about 3 and a half years ago, derek told me about an ad in the pioneer classifieds offering lab puppies for free.
this is how my love story with ninja began.
he was the biggest pup in the litter and rode curled up against my chest the whole way home.
i have loved him ever since.
fast forward to a few weeks ago… three and a half years later (and 80 more pounds) we have a dog who needed new knees. the first surgery was back in october. i won’t go into much detail… but, damn. it was a long healing process from that one. so when it came time to think about fixing the right knee i had my doubts.
four more months of recovery? four more months of trying to keep an otherwise active dog inactive?
i was leaning toward no.
but a few weeks back mother nature tricked us with a spring-like weekend. ninja was in heaven. he was outside all day… rolling, running, eating poop…
being a dog.
i was all excited thinking that his “bad” leg wasn’t even really that bad. he would be fine.
but the next day he could hardly walk on the right leg. and i figured that was my sign to schedule surgery.
we had the surgery planned for the time that we would be on vacation with the parents. it worked out nicely, actually. having (planned) extra care after the procedure this time.
with any good love story, i thought about him the whole time we were gone. it’s no lie when i say i had dreams about him giving me kisses.
(derek is cringing right now… but, i am not kidding!)
i freaking love that dog and could not wait to get him back home.
fast forward again to today.
ninja got to come home on tuesday and like good lovers would, we have spent the past 3 days on the couch, nuzzled in each others limbs.
i am convinced that my love missed me just as much.
his big 80 pound body has been either sitting/laying on me, drooling and snoring for hours on end.
and i wouldn’t have it any other way.
i adore this beast.

sometimes when i am leaving drake after class, i start to get really scared about walking to my car in the dark.
okay… not sometimes. all of the time. i am so scared of the dark, and i hate to even think about what might be hiding under (or inside!!!) of my car.
to control my fear during that walk i often find myself talking out loud in reassurance mode. i tell myself that it is okay if someone is under the car waiting to cut my achille’s tendon. it is okay if someone wants to then drag my limp body to a big white van (with no windows) and kidnap/kill me.
does this really happen? no. would i really be okay with someone cutting my ankles and kidnapping me? absolutely not. should i stop watching scary movies? yes.
its just that telling myself that bad things might happen just helps me realize that if something is going to happen, it is out of my control anyway, and most likely (since i am such a strong, brave woman) i will end up being fine.

a couple of weeks ago i noticed that my boobs were really hurting me. (i promise this story will come back around…) now, i have a pretty good sized pair of girls, so i thought maybe my bra was just not right, or something. but when i noticed the pain a few days later i decided that maybe it was something else.
when pain, rashes, mysterious lumps, etc. appear in my life i immediately turn to the all-knowing google. i mean seriously, we all know that the matronal goddess hiding away in new york determines what information the google relays back to us, so how could asking the google about my breast pain be a bad idea?
well the mother computer relayed (through her little bitch, the google) that i had two options relating to my boobs… either i had breast cancer or i was pregnant.
hmmm…. suck and suck.
the next morning i woke up panicked because i had a dream that i was pregnant.
okay. first the mother computer, then the google and now god. i was out of my mind to think that i wasn’t pregnant, who else is there to consult??
i did something that i have never done before. i went to the store to look for a pregnancy test. i have never bought a pregnancy test before… i have no idea where they are located, what the price might be or how many freaking choices one would have in the purchase! damn!
after i found them, right next to the tampons…. oh the irony, target. my heart was pounding, i was sure that everyone in the store was looking at me. i felt like a teenager trying to buy condoms or liquor. i had this overwhelming urge to shout at the people (who were obviously looking at me…) “what?! i am 26 years old! i am married, we can have sex! we could be pregnant if we wanted! that is allowed! i am married, dammit!”

on a side note: i have never felt the need to justify my marital status. shit, sometimes i can’t even call derek my husband, cause it just feels so fun to call him my boyfriend.

after what seemed like an eternity of scanning the front of the boxes (i clearly could not pick each one up and read the details on the back…) i decided on the most expensive. when in doubt, pay the most money, right?! that means it has to be the best and will no doubt, give me the answer that i am looking for…
well, then came the problem of the checkout line. even though i was quietly mumbling my age throughout the entire store and carrying the damn thing with my left hand (to naturally show my wedding ring) i felt the need to pick up a few other things so i would not have to pay for just ONE PREGNANCY TEST.
naturally i got a soda, PEOPLE magazine, and some carmex.
i suck at being nonchalant.

