OMG!! I BROKE A NAIL!

3:30 on Friday at ECHS. Meet me on the bus ramp. There you will see the masses waiting in single file lines for their buses to arrive and take them home. The only sound is the whisper of students quietly discussing the things they learned that day. Wishing they were already home so that they could delve deeper into their learning and complete their homework.

NOT.

There are three words that chill any teacher at ECHS to the bone.... Bus Ramp Duty. I just so happen to be one of the lucky 12 to receive this dreaded assignment. My post is the 200 hall. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, we man our posts and try to maintain some sort of organized chaos as opposed to pure mayhem that would surely ensue without adult supervision.

One of the worst parts of bus ramp duty (besides not being able to leave at 3:30 with everyone else) are the fights. They may occur once a month.....they may occur once a week....they may occur three days in a row just to switch things up, but rest assured...they will occur. After all, who wants to just get on their bus and go home on Friday afternoon?

So I'm at my duty today and I hear the unmistakable roar of a crowd forming and look to my left and see the circle...or should I say "the ring". It's not teenage boys with too much testosterone, its two girls. Everyone knows those are the worst kind of fights. These chicks are on the ground, pulling hair, slapping each other. It was ridiculous. I made a decision a long time ago that I would not break up a girl fight for fear of losing an eye or getting mad and hitting back (just kidding). So, after the male teachers break it up, I got the honor of escorting one of the little featherweights to the office for the heapin' helpin' of 5 days suspension. I gave her the speech along the way about how violence is never the answer and how unladylike it is and how she is way to smart to be behaving in such a disgraceful manner. I sounded kind of like my mom.

Solution??? Let's handle fighting the way they would at any other public place. Let an Effingham County Sherriff haul them off in handcuffs. If that seems harsh, just think about it. What would happen if those girls were on the floor of WalMart sluggin' it out like that? The police would get called and they would end up calling momma with their "one personal call". I guarantee there would be less fighting and that would make school better for all of us...especially on the bus ramp.

Friends and Gall Bladders

I've been thinking a lot about my friends and how much they mean to me. I really appreciate that I have such a wonderful variety of friends.

Some of my friends others might call acquaintances, but they are so much more than that. I may not see them often or talk to them every week, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I called them right now and needed anything, they would make it happen. I would do the same for them!

My friend Jessie is my sanity. She works with me, works out with me, knows everything going on in my world and still loves me! Her husband Shane is a great friend to Richard as well. I think I'm more excited about their bun in the oven than they are. I call him/her BG (Baby Gardner). Our friends Will and Meagan are so much fun. Richard and I could spend hours with them playing board games, watching the dogs play, or just talking. They are always there when we need them. As a matter of fact, they are rescuing Brin from being Boarded next week when we're out of town. Now instead of 3 times outside per day, she'll have non-stop fun with Nate (their 9 month old) and Baylen (their mini dacshund).

My sister gets a paragraph all her own. Actually she needs her own Blog entry. There is no explaining how much she means to me. When you share a womb with someone it kind of makes the connections you have with other people seem a little weak. There are some days when I'm driving home from work through Sprincon that I get such a strong urge to just keep driving to Bryan Bank just so I can sit at her customer service desk and be near her. If you think that's weird its because you are not a twin. I HATE living 45 minutes away from her and I realize that more and more every day. She's having her gall bladder removed tomorrow morning at an ungodly hour and I wish that I could be there. But, with 3 days off next week for the Bible School conference, I guess I'll have to settle for a post-op visit.

I am blessed to be able to say that they are at least 5 other friends that should be mentioned in this blog, but they love me enough and hopefully I tell them enough how much they mean to me. However, my bedtime and my cold nature are drawing me to my warm, comfy bed. I think I'm going to go put some fuzzy socks on.

American Idol

Season 7 is here folks. Richard and I have watched the show both nights and I realized something about myself. I love American Idol. I love singing. I love competition. I, however, do not like the elimination process. All the people that try out can't be a Kelly Clarkson or a Carrie Underwood. I understand that. It's just painful sometimes for me.

Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I feel like my voice is at least average. But, I would never in a million years subject myself to the critisism and ridicule that those poor souls endure. I cringe sometimes and my heart is sad for some of these kids. I feel like their moms or girlfriends or neighbors should have told them that they are going to embarass themselves.

Near Death Experience

So, I'm driving down Hwy 21 in Sprincon today, minding my own business, when from out of nowhere a white Toyota Camry veers out of oncoming traffic, plows into a Walgreen's 18-wheeler in front of me and proceeds to head toward my beautiful Honda Accord. My life flashed before my eyes. That's when the adrenaline kicked in and I freaked out slightly. I did not get hit, but it was a close one. The man behind the wheel of the Camry was bleeding from the head, the crazy drivers in Sprincon are still whizzing by, and I get out of my car like I'm really going to rectify the situation. 30 minutes and one police report later I am still shaking but thanking the Lord for protection. If your worried about the trucker....he's fine....short a big rig, but fine.

The Pretty People

A few weeks ago at church Richard and I met Geoffrey and Heather Hardee and their kids, Hannah and Alex. Since our first meeting we have affectionately called them "the pretty people." There is no hidden meaning to this nickname....they are just plain pretty. Better than that, they are extremely sweet and approachable.

Well, they sang in church together tonight and gave us one more reason to love them. They are incredibly gifted. I am praying that God leads them to ministry at our church....is that a selfish prayer? All I really want for them is God's will.

VBS

I love Bible School. I love the singing, the crafts, the snacks, the Bible study, the mission focus, and most of all seeing little ones come closer to the Lord. I think that the children's ministry is one of the most powerful ways that the Lord is using our church to reach our community. (Shout out to Mr. Ray Fowler...what a hero)

Believe it or not, I will have the honor this year of being the VBS director at our church. I am so scared. It is such a huge responsibility. I know that the Lord doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called and that is what I'm counting on to accomplish this huge task! It's going to be an adventure.

I'm praying that God would begin, even now, tugging on His people's hearts about where they need to serve in Bible school. Will you pray with me???

Inspired

I realized today that my friend Christy has inspired me. Whether it's arts and crafts or throwing a party, if she does it she does it well. Tonight I found her blog online and decided that I too need a blog. Mine won't be as humorous as hers or have as many great photos, but I shall blog none-the-less. Forgive my spelling and punctuation errors....I am a math teacher.



Inspired once again by the fabulous Christy Hyer!