Dear High School Students

Dear High School Students,
     I know that you look at me and see a teacher, therefore, you think I must not have a clue.  In reality, I might just have an idea of what's going on more than you think.  I was speaking to some of my dear friends that I had in high school recently.  The same comment came up again and again.  "If I had known then, what I know now." As a high school student you are pretty much certain that your parents do not understand what it's like to be a high school student now.  Well guess what, they don't!  Yep, they don't know exactly what it's like to be a high school student in 2012.  What YOU don't realize is that while they might not get the exact stuff you're going through, some things in high school remain the same as they were 20, 30, and 40 years ago.  There have been people picking on other people as long as school has been around.  Guess what, those mean girls...they were around when your parents were in high school too.  The popular girls who made life hard on you, they were there too.  The guys who picked on the other guys in the locker room, yep, they were there too.  Oh, the guys who made fun of people(because really they were trying to take the focus off themselves) they were there as well.  The loners, the popular people, the music people, the geeks, the freaks, the people praying to fit in or just be invisible because they just would rather not be noticed than be the butt of a joke...they were all there.  I know with the advances of technology things are SO much different now, and the pressures to get into college or get good grades seem a lot higher.  My point really is that I might be a teacher, but I see what's going on every single day.  Students don't think we teachers notice, or care, or really understand.  Truth is, we care more than you know.  We care.  We want to help, but some students are so stuck on assuming that we'll never get it, they don't even give us a chance.  Parents are the same.  You are so stuck on assuming that parents CAN'T understand, you don't even give them the chance to try.  You know, you might be surprised to find out, once in a while, an adult CAN relate.
If I could go back to high school knowing what I know now, things would be a lot different.  I would be kinder.  I would realize those "perfect" kids didn't all have it perfect.  I would care less what people thought about me, and just try to be a good person.  I would pay attention to school work more.  I would try harder in my classes.  I would try something different, like a club or a sport, just to meet new people...even if I assumed that all the people in those "groups" wouldn't like me.  I would have shared more with my Dad.  I would realize the gossipers would eventually be gossiped about, but not judge them, because I have no idea what they are going through.  Did I mention I would be kinder...to everyone!  No one ever felt badly for being kind.  Overall my dear high school students, someday you'll look back at high school and say the same thing, "If I had known then what I know now."  It's a good thing though, because it means you learned something along the way.  Of course, right now some of you think you know it all, but I promise you this...you will NOT be the same person 12 years from now, so think twice about life changing decisions you make while you're young!
Hope that this school year is amazing for everyone!
Love,
Your Teacher

Where does the time go?

Dear Life,
     How do you become so crazy so quickly?  Well we are about 6.5 weeks away from bringing our little girl into the world.  No she doesn't have a name yet, and no I wouldn't tell even if we did have it picked out!  We have thrown out some options.  It's kind of a surreal feeling knowing that in a little over a month we'll have a second child.  I don't even know if I'm doing okay with this child?  Well, what I do know is he seems happy most of the time and I guess that's got to count for something.
     At this point in the day, I am hot and tired and ready to go home.  I don't have a whole lot else to write about, but I thought if maybe I wrote more often I would remember to do it!

Dear Baby,

Dear Baby,
    I know you've only been growing inside my belly for 6 1/2 weeks, but I'm already VERY attached to you!  I hope you know how much I already love you.  Now that you know how much I love you, please stop making Mommy feel so nauseas, it's keeping me up at night!
Love you little baby!
Love,
Mommy
P.S. If it's in the cards, I'd really like you to be a girl please!

Dear Life,

Dear Life,
  Well you’ve done it again.  You’ve become crazy busy without my realizing it...again!  I had a beautiful vacation with my family.  My favorite part had to be taking Hayden to see the ocean.  I know there are million things that Hayden has not seen, and so most of his experiences are new, but I just loved watching him put is feet in and try to walk out further and further.  Of course I took a million pictures, I just have to find time to post them!  

