Daniel´s blog post that you might want to read not all at once because it is long.

So here's why I’m bad at blogging: I have a serious authenticity fetish, or perhaps TMI complex. It's not always a bad thing -- it helps Rebekah and I be totally open with each other -- but it makes it really hard to blog. Because once I start writing, I want to say EVERYTHING, which causes 2 issues: 

         1. It’s the internet, and no matter how much one loves authenticity, not EVERYTHING should be placed where anybody can read it.

         2. I realize that to write enough to satisfy me will be a HUGE endeavor, and that becomes an overwhelming thought that prevents me from starting.

But I will nonetheless commence. It will be a long post, so I have divided it up into the following segments for your reading convenience. You may want to stop after a section and come back:

1.     Our apartment is now a home.

2.     Our church home we have found

3.     My first day of subbing

4.     Potential for photography work

5.     Our half-year anniversary weekend

6.     Spending less money on stuff

7.     Dinner with the neighbors

8.     Upcoming transition out of Crazy-Rebekah’s-Start-Of-School

1.     Our apartment is now a home.

Living room

happy.

(notice pretty plant given to us by neighbor ladies)

 

Living room and some kitchen/dining room

viewed from the entry way.

The bike garage!

Some special wedding things

in the top of the armoire in the living room 

Office and Workshop/Craft table. 

Tabletops are finished plywood, leveled on crates, file cabinets, etc. Fun project!

Finally some shelf space!

Cute little bathroom.

Little bedside reading corner.

Closet: Organized.

We love our kitchen. 

My favorite shelf is on top of the cupboards, 

where all our appliances and bulk foods go for quick access

Note the food pyramid I cut out from a cereal box! 

Also the vitamins on the stove. We want to stay healthy!

"Dining room" (i.e. eating corner)

Fun centerpiece 

It´s nice to feel like it´s a home.

2.     Our church home we have found:

Happy and eerily fitting. It's Central Christian Church, we liked the non-denominationally specific name, and the website that appeared to represent a desire for contemporary relevance, so we went and visited. We found a church home where we feel we can be fed, and where we can feed.

Why we like this Church:

-         They get that if the Bible is entirely “telling the truth”, that´s a big deal. They take sin and salvation seriously. They are excited about God's victory and their place in it.

-         They challenge each other a lot. In “Sunday School” (basically a Bible study and book group blend) people were bringing really tough questions about what it means to be believers, and disagreeing vocally and healthily.

-         They are keen to the needs of their community. They support a local domestic abuse and rape crisis center, and they´re going to learn Spanish as a church (well, those who sign up anyway) because the pastor and the board are convicted about needing to be open to and reach out to the Hispanic community.

-         Our role in the church feels clear, even eerily (divinely?) so. We arrived the Sunday the pastor shared in the sermon about his conviction that the church needed to learn Spanish. (The day before, a Spanish speaking man had come to the church asking for help and the pastor had floundered, barely getting the man what he needed by drawing pictures.) The church is buying the Rosetta stone software, which will work well for the large group EXCEPT that congregants won´t be able to speak into and be corrected by the computer. That´s where I (and Rebekah) fit in, helping correct pronunciation and accent, which have always been strong-suits of mine. Of course there will be other forms of teaching that we can do, but that's a critical one. In other news, they are looking for young adults, people to sing, people to youth minister. I have long thought I would want to help out with youth ministry, and choir is a given.

So basically, not only do we feel like we can be fed here, we feel like we can feed. And both are critical components of being in the Body of Christ. It´s not that we feel that the church is perfect -- we have some pointed concerns here and there -- but we do feel like it´s where we´re “supposed to be” (whatever that means exactly…)

P.S. Especially since one of my major looming questions right now is what kind of truth do I believe is in the Bible, I really like that here´s a church that believes it´s really really inspired, and thus will continue to force the question for me. It was easy to get lazy about that question at Gustavus, where not a lot of people believe in the “authority of scripture”.

