Wanna' Know What's on the Inside of a Diaper?

I didn't think I really cared until the other night when I had to pick up handfuls of it. So now you're thinking that my son tore a diaper up, right? Wrong. I did it. I was about to change Jackson's diaper and was going through the normal pre-diaper-changing routine of opening the box of wipes, getting one of them unfolded, and opening the diaper up. Well, I folded open the diaper and decided to "pop" it (you know, like you do towels or shirts when you're folding laundry) to make sure it was completely undone and when I did that, this floofy, white snow flew out everywhere. My husband was sitting in his chair and just started hee-hawing at me and here I am thinking, "Arrrrgh, now I've gotta' vacuum tonight AGAIN." But then I looked at my husband, who was just having himself a great time at my expense and decided to have myself a good laugh too. Jackson thought it was great fun to play in the floofy, white snow, which he was allowed to do for, oh, five seconds until I realized there's something in that stuff that makes your skin itch a little bit. I had to swoop him up out of it just before he started to put it in his mouth. So now I know ... and you do, too ... what's on the inside of a diaper! Not that I ever really cared, but anyway.

Well, now that I've shared something funny, I'm going to switch gears. Is it alright if I have just a little pity party? I won't take too long; I promise, but, folks of The Church of God, I need a little encouragement. I guess all of this blogging has really sort of made this hit home, but I feel kind of lonely. Actually, both of us do. Did any of you know that my husband and I are the only VLBs not only in our local church, but in the entire state of Missouri? That's right ... we're the only ones. We really miss the fellowship of brothers and sisters our age. Sure, I talk to some of you on the phone and that's helped a lot, but it's just not quite the same as actually getting to see you, give ya' a hug, etc. AND, unless the Lord intervenes with a miracle, we're not going to get to go to the Assembly this year either. (not really for financial reasons ... see previous post about Anthony's grandpa for the reason.) It's not that I'm discontent; it's just that every once in a while this bout of loneliness hits and it's a little bit rough. Anyway, I'm o.k., just a little sad at times. OK, thanks for letting me cry on your shoulder a sec. Back to other things ...

I have some really cool news. I have been chosen, along with three other English teachers at my school to make a presentation about a project I'm doing with my kids this year at the National Teacher's Convention in Nashville!!!! Not many teachers get to do this, so it's really an honor, and I'm thrilled at the prospect. I'm sooooo excited. OK, let me tell ya' about my project. My students have to choose an American speech (e.g. MLK's "I Have a Dream" or Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death or JFK's "We're Going to the Moon", etc. The list goes on and on). They have to read and pick apart the speech and then they have to research what was going on in American history at that time and why the speech was given and what significance/message it had for the American people. Anyway, I believe the Lord gave it to me one night because so far no one else has ever heard of a project like that. I thought it'd be a neat way to combine history with a writing/research project. Anyway, I'm excited about the conference and very nervous, too, but it'll be neat to get to do it.

Well, I need to go start dinner. Ya'll take care. Love ya'.

Promotion of a Great Product

I didn't mention this in my last post, but our pre-school inservice was wonderful this year. The school here has very heavily subscribed to Steven Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". If none of you have ever read the book or gone through the program, I highly recommend it. It's not about career success, as it may be misperceived to be, but it is about personal effectiveness. True, a part of the material can be applied to careers, but the heart of what the author is promoting deals with a person's personal life and I found that much of it can be applied to one's spiritual and church lives as well. It's very motivational and it teaches ways to put important things first in a person's life. I would even go so far as to suggest it for a ministerial retreat. Anyway, I think it's a product worth promoting, so here ya' go. Steven Covey ... check his stuff out. It is really good.

School Days, School Days

Well, it's that time again. I've hit the books and thought about hitting some of the kids with books, but refrained, but it's that of year time again. This year is my first year teaching High School (my sixth year teaching) and I LOVE IT!!! It is so refreshing not having to put up with comments like, "Mrs. Dyer, Jamie's looking at me and I told her not to" or not having to tell Bobby to please remove his feet from the desk in front of him before Sarah reaches around and pops him in the nose. It's refreshing, too, not to have to eat in the cafeteria with 300 12-year olds. I still suffer with partial hearing loss from that one. But the best thing about not having to teach middle school is that my classroom no longer smells of b.o., hormones, and ... um, flatuance (sorry for the language, but I had to deal with the smell for four years, so you can surely deal with the one word ... sorry again). Anyway, I now enjoy pleasant Bath and Body Works lotions and body sprays and hairspray from the girls instead. And the boys? Even the boys have showered and used deodorant (because they are looking at girls now). Ahhhhhh, it's just lovely.

Something else I've observed is that these kids have personalities and they're intellectual ... when you can pull that side out of them. And they have brains and minds and opinions. You do know that middle school hormones kill brain cells at an outrageous rate, right? And they're getting better with abstract concepts and they've reflected on life a little so they have something to say.

Don't get me wrong. I loved the little twerpies I taught before. They're sweet and silly and funny, and they know EVERYTHING (no, they really do). But that's the problem. They know EVERYTHING.

Ahhhhh, high school. It must be where I'm supposed to be.

God is good.

Traveling Mercies

We're leaving tomorrow around noon for GA to see PaPaw. His kidneys have shut down, so I guess it's just a matter of time unless the Lord intervenes. Please pray for traveling mercies and for comfort for the family. This will most likely cancel out our trip to the Assembly (we were going to try to come to at least part of it), but I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to my grandpa, who died about two months ago, and I still grieve over that. Pray for Anthony. Anthony is really close to PaPaw; he was the one who led Anthony to Jesus, so he's going to have a difficult time. Love to all.

Prayer Request

We just got word that Anthony's grandpa is not doing well at all. His health has been deteriorating for some time now due to diabetes. They've found an artery that's 95% blocked and they can't do anything because he wouldn't survive surgery. Please pray for Harve Jackson Millsaps and family. He loves the Lord dearly and is ready to go home should the Lord call him, but we'd sure hate to see it right now. He is a precious man. Also, we're trying to find a way to get down there so we can see him. Pray that the Lord will work it out at just the right time. Thanks, all.

Calling All Creative Thinkers!!!

I was hoping to enlist the help of some or all of you. Each year in my class I require the students to keep a journal. Well, this is my sixth year of teaching but my first year teaching high school, so I was wondering if I could get some suggestions for journal starters that are 11th-grade age-appropriate. It needs to be something that can be responded to with at least a paragraph or two. Can't wait to see the ideas. THANKS!!!!!!!!! :-)