as i am standing in line, i go back to thinking about when i am walking to my car at drake. “it is okay if you get your achille’s tendon cut, it is okay if you get kidnapped, it is okay if you are pregnant.” wait a minute….

it is NOT okay that you are comparing being kidnapped/killed to being pregnant! sweet jesus, you are not ready for motherhood!
why does anyone put themselves through this agony on purpose?
i get home, take the test and wait the horrid three fucking minutes!!! are you kidding me? three minutes? for 13 dollars your little paper strip mind has to work faster than that. come on now!
no whammies, no whammies.

and then there was relief…. negative.

i promptly poured myself a glass of wine and began with the reassurance mode… “it’s okay that mother computer and her little sidekick, the google played this terrible trick on you. it’s okay…”

whoa… its been awhile.
my new year has long since started and things seem to be on a little better note than when the “year” ended.

in with the new.
i have a new job. and while it is true that i miss my kids that i worked with for the last 2 years, i have grown to love my new ones. i terribly miss the kids i used to work with. in fact, i went back to visit them during my fall break and my heart felt so good. (not to mention i felt like a celebrity!) they all looked so big and old… it was incredible. i loved seeing their faces.
don’t get me wrong, the new kids that i am working with are pretty incredible themselves… in fact, i love my new job. not only the kids, but my co-workers, and the entire population of families that i get to be involved with is something that i see myself doing for quite a good amount of time. i have the opportunity to work with some amazing programs, and i am so fortunate to be able to work where i do. it really is a good fit for me, and i am so excited to go to work every day.
speaking of fall break, my new school is an extended year school, so i teach from july to the end of may. i love this schedule! we started around july 18th, had a 3 week fall break at the end of september, have normal breaks around holiday time, have a longer spring break, and an extra break at the end of april. if someone told me that they would give me more summer back in return for fall break there would be no way that i would be up for the trade. not only is fall the best time of year to have a 3 week break, the break also happened to fall on the most important day of october….

my birthday.
this year my birthday was a little more relaxed than normal, but not any less celebrated. because i was on fall break, i was able to spend a little time in marion with my family. my mom was able to take some time off work so we could do some serious birthday shopping… love. a couple days before my actual birthday derek took me to my favorite restaurant in des moines, sage. we had a great meal, as always. on the actual sweet day of my birth, i was treated to a massage before we had a little birthday party at taki. i had a great time and am so thankful for the friends and family who were able to make it out. the rest of the month continued with various birthday celebrations, which of course i enjoy… no sense in cramming it all in on one day when we have the whole damn month to celebrate….

our anniversary.
this was another fun little celebration that derek and i enjoyed in october. we ended up between two different restaurants. (dessert is a serious thing in my life and if one place can’t offer what i want, don’t worry we will just go somewhere else.) we ended up having a really great evening (”fucking sweet” as described by my romantic husband). derek and i debated for a bit about what we could each other for gifts. we are not really “anniversary gift” people, but since this years gift to give (celebrating the 2nd year of marriage) is cotton i was trying to think of something funny to buy him. instead i got a little distracted with some other news and we decided to just get a couple of new knees….

for our dog.
well we knew that ninja had been having some hip issues for awhile, but we thought that the issues had been pretty well managed with a little diet and one ascriptin a day. but a few weeks ago when i was outside with him i realized that something else seemed wrong and he was having a terrible time getting around and putting any weight on his left leg. of course i was a wreck thinking about what had happened. fast forward through a long story and about 2 weeks later, we found out that he tore both of his knees (the ACL). we took him to ISU to get a consultation done with the vet hospital there and they clearly recommended surgery. luckily, my dad loves our dog as much (well maybe not AS much, but loves ME enough) to help pay for these new knees for ninja. the vet made it seem like a pretty simple surgery that would take a significant amount of healing time, but it definitely seemed like something that we could manage…. that i am still deciding on. we were able to pick him up and bring him back home this last sunday. but he ended up having 2 staples ripped (it is questionable that they weren’t ripped before we actually even left the hospital… fucking cyclones.) so we ended up having to take him back to the hospital that nite and that is where he still is staying. i am so sad to not have him at our house. it is terrible to not have him greet me at the door, sleep on my feet at nite, or wake me up with millions of kisses. hopefully he will be able to return home soon. if it gets much worse, i am not sure how easily i am going to be able to deal with this same surgery on the other knee in december. maybe he will get to leave the hospital the same day as our new family addition…

my nephew.
derek’s sister and her husband had their first baby on november 2. daniel christopher was born a toddler (close to 10 pounds!) but is doing well, as are bre’anna and chris. they are very excited to finally have him… i know this role as great parents is one they each were born to excel at. on the other hand, derek and i are trying to decide on a time to visit them… when the baby is not quite so fresh… you know sometime around his 14th birthday….

which i promise not to be the next time that i update this damn website.