3.     My first day of subbing:

Fun, lively, a little draining, precious. To get some high-level people-interaction time, I decided to sign up for substitute teaching. The kids were the helpful-est, sweetest bunch of little third graders EVER. The first half hour of class was filled with their exuberance as they explained everything I would need to know for the day, with a high level of honesty (which I could test by asking other kids). Once class got started, they would get chatty quickly, and like Rebekah, I found myself too permissive on the front end. But after finally giving a kid some recess detention I had the 1-on-1 chance to ask him about classroom management. He said it was louder than usual, and that he liked it quieter. (Funny, coming from the one kid loud enough to get detention!)  I asked him what I was doing wrong. He told me a couple of the teacher’s tricks. When I got back to the class I gave my version of “the talk”, which for me mostly included asking the kids the same things I asked “Detention Boy”: Was it louder than usual? Which way do you prefer it? I found that we were all on the same team, so we figured out some strategies we could all do to get it quieter. My job was to be tougher. “Do you understand why I’m going to mark you for a warning?” The kids were compliant and helpful even when receiving discipline.

Overall, I found that it worked best to recognize those little humans as humans, enlist their opinions and support, and create solutions together with them, and hold up my disciplinary end of the bargain. All in all I had a great time. At the end of the day, one of the boys, who was wearing a “tough guy” shirt, asked me, “hey, before you go, can I, like, hug you?” I got a couple nice notes from students, and it was quite sad to see them go.

All that being said, I admittedly returned home quite tired, gaining a useful understanding for when Rebekah comes home pooped and doesn’t want to move.

4.     Potential for photography work:

Two photographers just left town or retired. Nice. I probably won’t be too hard core about photography, but will do just enough to spice up the week and bring in a couple extra bucks.

5.     Our half-year anniversary weekend:

A fun splash of do-overs and grace. Our weekend started out funny. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget some things repeatedly, like the fact that REBEKAH IS AN INTROVERT AND AFTER A WEEK OF HARD WORK IN THE CLASSROOM SHE NEEDS ALONE-TIME AND REST! Friday afternoon and evening contained a futile attempt to celebrate our six-month-a-versary, ending with the 7pm conclusion that Rebekah just needed to rest, and that we’d have a “Do-Over” on Saturday and some of Sunday.

Do-overs are happy. There’s some definite Jesus-ness involved in do-over-ing. “You know what, we messed up, we hurt each others’ feelings, but we can forgive that and start anew.” We went for ice cream Saturday AND Sunday, and we still have more than half of a Billy’s restaurant gift card that Grandma Chris sent down for us so we can have a do-over of our Friday night restaurant excursion too.

6.     Spending less money on stuff:

Air Conditioning - We have continued to use A/C infrequently, despite a long string of 105-degree days. Approx. monthly savings: $80-100

Cell phones - Approx. monthly savings: $125. If you don’t like tech details, skip this paragraph. Or if you want, you can call me, and get an enthusiastic explanation.  We were sick of our $170/mo verizon bill. It gave us two mobile phones with internet that we could use from our computers. Nice for mobility, but not real necessary here. “Did you need your phone to be a cellphone today?... Me neither.” So we're going with landline and internet for $32/mo and an emergency cell (25c/min). Google Voice will let us keep our old phone numbers but have them ring our computers as well as our landline and emergency phone, with dirt cheap calls (free through 2011, prob 1-3 cents per min after that). So basically, it’s like a landline, but that we have whenever we have internet. Since we only pay on the emergency phone if we pick up, it serves as a pager to let us know when our Google Numbers (our main numbers) are being rung, and if someone calls twice, we can pick up.

Food - My guess is that we’re at or just above $2 per day per person while militantly following the food pyramid. Beans, tortillas, rice, potatoes, and occasional chicken form our carb and protein base. Bananas, plums, oranges, apples, carrots, broccoli, green beans, and spinach compose most of our fruits and veggies, and we’re good about taking our vitamins. I don’t know what to compare to in order to get “amount saved”, but let’s say, just to be arbitrary, $120 saved per month.

Transportation - Rebekah and I are starting to reconsider our need for a car. Car ownership is expensive. Like, really expensive:

Long-term financial benefits of biking: http://www.bikesatwork.com/carfree/cost-of-car-ownership.html

Who's paying how much? http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/cost-car-ownership.asp#axzz1WWqDffxe

What about our civic? http://www.edmunds.com/honda/civic/2007/tco.html?style=100804557

We're realizing that Liberal, being about 4 miles in diameter, and only 2 miles to R's school, is quite bike-able in general. I have been exclusively biking, and finding it quite viable, even in the heat. On a bike, there is almost nothing slowing you down but wind, so you get a lot of dry Kansas wind for not a lot of exertion. Dry wind = evaporation = cooling. And for those 6-12 days a year that it’s icy, or when it's too rainy or windy, we could hire a ride from a friend like I did in college. Or perhaps we could get a more stable 3-wheeled reclining bike, perhaps with studded winter tires. 


