It was a pretty good week in the MacKay household! I felt better about stress at school after hearing a group of teachers acknowledge/complain about how this year is a lot more stressful and intense than last year. We are all optimistic that within the next week or two things will calm down... Hopefully we aren't fooling ourselves. Garrett is working on another project at BP and enjoying the added responsibility.
My birthday was last Tuesday. Tuesday was also back to school night. It was a long day at work, but the kids were great, I got to go out for a quick dinner with some teacher friends, and was blessed with some great interactions with parents.
When I finally made it home that night Garrett had my bike all fixed up (YAY!), german chocolate cupcakes (a Welsh staple for birthdays), flowers, and a picture of downtown Franklin. Pretty sure he's got me figured out :) and pretty sure I'm a bit spoiled.
My birthday celebration wasn't over yet because Garrett's parents got us tickets to the Miranda Lambert Dierks Bentley concert! Garrett isn't a huge country fan, so it was quite gracious of him to suggest this present to his parents. It was a lot of fun! Dierks was our favorite and we really liked the venue. We felt quite safe going in there as they checked everyone VERY thoroughly. They even looked inside my boots... ha. I didn't realize how many women were at that concert until Miranda started singing and they all stood up to join in her blowing-men-up-with-gasoline/kerosene/shotguns revenge songs. I've heard that if you break up with Taylor Swift she writes a song about you. Carrie Underwood will destroy your car. Miranda Lambert will kill you. I feel like that is a pretty accurate summary of those three women and their music. (Miranda's microphone was hot pink and her microphone stand was a shotgun...)
I am really enjoying the students in my class. They took a test last week and a lot of them bombed it :( but I think we have made a lot of progress in the last week and hopefully they do better on the end of term test.... Cross your fingers! Those who came to my class not speaking any English have already improved a ton! Except one girl who I have somehow convinced that I am a fluent Spanish speaker and so now she writes her assignments in Spanish. I try to tell her to write in Ingles, but she no comprendes because she smiles so sweetly at me, nods her head, and then continues to write in Espanol...
Friday after school was quite the adventure. A student, David* (*names have been changed to protect the innocent), had been telling me for a few days that he wanted to sing a song for me. I have had this happen to me before. Last year at Centennial a student came and shared his musical talent with me a couple of times... However, David isn't even in a real class with me. I see him for about 10 minutes during an in-between period before lunch. Apparently I have succeeded in winning his heart for that 10 minute period. Despite my attempts to stall him, he came after school on Friday. After pulling up "Just a Dream" by Nelly, he proceeded to sing to me with dance moves. He was pretty good, but it didn't change the fact that it was still awkward. He wanted to close the door and I shouted (probably too hastily), "NO! I mean, no, we can't, I'm sorry, I have to leave it open." After about a minute of singing to me another teacher came into the room to talk to me. And then a student, Nate*, who needed help. (To the everlasting credit of Nate, he did not laugh or interrupt David. He actually raised his arms as David belted out, "If you ever loved somebody put your hands up!" Middle Schoolers aren't always cruel.) We smiled and applauded David as he finished. Should I be worried? Should I request a homeroom transfer for David? Would that be too obvious if the change happened Monday? Ha.
Now, for the best news... BABIES! Reni and Will had their little baby boy last night. He is so cute with dark hair and little Asian eyes and a button nose. He looks like he's wearing a toupee... but still adorable. His name is Emmett Zulon. His middle name is a family name, after our great grandpa. I wish so bad I could be there. I sure miss my family so much here in Houston, but I'm so grateful for technology! What a blessing! Thank goodness for FaceTime, and cell phones, and email, and airplanes!
Also I'm going to stop telling people when I'm sick or even just feeling a little under-the-weather. The first assumption is ALWAYS that I'm pregnant. Even if it's a head cold, ha.
ALSO - I can't wait for the FALL (I know it's technically here... but it doesn't feel like it in Houston). I made my FAVORITE pumpkin chocolate chip cookies tonight. They're in the fridge, getting ready to be super delicious. Tomorrow I'm making crock pot apple cider (I can't wait!) and apple fries. Hopefully it all turns out OK and is powerful enough to bring fall weather and fall colors to Houston... We also bought a fall smelling candle to try and help make it feel more like fall and less like summer.
