Hugz

I. love. hugs.

Not in a creepy way, but I just really think a good hug is so comforting.  It's something I have grown into loving throughout the years.

I have 2 students this year who are all about the hug-action.  At the end of every day, I can guarantee that they will find me and give me a big bear hug.  Sweet angels.

This is literally a post on how much I enjoy hugs. And now it is over.

Wedding Season

John: What do you like better, Christmas or Wedding Season? [Jeremy raises his hand] 
Mr. Grey?
Jermey: Yes. The answer would be, um, Wedding Season?

Wedding season.

This has been the theme of the past year of my life, and I feel like I'm stuck in the season of my life affectionately called "wedding season."  In 2010, I was invited to 11 weddings.  If you started counting last May, I have been invited to a wedding every month for an entire calendar year (with the exception of January '11).  I have only been involved in two of these personally, which I'm thankful for in comparison to Wimberly Brown who has shelled out some serious cash money for her friends' big days.  Nonetheless, calligraphy scripted envelopes have overflowed my mailbox and counter tops.  I've become a professional at printing out registries and I have enjoyed hearing a variety of cheesy DJ's throughout this past year.  In retrospect, it's all quite exhausting.

This period of life, along with my not-so-secret obsession with all things "wedding" (thanks TLC for fueling my passions with re-runs), had led me to a few conclusions:

1) Wedding receptions are more for the people attending than the couple.  This is displayed by the insane amount of money people are willing to pay "per head" and how little the couple actually gets to enjoy.

2) Wedding ceremonies last less than 30 minutes on average. This is great, unless you think about how much time and preparation goes into the ceremony and how quickly it passes.  (note to self: don't sweat the small stuff and keep it simple)

3) Live bands can be hit or miss.  Same rule applies with DJ's, however.

4) Seating is necessary at the reception.  It gets awkward when there isn't enough room for everyone to sit and people have to hover with food.

5) Full open bars are only a good idea if the reception is held where the majority of people are staying--or if there is a shuttle back to the hotel.  Otherwise, chaos ensues.  This is a fact of most weddings.

6) Dresses with beautiful trains are absolutely stunning, yet 100% impractical.

7) Dresses that are strapless need to have boning in them so you do not have to constantly pull the dress up all night.

8) Having a game plan for the entrance into the reception is clutch.  Walking in and not knowing what to do when you get inside is awkward.

There are many, many more thoughts that I have on wedding ceremonies and receptions (and generally just overall wedding weekend activities) but I'll spare you of the lengthy version.

All that to say, this season of my life has obviously gotten me thinking about my big day one day.  If I'm honest with myself, at this point in my life, all I want is a WEDDING.  I am not ready for the next step and actually having a MARRIAGE.  At least not now, obviously, since my date card is wide open and there are no prospects.  Even if I did have someone special in my life, I would not be prepared to have more than a wedding at this point.  I'm utterly selfish, hopelessly messy, and not prepared to be some one's WIFE and have someone else depend on me 24/7.  Frankly, the thought of that right now freaks me out.

Then...knowing that...why is it that I think so much about meeting someone and getting married?  I have had to look at my desires and think really long and hard about my motivations for dating someone.  Is it that I want to date someone to potentially have a WEDDING, or do I want to date someone so I can be their WIFE, forever ?  This has been something I have been thinking about a lot lately.  While my ultimate heart's desire IS to be a wife and mother one day, at this point in my life I cannot fathom it.  So, dear heart of mine, slow down and pump the brakes. Stop romanticizing things.  Enjoy this season of loving on my friends during THEIR times, and love well.  Things will happen in the season they are supposed to, and God will provide.

It's a clean sheets kind of day

Something about clean sheets makes everything better.

A freshly made bed is a fresh start, and clean sheets helps put things back at square one.

About two weeks ago, I completely cleaned out my closet and my room to get my life back on track.  (I even got a new comforter for Spring...it's solid white. Shhhh....it's before Easter, breakin' the law breakin' the law!!)  Things had just piled up and the cluttered lifestyle was transferring over into my personal and professional life.  It was junky and things were messy.  I was not as prepared at work, I was forgetting to call friends back, and I was missing out on a lot of good times by being lazy and sloppy.My messy room was a mirror that reflected the rest of my life. 

As I cleaned things up, things became more clear.  I found things I was looking for, I threw out the junk, and I organized the most important things.

So tonight, two weeks later, dirty sheets, one messy closet and piles of dirty clothes, I have decided that it's time to freshen up my life and change the sheets.  Get it together.  Throw out the junk metaphorically and literally.

Can't WAIT to climb into my new sheets tonight and start fresh! It makes life seem better, if only for a moment.

"He makes all things NEW"

Through the storm

After my last post, I just wanted to post some truth from Hillsong.

Faithfulness, none can deny
Through the storm and through the fire
There is truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ who lives in me

You are stronger
You are stronger
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written, Christ is risen
Jesus, you are Lord of all


God is STRONGER than it all.  He's got us. Trust that He will keep us in His arms no matter what the storm going on in your life. (literally or figuratively)

News from Japan

Yesterday was your typical Friday morning for me.  I got up later than usual (the perks of getting to wear jeans to work on Friday) and turned on Full House while I was getting ready.  Most mornings I switch between the news and reruns of Full House, but this morning all I decided to watch was the awesomeness that is 90's TV.  It was the episode where Uncle Jesse and Joey began their advertising careers--a milestone for the Tanner household.

