The Big L

Ever feel like a loser?



I'm there today...yah, it's been one of those days. It's dreary and rainy outside, work is overwhelming, I'm 'filling in' at my old/new job until they find a replacement and starting a new teaching job in two different elementary schools that I've never taught in, which means being the newbe once again and being the one who has to ask a thousand questions because I don't know, besides I have to make snacks for Madison's first day of school tomorrow, and go meet Meredith and Michaela's teachers at Baldwin tonight, which did I mention I applied at Baldwin and did not get hired, which makes even entering the building akward...and did I mention I feel like a loser?



Oh and did I forget to mention that I just received an email from the Reading Recovery director asking if I was "ready" for the new school year.



Ready?



Ready?! (This is not a typo. When you feel like a loser normal thinking is even slow.)



I am certainly not ready! If there's one thing a loser is not....that is ready!



I'm not ready for my "substitute for myself" assignment at my old/new job. I am not ready to teach in two new buildings where I am forced to be the newbe once again. I am not ready to teach reading recovery. It's been 3 years and I need to go over my books and notes. I am not ready for Madison's snack. I am not ready to meet the Baldwin teachers. I look a mess today. I am not ready!



I am blogging.

Puffs

Buying school supplies with the girls today...and we needed 7 boxes of Kleenex! As we loaded up the Walmart cart, I had a flashback. In my minds eye I could still see an extra large blue box of Puffs.


I don't remember how old I was, but I was old enough to carry my books from class to class. I'm guessing around 5th grade. Those were the dark ages, when we didn't even get class lists. We simply bought the same basics every year, from kindergarten through fifth grade. Except, of course, in 4th grade the crayons were replaced by markers.


Anyhow, the night before school my mother handed me this extra large, blue box of Puffs "for school."


I pulled the insert out of the middle, threw it away and that box of Puffs rested on my school books. We didn't even have backpacks, come to think of it. We carried our books in front, with our arms wrapped around them. Except for me. I carried my books, plus my large box of blue Puffs on top, with my arms wrapped around them.


They traveled with me from science to social studies to math to reading, the entire school year. I remember the occasional curious classmate asking, "Why do you have that?" while pointing to my large, blue box of Puffs.


Such a question didn't even deserve an answer, I thought as I gave a look like "duh...why do you think?"


Can you believe I'm even sharing this story?!!


If you thought I was one short of a full deck before, now you know I am!


Yet, I didn't question my mother. She said, "Take this to school." I did! I took it to school exactly as I took my folders, binders and pencil pouch filled with pencils, scissors and markers. The occasional comments of classmates had no effect on me. I simply thought, "What's their issue?"


It never donned on me that not everyone was carrying a box of Puffs around. In fact, not one single soul was carrying a box of Puffs around...only Lisa Hackenberger.

I want my faith to be like that...

One-of-a-kind,

causing others to notice and

out in front with my arms wrapped around it!

Hercules

We have a problem. We have a dog. His name is Hercules. The problem is not so much Hercules, himself. He actually is probably the best dog a family could have. He snuggles on Michaela's bed sweetly each night, unless Matt's home. He is a fine watch dog when Bobby's out of town. He'll bark if someone comes to the door. Actually that is a two-fold benefit, since our doorbell doesn't work. (Thanks to Nate. :)) He doesn't go to the bathroom in the house. When he has to go he jumps about 6 feet in the air, to get our attention. See? Hercules really is a fine dog!

The problem? He humps people. There I said it. Is that too gross or too graphic for a blog?

He does. If Matt's friends are over and we're playing the game Guesstures, where you have to act out a word or phrase...Hercules is beside himself. He rushes the person giving the clues and...you guessed it.

Embarrassing? Yes! Totally! There's something that seems unBiblical about going to your pastor's home and being attacked by a dog that...well, you know.

When my sweet little nephew Levi comes over...he's 6 and loves to run. One guess who comes running over to greet him first?

What should we do? (He's already been neutered...but thanks for the suggestion.)

Yes, I agree. The Bible is a great place to look for solutions, but to my knowledge it doesn't address this sort of thing. (I'll have to ask my husband, just to be sure, though.)

What can we do, really? (Besides be on the look-out, try to prevent it and grabbing Hercules off, if we're a bit late. Ugh!)

The solutions are minimal...my whole family (minus Bobby and I, on some days) totally love this dog.

That's it! I've figured it out...

Nothing.

"Love covers a multitude of sins."

So it was in the Bible afterall. :) You're good, God! You got it all covered, even _____ing dogs!