I like to copy Erin,

Food: I eat way too much Halloween candy

School: Finished up in the ghetto, pictures to come. Sad.

Apt.: No more gnats. 

Weather: Getting colder, need a jacket in the mornings.

Football: Tech WINS! Ags LOSE!

Sports: I love football. Intramural football: 3-0 Intramural softball: 2-0 

Roommates: Tracy told me she hated me last night. She lies.

Job: OT lady called they want me to interview in December.

Boy: He likes the Cowboys...I'm annoyed.

Boys at Tech: Matt got drunk for the first time last night. David...well, And Corey, is taking some karate lesson or something. My friends are crazy.

Tech: Is going to kill A&M for the 4th time in a row since I have been attending this school. So sorry you aggies who thought you might win a game against Tech. 

Church: Learning about the disciples.

I'll write more later, I just wanted to be like Erin. 

Chaos

Do you ever feel so unorganized...not like your papers on your desk are out of order but your life? No really, I know you are laughing because you think I am never unorganized. But since becoming a student teacher I just feel like I am always doing ten things at once and my life has become unorgainzed. I know I told Erin and Chelsi I was going to try to be a little more unorganized just to try to live life on the edge...and its working but I'm about to go crazy. 

I teach in a room with a teacher who is not very orgainzed and it has taught me so much. I have learned things like, just because your room is not color coded and each odd and end isn't in its perfect place doesn't mean life won't go on. Life does go on. And its ok to not have everything alligned on a shelf. I have also learned that when I am not organized it is hard to be productive. For example, I was looking at a book the other morning while the kids were coming in to eat their breakfast and I had to set it down to do five other things at one time and when it came time to read the book it took me ten minutes to figure out what I had done with the book. Needless to say, I feel scatterbrained these days. I have become a pretty good multitasker though. Yesterday I was doing lunch count, helping Bryson find his toothbrush, get Tamara an extra copy of her homework, give Alexis a coloring sheet, find a pencil for a teacher who stopped in from the hall, give Steven a kleenex when he sneezed on me, send Issach to the bathroom because he lost his tooth...look for the tooth he lost, put the tooth in a baggie, and finish lunch count, all while making sure 19 kids were staying in the classroom and being quiet enough so that the principal wouldn't come out of her office and wonder if there was a circus going on. Like I said.

I sent off all my applications for OT school today. That was the last step. I'm afraid I might have forgot to dot an i somewhere in the process and they won't let me in...just another step in my life that I hope is in the right direction. 

I was so excited to read Schro's blog! I feel the same way these days. I look forward to waking up on Sundays. I enjoy going to my church here so much. I enjoy spending time in the word, and everyday I get to see how small I am in this BIG world and how BIG he is. I don't know how I lived the past few years without seeing Him in the small things in life. What I have found is that God encounters happen most when we're in the right place. So I don't know why it would be hard for me to stay there. The more I stay in the wonder of Jesus the more naturally God flows out of me. 

I think I am learning how to be more patient while teaching too. Last week, I had to be the teacher by myself again while my teacher was a sub. At some point in the morning the little black girl somehow stabbed Antonio in the head with her pencil, so Antonio has a hole in his head and its bleeding. Within a few minutes half the school knows...all because he walked down to the nurse's office. The next day the principal comes in during the science kit time. So in the science kit there are ping pong balls, steel balls, spoons, golf tees, and other assorted items that 6 year old boys should never be allowed to play with. When she came in I had boys teeing up ping pong balls and hitting them across the room with their spoons. It was MASS chaos. And for some reason it didn't seem to phase me. I have become used to flying objects, puncture wounds, snot, blood, throw up, soggy cerel, cafeteria food, tying shoes, buttoning pants, yelling, screaming, but somewhere in all of these things when those kids give me a hug, smile, laugh, draw me a picture, bring me candy, I am reminded to never let the stuff of this life narrow my vision of real life. And the good stuff is what real life is all about. 

