things you should do

• hang out with your awesome sisters
• get married and inherit more awesome sisters
• read Three Cups of Tea and be inspired
• go to wheeler farm with your niece
• go on morning walks
• plant a garden
• plan a road trip
• paint a kitchen table
• have your awesome mom show you how to sew a blanket
• ride bikes
• watch the USA vs Ghana match
• eat watermelon
• buy water balloons

can't imagine life without

these people:

thoughts on teacherhood

Next to parents, teachers are the most influential people in children's lives.  We love, care, guide, and nurture.  We collect baby teeth, check foreheads for fevers, and can punch the little silver dots on top of juice boxes with one swift poke of the straw. We are used to being called Mom and Dad.  Teacherhood is knowing that softer voices are more effective than louder ones, that students read better under their desks, that kids will not hear the difference between than and then, and that children will always choose chocolate chip cookies before oatmeal and raisin.  Teacherhood is understanding that you should never try to teach anything on Halloween, that when kids start learning cursive they forget how to spell, that students who are usually quiet will become chatty the week before Christmas break, that desks swallow papers, that any given moment a child could announce something random like he's been to Denver and saw a banana slug, that the best lessons on paper can tank in real life, that children who are about to throw up get clingy, that reading nothing but comics is like eating nothing but pasta your whole life, and understanding that a child may forget what you taught her--but will always remember how you made her feel.  -Philip Done
School ended a week ago.  I love my job.  I love my students. I may or may not have cried when they left.  I think that your first year of teaching is like your first time out of the country, or meeting a life-long friend for the very first time.  You never forget any of it-- even the difficult stuff.  And mostly you just remember the good stuff.

I needed this:

I love memorial day.

little darling, I think the ice is slowly melting

post may-school day stream of conciousness:

I am excited for some things this summer.  like

• painting my toenails
• lemonade
• friends
• barbeques
• hikes
• hebgen
• only working for some hours (instead of all hours)

I am also hoping summer never comes for some reasons.  like

• Samuel being gone on "the dig"
• my not being in Africa or London
• Bailey growing up

I think I will really miss my students.  even though they are rambunctious recently, it does bring me a lot of joy to see them succeed. 

moving has helped me to inventory my wardrobe.  I need some new skirts/dresses.  some of my skirts I have had since Jr.High.  kind of cool that I can still wear them, but not cool that I haven't had any new ones in a while (except my new gray JCrew skirt, hooray!).  I promise that I'll give all of the 9th grade skirts to the DI if I can get a little wardrobe update.  where should I shop for them?

I should probably get rid of some shoes, too.

I am excited to read books again.

report cards.  bleh. 

Bono is having back surgery, so we can't go to the U2 concert anymore.  I still want to do something for that one boy before he leaves... but I'm not sure what. 

I have been really disappointed by American Idol, and yet I still watch it (this is the first--and perhaps last--season I've ever followed).  it is far from inspiring. 

dinner.

a super weekend

one awesome thing about having the last name of "grover" is that my amazing sister-in-law planned our family reunion around the theme of Super Grover.  so fantastic.

here is the group:

thanks, emily, for a fun weekend!

I struggle at everything I do

It is comforting to know that Samuel has very fast reflexes.

For example:

Samuel and I were eating cake and watching Hawaii Five-O on our couch.  He brought us some milk.  I moved, trying to adjust my blanket, and accidentally bumped Samuel's arm.  The milk spilled all over him, and all over our couch and ottoman.  I just stood there in shock for a second.  Meanwhile, Samuel had already got the spotter from the cleaning cupboard and a wet rag to clean it up.  He scrubbed while I watched in disbelief.  He laughed and said, "It's no use crying over spilled milk!"   

Another example:

Yesterday, we took a very satisfying nap on our (newly cleaned) couch after watching some Hawaii Five-O.  (It's Samuels favorite show, and it was his turn to choose since I made him watch Gilmore Girls practically every night last week).  Anyway, I got up to use the restroom, but forgot that my phone was in the back pocket of my jeans.  Upon hearing the plop of plastic into liquid, I sprang up and stood there staring at my phone in the (thankfully) clear water.  Meanwhile, Samuel had snatched it up out of the toilet, taken it apart, pulled out my hairdryer, and was drying it off. 

What a great guy. 

And so, if I don't answer my phone in the next couple of days-- you'll know it's because I have had some recent struggles....