7 years ago today

Seattle, Washington

     7 years ago today, I was on my honeymoon.
     Yesterday was my anniversary.  I guess I should say "our" since it takes two to get married unless you are Sue Sylvester on Glee (love that show!).  Some might think that occasionally having your anniversary on Father's Day and it always being near Father's Day might make the anniversary part minimal.  For me, it brings into focus the two different parts of this man that I married.  It reminds me of who I married. 

     J.  will tell you that it didn't take long for him to fall in love with me.  He was divorced so I credit him with experience as to what he did or didn't want.  For me, it took a little longer.  I think I was in love with the idea before I was in love with him.  Falling in love with him happened when a friend of mine went to Georgia for her war wedding (so romantic - short summary - her fiance' was being sent over and they wanted to be husband and wife before he went.) J.  went with me.  Together, we did our best to help make this event as much of a traditional American wedding as we could.   It was great and he revealed a lot of his character on that trip.  I really got to know him and the core of his person.  So that and the fact that the bride is one of my best friends and her response was "I like him" as compared to the last response to the guy I dated being "Do you like him, honey?" NOTE:  Friends, especially best ones who REALLY know you, opinions should be taken very seriously.  Anyway, those two factors made me look at him in a different light.  I had really liked him before but I found myself falling in love with him.  I knew that I hadn't made a mistake an truly loved him and all that he was when I sat with him for 2 hours while he flipped through three airline sites to find the best air fare for our honeymoon.

E

     Sometimes, my husband and I will look at each other and ask why do you love me?  Usually, this happens when the askee has been particularly bratty and is asked in a tone of wonder because the other has been extremely patient.  So here it is:

S

I love you because . . . you see me as beautiful, you think I am smart, you make me laugh, we share the same core values, you are a believer, you love children, you respect my parents, you like my friends and they like you, you make me want to be better, you answer stupid questions, you have read poetry, you like science fiction, you are sexy, you have gorgeous eyes, you are very, VERY smart, you can cook, you love our children, you are kind, you are understanding, you are irritating, you are a provider, you are driven to be a better person, you care about the world, you are loyal to your friends, you think it is great to spend the day going to bookstores, you challenge me, you get me.
     I could go on, but there is a word limit, I think. 
     I love my husband because of all these things and seeing him as the father of my children has made me love him more.  I like having my anniversary on Father's Day because I get to see my husband in his two different roles as they overlap.  It makes me all the more glad that I didn't let him go.
Happy Anniversary, sweetheart, and happy Father's Day.

We are the teachers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/04/teacher-punches-student_n_871112.html
Watch the above link and let's be honest.

I know that my blog doesn't have a national audience.  The only people who read it are friends of mine.  So really, this is just a way for me to express myself and share it with people I know.  I think life is all about perspective so let's change the perspective of the above incident  to a street corner or a grocery store.  Now, who would the charges have been brought against?  Did you SEE the size of that kid? 
I have been in a similar situation.  I saw a 7th grader shove another against the wall.  Both kids were bigger than me and I marched him to the principal's office.  Now, I did not touch this child but his grandmother accused me of shaking him so hard his teeth rattled.  Really, you should have seen this kid.  If it weren't for the fact that another teacher had witnessed everything from start to finish, there might have been a different outcome because I hadn't had the wherewithal to defend myself.   
Child abuse exists and teachers - unfortunately - have been perpetrators.  However, when did respect go out of the classroom and when did common sense?  We should not hurt our children, those born to us and those placed in our care but neither should we be intimidated by them.  We are to teach them and that includes respect.  That child should have been expelled and the teacher should not have had to leave her classroom because that told all the students at that school where the power lies and it doesn't lie with the adults. 

Why did no one think of this before?

I have a friend whose blog is I would say mostly about style.  She is always posting things that she finds for dirt cheap and then uses in her house in some amazing way.  If you want to check out her blog go to http://mapleleavessycamoretrees.blogspot.com/ Really, it is very cool.  The point?  Well, she re-purposes some stuff (see table turned ottoman) and it got me to thinking:  S. received a picnic table for his birthday - thank you very much Grammy and Grandpa! - and we set it up in the living room so that the kids could eat on it for his birthday dinner.  Seeing it there made me think that this would be the perfect coffee table!  No, really!  It matched my decor (sort of) and it would have a dual purpose - something that I love for things to have!  It would be awesome!  I tried the idea on my sister and she didn't seem convinced.  Just wait though, when she has baby Whatsit in July, I think that she will come over to the dark, I mean, my side!