O is for One More Month

Before I left school today I changed out the calendar in my classroom to May.  One more month to go (or 16 more school days to be exact) until summer vacation!  I don't know who's more excited, the kids or teachers.  

I'm wrapping up my 19th year of teaching.  Every year at this time I'm counting down right along with the others til the last day of school.  It will take a few weeks to decompress from the last ten months.  By the time I've "thawed," it's generally time to do something for work, home, or livelihood.  I savor my summertime because I'll be back to work with the kiddos before I know it.  If I didn't get a little bit of a break in there it would be hard to come back and do another ten months with any vim much less vigor.

With state testing out of the way we can now begin to wind down the last few weeks.  Field trips, final projects/exams, graduations, and end of the year parties will keep us busy.  Another year has come and gone.

N is for Nostalgia

As I was leaving the store today Caleb spotted a little piece of nostalgia on a shelf, and it immediately took me back to the days of my childhood.  If you grew up in the 80s you might remember the popular candy that was fun to eat, pop rocks.  Remember the shock you gave your mouth when the candy melted in your mouth?  The crackling and popping noise it made only added to the fun.  Perfect for when you were looking for a change of candy pace.  What about when you added them to a carbonated beverage?  You could explode the cap right off.

My favorite flavor pop rocks was the strawberry.  They now sell them in other flavors like Watermelon, Cotton Candy, Blue Razz. Bubble Gum, and (hello) CHOCOLATE.  I have yet to taste the chocolate flavor, but rest assured when I do you'll be the first to know.

You are never too old for pop rocks!

M is for Mini Miracles

March. Walk. Run.  It was your choice.  Today, I joined the hundreds of others marching for babies at the March of Dimes event.  I decided to walk this one.

I was a little worried last night if I would be able to participate in the walk.  A couple of weeks ago my right foot started hurting.  It felt like a bruise on top right where my shoe laces tie and very painful to walk on.  I did manage to get in a couple of 2 mile runs the past couple of weeks.  The pain would subside during the run but returned not long after.  On top of that yesterday, I pulled a muscle in my leg from the teacher races during field day.  That night I went to bed early exhausted and in pain.  (Thus the reason for my 2 posts today since I didn't get one in yesterday.)  I remember just before falling to sleep saying a quick prayer for God to take away my pain so I would be able to do this walk today.

When I woke up this morning I felt no pain at all in my feet.  My leg was still a little sore but not bad.  I sat up in bed and put my feet on the floor.  I stood up and walked around for minute and still no pain.  Seriously, I had been dealing with this pain for 2 weeks and thinking of going to the doctor about it.   Amazing!  God is so great!  I have been thanking him all day for my mini miracle.

When I signed up for the walk I thought it was for 5 miles.  Turns out it was only a couple of miles.  I could have ran this one but decided to take it easy and walk.  I'm good to go now and will be ready to get a good run in tomorrow.

L is for Life Gives You Lemons

When life gives you lemons,
Make lemonade.
But what if there were no lemons?

There would be no good
To come out of the bad.
There would be no triumphs
After the challenge.

You wouldn't be the person you are today.
Stronger, wiser, better.

So when life gives you lemons,
Take every chance
To make your life better.
Because when the sour has left,
It's the sweetness that comes at the end.

.

K is for Karaoke

I could not stop thinking about it all day.  We were actually going through with it.  Somehow my best friend, Sarah, had convinced me to enter a karaoke contest with her.  This is crazy I kept telling myself.  It had been years since I even attempted to sing in front of anyone.

Just then I had a flash back of way back when I dated Jerry, the reigning "karaoke king."   I like to think I had a brief stint as the "karaoke queen" back then, but it really didn't translate to anything outside of our karaoke bar.

I met Jerry shortly after college.  I had found myself at a particularly low point in my life.  One night I decided it was time to get out of the house.  I got all dressed up and headed out alone for some fun.  When I walked in the door of the karaoke bar all I could hear was the roar of the crowd.  There was some guy singing on stage, and I was mesmerized at how he grabbed the audience's attention. 

I walked over to a table set up in the corner of the room, grabbed a binder with the song selections, and sat down.  Next thing I know I hear someone yell, "Hey, why don't you get up and sing one next?"

Suddenly all eyes turned toward me, and a microphone appeared out of nowhere.  My mind quickly turned to jelly and my knees went weak.  I thought, "Sure, I could sing along with my favorite songs on the radio, but in front of everyone?"

As I sat there with that deer in the headlight look the guy I had been so mesmerized with when I walked in came over introduced himself and said, "Come on!"  He took my hand and as we walked on stage together a confidence I had never known before took over.  We must have sang at least ten songs together that night.

I was interrupted by a cell phone going off and it brought me out of my daze.  It was Sarah calling to make sure I hadn't changed my mind.

"I don't know, Sarah" I said.  "I don't know if I can do this."

"On no you don't!" Sarah replied.  "You are NOT backing out!  I'll be over at your house in ten minutes." she said, and abruptly hung up.

Ten minutes later Sarah arrived, and I knew there was no backing out...

J is for Junk drawer

Yes, I have one or two.  A drawer where junk accumulates that I don't know what else to do with or is simply absorbed because I'm too lazy to put things where they're supposed to go.  As I was rumbling through my kitchen junk drawer searching through the bazillion pens to find one that still writes, I stopped to take a quick inventory of what it contained.

Amongst the mound of pens and pencils I found the following items: Keys (duplicates and some I have no idea what they open), screws, nails, six screwdrivers of various sizes, 13 pennies, a medal from one of the kid's sports games you wear around your neck, electronic cords that goes to some sort of technology, one tablecloth, progress reports and report cards, a 6 piece Cambridge Demitasse spoon set (never been used), an old cell phone, some pay stubs, and an unused condom.  I probably should explain that last one.  Now, don't get too excited.  It's for the ultrasound probes my husband uses with his ultrasound machines.  Oh, the things you stumble upon in the junk drawer.  

I is for Ice Cream Man

The children call him Mr. Dan.  Mr. Dan is our neighborhood ice cream man.  When I hear the infamous ice cream truck jingle coming through the neighborhood I know it's Mr. Dan armed with an endless supply of frozen treats.  You can hear his truck as it turns onto the street and within a matter of seconds children come out of nowhere.

As soon as Mr. Dan stops his fire engine red ice cream truck a crowd gathers around.  On some days I even slip out and gather around Mr. Dan's ice cream truck with the children.  On the outside of his truck displays a yummy selection of treats.  Bomb pops, fudge bars, ice cream sandwiches, sundae crunch, big dipper, double lemon chill, and even the favorite push up that I loved as a kid are some of our choices.

As I sit here writing about ice cream, I can't help but wish that Mr. Dan would make his appearance.  I would love to have one of those delicious, chocolatey fudgsicles right about now.