Gluten-Free

A friend sent me the best blog site. I've got it in my list over there --->. "A Year of CrockPotting" It has a different crock pot recipe for each day of the year so far. And...the best part for me...they're gluten-free. She even puts pictures of the ingredients! It's just cool. Now...can I really plan ahead enough to actually use some of the recipes? We'll see. But it's not just crock pot--it's gluten-free crock pot--and that makes me happy! :-)

Blessings

We had a fantastic high councilman speak last Sunday. He's always fun to listen to and never pulls punches. He was talking on tithing. I've always had a testimony of tithing and always paid it. He pointed out that tithing is not just sending in you 10%. It's the "first fruits," the "unspotted lamb." Oops. There have been times when I've written out the tithing check and then forgotten to turn it in. Then forgotten to turn it in again. And again. And then sometimes things come up and I realize that we're in the red, but oh look...we haven't turned in the tithing check yet so technically, we're okay. Well, that's not the firstfruits, is it? I made sure I turned in my tithing check that day. I had also gotten paid that weekend, so I came home and wrote out the next check and will turn it in tomorrow. It felt good to get out of my complacency of a principal that I believed in and do it right.

Fast-forward to Monday and checking the mail. Had a letter from the workers' comp insurance company. Inside was a letter telling me that they accepted that I had a 3% impairment in my ankle. And there was a check. A generous check. Wow. Talk about opening the windows of Heaven. It was incredible. I even called the district workers' comp person to make sure that the check was really mine. Yep...it's mine. It would be really easy to assume this was just a coincidence, but really...I don't think so. Heavenly Father takes care of us--often when we least expect it. I had no idea I had money coming. I knew I had an impairment. Ok. Didn't know it translated to money--didn't care. But I'll take it! :-)

Revelation

Ah...the revelation that comes when one is calm and quiet and listens carefully. However, it wasn't me this time. It was Richard. John was extremely angry this morning--yet again. Screaming, crying, throwing things, stomping. When Richard asked him why, he said, "Why does Chris have to eat Cocoa Pebbles?!?" Well, rather than trying to make him see how silly that sounded, Richard said, "Yeah, it's not fair that he gets to eat your cereal and you can't eat his, huh?" John immediately relaxed. He thought for a minute and then quietly, and rather resignedly asked, "How did I get celiac?" I think I've always thought that because he doesn't remember not having celiac, that he never thought about what cannot be. But he's old enough to realize that he's different and that, barring medical advances, he will always be different. There will always be yummy foods that he cannot have. And even though he knows that they make him sick, it doesn't make it any easier to be the "different" one--the one who has to eat lunch from home. The one who has to sit in a desk at the end of the cafeteria table instead of at the table with everyone else. The one who can't have the birthday cupcakes that a classmate brings. It's so unfair. And he knows it. And he's pretty angry about it. And I don't blame him. I'm angry about it too. It stinks. It's not fair. And it makes me sad.

Ahhh...Friday

I should be studying. I know I should. I'm wasting $112 because I'm going to fail this test tomorrow. I just don't want to take it, so I'm putting off studying for it. Haven't studied once. At least I remembered to bring all the paperwork home. That would've been bad. I guess I'll lock myself in my room tonight and do the practice test.

Chris decided not to go to youth conference. Just says he doesn't want to. I think there's more to it, but he's not talking and I'm not going to force him to go. Church, yes. Youth conference, no. He has solo & ensemble tomorrow--which I thought I was accompanying him for, but it turns out I'm not. A fact he conveniently forgot to tell me. I really don't mind either way, but I wouldn't have brought the keyboard home from school if I had known.

A good day though...spent the morning practicing tug-o-war with the 3-5 grades for Field Day. 2nd grade was on a field trip, so I only taught two classes today. Woo hoo! So why am I so tired? Maybe because I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. Sigh.

Stupid Test

I have to take the ESL certification test on Saturday. I really, really don't want to take this test. I don't want to be ESL certified. I don't mind learning about it. I took the classes and there are things that I learned that I can apply in my relations with ESL kids. But honestly, in my particular classroom, this doesn't apply. Heck, I don't even know who the ESL kids are! The test cost $112, which the district will refund *if* I pass it. I haven't taken a test like this since 1992--probably earlier than that. I dont' want to take it. I think it's stupid that I have to. I have a really bad attitude about it. And I don't want to give up an entire Saturday morning that could be used for something productive to sit in a classroom in Denton and take a stupid test!

