Awesome Amish

I just got back from a visit to Pennsylvania and, just like always, I found myself completely enamored with all things Amish.  I mean, come on, the barns, the horses, the buggies, the Rumschpringe ...it's almost like Little House on the Prairie only with more of a dress code. 

This, of course, let to my inevitable "wouldn't it be like totally awesome to be Amish" moment. Where I think about how nice it would be to get away from the world.  How peaceful it must be without the TV or radio or internet.  How, even if I were to still be a teacher in my alternate Amish Universe, all the kids are like totally polite.  How idyllic the farming lifestyle is  (Side-note, when I have this fantasy I like to conviently leave out all of the hard work involved in actual farming and focus on the TV version where farmers are peaceful, hardworking, God-fearing folks).

Then again, I look around and realize that I'm writing this post on my laptop with the TV on and have gotten about 6 texts in the last 5 minutes.  I also realize that sleeping until noon is probably discourage in the Amish world, as are pants for girls.  And, since I'd rather get a massage then wear a skirt (side note 2,  the very idea of getting a massage sends me into near panic mode so this is, in fact, not a good thing), I suppose I'll have to make due with just visiting Amish Country and not actually being Amish.

Although deep down inside I still think it would be kind of awesome to be Amish...for like, a week.

The Shed....Part 1

This is my yard

This is my yard after I leave a large box containing a Shed that I can't manage to put together sitting on the grass for over a month in all sorts of weather.

This is the Shed (still in the box) after being rained on for the 4th or 5th time

But, never fear good people.  I have some exciting news.  Wonderful news.  News to be shouted from the rooftops of towns, and toasted with yummy frosty drinks.

The shed is now......

Out of the box

And that my friends, is totally a step in the right direction!

Down with Wallpaper!

After wanting to rip the last of the wallpaper out of my house for years (literally since I moved in), I finally tackled the job over Spring Break.  Well that may be overstating it just a bit, but I at least started over Spring Break...it took a bit longer than expected (what with me being completely unmotivated when it came right down to it).  But now I have a beautiful, new, wallpaper FREE, bathroom.  Or, more specifically, my sister and niece have a beautiful, new, wallpaper free bathroom!

Stories

There are things that every teacher does that school could never, ever prepare you for.  The rude children, the overwhelming amount of paperwork, the insanity of middle schoolers in the week before vacation to name a few.  And then there are those things that are so outrageous that they enter the world of myth, they become the stories that we sit around telling each other when things get to stressful.  Every teacher has a few, and I have more than my share:

The Rat
Mopposite Boy
M and the Celery
Anything involving my evil genius
Rock NO
and many more....

Some stories are hilarious, some are sad, some make me remember why the heck I do this job, and some make me question my career choice.  For example: there was one year when my sister (hope you don't mind Noelle), became the Patron Saint of Menstruation.  No seriously, for some reason every 6th grade girl experiencing that special moment came and told my sister.  The conversation generally went like this:
Student: "Ms. K, I have to tell you something"
Noelle: "okay"
Student: "I got my period"
Noelle: "Do you need to go to the nurse?"
Student: "No"
Noelle: "Do you have everything you need?"
Student: "yes"
Noelle: "Do you have any questions?"
Student: "No"
Noelle: "okay, go to class"

This happened, a LOT, and not always by students she knew well.  It was weird

I can't tell you the number of times that I've had to explain the importance of showering and deodorant. And you can't even being to imagine what an awkward conversation is until you've had to call a parent to tell them that their child has been habitually masturbating in your class.  Double the awkwardness when the student is a girl.  Triple the awkwardness when the parent then asks you to speak to the kid about it....they most definitely don't pay me enough for that.

But they do make excellent stories!

International Adoption: As explained by a three year old

I've been off-line lately which has be great for getting things done around my house but not so great for my internet addiction (or maybe it was good for that also).  Long story short my  beautiful, shiny, new computer BROKE.  But never fear, dell is sending me a new one (probably because I haven't finished paying for the broken one), and until then I'm borrowing some computer time at my parents while everyone is out shopping.

And now for the story that inspired the title of this post....

