New House

It's 1:30 in the morning and I can't get to bed because my mind is bombarded with decorating thoughts for our new house.


I'm super excited to move...super super excited. But I'm not so excited about the Taco Time tile in the bathroom....or the avocado green linoleum in the kitchen.....or the 1970's oak cabinets. Those things have got to go. My first mission is the cabinets, only because those are the easiest to fix. I may try and tackle the Taco Time tile soon, too....I'm trying to figure out if I can paint the tile instead of having to rip it out. Anyone know anything about painting tile?


So here's what I'm most excited about right now: green (as in eco-friendly) wallpaper. I found wall paper that comes in 12"x 12" squares and is made from 100% recycled paper. Not only that, but it's 3D! And you can paint it.....check it out:

MioCulture Wallpaper

I can't wait to be out of an apartment, and in downtown Coeur d'Alene instead of in the backyard of the Flying J. It will be SO nice to only have to drive ten minutes to work....and to be able to have Jude finally live with us again. I'll trade inconvenience for 70's decor any day of the week.

Comedy hour

Such a good day today -- it's crazy how connected you can become with 6 and 7 year olds...but I feel like they are my own kids sometimes. I had so much fun with them today.

One of my classroom moms brought ice cream in for the class because she noticed how well behaved they were today. (It's a rare occasion, so we had to celebrate.) :) So while we were eating ice cream, I let my kids do "Comedy Hour" - they each got to stand up and tell a joke.

So here are some of my favorites:

Q: Why was the baby ant so confused?
A: Because all of his uncles were ants.

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Poop! (Yeah, that kid obviously didn't get the memo about "appropriate jokes")

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Donut.
Donut who?
Donut.....donut.....donut be late! (Made up on the spot...I was impressed.)

And the winner of comedy hour....

"Oh no, the boss is praying." ????? (I don't get it, but I still thought it was hysterical. Probably something she heard on TV. Haha....)

Weird Day

Weird day today....anyone else think something is in the air? All day I just felt off....

When I took psych. in college we talked about mood changes -- and how psychologists have found that there are certain days where you just wake up feeling crappy for no reason at all. Nothing particularly bad happens to make your mood go sour -- but you're just in a funk all day. Some have predicted that it has something to do with the moon phases, or changes in barometric pressure...I don't know, but I am definitely having one of those days. It's hard not to blame everything and everyone around me for my bad mood -- but in all reality, the day has been very average...even enjoyable. Hopefully this mood will pass.

Off to put my sweats on and relax!

Favorites

These are a few of my fav-o-rite things....

fruit roll-ups
flip flops
bottled water (I know, I know...it's bad for the enviornment)
our green scooter
swimming in the lake in August (Matt lies on an intertube while I kick around the lake for hours. He's not a swimmer.)
yoga
potatoes
Ben Harper
old jeans
charcoal drawing
Seattle weekend road trips and sleeping in the back of the car
Blue C sushi (Spyder roll...mmm...)
real fire places
the first snow
three day weekends
down pillows
fall
staying up late
The Hills (yes, I am embarassed)
camp fires
backpacking (but only if we don't have to go more than 3 miles with our packs)
soy lattes
riding my bike downtown with Matt in the summer
The 4th of July
adventures with my husband


I wrote this list of favorite things after having a conversation with Matt about my least favorite thing: cleaning. I've been attempting to clean all day....I've also been distracted all day and have gotten almost nothing done. WHat can I say, I'm an ENFP. Here is an excerpt from a website on ENFPs that I think describes me quite accurately:


"Because ENFPs live in the world of exciting possibilities, the details of everyday life are seen as trivial drudgery. They place no importance on detailed, maintenance-type tasks, and will frequently remain oblivous to these types of concerns. When they do have to perform these tasks, they do not enjoy themselves. This is a challenging area of life for most ENFPs, and can be frustrating for ENFP's family members."

So true.

The Inaugural Address - First Grade Style

Be inspired:

"Dear Americans,
I will make peace and I will make freedom and I will make liberty and as president I hope for freedom for every American, even tan, white, and brown, no matter if you are white."