I am feeling a little sentimental now.
This usually does happen to me around this time of year… my life never seems to run years from January to January, but instead the beginning of each New Year happens in late August and the end happens sometime around the beginning of June.
(Never mind the month of July that one is just for fun… one whole month of recovery and preparation.)
This happening is naturally because of the fact that I have lived the “School Year Life” since I was 5 years old. I remember being in 5th grade and signing yearbooks on the last day of school. We took photos of our crushes, and our favorite teachers. That is the first time I remember this sentimental feeling beginning in the dreaded season of summer. This feeling became a little intensified each year… with the end of 7th grade being especially emotional. It is comical to think back on now. But, damn. At the time, that day was so terrible. I don’t really know what the point of being so emotional was, I knew that things would change briefly but not indefinitely.
Fast forward to the end of my freshman year at Cornell… after my room had been packed, good byes had been said, and my parents were already on the road home with the majority of my stuff. I sat in the parking lot sobbing. Did I know that I would see most of these people again? Of course I did. But the change was so overwhelming for me.
A few years later Derek left college. A year later, graduation, and we all left Cornell.
Always happening at the end of my year…
But as it turns out, those celebrations of “out with the old year and in with the new” have not ended terribly. I have not completely lost anything. The important has stood the time and for the less important, there are good stories.
Again, fast forward to the end of my year now… a few things seem a little more permanent. I am leaving my first teaching job. My grandpa is leaving us.
The first of which, leaving my first teaching job, might seem less important… but actually has turned out to have a pretty significant emotional impact. Turns out, I am in love with my students, and I would love to find a way to keep them with me in each school setting that I was in from here on out.
The second of which, my grandpa dying, is not second by importance. It is second by my ability to process the event at this point in time.
Again, happening at the end of my year…
It is interesting to think that both of these things are happening around the same time. My grandpa would understand my sentimental approach to leaving my kids. A long time ago my dad told me that my grandpa knew I would be a good teacher because I reminded him of his mom who was also a school teacher. I hadn’t ever thought about what my grandpa’s thoughts of me being a teacher were, but I do remember thinking that was such a good thing for me to know.
I suppose there is some odd comfort for me in the timing of things at the end of this year.
Or maybe that is just easier to say…

awhile back I complied a list of “fun facts” about me… and apparently out of those 100 some facts, something about my father only got mentioned one time. although I am sure no one was counting… I thought it would be fun to come up with a list of 100 new things that I have learned from my dad…
So, here’s to a guy who always seems to teach a life lesson whether he comes right out and says it or not.

