1-6

It's teacher work day.
That means the kids are home enjoying their three day weekend and I am here at school doing anything I can to avoid working.
I am struggling today. I have lots to do but just no ambition to get it done. So I'm here to give you the most random assortment of thoughts that has ever been about my life in this current point in time.

1. So Kolton is the breakfast maker in our household. In the mornings I'm always too busy dragging myself out of bed and taming my hair into submission to do more than grab a granola bar on the way out the door. So Kolton staged an intervention and I don't know if he knew what he was signing up for when he started, but now he's the official breakfast man. 

And let me tell you, he makes a mean smoothie. I feel like he is really selling himself short. He should be working at Jamba.

2. Speaking of Jamba, one day I was grocery shopping (maybe?) and Kolton was not wanting to be grocery shopping so to get himself out of it he suggested that while I shop he would grab us some Jambas. I was on to him but a Jamba can always win me over. So he went to Jamba and was having a hard time deciding what to order. (I know, totally out of character for him.) the kid working the counter asked if he could make a suggestion and told him he should order a Meeko's Miracle and then explained that it was one of his inventions that had been self-titled. So Kolton did it and guess what? It was the best ever!!
A couple months later the grocery shopping situation repeated itself and Kolton went to Jamba and ordered up a Meeko's Miracle. And everybody in Jamba was so excited about it. They were all peeking at Kolton from the back and telling each other what he'd ordered.

3. We started over on the Office. That Netflix was the best gift I could have ever given Kolton. Anyway, we finished The Office a few months ago and I have been begging Kolton to start watching it again and one day he gave in and now our evenings are super enjoyable. I love that show too much.

4. I do Scholastic Book Orders at school and I just love them. I am always encouraging the kids to order because I can get free books. There's probably an illegal term for what I am doing there, but I don't know what it is. But seriously. Over the course of this year I have currently got 31 free books. And they are good ones!

5. Speaking of school, it is going swell. This is always a hard time of year because we start feeling a little burned out but Spring Break is coming!! But the last couple months have really been fun. I feel like I was a big grouch for the first half of the school year because I was trying to train those kids and get them to behave. But we finally got it done and I feel like we understand each other better now. And probably I am still a big grouch but it really is a lot better and I have learned that being a grouch is worth it! The kids know when I mean business and they are respectful and we all just get along a lot better. We are starting our huge culminating research project and I am trying to take big, deep breaths because honestly this project is more work for me than for them. I need to find my chi or zen or whatever that word is so this project can be a good experience for everyone.
Also, I brought in some new beanbags for the reading corner and you would not believe the reactions I've gotten from the kids over a few beanbags. I have answered so many questions about them "Are they made out of pants?" (They look like jean material) "Why is your name on them?" (My grandma gave them to me for Christmas 10 years ago and I haven't sat in them since) "They have pockets!!" (Not a question, but they have decided that the pockets are probably for snacks.) Man, I really like these kids.

6. Kolton has been begging me to go with him on the roadbike. He says that since it's 50 degrees we should be good to go. I keep telling him to talk to me when it's closer to 70. Anyway, he took it yesterday to run some errands in town and had to admit that I was maybe right about the coldness factor. He said he was pretty frozen.

And that's my life lately! It feels good to get some of that out there.  

I should be embarrassed...

But since I have no shame, I am not. 

Over the last month I have attended two different dances that were definitely not held for my enjoyment. 

We had a 5th grade dance at school for an end of the trimester party. Mrs. Johansen taught the kids some ballroom and we had a little dance to show off their moves. It was hilarious and so, so fun.

I had the kids make some decorations and they dressed up all fancy like for the big day. This was the first dance the kids had been to so they were a little terrified once it started. The music was playing and the girls were sitting on one side of the gym with the boys on the opposite side all just staring at each other. 

That's when my annoying, bossy side came out. I started dragging kids out on the floor and telling them that if they didn't pick a partner in 10 seconds I was going to pick one for them. This scared most of them enough to go grab a girl. However, there were a few kids that I had to push to the girls side for every single song the entire dance. 

Along with the ballroom dancing we also did some fun songs like the Cotton Eye Joe and Cha Cha Slide which I just think are the most fun ever. 

Needless to say, by the end of the day I was a sweaty mess. I was trying to channel my inner Judy Polatis and also my inner Lewis Newman to make the dance fun. I was whooping and hollering and cheering and just really being embarrassing. If Kolton had been there I know he would have been hiding in a corner embarrassed to claim me. But I had fun and the kids had fun, so that's all that mattered. 

The next dance I attended was the Spring Youth Dance for the Beehives and Deacons. Again, I tried to channel my more fun side and also my bossy side got a lot of use. I was dragging kids out of the floor and dancing like a maniac and just really having a great time. The first dance I danced with Brevan who at the end of the dance as everyone was leaving the dance floor decided to try to dip me but had underestimated how heavy I am and promptly dropped me on my back in front of everyone. (I was a tiny bit embarrassed then.) 

Anyway, it was a good time and it made me remember how much I just love to dance. I miss going to high school or college dances with friends and just busting a move and not caring who saw. Now I have to live vicariously through other kids and try to make them have as much fun as I always did.