"I want to make everyone have what they need and have beautiful stuff like water fountains and houses! And maybe even clean water and food. I hope to have peace! I love everyone in the whole wide world no matter what. "


"I do not care what you look like. I want to end the war. Martin Luther King worked hard..he is my brother. I want freedom for this country and people!"


"I hope for peace because it is hurting people! I hope people would destroy gadgets! The gadgets hurt people. Gadgets are bombs and guns."


I think I have some future presidential candidates in my midst. Haha.

Robyn and George King: Still in Their Prime

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

First Grade and My Purpose

So in my classroom, I've "hired" all my kids to do classroom jobs. (Lunch count manager, recycling coordinator, sanitation department, etc.) My decisions were based on their personality, strengths, and interests. The kids love doing their jobs -- and it's rare that I have to remind them what it is, or that something needs to get done. They are so proud when they are used throughout the day for a purpose. And when I assign new tasks or jobs to them, they beam with delight. In fact, just yesterday one of my boys looked at me while fulfilling his duties as recycling coordinator and said, "You definitely hired the right person for this job! I'm really good at recycling coordinator, huh Mrs. King?"


I write this because I've been thinking a lot lately about purpose -- specifically, the purposes God has for me. I know that in the "classroom of life," God has specific jobs for me -- a purpose designed perfectly for me based on my strengths, personality, and interests. The issue is that I feel a little lost at times as to what these specific purposes are. And I think that's because, unlike 6 year olds, I don't always see myself in the light God sees me. My first graders will happily tell you that they are great at their job -- and they have no doubts that they they are the best person for that job. I think if I were more willing to believe that God truly has created me with amazing and unique gifts, I might be able to see my purpose more clearly.

Just something I've been pondering lately. I love that God uses first graders to move in my life. :)

My friend, Mike Steve

I received the following e-mail from 'Mike Steve" today:

ATTENTION!! Now we have arranged your payment of($1.5million) one millions five hundred thousand dollar in ATM payment card to be sent to you through western union money transfer payment,Your payment will be sending to you by western union, the amount you will be receiving per day is $5,000,The minister trust funds of Benin Republic will send to you the currently standards track details you need to pick up your payment by western union, you will be receiving ($5,000) every day till you receive the $1.5million dollar, now no need of sending you this ATM card because you can not be able to withdraw with it due to the huge amount the ATM master card contains.The director administrator trust funds have already signed your payment, however, kindly contact the below person who is in position to release your payment by western union. Mr. Aminu Romson, western union department Financial Bank Benin,Mobile: (+229)9318-4753(western.unionmoneytrensfer@live.fr) The financial western union payment canter has been mandated to issue out your payment and you have to stop any further communication with any other person(s)or office(s) to avoid any hitches in receiving your payment.Note that the administrator payment need this detailsfrom you to process your payment:Receiver name---Country---City----Tel----Test question-----Answer---Age--Sex---ID--Comply now because as soon as you sent this required details to Mr. Aminu Romson,he will start sending your payment by western union.Regards,Barr,steve mike


I could barely read the e-mail in the first place...but after stuggling through it, I had to wonder....do people really fall for this stuff? Hahaha....oh man, I hope not.

Also funny that the e-mail was from Mike Steve but was signed Steve Mike. I think they just chose two common American names and put them together randomly. Cracks me up.

I heart....structure????? (What???)

As much as I loved my winter break, I am so glad to be back at school and on a normal schedule. It's sort of nice to have some structure....never thought I'd say that!

I have been so proud of my first graders lately. It's like something "clicked" over break...I don't really get it, but I am definitely grateful. We have our big standardized reading test coming up next week....the IRI. (Dun, dun, dunnnn......) Pretty stressful, because so much rests on those stupid standardized tests these days. Hopefully they'll perform well and make me look good. :)

On a separate note, I talked to my principal today about the possibility of me being out of a job next year. Luckily she said she doesn't think that will happen....let's hope. The economy is really in the crapper right now. (I'm so lady-like...)

That is all.

AAAAHHHHHHH

Yesterday was awesome....but today....not so much.

I left our house at 6:45 with an armload of stuff for the "Winter Party" we had at school today. Matt had already started my car for me to warm it up, so the keys were in the ignition. When I opened the passenger side door to load the car, my arms were so full that I had to throw my hip into the door to swing it open fully. Upon doing so, I apparently hit the automatic lock button. When I closed the door again, I ended up locking myself out -- along with my purse, wallet, cell phone, and boots.

I spent about 30 minutes looking for an alternate set of keys. When I found some that I thought looked like a match, I went and tried them in the subaru. Once again...disaster. I twisted the key too hard and it broke off in the lock. At this point, I'm freaking out because I know Matt usually doesn't answer his phone in the morning, and a locksmith usually takes a good couple of hours to get to your car. But I decided to walk to good ol' Howard Johnson Inn and use their phone anyway. I called Matt at around 7:20 and THANK GOODNESS he answered his phone. He came to my rescue and saved the day....which was very nice, considering it made him and me late to work today.

On the way back from the HoJo, I slipped and fell on the ice. I was so mad....I was swearing under my breath all the way home.

My boss wasn't thrilled with the fact that I wasn't there on time and they couldn't get ahold of me. Luckily they called Matt and he explained the situation. (Once again, he saved the day.) The whole incident sort of made for a hectic day.

Even though the day started off crappy, it seems to be turning out alright. (I'm going to The Porch with some work friends in a few minutes to de-stress.) It's days like this that really make me think about what (or who) I'm letting rule my life -- my current circumstances, or Jesus.


Anyway, it's Friday! Yay!!

Birthdays and Free Things

So I've been researching all of the free stuff you can get for your birthday from various venders. Pretty awesome...I never knew! I could spend all night eating free dessert if I wanted too. But here's the free things I've contemplated taking advantage of this year:

Free oil change at Auto Zone
Free Cold Stone ice cream (my favorite ice cream...mmmm....)
Free movie rental at Hollywood Video
Free coffee mug from Krispy Kreme
Free burrito from QDoba
Free burger from Red Robin (a gardenburger, perhaps)

I won't get to most of that stuff...in fact, I won't get to any of it most likely. But I still like the idea of getting free stuff. Makes my birthday seem even more special.

Today's been awesome....my mom brought brownies to my first graders and me. My grandma came in and brought me a lucky bamboo plant (which the first graders were very impressed by..."It's luckyyyy!!!! I think it has magic!") My first graders spontaneously broke into song (the happy birthday song, naturally) while we were eating snack. And Heather Olds sang me (and some random hospital staff members) the best rendition of Happy Birthday I've ever heard.

Awesome day so far, and it's only noon. I like 25.

Matthew Lewis King

Found this on a friend's blog and thought it was fun:

1. Where did you meet your husband?
Matt and I met through his roommate, who I was dating at the time. (His name was also Matt, ironically.) Then we worked together at summer camp...that's where we started dating.


2. How long did you date before you got married?
We long-distance dated for about 8 1/2 months before we got engaged...I was living in Minnesota, he was in Idaho Falls. Then we were engaged for WAAAYYYY too long... over a year. Felt too long to us.


3. How long have you been married?
Two and a half years (as of January 2nd.)


4. What does he do to surprise you?
Matt comes up with crazy spontaneous things for us to do...like one time, he took me on an "egg dropping contest" adventure. We purchased items from the grocery store that we used to create a protection barrier for our eggs. (Our items had to be under $3...that was a requirement.) I chose packaging tape and a roll of paper towels...Matt chose asparagus. (???) I won, of course...Matt's eggs broke pretty quickly. I even got a certificate. It was so much fun.


5. What is your favorite feature of his?
Honestly...have you seen his backside? Seriously, it's pretty darn nice. I also love his smile and his blue eyes.


6.What is your favorite quality?
Matt is really smart, which I think is pretty special. He is also really kind, and gentle, and level-headed (unlike me sometimes.) Matt's probably the nicest person I've ever met....really. He also is really fun to be with...we have a blast together.


7. Does he have a nickname for you?
So many....sort of embarrassing. He used to call me lumpkins...not really sure how that got started. But he usually calls me sweetie. (Cheesy...) :)


8. What is his favorite food?
Matt likes most foods, as long as they come in giant-sized portions. Every time we go to a restaurant he asks the waitress what the biggest thing on the menu is. He also really likes lasagna, Thai food, and Indian food. (We share a love for Thai and Indian.)


