More student stories...
1. For my unit on mysteries, the students are writing their own mystery stories. I told them that the story has to be two typed pages long. One student came up to me and said, "But I can't write that much!!" I put my hand on his shoulder and said, "Yes you can. I have faith in you." He turned and sulked away, whining to his friend "I HATE when they have faith in us!!"
2. A student asked me to marry him. I said no, that I am already married. He asked if I would just marry him as a joke, and I told him that I only marry people for real.
3. We had a tornado warning, and my students had to go in the hall and sit facing the walls. Lots of them were panicking. One girl stopped me as I was walking by and said, "Mrs. Webb, are we going to die??" I said, "No, Sara. Do you know how many tornado warnings I have been in? A LOT. And I have never died. Not even once." Her eyes turned hopeful, and she said, "Really?!" "Yes. Really. Not even one time." She was comforted after that, which was a little bit weird but I am glad that it worked.
4. During that same tornado warning, I was making my rounds walking up and down the halls to make sure the students stayed in their safe positions. I heard one student whisper to another, "How come we all sit here but the teachers are walking around?" The student next to her whispered seriously, "It is because they really care about students. They are going to die first in order to keep us safe."
5. One student decided to be snarky during the tornado warning, and he quizzed one of my fellow interns, "What if there is a fire in the building so we have to go outside, but there is a tornado coming so we have to stay inside, and then we try to go outside and find cover but there is a fire there too so we can't?" She seemed kind of flustered and didn't really know what to say, so I cut in with, "Then you die. It's game over, Josh. So you'd better hope that doesn't happen."
Students are so funny. That was the best tornado warning I have ever had in my life.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Stress, Sparkles, and a Splash
Yesterday was stressful. It was stressful for a variety of reasons, but the reasons don't really matter. The point is that I was STRESSED OUT. Rex wasn't home, so I was sitting in our apartment getting more and more stressed all by myself. I realized I was spiraling into panic, so I decided to get out of the house and clear my head so that I could refocus and get the things done that I needed to.
I started out driving without a really clear idea of where I was headed. I was just out for a drive. Ten minutes later, I magically found myself pulling into the parking lot of the local bridal shop. Why was I there? I'm still not really sure. I think I have a silk and sparkles radar, and a subconscious part of my brain hones in on those items. Whatever the reason, I found myself walking up to the store. Even as I was walking, the logical part of my brain was saying, "What are you doing here? What are you doing here?!? CHRISTINE - WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" I walked in anyway. The woman asked me what she could help me with, and without thinking I blurted out, "I am looking for a tiara." WHAT?! No I'm not! I think there is a part of my brain that is wired to seek out the most girly items in the world, and that part of my brain had somehow wired itself to my voicebox. Anyway, the woman asked me, "Oh, do you already have your dress?" "Yes!" the slightly psychotic part of my brain answered. "It is strapless, and covered in lace..." I went into great detail on my wedding dress (which I neglected to mention that I already used). She said it sounded pretty. And as for the date of my wedding? "May 21." I wasn't even lying - she didn't ask for the YEAR. At that point the logical part of my brain threw up its hands in disgust, as if to say, "You are completely hopeless." Then I proceeded to try on tiaras for absolutely no reason whatsoever. It was fun; reminiscent of playing dress-up when I was three. Even though I couldn't really figure out why I was there, it was fun and helped me to feel less stressed. I went home and counted the experience as a productive endeavor.
Later that night, I decided to take a bath. There are few things in the world more relaxing than a soothing bath. I got the water started and then went back to working on the things I needed to get done. When I anticipated that my bath was probably almost full, I went into the bathroom to check on it. What I found was our VERY curious kitty circling the tub, studying the water. She would pat the surface with her little paw, then jump back all startled when the water was wet. She kept walking around and around the tub, and I knew what was coming next (I'm sure you do too). One time she leaned a liiiiitle too far over (presumably to sniff or lick the water), and SPLASH!!!! The kitty was plunged into the hot water. Because she is so small and our tub is pretty big, she couldn't touch the bottom. She started flailing around like a drowning toddler (she has never been in water before), and she looked very scared. Poor thing! After her rescue, I felt kind of bad for not rescuing her from the edge before she fell in. But it was so funny! And plus, she had to learn that lesson anyway, right?! RIGHT?!?! Fine. I would be a bad mom. I know. Anyway, she looked hilarious with her usually fluffy fur all matted down against her drenched little body. Rex took care of her so that I could still have my bath (although there was kitty fur in it, so I still had to take a shower). He wrapped her in a towel and held her like a little baby Jesus from a nativity scene. She looked pretty angry, though I was confused if it was from falling in the water or from being treated like baby Jesus. Whatever the reason, the poor little kitty had a pretty stressful night. I'm trying to be extra nice to her today to help her de-stress. Perhaps I will take her to go try on tiaras.
I started out driving without a really clear idea of where I was headed. I was just out for a drive. Ten minutes later, I magically found myself pulling into the parking lot of the local bridal shop. Why was I there? I'm still not really sure. I think I have a silk and sparkles radar, and a subconscious part of my brain hones in on those items. Whatever the reason, I found myself walking up to the store. Even as I was walking, the logical part of my brain was saying, "What are you doing here? What are you doing here?!? CHRISTINE - WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" I walked in anyway. The woman asked me what she could help me with, and without thinking I blurted out, "I am looking for a tiara." WHAT?! No I'm not! I think there is a part of my brain that is wired to seek out the most girly items in the world, and that part of my brain had somehow wired itself to my voicebox. Anyway, the woman asked me, "Oh, do you already have your dress?" "Yes!" the slightly psychotic part of my brain answered. "It is strapless, and covered in lace..." I went into great detail on my wedding dress (which I neglected to mention that I already used). She said it sounded pretty. And as for the date of my wedding? "May 21." I wasn't even lying - she didn't ask for the YEAR. At that point the logical part of my brain threw up its hands in disgust, as if to say, "You are completely hopeless." Then I proceeded to try on tiaras for absolutely no reason whatsoever. It was fun; reminiscent of playing dress-up when I was three. Even though I couldn't really figure out why I was there, it was fun and helped me to feel less stressed. I went home and counted the experience as a productive endeavor.
Later that night, I decided to take a bath. There are few things in the world more relaxing than a soothing bath. I got the water started and then went back to working on the things I needed to get done. When I anticipated that my bath was probably almost full, I went into the bathroom to check on it. What I found was our VERY curious kitty circling the tub, studying the water. She would pat the surface with her little paw, then jump back all startled when the water was wet. She kept walking around and around the tub, and I knew what was coming next (I'm sure you do too). One time she leaned a liiiiitle too far over (presumably to sniff or lick the water), and SPLASH!!!! The kitty was plunged into the hot water. Because she is so small and our tub is pretty big, she couldn't touch the bottom. She started flailing around like a drowning toddler (she has never been in water before), and she looked very scared. Poor thing! After her rescue, I felt kind of bad for not rescuing her from the edge before she fell in. But it was so funny! And plus, she had to learn that lesson anyway, right?! RIGHT?!?! Fine. I would be a bad mom. I know. Anyway, she looked hilarious with her usually fluffy fur all matted down against her drenched little body. Rex took care of her so that I could still have my bath (although there was kitty fur in it, so I still had to take a shower). He wrapped her in a towel and held her like a little baby Jesus from a nativity scene. She looked pretty angry, though I was confused if it was from falling in the water or from being treated like baby Jesus. Whatever the reason, the poor little kitty had a pretty stressful night. I'm trying to be extra nice to her today to help her de-stress. Perhaps I will take her to go try on tiaras.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Cultural Differences
This week is a not very busy for Rex and I. He has no exams, and I have a short week due to parent teacher conferences. I also have no homework in my masters classes this week. Hooray! We decided to take advantage of this relaxation time and celebrate being halfway done with the semester. Obviously the best way to do that is with a pizza/pajama party.
