Feeling the Pressure

I'm feeling like I haven't had any good stories to tell lately. Between the Raccoon Chronicles and Scrambled School I just don't think I have the creative juices or brain power to share anything remotely blog worthy.

So to recap: We had a couple of raccoons decide to redo our siding on the house by the chimney. They thought it should be removed so they could party in our walls. After a few times of this, where they destroyed my sleep patterns, we have had them relocated. I am hoping none of their friends remember our address.

And school started, not just as a teacher, but as a student. So I spend my days teaching and my nights reading books and creating stuff with them. Some days I forget if I'm supposed to be a teacher or a student. And then this week we got to add another teacher to our team to reduce class size. Yay! Then our team leader's mother died. So now we are facilitating a classroom addition and room shift minus one. I'm feeling kind of scrambled.

So, sorry for the lack of family tales. I'll let you know when there are some good ones.

Plodding through the Prophets

I got it.. I finally got it.. kind of.. Alright, I'm just starting to get it.. but it's there.

I've been reading through the Bible with our church chronologically. And I have made it to Ezekiel. We have spent weeks reading about how God's people walked away from Him. Ran away from Him. Turned their backs on Him. I have read prophet after prophet share truth through dire circumstances. I have heard the heart of God for his people, His longing for them to trust him, obey him, and recognize that He has their best interests at heart.

And I have watched this stupid, proud, selfish people get absolutely decimated by world powers. I have read of the starving, plague infested, homeless reprobates and I have wept for the loss of their potential. All at their own doing in failing to return to their Father.

I am beginning to see the pain of loss when God's people are not obedient. And today I read a beautifully sad portion that flashed me forward to the Salvation that God eventually sends. And I finally began to have a wee tiny wisp of an idea of how thirsty God's people must have been for the Messiah to come and what that Messiah would mean to them. After centuries of domination and slavery and separation from their God, just a remnant was left to welcome God's gift of salvation. And I have started, in fact just begun, to understand more fully the specialness of Jesus and the reality of his power. And I also see just how amazing it is that I was included in His plan.

My mind in running in circles. It goes like this:

I can't believe school starts Monday. Do the boys have all their supplies? Ryan doesn't have a lunchbox. Do they still use lunchboxes in 6th grade? Crap. I have to go to the grocery store. I don't even have food for lunch. And I don't know what I'm going to wear. Should I try to find a new outfit? Nah, too tired for clothes shopping. So tired. Mr. Sandman is working overtime. If I could just get a full night's rest, that would solve my problem. I can't believe school starts on Monday!

Repeat ad nauseum.

Ode to Summertime

Summertime, you have come to an end, my friend.
We thought it could last forever, but no
It's time to get back to the "Big Show".

We had our good times, yep, we did.
36 hours on a bus, oh yeah!
Major house repairs, you bet!
Days at the Y watching kids swim and trying to keep my book from getting wet while I sweat? It seems only just a dream.
Maybe you recall a birthday in the car? Yes, dear Summer Friend, you were there.

You were there when we entered Disneyworld in the rain!
You were there when we waited for Disney Buses for 25 minutes and got to stand for 30 more because it was so full.
You were there when my boys fought Darth Vader and won! Yes you were!
You were there when the road disappeared in Gary, Texas.
You were there as we toured a deserted college in 98 degrees.
And you were there when it was all completed.

We have had a lot of fun, you and I.
So thanks for the memories.
Thanks for the joy!
I bid you farewell til next year dear friend.
May we meet again and have more grand adventures.
I'm off to THE JOB tomorrow. I will miss you dearly.
And some days I know, it will seem like it was all only a dream.

It's going to be that kind of day!

I LOVE a Parade

Disney World was quite the trip. I could spend days trying to write down all the fun we had. But I won't subject you to all that. Today I will focus on parades. They are going out of fashion. No longer will people sit outside in the heat and sweat while they wait for people they don't know to drive by and wave at them. But at Disney, they do a darn fine parade. I've never considered myself a "parade lover", but they were some of my favorite parts of the Disney Week. A part that just I really appreciated.

