Fun Fours.

4 Jobs You've Had in Your Life:
Limited, Too (At that time, I was sixteen or so and could still fit into the clothing. Not so true anymore.)
Nanny (Three different families for six years. Best darn job of my life. Miss 'em like crazy.)
Kindergarten Teacher (Loved this job. Met the most precious kids.)
Sixth Grade Teacher (Loved the kids, but NEVER again.)

4 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over:
High School Musical 1 (Refer to my previous post.)
High School Musical 2 (Again, my afore mentioned post.)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Trust me, I've watched this probably around 20 times.)
Angels in the Outfield (Always hilarious.)

4 Things you Want to Do:
Go to Europe with my hubs.
Get my pilot's license.
Have a few kids.
Go on a tropical vacay with the Toolbox (aka three best girlfriends).

4 Costumes You've Worn on Halloween:
Yellow M&M (The only costume my mom ever made. It was awesome.)
A die (I lied before. My mom made this one too. Aunt M made Meredith's and we went as a pair-of-dice. We won the church costume competition. Booyah.)
A hippie (What kid didn't?)
A mouse (It covered up the layers upon layers my mom made me wear that night. It was COLD.)

4 Songs You Could Listen to Again and Again:
Glory by Selah and Nicole Nordemann
Gotta Go My Own Way by Troy and Gabriella (High School Musical... again.)
Gold Digger by Kanye West (I know, I know.)
Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman (Quite a variety there, huh?)

4 Websites You Visit Daily:
gmail.com (Email is key.)
blogger.com (I like keeping up with friends who are far away.)
facebook.com (Helps me try to stay connected to friends, again.)
people.com (Yes, I am that shallow.)

Your turn!

I've Been Waiting.

It's here. The event I have been waiting for for months. Years, maybe. Honestly... ever since the first movie came out two years ago. I have grown to know these characters and I love them. I love what they do and what they sing. They are awesome, and I will admit that sometimes, I wish I was one of them.
Let's be honest. Far more people love these movies then they care to admit. And now that one is about to hit the big screen... well, America is thrilled. I am thrilled. Dana is thrilled. We are dragging our husbands to see this movie tomorrow night and yes, we have already purchased tickets online. We talked about it for a long time today and are about as excited as the sixth grade girls at school... maybe more. I also downloaded the soundtrack tonight and am so excited to listen to it on my way to school tomorrow. It's definitely going to make me pop out of bed and get ready quickly. I am pumped. I love High School Musical and I will be devastated tomorrow at the end of the movie when the fun finally comes to an end. Oh, man, I can't even stand it.

On a side note, report cards are done. Phewf. The end of the quarter is always a long haul for me. I'm going to go and read myself to sleep. I've gotten hooked on the Yada Yada Prayer Group books. I'm loving them. I love to read in general, but I love when I find a series that just makes me happy.

Night night.

Third Grade Prayer

My favorite prayer request today?

"I want to pray for the people in Texas. There is a bad swarm of flies down there somewhere."

:)

Marriage.

This weekend, Tyler and I are going to a marriage conference with Dana & Corey. They went last year and it sounded like an amazing time, so we are going with them this year. It is at their church, so we won't have to travel (HALLELUJAH!) and we are looking forward to spending time with them. Dana is one of my best "Cincinnati friends" (and just plain friend) by far, and we're going to see each other next weekend as well, so I have LOTS to look forward to. We taught together last year, and this year she is staying home with her precious baby girl, Malia, so we don't see each other near as often. I am also looking forward to holding this darling creature tonight:

Be jealous. Be VERY jealous. :)

Watching the debates... or not.

I watched about 5.4 minutes of the debates last night. Why? Because they made me cry last time. They are so darn mean to each other and it kind of breaks my heart. We're still humans, after all, even if we don't agree. This brings me to my next point.

Barack Obama. He's much too "Rico Suave" for me. Maybe he should be a judge on America's Next Top Model as opposed to running for the next leader of the free world-- he surely seems better equipped for that. I'm just saying. I also don't find him to be worthy of much respect due to the fact that he supports abortion. A friend of mine directed me to a link that I thought said it way better than I ever could. It is a true (I checked thoroughly) email written by a Christian pianist named Huntley Brown and it shares his thoughts on why he can't vote for Obama. I agree wholeheartedly with him. If that brother was standing here with me today, I would surely shake his hand. If you would like to see what he has to say, click here.

All I can say that if Senator Obama does indeed win this election, he can count on my prayer support everyday, and that is the truth.

We have had many political discussions, or should I say total outbursts, here in third grade over the last few months. Most have been hilarious when looked back upon, but during the time of the actual riot, for lack of a better term, it's pure chaos here. Here is how the first throw down went.