We set our plans for "Old School Pajama Party Night" for Monday. I got done with conferences at 7, and we immediately went to Little Caesars to pick up our Hot N Ready. We deliberated over getting crazy bread. We were that annoying couple that says, "Do you want crazy bread?" "I don't know, do YOU want crazy bread?" "I don't care." "I don't either...". Finally the Little Caesars worker chimed in with, "Well, I think you should get the crazy bread." So we did. I think we both secretly wanted it anyway.
With our delicious meal in tow, we headed back to the apartment. We changed into our warmest pajamas and set up the pizza dinner on our bed (obviously pizza at a pajama party needs to be eaten in bed). We talked about our semesters so far and had an awesome time kicking off our pajama party.
Once dinner was over, things started to get complicated. I said, "Okay! Pizza was great - time to do other old school sleepover activities!" and Rex said, "Cool - what movie should we watch?" I explained that no, that is not what people do at sleepovers. His choices for activities were any combination of makeovers, telling secrets, and pillow fights. He told me that no, sleepover activities only consisted of combinations of video games and movies.
What we have here is a matter of cultural differences. Rex only ever went to boy sleepovers, and I only ever went to girl sleepovers. This whole boy/girl sleepover thing was not working out very well because we both had preconceived notions of what a sleepover should be. I asked Rex how boys could ever bond if all they did was play video games and watch movies, and he informed me that boys don't need to discuss their feelings in order to "bond." As a matter of fact, it is actually somewhere in guy code that discussing feelings at a sleepover (or really any other time) is off-limits. He asked me what is the point of doing make-up at sleepovers, because the sleepover attendees are just going to have to wash off the make-up anyway. I tried to explain that getting your beauty on is always fun even if you aren't going out, but I don't think he was understanding.
We came to a standoff. Neither one of us wanted to budge on our old school sleepover activities. Finally we came up with a brilliant compromise. Rex could pick a movie of his choice, and while we watched the movie I would give him a makeover. That is exactly what we did. He chose that we would watch Psych (which was really funny), and I did his make-up. He looked beautiful. I would post a picture here, but he wouldn't let me take any. :-( Let me tell you, though - Rex with sparkly smoky eyes looks GOOD.
It was a very successful sleepover party. The lesson here is about embracing cultural differences and understanding each other's backgrounds. Well, maybe I am stretching that lesson a bit. But the pizza/pajama party was really fun. :-)
We set our plans for "Old School Pajama Party Night" for Monday. I got done with conferences at 7, and we immediately went to Little Caesars to pick up our Hot N Ready. We deliberated over getting crazy bread. We were that annoying couple that says, "Do you want crazy bread?" "I don't know, do YOU want crazy bread?" "I don't care." "I don't either...". Finally the Little Caesars worker chimed in with, "Well, I think you should get the crazy bread." So we did. I think we both secretly wanted it anyway.
With our delicious meal in tow, we headed back to the apartment. We changed into our warmest pajamas and set up the pizza dinner on our bed (obviously pizza at a pajama party needs to be eaten in bed). We talked about our semesters so far and had an awesome time kicking off our pajama party.
Once dinner was over, things started to get complicated. I said, "Okay! Pizza was great - time to do other old school sleepover activities!" and Rex said, "Cool - what movie should we watch?" I explained that no, that is not what people do at sleepovers. His choices for activities were any combination of makeovers, telling secrets, and pillow fights. He told me that no, sleepover activities only consisted of combinations of video games and movies.
What we have here is a matter of cultural differences. Rex only ever went to boy sleepovers, and I only ever went to girl sleepovers. This whole boy/girl sleepover thing was not working out very well because we both had preconceived notions of what a sleepover should be. I asked Rex how boys could ever bond if all they did was play video games and watch movies, and he informed me that boys don't need to discuss their feelings in order to "bond." As a matter of fact, it is actually somewhere in guy code that discussing feelings at a sleepover (or really any other time) is off-limits. He asked me what is the point of doing make-up at sleepovers, because the sleepover attendees are just going to have to wash off the make-up anyway. I tried to explain that getting your beauty on is always fun even if you aren't going out, but I don't think he was understanding.
We came to a standoff. Neither one of us wanted to budge on our old school sleepover activities. Finally we came up with a brilliant compromise. Rex could pick a movie of his choice, and while we watched the movie I would give him a makeover. That is exactly what we did. He chose that we would watch Psych (which was really funny), and I did his make-up. He looked beautiful. I would post a picture here, but he wouldn't let me take any. :-( Let me tell you, though - Rex with sparkly smoky eyes looks GOOD.
It was a very successful sleepover party. The lesson here is about embracing cultural differences and understanding each other's backgrounds. Well, maybe I am stretching that lesson a bit. But the pizza/pajama party was really fun. :-)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tiffany's Surprise
I went back to Kalamazoo on Saturday to watch my sister Cara play in her volleyball tournament (she did great!). After the tournament, we went home and had a fun night of cooking and hanging out. While we were hanging out, Cara told me that she thinks her cat Tiffany is pregnant. My parents found Tiffany earlier this summer - she was an abandoned kitten found in the middle of the road. She has (obviously) been much happier living with my family. Anyway, they never got her fixed and Cara was telling me how she might be pregnant.
As I was petting Tiffany and asking her if she was pregnant (she wasn't telling me), I noticed something funny going on in the rear side of her. I said, "Um...Cara? I think Tiffany is actually a man cat..." Cara didn't believe me, but I clearly saw man parts on that cat. Plus, since I have a definitely female kitty, I know what a female cat's rear is supposed to look like. I asked why she had never noticed those parts before, and Cara said, "Oh, I noticed...I just thought it was a weird looking butt." Good job, kiddo. Way to know your biology.
Upon further feline genetaila googling, Cara came to agree with me that Tiffany is, in fact, male. Which means s/he is DEFINITELY not pregnant (sorry, Cara). We cuddled the poor gender confused cat and discussed new names, as "Tiffany" is decidedly female. Tiff was purring and wandering around in his pink sparkly collar and heart-shaped identification tag. The poor thing even has a pink fluffy sparkle bed to sleep in. It's not had a very macho life.
As Tiffany sauntered across the back of the couch where we were sitting, I looked at him and said, "Ha ha - you're actually a man!" and then Tiff jumped on my face. Seriously - he jumped RIGHT on my face. Cara said that he doesn't like being made fun of and was getting revenge on me for "outing" him as a male because he secretly liked his female identity and was mad that I blew his cover. Sorry, Tiffany.
In the end, Cara decided to leave the cat's name as "Tiffany" because he is already used to the name. Also, Cara really saw no point in buying a new bed or a new collar just because the cat "suddenly" has testicles, so now we have the Barbie world male cat named Tiffany.
Oh well - that's about as normal as everything else in my family.
As I was petting Tiffany and asking her if she was pregnant (she wasn't telling me), I noticed something funny going on in the rear side of her. I said, "Um...Cara? I think Tiffany is actually a man cat..." Cara didn't believe me, but I clearly saw man parts on that cat. Plus, since I have a definitely female kitty, I know what a female cat's rear is supposed to look like. I asked why she had never noticed those parts before, and Cara said, "Oh, I noticed...I just thought it was a weird looking butt." Good job, kiddo. Way to know your biology.
Upon further feline genetaila googling, Cara came to agree with me that Tiffany is, in fact, male. Which means s/he is DEFINITELY not pregnant (sorry, Cara). We cuddled the poor gender confused cat and discussed new names, as "Tiffany" is decidedly female. Tiff was purring and wandering around in his pink sparkly collar and heart-shaped identification tag. The poor thing even has a pink fluffy sparkle bed to sleep in. It's not had a very macho life.
As Tiffany sauntered across the back of the couch where we were sitting, I looked at him and said, "Ha ha - you're actually a man!" and then Tiff jumped on my face. Seriously - he jumped RIGHT on my face. Cara said that he doesn't like being made fun of and was getting revenge on me for "outing" him as a male because he secretly liked his female identity and was mad that I blew his cover. Sorry, Tiffany.
