Grateful Friday

 A few days ago I was in the hall, stapling up haunted mansion that had multiplication arrays for windows, like you do in October.  My stapler jammed and there was a bent staple stuck up inside and I couldn't get it out.  It had happened once before and I took the stapler to my dad's shop.

Riley and another custodian were walking down the hall.  I approached them just in time to hear Riley say, "God knew if I could read, I'd be unstoppable."

I have no idea what prompted that conversation....

I said, "Hey, do you have any tools to dislodge this staple."

He whipped out a big pocketknife and had the errant staple out in seconds.  

***

Tabor and my dad went to The Home Place to try to find out where the mice were getting in.  Tabor said he likes figuring out things like that.  I told him I was extremely grateful.  We talked on the phone a few times and texted and he told me my dad had a plan.  He said, "You know how it is when he has a plan.  I think you are in good hands."

My dad and his plans usually work out.

***

Yesterday some UVU students training to be firefighters came to give a presentation to the third graders.  The leader of the group came up to me and said they needed the teachers to fill out a paper for each presenter, kind of a teacher evaluation.  The dear boy (he was a big strong firefighter in training, but I felt motherly) had a faltering voice as he humbly asked me to fill out the paper and his hands were positively shaking.

The three trainees looked at the third graders, sitting on the gym floor chattering and bouncing in excitement, and they seemed unsure how to get it started.

In my best teacher voice, I  said, "Bonneville."

90 children, in unison, said, "Broncos" and then were immediately silent.  (It honestly doesn't always work that smoothly.)

In a weird role reversal where firefighters have my undying respect and appreciation for doing something I would never be brave enough to do, they were looking at me like, "How did she do that?"

They did a great job in their presentation.  They had several kids come up to the stage and demonstrate stopping and dropping and rolling and show me an 8 year old who doesn't love that!

It has all left me feeling grateful that we're all so different.  I don't think God prevented Riley from learning to read or he would be unstoppable, but I do know that He gave us each these diverse talents and interests and I will gratefully spend my days with the rambunctious third graders, knowing other talented people are doing their bit to make my world better.

What a good plan! 

For what ails you

 I guess angst is the flavor of the week.  I was in a sort of bad mood when I met Emma at IKEA yesterday (a mood that was not improved by the craziness of 5:00 I-15).  I started telling her about all the things while we walked and admired things.  I kept interrupting myself to say things like, "Look at that pretty pillow!"

And then I would say, "I don't need any more pillows!"

"But look at that one!"

Then Emma would stop to point out something cute and eventually I got out all my tale of woe, but after seeing so many lovely things, it fell lessened.

Emma got some plates since hers are breaking right and left and she got a few other kitchen needs.

The main event for both of us was the Christmas stuff and a lot of it was out of stock!  How is the temperature still in the upper 80s and IKEA is sold out of their Christmas stuff?!?

(I'm over temperatures being in the upper 80s btw.)

There was lots of pretty wrapping paper and since I use my calendar pages as gift wrap, I for sure didn't need any wrapping paper.

(I came home with five rolls.)

They did help my mood.

I enjoyed being with Emma.  We ate meatballs and chatted the whole time.  We decided I'd just buy the stuff and she could pay me back so we'd be more efficient at the checkout.   I told Emma she was in charge of figuring out the money.  I handed her the receipt and she said, "Oh."

All of our Christmas stuff (which was the bulk of what we bought) was all labeled Vinterfint....

We rounded numbers and made good guesses and checked a few item numbers and it would have been way easier to pay separately.  I still enjoyed our time.

I love adult Emma.  (I loved kid Emma too, but adult Emma is easier.)

I talked to Marianne on the way home and between the two of them, I felt considerably better.  I am ready to go back and try again.

(Also, I got some cookies at IKEA so I don't need to stop at the store to get a treat for activity day!  Winning all around!)

If I could just keep my desk clean

 I get tired of having the same conversations at work about the same things.  Complaining without offering solutions.

I'm guilty of the same.

I get tired of my messy desk.  I am endlessly tidying it and it feels like several small bombs are detonated throughout the day.  I am mid grading a stack and then something else interrupts.  Someone hands me papers to distribute.  They get added to the pile.  A student needs help so I shove everything aside and invite them to sit down.  I lose the copies I had prepared for different lessons.  

I create systems and the systems fail me.

I am tired of the state/district/school giving me more to do.  Take this canvas course, fill out this form.  

This is turning out to be sort of like yesterday's blogpost, because happy things happen too.

Emma sent a text that warmed my little heart.

Sometimes I just marvel at how lucky I was to get these kids.

And then there's Follow Him.  That podcast makes my day every time I listen to it.

I am grateful for our pleasant non-hurricane weather.

Good and bad.  Frustrating and lifting.  Mostly I'm just gloomy because I miss Adam.

