Haircuts and Home Meets

During a moment in class yesterday when I was very close to being flustered...
one of my students raised her hand.
me: yes, T?
T: [smiling widely] Did you get your hair cut this weekend?
me: yes, T, I did
T: I like it. It looks really nice.

That definitely isn't what I was expecting, but it made me smile a whole lot. :)

Tonight we had our last home cross country meet and it was w-i-n-d-y! Whew! But my kids did great. Afterwards I stopped by the 7th grade football game for a little bit. Unfortunately the cold and wind got the better of me in my shorts and I headed home after a bit two warm up.

I had a good phone call with mom over dinner and now I'm taking a few moments of pure relaxation with a cup of coffee.

Rachel and Deb come in 3 days. I CANNOT wait! :D

Commissioning, detentions, and coffee

I returned home around midnight last night from a marvelous weekend. I took part in the commissioning ceremony for one of my best friends as she entered the US Army as a medical officer. It was definitely a momentous occasion and I am rather proud of her. :)

I spent the past 2.5 days with some of the people nearest and dearest to me. So, needless to say, I wasn't exactly thrilled about returning home to an empty apartment. :P There may have been a few tears shed upon departure, but I was enormously thankful for the company of two other gals on the drive back to Indiana from Michigan.

As I was visiting with a dear old friend and discussing recent developments, he made the comment 'it looks like you're making a life for yourself'. Well, I suppose I am, eh? Life is what you make of it and, quite frankly, I haven't been putting forth much effort, if any, in that area. All energy has gone to teaching, coaching, and taking care of the small mundane details of life. Admittedly, I have done an extraordinarily poor job of 'plugging in'. Along with that thought came the realization that, as much as I think my students need it, character development is also good for those a little older. I have the feeling that this year will provide a multitude of opportunities for my own character development.

I spent some time talking to another teacher in my hallway today, which is no unusual occurrence. We have the same prep period and it has proven to be very beneficial for me to have a great source of knowledge at my fingertips. :) During today's discussion, she gave me a very high compliment. "I am so impressed with you... so impressed." Wow. From someone who has been teaching for 37 years talking to a first year teacher, that meant quite a bit. (Thanks for the encouragement!) By the way, I wrote up my first two detentions today. Is it weird that my first experience with detentions is on the giving side? ;)

In other news, I purchased some small tupperware containers tonight to hold applesauce, trail mix, etc. I think I'm a little too excited at the prospect of using them tomorrow. :P I also love Starbucks' Teacher Appreciation Mondays. Hooray for free coffee!

Internet and Class Pets

My internet is officially up and working! Woo hoo! It's been a long time coming, but it is finally all set up. :)

It's been a long week- two meets and resuming normal classes after ISTEP testing. However, tomorrow I've canceled practice and the day suddenly seems much more manageable. Of course, it is the beginning of the James Dean festival which is, naturally, sufficient reason to suspend all normal activities. But the true reason behind the change in schedule is my long-anticipated road trip to Kalamazoo. One of my dearest friends is currently in her first year of medical school. This weekend she is flying home from Colorado for her commissioning ceremony into the Army. You know, just a minor occasion. :P So myself and another gal or two from the area are driving up to join in the celebrations, and just for a chance to see her again.

On another note, I now have two 'class pets'. They are plastic key chain animals, a cow (Sheldon) and a tiger (Kenneth), that make noises and light up. Two of my junior high boys gave them to me to 'babysit' during the day. They think it's the greatest thing ever. And, I'll be honest, I get a kick out of the moo-ing sound that the cow makes. Oh the adventures of junior high.

On my way home...

... yesterday I passed two rather large pieces of farm equipment on the road home. I'm ashamed to say I can't tell you exactly what they were or what they do.

... today I was stopped in Wal-Mart by two of my runners. The first spotted me in the produce area and ran up to me with a huge smile on her face just to say hi (even though I had just seen her a half hour before). I ran into the second in the check-out line. His mother and I proceeded to have a wonderful chat.

And then, of course, it's always good for your morale when you pass the gymnasium doors during an 8th grade volleyball game and half a dozen of your 7th grade students spot you and suddenly begin waving their hands violently in the air and yelling "Miss H" in attempts to get your attention.

On another note, the ladies in the high school office are wonderful. Every day I walk in there is the now-standard "well aren't you cute" or "doesn't she look adorable?" comments. Today a fellow teacher asked me if I was a miss or Mrs. and then proceeded to think about which gentlemen with whom she could set me up (she started with her brother because she wanted me in the family). It's just a great way to begin the day. :P

Tastes of Fall

There are several reasons I've absolutely come to love the upcoming fall season. For one, as the weather has cooled down and it's felt less and less like summer it is easier for me to go to work and spend my day indoors. I don't feel like I'm missing out on life (specifically summer life) quite as much. Of course, it also helps that my brother is finally in school too. :P

The cool air is refreshing and invigorating. The fields (corn and soybean) are beautiful, especially under the early morning sunrise. And then, of course, there are the foods of fall. Mom, dad, and Tim came down this weekend for parent's weekend at TU and brought down some goodies from our cider mill back home for Kirstin and myself. A half gallon of apple cider, a half dozen cider donuts and several apples currently sit in my fridge. I really need to find out if there is an orchard nearby- it is by far one of the best perks of this season. :)

Other noteworthy points:

• I didn't lose any socks in the laundry today.
• I successfully used a Downy ball today... and an industrial-sized washer
• My K-zoo road trip is this coming weekend and I'm super excited- for multiple reasons ;)
• I just finished grading the first pre-calc test of the year
• My (old) roommate is coming out to visit in 2 weeks- YES!
• Dad and I hung my curtain in the kitchen this weekend
• I have a working paper towel holder now
• The Starbucks in my area has 'teacher appreciation Mondays' for the next week. I'm taking advantage of that free tall pike's peak tomorrow morning on my way to school. :)

Call for Help

Last night my brother called me. First of all, that's a big event. He's not exactly a huge phone person. He had two questions for me. 1) What is the Law of Cosines? 2) What is the Law of Sines?

I answered his questions in great fashion. (Go me.)

And then I said "Isn't it great to have a sister who is a math teacher?" Hehe. Wow, it actually happened. I'm actually a teacher. LOVE it! :D

Upside of ISTEP

Well, ISTEP testing may be a minor (major) headache, but at least it gives me a good excuse to bake for my students. My 8th graders are testing with me, so they are getting some tasty muffins tomorrow morning. Ooohh how I love spoiling people. :)

DMS with Caramel Apples

I wish I could tell you how great it was to see these gals yesterday. I wish I could tell you how hilarious it was making and eating caramel apples. But I can't. It's simply impossible to describe such events. You'll just have to trust me. It was simply amazing. We laughed so hard we were all speechless and in tears. Amy was hyperventilating and Erin was on the couch crying. I did all I could to keep from falling off the swiss ball. I hadn't laughed that hard in... months. DMS reunions were definitely a good idea. ;)

Apartment Pics

As promised (about a month ago), here are a few pictures of my apartment. Unfortunately, some are slightly outdated. My bedroom is more unpacked/organized and there is a new tablecloth and flower arrangement on the kitchen table and a valance to be hung shortly on that window. Other than that, well, nothing much has changed. :)

(l) bookcases in the living room

(r) bedroom

kitchen table given to me by a fellow teacher at M-G :)

left and right sides of my kitchen 'ally', respectively

The Highest Compliment

At open house last night a parent, and fellow teacher, approached me about her son. Apparently he wasn't feeling well the other day but wanted to come to school so he could go to math class. He's really enjoying class and feels like he's understanding math for the first time. Today that same student told me he wants to be a math teacher when he grows up. I don't think there is any higher compliment. It is definitely a highlight of my week.

On another note, my athletes had their first home meet tonight. I was thrilled about the parent turnout we had, and most of my kids ran good times for themselves. However, we didn't fare too well against our opponent. The program is building, and they're improving. That's all I can ask for.

