"Epic Awesomeness"

So Girl#1 grades Girl #2's quiz. Girl #2 gets 100%. Girl#1 writes "Epic Awesomeness" at the top of the sheet. Wonder how Girl#2 is going to ever top that!

The Rain

From a former student's facebook page:

"The rain, it raineth on the just
And also on the unjust fella,
But chiefly on the just, because
The unjust steals the just's umbrella."

We have had huge rain all day, expected to continue through tomorrow. Possibly as many as 4 inches. The first rain in six weeks!

GREAT EXPECTATIONS part 3

Today we were reading aloud chapter 50 of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, where Pip puts together in his mind the parentage of Estella. The three or four best readers in the room all looked up at me expectantly. I said "Now, several of you should be starting to figure this out." One by one I could see realization hitting the various seniors. One girl wrinkled her forehead and said "I don't get it." Then she realized which character was Estella's father. "OHHHHH!" she said as we all laughed.

I love an "ah-hah!" moment in class.

Yes, this was the way to teach GREAT EXPECTATIONS this year.

My Kiddos

Taken last Friday after chapel. Cheering for the same team! (one as a member, one as a cheerleader.)

Super-Easy Mexican Dip

Today I stopped in the seniors' calculus class, held in the school/church conference room right outside the school office so that their teacher (the administrator) is available if needed. Since it's the conference room, and they're seniors taking a difficult class, he lets them bring food from time to time - and they do. I stopped in today to ask the boss a question, and they offered me a taste of their Mexican dip and Tostitos.

I asked for the recipe, and it's really, really easy. I've made Mexican dip recipes in the past that had about a dozen layers and lots to do. So this was impressively simple:

MEXICAN DIP

16 oz. sour cream
16 oz. cream cheese
1 pkg. taco seasoning
cheese, chopped tomatoes, green peppers, or anything else you like.

Mix the first three, put in a 13x9 Pyrex pan, and sprinkle the cheese and extras on the top! Very good. (It ought to be with all that sour cream and cream cheese. But lower-fat options could be used.)

Seeing God's Hand of Protection

Today around 4:00, our assistant pastor and his wife, good friends of ours, were relaxing in their home when they heard a couple of loud "pops" outside. He went to check, ran back in and told his wife, "Call the fire department and start getting things out of the house." The engine in their SUV had blown and the car was on fire. Only the quick action of their neighbors, getting hoses over to the house as quickly as possible, kept the damage minimal. The car is a total loss, and the siding on the garage front, as well as the garage door, melted off.

It could have been so, so much worse. The house is not affected, although it would have been soon as the wood over the garage would have been the next to be ignited. Both of their children are fine, although there was a brief scare when they couldn't locate their son at first. It didn't happen while the family was in the car, which they would have been about an hour and a half later. We saw the car, and it is very apparent what a tragedy it would have been had they been inside.

God's hand of protection was on them even with the terrifying circumstances of this experience.

Skull and Crossbones

My dear friend is one of those very discerning, very intelligent women - a Bible teacher (and other subjects also) comparable to none - yet she is prone to doing things that make people wonder from time to time.

I'd better be careful, remembering many of the DUMB things I've done.

Recently she bought a new pair of sunglasses. Not having her reading glasses with her, she just grabbed a pair that fit nicely and bought them. She noticed some bling at the temple but didn't think anything about it.

A few days later she was riding home from a funeral with another lady, who, with a little awkwardness, kept looking at the temple of her sunglasses. Finally the lady ventured forth,

"Did you know your sunglasses have a skull and crossbones on them?"

Yes, that's my friend - wonderful Bible teacher, wearer of skull and crossbones.

I own a mini-screwdriver. I brought the glasses home with me and have removed the offensive symbol. But those who know her still wonder about her a little bit.

What Happens on a Friday Afternoon in Class

So I'm teaching physical science to 9th graders, last period, right after PE. Never boring, always a challenge, sometimes I wonder what in the world I'm trying to accomplish. There's something about the level of concrete thinking that isn't quite there, at least last period of the day.

Anyway, I'm teaching about solids, liquids, gases, and show a picture of an iceberg in the power point - "Here's a large mass of water in what state?" And several responded, immediately, "Alaska."

Labor Day Misc.

It's Labor Day weekend - I should have made a blog post on here at some point over the weekend, and even have an idea trolling in my mind about an educational method I just read about. However - thoughts have been disjointed. So,

- I got all the big things done this three-day weekend. (What about having a three-day every weekend? I could stay on top of things with that!) I got some curtains stitched for ML's dorm room - and that with the sewing machine broken. Every stitch done by hand. I got a lot of work done for Bible class and feel better about being on top of that. I got 3 sets of science tests graded, laundry caught up, some rest.

- Went to Staples today for several things, among which was White-Out. Got home, got out the two-bottle pack - and I had bought buff, not white. Sometimes I simply cannot get things done right, once and for all, the first time.

- Ginger is gone. We think she ran off Saturday, when there was a lot of dove and squirrel shooting going on around here. Guns could be heard all day. She does not like that, and she probably ran off scared. However, she's older than she used to be. . .it might be harder for her to find her way home. I am concerned for her. Even though there would be less work without her around, I don't want it to end this way.

- I should have had people over this weekend - but I craved being alone in the house and just "thinking." Hard to find the balance there.

- I hope to get centered about the school year soon. My administrator has gotten some help for me, which is good. I have really felt overwhelmed, with 2 new preps as well as the old things. The Bible class has been the big thing. It is a fearsome thing to handle the Word of God before impressionable freshman and sophomore girls, and I recognize the responsibility of it. It's one thing to do a less-than-stellar job in a science class (not good, but nevertheless. . .), but not to do well in a Bible class could affect some girls' impressions of the Bible for a long time to come. I have to do the best job there.

- Speaking of school - I need to go to bed to be able to get up and do a good job tomorrow.

My Daughter and Her Sweet Friends

My daughter has always had a special relationship with her 4th grade teacher, Mrs. McDonald. She has loved Mrs. McD dearly, and Mrs. McD has loved her just as much. And, just like most children, Mrs. McD's kids think that ML hung the moon! Last week, before time to go back to school, ML got to go out to have lunch and spend some time with them, and this is a sweet picture of her and the three children. (The boy is getting ready for Halloween.) I love this picture.