All of these ideas are in design and early experimentation. Without solid counsel and experience under our belts, we won't be making any decisions. And "getting good experience" will probably entail living through a winter here. Above all, we need to take this decision-making process slow, since Rebekah has a ton on her plate right now, and is not by nature or nurture incredibly predisposed to utility bike riding. For now, we're still just thinking about it and keeping our mind open to a number of possibilities.

7.     Dinner with the neighbors:

FUN! These are such sweet ladies. The same ones who garden the front of our whole quinta-plex townhome building, and who gave us a plant, and gave me some lunches, AND who gave us PILES of veggies from a relative's garden… invited us over for dinner! Meatloaf per R´s request, and stewed veggies. I promise the generosity has not been only one-way: I gave them a small TV that we didn't want, and a bike helmet that we bought before my dad shipped mine down from MN. Very fun friends. They´re kind of “my” friends, while R has her school friends. I'm sure I'll move into some deep relationships at church, but Laura and Luchia have definitely become my first friends here.

8.     Upcoming transition out of Crazy-Rebekah’s-Start-Of-School:

Daniel moves from Hardcore Homemaker to... Research-y Renaissance guy? I told Rebekah that for the first two weeks of her teaching, she wouldn’t have to lift a finger in regards to kitchen and house work. We’re going to move away from that now, given that she's now pretty much getting her feet on the ground, and given that we want to consider that the work I do here is equally important, even though it is not as externally structured or immediately compensated. I guess I would divide the work I’ll be doing here in the coming year as follows:

Individual exploration

• Independent research: economics, simple living, social movements, community organizing, etc.
• Theological / worldview questions: What kind of truth is in the Bible? What matters?
•  Look into grad schools that I might be interested in enrolling for, prepare applications.

Local community

• Substitute teaching
• Volunteer at Church
• Volunteer at UnitedWay and/or other organizations?
• Photography business, perhaps with a "Bottom of the Pyramid" social business model?

Faraway community

• Vice President, Wiñarisum Health Alliance (in formation)
•  Participate in learning circles (for example, sharing and getting feedback on things I’m researching and writing, and vice versa) with people I know from my Minnesota life.

So there. I don´t pretend that this post was edited for flow, style, or even readability, but I decided that I´d rather write a clunky update than no update at all. All in all, I´d say that we're getting our feet on the ground, digging in, and having fun and joy quite nicely these recent weeks.

Peace!


~Daniel

I Love My Kiddos!

So today after school, instead of starting to grade my kids' letters about English, I decided to read through their "all about me" surveys.

Best decision ever!

First of all, it was really fun for me to get to learn a little more about the kids and what's "in" now -- like JUSTIN BIEBER. Oh my goodness. Pretty sure I underestimated the degree to which some preteen girls are SERIOUSLY obsessed with Justin Bieber.

Mainly, though, I loved reading the surveys because it reminded me of how much I ADORE middle schoolers. They're so earnest, all of them (though some a little deeper down than others). I was so floored by how much some of them shared with me -- one about her struggles with an unnamed learning challenge, one about how if he could have one wish it would be for his parents to get back together, one about how "I am actually a good kid". It just makes me want to CRY and HUG THEM!!! They are so precious!

So. Tomorrow, I am going to take the time to tell all my classes how much I enjoyed reading their surveys, and how much I enjoy and appreciate their being in my class. I hope they believe me. Because it's true... I love every single one! =)

~Rebekah

*Sniff Sniff*

Good News: Today went really well. In my classes today, we:

• Practiced raising our hands!
• Had library orientation!
• Attempted to dredge the Parts of Speech out of summer-fallow brains!
• Had some great discussions about what it means to "make every day your masterpiece"!

Bad News: Right now I just feel gross and behind, because:

• Western Kansas appears to have an overabundance of every allergen imaginable right now!
• ...and therefore I feel stuffy and disgusting!
• ...and therefore I stared at my computer for 30+ minutes and was unable to produce lesson plans!