Tonight I realized another perk of living alone. I get to pick out my own ice cream flavor. :) I just picked up Edy's loaded chocolate fudge brownie. If nothing else, it most definitely fits the bill for a chocolate fix.

Jr High Open House

Full day of classes, cross country practice, tennis game for one of my high school boys, junior high open house, volleyball game for my high school girls. Fourteen hours later I made it back home again.

Open house reminded me of several things tonight. 1) I love teaching 2) I love parents 3) I love being organized 4) It's not difficult for me to talk for 8 minutes 5) I remembered what it was like to walk out of school into darkness- hardly seeing the light of day (swim memories, anyone?)

Ice cream, bed, and then I'm doing it all over again. :)

Tomorrow brings meet number 2 for my team. Woo hoo!

"We'll throw you a ball..."

I told my students that it was my goal to make it to at least one of each of their sporting events. Friday I went to a football game. This week's sport of choice was high school volleyball. Today in class my girls were asking me when I'd be able to make it. Today didn't look like a possibility since I had my first cross country meet. However, they told me they'd throw me a ball if I came... and they'd save one for me in case I got there late. I had no idea what they were talking about- until I made it to their game and the line up was called. As each girl's name was announced, she threw a small plastic volleyball (which all the they had all signed) to someone in the crowd. One of my students tossed me her ball and I finally understood. That moment definitely made my day- possibly even my week.

Now, I'm also very proud of my junior high athletes, please don't misunderstand me. They had a great first meet, to be sure. But there's simply something about receiving acknowledgement like that that just lets me know, at least on some very small level, 'hey, you're OK'.

Speaking of the cross country meet, I ran into my old high school students and athletes from last year. They're just as great and hilarious as I remember. "Hey, it's Miss Hegelein. That's ironic." "Hey, Miss Hegelein, did you miss me? ...[meh, well...] What? I haven't seen you in a year and that's how you treat me?!" "Traitor! M-G? Why aren't you back here?" Haha! As my first kids, they have a special place in my heart. Not to be outdone, my current students are definitely growing on me. :)

We survived our first meet with at 28:1 athlete to coach ratio. :D
Gotta love junior high cross country. Go Argylls!

Family Dinner

Sunday I returned to Exit 59 Church again. We sent Mark off and prayed for him as a church- he's leaving for L.A. on Saturday to work with WorldImpact. He spoke to the church about his ministry out there and also interjected some words of wisdom to the freshmen. He advised them to go to church with their friends. He recounted how he and his friends (myself, Rach, Deb, and Jared) would call each other Saturday evening, decide who was driving and keep each other accountable. I was so proud to have been a part of that- a part of his life- a part of JaMBaRDi, our family. But as he was telling the story, there was also a deep sharp pain for the lonliness I felt over what I had lost. Church was so entirely wrapped up in my group of friends that it was rather painful to be back there without them. So, as much as I love Exit 59, I'm not sure that can remain my church home right now.

On a slightly brighter note, some Sunday traditions are still continuing, but in a slightly different and modified manner. Kirstin, Tabs, Amy Laur, and Brittney came over for lunch after church. A simple meal was made all the better by their company. They were also my first official dinner guests- and we even had a real kitchen table at which to eat! KK and Tabs stayed for a bit to do some work and then left for the all-sports meeting. I ended the evening by going to school for a few hours to set up my bulletin boards and take care of some paperwork.

ISTEP meeting tomorrow morning, Oak Hill Invite tomorrow afternoon, midterm grades due Wednesday morning, junior high open house Wednesday evening, and another cross country meet Thursday afternoon. And somewhere in there hopefully I'll see Mark before he moves out to California.

Oh, and of course Taylor has a cross country invite Saturday morning to be followed by a day full of DMS lady wonderfulness when Erin and Deal drive up from Indy to hang out with Amy and I. Cornfield photoshoots, caramel apples, and several dozen teacher stories should fill the day quite splendidly. :)

Long-awaited Rain

For at least two weeks now I have been longing for a good thunderstorm.
I was planning to go to bed early tonight.
My thunderstorm just began about 15 minutes ago.
I'm not going to bed yet.

