Getting it done

if you're wondering what happened to the blog the answer is nothing. Turns out being a teacher, mom, runner, wife, praise band leader, choir participant, organizer of 2 small groups, a youth group volunteer, a workout instructor, sister, friend, a crazy pinterest follower, teaching blog follower, and a person that likes to sleep at some point it's hard to get this done!


I'm sure you are all nodding in agreement that it's just a crazy to try and fit it all in a day. I don't know what you do, but I've been waking up at 5:30 (or trying to) to get my exercise in... which leads me to my funny blog experience (hopefully I'll have more to come... sooner than like a billion years.. but no promises)

So... I've been running in the mornings around 5:30. I thought there were more crazies out there like ME who just really need to get their workouts in, and the only time they can possibly fit it in is at the worst hours of the day.... butt crack of dawn- o- thirty. BUT, they are either don't exist OR are crazy... but not crazy enough to go out in the pitch dark and workout so they stay inside or go to a gym...

There have been few encounters of people as I lurk in the night streets. But they aren't usually working out. Now, before I get more into my story you must know that I have a very active imagination that is WAY crazy. I frequently think someone is going to kill me in my sleep. Kill me when I'm getting into my garage. Kill me when I'm getting out or into my car anywhere I go.I've also had real thoughts when I'm driving in the dark that someone is going to jump in front of my car and order me to stop because they are being chased by someone that is going to kill them if I don't help... and I'm still not sure how that one ends...

ANYWAY, so as I'm running IN THE DARK my imagination goes crazy. A wolf is going to hop out of the field and eat me... you know... normal things. But when I see people out and about putting things in their cars, I also think.... I hope that's not a body and if it is did I just witness it? Did they see me? Are they are going to chase me and kill me because I saw them? So when this does happen I always have the urge to scream: "I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING!" As I run by them... just so they know! :)

Share your thoughts, concerns, funny weirdness, or good workout stories.. the door is open for a lot here! :)

Middle School vs Littles

Now that I've ventured in the K-1 teaching realm.... I have now taught every grade from k-8 except for 2nd grade. I have some experience in just about everything. But, I've spent a lot of time with the middle schoolers, and so on my very first day with my 12 little K-1 children it was pretty different. This inspired me to write the differences I've noticed (so far) between middle school and K-1 kids:

1.) K-1 will tell you how much they like you and tell you you're pretty. Middle Schoolers will never do that! Or if they do it's meant as a joke.
2.) K-1 will eat up every little thing you say. Middle Schoolers like to scoff at every little thing you say. Which actually I kinda like... :)
3.) K-1 cannot read the board and just do what it says. Middle Schoolers can read the board, but rarely follow what it says! :)
4.) K-1 can't do anything themselves... and if they do do it by themselves (you just read do do haha) it takes FOREVER! Middle schoolers they can do most everything alone (if they read the directions...)
5.) K-1 give you hugs!!! Middle Schoolers....
6.) In K-1 teaching you have to discuss things like peeing IN the toilet, washing your hands after you go potty, and dealing with the occasional pee pants situation. Middle School... I wouldn't have the conversation with them EVER... gross!
7.) K-1 kids LOVE LOVE LOVE their teachers, and they usually LOVE coming to school! Middle Schoolers, they may kinda like their teacher (depending on the day) and school is not on their list of loves... at all... and they will show you that with the way they sit, raise their hand, oh! and by the fact that they just say... I HATE SCHOOL! To you.
8.) You cannot joke with K-1 students as much. And when you do, you are risking the fact that they might not get it, and you're gonna be the only one that laughs! Middle Schoolers are SO MUCH FUN to joke around with. They are great, and most of the time laugh with you (or at you). So you are rarely the only one laughing.

All in all... I've loved all my teaching experiences. I've loved the middle schoolers and I'm loving these littles. If God has not taught me patience yet (PS- He hasn't because I'm still pretty impatient), He will be getting through to me by the end of this school year!

Blessings teachers as you begin your year!

Hello, my name is Andrea and I have a problem....

I'm ridiculously addicted to: teaching blogs, teacherspayteachers.com, pintrist, and fountain soda...

