Sunglasses Always Fit

i feel like im in an experiment to discover how much snot the human body can produce. or how much tea the human body can consume in one day. the sweet nectar of dayquil and nyquil are taking me back to childhood memories. there are some very distinct childhood memories associated with medicine; the smell of Vicks vapor rub, and that pink medicine that tasted like bubble gum and had to be kept in the fridge. I think that was for ear infections? I used to be jealous when my sister got to have it.

Anyway, I stayed home from work today. My fitbit says that after a two hour nap after work, I slept 11 hours last night, had a three hour nap today. I still feel and sound like death warmed up and am moments away from shoving tampons up my nose for convenience, but the sad reality of teaching is that no matter how sick you are, it’s less work to just go in and teach through it than it is to take adequate time off.

It’s been a rough start to the year in a number of ways. I should have guessed that real life would feel like a bit of let down after the Olympics. And it’s been terribly cold. And I’m in a walking boot for my foot. And work is . . . well. I’ve said this before, here I say it again – write things down. I write things down because I won’t remember otherwise. For better or for worse. If this blog has no significance at all, it does something for me: it records the sunshine and the rain, the trends, the pain, the joy, every moment and place and person worth mentioning that makes my life what it is.

Sometimes I’m prompted to go back and just remember. Remember the hard times I’ve lived through, remember the good reasons for carrying on, look back and in hindsight see God’s hand in it all. So I attempt that again here! If you look for the good, you will surely find it. Here’s some moments:

• The other day, several high school girls were screaming in the lobby. Turns out a student had knocked her tooth out on computer. And it happens to be a student that things just happen to, so her mom was in disbelief, and we were all laughing, because it was funny. But I finally got to capitalize on my ongoing lesson to the high schoolers that technology is dangerous.
• In the first grade class, a South African referring to a picture of a vacuum as a hair dryer for carpets.
• I quizzed my 8th graders on Bible facts and a student listed Jesus as the author of the New Testament.
• They also thought the Bible was first written in English.
• They also are so squirrelly that I had to make this poster just to visually remind them how ridiculous they are.
• Same class, when filling out a KWL chart about the differences between Judaism and Christianity, found a student describing followers of Judaism as “they wear black robes and curly hair, smash glass and say Mazel Tov a lot.”

• 

  I have been reliving the wonder and joy and mystery that is moving to Rio for the first time vis a vis my roomie, who came home from a run after having seen capybaras for the first time, slammed the door, yelling “RACHEL. GET OUT HERE. AND EXPLAIN. WHAT THE HECK DID I JUST SEE?”

• love notes written on the board for me from my students where I am a princess and we are BFFs.
• the teacher’s version of the “weekend report” – which is kids running up to you on Monday morning to show their new haircut, or talk about how late so-and-so’s parents let them stay up at their sleepover, or demand you feel the latest wiggly tooth.

• 

  roomie and i pretending to twerk in the elevator and then jamming the elevator and immediately having to decide which corner we would use to pee in in case no one came to rescue us anytime soon.

• the fun that is taking uber, now that i have a cell phone, and talking to all kinds of guys and practicing my portuguese
• the brief flash of fun that was joining tinder….. and yes, the word ‘brief’ is purposeful. yikes. back-pedaling quickly out of that one. more on that later.
• having a nice dinner out with friends, eating outside under a gorgeous tree in a new black dress that I had never worn before and actually felt good in, when a bird shat directly into my lap.
• at snack shack the other day i let second graders dip pieces of popcorn into things and feed it to me. 10/10 a bad idea but it was sure fun. i tip my hat to popcorn and frosting. that was innovative.

• 

  although I have hated it, wearing a walking boot as my stress fracture slowly heals has made me slow down and think more and read more. sway in the hammock on rainy afternoons more. I’ve read The Butterfly Garden, Yellow Crocus, The Scavenger’s Daughters, and The Library of Souls. I love books.

• my surrogate niece Jossy has been even more into makeup lately and comes into my classrooms to give me makeover sessions quite regularly. I expect a boyfriend any minute now.

• 

  the church plant I’ve been attending and sometimes help lead worship at is good. it’s just cute and good. full of people who have great wisdom and love Jesus.

• I think I have officially learned how to cook chicken in an oven. We didn’t have one for a year and a half, but now that we do, I am like master chef. Roomie and I have perfect relationship because I make all the foods, and she likes to clean. I’ve been experimenting with different dishes and we go through an alarming amount of cheese when I am lactose intolerant, but it is nice to sit and eat a hot dinner together at our wee table and chat about the day. I’ve made things with zucchini, beets, dill, and other things I couldn’t have identified in a line up just a few years ago when I was in my chicken nugget only lifestyle.
• My ELD students are cute. There is something so precious about a child who barely knows you wanting to hold your hand on the short walk from their class to yours, and needing a hug every time they see you in the hallway.
• My jokes have been ON POINT lately, no matter what my colleagues say. For example, What did the number 0 say to the number 8??             NICE BELT. lollllllls

If you haven’t heard it lately, and you need to, I would swipe right on you.

And to end, I present the greatest music video of all time to ever feature a goat: