dear daddy

dear daddy,

it's been said that you're a wonderful, wonderful teacher. many have sat under and been blessed by your preaching. the two things that you have been called to do, you do well. but you have done neither one as well as being my dad.

i may get my physical attributes from mom, but my personality comes from you. i guess that explains our shared ocd moments, the need for everything to be clean, and our excitement for the first day of school, not because school is so exciting because everything is so new-crayons, pencils, books.

you were my very first role model. you were the one who taught me to hold onto my values and never let go. i learned to trust in God because i saw you trusting in God. my kids will have a safe, secure and happy childhood because you and mom saw to it that we had that growing up. my kids will know Jesus because of your influence. when i hear people speaking highly of you or talking fondly of you as their pastor or teachers, i just think, "that's MY daddy!"

the past couple of years have been the sweetest yet, because you've become so much more than a father. i look forward to the next few years because i know they will be even better.

i'm sorry you didn't get to do much on your birthday, but we'll make up for it at the party.

thanks for being my daddy. i love you.

what now?

today i bought two games for us to play as a family-buzz word and apples to apples. i took them to my parents house after dinner, but it ended up being just me and ryan along with my parents. kelli was studying and joey was working. such responsible children.

anyway, as we were playing buzz word, it became apparent that i knew quite a bit more than ryan (he really didn't think that was possible). i even beat him on sports questions a couple of times, which REALLY bothered him. but every time he would beat me to an answer, he would look at me and say, "what now?"

seriously, ryan. i beat you at buzz word AND apples to apples.

WHAT NOW?!

be still, my heart

the spurs first home game of the 2008-2009 season is tonight. the only thing that could make this night better is if i were actually in san antonio watching the game.

oh well.

steel yourselves, people

i haven't procrastinated on my lesson plans in over a month. next thing you know, i'll be giving up dr. pep---

oh, i can't even type it.

"quality time with Jesus"

one of my good friends texted something to me a couple of weeks ago that really had me thinking. she told me not to forget to spend "quality time with Jesus." maybe this is me overthinking this a bit, but i found her choice of words interesting. if she had just said "spend time with Jesus" i probably wouldn't have thought anything of it. after all, i hear it a lot. but it was that phrase: quality time. it made me think of the love language.

i've read in the book the five love languages, and other books have said the same thing, that we tend the exhibit our own love language. for example, my love language is gifts (i know, sounds a little materialistic...ok, a lot materialistic). therefore, to show someone i appreciate or love them, my first instinct is to buy them something. it's something that we all do, whether we are conscious of it or not.

(on a side note, i think it's why i've had such a great year. the parents of my students have already bought me things for my classroom. who wouldn't love that?!)

i've recently come to realize (like in the past month) that God, in His infinite wisdom, did not instill in me quality time as my love language. why? because me having quality time with people sometimes just doesn't happen. i've grown up with my dad having two jobs and my mom continually helping him out. but i've never felt unloved by my parents or that i was neglected. why? because both of them didn't need to be aroud 24/7 to make me feel like i was worth anything. don't get me wrong-i love spending time with my family. the highlight of my week is friday nights when we go out to eat and just enjoy that it's the weekend. and i'm always up for going to my parents house and just hanging out. but growing up, my parents did what they needed to do to give us a secure, godly environment, and it worked. sure there were times that i complained. but that was just me being a brat. shocker, huh?

all this to say (sorry, i'm a little wordy) that when i received that text from my friend, i was immediately convicted. i thought i'd been showing God that i loved Him, when in truth i was just doing everything but spending quality time with Him. i was attending church, tithing, and having my quiet time. but it wasn't quality time. and it became even more apparent this morning when i talked to kelli. she had asked me a question about something, and here's what happened:

me: "it's funny that you should ask me about that, because i talked to the Lord about that very thing just a few minutes ago."

kelli: "oh really? and what did the Lord say?"

me: "actually, i told the Lord-"

kelli: "wait. YOU told the Lord?"

me: "uh.........."

ouch. so God has been dealing with me and continues to deal with me about this issue. i am thankful, however, that i have a friend who is willing to encourage me in this.

now go out and buy me something so i feel loved. =)

daddy's home!

thank you to everyone who prayed for my dad today. his surgery went well, and he arrived home about 15 minutes ago. please keep praying for him, though, because he's in a lot of pain. it hurts to see him like this. =(

we appreciate your prayers.

my orthodontist hates me

well, not really. here's the story:

i had to go back to the ortho to get my new retainers today. i sat there in the chair, trying to learn how to put on my retainers and take them out (hey, i had a hard time, ok?). anyway, when the nurse was finished, she said, "ok, now the doctor has to see you and then you can go." when my orthodontist came over to check on me, i instantly knew there would be trouble. he grabbed my top retainer, looked at it, and sighed really loudly. i heard him mumble, "this is not what i asked her to make."

sure enough, they made the wrong type of retainer for me. guess what i had to do over?

that's right: impressions.

everyone in the office just gave me a look of pity because they all know how i am-a big baby. i thought about not getting the numbing spray, but when the technician put the tray in my mouth just to see if it fit (there was no goo in the tray at all), i gagged. the numbing spray was the lesser of two evils. the good news is that they only had to do it once.

stupid impressions.

random

none of my thoughts have been coherent enough for a post. thus, the bullets:

• this is week 2 of having-something-to-do-every-night week. can i whine about being tired?
• i know i haven't posted any pictures of me sans braces. well i have, but i'm not sure if you could tell or not. maybe i'll take more pictures.
• speaking of pictures, i'm wanting a new camera. i was at best buy last night with my family, and i started looking at them. mine is so old and slow, and i really, really, really want a new one. really. the thing is if i save for just 2 months, i can get it. i'm really questioning my patience though. now that i think about it, if i have to wait 2 months anyway, i might as well ask for it for christmas. ok, hernandez family, who's gonna buy me the camera?!
• still tired.
• when i was in elementary school, i remember being really jealous of my teachers. they were able to have drinks on their desk all the time, but we couldn't. the teacher i remember having a sonic drink more than anyone else was my 3rd grade teacher (does anyone else remember that?). whenever we would complain about it, our teachers would say the same thing: "when you go to college and get a degree, you can have all the drinks you want." i have taken that to heart. joey came by yesterday with a drink for me and my aide, and my kids started their complaining. "miss hernandez! why can't we have a sonic drink? that's not fair!" guess what i told them? that's right-"when you got to college and get a degree, you can have all the drinks you want." i've become my mother AND my teachers all rolled into one. yikes.
• speaking of sonic, one of my student's stepdad owns the area sonics. before i knew that, i told him my favorite fast food was chick-fil-a. double yikes. i was mortified when someone told me later what he does for a living. open mouth, insert foot.
  
• my dinner is cooking as i type-beef tips over rice. it smells so good in my house right now. so good.
• we're doing parent-teacher conferences right now. i have them before school. i have them after school. i'll probably have to reschedule some during school. thus, i'm tired. but they are going so well. i am truly blessed to have a class whose parents are involved in their child's education.
• actually, i'm blessed period. i have a great family. great friends. great church family. great job with great teachers. a great car (oh! i owe you pictures on that one too, huh?). and i'm about to tear into my delicious supper. yes indeedy, i'm blessed.
• this has turned into a rather long post, hasn't it? i'm not finished.
• i think because i've had such long days, this week has gone by slowly. i feel like it should be friday already. oh i wish.
• i'm gonna have a great weekend! my cousin's coming into town (with her friend) and i love spending time with her. i always laugh when i'm around her. actually, most of the time i'm laughing at myself because she's making fun of me (wait a second...). then on sunday morning lennon is preaching at our church. that's always exciting news!
• food's finished cooking. gotta go!

i'm still alive!

i know some of you were concerned when i didn't post for a while. if you weren't, pretend you were, ok?

anyway, i had a fantabulous weekend with the girls. i felt so much like a college student again! let's see...friday night courtney and i went to a dessert theater put on by our school. it was really cute. then i went to the asu homecoming pep rally and bonfire (which i totally missed last year-my senior year-because i was studying for my certification exam). the bonfire was extremely hot (shocker) but the weather was cool so it all evened out. later we went to baker street where i ran into my other friend who recently moved to fort worth. it was great seeing her again. i was seriously falling asleep over my white phantom, though.

then on saturday i spent some time with my family (grandma's doing a lot better, thanks for praying), had lunch with them at sunset grill, then met courtney for pedicures. there's nothing quite like getting your toes done to make you feel all girly and "princessy." love it. after we ran errands, i went home to rest before the big game. unfortunately, there was really no point in going. we left when the score was 21-0, but then the other team scored while we were leaving. =( BUT we had some fabulous shirts! kelli went with the girls to get the shirts made while i was getting my pedicure so i didn't get a choice as to how mine looked. but i've got to say, kelli did a pretty good job! i loooooove my asu shirt.

so, um...that about sums up my weekend with my friends. it was definitely overdue. wanna see pictures now?

at the pep rally about to walk over to the bonfire

i walked from the pep rally to the bonfire then back to my car in these heels. i feel empowered!

at the slaughter...i mean game

modeling our shirts

all of us at chilis. it doesn't look like we're too sad about the game, huh?

in rare form

yes, this is another post about my darling students. today they had me almost rolling on the floor laughing. let's begin, shall we?

on one of the papers yesterday, there were about three words written and they had to come up with a rhyming word for each one. the last word was horn. two kids wrote down porn. when my aide pointed it out to me this morning, i almost spit out my coffee. try explaining to a 7 year old why they can't use that word (and for the record, i didn't explain at all. i just said, "let's see if we can come up with another word.").

in my bookcase, i have about three or four brainbusters...you know, those flashcards with all sorts of information on them. they've been sitting there all year, but my kids have just discovered them within the last two weeks. now someone will come up to me so see if they can stump me. they think they're asking me really hard questions (what's 4+4+4+4+4?) so when i answer them correctly, i'm just the smartest person in the world! =) anyway, today one boy asked me to spell dinosaur. i said d-i-n-o-s-a-u-r. he turned away and said, "man!" he came right back and asked what s-h-a-r-k spelled. i told him shark. he looked at the girl standing next to him and said, "man, she's good!" next was a girl's turn. she asked me a math problem-some simple multiplication problem-that i answered easily. she looked at me with big eyes and exclaimed, "how do you know all this stuff? did you go to law school or something?" i could not even answer her because i was laughing so hard. it kind of makes up for the "our teacher's not very smart" comment. kind of. sort of. not really.

later i walked them to p.e. and because the coach wasn't quite ready, i sat with them for a while. one of the girls spoke up and said, "hey, miss hernandez, today's dribble day!" i wasn't quite sure what that was, so i asked her what she meant. turns out they dribble basketballs on thursdays. allllllllllrighty then. after she explained "dribble day" to me, i told them that i used to play basketball. you would have thought that i told them that i had been to the moon. they gasped and just looked at me like "yeah, right!" one boy looked at me with disbelief-"a girl? played basketball?" ohhhhhhh no he didn't!

i debated whether to put this last one on here, but it's not like you don't know i have blonde moments. here we go....today as we were saying the pledge of allegiance, i completely spazzed. in the middle of the pledge, i started saying the pledge to another flag. totally in the middle. i stopped everyone, admitted my mistake, and tried again. would you believe it? i did it again! now i do know the pledge to the american flag, i promise! but my brain was just refusing to work. so i stopped them a second time and we started over. holy cow! i did it again! i finally had to look at someone's folder (they have all the pledges in their folders) and say the pledge of allegiance with the words right in front of me.

the good news is, tomorrow's friday!!!

funnies from today

one of the horrible things about braces is getting the impressions done. they stick a mouth mold filled with nasty goo into your mouth to make impressions of your teeth. when i got it done before they put my braces on, i gagged. nobody told me i had to do it again after i had the braces taken off. again, i was less-than-thrilled. then the technician told me that she could numb my throat so i wouldn't gag. all it involved was her spraying something in the back of my throat. it sounded like a great idea to me, so i told her to go for it. i gagged on the spray. lovely. to make matters worse, the impressions on my top teeth kept coming out wrong, so they did that particular impression FOUR TIMES! being the incredibly smart person that i am, i told them to keep numbing my throat so i wouldn't gag on the goo. i gagged on the spray three times instead. seriously, what is wrong with me? (jeremy, don't you dare answer that question!)

then, the technician made me laugh because when she would take the mold out of my mouth, she would say, "now this is going to suck a little." she meant that it would create a suction, but i was definitely agreeing with her!

i didn't tell my kids exactly where i was going today. i just told them that i had a dr. appointment. when i came back, my aide asked the kids, "can you tell what's different about miss hernandez?" it took .9 seconds for a couple of them to figure it out (i was also smiling really big-that may have helped). one of the them said, "miss hernandez, you look beautiful without braces!" i'm still wondering how i should have taken that.

whatever. my braces are off and i'm happy!

lessons from metal

three years and one month ago exactly, i sat in an orthodontist's chair while my ortho and his nurse put braces on me. i was nervous, scared, and less-than-thrilled. there i sat, a 21 year old with more than braces on my mind. my heart was still bruised from poor choices that i had made nearly a year before. i remember feeling overwhelmed with sadness, and getting braces at that time was not helping.

i've often wondered about the timing of my braces. had it happened any earlier, i wouldn't give them another thought, had it happened any later, i would have refused to allow God to heal me. funny then, that he used something i was not crazy about to teach me a few life lessons.

i had my braces on for 3 years. that's 3 birthdays, 3 christmases, 3 thanksgivings, 3 of everything. and to be completely honest, having braces was painful. my teeth were sore, i couldn't eat, my jaw hurt, the list went on and on. admittedly, i have a very low tolerance for pain (which makes giving birth a scary thought for me...good thing i don't have to think about it for a while). but within a month of getting the braces put on, i had oral surgery to have 8 teeth taken out. i lost 10 pounds within the first 2 months of my braces. as much as i want to lose weight now, i'm not going that route again.

likewise, these past 3 years are not what i would call the best 3 years of my life. things didn't happen the way i planned them. God obviously didn't like my ideas. but in the process of having braces, God taught me something more valuable: anything good that happens comes with a side (or a stinkin' main dish) of pain...also known as growth. there are some great things that happened as a result of these past 3 years-namely pauline, bekah, erin, sarah, and mindy. had life continued the way that it was going, i wouldn't know these girls. we wouldn't be friends. pauline wouldn't be urging me to "spend quality time with Jesus" (more on that later). instead i would be wrapped up in my own world, too self-involved to care about the needs of others. these girls taught me to never give up on someone, because when i felt like i was drowning in the joy that is student teaching, they kept up with me. they called me, encouraged me, convinced me that i needed to play and not just work all the time. mindy made me feel loved when she told me about her dream. knowing that i was nervous about my oral surgery (wouldn't you be nervous about parting with eight teeth?), she dreamt that she went through the same surgery at the same time that i did so that i wouldn't have to go through it alone. she later told me, "i know i can't be there with you, but i'm praying for you." there's just something so wonderful about your friends praying for you.

three years and month later, i sat in the orthodontist's chair yet again, this time to get the braces off. as dr. k was working on shaping and polishing my teeth, i thought about the past three years. no, they were not fun. yes, they hurt. but no, i wouldn't trade them for anything. mostly because i can't (hey, why wish for something you can't have?) but because God used them to shape me into the person i am now. i'm not polished, not by any means, but God's still working on me.

this is where i burst into song: he's still working on me, to make me what i ought to be-well you know the rest...

God used the process of braces to teach me that life hurts. situations stink. people are unkind and unfair. those you love will let you down. but God doesn't wastes those hurts. he uses them to bring good situations out of bad ones. he makes something beautiful out of something ugly. and my sore teeth-albeit straight, sore teeth-are good reminders of the past three years. i don't want to lose what i learned about God's faithfulness and provision.

fortunately i have the retainers for life. oh yes.

for once in my life...

i'm happy to be awake at this ungodly hour. why, you ask?

because my braces come off today, silly. i can't believe you already forgot! how lucky you are that i was here to remind you....

good times

this has just been a wonderful day. i pretty much did nothing all morning, then took a shower and met pauline for lunch at ichiban. oh man, it was so good! i think i could eat their rice every day. yum yum.

then pauline and i went to my school so i could show her my classroom (she hadn't seen it yet) and when she left i worked for a little over 2 hours. i feel like i got so much done today, but of course there's always work to do.

now i'm getting ready to go to lake view for my dad's concert. i'm the sound person, you know! i get paid pretty well for that gig...a meal at franco's. can't beat that. and then tomorrow is the biggest day of all...

MY BRACES FINALLY COME OFF!!!!!!

go ahead. clap for me.

God bless christopher columbus

because of him, i have a day off from school today.

i just love him!

a nice surprise

yesterday morning i got a nice surprise: my best friend from high school (and elementary and junior high) texted me and told me that she would be in town this weekend. i was so excited! i haven't seen her since she got married (over a year ago...yikes!) so i was definitely going to make time to see her...like i'm so busy. =)

anyway, we met tonight and it was so great catching up. we were on a time limit, but we definitely could have talked much longer. now that i think about it, back in the day we would be in school together all day, and then talk on the phone after school until my dad told me to get off the phone. yes, i was one of those girls. i'm sure you're shocked.

as i was driving home, i realized what a blessing our friendship has been to me. we met in the 3rd grade and have been best friends since then. as expected, we didn't see each other as much in college, but we were able to pick up wherever we left off. now she lives far, far away from san angelo, but i still consider her my best friend. God has definitely been good to us. i love you, amanda!

the best day

the other day in reading group (ok, it was closer to 2 weeks ago) we were reading a story called "the best day." after we had finished reading it, one of the boys stuck his hand in the air and said, "MISS HERNANDEZ! (first graders speak in all caps...at least the boys do) THE WORST DAY OF THE WEEK IS MONDAY!" i smiled and was about to say something when another boy added, "YEAH, BUT THE BEST DAY OF THE WEEK IS FRIDAY!"

how do they know this? they're only 6 years old! but speaking of bad days...

today was definitely not the best. i had a ridiculously high number of kids in trouble for-you guessed it-talking. there were even two boys who haven't gotten in trouble all year, but when i told them to stop talking, they started right back up again. i'm not a big fan of disobedience. so when i told them to pull a card, there were tears. one of the boys, however, had a slightly different perspective:

as we were getting ready to go home, he came up to me and told me that he wouldn't get in trouble at home for what happened at school. i know for a fact that his parents discipline him, so i asked him why he wouldn't get in trouble. he calmly shrugged and said, "because i'm already in trouble!" it turns out he got in trouble because his writing grades haven't been too great-not because he has bad handwriting, but because he isn't trying hard enough and rushes through his work. so i guess he got a free pass since he was already in trouble. ah, first grade logic. i love it!

the first attempt at a picture

it was kelli trying to take the picture, not me.

the verdict

well here, take a look and tell me what you think.

after i grilled the steak, i wrapped it in foil and let it sit for 5 minutes. it's a great way to get the juices out, which i immediately poured back on the steak when i unwrapped it. then i poured the caesar dressing over it and topped it with parmesan cheese. it's definitely a keeper! i've never had a meal from peppers that i didn't like, but this one is definitely tied for first-the other one being crusted beef tenderloin.

yeah, be jealous.

tonight for dinner

we are having steak caesar and diced red potatoes from preppers.

wish you could be here. =)

oh, and the southwest mac & cheese was delicious. just thought i'd let you know!

happy belated birthday...roddick

yes, our dear roddick had a birthday this week, and i was too tired to blog about it. poor baby!

anyway, on tuesday roddick turned 2...or 14. whatever. it's hard to believe that we've had him for a year and a half already. he's such a cute-albeit a little crazy-dog. someone asked if we were having a party for him, and i told them that roddick has no friends because he's so agressive. poor baby wants friends but doesn't realize that it's his own fault he doesn't have any (sarah, macy doesn't count. they aren't even married!).

anyway, here's last year's picture. yes, his party hat has his name on it. grandma made it for him. he's spoiled.

there's so much to blog about

but i'm just too tired. maybe tomorrow.

maybe.

an incredibly amazing day

yes, it's true. i had a wonderful day. let's start at the beginning.

it's my goal to get to work by 7:00 every morning. on the days it actually happens (like twice since school started), i get 45 uninterrupted, blissful minutes to myself. it's pretty crazy how much work i can get done in 45 minutes. but like i said, i don't always make it by 7. so my realistic goal has become 7:15 a.m. this morning, i got to work about 7:10...pretty good considering i was so completely slow at getting out of bed when my alarm went off.

anyway, i got a lot of work done before i had to pick up my kiddos, and the morning just flew by. i walked them to p.e. and when i got back to my desk there was a cute pumpkin dish filled my favorite-m&ms. yummo! there was no card or name, so i asked my aide where it came from and she said, "i don't know...i guess the autumn bug!" hmmm.....at least the autumn bug knows my taste!

when i walked my kids to lunch, i discovered that we had a teacher luncheon today. i had no clue that it was supposed to be today, but it was definitely a nice surprise! we had all sorts of great food. i would just like to say that i have a new favorite casserole (actually i wasn't even sure i had a favorite casserole before this). somebody made a hashbrown casserole with crushed corn flakes on top. yummo!

later, my sweet momma bought me a sonic drink. i am always in the mood for a sonic drink! then after school, i met some friends at preppers. i'm thinking that preppers is God's gift to non-cookers. kelli and i have some incredible dinners for this week: southwest mac & cheese, steak caesar, beef & broccoli, and mediterranean shrimp. that's right, we have all that. and the servings are only for two, so sorry. =) however, you NEED to try preppers if you haven't. it is seriously amazing. there are no words to describe how great this place is. and when you go, call me to go with you. i think i'm addicted to that place.

and finally, i came home and worked on lesson plans that are now completed for next week. i was productive today. i don't know what to do myself.

COMPLETELY out of the ordinary

i just finished my lesson plans for next week. on a monday. not the monday after they're due. the monday before they're due.

i feel like i don't even know myself anymore.

i washed my car

and it rained. again.

so next time you want it to rain, tell me to wash my car.

mixed emotions

ah, first graders. let me give you some background on this latest story.

my kids have spelling homework every day except wednesday. i send home a paper that has the list on the top, and a place to write the words on the bottom. i completely forgot to put their spelling homework in their folder thursday, so as you can imagine, i had some very confused parents and students friday morning. of course my students were very quick to point out my mistake. later that day we were taking a math test, and i was calling out combinations to them and they had to write down the answer. i made another mistake (which cracked them up) so i said, "miss hernandez is full of mistakes, isn't she?" while everyone laughed, one girl said, "but you're still beautiful!"

wait. the story's not over.

later my kids went to the library, and the librarian gave them a riddle. after library time was over, the librarian dropped off the class and told them that she would tell me the riddle to see if i could get it. they all got a big kick out of the fact that i didn't get the riddle (hey, it was hard!) and when they calmed down from telling me the answer, i heard one boy say under his breath, "our teacher's not very smart."

yeah. it was a great day.

mechanical pencils

so one of the drawbacks of 1st grade is the constant sharpening of pencils. i try to keep a rather large number of sharpened pencils, but by the end of the day it always dwindle down to...zero (side note: i found all those missing pencils this morning. they were behind a bookcase.)

anyway, a couple of weeks ago one girl came to me and asked me to sharpen her pencil. i sharpened it and then jokingly said, "and don't come back for 3 weeks!" my aide laughed and said, "wouldn't it be nice if we only had to sharpen pencils every 3 weeks?!" i suddenly had an idea: i would invent a pencil that didn't have to sharpened every day. then about 5 seconds later it hit me...

we already have that. it's called a mechanical pencil.

my life is complete

today i did two things that i absolutely love to do: watch a volleyball game and eat chick-fil-a for dinner.

what else do i need?

from the mouth of babes

remember this post? it hasn't happened yet.

the other day in reading group, the girl sitting next to me pointed right under my eye and asked, "is that a birthmark?" when i told her no, she replied, "well it's darker there than the rest of your skin."

these kids are killing my self-image.

my brother's a movie star!!!!

as some of you know, joey has been involved in musical theatre for a little while now. it's really neat that he gets to do it, and i've enjoyed seeing him in his element. this past may, joey was ryan evans in high school musical. as it turns out, my 1st graders are huge fans of that movie.

about the 3rd day of school, joey brought me lunch (chick-fil-a of course) so i introduced him to my class. a mom told me a few days later that her daughter told her, "mom! my teacher's brother was in high school musical!" she was clearly very impressed.

last week joey was a sweetheart and brought me a drink while i was at school. i was just finishing up reading groups when he walked in. of course my kids got really excited, and then even more so when they saw that he was wearing his high school musical shirt. i heard someone ask him, "are you going to be in high school musical 3?" he laughed and said no.

later my aide just kind of mentioned in passing something that i think is true: they think joey was in the movie, not the play.

my brother's a movie star!