Well there haven't been any Erin T weeks in my life since I last wrote a blog. Nothing just real exciting is happening in my life right now. Its kind of sad, but good at the same time. We won our first flag football game of the season last week. Is it weird that I find some of my most favorite moments in the middle of football games? Yeah your right...it is normal for me. The Steelers are playing right now and I told my first graders that I would give them extra credit if they watched the game tonight. I almost lost my patience with those 6 year olds today, but I held it together. Then I read something this afternoon that made me rethink the way I teach. It said, "Anytime you devalue people, you question God's creation of them." The worst thing I can do is devalue someone, not just 6 year olds but anyone. I probably devalue people way more than I should. 

I am going to start applying for OT schools at the end of this week and this weekend. All my stuff has to be sent in by Oct. 15. I am so nervous. And Schro was so right about all of us just being scared of the future. I want to apply to a few schools and see what happens. But what if I don't get into any of them? What if I get in to all of them? Do I want to stay in Lubbock? Move to Dallas? Are these even options? Should I waste my time and take 9 hrs. next semester and then find out I didn't get in to OT school? Why can't I just move to the lake and teach kids how to wakeboard and make millions? Life would be so simple. 

Oh and apparently the stock market crashed. So if I ask for money...its because that is where my family's money is...or isn't anymore. Haha. 

I am so excited that my friends want to plan a roadtrip for Christmas. I am so excited. Even if it is just to the windfarm....ok I am going to X the windfarm, it needs to be a little bit farther away. 

This morning on my way to school I was sitting at a red light and a girl pulls up next to me. The first thing I notice is she is drinking coffee. Then I noticed her windshield wipers were on high, and it was not raining. She continued drinking her coffee and eating her granola bar while her windshield wipers just kept going and going. I couldn't help but laugh. Then I thought about the conversations me and Missy have had about windshied wipers, and how I should call Shayla and tell her what was going on because she loves my stupid stories. And how if anyone in the world would be doing this I can see Erin just doing it to make someone laugh, and Schro doing it just because she forgot they were on...

My first graders continue to be pretty good entertainment most days. Tuesday morning we were short a sub in first grade so my teacher covered in a different room while I was THE teacher in first grade, with no lesson plans. Well except math, but that wouldn't keep them entertained from 8-2. We all survived. 

Thursday of last week the mayor of Lubbock announced the city was in a state of emergency because of the 7 inches of rain that had fallen since that morning. I was already finding trees and putting my plans together to build a boat. I figured two of each animal would show up if it continued to rain as much as it did. It made waking up in the morning and smelling rain very enjoyable though. Much better than the feedlot. 

Ryan came for a visit on Saturday afternoon and he met all my crazy friends and we went to the football game. It was good to see him, hangout, and prove to my friends that he did exist. He only stayed for the day and drove back that night. But thank goodness FAMILY PICTURES are this weekend, so excited, so I will be travelling to Amarillo. 

I am still working on consistently reading the Word. Last night I was stuck on the verse in Job that says, "Am I not enough?" And I realized He hasn't been enough for me in the past, probably not even right now, but that is what I want. I also read that the things of this world are like spiderwebs, we just get caught in them and they fall down, so do we. We get tangled in things that don't even last, that are so thin, and not worth trying to hang on to. I really enjoyed Schro's post about the simple things in life. Trust me, I am simple. I enjoy the smell of the air in the morning when the sun is just coming up. And watching the sun start to rise when I go to school. I also completely agree with the post Bick wrote about actually listening to songs or actually understanding what you are praying to or for. And Erin's graceful post. They all seem to be posted at a perfect time. 

Erin I watched the whole Cowboys game on Monday night and I realized once again how much I love football, even though it was the Cowboys. I saw a poll that ranked the Cowboys 1 and Steelers 2. Superbowl party anyone? 

Guns up.

Go Steelers.

Have a great rest of the week.  

Funny things that happened today:

1. Well since two of my first grade boys got in a fight Friday after school they spent today in ISS. 

2. I am teaching math this week.

3. One of the boys told me that Snoop Dog sold his sole to the devil.

4. Another boy told me his teeth were tickling...? 

5. We had hot dogs for lunch in the cafeteria.

I feel like I am part of a large family when I hang out with my friends. We have been having family dinners and sitting at the table. Recently we have been working puzzles together. I have taken over the blue recliner at Matt and Corey's house. Its my favorite place to be. I purchased a lamp from goodwill the other day and painted it black and put on a new shade for it. Good as new, and it sits next to my blue recliner. Life is good. Willie Parker scored 3 touchdowns and Big Ben had 2. Both of which are on my fantasy football team. I also had Green Bay's defense, which did not disappoint me. It does disappoint me that Chad Johnson changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco...retard. Tony Romo busted his chin open and Jessica Simpson asked him if it was wing sauce, isn't that right Erin? GOOOO STEEELLLERRRSSS!

God has continued to teach me new things everyday. Its probably because I am actually reading and retaining His word instead of looking over my highlighted verses. Don't act like you've never done that. It rained today and I made my first graders stand outside and smell the rain. And then I remembered someone told me that if God had a scent they thought he smelled like rain. I completely agree. God created recliners, football and rain for me, I just know it. Why he created Monday mornings, mesquitoes, or the Yankees I have yet to figure out. Hope everyone had a happy Monday!

Tying your shoes

So I am officially the student teacher in a class with 15 boys and 5 girls. Not a single white kid. Right in the heart of the ghetto of Lubbock. And for some reason...its perfect. I feel like I have been in the classroom with them for an entire year already. Today on my way to school I listened to the song on K-love that says, "I am every man." So when I showed up I kept thinking to myself. These are the faces of God. These kids are made in His image and no matter how obnoxious I feel they are being I have to remember they are God's creation and I need to show them God's love. Four or five of the kids in my class have a mom or dad that is currently in prison. The majority of them come from broken homes, have a number of brothers and sisters, don't get breakfast and sometimes don't get fed until breakfast at school the next morning. The part that gets me is they still show up and have a smile on their face. I continue to thank God for the opportunity he has blessed me with this semester. Yesterday morning I prayed that I would seek Him throughout the day and be patient and show His love to my students. After lunch my friend Steven was sitting on the carpet trying to tie his shoes for the 100th time that day. I sat down next to him and asked him if he wanted to learn how to tie his own shoes, and he did. So 30 min. later Steven tied his shoe for the first time. Oh MY GOSH! The look on his face and the excitement it brought not only to him but to me was awesome. He may not know how to write all of his letters in the alphabet but yesterday it didn't matter. All that mattered is he had been sucessful at something, and someone had taken the time to be patient with him and help him be successful. And that's all those kids need, is for someone to sit with them and give them attention for 10 min. of their day. Same with God. That's what I have decided. God wants us to just give him 10 min. of our busy day. He wants to sit with us and give us His attention, but he wants our attention as well. I read in Ps. 2 last night that if we ask Him he will give us the nations. What? Yeah, all we need to do is give Him some of our attention and think of the amazing things He has to offer. 

I have enjoying seeing God work in the little 6 year olds I have in my classroom. I have enjoyed seeing God in the small things in life. And nothing has made me as excited as I was yesterday when Steven tied his shoe. Nothing makes God more excited than when we spend time with Him. Just ask Him and He will give you the nations. 

Football Season!

What I've learned in the past two days. The last blog I talked about opening my eyes and seeing God today and spending time with Him. The next night I read in Isaiah 1:18 that "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." If that doesn't make ya nervous I don't know what else will. It is amazing what happens when I am obedient and stay in God's word. What is so cool about God's word is it meets us where we are. Wherever we are in life, that's where the bible meets us and that's exactly where God meets us too. At church today we sang Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, and after singing that hymn, we just kept singing open my eyes. What the heck? I guess its good to go to church and always feel like God is talking to you. So, in the past few days I've learned how forgiving God is to me and my selfish ways. I've learned that if I don't live for today, in the present, I might miss something Big. I've learned that it doesn't matter how long its been or how far away from God I feel, He is always there and he welcomes my praise, prayers, worries, and worship at any time. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

I also learned that Tech football needs to not get so many penalties in one football game, and I am so excited about football season this year. I hope everyone had a good first week and is having a good labor day weekend. I love getting comments from you guys and reading your new posts. I want to know what you've learned or what God is teaching you. So when you get a chance let me know. Miss you guys. Oh and p.s. Missy was at the Tech game yesterday and Dan was with her. I approve 100% so no worries. He's a great guy. Oh and we felt bad for the Aggies, a little bit anyway. 

Schro, hope Austin is good! 

Bick...what do you want for your birthday?

Shayla, post something new.

Erin, I miss New York and I hope you are feeling better!