My niece Ella, aside from being the most entertaining 3 year old out there, also happens to have been adopted from China.  She knows all about adoption and asks questions about it pretty frequently.  We have a big group of adoption friends who we get together with frequently so it's not like any part of the process is a secret, I just didn't know she paid such close attention!  The other morning we had the following conversation on the way to school.

Ella: "Jesse, how old your dau-er (daughter) is"
Me:  "I'm not sure Ella, probably around 2"
Ella: "How big she is?"
Me: "Smaller than you"
Ella: "Jesse, you got to do all that paperwork so you can go and get her just like my mama got me"
Me: "I'm working on it"
Ella: "Ms. Kim did all her paperwork por (for) she can go get Little Mister David"
Me:  "I know, Ms. Kim is just faster than me"
Ella: "But I want her"
Me: "Me too Ella, me too"

If only it were really that simple!!!

Olympic Fever

I'll admit it, I totally have Olympic Fever and I know I'm not alone in this.  I watch sports rarely, less than rarely really, but once every four years I get obsessed with the Olympics.  (I say every four years because the Summer Olympics just don't do it for me, after gymnastics and diving I'm pretty much out).  But for the Winter Olympics? I'll watch just about anything, all of that skiing and skating and snowboarding and sledding (I'm talking about you bobsledders and lugers), that stuff is wicked fun to watch.  It also helps that those athletes are all a little bit nuts, you'd have to be to do what they do.  I love every cheesy, over the top, stupid dramatic, piece of it. 

Touching stories about athletes overcoming adversity?  Love it!

Profiles of countries and places that I've never heard of?  Love it!

Restrospective looks at every mistake an athlete made at the last Olympics followed by the word "redemption" said at least 1000 times a broadcast?  Love it!

Instant replays everytime someone falls down?  Love it!

Watching the Olympians tear up at the medals ceromony and tearing up myself no matter what national anthem is playing?  Love it!

I love it all, but the snowboarding? Oh the snowboarding.... I admit to be unabashedly jealous of the snowboarders. I want to be able to do that!  Not enough to actually learn mind you, because I don't want to be a beginner, I want to be good and I'd like to start out that way.  Clearly this as good a reason as any to just dream about it and not actually do it.   None of the other sports look nearly as cool as the snowboarding.  None of the other athletes look nearly as fun to hang out with.   It is by far my favorite Winter Olympic sport (and I realize they snowboard at other times that I could watch on tv but it's just to stressful!)  I'm tell you the reason I never watch sports is probably because it's to exhausting to love something this much.  From every over the top opening ceremony to the torch being extinguished I just love the Winter Olympics, heck I'll probably even watch Curling (if just to marvel at the fact that it is an actual sport), but Snowboarding will always be my favorite!

Times they are a changin'

To put it mildly the economy sucks, I mean really sucks.   People are losing jobs, houses, savings, and retirement funds.  I have been very lucky that I haven't lost any of that and, despite my whining about it, I am grateful to have a job.  Still, paychecks keep getting cut, class sizes are getting bigger, stress levels are rising, and expectations keep getting more unbelievable...

For over a year my sister and I have talked about what we would do if the economy sunk so low that having separate houses no longer made sense.  We talked about selling both our houses to buy a larger (but cheaper) home, we talked about renting, refinancing, and moving in with our parents (hi mom).  We talked, and talked, and talked, and talked.  And finally we decided that it was time.  Next year is going to bring more cuts to the education budget (thanks government) and, while Dave Ramsey has made a huge difference in how I approach money, I won't be able to save nearly as much as I would like.   She is in a similar boat and although she isn't saving for an adoption she would like to pay down some debt. 

The next few months are going to be full of changes at my house because I'm about to get two roommates, one sister/best friend, and one adorable (although kinda loud) three year old,.   It is going to be mutually beneficial on both parts and should be good fun.  We've voluntarily lived together before, much to our parents surprise, and are looking forward to doing it again.  I'll be able to save for Bulgaria while also paying down debt, and she will get to pay down debt and start saving for life.  It will definitely take some adjusting but we are both looking forward to it.  My once neglected loft will soon become home to some awesome IKEA wardrobes (hello sale), and the guest room downstairs will become a room for cousins to share....someday! 

So bring it on Economy, Bring. It. On.