The first parade I saw was in the Magic Kingdom. It was down Main Street and sort of snuck up on me. While the family was seeking out shade, I was pushing my son to the front of the pack to get an up close look at the spectacle that Disney produces so many times a day.

 I think it's the pulsing beat and all around happiness that drew me to the parades.

  Like a street party with my best interests at heart, sort of.

All the favorite characters with a soundtrack who are singing and dancing to make me happy.

And I really felt for the Castmates in costume with the temps topping 95 degrees with 99% humidity.

And the parades last a good long while, so it totally seems worth it to stay and enjoy.

 Disney's main goal (aside from leeching every possible dollar out of my wallet) is to make the visitor happy. I get that they are big corporate meanies who exist to make a buck. But they do it by catering to me. And my family. And they make Pinchpenny Me ok with paying for it. Because where else on earth can I have someone I don't know outrageously concerned about MY happiness?

Because the joy of Goofy giving me an air high-five (I missed it with the camera) is worth it, too.

 And Jessie is so much better life sized.

The next parade that made me squeal was the Electric Light Parade. Notoriously hard to photograph, especially when the camera batteries die from much use, this parade was magic for me. The boys were not so impressed, but I was in Glee-Land.

Dancing pixies, flashy,shiny floats, all were like magic from my childhood.

Cinerella waved at me and Alice from Wonderland wished me a very happy Unbirthday! What more is there to love??

Snow White's Dwarf friends were working overtime and added so much fun to the parade.

Pete and Eliot were super fun and got a roaring applause. Pete was talking and interacting with the crowd. And the group of about a hundred Brazilian teens loved being recognized.

And though the picture doesn't do it justice, the night view of Cinderella's Castle lit up was a view I wish I could have often.

So, maybe the simple joy of a parade will come back one day. But until then, Disney knows how to make us wish it would happen sooner rather than later!

Tru dat

Tru Dat = dumb saying asserting that a previous statement is absolutely accurate

**Took the GRE today and finished with respectable scores. I must thank my dad for being such a wordsmith. My raising with words like mealy-mouthed, erudite, and astute served me well. I also got to read several really interesting articles. One was on Souththern Unionists during the Civil War. Another was on the purpose of the fascination with Jane Austen. GRE testing company, thanks for interesting articles to analyze. It makes long hard tests easier to endure. Tru Dat!

** Today's rain produces exactly ZERO leakage from our new roof! So glad it works. Tru Dat!

** I am dreading the cleaning of the downstairs that must happen today and tomorrow. With the sheetrocker/painter coming  Thursday, it must be done. Where do I put all this stuff? Maybe I can find a box somewhere around here. Or maybe 10 boxes. Not exaggerating. Tru Dat!

**This morning The Only Child For A Week started laughing hysterically. When I asked why he said "My nose farted!" and proceeded to roll around laughing for another 2 minutes. Nose farts are funny. Tru Dat!

Vacation dreaming

We leave for Disney World in 12 days! The whole family is visibly thrumming with the energy of anticipation. We all have our reasons for being super excited. Here are some of mine:

1. The joy of getting away from it all. Going someplace that is clean and neat and where they take their job of making me happy very seriously is very appealing to a Summer Wife who spends a lot of her day taking care of others.
2. I've been there and I know what fun it is. I love experiencing the thrills of the rides and the amazing visual displays that they create. Walking through the various parks and just watching and seeing new things makes me very happy.
3. Time with my favorite people doing fun things. My family is tons of fun when we can get away, and this is the pinnacle of getting away.
4. New experiences. Lots of "new" on this trip. Traveling with the inlaws, long multiday drive, and then the destination itself. I love to try new things and this week will be chock full of it.
5. Can't wait to see the awe on my children's faces when they first walk into the parks. They've never seen anything like it and Disney is nothing if not visually stunning
6. I can't wait to see how the kids handle the long trip. They've never traveled farther than 4 hours, so crossing state lines and inventing fun car games is going to be interesting
7. Not cooking for 8 consecutive days.

Thinking about it like this makes the preparation process virtually painless. Almost.