1. always be the bigger person
2. it is your civil duty to vote
3. no matter how bad the situation is, always be honest
4. it is okay to cry like a baby when your heart is broken
5. in fact, you are never too old to cry to your dad
6. lectures really are better than being spanked
7. although I apparently should have been spanked more as a kid
8. things may be rough with your spouse, but the vow of marriage is the most sacred of all
9. you don’t have to be “religious” to have thoughts about life after death
10. family traditions should always be held close to the heart
11. always keep a toothbrush in your car
12. good wine doesn’t have to cost a lot, it just has to taste good to you
13. family vacations should be taken as often as possible
14. sometimes you just have to do things you don’t like
15. to believe in myself unconditionally
16. be passionate about what I believe in
17. education is one of the most valued characteristics in society
18. it is okay to “make statements,” even though you might change your mind about that belief 5 years later
19. always keep a dictionary close, in case you need to “look it up.”
20. never stop believing in Santa
21. sometimes being too emotional can get in the way of logic
22. but, don’t lose touch of those emotions (see number 16)
23. fragranced candles, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, body spray, etc. is truly annoying to some people
24. food is an art
25. life should be enjoyed now
26. there is not a milestone that shouldn’t be acknowledged
27. black should not be worn to funerals, funerals should be a celebration instead
28. time spent with family should be a number one priority
29. chewing bubble gum on airplanes really does help
30. you are never too old to be a “daddy’s girl”
31. birthdays are a time to be truly spoiled
32. high school reunions are overrated
33. you can learn a plethora of new words if you read “Reader’s Digest”
34. people might not hire you because of the ring in your nose… that’s just the way the world works
35. while making homebrew, you should always be drinking a homebrew
36. being too skinny is not pretty
37. there can never be too many oatmeal pies in a cookie jar
38. you should always have a can of spinach in the cabinet
39. nice dress clothes should always be dry cleaned
40. when a good band is playing, the people are celebrating, and the drinks are flowing you should dance until your knees hurt
41. beautiful, expensive cars are not a high priority in life
42. good customer service is expected
43. always honk to say goodbye when you are leaving a visit with family or friends
44. its important to have a realistic outlook on life
45. money is only something we have here in this life… we can’t take it with us
46. passive aggressive is not the best way to handle things, but it can be very funny at times, and often “teaches a lesson”
47. you should buy a souvenir key chain from every city you visit
48. some things really are just better left unsaid
49. it is important to make time for a good book
50. knowing historical facts can be very powerful
51. most movies are worth watching at least once
52. thanksgiving dinner should be a huge production
53. you can get angry with someone and even yell at them, without ever loving them any less
54. starting the day with bacon, eggs, coffee, and the newspaper is very grown up
55. you might fail a few classes/tests along the way, but keep working and you will eventually walk across the stage
56. tequila should be shot… never sipped
57. it is okay to be a little bit conservative on some issues
58. keeping a plant for 35 years, naming it, and nursing it back from the pearly gates of heaven time after time is completely sane
59. if you have the recipe to a great homemade raspberry ice cream you should treasure it like gold
60. a dog really can be a great companion
61. if you truly love someone, engraving their initials in your parent’s basement is rational
62. your dad may love you, but if you end up in jail one nite, he will let you sleep there
63. too much make-up is not natural looking (“do you think anyone really believes that your eyes naturally have that thick black line around them?”)
64. corporate world is very different from the world in which teachers work
65. if the food is really that good, it is worth the price
66. it is not always a good idea to post every intimate detail of your life on the internet
67. going to the doctor should only be in limited instances, the world is filled with hypocandracts
68. Hillary Clinton should not be our next president
69. when faced with a dilemma, life is too short to be wasted deciding what to do… the answer is either, “shit or get off the pot”
70. there is always time for just one more drink
71. when leaving a visit with family, you should always determine when you are going to be visiting with them again
72. saving every boarding pass (even when you fly weekly) will provided for some great discussion one day
73. graciously accepting a compliment with a humble manner can be a very powerful statement of your character
74. celebrating life’s milestones (weddings, graduations, etc.) are only done once and should be done with that mentality
75. being truly open to your children’s lifestyle will create a meaningful relationship for a lifetime
76. Christmas shopping is done best on Christmas Eve
77. a hug is best when one person is lifted off the ground and squeezed so tight its possible breathing stops for a few seconds
78. speeding tickets are inevitable
79. your life story should be told… only after you die
80. a good family man works hard for the money that his wife and kids enjoy
81. everyone should ride a motorcycle at least once in their lifetime
82. money is meant to be earned and then spent
83. the “to-do” lists in life never really get completed… and that’s okay
84. discovering family history can be an overwhelming task, but is very important in keeping your roots
85. the fortunes found in fortune cookies are quite magical when a father reads them to his child
86. Iowa is the Hawkeye state
87. it does not matter what you are wearing when going to visit your baby brother in the hospital for the first time
88. driving with a flat tire, even if it is only for one block, should not be done
89. a good, dark beer can be drank all year long
90. sometimes you really do just have to learn things the hard way
91. although it isn’t a fun task, we all eventually need to take care of our parents someday
92. most things in life should be tried at least once
93. some of the best vacations can be taken in a beat up, “purple-people-eater” pick up truck, with just a tent and a cooler packed in the back
94. Minnesota really is a beautiful state
95. the saying “do as I say, not as I do/did” is very applicable
96. it is a good idea to indulge every now and then
97. the best cure when sick is to get lots of rest
98. a good story teller makes great conversation
99. there should always be peanuts at a baseball game
100. you do not have to have the career title of “teacher” to be a true educator in life.

