Children shall inherit the Earth

This blog is quickly becoming more about my students, than it is me.  However, this conversation today was too hilarious not to mention.  I didn't become a teacher to get sworn at.  I DID become a teacher to be adored...read on...

Seeing as how my students are still in school...while the rest of the world, at least American schools, okay, maybe just schools in Eugene, in the Bethel School District, is on Winter Break, my students, are still required to come today and tomorrow.  They are handling it pretty well, but I promised them last week that we'd have plenty of fun "non-school" (read: hidden academics) things to do.  It's funny how during these tasks kids open up and begin asking questions and talking your head off.  While mixing up dough this afternoon, (read: learning how to read a recipe and measure flour with a measuring cup - see!? Educational!) one of my students engaged me in conversation.

Male student:  "Judy, are you married?"
Me: "No."
Male student: "See?  I don't get that.  You're like a great girl. "
Me: (laughs and possibly gave the student a concerned look)
Male student: "I mean, I don't like you, 'cause that'd be weird but still, you're like really nice."
Me:  ('whew!' and more laughs)  "Thanks, bud, I tend to agree with you on that!"
Male student:  "No, seriously, I bet if you started going to yoga studios all over the country, you'd get asked out on at least 10,000 dates"
Me:  "Well, that'd be quite an experiment.  Maybe I should try that."
Male student: "Yeah, you really should."(student walks away shaking his head in disbelief)

Later, I overhear this same student informing one of his female peers that he's "way out of her league." Puh-lease. There might be a hundred reasons why she's not right for him, but out of her league?  I'm not so sure about that. 

Today's List:  Amount of baggage I'm thankful I won't be checking onto an airplane this holiday break
1. One very large suitcase including but not limited to sweaters, vests, swimwear (I have no idea why, I just feel one should never travel without it) and socks, panties and several pairs of 'lounge wear'
2. One small suitcase of shoes, reading material, crosswords and journal
3. One bag of groceries/snacks and holiday foodstuffs
4. One bag of Christmas presents
5. 2 coats that did not fit in a suitcase
6. One small bag of toiletry items
7. Purse including camera, camera charger, iPod, iPod charger, wallet and chaptstick
   Definitely not one my finer hours in packing...Do you think I forgot anything??

A Twist on "Out of the Mouths of Babes"

I'm not entirely sure that this post has a place on a blog that's allegedly rooted in faith.  However, I feel like today's post aptly captures my day-to-day life in the classroom.  And, believe you me, I will be praying to this dear child's guardian angel.  Maybe you'll join me.

12-14-11  Journal work taken from a student - see my running inner-monologue in parenthesis.

This piece is very accurately entitled:  Fuck You All (settle in, it's going to be a good read)

Everyone sucks a lot.  (I'll give him credit, he did indent.)  I hate everyone.  (Ok.  Fair enough.)  They are ass losers.  (K, I have no idea what that is, but it sounds interesting.) They all suck.  (Okay, thank you for the clarifying information about the acts of an 'ass loser'.)  They can go fuck themself.  (Grammar conflict! I rest my case.) That my free thoughts. (And how free they were regardless of, yet, another grammatical error)

Those grammar errors are glaring.  You'd think I did nothing everyday!  They almost downplay the swearing.  Man, that kid is good.  I could not pull that off if I tried!  Keep in mind this was written at the end of the day, after the student was informed that he would be spending lunches with staff until he could start writing sentences that excluded the word "sucks."  Way to take it to the limit!  He showed us, boy, oh boy.  Welcome to middle school, yeah?

It gave me a laugh. Many of them.

Today's list:  Days until Christmas Break, excuse me WINTER break.
4.

Forgive me!

*This post dedicated to Gina Gailis.  