LOVE YOU ALL!
BIRTHDAYS!
My birthday was last Tuesday. Tuesday was also back to school night. It was a long day at work, but the kids were great, I got to go out for a quick dinner with some teacher friends, and was blessed with some great interactions with parents.
When I finally made it home that night Garrett had my bike all fixed up (YAY!), german chocolate cupcakes (a Welsh staple for birthdays), flowers, and a picture of downtown Franklin. Pretty sure he's got me figured out :) and pretty sure I'm a bit spoiled.
My birthday celebration wasn't over yet because Garrett's parents got us tickets to the Miranda Lambert Dierks Bentley concert! Garrett isn't a huge country fan, so it was quite gracious of him to suggest this present to his parents. It was a lot of fun! Dierks was our favorite and we really liked the venue. We felt quite safe going in there as they checked everyone VERY thoroughly. They even looked inside my boots... ha. I didn't realize how many women were at that concert until Miranda started singing and they all stood up to join in her blowing-men-up-with-gasoline/kerosene/shotguns revenge songs. I've heard that if you break up with Taylor Swift she writes a song about you. Carrie Underwood will destroy your car. Miranda Lambert will kill you. I feel like that is a pretty accurate summary of those three women and their music. (Miranda's microphone was hot pink and her microphone stand was a shotgun...)
BOYS... (of the preteen nature)
I am really enjoying the students in my class. They took a test last week and a lot of them bombed it :( but I think we have made a lot of progress in the last week and hopefully they do better on the end of term test.... Cross your fingers! Those who came to my class not speaking any English have already improved a ton! Except one girl who I have somehow convinced that I am a fluent Spanish speaker and so now she writes her assignments in Spanish. I try to tell her to write in Ingles, but she no comprendes because she smiles so sweetly at me, nods her head, and then continues to write in Espanol...
Friday after school was quite the adventure. A student, David* (*names have been changed to protect the innocent), had been telling me for a few days that he wanted to sing a song for me. I have had this happen to me before. Last year at Centennial a student came and shared his musical talent with me a couple of times... However, David isn't even in a real class with me. I see him for about 10 minutes during an in-between period before lunch. Apparently I have succeeded in winning his heart for that 10 minute period. Despite my attempts to stall him, he came after school on Friday. After pulling up "Just a Dream" by Nelly, he proceeded to sing to me with dance moves. He was pretty good, but it didn't change the fact that it was still awkward. He wanted to close the door and I shouted (probably too hastily), "NO! I mean, no, we can't, I'm sorry, I have to leave it open." After about a minute of singing to me another teacher came into the room to talk to me. And then a student, Nate*, who needed help. (To the everlasting credit of Nate, he did not laugh or interrupt David. He actually raised his arms as David belted out, "If you ever loved somebody put your hands up!" Middle Schoolers aren't always cruel.) We smiled and applauded David as he finished. Should I be worried? Should I request a homeroom transfer for David? Would that be too obvious if the change happened Monday? Ha.
babies!
Now, for the best news... BABIES! Reni and Will had their little baby boy last night. He is so cute with dark hair and little Asian eyes and a button nose. He looks like he's wearing a toupee... but still adorable. His name is Emmett Zulon. His middle name is a family name, after our great grandpa. I wish so bad I could be there. I sure miss my family so much here in Houston, but I'm so grateful for technology! What a blessing! Thank goodness for FaceTime, and cell phones, and email, and airplanes!
ALSO - I can't wait for the FALL (I know it's technically here... but it doesn't feel like it in Houston). I made my FAVORITE pumpkin chocolate chip cookies tonight. They're in the fridge, getting ready to be super delicious. Tomorrow I'm making crock pot apple cider (I can't wait!) and apple fries. Hopefully it all turns out OK and is powerful enough to bring fall weather and fall colors to Houston... We also bought a fall smelling candle to try and help make it feel more like fall and less like summer.
LOVE YOU ALL!
What are apple fries? Also I'm grateful for technonology, mainly airplanes, as well ;)
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