In the end, Cara decided to leave the cat's name as "Tiffany" because he is already used to the name. Also, Cara really saw no point in buying a new bed or a new collar just because the cat "suddenly" has testicles, so now we have the Barbie world male cat named Tiffany.
Oh well - that's about as normal as everything else in my family.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Teacher Stories
Students are funny - this is true. From kindergarten to college, students do funny and stupid things. I feel that in my sixth grade classroom, the thought "I have to blog about that!" runs through my head may times each day. Most of the time, though, I forget about the incident in the midst of trying to do the other five million things a teacher has to do. Here are a few of my favorites from the past week or so, though (names have been changed):
1. At recess I saw some students playing a game of four square. This is not weird. The weird part was that only two students were playing the four player game, and they were using a golf ball because they didn't have a four-square ball. Creative? Definitely. Effective? Not so much.
2. Sometimes students like to complain about subjects they don't like. I have one student in particular who likes to complain a lot, and he sits in the front row. Last week he said, "I hate math!" I looked shocked and appalled, pointed my finger at him and barked, "TAKE IT BACK!" He shrunk down into his seat and said, "I love math!" That was better. A few days later, he said, "I hate Spelling!" I said, "Ben, why do you gotta be such a hater?! Stop hating on stuff! BAD BEN!" Then I took the water bottle that we use to clean the overhead projector and squirted him with it. The whole class (including Ben) busted up laughing. I told them that it works to spray my kitten when she does something bad, so I figured it would work in the class. I would like to note that Ben has not said he hates anything since this incident...so I think it was effective.
3. I have two students who walk into class every day acting like Oompa Loompas. They bob their bodies up and down and walk together chanting weird things. I do not understand the appeal of this. They act totally normal outside of the ten seconds that they are walking into class. Odd.
4. I have a student who is going to be Luigi from Super Mario Brothers for Halloween. He brought in his green Luigi hat to show his fellow classmates, and one of them said, "DUDE!! This would be such a great clubbing hat!" He then put the hat on his head and proceeded to "bust a move." I don't know what kind of clubs sixth graders are going to, but if Luigi hats are common uniform then I simply MUST go check that out.
5. Joey walked into class today playing with a small, feminine looking ring. I said, "Hey Joey, cool ring - is it yours?" Another student said, "No! He has it because he loooooooooves Jenny!" I exclaimed, "Ooooh! Did Jenny give you the ring?" He shrugged and said, "No." I then asked, "Are you going to give her the ring?" He sighed dejectedly and said, "Probably not. I think she would just throw it at my head anyway." He sighed again, put the ring away, and trudged back to his seat. My heart broke a little.
6. Today I was playing with some students at recess when one of them said, "Mrs. Webb, I bet you miss being a kid, don't you?" I said, "Yeah, I do. I know! You be the teacher, and I'll be a sixth grader." She said okay. She looked like she was thinking very hard about something, and then she said, "You know, no one actually knows your name. So I guess even though you wouldn't be 'Mrs. Webb' anymore, we would all just call you 'Webb.'" I guess since I don't have a first name, that means I have to stay being the teacher. Oh, well.
I love sixth grade. I wish you could come visit my class - it's pretty great. I'm sure this blog will be peppered with more stories as the year goes on!
1. At recess I saw some students playing a game of four square. This is not weird. The weird part was that only two students were playing the four player game, and they were using a golf ball because they didn't have a four-square ball. Creative? Definitely. Effective? Not so much.
2. Sometimes students like to complain about subjects they don't like. I have one student in particular who likes to complain a lot, and he sits in the front row. Last week he said, "I hate math!" I looked shocked and appalled, pointed my finger at him and barked, "TAKE IT BACK!" He shrunk down into his seat and said, "I love math!" That was better. A few days later, he said, "I hate Spelling!" I said, "Ben, why do you gotta be such a hater?! Stop hating on stuff! BAD BEN!" Then I took the water bottle that we use to clean the overhead projector and squirted him with it. The whole class (including Ben) busted up laughing. I told them that it works to spray my kitten when she does something bad, so I figured it would work in the class. I would like to note that Ben has not said he hates anything since this incident...so I think it was effective.
3. I have two students who walk into class every day acting like Oompa Loompas. They bob their bodies up and down and walk together chanting weird things. I do not understand the appeal of this. They act totally normal outside of the ten seconds that they are walking into class. Odd.
4. I have a student who is going to be Luigi from Super Mario Brothers for Halloween. He brought in his green Luigi hat to show his fellow classmates, and one of them said, "DUDE!! This would be such a great clubbing hat!" He then put the hat on his head and proceeded to "bust a move." I don't know what kind of clubs sixth graders are going to, but if Luigi hats are common uniform then I simply MUST go check that out.
5. Joey walked into class today playing with a small, feminine looking ring. I said, "Hey Joey, cool ring - is it yours?" Another student said, "No! He has it because he loooooooooves Jenny!" I exclaimed, "Ooooh! Did Jenny give you the ring?" He shrugged and said, "No." I then asked, "Are you going to give her the ring?" He sighed dejectedly and said, "Probably not. I think she would just throw it at my head anyway." He sighed again, put the ring away, and trudged back to his seat. My heart broke a little.
6. Today I was playing with some students at recess when one of them said, "Mrs. Webb, I bet you miss being a kid, don't you?" I said, "Yeah, I do. I know! You be the teacher, and I'll be a sixth grader." She said okay. She looked like she was thinking very hard about something, and then she said, "You know, no one actually knows your name. So I guess even though you wouldn't be 'Mrs. Webb' anymore, we would all just call you 'Webb.'" I guess since I don't have a first name, that means I have to stay being the teacher. Oh, well.
I love sixth grade. I wish you could come visit my class - it's pretty great. I'm sure this blog will be peppered with more stories as the year goes on!
Texting
This post is going to be short, but this incident needs to be recorded.
I just texted my dad and said, "I love you :-)" because I have not talked to him in a while.
His text back reads: "Yo, back at chu shawti!"
If that was YOUR dad, you might think someone stole his phone and was messing with you. Because it is MY dad, though, I know that message is straight from his trendy, racially confused heart. I love him. :-)
I just texted my dad and said, "I love you :-)" because I have not talked to him in a while.
His text back reads: "Yo, back at chu shawti!"
If that was YOUR dad, you might think someone stole his phone and was messing with you. Because it is MY dad, though, I know that message is straight from his trendy, racially confused heart. I love him. :-)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Human Tornado
Saturday was tons of fun. Our family friend Melanie and her son Travis came up to visit Rex and I. We had a really fun day of hanging out and going to a local apple orchard. Travis is...ummm...crazy. He is five years old, but he has the energy of an entire kindergarten class of five year olds. I must highlight for you some of the examples of his craziness:
1. Within ten minutes of arriving, he broke two of Elsie's toys. They are repairable with duct tape, but still. He is like a little human tornado. He tried to body slam Elsie a few times, but she got away.
2. While he was wrestling with Rex, Mel and I were taking the opportunity to talk and catch up on things. All of a sudden we hear Travis say to Rex, "I am going to kick your ASS!!!!" Mel and I immediately tried not to laugh, but it was really hard. She said, "TRAVIS! You don't hear me talk like that, do you?!" to which he replied, "Yes I do!" If you knew Melanie, you would know the hilarity of this statement. I doubt she has ever said a swear word in her entire life.
3. When we were in the car to go to the apple orchard, I noticed that there were lots of brown stains on the ceiling in the back seat. I asked Travis, "what are those stains on the ceiling?" He replied as if I was SO dumb for not already knowing the answer, "Hot chocolate." If he would have known the word "duh" I bet he would have added it. Obviously it was hot chocolate. I should have known.
4. While at the apple orchard, Travis liked to go play in the kids section while Mel and I sat and talked (Rex, unfortunately, had to stay home to study for the GRE). One of Travis's favorite things to do was to ride the little kid tractors. One time we looked up, and some poor one year old had fallen into Travis's path. He was fervently trying to run over the baby with his tractor, and the baby looked very scared. Mel immediately screamed, "TRAVIS!! STOP TRYING TO RUN OVER THAT KID!" Mel and the baby's dad got to the scene at about the same time, and they both hurriedly pulled their kids off of the tractor track.