Instead of listening to morning news shows on my short drive to work, I plugged in some Needtobreathe and kicked it with some funk all the way to school.

When I got to school, someone mentioned what had happened over night in Japan and, instead of opening my mouth and sounding totally out of touch (which I was), I just sat back and nodded as I listened.  Excusing myself from the conversation, I went back to my classroom and immediately logged online to see the devastation and destruction that had taken over Japan while we were sleeping.



After watching about 12 seconds of the news story, my heart dropped as I thought of my student from last year who moved back to Japan in June.  Ryo was born in Japan and moved to the United States when he was 3.  He had been in South Carolina for the past 6 years, and was the perfect student.  He was motivated, hard working, easy to work with anyone in the class, smart, and had a great personality.  He was one of the most loved students in my class last year by everyone.



Good decision?



Haha..I think not :)





 

Tears filled my eyes as I saw cars and boats being tossed like toys, children and adults clinging to whatever they could find, and mass chaos sweeping the nation.  I literally was in shock because I knew that Ryo had to be impacted by this and I knew his father works in Tokyo.

My prayers went up after the moment of fear for his family, and I sent them an email as quickly as I could to hear from them.

Within the hour, a parent of one of the other students in my class last year contacted me to say that Ryo's family was all safe.  That afternoon, I finally heard back from Ryo's mom and here is her sweet (and heartbreaking) email that she sent me:

Ms.Baxter

Thank you for your mail.
I am so glad to get your mail.
We are fine.
It was so scary!!
I never have had such a terrible earthquake.
Yokohama isn't close to Miyagi.
But the house shook so much.
All furniture didn't fall down in my house.
On that time Ryo were in school.
The school is the safest place.
I went to pick him up by walk.

My husband went back to home from his office(center of Tokyo)
by walk.It took 5 and half hours.
He was so tired ,but was fine.

Many small earthquakes are still happening.
We hope it will stop soon.

Thank you again,

We miss you!
We would like to go back to SC!

When devastating things happen in the world, I am quick to feel compassion for the people of that country, but truthfully I am just as quick to move past it and forget.  When the earthquake hit Haiti, I was burdened and saddened by the situation there.  I contributed financially to an organization to help the efforts of people working to rebuild their country.  Then, I got caught back up in my life, and have rarely thought of them since. How selfish is that?  What a sad thing to admit.

I think when things happen and you have a personal connection to the tragedy (like Ryo's family), you are less likely to forget.  That personal connection means that you are more invested and have more of an interest in what is going to happen next.

Shouldn't we all be connected to the tragedies that take place across the world because it affects us in some way?  We are all people.  We are all suffering.  We are all in chaos.  We all are in need of rescue.  That right there should connect us and create a sense of responsibility to each other.

Just something to think about.

Peace and blessings.







This day is bananas...

Literally sang this to myself around 2:20 this afternoon at school.  All was well in Classroom P-109 today when around 1:50 we got a special delivery--new dictionaries.  I'm sure you're thinking, "That sounds like a normal gift to give students" and you'd be right.  So my students being the inquizitive young minds that they are ask if they can look through their dictionaries and read some of it during reading time.  "Sure" was my response, because I was so glad they were actually excited about it.  Fast forward 28 minutes to 2:18.  One of my students was flipping through the "s" section and kept going until he found the 3 letter word that no adult wants to hear an 8 year old ask about...sex. (gasp)  The students all were laughing, and I should have just moved on and not asked about it.  This is the part where I would be screaming at the girl in the scary movie to TURN AWAY! DON'T GO THERE!!! But instead I responded by saying, "Yes, that is a word. Let's move on and not look that word up again.  We don't need to be looking on that page anymore unless we need a word from there.  I don't want you to keep looking at it and making a big deal, ok?" And the boy said "Yes ma'am." Not 2 minutes later, my class was giggling again because the boy had the page open to it AGAIN. (cue Kelly Kapour saying "This day is bananas...b-a-na-na-s")

My life.

Letter to myself

As a new teacher, I see a lot of teachers who are stagnant in their jobs and have grown tired.  I have seen so much in these two years that I want to do differently....so here's a letter to myself for the future:

Dear more experienced version of myself,

• Just because you have more experience in the teaching profession does not mean you know everything.  Stop pretending like you do and learn something new!
• If you have done the same lesson plans for more than 4 years, throw some things out and mix it up.  Don't you dare use the same things over and over--the kids get bored with that and it is not effective. 
• STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT EVERYTHING! I know things may seem like they are overwhelming and like everything keeps changing.  That's probably because it is, and change is fine.
• Find a newer teacher and help her (or him) out.  Remember how much you wanted a friend to just talk things through with you and give you advice and encouragement.
• Don't spend so much time at school.  Leave it there and it will be ok.
• Read stories in funny voices.  The crazier the better.  Don't forget when you're old to be fun and ridiculous sometimes.
• Don't wear high-waters.  Wear clothes that show that you are still cute and semi-connected to reality.  Throw away the mom jeans.  Throw away the sweaters.  Rock some cute jewelry.

Above all, I don't want you to be burnt out and not loving what you do.  If you don't love it anymore and things aren't as good as they could be...try something different.  There are so many ways to do what you love, find it and do it. Don't be grouchy.  It causes wrinkles and grouchy people are not fun to be around.

Love you!
Kathryn