I'm not particularly good at blogging...yet.  I'll blame it on being busy.  I can also blame it on not jotting down ideas for posts when they strike me (usually in the bathtub or while driving).  Either way, I'm not perfecting what I know are bound to be some mad blogging skills.  I'll get there.


Truly, I have been busy.  My PreAP classes finished The Tragedy of Julius Caesar a couple of weeks ago and I finally finished grading their essays last night.  The real tragedy is that kids don't get Caesar.  I try to connect it to the whole high school experience (with the backstabbing and all), but they don't get it.  It's the language barrier.  I'm pretty sure. 

Home has been busy, too.  Jamie has worked a minimum of 60 hours each week for the past 3 or 4 weeks.  Parker had a History Day documentary to finish.  We finished.  Her group was judged.  They placed first out of two and are moving on to the district level which means more work now.  I hope Melinda and I  Parker and her group do well and move on to state.

We celebrated Valentine's Day.  I've realized that we don't do a lot of celebrating in our family.  Sure, we celebrate birthdays, but I miss a lot of opportunities to create some fun for my man and my girls.  So, in the spirit of fun and surprises, this year I had something different in mind for my sweeties.

The girls were surprised and the man played along and it was a great morning.  We should have cupcakes for breakfast every day!  Every day!

This is really a very dry post.  Sorry.  I'll do better.  Next time.  I would also like to insert a little disclaimer here.  While I realize I am an English teacher, this blog is sort of a respite for me.  Should one notice an error in mechanics or usage or grammar or spelling, please know that I'm probably on auto pilot and sometimes those mistakes are just going to show up.  See, I just ended that sentence with a preposition.  Sue me.

A really good thing actually happened today, despite my lifeless writing.  My Amazon order arrived (stuffed into our mailbox...had to pull it out with both hands...while sitting in the driver's seat...with the car still in drive and my foot on the brake).  I can't wait to start 30 Ways in 30 Days to Save Your Family.  No, our situation isn't quite that desperate, but I am concerned.  It's tough, this parenting stuff.  Unfortunately, when we started our family, I feel like we had a very laid back attitude about raising children.  And, I feel that Disney and Nick are corrupting my girls.  So, Rebecca Hagelin is going to help us salvage what we can.  Really, it's not that desperate.  Really. 

Now I remember what I've been thinking about lately.  I don't want to write too much about this because we're past it but, looking back to where our family was 2 years ago, my heart is just flooded with joy.  Two years ago Jamie and I were separated.  Two years ago I didn't know if our marriage was worth fighting for.  Two years ago I couldn't pray.  With tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat, all I could do was mutter or think, "You know.  God, You know."  And, you know what?  He did.  He knew.  He answered.  Not in the way I would have preferred...not in several ways I would have preferred, but He answered.  Over the course of 2008, so many times I said, "What else?  What else do You want to throw in my lap?"  And over and over again He extended His perfect grace and His mercy and He restored my soul.  He restored my family.  He restored my faith.  Maybe all the dryness and, to be honest, complete lameness of the majority of this post was to get me here.  Maybe.  Putting these thoughts in words is freeing.  It's real.