a quick note about larry..
i did not get to see him (and derek did not catch a glimpse either..) he was promptly sent away to a pathologist to check his origin.
larry did not come from a cancer background.
he was accompanied by a few others, which remain in my neck (as a “bunch of grapes”), which also have no known cancer origin.
as for the doctors orders… keep an eye out for other lumps, but in the meantime no news is good news.

and as for the “habit of itching”… larry mysteriously took that along with him.
weird.

on a more serious note.. thanks to all for the concern. although i made jokes of the issue, it was apparently a little serious and i do appreciate you thinking about me.

so the other nite derek and I are chatting about blogs and how he wishes that everyone had one so he knew what was going on
in other people’s lives.
I responded with the idea that even though I have a blog does not mean I share everything on the internet for others to know about my life.
this obviously got derek riled up, stating that I do not blog unless there is something that I feel like I need to rant about…
hmm… well.. yeah. that’s pretty much true.
but people have his site to find out what is going on in our lives instead. so my rants are just the P.S. section to the events he makes sure internet stalkers know we have attended.
so immediately I wanted to come back and find all the posts I have written that do not include rants… just to make a point to him.
(remember I am an educator… educating the people..)
however, when I thought more about that, I decided that wasn’t going to be a fun job (and more likely would probably just prove his point more anyway..).
so instead, I started thinking about things that I could blog about. events happening that I could share with the four people who stumble upon this site. and while that task was a little fun, I immediately started thinking about a specific detail of those events that I could “rant” about.
call it pessimistic.
I think of it as adding a little humor to an otherwise shitty situation. although the actual situation is not going to get better, it’s possible that someone might laugh at the predicament while I am recounting the events.
(OASN: this might also have something to do with the fact that I admittedly exaggerate most stories…)
so… that brings me to my rant about doctors. (while updating you with my ever exciting life..)
this story starts around thanksgiving time when I visited my doctor for a few reasons.
1. I have a lump in my neck.
2. I have a rash that surrounds the lump and makes me feel like a dog with fleas.
3. I have had a headache for about 2 weeks.
not anything super serious, just a few annoying aliments.
hmm.. she responds with this:
1. there is a lump in your neck. it probably is nothing because it moves around a little.
2. there is a rash that must have started with something slightly irritating my skin, and now I must just be in the habit of itching my neck.
3. to cure headaches, I should take 2 advil twice a day.
really? well when is the lump going to just move right out of my neck? a “habit” of itching my neck? and does someone really come to the doctor about a headache without first trying tylenol?
alright.. so fast forward this situation a few weeks, and past a few new doctors appointments and a CT scan (all much better, I should mention).
I am now sitting in the office of an ear, nose and throat specialist, regarding the lump in my neck. (who is now know as larry, because he has apparently become a permanent fixture protruding from my neck area). the ent doctor says this exact quote without saying anything else to me:
“well with kids we would say this is a swollen lymph node and with adults we would say it is cancer. ha! there and now I have gone and said the word cancer.”
hmm… yeah, you actually said it twice. is there something else we should talk about, you untactful fuck?
(now, don’t get me wrong. I often times lack what is known as tact, and I call that honesty. which I can respect from another person. and this combined with the fact that I do not have thin skin.. “sticks and stones” is a daily motto for me. my feelings don’t often get too involved.. )
but honestly, no introductions? do you want to tell me that you have been doing this work for years, and have no wife or mother who has ever taught you about talking to other human beings, and you have just devoted your life to your work instead, ignoring all other social obligations? no other thoughts otherwise? just gonna throw cancer right out there?
so fast forward again to today. I have a surgery planned for thursday to remove larry and send him off to find his origin. and in the mean time the kind folks at mercy west called to get the rest of my medical history details determined. the second question that the ever so thoughtful man asks me, “do you have a living will or are you prepared for the death options related to surgery?”
whoa! right after he politely clarified my full name. at least the introduction was out on the table.. but jim, I don’t even know your middle initial!
and a living will? what? jim! it took me a year and half to have my name put on the house… a living will? don’t push derek and I into that type of commitment! and death options? what? I need you to check your records.. I am not having a triple bypass surgery.. just a little grape popped out of the neck region. death is not really in the plans for thursday… i don’t even have lesson plans made for tomorrow, let alone next monday! slow down here jim!
so. fast forward to right now. another ranting blog.
ha!
with a little insight into the daily life as well, I suppose. so there it is. I am having a little procedure in a few days. and I suppose I am a little concerned, not necessarily about the actual surgery (despite jim’s sweet attempt at the scare tactic!) but maybe just a little concerned about where I might find larry is actually from.
and that is what is going on in my life right now.
but how boring and un-funny are those three pathetic sentences without a little ranting spice added in?

