Grow up, Don't Throw up!
Yesterday, a girl in my dance class told me very matter-of-factly that she was going to throw up and that she needed to leave class. This is the same girl who told me for three weeks she needed to take a medication everyday at 11:05 and was really just going to get in the lunch line five minutes before everyone else. So I told her, “Michelle*, if you need to throw up, just throw up on the floor so I know you’re sick. ” (The girl makes up a fake illness everyday: backaches, fake pregnancies, etc.) We did about 150 crunches in warmup, and she was fine. Then I took a few minutes to go over the steps with students who need help, and next thing I know, another student tells me, “Michelle just threw up.” I said, “No she didn’t. Floor’s clean.” And Michelle triumphantly said, “Oh yeah, I did! ” Then
I said the unthinkable.
“Show me,” I demanded. “What? Eww!” Everyone gasped.
“Show me!” I held my nose. Usually the smell of vomit makes me want to do the same. So Michelle brought out a trashcan from backstage. Sure enough, full of vomit. I let her go, and told her to take the trashcan with her. After class, I walked out in the hallway and realized that Michelle had left the trashcan just outside the theatre door to take care of. Gross. GROSS. GROSSSS! Am I so unrefined that I readily ask to examine other people’s vomit? The only thing that fazed me was the annoyance of having to take care of it myself. Anyway, Michelle came back to class and plopped down in the middle of the stage floor where we were dancing. Another student came and whispered to me, “Michelle is bulimic.” Honestly, folks, I’m a compassionate person. But when you’ve had the wool pulled over your eyes by a student before, it is really hard to trust that kid ever again. My suspicion was that she slipped backstage and made herself throw up so she could leave school. I said, “Michelle, if you’ve got bulimia, then your Mom and I need to talk.” Ooh! That was serious business. Once Michelle’s mother came to school and caught her sitting down in the middle of dance class. I explained that it was because of her backache and Michelle’s Mom said, “She has absolutely nothing wrong with her!” She proceeded to chew her daughter out in front of the whole class. Naturally, Michelle doesn’t want anybody to call her mom.
Tomorrow…I’m calling Michelle’s mom.
I love these kids, I really do. With all of their silliness and their spitballs and their fake-diseases, they win my heart. Maybe this is why I get up every morning at 6.
*Her name’s not really Michelle, so I can’t get sued for this.
Our Deepest Fear
It's stinking 6:30 in the morning and I had no desire to get up in the first place, but here I am. I have to get ready for school. Here is a quote i've been meaning to share for a long time.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." --Marianne Williamson
Disclaimer
I'd like to clarify that though the Pom-juice tastes a little funny, albeit very strong, I do not hate it. In fact, I'm drinking some of it right now. I made this chart showing where it ranks on my best-drinks list (1 being the best).
1. Peppermint Mocha
2. Diet coke with lime
...
...
...
13. Pomengranate juice
...
...
...
47. Slightly soured whole milk
48. Cheap whiskey mixed with cough syrup
See? I love it.
Pom - Tastic!
I'm blogging about three times as much as a normal blogger. I bet I blog more than Madison, my 13-year-old niece. But I had to ask this: has anyone ever had pomengranate juice? It's supposed to be chock full of antioxidants, according to my mother. I got some yesterday. Folks, it does NOT taste like a pomengranate. It tastes more like...well, let's put it this way. My theory is that the folks at Ocean Spray were having a hard time marketing their new Cran-Prune juice. So, they decided to add a little bit of pomengranate juice in it (as the last ingredient), slap a label on it that says, "Pom-Wonderful" and sell it for $4 a bottle. We're talking about a sixteen-ounce bottle here. How will I know if this stuff is working? Nevermind, I shouldn't ask that. It has prune juice in it.
You should've seen that one coming.
I'm gonna go to tap class now and act like none of this ever happened.
Skipping School
Naughty girl that I am, I've decided to play hooky from school tomorrow. In truth, I had planned on going to Abilene to see my ACU buddies and NOT sing song. However, I didn't finish my pedagogy test until 4:00 and didn't feel like driving on ice for three hours. Now I'm skipping just to skip. My students deserve the substitute teacher they are unknowingly going to walk in on tomorrow morning. I wish I had bugged my classroom. This substitute, we'll call her "Betty" is a pistol. She writes up at least ten students a day. (I don't write up that many in a month.) If any student talks, she threatens to send them to dentention. She comes complete with evil stare. Heh heh. Like the kids book,
Miss Nelson is Missing, my students will soon have a new appreciation for my way of doing things
. My friends from Skillman church in Dallas are really into International soccer, and they went to a game this afternoon--that's right--outside in the rain and cold and sleet. I'm anxious to know how they fared. I'm going to make the following prediction:
Everyone wrapped up in about eight thermal blankets and six sleeping bags. Melissa tried to study in between amazing plays, which happened often. Zach called Josue a girly-man when Josue complained that his toes were getting numb. Adam poured hot coffee on himself to keep warm which helped, but only for a short length of time. Renee got hot and just wore a t-shirt. Then, America won with a score of 2 - 1. Everyone piled in their cars and drove to Starbucks, where the Guatamalan soccer team was trying to warm up. Debbie got all of their autographs, but then decided to sell them on E-bay, much to the disappointment of everyone. Someone was heard saying, "Debbie, all you care about is the bottom line." Debbie sold the autographs for thousands of dollars and took everyone out to a big fancy steakhouse. All was forgiven, and the crew decided to let Debbie handle all of their finances from then on.
THE END
More Kaiden pics
Kaiden was born three weeks early and was
hooked up to breathing machines. I didn't know that a 7-pound baby could still be considered
premie, but he wasn't ready yet.