Basically I have been very busy lately.  I have two graduate school classes, a baby, a husband, a full time job(that has students who I very much care about) and lots of other family and friends.  I really do try to make time for everyone. It can be hard.  
There is one thing that was I have been thinking lately and that’s church.  I have always thought I “tried” to make it to church.  Really I feel like I have let other people be my excuses.  I really do feel odd going to church without my husband.  This is likely because my husband grew up in this church and if he doesn’t come with me I always get asked where he is.  This makes me feel kind of awkward I guess. I’m sure no one thinks anything of it besides me.  Well, anyway, I am going to really put forth more effort to go on Sunday morning, or Sunday evening.  I need to not let OTHER people be my reason that I don’t show up.  So baring any illness or being out of town I am going to try harder.  I won’t be perfect but I will try harder.  I have also been trying to get in one of the prayers from “the power of a praying wife” book nightly.  Some people just have a gift with words, and my goodness that woman has a gift of writing great prayers!  
I have also been thinking about my close friends lately.  My dear life, you have managed to get hold of them too!  They have all been so busy and it’s hard to coordinate all of our lives together to spend time with each other! I look forward to my time with friends more now than ever.  It might be few and far between sometimes but I love those dinners or breakfasts or quick coffees or whatever! I enjoy the football games or belly dancing classes.  It’s all just good for my sanity, no matter how often it happens!
Well life, thanks for being full.  Thanks for having a ton for me to do, and giving me beautiful people to do it with!
Love,
Theresa

Dear Bed,

Dear Bed,
     I miss spending time with you.  I remember the times we used to spend all day together.  Since Hayden came into my life I just don't have the time to devote to our relationship I used to have.  I would say I am sorry, but I love spending time with Hayden.  Hopefully we'll have time to get together again soon.
Love,
Theresa

Caffeine Addiction

Hi, my name is Theresa and I’m addicted to caffeine. It’s been an on and off addiction I have had for a while now. I decided that I would give up caffeine yesterday. I just felt like I was relying on it every single day! If I couldn't get it I felt cruddy and I just didn’t want to feel that way just because I couldn't get my hands on some caffeine. So I decided to try life without it for a little bit and just see how it goes. So far I had an insane headache yesterday and a moderate headache today. I am hoping that means that by tomorrow this whole headache business will be a thing of the past and I can go on to live a nice caffeine free life. I did some research about the pros and cons of caffeine consumption. Really, most people say in moderation, it’s okay for you. Some people say it’s one of the worst things you can do to your body. Whatever, the point is that I am going to try to just quit it for now. Will I pick it up again? Maybe. I don’t really want to be one of those people who can’t function in the morning without my cup of coffee. Well, I don’t drink coffee, but if you insert “diet pop” into all those “gotta have my coffee” statements, that’s pretty much me! I will say this, so far today I feel far less focused and I have been hungry ALL DAY! I’m none too thrilled with the idea of giving up my diet pop if I have to gain 30 lbs to do it! Well, my head hurts again. I’m getting close to giving up on this dream. One moment at a time. We’ll see how it goes!

"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why."

Dewy and I took Hayden to the apple orchard.  Dewy was not exactly overwhelmed with excitement about this, but I told him I really wanted to take him, so we did!  Dewy says, “why are we taking him to pick apples?”  I said, “Why not?” I guess with logic like that who could question me? Either way, we took Hayden to the apple orchard to pick apples.  We got there and the “apple guy” gave Dewy a quick tutorial of how to use the basket on a stick to pick our apples.  I think overall we all had a good time.  Hayden liked the taste testing portion of our picking and Dewy enjoyed getting to use a big basket/stick thingy.  I’ll try to post some of the pictures from our venture!  

Hayden picking the apple!

Ahh...MOM It touched me!

I got this mom!

Oh, okay, that's what I am supposed to do?

No worms in there, right?

Gonna get it!

GOT IT! YUM!

Hayden and Mommy

   I have been in somewhat of a sour mood the past few days.  Why you ask? Who knows.  I am just feeling very complain-y, whinny etc. It’s probably PMS.  I do hate to use that excuse, but really it’s probably why.  Anyone who deeply offended that I would talk about PMS probably hasn’t ever experienced it, and can rest assure that my next paragraph will not contain anything having to do with menstruation.  Oh yeah, I used the “m” word.  I enjoyed a nice argument just last night.  I do not think it was a result of my PMS, because I am still feeling very justified as to the reason I was upset in the first place, but I did get snappy when I might not normally have been that way.  I also had a hard time letting go my frustration with the whole situation.    I am still feeling pretty hurt by the whole thing.  Darn tempers anyway! Regardless,  I’m praying, that helps me let things go usually.  
   

 My dad went to the hospital last night.  They are thinking mini stroke.  I’m just praying for a full recovery.  He says that other than a horrible headache, he’s doing better now.  Prayers are appreciated!

Well, I think it’s time to post this one and move on with my afternoon.  I try to keep some consistency, but I really just wrote most of this in a google doc and added to it when I had a free minute here or there.  Not that I feel like my blogs ever really flow very well, but I hope this one made sense!