5. There was lots of caution tape at the orchard to block off lines where people could line up for the different attractions. I don't think that Travis can read since he is only five, but he must have thought that "Caution" actually meant "Rip me" because that is what he did to every strip of caution tape that we came across. I am telling you - human tornado.
6. One time as Mel and I were walking along chatting, Mel saw Travis tip over an orange cone. She turned and said, "Travis! Pick up that cone!" Then we looked...and as if we were in a movie, we suddenly saw that the entire row of orange cones had ALL been knocked down by Travis. We had to go back and pick them all up again.
7. Travis made a new friend while we waited in line for the train ride. This child was also five. They got along pretty well, until one point when Travis backed the kid into some bushes and wouldn't let him out. The friend said, "Hey! Let me out of here!!" and Mel and I made Travis let his prisoner go.
8. We went back to the kid tractors (probably a poor choice in retrospect), and Mel and I got to chatting again. When we looked up, Travis was BEATING his tractor with the steering wheel that he pulled off of it. Mel went up to him and said, "Honey, that one's broken." Travis replied with "Oh!" and promptly went to find another tractor. I guess he hadn't considered the fact that maybe beating a tractor with its own steering wheel would be ineffective in making it work.
Even though I have some crazy stories, Travis isn't 100% destructo-boy. He can be cute too. Case in point: when MSU won their football game against U of M Saturday night, Travis said, "Mommy, how many years until I can go to Michigan State??" Batten down the hatches, East Lansing. You have thirteen years until Travis arrives. :-)
1. Within ten minutes of arriving, he broke two of Elsie's toys. They are repairable with duct tape, but still. He is like a little human tornado. He tried to body slam Elsie a few times, but she got away.
2. While he was wrestling with Rex, Mel and I were taking the opportunity to talk and catch up on things. All of a sudden we hear Travis say to Rex, "I am going to kick your ASS!!!!" Mel and I immediately tried not to laugh, but it was really hard. She said, "TRAVIS! You don't hear me talk like that, do you?!" to which he replied, "Yes I do!" If you knew Melanie, you would know the hilarity of this statement. I doubt she has ever said a swear word in her entire life.
3. When we were in the car to go to the apple orchard, I noticed that there were lots of brown stains on the ceiling in the back seat. I asked Travis, "what are those stains on the ceiling?" He replied as if I was SO dumb for not already knowing the answer, "Hot chocolate." If he would have known the word "duh" I bet he would have added it. Obviously it was hot chocolate. I should have known.
4. While at the apple orchard, Travis liked to go play in the kids section while Mel and I sat and talked (Rex, unfortunately, had to stay home to study for the GRE). One of Travis's favorite things to do was to ride the little kid tractors. One time we looked up, and some poor one year old had fallen into Travis's path. He was fervently trying to run over the baby with his tractor, and the baby looked very scared. Mel immediately screamed, "TRAVIS!! STOP TRYING TO RUN OVER THAT KID!" Mel and the baby's dad got to the scene at about the same time, and they both hurriedly pulled their kids off of the tractor track.
5. There was lots of caution tape at the orchard to block off lines where people could line up for the different attractions. I don't think that Travis can read since he is only five, but he must have thought that "Caution" actually meant "Rip me" because that is what he did to every strip of caution tape that we came across. I am telling you - human tornado.
6. One time as Mel and I were walking along chatting, Mel saw Travis tip over an orange cone. She turned and said, "Travis! Pick up that cone!" Then we looked...and as if we were in a movie, we suddenly saw that the entire row of orange cones had ALL been knocked down by Travis. We had to go back and pick them all up again.
7. Travis made a new friend while we waited in line for the train ride. This child was also five. They got along pretty well, until one point when Travis backed the kid into some bushes and wouldn't let him out. The friend said, "Hey! Let me out of here!!" and Mel and I made Travis let his prisoner go.
8. We went back to the kid tractors (probably a poor choice in retrospect), and Mel and I got to chatting again. When we looked up, Travis was BEATING his tractor with the steering wheel that he pulled off of it. Mel went up to him and said, "Honey, that one's broken." Travis replied with "Oh!" and promptly went to find another tractor. I guess he hadn't considered the fact that maybe beating a tractor with its own steering wheel would be ineffective in making it work.
Even though I have some crazy stories, Travis isn't 100% destructo-boy. He can be cute too. Case in point: when MSU won their football game against U of M Saturday night, Travis said, "Mommy, how many years until I can go to Michigan State??" Batten down the hatches, East Lansing. You have thirteen years until Travis arrives. :-)
Pick me up at Pancheros
Rex and I had a fun date on Friday night. MSU gave away free tickets to the Spartan hockey game, so we met Rex's newly engaged cousin Drew and his fiancee Caitlin at the game to watch the Spartans lose to Canada. Before the game, though, Rex and I decided to grab dinner at Pancheros. Because we were running late, Rex decided to go park the car and instructed me to go order the food. No problem. So I walked in to order the food, and, well, um, I guess I'll just give you the dialogue. "C" is me, and "P" is "Panchero's guy"
P: Hi!
C: Hi!
P: What can I get for you?
C: What is this new "Barbacoa Burrito"? (pointing at a display)
P: What!? (looks at the display, panicked) I swear to God I have no idea what that is! I have never heard of it!
C: Um, okay. Then I will just order chicken. I know what that is.
P: Okay.
C: So I'll have a chicken burrito bowl with two side tortillas. (Rex and I always do this because when you order a burrito bowl they give you TONS of fillings, and then with two side tortillas we both end up with our own full burrito but we only have to pay for one! Anyway, I digress).
P: Two tortillas? TWO?? As in, "Uno, dos"? TWO? (holds up two fingers)
C: Um, yes.
P: Okay. What kind of beans?
C: Pinto, please.
P: (scoops out a HUGE scoop of black beans and brings them within an inch of the burrito)
C: WAIT! I said pinto beans!
P: (stops right before he dumps the beans, leers up at me mischievously) Ha ha! I know. (dumps the black beans back and gets pinto beans).
C: Thanks.
P: And you said chicken?
C: Yeah.
P: (makes an exaggerated scoop of nothing from an empty container) OOPS! No chicken! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! (then he goes to the back counter, gets more chicken, and heaps a generous portion in the bowl) And what kind of salsa would you like?
C: All of them, please.
P: WHAT?!? Every one? Like, ALL of them?
C: Yes, please.
P: Are you sure?
C: Yes.
P: 100% sure? REALLY sure? Like, final answer sure?
C: Uh, yes.
P: Okay. (puts tons of every kind of salsa on, and reaches for the sour cream)
C: Wait! I don't want sour cream!
P: You said every salsa!!
C: Sour cream is NOT salsa.
P: Yes it is!
C: It is not! It is too creamy to be salsa! (Here I really wanted to make some comment about, "And you call yourself a MEXICAN??" But I refrained.)
P: Fine. (finishes making my burrito, sans sour cream. Then we went to the checkout).
P: Anything else for you today?
C: No, thank you.
P: But you forgot something!!
C: What?
P: My number.
C: (awkward laugh). That's okay. I'll just take the burrito.
P: But really, do you want my number?
C: No thanks, but you do make a very good burrito!
P: Well, if you want, I will bring them over sometime. Just tell me where you live and I will bring them there.
C: No really, that's okay.
P: Well, I think you are really cute.
C: Erm, thanks... I hope you have a great night! (awkwardly take my burrito and go find Rex).
The thing is, even though he was creepy, Rex and I got the MOST burrito fillings we have ever gotten before. The bowl couldn't even have a lid because the fillings were spilling out. PLUS the guy undercharged me by fifty cents! So we decided I will always fly solo on ordering our burritos from now on. The Pancheros guy walked by a few times and saw me sitting with Rex, but he didn't say anything (Phew!). When we left, Rex said "Have a good night!" and I said "The burrito was delicious! Thanks!" Then, after Rex turned back around and before I did, the guy WINKED at me!!! The nerve! What a goofball. But what a good burrito. We will be back.
