Musings- holidays

We just went through the lobby of a hobby type store that will remain nameless. I saw Halloween pumpkins and Christmas trees side by side on the shelf. I'm not sure why it bothers me, it just does. I also overheard one guy comment to another guy that "This tree looks cute." But I know why that bothers me.

It's October 11th and this display has probably been up for a while. I guess it just adds to the rush- rush, never-get-caught-up feel of life. Let the holidays breathe a bit. I don't want to be thinking about Valentine cards while I'm finishing my Thanksgiving turkey.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Song of the Week: "Let It Fall" by Nevertheless

This song is from the album "Live Like We're Alive." It was one of my favorites of 2006. It is one of those albums I can listen to over and over because, not only is the music great, but I emotionally connect to so much of it.

I have been listening to "Let It Fall" almost every day this week. There is something about it that gives me hope. Check out the words:

We wear it on our face. 
We keep up with the pace and don’t slow down. 
But perfection without grace is such a lonely place to be found. 
We go ‘round and ‘round and never really move at all. 

Oh, we are bruised and destined to lose doing this alone. 
Oh, let it fall and cover us all – this grace that’s not our own. 

See it in our eyes. We’re running for the prize. Don’t burn out. 
But without a hand to hold, we’ll never really know what life’s about.
We go ‘round and ‘round and never really move at all. 

Let’s live like we’re alive. We’ll take the pain in stride. 
We’ll learn from our mistakes and be glad we ever tried. 
Let’s live like we’re alive.
Live like we’re alive and run with him into the night! 

I really like these guys. They just released a new CD about a month ago. I don't have it yet. The songs they have put online are a little bit softer than their previous stuff. I think I hear a little more piano too.

You can listen to a clip of this song on Last.fm You have to scroll down a bit, it was number 19 last time I checked. Check out their full page here or on MySpace.

Sometimes a surprise is better

People leave. It is a natural part of life. The longer you live, the more people you are bound to see come and go. As a teacher I have 20+ young people that come and go each school year. Some I get to know extremely well, and some not as much. Some kids are almost forgotten after a while, and a few kids I could not forget if I tried. But I always know I'll say goodbye when summer comes around. The end of school is as inevitable as the beginning. I plan for it. I work for it. In many cases I hope for it. It always arrives right on time. Saying goodbye is not a surprise. But, sometimes a surprise is better.

Every year there are always the "move aways." They start the year at one school and then move away to another. Parents will usually tell me a month in advance that they are moving, but sometimes it's a surprise. The parent will show up in the room, kids in tow, and tell me they are moving. They get their things packed up and withdraw from school. Occasionally I'll get a heads up a few days prior. Sometimes it's a nice surprise.

The hardest combination is when a student I love and adore dearly tells me that they are moving in two weeks. Two weeks? That is far enough out there to not be "soon," but not enough time to fully mentally prepare for it. It is just enough time to get really sad and down. This heartbreaking combination just happened to me.

Two weeks ago one of my sweetest and most precious students told me she was moving. She was actually in my class last year, but they are always "my" students. That first week I didn't really process it. It was just one more thing I did not want to think about. But this week, I could not stop coming back to it. I kept think about how much I missed having her in class this year. I was so glad I still got to see her every day in the halls. I just took it for granted. She is a very bright and capable girl and I know she will do well in any school. I'm not worried about her, I guess I was just thinking selfishly.

It was very hard to say goodbye yesterday. I didn't cry though. I was tough. I knew if I cried she would start crying too. She gave me a big hug and I gave her a little kiss on the forehead. We said our goodbyes and that was that. It's hard to say goodbye to someone you know you will probably never see again- especially when you have been mulling over it for two weeks. I think a surprise would have been better.

Two Pizzas?? (Can that be right?)

Somewhere along the lines, my family got big. It seems silly but I just realized it tonight. We have always been a 1 pizza family. It's a staple on the Wal-Mart list. I don't even have to write it down. I just pick up a frozen pizza every time I go grocery shopping. Now I am going to have to pick up two.

We had pizza tonight for supper and 1 just didn't make it. When dad is cooking, the meals are always a little sketchy but usually plentiful. Not tonight. The Red Baron did not quite make his destination. I guess 5 people eating 1 pizza does sound a little chinchy. With 3 kids feeding from the trough, I guess I'm going to have to start buying a little more. Now when kid number 4 gets here... it might be time for dear old dad to learn something about side dishes.

I added a countdown timer to the sidebar so you can see how much longer untill we will officially be a 6 member family.

Song of the Week: "Receive" by The Wedding

This song has been rolling around in my head ALL week. Even my 6 year old son has been singing it with me. Their blend of pop-punk infectiousness with hardcore inspired screams and breakdowns had me hooked since I first heard them on Power FM.

I missed seeing these guys back in August. They were playing at a church 30 minutes away, but I had committed to a prior engagement... I hope that won't happen again. I can imagine this band is a sight to see live. Here are the lyrics:

I can hear a train a-comin'
I hear the ground beneath my feet
This is not speculation, this is my bones growing weak.
The sound of angels screaming
The drums are marching off to war
This is not speculation, please do not televise The King.

It's like a fire coming down
We got it, We got it now.
Burn it up, burn it red
We got it, We got it.
It's like the rising of the sun
We got it, We got it now.
Turn it up, breath it in
Full redemption.

Clap your hands for breathing
Feel your heart begin to beat
This is our desperation, this is the deep calling deep.
You cannot keep us silent
We are the prisoner set free
This is our desperation, we are the service of The King.

All aboard. I hear, hear a train. Do you hear it?

Go check them out on their MySpace page. It's the first song on the player.