alright.. i know that christmas is a time for family, being together, and something about a man named baby jesus..
(or teenage jesus, whatever you prefer..)
and really christmas presents, received or given, should not be the forefront of thought.. but honestly, i am pretty excited about some gifts this year. a few that i received, and a few pretty awesome ones that i gave. here is just a little highlight of the excitement.

favorite gift to give: a bright green teenage mutant ninja turtle hoodie to my brother, vic
favorite gift to buy: craftsman 10-inch portable table saw for derek
favorite gift to make: family picture coasters for mom
most sentimental gift to give: father-daughter dance wedding photo for dad

there were a few favorites of gifts that i received.. i apparently was a pretty good girl this year.

favorite gifts:
a beautiful necklace from derek (wrapped in my favorite blue box),
a laptop from santa (the lid even stays open on its own!),
a (guest) bedroom set from dad,
jeans that really fit from mom,
sushi sets from rhonda and mom (keep your fingers crossed that i can learn how to make it!),
gift cards! (nothing is better than ‘after-chirstmas’ sales).

i felt like a little kid again this year at christmas. what fun..
thank you all..

today i was planning for an IEP meeting to have after school.
actually it turned more into daydreaming about the IEP meeting.
never have i been more excited to have an IEP meeting. J has met his goals, and will have new goals set at grade level. he also will be exiting out of his behavior goal! J’s behavior has changed 100% since i first met him last august. i could not be more proud of his progress. he started out as one of my favorite students because of his naughtiness, and continues to be one of my favorites because of his desire to be a better person.
i knew his mom was going to be overwhelmed. she has always believed in J, and although she isnt around a lot, she is one of his biggest supporters. i couldnt wait to tell her this wonderful news about her son’s progress.
today i want to do nothing with my life besides teach children.
this is why i love my job…

before i could get too far into my daydream, my rosey thoughts were interrupted by a loud, “help! G is stuck! he will never get out! we need your help, mrs. brooks!”
sure enough, G had his head stuck between two wooden rods in the pavillion outside.

“mrs. bwooks! look! my head is stuck! haha! i cant get out! my head’s stuck! haha! isn’t that just nuts? haha! just cwazy!”

and i go right back to that place..
this is why i love my job!

One of the assignments I gave my students this week was to brainstorm some things they were thankful for, and why. (Naturally this is what an elementary teacher assigns that short week of Thanksgiving!) As they came up with some pretty creative ideas, including “Aunt Julie’s apple pie and the sweater that grandma made,” I was working on my own little list of things I am thankful for and I was reminded not forget the little things.
I am thankful for my health. Working with kids for so long has created this super immunity system in my body and allows me to never have to take a sick day.
I am thankful for Derek. The friendship I have known with him is unlike anything I have every experienced. I am grateful that I have his love, support, laughter, and awesome underwear-flicking abilities.
I am thankful for my family. I am so very lucky to have such a good relationship with both of my parents and my little brother. Although there are times when I wonder if I am not truly obsessed with them, beings how I talk to one of them at least once a day, I have come to realize it is a mutual obsession – and we are all okay with it.
I am thankful for my baby, Ninja. With his warm, 93 pound, body sleeping on my legs at nite, my feet are never cold. Also, the loyalty my dog shows me makes me feel like royalty. How can you not be thankful for a companion that loves you more than his own b-hole?
I am thankful for my wonderful friends. Because of them, I have many great memories (that often turn into ridiculous stories.) With these friends I am reminded that while time does continue to move forward – good friendships always last the distance and change.
I am thankful for food. Lord (and the poor waitress at Chilis) knows that I would be a sobbing wreck without it.
I am thankful for Derek’s family. Although I know they don’t always agree with me, (something about using the “F word” too much!) I am grateful that they have always accepted me and appreciated the love I have for their son/brother.
I am thankful for my education. (And so is Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation – I am providing their Christmas bonus checks this year!) As the psychology of a teacher continues to unfold, I realize more and more how much I love to learn, and I am very grateful that I have the time and ambition to continue.
I am thankful for my students. They continue to enlighten my life every day. I learn so much from each of them, I can’t imagine not doing my job. I mean honestly, who knew that you clean a desk with just a little pee on your shirt?

‘Tis the season for reflection.
Happy Thanksgiving.