P: Hi!
C: Hi!
P: What can I get for you?
C: What is this new "Barbacoa Burrito"? (pointing at a display)
P: What!? (looks at the display, panicked) I swear to God I have no idea what that is! I have never heard of it!
C: Um, okay. Then I will just order chicken. I know what that is.
P: Okay.
C: So I'll have a chicken burrito bowl with two side tortillas. (Rex and I always do this because when you order a burrito bowl they give you TONS of fillings, and then with two side tortillas we both end up with our own full burrito but we only have to pay for one! Anyway, I digress).
P: Two tortillas? TWO?? As in, "Uno, dos"? TWO? (holds up two fingers)
C: Um, yes.
P: Okay. What kind of beans?
C: Pinto, please.
P: (scoops out a HUGE scoop of black beans and brings them within an inch of the burrito)
C: WAIT! I said pinto beans!
P: (stops right before he dumps the beans, leers up at me mischievously) Ha ha! I know. (dumps the black beans back and gets pinto beans).
C: Thanks.
P: And you said chicken?
C: Yeah.
P: (makes an exaggerated scoop of nothing from an empty container) OOPS! No chicken! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! (then he goes to the back counter, gets more chicken, and heaps a generous portion in the bowl) And what kind of salsa would you like?
C: All of them, please.
P: WHAT?!? Every one? Like, ALL of them?
C: Yes, please.
P: Are you sure?
C: Yes.
P: 100% sure? REALLY sure? Like, final answer sure?
C: Uh, yes.
P: Okay. (puts tons of every kind of salsa on, and reaches for the sour cream)
C: Wait! I don't want sour cream!
P: You said every salsa!!
C: Sour cream is NOT salsa.
P: Yes it is!
C: It is not! It is too creamy to be salsa! (Here I really wanted to make some comment about, "And you call yourself a MEXICAN??" But I refrained.)
P: Fine. (finishes making my burrito, sans sour cream. Then we went to the checkout).
P: Anything else for you today?
C: No, thank you.
P: But you forgot something!!
C: What?
P: My number.
C: (awkward laugh). That's okay. I'll just take the burrito.
P: But really, do you want my number?
C: No thanks, but you do make a very good burrito!
P: Well, if you want, I will bring them over sometime. Just tell me where you live and I will bring them there.
C: No really, that's okay.
P: Well, I think you are really cute.
C: Erm, thanks... I hope you have a great night! (awkwardly take my burrito and go find Rex).
The thing is, even though he was creepy, Rex and I got the MOST burrito fillings we have ever gotten before. The bowl couldn't even have a lid because the fillings were spilling out. PLUS the guy undercharged me by fifty cents! So we decided I will always fly solo on ordering our burritos from now on. The Pancheros guy walked by a few times and saw me sitting with Rex, but he didn't say anything (Phew!). When we left, Rex said "Have a good night!" and I said "The burrito was delicious! Thanks!" Then, after Rex turned back around and before I did, the guy WINKED at me!!! The nerve! What a goofball. But what a good burrito. We will be back.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Rice Sock
If you have read my previous post (titled "Fireball"), you know that Rex and I are freezing in our apartment and are trying to find alternate ways to keep warm so we don't have to turn on the heat and pay mucho $$$. "Fireball" was one example of why candles might not be the best idea. Luckily, Rex and I are creative and resourceful...or maybe just a little bit desperate.
This summer when I was at a craft show, a booth was selling little fabric pouches that were filled with rice. When you put them in the microwave they warm up, and then you can put them on aching muscles in order to soothe pain. WELL, Rex and I did not have enough money to buy one of these magic pouches, so we passed on them. I have recently been regretting that decision, though, because a heat pack would be very useful right about now. I have no aching muscles, but I have lots of cold parts that could use some heat.
Rex and I had a brilliant idea. We would make our OWN heat pack! Obviously rice isn't very expensive, and we actually had some in our cupboard already. We decided that sewing a fabric pouch was time consuming and too expensive (we would have to buy fabric and a sewing kit), so we hypothesized that a sock would work just fine. Well...new socks have not been in the budget since, um, well, since we got married. So pretty much, we needed a big sock for our project, and we used the best one we could find. I assume it was a clean, fresh white sock at some point in time...but now it isn't. It's more of a nasty gross dirty sock, even after it has been in the wash. You know the ones I mean - everyone has those socks. So we PACKED the sock with rice and tied off the top. Then the true test - we put it in the microwave.
Our experiment worked!! The sock came out warm and toasty (even if it was kind of smelly), and it stayed warm for hours! So now every night before we go to bed, we warm up the sock and put it in the bed first so that the bed will be warm for us when we get in. Then whoever is cold can lay on the rice sock or hold it like a really nasty gym sock teddy bear. We usually have a slight kicking fight once we're in bed to see who gets to wrap their chilly toes around the rice sock first, but I usually win on account of I am the wife and, as a general rule, wives win everything. ;-)
Last night was a particularly epic rice sock evening. Everything was going normally, and I was having a turn with the rice sock. All of a sudden, I heard Rex give his satisfied "Ah I am so toasty warm" sigh as HE rolled over onto the "rice sock." I turned over to look at him confusedly and immediately screamed, "THAT'S NOT THE RICE SOCK!! IT'S THE KITTEN!" He quickly got off of our kitten, and she glowered up at him as if to say, "Um. That was RUDE!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
After that, Rex had the brilliant idea that perhaps we should make another rice sock so that we don't have to take turns with one and accidentally roll over onto the kitten for warmth. I like this plan. Then he said maybe we should make TEN rice socks so we can fill our whole bed with them and then the whole bed will be toasty instead of just one spot. Who knows? We may have an entire gym class's worth of rice socks by the time this winter is over. But, no matter how it happens, WE WILL STAY WARM!!!
This summer when I was at a craft show, a booth was selling little fabric pouches that were filled with rice. When you put them in the microwave they warm up, and then you can put them on aching muscles in order to soothe pain. WELL, Rex and I did not have enough money to buy one of these magic pouches, so we passed on them. I have recently been regretting that decision, though, because a heat pack would be very useful right about now. I have no aching muscles, but I have lots of cold parts that could use some heat.
Rex and I had a brilliant idea. We would make our OWN heat pack! Obviously rice isn't very expensive, and we actually had some in our cupboard already. We decided that sewing a fabric pouch was time consuming and too expensive (we would have to buy fabric and a sewing kit), so we hypothesized that a sock would work just fine. Well...new socks have not been in the budget since, um, well, since we got married. So pretty much, we needed a big sock for our project, and we used the best one we could find. I assume it was a clean, fresh white sock at some point in time...but now it isn't. It's more of a nasty gross dirty sock, even after it has been in the wash. You know the ones I mean - everyone has those socks. So we PACKED the sock with rice and tied off the top. Then the true test - we put it in the microwave.
Our experiment worked!! The sock came out warm and toasty (even if it was kind of smelly), and it stayed warm for hours! So now every night before we go to bed, we warm up the sock and put it in the bed first so that the bed will be warm for us when we get in. Then whoever is cold can lay on the rice sock or hold it like a really nasty gym sock teddy bear. We usually have a slight kicking fight once we're in bed to see who gets to wrap their chilly toes around the rice sock first, but I usually win on account of I am the wife and, as a general rule, wives win everything. ;-)
Last night was a particularly epic rice sock evening. Everything was going normally, and I was having a turn with the rice sock. All of a sudden, I heard Rex give his satisfied "Ah I am so toasty warm" sigh as HE rolled over onto the "rice sock." I turned over to look at him confusedly and immediately screamed, "THAT'S NOT THE RICE SOCK!! IT'S THE KITTEN!" He quickly got off of our kitten, and she glowered up at him as if to say, "Um. That was RUDE!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
After that, Rex had the brilliant idea that perhaps we should make another rice sock so that we don't have to take turns with one and accidentally roll over onto the kitten for warmth. I like this plan. Then he said maybe we should make TEN rice socks so we can fill our whole bed with them and then the whole bed will be toasty instead of just one spot. Who knows? We may have an entire gym class's worth of rice socks by the time this winter is over. But, no matter how it happens, WE WILL STAY WARM!!!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Fireball
Since it has gotten colder, Rex and I have found a new love for candles. We light them almost every day and see it as a cheap way to heat up our house (which is completely bogus, probably.) I think it works psychosomatically, though, because when we light candles I suddenly feel warmer. Oh, and sometimes I warm my hands by them. I feel like a poor hobo when I do that, but oh well. We have not turned our heat on yet this year and are stubbornly competing to see who will "cave" first and turn the heat on. It could prove to be a very cold winter.
