Go Texan Day

Most of the students at school are dressed to the nines in Western duds. They're absolutely adorable! Little chaps, bandanas, fancy boots and cowboy hats...so precious!

They're going to be showing off their dance moves in PE today. I can't wait!

Voter Information

Here is a non-partisan voter's guide on a few issues.

Life is Tough. It's Tougher if You're Stupid

Okay, so the title isn't very nice, but these are pretty funny. The last one takes the cake by a long shot though!

ONE

Recently, when I went to McDonald's, I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. "We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter. "You don't?" I replied. "We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply. "So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?" "That's right." So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets.

TWO

I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those dividers that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the divider, looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it.
Not finding the bar code she said to me, "Do you know how much this is?" I said to her, "I've changed my mind, I don't think I'll buy that today." She said "OK," and I paid her for the things and left.
She had no clue to what had just happened.

THREE

A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet. They kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM "thingy."

FOUR

I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. "Do you need some help?" I asked. She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?"
"Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy,"
she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually
unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk." (she had no clue either!)

FIVE

Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?"
"Just use copier machine paper," the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies.

SIX

I was in a car dealership a while ago, when a large motor home was towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in "Twister." I asked the manager what had happened. He told me that the driver had set the "cruise control" and then went in the back to make a sandwich.

SEVEN

My neighbor works in the operations department in the central office of a large bank. Employees in the field call him when they have problems with their computers. One night he got a call from a woman in one of the branch banks who had this question: "I've got smoke coming from the back of my terminal. Do you guys have a fire downtown?"

EIGHT

Police in Radnor , Pa. interrogated a suspect by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopy machine.. The message "He's lying" was placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth. Believing the "lie detector" was working, the suspect confessed.

NINE

A mother calls 911 very worried, asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room. The kid had been eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and he should be fine.
The mother says, "Okay, but, I just gave him some ant killer..... "
Dispatcher: "Rush him in to emergency room!"

Word Change

We have a TAKS pep rally next Tuesday. "What is a TAKS pep rally?" you ask. Well, basically it is teachers singing and making fools of themselves to pump up the students for the next day's test. 4th grade teachers are going to be singing "Celebrate" with a few word changes. What do you think?

Celebrate!

Celebrate good times, come on!
Celebrate good times, come on!

There’s a party goin’ on right here
A celebration to last throughout the year
So bring your pencils, and your paper too
We gonna celebrate your writing with you

Come on now!

Celebration
Let’s all celebrate and have a good time
Celebration
We’re gonna celebrate and have a good time

It’s time to write together
It’s up to you, what’s your topic?

Everyone around 4th gradeCome on!

Celebrate good verbs, come on!
It’s a celebration
Celebrate good nouns, come on!

We’re gonna have a 4 when we write
Let’s celebrate, it’s all right
We’re gonna have a 4 when we write
Let’s celebrate, it’s all right

Yahoo!!
Yahoo!!

Trusting in the Lord

Why is it so hard?

I'm hurting because I'm not trusting. All I have to do is trust and rest in the comfort He provides. Instead, I'm choosing to not trust. I'm choosing to not rest in the comfort only He can provide. And I'm hurting because of it. How much sense does that make?

Wet day in Houston

As I was walking out to my car after class at U of H last evening, it was drizzling slightly. Not badly, really, but the walk is not short thus plenty of time to get wet.

I was wearing one of these


when this happened. (though quite a bit higher than this picture shows)



Little did I know, I should have gone more prepared by wearing this!

An inch?

I was buying windshield wiper blades last night for all the wipers on my car. The guy at O'Reilly's was willing to put them on for me, something I very much appreciated! He had trouble replacing the rear windshield wiper because it needed a 10" blade, but they only had 11" blades. How much difference can an inch possible make? A lot. He couldn't get it on.

This caused me to think about my walk with the Lord. When I'm off, even just a little, I feel the difference. Something isn't working. Something isn't right. And I know it. Maybe I'm just a little off course, but I know and it drives me to be back in sync with my Father. I want to measure up with Him perfectly. I want to fit.

Changes

I changed the colors and updated some of my sidebars.

What do you think?