*sigh* I'll get the hang of this eventually.

(Good News: At least I know what I'm doing tomorrow.)

The First Days of School

Hooray, hooray, I have officially survived my first two days of school!!! =D

How? Well, I'll tell you about it. *cue music* "She's going to tell!" ("She's going to tell!") "She's going to--"
"NO, NOT LIKE THAT -- STOP SINGING!!!"

Ok, so maybe just a simple game of "Bad News/Good News". (Also, brownie points to anyone who got the above reference! If you're confused, check the bottom of this post for the "answer".)

DAY ONE: MONDAY, AUG. 15TH

Bad News: I was so nervous that I couldn't even eat all my breakfast. I mean, I knew I'd be ok... but it's the first day, you know? It's just kinda scary sometimes. I got to school and got things situated (like getting a class schedule...), and then there were KIDS! It was crazy -- there are so many of them! I have about 100 students, and that's a looooot of names to have thrown at me all at once!

Good News: We have TA (Teacher Advisory) the first half hour of the day, so I only had 13 kids to start out. Much more manageable -- very quiet. We do "MIRP" (Monitored Independent Reading Practice) every day for 20 mins in TA, so I introduced myself, got the kids books and reading logs, and then basically sat and watched them read silently for 20 mins. Great first class. =)

Bad News: First block (my first REAL class) was SUPER CHATTY. I really should probably have given out some consequences... but it was the first day. Really though, I tried everything to get them quiet -- waiting, raising my hand, using the "time-out" sign (worked once great, then less effective)... just wanted to talk. Got through our stuff ok, but it was a bit draining.

Good News: Second block went GREAT! I'm guessing this is partially due to the fact that I have a super awesome para named Brandi in there with me, and she doesn't take any nonsense. It's wonderful to have her in class with us -- I can tell that she's a real stabilizing presence, for the kids AND for me! =)

Good/Bad News: Third block is LUNCHTIME! (Actually it's prep hour, but it also includes lunchtime, so we Lang. Arts folks get to eat lunch whenever we want. Win.) I really like having a chill lunch hour and also a break right in the middle of my day. Plus yesterday was SUPER SPECIAL, because Daniel biked all the way to school and found me in the lunch room so that he could bring me my favorite ice cream on my first day!! Soooo happy and special! =)  The only bad part about this on the first day was that I already felt WIPED! But hey, it's the first day. We need to get re-used to school days too!

Good News: Fourth block also went really well -- which is funny, because this is the hour that I was probably warned about the most. Just goes to show that no matter what kids did last year, they could always surprise you and decide to make good choices this year, which is awesome! Also, I have another wonderful para with me this block (Mr. Alsup), so I'm sure that helps too. =)

Bad News: Fifth block. Oh my goodness. I had thought first block was bad, but my goodness. I don't know how I survived fifth block yesterday. This group of kids contains a lot of former ELL students (English Language Learners, for you non-teacher folk) as well as being about two-thirds boys. And it's the last class of the day. ...Yeah. Suffice it to say that I was not prepared to handle this class's pushing, so I let them get away with WAYYY more than I should have.

Good News: I made it. Somehow. Saved by the bell. And, thankfully, I have my AMAZING coworkers to lift me up when I'm down! Both Jack (7th grade Lang Arts, also new) and Irene (mentor teacher) were really supportive and encouraging, plus also Jill (7th math, I think?) came into my room just to check how my first day went. So nice! =))

Bad News: I still burst into tears the moment I walked in our door.

Good News: Luckily, Daniel was there to hold me for a little while. =)  I had a good cry, and we had a great chat about how I was going to turn behavior management around in my classes today. I went to bed feeling much better (and having chatted with many family members, yay!).

TUESDAY, AUG. 16TH

Bad News: I woke up nervous again today. I couldn't finish my breakfast again... but I just tried to keep telling myself that things were going to be fine. And I practiced my "little talk".

Good News: I made sure to get to school with plenty of time to get calm and not feel rushed going into TA, so that was nice. I got things ready for class. And I practiced my "talk" some more.

Bad News: I realized two minutes after TA started that I had forgotten to make copies for one of the activities I was introducing today!!