As I sit here with a fleece blanket wrapped around me for warmth (no lie), I am laughing at the memory of lighting the candles in our room yesterday. Rex lit the match, but just as he lit it, the match broke in half and the flamey half catapulted out of his reach. It landed on our carpeted floor. Rex yelled, "Oh crap!" and dove for it. I started busting up laughing. In retrospect, this fireball in our room could have caused some serious problems, but it was just too funny to see the match seemingly jump out of Rex's hand and to watch him dive after this tiny little flying flame. He stood up after retrieving the hazardous match with a look on his face that was half laughing and half horrified. He sputtered disbelievingly, "You LAUGHED?? I almost burnt the apartment down and you think that's hilarious??" Actually, I did think it was hilarious. All's well that ends well, right?
Everything turned out just fine - he got the match put out in time and pretty much all that came of the experience was a lot of laughing. It made me think, though, that maybe we should reconsider the cost of heat against the cost of replacing a carpet. Then again, maybe I'll just light the matches from now on, and we'll be fine. :-)
As I sit here with a fleece blanket wrapped around me for warmth (no lie), I am laughing at the memory of lighting the candles in our room yesterday. Rex lit the match, but just as he lit it, the match broke in half and the flamey half catapulted out of his reach. It landed on our carpeted floor. Rex yelled, "Oh crap!" and dove for it. I started busting up laughing. In retrospect, this fireball in our room could have caused some serious problems, but it was just too funny to see the match seemingly jump out of Rex's hand and to watch him dive after this tiny little flying flame. He stood up after retrieving the hazardous match with a look on his face that was half laughing and half horrified. He sputtered disbelievingly, "You LAUGHED?? I almost burnt the apartment down and you think that's hilarious??" Actually, I did think it was hilarious. All's well that ends well, right?
Everything turned out just fine - he got the match put out in time and pretty much all that came of the experience was a lot of laughing. It made me think, though, that maybe we should reconsider the cost of heat against the cost of replacing a carpet. Then again, maybe I'll just light the matches from now on, and we'll be fine. :-)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
New Church
Rex and I LOVE our church here in East Lansing (URC - University Reformed Church), but we knew that our normal pastor was not going to be speaking today. We decided to take this opportunity to visit another church because we have a few friends who go to other churches in the community, and we wanted to get a taste of what they do on Sunday mornings. I forgot how much fun it can be to visit different churches...and how many fun blogs that activity lends itself to.
A very popular church around here is called Riverview, and we decided to try that one. This church has two locations: one on campus and one while away in Holt. We decided to go to the campus service since we already know where that is.
Let me preface my description of this service by letting you know that Rex is VERY conservative and traditional in what he likes in a church service. Riverview, um, isn't. I don't really care either way, but Rex's reactions to everything in this service were pretty awesome.
First of all, we walked in and saw my friend Cidney talking to some people. She ran up and gave us huge hugs, which was fun. She also told us that she has changed her name to Alexandra now, which is weird. I don't think she was lying, though, because everyone at church was calling her "Alex" or "Alexandra." I can't do it. Her name is Cidney. That was too odd.
So Rex, "Alex," and I went to go sit down in the church service. The service was being held in a lecture hall, so we all sat in seats with desks and the ushers gave us pens and note paper so we could take notes on the sermon. Whoa. As we waited for the service to start, the band (which was AWESOME - guitars, drums, piano, violin, cello, and some I am probably forgetting) played songs by Coldplay and other contemporary secular artists. I'm not sure what that had to do with church, but it sounded pretty cool.
Once the service officially started, the "worship leader" (AKA lead singer in the band) invited us to stand for worship. Now, usually to me this means standing reverently by your chair and singing. At Riverview Campus Church, this means that everyone gets out of their seats, runs to the front, and crowds around the stage, sort of like a "Jesus Mosh Pit." Rex and I must have looked a little bewildered, because Cidney said, "Come on! We have to get a spot up front, or you will never be able to see the words!!" Then she grabbed my arm and literally pulled me through the crowd to the front of the mosh pit. Once the music started, disco lights went on and everyone started moving around and dancing as if we were in "Club Christian" or something. After the first song was over, the band started playing another one. As the intro was playing, I leaned over to Rex and yelled over the music, "This sounds like an intro to a Guns and Roses song." He agreed, and he KNOWS his classic rock, so I know I am not crazy in thinking that. The song that followed the intro was a hard rock song about death and heaven. I am pretty sure that if Guns and Roses was still making music, and if they were a Christian band, that would have been a song of theirs.
After a somewhat jarring worship experience, we headed back to our desks for the sermon. I was surprised to see that the pastor was projected onto a screen - he wasn't even really there! The cool part was that we were hearing the same message that the Holt location was hearing, but it felt weird to watch our pastor on a screen. The whole experience felt very technologically advanced.
Speaking of technologically advanced, the pastor spent the first four minutes of his sermon sitting on stage and dinking around on his ipad. We were starting to think that he didn't realize that he was being streamed live to our location. Four minutes is a REALLY long time to sit in uncomfortable silence. After the four minutes, though, he proceeded to give a very good sermon on impatience (get the ipad connection now? We were impatient with him to start his sermon. Clever, huh?). About halfway through the sermon, he did a "congregation poll" and had us text answers to him about a question. WHAT?? We were being TOLD to text in church??!! This is NOT what I am used to. Also, he referred to Jesus as "the Dude." I have never heard this before. I can picture the prayers in those Sunday School classrooms: "Lord, you are the Almighty. The Alpha and Omega. The King of Kings. The Dude."
All in all, it was a very modern service, which was weird for Rex and I. I am so glad we went, though, because it is fun to see the different ways that people worship. One way is not better than any other, because the attitude of worship is all that matters. It helped me to make sure that I am focused on the attitude and not caught up in the "church traditions" that I am accustomed to. To be thrown into a completely different atmosphere helps me to analyze why exactly I worship the way I do. I liked it. I'm glad so many of my friends love Riverview, but I am quite sure that Rex and I will once again be warming seats at URC next week.
A very popular church around here is called Riverview, and we decided to try that one. This church has two locations: one on campus and one while away in Holt. We decided to go to the campus service since we already know where that is.
Let me preface my description of this service by letting you know that Rex is VERY conservative and traditional in what he likes in a church service. Riverview, um, isn't. I don't really care either way, but Rex's reactions to everything in this service were pretty awesome.
First of all, we walked in and saw my friend Cidney talking to some people. She ran up and gave us huge hugs, which was fun. She also told us that she has changed her name to Alexandra now, which is weird. I don't think she was lying, though, because everyone at church was calling her "Alex" or "Alexandra." I can't do it. Her name is Cidney. That was too odd.
So Rex, "Alex," and I went to go sit down in the church service. The service was being held in a lecture hall, so we all sat in seats with desks and the ushers gave us pens and note paper so we could take notes on the sermon. Whoa. As we waited for the service to start, the band (which was AWESOME - guitars, drums, piano, violin, cello, and some I am probably forgetting) played songs by Coldplay and other contemporary secular artists. I'm not sure what that had to do with church, but it sounded pretty cool.