Student A: I can't believe Barack Obama wants to kill babies when they are in their mommy's tummies!
Student B: Barack Obama does NOT believe in THAT! He believes in CHANGE!
Student C: My dad HATES Barack Obama!
Student D: I'm not voting for John McCain!
Me: (Furiously trying to "shhh" everyone in hopes that parents won't be calling right and left over the next few days asking what in the WORLD she is teaching.)
Student E: MY MOM SAYS BARACK OBAMA IS A TERRORIST!

Or, my other personal favorite.

Student A: Barack Obama is bad for letting babies get killed in their mommy's tummies.
Student B: That's not true! He said it wasn't true! He said it's a RUMOR!
Me: (Again, trying to make these children keep their opinions to themselves as opposed to getting phone call after phone call after email after phone call...) The next person who says anything about Barack Obama or John McCain gets their color changed!
Student C: Well, I think anyone is weird that votes for Obono. (Yes, he said Obono.)

Needless to say, Student C got his color changed. :)

And finally, I had one of my sweet little ones ask me this question yesterday: "I don't understand why [Barack Obama] wants to bring the troops home and why he wants to kill babies.The troops sign up to honor in the war and they don't WANT to come home and the babies don't have a choice to die. Why would he do that?" What do you say to that? I don't know, baby. I just don't know.

I didn't intend for this to turn into an anti-Obama blog and I'm sure I will meet with some adversity because of it. Let me just say, I do not, by any means, agree with everything John McCain has said or supports. I know some might say that I am naive for not supporting Obama just because he supports abortion, but there are other things. I just won't get into them here or now. I am passionate about this because I feel that God very clearly expresses himself in the Bible about abortion and I'm not getting the picture that He and Obama see eye to eye.

Here is a little something from my perspective on abortion, according to Scripture...

Psalm 139:13-16 The Message
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.

And now, a delightfully funny political comparison. But please keep in mind-- this woman is my GIRL. And not just my American Girl Doll...

Oh, my.

Well, needless to say, I have not been bitten by the "blogging bug". No entries since July? July. Really, seriously, Rachel. Come on. One word: pathetic.

May I confess something? (Of course... I can confess whatever I want. It's MY blog. HA! Don'tcha love that sense of entitlement?!)

I want to be a blogger. I want to be one SO bad. I read these eloquent blogs from different people and I think, "I want to write like that!" Could I really do it? Probably. Not that I'm all that eloquent or articulate, but I do have funny things to write about. Like when one of my third graders yelled, "MY MOM SAYS BARACK OBAMA IS A TERRORIST!" I could write about the fact that I usually am on the brink of falling down the stairs at least once a day. Maybe that's not so funny, but it is if you are there and see me trying to balance three different bags, a purse, a lunchbox, sometimes a coffee and whatever other assorted items I may be trying to lug down three flights of stairs. I'm telling you, it ain't pretty. I have yet to fall down the stairs, but I assure you, it will happen. Stay tuned.

I digress...

Here's the deal with me and blogging. I am a huge creature of habit. I love the fact that I know what my schedule is everyday after school and it rarely changes. Not only do I love consistency and concrete plans, but I also am insanely busy. I feel as if I can barely handle teaching, my extra commitments, cooking, cleaning, and being a good wife to Ty. If things aren't planned or if they don't go according to plans, I fall apart. There. I admit it. Rachel falls apart. I think I'm doing better than I used to regarding with "going with the flow", but still, it's not pretty. Yuck. Nothing like admitting your own insecurities like writing them out for the whole world to see.

You're probably wondering, "What in the WORLD does this have to do with blogging?" Or maybe you've stopped reading by now. I wouldn't blame you. I have a tendency to ramble... as I am right now. Oh, Lord, bless those who are still reading for being my true friends... or for being truly nosy. ;)

Okay, blogging. Focus, Rachel. Here's what you've been waiting for... drum roll, please. (If you are not doing a drum roll on your lap, please do not read ahead until you have perfected that delightful sound. Thank you.)

I am not a good blogger because there is simply not time to do it and do it well.

There it is. Pretty anticlimactic, huh? Really, it's true. When I do things, I like to do them completely and I like to do them WELL. Examples, you ask? Well, I can't just vacuum the kitchen floor and leave it be. If I'm going to vacuum, I'm going to Swiffer, and then I will decide that the Swiffer doesn't do the trick (really, it's not a great product), so I will get the rags and the bucket and my Method floor cleaner, and I will was the floor on hands and knees. If I start a project at school, I will not leave until it's finished. I have been known to call my poor and unsuspecting husband (who thinks he is in for a pleasant and quiet evening with his wife) screaming and crying about the fact that it is 7:00 and I am still at school because I have so much to do and if he knows whats good for him, he will open that box of macaroni and cheese and eat ONLY half of it so that I will have something to eat when I get home. Poor man. He didn't know what he was in for when he took those vows.

