Currently Listening The Reminder By Feist see related

Shaking things up

Wait five minutes...

So, I am finding out that even though you move 5 hours away from your previous residence, you can never move out of the weather pattern. We are still in the midwest weather belt, which lives by the motto: "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." My complaint is: I liked the weather! Why did it change anyway? Anyone else experiencing really weird personal associations with the people of "The Day After Tomorrow"? It was 70 yesterday, and today it started out at 40 at 8:00 AM, and dropped to 20 by 4:00 PM. Oh, and the freezing rain just started, and they are calling for 4-6" snow tonight. What happened to 70 degree weather?!?!?!? But, I suppose that this is the excitement that I can recall later for our children. You gotta have some good stories to tell, don't you?

We have been working diligently to keep ourselves afloat money-wise. Since the move, it has been a little tight, and the winter heating bills are not helping. Maybe that is why I am so upset about the 70 weather leaving us in the cold...    I can't wait for spring to come so we can spend our money on other things.

We have lots of home improvement projects on the docket when the weather permits. We have had two basement-leaking fiascoes so far, 2 weeks back to back. We will be digging ditches and putting gravel in and landscaping around the house so our foundation will stop leaking... hopefully. Ah, the joys of home-ownership.

We are looking forward to presenting "The Curious Savage" at Nokomis High School in April. I just hope we can get everything done by then. The kids are doing great, I am so proud of them.

I am off to look for some unsuspecting chocolate to devour... damn you midwest weather...

PICTURES!

Currently Reading A House Like a Lotus By Madeleine L'Engle see related

Grow Up

I know, I know. I promised pictures. It turns out that we just got the study more organized, so I feel more at ease taking pictures of it. So, I will be posting soon. Just have to find the time to do it... maybe Monday...

Keep Ben in your prayers. He has been having another IBS episode. It started early Friday morning, and got so bad during the day that he had me come in a take over his last class for the day (Btw, if you didn't know, I'm subbing for the Nokomis disrict). He is mostly fine now, but he has some pangs. I'm concerned about him, but thank goodness we haven't had to go to the hospital. We don't even have a general pracationer yet. So, just pray for him and his recovery, so that he will be well by Monday to get back to school.

I was walking back from the grocery store yesterday and I was pondering adulthood. When I turned 16, I believed that I was old enough to make my own decisions and be responsible for myself. I learned that I was not as capable of being so independent, and learned that being with my family was best.

When I turned 18, I was legally considered an adult. I graduated from High School, got accepted to a college, and moved away to go to school. I was going to be independent and become an adult. I then saw all the other students older and more independent than me. I thought that all the things I needed for responsibility, independence, and ultimately freedom were just waiting for me. All of the things that I needed were so far away, and seemed so unattainable.

At 21, I had given up on trying to be a grown up. I suppose I was a little disillusioned with the world, and I wasn't very sure if I wanted to be a part of it. I also felt that I wasn't cut out for the whole independence and responsibility thing. But my family had moved on, and they accepted that I was now  free from them. They continued their life, and expected me to fly. I realized that there was no turning back.

At 22, I graduated college, got married, bought a car, got a fulltime job, and moved into an apartment. Wether I was ready for it or not, adulthood was upon me. I had to answer for what happened to me and to my family. I looked at the other adults in my world. How could they handle this with such cool calculation? It seems as though I would never get to the point where I wouldn't freak out everytime there was a minor/major crisis.

Now, I am 25 with a mortgage, a newer car, and a husband that (finally) has a teaching position. I have to pay bills, and use credit cards, and scrip and save when the bank account is getting low. There is no safety net like I had when I was a child. If something goes wrong, I have to take care of it.

I saw a gentleman walk out of his house while I was carrying my groceries home. I compared my appearance to his. I was longhaired, jeans and sweatshirt clad, your typical college style. He had on a pullover and loafers with impeccable jeans. I started wondering: does your style preference change with your age? When I'm 35, will I prefer more skirts and slacks to my jeans and sweatshirt and tees?

As I neared my house, I realized: I don't feel like an adult at all. That house is ours, well ours/banks, but we are "owners" not renters anymore. We have to fix our house when it breaks.

I now sit in classes and look at students that are 14-17 and realize how there is such a tiny-large gap between us. They are only 11-8 years younger than me, but they look at me as though I'm an adult, as though I've arrived. I have a husband, a home, I should be settling down. But I feel more unsettled than anything.

We have to Several of our married friends have had a baby in the last 4-5 months. I don't know if I can do that. I don't feel like I'm responsible enough, or independent enough to be having a child of my own.

I just don't know if I can swing this adult thing. I now look back and savor my youth, full of play and wonder and... childhood. I suppose we all have to grow up sometime.

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Resurfacing, again

Hello, again.

Between the lack of internet access we have had at home and all of the preperations with buying said home have made our live just as complicated as ever. On October 2, 2007 we became offical homeowners. Well, Ben offically did, I'm not on the paperwork mostly because I'm not the breadwinner. But just the same we now have a house. We are acutely aware how little furniture we have, and we will be trying our best to furnish this house, but there is so little money available! We can make it, it's just looking a little tight for the next few months/ years.

Ben is doing well in class. I was able to "discover" a whole cabinet for him to store his things, considering that the room is still full of Spanish stuff. Keep in mind, there are 3 cabinets and 2 bookshelves in the room, and I was able to consolidate everything so that one cabinet was available. It's pretty crazy.

I have started subsitute teaching in the district. I have only done Jr. and Sr. High so far, but I should be working on other grades soon too. Most kids think it's cool that Mr. Tomell's wife is a sub. I'm glad that they are happy.

We have had a friend stay at our house now, and I can say that it feels a little more like home now that we can have someone over and "entertain" as it were.

I will be posting pictures soon. Just don't expect much, because we are still living out of boxes!