Kaiden with his Dad
No dip for me, thanks.
My Dad has always been my valentine. He's been giving me a box of chocolates every year since I was four years old. When I was sixteen he sent me a rose at school and wrote, "Love, Leonardo" on the card because I was in love with Leonardo DiCaprio at the time. My sophomore year in college my chocolates got lost in the mail (Actually, stuck in the ACU post office!) and I didn't get them until Easter! We've recently switched to Sugar Free chocolates since Mom has diabetes now. Still, he's a sweet Dad and he always remembers. Nothing can compare.
Speaking of valentines, I know you've been following this case like you follow Grey's Anatomy --you have to know--you just can't stand it anymore! Well, I've decided to tell you about my crush. You know, the one I wanted to know how to flirt with. What ever became of it? Well, as it turns out, he has a girlfriend, AND, he chews vast amounts of Copenhagen.
So there you have it. I'm glad I'm not good at flirtation. He might have offered me a dip!
Gross.
Let's change the subject, shall we? Here's a good verse that convicted me to reexamine what I thought love is:
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18
To me, little pink hearts and teddy bears are such a squalid representation of something so incredibly huge as love. Laying down your life for someone? Valentine's hearts should be printed in army-camo. I heard once that the color of love is not pink or blue or pastel green, it's brown, because love means digging into the dirty, messsy stuff of life to rescue someone.
I'm not always willing to do that, but that's what God's trying to create in me everyday.
Happy Valentine's Day!! And remember: tobacco kills.
--Heather
Kaiden
I want to introduce you to my great-nephew, Kaiden. That's right, great nephew! He's my nephew Kevin's little boy. Just look how precious! I'll probably be sharing more pictures later.
I'd also like to say, off the subject, that God is indeed at work in the world in huge ways and there's nothing Satan can do to stop Him. I've witnessed some of that lately.
February 28th!!!
You must be asking yourself, "What's February 28th?" No! It's not your dentist's appointment, it's the day they release Pride and Prejudice on home video! It's a great book, and the A&E miniseries with Colin Firth was my absolute favorite. Just when I thought, "No one can outdo Colin Firth", I saw the new version. I was wrong.
These are my top ten reasons for loving P & P, and in no particular order:
10. Lizzie's Mom saying to a man, "Jane is practically engaged, but I think you'll find Elizabeth to be a very agreeable alternative!"
9. Lizzie's messed up hair and muddy outfits. The girl doesn't care what anybody thinks and that's what makes her cool.
8. The way they insult each other horribly and are completely civil about it.
7. Judi Dench and Donald Sutherland are both in it.
6. I love costumes, and this movie has interesting ones.
5. Just like in any good movie, the one kiss at the end that means way more than a hundred steamy love scenes in other movies.
4. British accents.
3. Mr. Collins is such a funny character. The boy has no skills.
2. I like that the relationship in this movie is about changing your mind about someone that you've misjudged and disliked.
1. I saw it in the theatre with Elasha and she's a fun girl!
Lizzie: I hate you, Mr. Darcy!
Darcy: Oh yeah? Well you're a dirty poor girl!"
6 months later....
Darcy: I'm not so bad once you get to know me.
Lizzie: Ok, if you say so. Kiss me!
Unfixables
Hey all. I'm so glad you're here. Honestly, I'm grateful some people still read this even when there's a chance you might come on here and there'd be nothing but fluff about yogurt and teacher's lounges. That's not to say that life is never funny, but I catch myself writing silly things on the days when I'm really knee-deep in questions that I can't answer.
The latest:
Yesterday, I lost my keys. I keep all of my keys together--car keys, school keys, mailbox key, teacher id...and I somehow lost the whole shebang. When I did, it was like I had lost a limb! I wasn't able to drive home and I had to call Annette Nielsen to pick me up from school. When I got home, I couldn't get into my apartment, so I had to get my landlord to open the place up for me. I remember feeling so helpless, because I had done all I could do and nothing prevailed. In the costume storage room where I had last seen the keys, I asked God, "Why? Why won't you just help me find them? I know I was dumb to lose them, but why can't you help me now?" He's often helped me before in small ways, but this time it was like he was just watching me with parental tough-love.
My Dad would say that it's not God's will to micromanage our lives. But then again, Randy Harris says that if he God but blinks, we all go hungry. It was so crazy and scary to realize that God is not my genie in a bottle who comes out and fixes everything magically. I wondered if me finding my keys was even important to him, or if he would rather teach me a lesson in responsibility. Are keys...trivial?
Later on that evening, I got a call from James, (World's most mature high school student). James had found my keys, miraculously, on top of a breaker box six feet high in the costume storage room. Today when I saw him, James told he that he had prayed, "Lord, I've gotta find these keys" He looked, and a moment later he saw a flash of green--my lanyard.
Of course, another student had hidden the keys as a prank. This student will not ever touch my keys again--ever!
But isn't it amazing?
Also, my new ipod is a faulty one, but I didn't know that for days and I was trying everything I could to get it to work and nothing would help. I'm not a technological genius, but I know enough to install a stinkin' ipod. Nothing doing. Finally I called Apple and they told me to send it in because only they could fix it.
There are just some things that we
cannot do. Maybe our eyes are too blind to see, or maybe God doesn't allow us to see until the proper, appointed time. Maybe some sin or mistake doesn't allow us to fix it because we don't turn it over to God to fix like we should have all along.
I'm just struck this week by how truly helpless we are.
My prayer is that we could all just throw up our hands and fall at the feet of Jesus. Who knows what might happen if we let go of our unfixables.
"A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing."
--Emo Philips