Once the service officially started, the "worship leader" (AKA lead singer in the band) invited us to stand for worship. Now, usually to me this means standing reverently by your chair and singing. At Riverview Campus Church, this means that everyone gets out of their seats, runs to the front, and crowds around the stage, sort of like a "Jesus Mosh Pit." Rex and I must have looked a little bewildered, because Cidney said, "Come on! We have to get a spot up front, or you will never be able to see the words!!" Then she grabbed my arm and literally pulled me through the crowd to the front of the mosh pit. Once the music started, disco lights went on and everyone started moving around and dancing as if we were in "Club Christian" or something. After the first song was over, the band started playing another one. As the intro was playing, I leaned over to Rex and yelled over the music, "This sounds like an intro to a Guns and Roses song." He agreed, and he KNOWS his classic rock, so I know I am not crazy in thinking that. The song that followed the intro was a hard rock song about death and heaven. I am pretty sure that if Guns and Roses was still making music, and if they were a Christian band, that would have been a song of theirs.
After a somewhat jarring worship experience, we headed back to our desks for the sermon. I was surprised to see that the pastor was projected onto a screen - he wasn't even really there! The cool part was that we were hearing the same message that the Holt location was hearing, but it felt weird to watch our pastor on a screen. The whole experience felt very technologically advanced.
Speaking of technologically advanced, the pastor spent the first four minutes of his sermon sitting on stage and dinking around on his ipad. We were starting to think that he didn't realize that he was being streamed live to our location. Four minutes is a REALLY long time to sit in uncomfortable silence. After the four minutes, though, he proceeded to give a very good sermon on impatience (get the ipad connection now? We were impatient with him to start his sermon. Clever, huh?). About halfway through the sermon, he did a "congregation poll" and had us text answers to him about a question. WHAT?? We were being TOLD to text in church??!! This is NOT what I am used to. Also, he referred to Jesus as "the Dude." I have never heard this before. I can picture the prayers in those Sunday School classrooms: "Lord, you are the Almighty. The Alpha and Omega. The King of Kings. The Dude."
All in all, it was a very modern service, which was weird for Rex and I. I am so glad we went, though, because it is fun to see the different ways that people worship. One way is not better than any other, because the attitude of worship is all that matters. It helped me to make sure that I am focused on the attitude and not caught up in the "church traditions" that I am accustomed to. To be thrown into a completely different atmosphere helps me to analyze why exactly I worship the way I do. I liked it. I'm glad so many of my friends love Riverview, but I am quite sure that Rex and I will once again be warming seats at URC next week.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Mama Bear
Rex and I just got back from watching his brother Jake (and the rest of the K-Christian football team) play Maple Valley. It was a fun game, and the team won 21-10. YAY Comets! What was interesting, though, is what I learned about myself at the game tonight: I am WAY too overprotective.
As a little back story, I have no brothers. I have one sister and I love her to death, but I have never had a little brother. When I married Rex, I sort of felt like I inherited brothers because he has two of them. Today at school when students asked if I was going to their homecoming game that night, I said, "No, I can't. I'm going to my little brother's game." I justified that to myself by saying that sixth graders wouldn't know what "brother-in-law" means and I didn't want to go through the trouble to explain it, but I think secretly I just liked saying that I have a little brother. Plus, they feel like my brothers anyway, so I think it counts.
Another piece of information you should know: Jacob (the football player and youngest brother) just started dating a new girlfriend named Stephanie. What I heard about her from Jake before they were dating was a bit sketch, but then she apparently "turned cool" and now they are dating. The only solid impression I have of her is from what Jake told me back when she was in the "non-cool" stage, so I think it makes sense that I am a bit skeptical.
On our way to the game we picked up another K-Christian grad, Lindsey, because her boyfriend helps out the JV team and she wanted to go see him. We don't know her very well, and I was looking forward to riding with her and getting to know her better. Well, after this trip, she probably thinks I am insane and will never ride with us again because I grilled her about this girl. I hadn't planned on it!! But while we were riding along I commented, "I wonder if Jake's girlfriend will be there?" Rex said that he didn't know, and Lindsey asked who his girlfriend is. I told her, and the following conversation ensued (this is bits and pieces paraphrased - I don't have THAT great of a memory!)
L: Oh! Stephanie's great.
C: Really? Awesome! I'm so glad to hear that.
L: Yeah. She is. Well, I mean, as long as she likes you. She liked me because we played softball together.
C: What if she doesn't like you?
L: Then she's pretty much really mean. Just stay on her good side.
C: How does someone do that?
L: I don't really know. She likes Jake, though, so she would probably like you.
C: I don't care if she likes ME. I'm just wondering if she's going to be nice to Jacob. Do you think she'd be a good girlfriend?
L: Ummm... (scary pause here) I guess we'll find out.
C: Oh, super. You sound so convinced. What are all the awesome things about her? I'm trying to like her here. Don't tell me any more bad things.
L: Ummm...(another scary pause here) She's good at sports!
C: Well, that makes sense on why Jake likes her then! What else?
L: Ummm...I don't really know. I'm sure there's stuff.
Great. I am SO reassured. So then I was already more skeptical, which is not good, and we arrived at the game. I scanned the bleachers looking for Stephanie, and I found her. I immediately noted the following things (my thoughts following those observations are in parentheses):
1. She was wearing his jersey (YAY! She is supportive)
2. She drove all the way to Maple Valley, which is about an hour away from home, to watch his game (YAY! She is dedicated!)
3. She was actually watching the game, which is more than can be said for a lot of high school girls (YAY! She cares about his sport!)
I happily relayed these observations to Rex, and he gave me a weird look that said, "Christine. Stop awkwardly stalking and analyzing Jake's girlfriend." So I tried to concentrate on the game.
The problem was, I couldn't fully concentrate on the game because EVERY time something happened that had anything to do with Jake I would have to glance at Stephanie. Here are some examples:
1. Jake made a nice play! (WHAT IS STEPHANIE DOING??? Okay. She looks proud. Good, that is acceptable.)
2. Jake got hit and now he is limping. (DOES STEPHANIE LOOK ADEQUATELY CONCERNED??? Well, she is wincing. I think that looks concerned. Okay. She passes that one.)
3. It started raining. (STEPHANIE PUT HER HOOD UP! Well, obviously that means...I mean...okay I really need to stop judging her because that one doesn't even make any sense. She probably just wants to stay dry.)
Seriously. It is a problem. His relationship is NONE of my business. Why do I care about it so much? When Rex and I went at half time to get concessions for his family, I saw Stephanie eating some snacks and called out "Hey Stephanie!" She came over.
S: Hi!
C: Hi! I hear you and Jake are "official" now. (DOES STEPHANIE LOOK ADEQUATELY HAPPY ABOUT THAT??? Oh, she's smiling. So I guess yes.)
S: Yeah, we are.
C: That's cool. Congratulations!
S: Yeah, thanks!
(semi-awkward silence in which her sister comes up to tell her that they are going back to the stands)
C: Well, just take care of him, okay?
S: Okay.
C: No but seriously, he is one of the most amazing guys in the world.
S: (somewhat laughing at my ridiculousness) Okay.
And then she walked away. I turned to Rex and said with a panicked look on my face, "I don't think she believes me! He really is! And what if she doesn't treat him that way?!" Rex told me that I was being ridiculous, and that Jake is 16 and can do whatever he wants. He'll be fine. Um, I KNOW that. I just can't seem to ACCEPT it.
I tried SUPER hard in the second half. I really did. But then, after the game was over, REX (yes, I am blaming this one on him) said, "Hey, did you hear what that girl over there just said?" No, I had not. "She said to that other girl, 'You had better tell Sam to tell her sister (who is Stephanie) that he is never even going to like her because she's a b***h and she thinks she's so cool...' and blah blah blah. Pretty much mean things. So THEN I was livid and said (a little too loudly, I must admit), "Oh she had BETTER not be talking about your brother, and she had BETTER not be talking smack about a girl his likes. I will lay down the SMACKDOWN!!!" to which Rex's mom said, "Who are you smacking down?" Oops. So I just said, "Nobody, because Rex heard them wrong. That is what I am telling myself." and I didn't tell her what they "said." But I was all of a sudden defending this random girlfriend who I know hardly anything about to Rex, saying, "She is NOT a b***h! She is cool! Jake likes her, and that means she has to be at least a little awesome! They should not be saying that! They go to K-Christian! How RUDE!" and various other things until Rex got too annoyed with my commentary and the fact that I don't even like her that much but was suddenly all defensive on behalf of Jacob.