Good News: I asked my across-the-hall neighbor what I should do, and she said, "Oh, I have prep next hour, I can run them off for you. How many do you need?" So nice. =)

Good News: Got my first block started with their seating charts and their "bell-ringers" (first 10 mins activity), and then I had our "little chat". I nailed my speech. They were rapt. I had them.

Bad News: I did still have one student in first block who chose to earn a consequence. (2nd infractions get you a trip to the library next door to fill out aforementioned behavior chart, which needs to be presented at the door in order to get back into my classroom.) But there was only one. And hopefully he will choose differently tomorrow.

Good News: Second block went great again. Lunch was fun. (Though no ice cream today, hehe.) Fourth block went great also. Then... it was time for fifth block. DUN DUN DUNNNN!

Bad News: When the bell rang, I still had probably half the class in the back of the room milling around the seating charts, because they couldn't figure out where they were supposed to sit. So I waded in and grabbed it and found their seats.

Good News: Once they were seated, they got going writing their bell-ringer... we had our group process of their writing... and then I gave my "little talk". I started by asking them what grade they would give themselves for their behavior yesterday. They were honest, which I appreciated -- C's, D's, and F's. I talked about how we wouldn't have a whole year of days like yesterday, and how it's my job to protect their learning time so that they have the opportunity to succeed when they graduate. I told them about the consequences we were going to have in our class, and I told them that I didn't want them to choose those consequences, because I want them in my classroom. I pointed to my poster by the door that says "Make every day your masterpiece," and I told them that I put it there because I want them to have awesome days every day and not just "survive" life. I told them I never want to see the behavior chart again, and to please, please choose our class and learning and masterpieces over consequences.  And it worked! Today was MUCH better!

Bad News: I did still have two boys who ended up choosing library time... but honestly, I thought I was gonna have to send half the class to the principal today, so I was thrilled that it was as minor as it was! I did have a decent number of warnings, but only a few went past that, thank goodness.

Good News: With the big behavior stuff addressed, we LEARNED today! It was amazing -- it's like once these kids knew that (a) I wasn't gonna take their crap and (b) I WANT them here, they just went for it! It was so cool -- I could SEE the learning in their EYES! I seriously think that this fifth block group is going to be my favorite, just because THEY are why I teach. These are the kids who need me the most, and I can already feel myself starting to love them. =)

So I ended today with all smiles and no tears, and a much better hope of a wonderful school year! Yayyyyy!

Off to lesson plan -- more updates later. =)

~Rebekah


p.s. "Secret" reference: Monty Python & the Holy Grail. The Tale of Sir Lancelot. Check it out.

Not so lonely after all!

When it became clear we were heading to Kansas, far away from my (Daniel´s) lifetime homeland of Minnesota, with Rebekah to have a full time job and me to work from the home, we were all afraid that extroverted little Daniel would suffocate during the "long lonely days", and then overwhelm Rebekah with accumulated extrovert neediness when she returned home. It´s hard to say definitively, but after a week or so, it´s looking like there´s not so much to fear! My family and I have long known that I have not only a fierce extroverted side, but an intense introverted solitudinous side too. I think we forgot that when we were being most afraid. And in my days at home, I am finding myself fairly content to pretty much work all day. For example, I have been taking a great satisfaction in converting a big box (apartment) full of little boxes (our stuff) into a homely, warm, functional, aesthetic home. (I will post pictures once I feel my "masterpiece" is complete.)

Rebekah already reported our A/C-less victory over the nefarious heat monster, which is very pleasing given the $150++ our neighbors were reporting paying for their electric bill. The kitchen is fully complete, and the mildew-monster (in one of our couches and several drawers of clothing) is slain or at least in remission. Having also established an office with which I am very pleased, I have begun to transition away from the home-establishing task and into a host of other logistical things... Peru-related tasks, financial documents, planning our internet and phone services, etc.

I have found a great satisfaction in taking care of Rebekah during this time, bringing her food from our kitchen, rushing to the rescue with a handful of onerous teaching tasks such as transcription, gluing, etc.. This is her week of madness since she needs to get everything to a Braille translator 2 weeks in advance, but they only told her 2 work days before classes start, putting her a week and a half behind from the get go. Not to mention the fact that tomorrow´s her FIRST DAY ON THE JOB!

