PE Take 2

Just a few highlights from my days in PE... I imagine there will be plenty more where these came from...

A few of my favorite parent and doctor notes:

3) Please excuse "Jonny" from PE he hurt his toe and can not participate in physical activity.

The best part about this was not that he had a note for a hurt toe but that the conversation that ensued after..

Me: So Jonny you hurt your toe huh?
Jonny: Yeah, I bumped it pretty bad yesterday
Me: So you can't run or walk anywhere?
Jonny: nooo, not at all
Me: How have you been getting to and from class? You have people carry you or something?
Jonny: Wellll, I have to walk, buuuuut it's pretty tough.
Me: Of course it is. Have a seat.

2) "Janey" is having menstruation problems please excuse her from uncomfortable activities

ummmm way to be too specific and vague in the same sentence. This note was uncomfortable for me, so am I excused?

and the best note (that was not actually given to me but I wish it had been)

1) Please excuse "Jimmy" from PE he was up late last night because our dog was having puppies.

Really? ok.

Thank you parents for helping me understand that P.E doesn't actually stand for Physical Education but Parental Excuses.

Where to Begin.

Swirly. Perfect definition of life right now. I have to give credit to the brilliant Baxter responsible for that word and all that it encompasses (shout out to Gretchen).

Last week was amazing, insane, and unreal. Friday was my last day at Citrus Hills Intermediate (shout out to all my classes, even you 7th period). After three short months I will never look at PE the same again. You could spend 10 years preparing, attain every credential in the world and still not be prepared for what actually awaits you once you step into the classroom. Any teachers out there, especially the newbies, I'm sure just like me learned this the hard way.

It was a roller coaster of a disaster mostly, within the first month I was sure I never wanted to teach again, ever. It was nothing like I had imagined it would be in my naive little brain. The kids wanted nothing to do with PE, school, or me. Mix in 250 hundred or so riled up, smelly, confused adolescents a few aggressive parents and a handful of crazy teachers and hello career change!

Fortunately, it did get better. I was extremely blessed to have some very supportive veteran teachers help guide the way, of course this was only after they shared plenty of laughs at my expense, and had realized that- the class who shall not be named- had managed to send me into tears. Yeah, that first month was a.lot.of.fun.

August and September were pretty amazing, the heat was unbearable but it did provide me with a justifiable excuse as to why I still did not have my act completely together. We spent a lot time playing class vs. class games, water games, and by the end of our time together even 7th period had joined in on the "Kretzu!Kretzu!Kretzu!" chants. I will miss them all.

It was pretty amazing to see kids progress, attitudes adjust, and even teach them a thing or two along the way. I leave there confident, that if nothing else they all know how to throw a baseball, what the components of fitness are, and that the key to tug-o-war is just like the song says, "get low, low, low, low."

Stay tuned for more adventures from PE, which will include highlights from the coaches' office, and other segments such as:

-parent/doctor notes

-they said what?

-teacher v teacher

-you'll be fine

As always: Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours.

Weekend Update.

The cliff note version of the last 4 days. Thursday night I arrive in Des Moines at 1145 pm and see my boo for the first time in a month, words can not describe how nervous I was. Seriously, I tried to explain it to someone and got two words into it before realizing nothing I said could come close to describing the plethora of emotions I was experiencing.
Friday: Drove around looking at houses- most of which were amazing. Had to remind Chris that we don't actually have to buy a 7 bedroom house just because we can. Dinner with some new friends (chris' boyfriend Isaac)
Hit up the farmers market, a few goodies found there so far include peach cobbler muffins, and the best peaches I've probably ever had. Mix in a lot of old buildings, amazing tree covered neighborhoods, finding Bananas' mate, and more trees and Saturday was a blasty blast. Sunday of course blew the lid off of everything beginning with the amazing spread of deliciousness greeting you at Gateway Church to the sound of a couple hundred people singing out oh praise him. Launch party later day, in it what is probably the coolest house....ever. Just in case you ever wondered what a pool would look like in the middle of a forest, well now you know. Monday night surprise after missing my flight- walked around this little beauty at sunset and spent the rest of the evening on hot date (dinner, movie, and Alf) don't hate. After an assortment of missed, cancelled, and re-routed flights I made it back to Cali.

Now currently listening to my roomies live it up down stairs, it feels good to be a gangster.

Just What I needed.

This weekend was just what I needed, on so many levels. It had been almost 30 days since the last time I saw my husband, and almost two months since I had been in Des Moines. Somewhere in between that time I lost something, obviously my husband temporarily, but along with that I got sucked into my tiny little world of selfishness all over again. It wasn't hard to let happen, I was so consumed with trying to stay busy, and avoid the reality of what life is actually like living 1700 miles away from your spouse that I completely filled my days and nights in efforts to distract and exhaust myself to the point that I could go home and literally fall straight to bed. Every activity was centered on me, me staying busy, me seeing friends, me having fun, me getting to do all of the things I wanted to. Not that any of those things are bad, and I will continue to spend as much time as I can with friends and family these last few weeks, but so much of my time was focused on meeting my needs that instead of making me feel better it at times made me feel worse. I wasn't doing anything to meet the needs of others, because I was too focused on taking care of my own.

Then this weekend happened. Not only did I get to spend 4.5 glorious days with Chris but I was also able to be there first hand to experience the reason why we said yes to leaving everything we know and love behind in the first place. I was reminded of the amazing things we are going to get to do for God's kingdom in that city, reminded that God has called us with a purpose and a plan and I am now, more than ever, ready to hit the ground running. To be the change, to meet the needs, to "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly."