Saturday love.

Based on the title of this post, you think that this post is going to contain the story of an incredibly romantic love that has developed between me and Prince Charming. Ha! I have fooled you! Read on... It is no secret that Saturday is my favorite day of all. It is when I can (and do) sleep in until whenever I feel like it, make some coffee, eat breakfast on the couch whilst catching up on the week's televsion shows (The Colbert Report, anyone?), and basically ease my way into the day. Yes, I set all these lofty goals during the week of "things I will most definitely do on Saturday," that sometimes actually happen. Like today, for instance...my goal was to get to school and A)Grade movie projects that my kiddos presented this week, B)Create final exams that I am giving on TUESDAY, C)Organize my classroom so I can find the exam I gave last year and copy it D)Give each desk a good clean - who knows what germs have been lurking on those surfaces where 120 students reside each week. Gross. This week I realized once again that I work with some fantastic people. One time this week I got into a conversation about my deep love affair with coffee, and suggested that a Starbucks should be placed strategically outside my classroom windows with a "Teachers Only" sign on it. Just then one of my co-workers said to me, "Allison, I have a french press in my classroom. That means, you can stop by at any time and get free coffee - if you have about 10 minutes to spare. I am serious." Yesterday, I had my first taste of his delicious french press coffee. Wowza. I mean - this stuff is legit. Said co-worker can drink the stuff straight up black, where as I was putting creamer in it until I could sip it without shaking. :) During lunch yesterday, I got to chat with an English teacher and the librarian about student projects, classic teaching mistakes (mine, not theirs), literature, the fact that Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde are the same person (I did not know that until yesterday....), Jane Eyre, and how reading books is so utterly important for our students! It was exciting...and made me want to check out all the classics - but I realized I had lunch duty at that very same moment...so I was off to supervise the lunch line. :) As if I did not spend enough time at school with students and co-workers, I attended 3, count them, 3 basketball games yesterday. A girl after my dad's own heart, I say. I teach so many kiddos that play basketball, I just had to take the opportunity to go to a few home games. I took a quick break in the middle (sorry, varsity girls...but I don't have any of you in class right now!), and had a quick dinner at home before heading back to watch the riveting boy's varsity game. Ooooh buddy. That was a good one. Fast, intense, physical, and....unfortunately we didn't win, but it sure was fun to watch! By the way, the day before we were off for Christmas break, a dad of one of the students on campus who likes to take pictures at every event possible came to my classroom and asked if he could snap one of me and my 3rd period kiddos. "Of course!" said I, the proud and loving teacher. Here is that picture...now an icon on facebook pages worldwide (or maybe just on the WCHS facebook page...)

Quick story: the other day I woke up and was in a lot of pain (maybe you know this already, but I have RA, and currently am waiting to be seen by a Rhuematologist...i.e. I am not really on medication at the moment), so the only thing I could do was get on my knees (then quickly decided to just sit on my bed because my knees were hurting) and tell Jesus, "I cannot make it through this day. I am in so much pain, and I have no idea how to fix it. I just want to crawl back into bed. Please help!" Thankfully teaching 120 kiddos helps me take the focus off of MYSELF for 8 hours a day. Plus I re-read one of my all time favorite memorized passages in Matthew 11 - that says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." AH....thank you, Jesus. I am so weary!!! Then I got a recommendation from a good pal to help ease my pain. Epsom Salt. Ever heard of this stuff? Yeah, I have too, but never really knew what it was all about. Turns out, if you take a hot bath with Epsom Salt, it will help to ease your aches and pains. WHAT? I have now taken 3 baths with the stuff, and it seriously helps! Genius! Thank you, Whitney, for the recommendation. I am lovin' it. Well, this Saturday "to do" list is not going to conquer itself...until next time!