Oh the Power of a Teacher...

“I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.”

Eventful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was eventful. My falling asleep at 9pm last night on the couch and not even remembering Matt ushering me to bed might be a good clue to how I need a vacation from my vacation!

We spent a good couple days in the very cold state of Oklahoma (well compared to Houston, it was frigid!). We baked, watched some good "25 days of Christmas movies", hot tubbed, enjoyed a wonderful meal.

Then we headed to Keller. This is where all plans when awry.

1) Watched some Aggie football. My mom had graciously recorded it for us since we were driving back while it was on, but didn't tape the last 5 minutes of the game...and it was actually a good game! At least we caught the highlights afterwards.

2) Friday the girls went shopping. I did buy some awesome boots for like 60% off! That was a perk. But the boys were supposed to meet up with us for lunch a couple hours in. What my mom didn't know was that while she thought they were watching football...they were actually installing her new dishwasher that we all chipped in for her for Christmas. She hasn't had a working one in about 6 months. Their couple hour project - took closer to 5-6 hours!! Not their fault, just a series of unfortunate events. So no lunch or coffee or shopping for the boys...but we did get back just in time to eat dinner with them. At least it's in and working now!

3) Saturday morning we planned on picking up a piano that my grandparents were passing down to Matt & I. It's very special and sentimental, but if you've ever tried to move a piano - it's ridiculously heavy and awkward. We recruited the new brother-in-laws to help us out before the Heine Thanksgiving meal and go get it. We headed 30-45 minutes towards Dallas to pick up the Uhaul trailer. Well, we get there and the only one they have it all beat up and not suitable to drive a piano all the way to Houston. We were there over an hour arguing with the people, before they sent us to south Dallas (another 30 min away) to get another trailor. We wait in line forever... I was seriously about to jump the next Uhaul worker that even looked at me - I was so livid. Then they didn't even have our reservation that the lady at the other one had just made!! Well, by that time it's already noon...we had left the house at 9am...we were supposed to eat at 1:30 and we hadn't even tried to load the piano yet or get it home. The task was just not working out for us. We gave it up. Canceled our reservation. Called it a loss. Drove the hour home. Sad day. Frustrating. Oh well...better luck next time. I hope.

4) Sunday we headed home. Not having a lot of family time over the couple days. But thankfully we'll be back in a few weeks.

A better note...On our way we saw a dad and 2 little kids on the side of the road with a blowout tire. Matt and I decided to flip back around and help them out. The poor kids looked scared to death standing on the side of the road. I had never done that (b/c it's really not safe as a girl), but it was really cool to help out another person in need. Matt helped change the tire while I talked with the kids. They were a sweet family and the dad seemed shocked that anybody would be willing to stop and help out. It was nice to put a smile on a stranger's face.

Thanksgiving

This week is only a 2 day week at work. I'm am so thankful for that. It is also pointless to try to get anything done with 9 year olds in that amount of time, so I often feel as if I am babysitter rather than a teacher.

Matt & I have a full week ahead of us. This year we are attempting to do both families for both holidays. Honestly, I cannot imagine NOT spending a major holiday with my family, and I'm sure that day will come. But not this year!!

If you'd like to partake in knowing the joy of our lives over the next few days...here ya go. :)

Tuesday: Work all day. Leave for Ponca City, Oklahoma around 5pm for the 9 hour drive. Stop through Keller to drop off our beloved dog, Mocha. Arrive Ponca City - approximately 2am.

Wednesday: Sleep. Hang out with the in-laws. Bake. Prepare. Golf (well, I'll be watching golf and possibly driving the golf cart - the best part).

Thursday: Drive to Durant, Oklahoma to celebrate with the Moore's extended family. Watch A&M beat Texas. Drive to Keller, TX. Arrive approx. midnight.

Friday: Shop with the girls. Bake and prepare for meal #2.

Saturday: Celebrate our first Thanksgiving with all the new hubbies in the family. Our family has turned huge in a matter of a few months. I'm excited!

Sunday: Drive back to Houston. Hopefully avoiding all traffic :) and hang Christmas lights on our own home. Because NOW we can start preparing for Christmas...and I will no longer be mocked for listening to Christmas music 24/7 for the last 2 weeks.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes...I love the holidays. :)

Decisions...