Every rose has its thorn

 

Thorn	Rose
Adam is in Dallas.	I’m going to Fort Worth with him next week so I told him to get it all warmed up and figured out for me.  (He will.  He is an excellent tour guide.)
It was a Monday–no prep time, science chaos, all the Monday things.	It won’t be Monday for a whole week.
The news is wearying.	Braeden texted us pictures of QE entranced by conference and dancing along to the Tabernacle Choir.
I wish we could go spend some time in Starr Valley.	We have lots and lots of autumnal travel right now, which is fun, even if it is keeping us from Starr Valley.
My to do list always feels long and growing.	My master’s degree is DONE and I even turned in all the paperwork so I can get my lane change, which is the whole point!
Life can be trying.  That is all.	I’m still remembering the feelings of hope and purpose I felt watching General Conference.  It is such a blessing in my life.  I loved that all of us checked up on each other at school yesterday, “How was your conference weekend?” and “Wasn’t it great?!?”
I miss Adam.	I had dinner with Mark last night (Mark Monday).

Weekend

 October conference weekend is my favorite and I enjoyed every bit of it.  I caught up on sleep and laundry, which was good.

Emma and Mark came over Saturday morning.  I made Christmas ornaments for my students while Emma worked on a puzzle next to me.

We were kind of in a turf war for table space, but we cooperated.

After the first session, we piled in the van and got lunch and went to Costco in search of a Christmas tree for our living room.  Adam convinced me that we were in Costco and the tree I was looking at was way bigger than it seemed.

I eventually believed him.

We found gluten free pizzas which they've been without lately so we bought four boxes.

We stopped at Trader Joe's and filled our cart with treats and wonders.  I got pumpkin soup and pumpkin crackers and pumpkin joe joes and GF pumpkin pancake mix.  Mark doesn't like pumpkin and I told him that it's because he's youngest and all the good genetic material (that liked pumpkin) was taken up.  Adam told Mark he did, however, inherit all his wit and charm.

So there's that.

We enjoyed two more sessions of conference and Adam made pork chops and roasted vegetables for dinner.

After eating we had a music night that stretched for over an hour.  Emma instructed us to pick a song that "took us on a journey" and another that was a "danceable bop."  We texted our ideas to Mark, he played them and then we guessed whose songs were whose which wasn't even a little bit hard.

Then we kept saying, "Play this song!" 

We told stories about which songs mattered to us and why.  We talked about what they reminded us of.  We danced in goofy ways and sang along to the songs.  I gave them an anthology of the cassette tapes I cherished in the 80s.

Adam invented music night about 15-20 years ago and like most things he invents, we love it.

Sunday morning we had the GF pumpkin pancakes, which is the one pumpkin thing Mark likes.  We received the sad news that Adam's uncle David had passed away and were comforted with words of faith and peace from listening to two more sessions of conference.  

I'm sad conference is over.

I feel like the help and answers I was seeking were found.

Between sessions we talked to Braeden and went for a walk at the Pleasant Grove cemetery.  It's a beautiful spot to walk.  Catching glimpses of the Mt. Timpanogos temple through the trees as you walk through the cemetery feels like exactly what anyone could want.

A lovely weekend buoyed me and bolstered me and I'm ready for another week!

Thrilling Thursday

 That's what we're calling it.  Usually we have Fun Friday, which is a short bit of free time if they got their work finished.  

We don't have school on tomorrow (we have a teacher work day which is about the best thing that could happen to me at this point--I am so behind the times!), so we're having the free time if you got your work done today.

Thrilling Thursday.

Also, this is my grateful post for the week.  On Thursday.   I may not be up to it tomorrow.

I have day 2 of parent teacher conferences tonight and then I'm going to Provo where Emma is performing at an acoustic night at a coffee shop on Center Street.  If you're thinking that doesn't seem like my scene on a school night, you would be right, but Emma is my scene.

Here are some things I'm grateful for:

• surviving this week, I mean so far....
• my BYU practicum teacher-- I REALLY like her.  She is a natural and so nice and easy to talk to
• General Conference weekend--I love it.  I'm looking forward to a spiritual feast as I hear from our leaders.
• All the help and support I get at school
• The parents that came to parent teacher conferences and come read with me.  I know they love their children, but I also love their children and it makes me feel good when their parents show up.
• The fact that my unpacked suitcase is being patient.  Ugh.
• My autumn playlist.  I have one for every season, but my autumn one is my favorite.
• We've had perfect weather days.  Actually, they could be a little cooler, because I'm ready for sweaters, but they've been pretty great so I am grateful.

I think I can I think I can

 Day one of parent teacher conferences is in the books.  It was overall very good.  Sometimes meeting parents is very enlightening.  I'm just going to leave that there....

The one student whose parents I really wanted to talk to didn't show up.  That is something you can count on.

In other news, I had a concerned student in the lunch line yesterday.  They were having corndogs (which is concerning because they are gross).

He said, "Teacher?  Is there corn in corn dogs?"

I explained that the breading around the outside is made with corn flour.  I asked, "Have you ever had corn bread?"

He had not, which isn't super surprising since his parents are Mongolian.

He pondered that for a minute and then asked, "So...are there dogs in corn dogs?"

I assured him there are not.

English is tricky.  I'm surprised any of us are doing all that well with it.