certain time so I had to switch everything around.  The day was a constant recalibration of what was happening, but some days are like that.

I prioritized read aloud time because Ramona.  We skipped science and abbreviated phonics and had math after lunch and it was all topsy turvy.  Also, the sun was shining and I was wearing my clogs so my soul was happy remembering my 4th grade clogs that were the pinnacle of fashion (at least 10 year old Thelma thought so and 50 year old Thelma concurs).

After school I was scrambling to get everything ready because I was leaving early to go to the dermatologist with Adam.  (We know how to have fun....)

I was scurrying to the office to ask a question and I ran into Bailey, a 5th grade teacher.  She handed me a rubber duck.  She said, "This is the 3rd one I've found."

In the office, I gave my duck to Matt and he gave me peanut m and ms which are my hands down favorite candy.

Just another Monday.  Topsy turvy, sunshine-y, productive and lucky.

Not a bad Monday at all.

Weekend

 Friday I met Emma at Ulta after work.  I told her for my birthday I wanted to go make-up shopping and I wanted her help.  That girl hates a clothing store, but she navigates Ulta like a native.  She steered me away from brands that were "not great" and when I was looking at one brand, she walked away and said, "They test on animals."

She asked me what my "goals" were.  I didn't know.

I was clearly out of my depth.  

We got some things that I may or may not be able to use properly and I got a teeny tiny bottle of Gucci perfume that I loved.  (Teeny tiny so I wouldn't need a second mortgage.)

It was fun.

We had a little time so we walked next door to Nordstrom Rack.  We both found some cute cute shoes so that was even more fun.  Chipotle was close, so we walked there for dinner.  I feel an ease and joy being with Emma that I wouldn't have believed possible when she was in junior high.  She is a good time. 

I went to use the bathroom and when I got back to the table, she was looking at her phone with a kind of stricken face.  I said, "What's wrong!?!" 

She said, "I want to be at that beach."

Mark and Adam were at a beach, flying a kite and sending videos.  I was glad that was the only tragedy in her life at the moment.

From there we went to Clarissa's school to watch the play she directed and last minute played Jack's mother because the actor that was supposed to play her quit.  

Clarissa started the drama program from scratch and I was so impressed with her.  Most of the students had never been in any kind of show before, but they were up there on stage, singing and acting their little hearts out.  At the curtain call, I looked at all those happy faces and the stage crew lining the wall and I thought, "Clarissa did this!"  One person can make a difference in their corner of the world!

We sat by Marianne and Hyrum and Liberty and you've never met a more appreciative audience member than Hyrum.  

Saturday I did my little household chores and reorganized the last bathroom drawer and went clothes shopping.  When Adam used to regularly go to London, I would paint walls and move furniture.

Now, apparently, I shop.  (I don't have anyone around to help me move furniture anyway.)

Jamie and Holly and I went out on the town Saturday night!  We got burgers at Chom and in the car Holly got really mad at one of her kids over the phone.  He's 13 and we bonded over parenting.  I told her the gem of truth Geri shared with me:  if you can let your sons live between the ages of 11 and 15, you can do anything.  Jamie and I promised her it gets better.

It was fun to ride to Salt Lake City together and chat and listen to BTS, which Jamie insisted on because it is her daughter's favorite.  Her daughter is currently serving a mission, but BTS keeps her close to Jamie's heart.  

Who am I to doubt my life coach?

The Bored Teachers comedy show was 95% percent hilarious and 5% rude.  I think in balance, that is too much rudeness for me and I wouldn't recommend it or go again.  I think comedians who don't need to resort to crassness are the truly humorous.  

I had a good time with my friends though.  And it was fun being with so many teacher friends.  In the elevator in the parking garage we were all comparing which schools we taught at.  They are my people.

I was asleep when Adam got home, but he woke me up, as instructed, and I was happy to see him.

On Sunday we watched the Relief Society broadcast commemorating the birthday of the Relief Society during church instead of later.  I loved it!  Those are even more my people.  I loved being reminded of truths I know and feeling love for the women sitting shoulder to shoulder with me in that room, love for my mom and sisters and daughters (including Anna!) and granddaughter and grandmothers and nieces, and love from my Heavenly Father.

As Sunday afternoon progressed, I felt more and more worn out.  I took a restless nap and finally called off Sunday dinner.  When Adam got home, we snacked and took a drive.  My requirement was that I wasn't going to get out of the car.  I was just tired.  It was really nice to be with Adam again.