Let me walk you through this:

If you are a teacher you know that the summer is all about planning for the next year. Getting new ideas is the most important part! Well teaching blogs are pretty much the most amazing thing there is since sliced bread. You can go to a site and they have a list of subjects that you can click on (ex: Dr. Suess, Writing, Math, 100's day...) and then you can see all the cool things they did in their classroom that year. THEN, once you are done looting their blog they will have a list of blogs THEY follow. So all you do is move to the next blog and loot their site. It's so amazing. For me it is extra special because I don't really have a cooperating teacher to help me. So this is a good way that I can get new and creative ideas for all parts of my classroom! Sometimes they even give you free stuff to print and use in your own classroom (this is SUPER dangerous for me... you should see my google docs!). As amazing as this is, it also takes me away from doing things like CLEANING or writing THANK YOU NOTES or actually cutting out laminated items I need cut out for my actual classroom! :) It is also bad because I get SOOOO many ideas and I want to do them all... like NOW! Husband makes fun of me because I'm so stressed out about the new school year and he attributes it a little to the fact that I'm filling my head with too many ideas. He's right.. but as I mentioned before... I'm addicted and try and stop me! On that very same note.. I feel like now I should do my own teaching blog (like I have "extra" time between a child, husband, dog, workouts, making workouts for others, Praise band, 2 small groups, youth group stuff, and scanning other people's blogs)

NEXT ADDICTION;
Teacherspayteachers.com. If you are a teacher you need to go there stat. It's a great way to get classroom activities, and they are made by teachers so you know they are classroom tested. Also, they have a lot of free stuff you can download and print off for yourself. I know I have! It's amazing and wonderful! Problem with it?!?! See above.. same as the blog!

NEXT ADDICTION:
pintrist.com I'm not kidding when I say it is amazing. It is where you can pin your favorite things. pictures off the internet. I pin things from teacher blogs I like (It's a crazy cycle). I also pin food that I want to try or clothes I wish I could by. There are cute crafts to do. lots of DIY stuff that is SOOO cute and not too hard. I pin stuff I want in my home. Stuff I want to use when parenting. It's pretty much the best. You should also visit.. then follow me! I shall lead you in the right direction! :) HA!

LAST ADDICTION;
fountain soda has been a long time addiction that never fades. One of the hardest things about being prego was having to drink less soda or none at all. It was HORRIBLE!!! But since the summer has kicked in... and it's hot... I drink it a lot. I also like it because I can kinda substitute it in for a desert or snack... because it is so tasty. But, I'm not just talking soda here.. I'm talking fountain soda. There is something about fountain soda that is so amazing.

Anyway... I need help! You can help me by also becoming addicted to these things so that we can talk about it! :) haha

What are your addictions right now?

To My Friend....

My dear friend S is having a hard time. Her father has cancer, and it looks to not be healing. Things are getting worse instead of better. I think of her and pray for her when I run, when I have a moment of silence to myself, and last night as I tossed and turned in my bed (I think due to the excessive soda/ caffeine I drank yesterday) I prayed for her and her father.
I think that is one of the hardest things to go through in this life, watching someone you love hurt and go through pain. Watching someone you love so much fade away. As I thought of this, and of her, I thought of a song that I absolutely love. I hope the lyrics to "Blessings" by Laura Story not only help her, but help anyone that is going through a hard time.
Let me explain why I picked this song:
1. She wrote this song as her husband was going through a cancer situation himself. She wasn't sure if her husband was going to pull through.
2. There's a part in this song that talks about "a thousand sleepless nights is what it takes to know you're near" and every time I heard that part of the song I thought it was directed towards me because at that time... I was hitting a thousand sleepless nights with Asher! :) I needed those words because I was TIRED and worn out. I was on my last leg!
3. Once he started sleeping I got past that part of the song and heard some more of the lyrics. At the end of the song it talks about how when bad things happen we are reminded that we are not HOME, and it also reminds us that we need God. If everything went perfect in our lives, we would never seek HIM for our guidance. We would never lean on Him for strength.We would never yearn for HEAVEN! We would be content in where we are. But God knows this place is bananas, and nothing even close to the amazing place He has in store for us. We got through these disasters to make us stronger, and so that one day we can encourage, empathize, and love on someone going through that same situation later. God knows what He's doing. God is here for you. He is the same yesterday, today, and always.
I hope this song encourages you as much as it encourages me. Please share it. Go on Youtube and listen to it. Download it on itunes or whatever. Pray it.

