Monday, June 30, 2008

Can't get enough Tater

You haven't lived until you've sat on a goat! This isn't our goat. Baby Food (her registered name is JoJo) was still a bit skiddish from her move to Indiana when Ayron took this picture)

The beginning of his potty face. It's hysterical. I need to get in on video!

Better late than never

Here is a video clip I took with my phone at the Indy 500. I am playing around with my phone and learning how to send the video's to myself. I am seeing many more video and picture posts in your future!

Milk and Cookies

The other night I was baking homemade chocolate chip cookies and filling bottles. I took these two pictures and texted my sister with the caption "Milk and Cookies."

Helping With Laundry




Three Years


I can't believe that Wednesday will make 3 years! We have been through so much together and now we are parents!

Avoding 8 and 1

Twas the weekend for accidents in the Reeves family. On Saturday afternoon my mother in law was driving my niece home. At the intersection of State Road 8 and State Road 1, a car pulled out in front of my mother in law and headed right at her. My mother in law barely had time to think about moving her foot to the brake. After hitting the person, my mother in law realized it was as older lady. The older lady got out of her car and told JoEllen, "I can't stay, I'll be late for church." She proceeded to get into her beaten up car (my mother in law drives a new Ford Explorer) and took off. They got her plate number and called the police. They found her driving her smushed car around Butler. The Explorer is ok, she just needs some minor repairs. I just cracked up when they told me that the other person left the scene because she didn't want to be late to church. I think that God would forgive that tardy, but that's just my thought.

The more I thought about it, it hit me. 3 years ago, at that same intersection we had a horrible accident. My brother in law and his family (wife and three girls) were driving home in their Durango when a box truck pulled out in front of them. Phil tried to break, but the road was slippery because it had just rained. He knew that if he hit the box truck head on, they would slide under the truck and basically rip the top of the Durango off and possibly decapitate himself. He made the conscious effort to aim the suv for the wheels and thankfully everyone was ok. They were shaken and bruised, but nothing huge. I think I will avoid that intersection for awhile.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Why Do I?

Why do I let things go unsaid?
Why do I avoid confrontation?
Why do I bottle it all in until I explode?
Why do I even care what someone thinks?
Why do I avoid painful situations?
Why do I turn a blind eye/ear?
Why do I avoid the easy way?
Why do I expect these wounds to heal?
Why do I open myself up when I know disappointment will happen?
Why do I scream in my head but put a smile on my face?
Why do I lie about my feelings?

I don't say what's on my mind because I am afraid of the pain it will cause to not only myself but the individual I am talking with.

I avoid confrontation to avoid heartache and bad endings.

I keep it all in to prevent others from knowing that I am weak.

I care what someone thinks because I am longing to be accepted.

I avoid painful situations to avoid seeing tears.

I turn a blind eye/ear so that I don't accidently offer my opinion.

I avoid the easy way because I don't feel I deserve it.

I expect wounds to heal because I want to forget the past.

I open myself up because I long for that personal connection that used to exsist.

I quietly scream so as to not disrupt the calm.

I lie to keep the truth hidden.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Struggling Economy

It's no surprise or shock to hear that our economy sucks (can't really think of a better word). I was watching the news this morning and learned that even the Red Cross "Disaster Relief" organization has run out of money. They ran out! There is no money left to help the Iowa flood victims.

We have family that is dealing with the flooding and it looks like they will be one of the lucky families who only has water in their basement. They have power and she is able to work from home (ironically enough she works for the power company). They didn't have to evacuate but several of their family friends did.

Here comes my soap box...get ready for it....

We have a large group of people who need financial help. Their houses have been destroyed, crops ruined, lives erased. The Red Cross is trying, but without money, they can't be much help. Everyone says, "I wish I could help but...." What I find ridiculous are the political promises to help victims that never come true. How many millions of dollars have been spent so far on political campaigns? I think I read some place that Clinton and Obama raised at least $25 million a piece. Wouldn't that money be better spent helping fellow Americans instead of signs, t-shirts, and arena fees? Wouldn't the press be better? Look at the politician who is not afraid to put on grubby clothes and sandbag with the "regular" folk. I think I would be more apt to vote for someone who I could actually see working and physically trying to help instead of someone who is dressed in a suit promising to help. Put your money where your mouth is and spend some of that campaign money to help your fellow man.

Ok, putting the soapbox back in the closet, at least for now.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Torn

"Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities." - Aldous Huxley

************************************************************************************

I am torn. I want to be in a public school so badly I can taste it. Then I have a night like Saturday night and I don't want to leave my current job.

Saturday night we had an office party at a co-workers house. Spouses were invited and a good time was had by all. I have the best co-workers. We played euchre and I managed to make my boss ice skate on the Wii. In what other office can you have a ping pong tournament while drinking and smoking? (I didn't smoke so no soap box lectures please). It was great to hang out withe everyone and we get along so well.

Sure, if I were to leave there are some things that I wouldn't miss but I am afraid that I am becoming jaded and that cannot be good for my future students. My students need understanding and a clean slate and while I think I can still offer that, I know that in the back of my mind I have preconceived notions that do not need to be there.