9. What is his favorite sport?
Matt was an awesome wrestler in high school and college, and now he coaches JV wrestling at Coeur d'Alene High School. So I'd say that's his favorite sport for sure. He also likes golfing (he just started a couple years ago,) rock climbing, and snowboarding.


10. When and where did you first kiss?
Matt and I had the most awkward first kiss EVER. We were in the basement of his grandparents house...we went up there for the weekend with some other friends of ours. I had been waiting all night for him to kiss me...we went for a walk by ourselves down by the creek and sat on a log for about half an hour. It was the perfect setting...but he never made the move. So I gave up. Later that night while we were sitting downstairs, he plunged at me unexpectedly and kissed me. He didn't move his lips for about five whole seconds. So awkward. He was super nervous, haha.


11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?
We always talk about this -- because I think our favorite thing to do together is just be together. We have so much fun with whatever we're doing...and that's what makes us so good for each other. :) But if I had to choose some activities, I'd say that we love riding on our scooter in the summer, riding bikes, camping, talking at night, and traveling.


12. Do you have children?
No, no thank you. (At least not for a while.)

13. Does he have any hidden talents?
Matt can thread his lips with invisible thread and then pull them apart. (You'd have to see it to understand...) He has very flexible facial muscles...I call him a face contortionist. Pretty impressive.

14. How old is he?
Matt is 27 as of December 18th.

15. Who said I love you first?
He did....but he wrote it to me in a letter before he said it out loud. He was too scared to say it to my face. Haha. So I wrote "I love you" back to him in a separate letter. He didn't actually say it out loud for another week or so. We were such junior highers.

16. What is his favorite music?
Matt's into lots of different types of music -- but he really loves Indie music and alt. country. His favorite band right now is probably Death Cab for Cutie.

17. What do you admire most about him?
I admire the fact that Matt likes everyone he meets...he is the least judgemental person I've ever met. He gives everyone a fair shot. It's almost impossible for someone to make Matt not like them. I almost never hear him say negative things about other people....I really admire that. He sees the good in everyone.

18. What is his favorite color?
Matt always gets stressed out at this question...I keep trying to get him to nail down a specific color, and he won't do it. I have heard him mention blue a few times though.

19. Will he read this?
Yep...cause he's a blogger now! Awww yeah.

Snow Day, Fun Day

Another snow day tomorrow.

Snow days are little gifts from Heaven. I really don't mind the snow when the snow = snow day. Yahoo!

Shortest blog ever. Just thought I'd share my excitement.

I Love My Job

For the past couple of days I've been dreading going back to work. Not because I hate my job, but because I've enjoyed my time off soooo much. But, today when I went into my classroom to do some work, I started feeling like I was ready to go back. I really miss my kids....and that's why I am doing what I'm doing.

Sometimes I feel like I come off pretty negative when I talk about my job. I think this is because I get so drained every day. I've never done anything in my life that stretches my patience and energy to its limits the way teaching first grade does. I'm not gonna lie, it's really hard sometimes. I get frustrated with the politics and the lack of appreciation and understanding for all that I do. People think that teaching is baby-sitting with the extra bonus of summers off. SO far from the truth. But, regardless of my frustrations...regardless of how much time and energy I put into my job...I can honestly say that I LOVE what I do.

I don't know of any other job that offers the opportunity to build such strong connections and relationships with the people you work with. I get choked up even thinking about it -- during the day, my first grade classroom really feels like a family to me. We grow and change and learn and laugh together -- and that's what makes my job so rewarding. So, even though I have loved the time off, I'm ready to go back. I miss my kids, and I'm pretty pumped to see them tomorrow.

Unless we have another snow day -- -which I wouldn't mind. :)

Fill-In

Check out my new blog! Hopefully I'll have more time to blog this month -- maybe my sweet new layout will inspire me.

Today I have to...ahem, I mean get to ...go to another wrestling tournament. This one's in Freeman, WA. I'm going to take a good book and some school work and hopefully get some things done today.

I miss my first graders, but to be honest, I'm not looking forward to going back to work. I could definitely get used to this whole "not working" thing. I love being able to hang out with Matt all day.

Big 2-5 this Thursday! Not sure how I feel about that yet....