Ahh...I feel a little better.

New Calling

I have a new calling. I'm the primary pianist. I'm not really sure how I feel about it. It's a really easy calling for me--almost boring. But...I have a hard time being in the primary room with my own children (and my school students of which there are a few) and not getting bothered with their behavior. I think I may be there simply because I can do it. So...I play the organ during sacrament meeting and then go behind the piano in primary. I'll never see anyone again. But then as I think about it, I think I may be there for another purpose.

Chris couldn't figure out why I needed to be set apart for this particular calling. The actual "playing of the piano" part is a no-brainer, hardly-even-have-to-be-paying-attention type. And maybe this is what I need right now. I don't need anything that is too labor intensive. There's enough going on here at the house that maybe Someone knows that I'm not as strong as I pretend to be. I don't know. I'm feeling a little bit "blah" about it all. Richard asked me about my blessing today and I honestly couldn't remember much at all when it came to the blessings of the calling. So, I'm going to go with the idea that I'm there for the express purpose of helping someone else--and that is a great reason to be there. And yes...I'll be going to choir. (That was for you, Suz.) ;-)

Almost Back to Normal

Well, the new carpet is laid--not without major trauma beforehand as usual. It was approved on Wednesday and they wanted to come Friday. James's birthday was Thursday, so we pushed it back to today. So, of course, we were still not prepared by Friday after school. Friday night became a night of packing and moving and cleaning out and taking apart bunk beds and all sorts of stuff. And of course, it always entails arguments and frustration and fighting. I don't think I would've survived without the help of two great friends. They came over and just jumped in and started moving stuff. Of course, now it's all stacked on two tables in the kitchen and we're so exhausted that we haven't seen fit to start putting stuff back yet. But, I've rested now and I guess it's time to tackle the stack. We're planning to move in 3 months, so I plan (note the word plan) to purge as I move stuff back. My trash cans are already full and the trash doesn't get picked up until Thursday. But the carpet is down and hopefully we can get back to some semblance of normalcy around here. I hope.

Time Flies

How is it that James is nine now? And how is it that his birthday sneaks up on me every stinking year? With all the chaos of the house, it really did so this year. No party planned, bought his present the day before. It was the morning of his birthday when I realized that I hadn't gotten cupcakes for his class or thought about a special lunch or anything! So...I got him McD's for lunch and Richard brought some cupcakes for his class. Then we tagged his best friend's family to come over with their pizza and join our pizza for an impromptu dinner/party thing. They had a blast--in the middle of our hardly-any-place-to-sit-or-eat-or-anything living room.

James is my sweet child. He's thoughtful, funny and wears every emotion on his sleeve. He takes on the emotions of all those around him. I'm so grateful for him and for his nature. He's such a great kid!

Stress and Disarray

So apparently I don't do well in chaos. My house is still turned upside down. The owner has now decided to replace all of the carpet and possibly the tile in the kitchen. Now don't get me wrong--it all desperately needs replacing. And since the flood last week, I realize this is the time. And I realize that you don't want to just replace the carpet that was wet because all the rooms connect and you'd have brand new carpet running into yucky, old carpet. I get that.

However...how much more can I take? Here we are...a week and a half since "the flood" and they are just now coming out and taking measurements and getting bids. So, I'm guessing next week? How much of the furniture will I have to move? How much of my junk that is currently lining the walls of my bedroom will I have to move?

We're already getting boxes from school. Anything that was on bookshelves and got moved--I'm packing it up. We're planning to move this summer--and it's looking like the house is telling us that it's time. But this is a really bad time for this. This is why we do this in the summer.

I've got an ESL certification test in two weeks, lesson plans to do, a technology pedagogy paper to finish, field trips--not to mention all the taxiing and last-minute "oh, do we have any reflective tape?" things to do. I can feel myself getting more and more tense--to the point where I now have what is probably a cold, sore throat on mostly my right side, a cold sore on my upper lip (never had one before in my LIFE!), and a canker sore on my tongue. ARGH!!!

Seriously, I wish there were little gremlins who would come in and just pack everything up. I always stress when we move because I HATE packing. I just hate it and I put it off too long. Well, maybe this is Heavenly Father's way of keeping me from putting it off this time. I just thought of that. Ok...I'll try to remember to bring those boxes home tomorrow. Can't hurt.