Have you ever read the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff? I am that mouse in it's truest form. I think Ty could vouch for that. I do identify with that poor mouse. One thing does lead to another and before you know it, POOF, you are doing way more than you thought you ever would. For the record, that's how sin works too, but I won't get on my soapbox just yet. :) I'm afraid blogging would be like that for me. At this point, I think I have two options.

1. Delete this blog and never even THINK of reentering the blogging universe again.


2. Use it as an opportunity for me to get over this insane obsession of doing everything "right" ALL the time.
   

I think I shall choose option number two, unless anyone (and by anyone, I mean Ty) is opposed to that. Blogging is too fun when I choose to do it. I will shoot for once a week, maybe more, depending on my busyness factor and whether I feel like it. I'm just here to tell ya, if E! News is on, I probably won't choose blogging instead of paying attention to the latest news about Madonna and Guy Ritchie's divorce (seriously, was anyone REALLY surprised?) or the Jolie-Pitt twins latest pics. (I do confess that I love celebrity gossip and I check People.com on a regular basis... call it a guilty pleasure). If a new issue of Real Simple or Everyday with Rachael Ray has just arrived, please don't expect me to put those down to write in this blog. I'm a busy girl and yes, I am also busy doing things I want to do. But... blogging is something I want to do. I will try to get better and I will try to be interesting... try being the operative word. I can promise you one thing, though...

I will not give Ms. Numeroff material for her next book, "When You Give a Girl a Blog".

Happy Rachel's Favorite Holiday!

I have slipped for the last few days and not updated. Sadly, my week off is over. I really have loved having five days of complete freedom! I got a lot done around my house, which was so nice. I am finishing off my tasks today. It will feel great to have a completely clean house!

On Thursday, I had a really lazy day. It was kind of a crummy day, so I didn't get to lay out in the sun. :( I laid around and didn't do much... it felt good, but it made me even more tired. I don't think I'll do that again for awhile. I did do laundry; at least I accomplished something positive! Ty came home and then headed over to Tom's shortly thereafter since I was headed to Bible Study. That is what's hard about Thursdays. I love, love, love my Bible Study, but he gets home and I have to leave very shortly after that. I am in a Bible Study with some friends from school called "Stepping Up: The Psalms of Ascent". Beth Moore wrote it and I am just a little obsessed with her studies. I just bought her new book on the apostle Paul and I am looking forward to this fall when I actually have time to go through and study it! However, the study that I am in right now is amazing. It's a detailed study of Psalms 130-143. These Psalms were designed to lead you up and out of whatever you might be going through. God has placed me in this study for a good reason, and I am enjoying all that I am getting out of it!!

Yesterday was the FOURTH OF JULY! You might not know this, but it is my favorite holiday. Tarah, no comments please. ;) I just love that it's smack in the middle of summer. I also love barbecue's and fireworks! It was great that T was able to be home yesterday. It gave us a nice long weekend. We spent the day together, played a few games of Disney Scene It (I won each game by a LARGE margin!), and went over to Robert and Viona's for a barbecue. We had a great time! She had some AMAZING appetizers that we munched on, we sat and talked for awhile, then went outside to grill. While Viona grilled, we talked and Tyler played "golf" with Wesley. They are two peas in a pod. It was very fun to watch. :) We had some awesome chicken, grilled veggies, bread, corn... you name it, we had it. It was great! Then, we enjoyed some Barefoot Contessa chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing that I made. I am proud to say that everything was indeed made from scratch. I was so proud of myself, and I think they turned out really well! We ended the evening with a few games of Sequence (one of our favorites) while Wesley tried to go to sleep on the couch. He was having a rough time because of all the fireworks, poor guy. He ended up getting up and saying over 30 memory verses to us before we left! This little boy is amazing and SO precious. I can't even stand how cute he is. Before he went to bed, he said to his dad, "Daddy, I am very concerned that Mr. Tyler and Miss Rachel aren't spending the night." Then, as we were leaving, he presented me with a plum and said, "Miss Rachel, I would be happy to offer you this plum. I would also be happy to offer myself a plum." Too cute! Here is a short video of Wesley telling us some of his Bible verses and then a few pictures of us decorating the cupcakes with red and blue sprinkles!

Today, I have cleaned the floors. It is not fun, but very neccesary. Tonight, we are going on a date night. We are going to Red Robin, to see Wall-E, then to Starbucks. I'm pretty excited. I hope you all enjoy your weekend. Happy 4th of July!!