Blessings
By: Laura Story

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

How do you know!?!?

Many people wonder how you know you have or will marry the right person. How do you know it's right? How do you know you should get married.... I don't even begin to try to explain that to people because I don't know....
But here is how I know:
Tonight Husband and I were hanging out with the youth group and doing some sweet SNL fun things. At one point a girl and I said the SAME thing at the SAME time..
"Ginx" I blurted out! "YOU OWE ME A SODA!" (in my day that was the payment for such offense).
Then she started saying weird rhymes like:
"The ginx machine isn't working so turn around and give me a quarter" (but when she said it.. there was some sort of rhyme to it). Then she said another one.
I looked at her and said... "quit rhyming at me and know that you owe me a soda." Then my husband blurts out: "QUIT WITH THE RAP!" (he was saying it to girl who was rhyming... instead of quit with the CRAP he said quit with the RAP because she was rhyming). This sent Husband and I into some deep laughter. It was hilarious. As I gazed around the room... I noticed that we were the only ones who thought this was as funny as it truly was. Everyone else thought we were a bit looney.

THAT is how I know!

Blessings!

Family...

So you can ask anyone... I don't really LOVE nature...

For Example:

If you ask Husband, he will tell you countless stories of times I've screamed in terror of a spider or bug (of any size) crawling around. OR the times when he wasn't around to save me from those horrible things that I cupped them for him to kill later.

OR

You can ask my house mom in Australia of the countless times I would scream bloody murder because a spider was around (I never knew which one could ultimately bite me and claim my life... there are tons of killing animals in Australia). This ultimately led her to leaving a can of some pretty sweet bug killer on my bed side table....

OR

You can ask my former students from St. John about the time I told them about the killer PRAYING MANTIS! It was hugging my water bottle.... and looking at me with KILL in its eyes. So much so that I hit it out of the garage (with a tennis racket) so that I would no longer be threatened with such a bug! They are super duper dangerous... (not really... I just really hate all bugs that much, and truly feel my life is at risk with them alive near me).

But what I hate more than bugs are BIRDS (can I get an AMEN from someone on this one? Wichita friend L I know I can get one from you... we've been to the zoo together). Anyway... they are super scary. They have weird eyes. They poop on EVERYTHING. They swoop at your face/head. AND they are super dirty! Anyway... They are horrible... why am I telling you all this? So I can set the stage for the real story:

REAL STORY:
During our week in Mexico we came back to a dove/pigeon (Husband looked it up and turns out they are pretty much the same, but pigeons are bigger... and they don't live in the country... beings that I don't know what ours is... or if we are in the CITY or COUNTRY... I went with dove/pigeon) in our hanging planter. Now... the plant was dead (go figure.. we suck at plants) but there was a nesting bird. At first.. I was annoyed (I hate birds). Then as time went on.. I thought about how the plant was never coming back... so we might as well just let the bird have it's babies. As time has gone on... we've watched this mom perch on her little eggs day in and day out.

Fast forward to the present weekend... crazy me thought we should get to a house project since it's been a while since we've done one, and since we have no guests coming we had lots of time. So we decided to resurface our deck (that is a whole other blog discussion!) Anyway... We had to move (temporarily) the planter to paint behind it and clean and sand it. So when we lowered it down off of its appointed hanger we were happily surprised to see one baby had hatched and the other egg was so darn small and cute! I actually felt a bit responsible for it... Even though I had nothing to do with it at all. I felt like an aunt to these little guys. So we painted and returned the planter. Now... I've heard if the mom can smell people on their eggs they will not return to the nest... So I was a bit concerned that the mom would not return to the remaining egg and baby. This would be sad at the expense of my already dead plant, and the time I've vested in watching this mom do her thing... Plus.. it's a bird that I've come to kinda love (just don't fly at my head or poop on my deck sister).

All day long today I've been keeping my eyes peeled at that planter to make sure she would return. Don't worry.. She did. The other baby has hatched and mom is proudly perched over them! As much as I hate birds, I found myself full vested in this family! Hope to get pictures for you to see how cute they are! :)