Shopping Success!

casual or slightly dressy black


Cute and casual brown


Trendy red pump


much needed flops


I bought four pair of shoes for under $60, thanks to a BOGO sale and Laurie's $5 off coupon. :)

I also bought two new outfits, one dress and one blouse. Shopping is fun!

What do I do with them?

In December, Paul Bettencourt sent me new license plates for my car. Not just a renewed registration, but new metal plates. Apparently this is done for a car every seven years. Who knew? Learn something new all the time.

Does anyone know what I'm supposed to do with the old ones?

And a Happy Valentine's Day to you, too!

I got a parking ticket last night.

The ticket was in a pink envelope.

It definitely put me in a loving mood.

Valentine's Day Gifts

I have two hollow chocolate roses, one bag of milk chocolate Lindt truffles, two heart shaped packages of assorted chocolates, one package of original Ferrero Rocher chocolates, one small ivy, one Lindt white coconut candy bar, one pink stuffed monkey, one bottle of lotion, one bag of milk, dark and white Lindt chocolates, one helium balloon in the appropriate colors of this holiday, and various and assundry candies.

Sorry, no partridge in a pear tree.

Predictions

As a reading teacher, I always ask my students to make predictions about what will happen next. They also have to explain why or how they came to this particular prediction.

I predict that tomorrow, on Valentine's Day, I will receive numerous chocolate roses, hand drawn cards, and packages of Toblerone chocolate.

I am basing my prediction on knowledge of my current students as well as remembering what I received last year on Valentine's Day and this past Christmas.

Now let's see what actually happens!

Two Choices

(I know this is long. You can certainly skim and still get the basis of the story. However, please read a short message from me at the bottom.)

What would you do? You make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child."

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to third!"

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, "Shay, run home! Run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

"That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world".

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!


This part is from me, Alyssa. I know some of you know this, but some of you may not. My sister has a mental disability. She doesn't have the physical problems that the little boy in this story does. However, her mental disabilities caused her to be made fun of in school. People sometimes still treat her as a young girl instead of a 30 year old woman. I know the word "retard" is used often in our culture. "You're a retard." or "That's retarded." Please consider conscientiously taking that word out of your vernacular. It hurts my feelings.

Trainwreck

You know how something can be so awful and so fascinating at the same time? Like a trainwreck? Check this out.

MySweetPee

Out with the old and in with the...

New Shoes!

I cleaned out my closet of shoes yesterday. I got out a trash bag and threw in the shoes I no longer wear. The shoes that don't really fit. The shoes I'm tired of wearing. The shoes that are falling apart. All of them went in a big, black trash bag.

I now only have about 20 pair of shoes. This number includes two pair of lake shoes, two pair of tennis shoes, one pair of incredibly dressy heels, and one pair of flip-flops. This leaves about twelve pair of shoes for everyday wear. Keep in mind that means casual and work attire for all seasons. Out of those twelve, several are only being kept because I don't have anything else to replace them.

This is not enough by any means.

I must go shoe shopping immediately!

A Perspective on Convictions

Some people have various convictions. A conviction can be Biblical, cultural or personal. Of course, some of these may overlap.

A few have a personal conviction against consuming alchol.

Still others don't mind drinking, but do not choose to get drunk.

I don't know many people that smoke, but I'm not sure if that is a choice for good health or a personal conviction.

Some friends don't think a person that is not united with a Christian church should be president of the United States.

Still others don't have that same conviction.

Some people have no interest in politics whatsoever.

Others follow the presidential debates, but do not think their vote really counts.

Some people return change when a little too much was given, while others rejoice in their excess.


Most of my close friends are believers in Christ. Through their study of the Word of God and the fellowship they have with other believers, they are working to grow in His image. Yet, they differ on some of the above points, as well as others I haven't mentioned.

I wonder at times why we make the Bible so gray in principle. I have thought about this quite a bit. There are times something is so incredibly black and white to me. I wonder why someone else can't have the same perspective. Yet, we are human. We are fallible. My heart is so completely dirty at times that it literally disgusts me, and I want only to get away from myself. A little difficult, I realize. At times I make something gray, that the Lord doesn't intend to be so.

Yet, part of me thinks I'm so "good." Why is that? Because I was raised in a Christian home? Because I was born in America? Because I haven't had sex outside the confines of marriage (or within for that matter, but that is beside the point.) Because I've never been drunk? Robbed someone? Done drugs or committed murder? No, I haven't done those things.