I really had no idea how long it had been since I wrote.  That is, until I attempted signing into my blog and realized not only had I forgotten my email but also my password.  Fail.  After some searching, and pleading with my memory to come back to me, here I am.  I've thought about the ol' blog time and time again (since May) but I've had some difficult struggles with the whole keeping of the blog.  For one thing, I feel like a blog of this nature, should do one of two things.  It should either A. reveal some sort of truths about the world, questions to ponder, and such, or B. it should be really juicy.  The thing is, though, my life is not terribly juicy.  Even if it were, my mother reads this.  And, I don't even want to think of what repercussions would follow if my brother started following my musings.  I'm not trying to give anyone a heart attack.  The other part of it is, I'm not a terribly profound, deep thinker.  I notice things.  I might comment on things that are funny about life and though I spend a considerable amount of time trying to figure out why people do as they do, I do not find it would be of any use for anyone else to read my theories.  All of this is leading grandly into what my entire weekend thus far has consisted of...no, not Christmas shopping, though I did do that as well.  But, I've been spinning my wheels about life, purpose, drive.  What does it all mean?  

Typically, I go through the motions of my everyday life. And, I like that!  I like having a stable career.  I like knowing that I have a job to go to everyday.  I am comforted by my routine of work, gym, dinner, sleep, repeat.  But, after a recent, very spontaneous trip, I've called into question some of these things.  There's more to life out there.  I like the routine side of things Monday through Friday but come Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I really have got to figure out how to make something out of those three days that's going to propel myself through the rest of the weekly monotony.  This is what happens to me after I do something that I perceive as being fun, and maybe a bit reckless, even.  It's like going from cloud nine, back to reality.  Reality is no place for Aquarius.  It's stifling for her.  She'd far rather dwell in the possibilities of things, the hope.  Cloud nine is where I'm meant to be, where I want to be.  The challenge is in creating my own cloud nine, to have with me all of the time.  How do I do that?

For starters, I begin with sleep.  After last weekend, I was reminded that cloud nine can be an exhausting place, especially when stimuli is coming at you from every angle.  While, invigorating, and stimulating, the brain can only take so much.  I needed rest.  After my roommate returned home on Thursday, I had the prime setup for calm.  I have been spending time cooking each night, lighting candles, and practicing calming the brain.  When the brain is tired, it does funny, funny things, that really aren't so funny, actually.  My brain is especially tricky and likes to dwell in negativity, for some reason, so I have been working double time in this solitude to make my thoughts positive.  For any of you that have ever experienced doing this, and I'm sure most of you have, this can be a brutal war.  It seems like I spend so much of the time craving calm, peace, and solitude, and when I get it, I can't wait to have connection to others, chaos, and life!  That, in and of itself, becomes a new battle then...am I ever satisfied?  What will satisfy me?  How can I reach that satisfaction?  *Cue Rolling Stones, I can't get no...sa-tis-fac-tion...

And, what if, what if you realize the questions to all of these answers, only to know that what you think will be satisfying, what you think will bring you peace is something you can't attain?  For whatever reason, it's right outside of your grasp and you can't have it.  Then, what do we do with ourselves?  The only thing I can think of is, faith.  I have to believe that I am where I am supposed to be, and if I'm not, then some greater power than I, will get me to that place...wherever that place is.  I'm trying to believe.  Any day now...

How's that for some deep questions?  Pondering the meaning of life and all that...I'm sure when Gina asked me to write she was hoping for something a little more uplifting, and it will be, again.  I'm certain that by tomorrow my whole view on any number of these questions will have changed again.  Truthfully, it'll probably change the minute I post this!  I wonder if any of you have ever asked yourselves these questions.  Is this simply my quarter-life crisis?  If I leave you with but one thing today, take this:  shun the practical.  embrace the possible.  

Today's List:  To-Do's...

1.  Laundry

2.  Shower

3.  Eat

4.  Drink water

5.  Dad's xmas gift

6.  Joey's xmas gift

7.  Jeanine's xmas gift

8.  Complete a crossword puzzle

9.  Clean the bathroom

10.  Exercise