Trips, Treasures and Spring Break!

I ditched school early today. Actually, I was trying to be stealthy, who knows why, and slipped out of the building during my 8th hour planning period. Just my luck, my principal walked out right after me on the way to a meeting...on Friday afternoon...an hour before spring break began. Poor guy. He was sweet about me leaving - waved and wished me well. Whew.

Favorite son Conor and I hit the road and headed to KC to see my aunt and uncle. It is always a nice trip - scattered, rushed and filled with too much food, but a nice trip just the same. As I have said before, the drive time is usually my favorite. This time I used it to decompress.

It has been rough this year as far a my job goes. Multiple kids have had heavy issues that have taken up residence in my heart and my head. These issues have overlapped and multiplied in the months since Christmas and have left me a bit of an emotional wreck. They say to distance yourself from what goes on with the kids but that is easier said than done. Other than listen to them and pray for them there is really nothing else I can do sometimes. I hate that feeling. It has made me grateful for what I already knew...I hit the "kid jackpot" with my two. God blessed me, no doubt.

My uncle and I headed out to garage sale this morning. Yes, it was basically an excuse to leave the house, as there are not many garage sales in Kansas or Missouri in mid-March but I got lucky! We found two estate sales and then hit some thrift shops. I came away with four lamps and an end table...all for a whopping 20 bucks! Yea! Cant wait to work some magic on them but it will have to wait for the painting to be finished and then the mother of all spring break projects - refinishing the hardwood floors in the same room - to be done.

Here's to a week of family, friends and home improvement. Pictures to follow soon.

Gray hair is God's graffiti

Another birthday has come and gone. Birthdays are a funny thing. When you are young, they cant come fast enough. "I can't wait until I'm old enough to go to school; spend the night at a friend's, see an R movie, drive; date; vote; leave home....the list goes on and on. It's funny how unhappy we seem to be with the age we are.

What amazes me is how "into" birthdays my students are. I teach middle school and let's just say the frenzy surrounding a birthday, especially the birthday of a teacher, is tantamount to a a swarm of bees excited because their nest has been knocked down. HAPPY BIRTHDAY is shouted at random times throughout the day/period. Well wishes are screamed down the hallway. There is also the obligatory birthday song every hour...not necessarily because they want to wish you happy birthday but because it is a calculating move to delay the day's lessons. Then upon hearing it's your birthday you get the autobiographical rants "I had a birthday last week", "My birthday is in May", "It's my dog's birthday...Tuesday, or is it Friday, or maybe Saturday, I think", "I want an iPod for my birthday". Of course those conversations branch off into the virtues of the iPod which morphs into who has the latest Eminem or Lil Wayne song, which turns into a "how to download music illegally" discussion. And all of this happens in a matter of minutes if left unchecked. Tired yet? Me too. Next year perhaps a gift to give myself would be a personal day!

Basically, at this point in my life, there is no giant swell of emotion for this day. I am obviously thrilled I'm still here, but the rush of excitement that the day held when I was younger has slowly changed into a day I refuse to cook dinner and a night when I pour a little extra wine into my glass. I like that part for sure. It's more of an introspective day now, too - like New Year's is for most people. Am I where I should be in life? Who measures that? What are my goals for the next year? What's my plan for how to accomplish them? Why in the world do I still feel like a 20 year old but that is not the image looking back at me from the mirror? Why didnt anybody tell me my eyebrows would eventually sag, along with my boobs?

I guess the biggest gift to give yourself on your birthday is the ability to enjoy where you are at that moment. Take stock, yes, but dont beat yourself up for a goal left unmet or a new gray hair or wrinkle. You are where you are supposed to be. Period. Sounds great, right? That is what I am striving to do.

However, in my darkest moments I do catch myself saying one thing again and again....I can't wait until I'm old enough to retire. :-)