I have lied. I have cheated. I have manipulated. I have wormed my way out of sticky situations. I struggle with gossip. Struggle isn't really the right word, because most times I don't even put up a fight.

The Bible tell us the tongue is an evil thing. The Word commands us to go out and make disciples of all nations. Christ's example of service is constant and his followers show various forms of service as well.

I realize this post is fairly lengthy. I also know it is a pretty weighty topic. I am not going to apologize for either, though the huge part of me that is a people pleaser wishes to do so.

I am going to ask a few difficult questions. You certainly don't have to answer them aloud (or in this case in written form), but I do challenge you to ask them of yourself. I have done that, and didn't always like my answer.

Jesus was a man of principle. He was a man of convictions. Many of them.

Are you a man or woman of convictions?

If your answer was yes, are you living like it?

Do you have the courage to keep others accountable? Yes, asking hard questions takes some guts.

Are you currently serving in the Body of Christ? Do you realize the church is not here to serve you, but provides a place for you to serve?

If you are not currently serving, why not?

Catatonic Bipolarity?

I think lately I have become a different person in my sleep. I mean my sleep patterns have very suddenly changed.

Last weekend I dreamed that a certain parent would email me a form instead of sending it with their child. On Monday we received an email from said parent that has started a frustrating back and forth diatribe. The parents refuse to comprehend that what we are telling them is true.

I don't usually remember my dreams. I also don't usually have trouble falling asleep. If I'm awake 5 minutes after I laid down, I'm frustrated and feel like I should get up and do something so as not to waste time!

This last week, other odd dreams have ensued. I am laying awake for hours...dozing off for a short time and then awake again for an extended period. All with odd dreams in between that don't link together at all!

I have dreamed of four women and a man in a bathtub.

I dreamed of being on the stand in a courtroom and trying to politely get my very-easy-to-understand point across to a certain student's parents that are currently not understanding it!

I've had others too that I can't remember now...but it's unsettling to wake up in the middle of the night after some of these!

He proposed!!

That's right Ladies and Gentlemen...he proposed!

Multiple times actually.

He proposed to buy me a house around the corner from him.

He proposed buying me a ten dollar cracker jack ring and living in sin with me.

He proposed coming to visit me in the house he purchased for me whenever "the need" arose.

He proposed a business arrangement of paying for the movers if I bought the house myself.

He proposed keeping me as a "kept woman" if only he were independently wealthy.

A man called me Sweetheart

from the McDonald's drive-thru window.

Inhale, ahhh

Okay, so that's a little exaggerated, because I still can't quite take a full breath through my nose. However, I do feel 1000 times better today than I did on Friday. My headache is gone. My nose isn't running any more. My body doesn't ache. I actually have energy!

The fatigue was my most annoying symptom. It took everything in me to move from the bed to the couch! Ugh. I actually got dressed today. And it wasn't to go to the doctor. To be flat on my back from Friday night through mid-day Monday with absolutely no desire to move whatsoever was draining in and of itself!

Today, I have folded laundry and put it away. Put the dirty laundry in the basket. Hung up clothes that had been lying on the back of my desk chair. Bought my mom's birthday present (online) and figured out how much money I can move to savings. I've talked with Dad on the phone, too.

Last night, I graded all the papers I brought home on Friday. I'm getting ready to go to the bank and handle some paperwork, get gas and maybe some groceries. All in all, I feel much better and am enjoying this day off. So much better than laying around with so much to do and no energy to do it!

Did you know?

You can only test for the flu in the first 48 hours of symptoms.

Once tested, you can only treat the flu in the first 48 hours.

Most doctors don't test. If it's too late, what's the point?


My lungs are clear. I might have some fluid in my bronchial tube, which would account for the trouble breathing.

The medicine she prescribed set me back $45!

Next time, I think I'll stay in bed and keep sipping orange juice.

I'm not going in to work tomorrow either. I ran out of energy getting dressed to go to the doctor. I didn't think dealing with 50 kiddos all day would be a good idea. I'll try on Wednesday.

Scratchy cough

My head hurts right behind my eyes.

My head hurts at the base of my skull.

My body aches.

My throat is sore and scratchy.

I have a horrible sounding cough.


"Eh, Eh, I think I'm getting the black lung, Pop."