On the way home, we were talking for a while when Lindsay asked, "Christine, do you have your own brother to worry about?" To which I responded, "No. So I have to worry about Rex's. Plus, their sister is in Boston so I am taking over the worrying about them for now. And, I have 16 years of worrying about him to make up for."
I am so concerned for my sister Cara...I can't imagine how crazy I'll be about her first boyfriend. I feel bad for her, and I also feel a little bad for the boyfriend. Ha ha...
Anyway, to Jake - I am sorry. I worry about you too much, and I know that. As Rex has said a million times: you are sixteen, you can do what you want, and you will be fine. I KNOW that. I really do. You don't need me to baby you and screen your girlfriends. I just love you and want you to be happy, and this is my twisted way of showing that. At least I have discovered this about myself now, and I can work on it. I've always got your back, though...probably more often than you want me to. :-)
As a little back story, I have no brothers. I have one sister and I love her to death, but I have never had a little brother. When I married Rex, I sort of felt like I inherited brothers because he has two of them. Today at school when students asked if I was going to their homecoming game that night, I said, "No, I can't. I'm going to my little brother's game." I justified that to myself by saying that sixth graders wouldn't know what "brother-in-law" means and I didn't want to go through the trouble to explain it, but I think secretly I just liked saying that I have a little brother. Plus, they feel like my brothers anyway, so I think it counts.
Another piece of information you should know: Jacob (the football player and youngest brother) just started dating a new girlfriend named Stephanie. What I heard about her from Jake before they were dating was a bit sketch, but then she apparently "turned cool" and now they are dating. The only solid impression I have of her is from what Jake told me back when she was in the "non-cool" stage, so I think it makes sense that I am a bit skeptical.
On our way to the game we picked up another K-Christian grad, Lindsey, because her boyfriend helps out the JV team and she wanted to go see him. We don't know her very well, and I was looking forward to riding with her and getting to know her better. Well, after this trip, she probably thinks I am insane and will never ride with us again because I grilled her about this girl. I hadn't planned on it!! But while we were riding along I commented, "I wonder if Jake's girlfriend will be there?" Rex said that he didn't know, and Lindsey asked who his girlfriend is. I told her, and the following conversation ensued (this is bits and pieces paraphrased - I don't have THAT great of a memory!)
L: Oh! Stephanie's great.
C: Really? Awesome! I'm so glad to hear that.
L: Yeah. She is. Well, I mean, as long as she likes you. She liked me because we played softball together.
C: What if she doesn't like you?
L: Then she's pretty much really mean. Just stay on her good side.
C: How does someone do that?
L: I don't really know. She likes Jake, though, so she would probably like you.
C: I don't care if she likes ME. I'm just wondering if she's going to be nice to Jacob. Do you think she'd be a good girlfriend?
L: Ummm... (scary pause here) I guess we'll find out.
C: Oh, super. You sound so convinced. What are all the awesome things about her? I'm trying to like her here. Don't tell me any more bad things.
L: Ummm...(another scary pause here) She's good at sports!
C: Well, that makes sense on why Jake likes her then! What else?
L: Ummm...I don't really know. I'm sure there's stuff.
Great. I am SO reassured. So then I was already more skeptical, which is not good, and we arrived at the game. I scanned the bleachers looking for Stephanie, and I found her. I immediately noted the following things (my thoughts following those observations are in parentheses):
1. She was wearing his jersey (YAY! She is supportive)
2. She drove all the way to Maple Valley, which is about an hour away from home, to watch his game (YAY! She is dedicated!)
3. She was actually watching the game, which is more than can be said for a lot of high school girls (YAY! She cares about his sport!)
I happily relayed these observations to Rex, and he gave me a weird look that said, "Christine. Stop awkwardly stalking and analyzing Jake's girlfriend." So I tried to concentrate on the game.
The problem was, I couldn't fully concentrate on the game because EVERY time something happened that had anything to do with Jake I would have to glance at Stephanie. Here are some examples:
1. Jake made a nice play! (WHAT IS STEPHANIE DOING??? Okay. She looks proud. Good, that is acceptable.)
2. Jake got hit and now he is limping. (DOES STEPHANIE LOOK ADEQUATELY CONCERNED??? Well, she is wincing. I think that looks concerned. Okay. She passes that one.)
3. It started raining. (STEPHANIE PUT HER HOOD UP! Well, obviously that means...I mean...okay I really need to stop judging her because that one doesn't even make any sense. She probably just wants to stay dry.)
Seriously. It is a problem. His relationship is NONE of my business. Why do I care about it so much? When Rex and I went at half time to get concessions for his family, I saw Stephanie eating some snacks and called out "Hey Stephanie!" She came over.
S: Hi!
C: Hi! I hear you and Jake are "official" now. (DOES STEPHANIE LOOK ADEQUATELY HAPPY ABOUT THAT??? Oh, she's smiling. So I guess yes.)
S: Yeah, we are.
C: That's cool. Congratulations!
S: Yeah, thanks!
(semi-awkward silence in which her sister comes up to tell her that they are going back to the stands)
C: Well, just take care of him, okay?
S: Okay.
C: No but seriously, he is one of the most amazing guys in the world.
S: (somewhat laughing at my ridiculousness) Okay.
And then she walked away. I turned to Rex and said with a panicked look on my face, "I don't think she believes me! He really is! And what if she doesn't treat him that way?!" Rex told me that I was being ridiculous, and that Jake is 16 and can do whatever he wants. He'll be fine. Um, I KNOW that. I just can't seem to ACCEPT it.
I tried SUPER hard in the second half. I really did. But then, after the game was over, REX (yes, I am blaming this one on him) said, "Hey, did you hear what that girl over there just said?" No, I had not. "She said to that other girl, 'You had better tell Sam to tell her sister (who is Stephanie) that he is never even going to like her because she's a b***h and she thinks she's so cool...' and blah blah blah. Pretty much mean things. So THEN I was livid and said (a little too loudly, I must admit), "Oh she had BETTER not be talking about your brother, and she had BETTER not be talking smack about a girl his likes. I will lay down the SMACKDOWN!!!" to which Rex's mom said, "Who are you smacking down?" Oops. So I just said, "Nobody, because Rex heard them wrong. That is what I am telling myself." and I didn't tell her what they "said." But I was all of a sudden defending this random girlfriend who I know hardly anything about to Rex, saying, "She is NOT a b***h! She is cool! Jake likes her, and that means she has to be at least a little awesome! They should not be saying that! They go to K-Christian! How RUDE!" and various other things until Rex got too annoyed with my commentary and the fact that I don't even like her that much but was suddenly all defensive on behalf of Jacob.
On the way home, we were talking for a while when Lindsay asked, "Christine, do you have your own brother to worry about?" To which I responded, "No. So I have to worry about Rex's. Plus, their sister is in Boston so I am taking over the worrying about them for now. And, I have 16 years of worrying about him to make up for."
I am so concerned for my sister Cara...I can't imagine how crazy I'll be about her first boyfriend. I feel bad for her, and I also feel a little bad for the boyfriend. Ha ha...
Anyway, to Jake - I am sorry. I worry about you too much, and I know that. As Rex has said a million times: you are sixteen, you can do what you want, and you will be fine. I KNOW that. I really do. You don't need me to baby you and screen your girlfriends. I just love you and want you to be happy, and this is my twisted way of showing that. At least I have discovered this about myself now, and I can work on it. I've always got your back, though...probably more often than you want me to. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)