Do you ever make a decision and then go back and forth on it like a million times?

I hate that.

I used to consider myself really decisive...almost stubborn...but lately I have been easily swayed on almost anything I decide. Whether it's the pair of jeans I just bought or what's for dinner. It's getting ridiculous.

Anyways...I have really been struggling with this the last few days. Matt and I made a pretty big decision together a couple weeks back and both felt at peace about it...and then my emotions got the best of me and got discouraged by the smallest hurdle and I began to question my thoughts and decisions and reasons...

...basically I lose trust in the Lord and doubt his guidance. I need to believe that if God allowed both Matt and I to come to a place of decision together - that it was in the right direction. Even if my flesh doubts. Yes, it confuses me. Yes, it is rather frustrating. I mean why can't I just stick with it and not go back and forth all day long? It's quite exhausting. But...

This morning while I was driving to work...I drive into the sun and usually it's very annoying and slightly blinding...but this morning there were some clouds and it created this beautiful sunrise in the sky. I had prayed before I left home that God will give me a spirit of confidence and faith. Then God allowed me to be reminded through this magnificent sky that HE IS BIGGER than me and my life and decisions. When I can't seem to be at peace within myself (ahem - like right now)...at least I can be at peace about Him. I like when God reveals Himself through the little things.

Today is a good day

I decided that today is going to be a good day. Why today, you ask? Well...

1. It's Tuesday - which means I have the luxury of THREE conference periods. If you are a teacher you understand the joy in that.
2. It's like a perfect 70 degrees and sunny outside.
3. I went and got a Starbucks during one of my lovely off periods and the girl gave me a grande for the price of a tall (on accident, I think, but I'll take it!)
4. There are only 35 work days until Christmas vacation...and more importantly my trip to New York with Matt!
5. I had a wonderfully quiet lunch in my classroom while doing my Bible study. Refreshing.
6. Next week is November which means all the retailers are about to be Christmas-decked-out. And Christmas just makes me happy. :)
7. And irregardless is anybody really reads this (seriously...does anybody read this?) I'm posting this to remind myself that I choose for today to be a GOOD day. :) And it should be for you too.

Camping!

This past weekend Matt and I ventured to a nearby state park to go camping. I love the outdoors, so this is something that I have been wanting to do with Matt for quite a long time! After having to reschedule several weekends due to illnesses, rain, etc - we finally made it...us and hundreds of boy scouts. Yep, we chose the place that was hosting every single boy scout and child between the ages of 5-14 from the Houston area. We were unable to make a drive to a more remote location - so I guess those type of consequences are expected. But either way...we have a great time! The weather was perfect! Just cold enough for a fire, but not miserable. We made burgers over the camp fire. Ate one too many s'mores. Talked. Laughed. Listened to small children scream. Had a couple camp fires. Hiked every trail that Stephen F. Austin state park has to offer. And relaxed. I love to just get away and enjoy nature and nothing else. So refreshing!

And sadly I actually remembered to bring the camera, but it was dead. So these are the few off of my phone...

Our tent :)

(I had to fight Matt from bringing the mattress from our bed at home!)

My wonderful husband making fire #2
so I could enjoy some much needed HOT coffee.

Mission accomplished!
(I don't have the patience to make fires, so I'm glad he does.)

Personality Type?

I love analyzing and learning - especially when it comes to people and personalities. And since Matt is out of town and my family who came to visit me already left :(, I had nothing else to do but watch re-runs of Seinfeld and take this free personality test I found on a fellow blogger's blog, based on the Myers-Briggs personality test. The good thing is that my personality doesn't really change based on the test (I think I've taken more than enough of these!)...maybe I need to find a hobby. But for those of you who read this and care, my results are as follows:

Introverted (I) 86%
Sensing (S) 68%
Thinking (T) 70%
Judging (J) 64%
Extraverted (E) 14%
Intuitive (N) 32%
Feeling (F) 30%
Perceiving (P) 36%

This personality is explained here, if interested. :) Or just take the test and enjoy (it's super short).