I have always thought that I knew what my dream job would be. I student taught at a particular school and applied for a position there once without so much as a call back. Then I found out that my dream position could be open again. I waited and waited for it to be posted, but I never saw it. I found out yesterday that a friend of mine (actually my nieces aunt from the other side of the family) got the job. At first I was bummed. That was "my" job. She knew how much I wanted to get in there, how dare she? That quickly passed and I am happy for her but I can't help but wonder, "What about me?"

So in order to be happy do I stick it out here another year or do I actively pursue a public school job? I have invested so much in this program that to leave, even on good terms, will break my heart. Who will love these students? Then I realize that if I am in a public school maybe I can make a difference in their lives before they get to their breaking point.

Some may say that I am crazy. Teachers who have been in the schools for years are probably waiting for my eagerness and hope to die. To those types of teachers I ask, "Why did you go into teaching? Do you even remember?" I want to see each student succeed. Unfortunately where I am at now most of my students have been trampled on by the public school system and have lost hope. I want to restore that hope.

I know that my eagle is out there somewhere (referencing a previous sermon from NewHope.in) but I am not seeing it. I keep praying and asking but at times I find myself whining to Him like an impatient child. I know that He will lead me, but I have always had a problem with being blindly led. I know that He is not blind, but at this point I am. Maybe I am not looking at the situation correctly. Maybe I am missing His subtle hints because I am busy looking for a giant billboard with directions for me to follow. Maybe that pigeon in my office window is my "eagle." Then again, maybe it's just a pigeon from the homing pigeon people who live across the street from my office.

Lord help me to realize what You want for me. Help me to be still and patient and to wait for Your guidance. I am wiling and waiting but still unsure. Help my doubt to be erased and my confidence restored. Guide me where You want me to be and not where I think I should be.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

My Crazy Life

Here is a link to my sisters blog. Yesterday I sent her a video of what was happening at my house. She then turned it into a blog. I'll admit that 98% of the time it's annoying, but lack of sleep made it hysterical yesterday. I had never seen Scooter throw his head back like that before.

http://opme.blogspot.com/2008/06/hound-dog-cry.html

Picturepaloza

I added some new pictures of the Tater Monkey.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41722&l=065f9&id=790068782

Heartbreak

Yesterday I felt my heart ache. It is an odd feeling coupled with frustration and anger. I have had one particular student for the past two school years due to poor attendance at the public schools. We had our go arounds this year and I even had the student arrested for truancy but through it all they trusted me and I thought we had made some progress. I was wrong.

I got a call from one of my staff members yesterday asking me if I had heard the news. The students home (they were renting) had caught fire. After further investigation, the police figured out that the fire started because the family was cooking meth. Parents, another family member, and my former student were arrested.

This student has been in and out of placement and foster care since they were young and it looks like the cycle will continue. I fear for them. I wonder if they will ever learn. I am mad at the parents for putting the child in that situation. Then part of me knows the student willingly participated. We gave the student so many chances to blow the whistle and save themselves, yet they never did. I am frustrated because I feel like I failed. I thought something was going on and I had been working with the counselor as well as probation but we never had enough legal evidence to do anything.

Part of me wants to plead with the judge to let me take the student home to live with us. Change of environment and schools is what this person needs. They need parents who don't enable their behavior. Parents who truly care. The other part of me knows they need help beyond what I am capable of giving.

It is situations like this that make me hate my job. Then again, I realize that I did do all I could do and now it is out of my hands. I just wish I could save them all. With 90% of the juveniles I work with, a change of their home environment would do them wonders. I wish I was able to have them all come live with me and show them what a truly loving family feels like...but I know that is not possible.

Please pray for this family. They have some serious issues and I am guessing my opinion might be asked when it comes to what will be done with the juvenile. I honestly don't know what I would say at this point.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Am I the only one...

First read this article sent to me by my aunt.

CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) -- The man who designed the Pringles potato chip packaging system was so proud of his accomplishment that a portion of his ashes has been buried in one of the iconic cans.

The man who designed the Pringles can had part of his cremated remains buried in one, his family says.

Fredric J. Baur, of Cincinnati, died May 4 at Vitas Hospice in Cincinnati, his family said. He was 89.

Baur's children said they honored his request to bury him in one of the cans by placing part of his cremated remains in a Pringles container in his grave in suburban Springfield Township.
The rest of his remains were placed in an urn buried along with the can, with some placed in another urn and given to a grandson, said Baur's daughter, Linda Baur of Diamondhead, Mississippi.

Baur requested the burial arrangement because he was proud of his design of the Pringles container, a son, Lawrence Baur of Stevensville, Michigan, said Monday.
Baur was an organic chemist and food storage technician who specialized in research and development and quality control for Cincinnati-based
Procter & Gamble Co.

Baur filed for a patent for the tubular Pringles container and for the method of packaging the curved, stacked chips in the container in 1966, and it was granted in 1970, P&G archivist Ed Rider said.

Am I the only one wondering what "flavor" of can he was buried in? Sour cream and cheddar? Sour cream and chive? Original? BBq?