There is something about thunderstorms that I just purely LOVE! It is something I cannot quite describe, which isn't terribly surprising since I lose my capacity to articulate things well rather easily at times.

I find it comforting. It gives me a sense of relief. I wish it were cooler so I could wrap myself in a long sleeve T-shirt, shorts, and a blanket as I lie on the couch contemplating and enjoying life. It'd be rather wonderful. The rain splattering the porch, each drop a unique splash among the pattern of many. The thunder that rattles your very core and the lightning that reveals the entire night sky for that most brief moment of time only to let it all fall into the mystery of darkness once more. No matter where I am the thunderstorms remain the same. It is a constant in my life.

I love the small things of life. Several years ago I made a list of things that make me happy. I stuck it on my desk during a particularly trying semester to provide a much-needed smile during wee hours of the morning. Below I have reproduced (and modified) that list in part for the purpose of reminding myself of those small pick-me-ups that I tend to come by so easily.

Things that make me smile:
thunderstorms
sweatpants
long sleeve T-shirts
running shorts
soccer socks
one-handed cartwheels
belly-whomping in puddles
fog enclosing a harbor
sunrises/sunsets
flat water on the great lakes
Maddawg runs
prayers before races
singing
baking
pictures
people

But for now, I'll enjoy my thunderstorm and leave the other items for another day... :)

But Not Forgotten

As I was driving to the drive-in in Hartford City this past weekend I was turning through radio stations and happened upon the latter part of an old episode from Adventures in Odyssey. Now, while it may no longer be 'age appropriate', I was raised on Adventures in Odyssey and those characters (oddly enough) still have a special spot in my heart. This particular episode dealt with Whit leaving Whit's End and Connie, Eugene, and Tom having to deal with how to keep things running while Whit was away. Connie, resistant to change, refused to allow Jack Allen, an old friend of Whit's, yet new to town, to run the shop. Throughout the episode Jack gives a nice little pep talk to Scrub, a young boy who is about to lose is first tooth. Scrub is in tears because he fears it will hurt and does not understand the necessity of change. Jack, ever so perfectly, explains to him that change is necessary for growth, and when we experience change we will feel something, sometimes loss. Yet that feeling of loss is required in order for us to continue to grow. This in turn applies to Connie and her feelings regarding the change around Whit's End. And then both of these stories in turn apply to my life.

Change is necessary for growth. I know I want to continue to grow- in my faith, in my personal life, in my friendships, in my career. I know that I have not appreciated all aspects of change that have occurred over the past few months since graduation. Yet they have all been necessary steps in life. I may not like being alone, but it allows me time to better understand myself and grow in self-awareness. For as long as I can remember I've had younger siblings or other girls around to take care of, dote on, and direct my attention towards. Now they are all removed and I am forced to consider myself in all the decisions I make. I think I may be working through my indeciveness... at least a little bit.

While I feel the pain of losing all that I once held dear, I do not regret that I have had to continue down the path of life leaving them behind for now. It's time to move on to some new experiences while reflecting on what I've learned from the past. It's a rather odd place to be considering that I'm not far removed from the geographical location of my home for the past four years. Yet life looks entirely different.

So, like on Adventures in Odyssey, I may resent the change at times. Things of the past- friends, teammates, relationships- are gone.

But not forgotten.

"Drive-in" Movies

Tonight was the annual "drive-in" movie that John's hosted for the past few years. This year the event was held at Blackford High School and the outdoor facilities worked very well for us. Three generators powered two separate screens and the popcorn machine. While I watched "Vantage Point" at one screen, my sister was across the field at the other. Too fun! We were literally in the middle of the cornfields- as in the soccer field on which we were sprawled out was surrounded by corn- it was just a few yards from the lines of the playing field. I have to admit, it was quite the beautiful backdrop for that giant movie screen. :) I ran into my Reno there and we ended up spending the evening together which was a very pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, I left towards the beginning of the second film because I'm an old person and was rather tired. :P So, it's off to be for me.

Hooray for 3-day weekends!