Naturally we think about gender, gender differences/trends, gender roles, etc. from time to time. Partially because Rebekah and I are, of course, doing the approximate inverse of the "normal" or traditional work roles. Our decision to be okay with this path partly comes from debunking gender roles. But in reality, it satisfies MOST of the traditional views... there is nothing that feels more chivalrous than to make sure that if she´s got lots prep to do, that she doesn´t have to lift a finger when she gets home. Not that I´m a big chivalry buff, but I guess all I´m saying is that the work-role flip doesn´t really feel problematic at all.

So overall, it´s clear that I´m not SO extroverted that I can´t deal with working alone all day. I have not sat depressed tapping my desk. When Rebekah comes home, I have not pleaded for her attention, or overwhelmed her with clinginess.

Nevertheless I still like people... when presented with new people, I jump in in the usual friendly way... our neighbors are SUPER nice and friendly! They always say Hi and chat when we bump into each other at our front doors. It´s a mom and daughter. They have given me yummy lunch on one occasion. (I think they might be assuming that if Rebekah´s not home, there´s nobody to cook for me hehe.) They enthusiastically lent me their vaccuum cleaner for my war on mildew, and yesterday they bought all three of their new neighbor families plants, and left them on each of our doorsteps, saying "welcome to the neighborhood". Also, I´m spending some time enjoying continuing (now long distance) friendships. Adolfo and I keep up business chat and banter on MSN messenger, Bruce has been debating me quite enthusiastically around the nature of scripture, revelation, etc. via email. I talked with Noah for a good hour and a half about his summer, and have been chatting here and there with a few other friends and family.

Given the amount of logistical stuff I still have to deal with, I haven´t started looking for people-contact part-time-jobs yet, but I did call to sign up for a grant-writing conference being offered by United Way. Should be cool. When the time for jobs comes, I think I´ll start by looking at substitute teaching, and perhaps some youth group stuff, and stuff like that.

Back to work!

Daniel

My Middle School Is Awesome... Usually.

Today I was working in my classroom, trying to shorten my (still) fairly long list of things to do before my kiddos get here on Monday. Since I'm still waiting for an extension cord to get put in so my digital projector has power, I brought one from home so that I could fire it up and make sure it was in working order and all. So I plugged it in, turned it on--

And it was upside-down.

My digital projector, for which I prayed and begged, is mounted to my ceiling upside-down, and it projects the images upside-down on my whiteboard.

Beating the Heat! ...and other exciting things.

SO. Remember how last time I was bemoaning our sad lack of airflow knowledge? WELL! Today it was 99 degrees out, and we successfully kept the house cool without ever turning on the air! We kept the windows open all night (with fans) to suck in some nice, 65-degree night air, and then as soon as we got up we shut all the windows and kept the doors shut as much as possible. Lo and behold, it worked! Still pretty comfortable (especially if you wear tanktops and run a fan) at 7:30, and soon we'll have some new night air to start the process all over again. Hooray for beating the heat!

In other news, today was the first day my school was in operation, although I did not have my kids today. Since my middle school is 7th and 8th grade, they decided to have an orientation day just for the new "sevvies" to find their way around. So today we had kids, which was really fun, but not mine, which kinda stunk but that's ok. It was actually pretty fun because they paired us 8th grade folks with a 7th grade teacher and we just shadowed them and helped them out with running errands, having some "grown up" conversations, kid corralling, and, of course, LOCKER LESSONS! It's really funny to see the kids on their first day of middle school and realize how many things I didn't know in 7th grade. Here are some examples:

THINGS 7TH GRADERS DON'T KNOW:
1. How to operate a simple rotary combination lock. (Although I will say a few figured it out quickly.)
2. That one hour of homework a night is not a lot.
3. How to get up out of a desk whose chair is attached. (This was HILARIOUS. We had lessons.)

Seriously. That last one was incredibly amusing. I ended up modeling and having practice with two different classes, just because they were struggling so much at the beginning of the day. I thought someone was going to trip and injure themselves. They kept trying to push their chairs back like they would in an unattached chair and they looked soooo confused when their desks came with them. It was ADORABLE -- and it made me miss my 7th graders from student teaching. *sniff sniff*

So the "ickle sevvies" were fun today -- it was nice just to have some kids in the building -- but I think my favorite part of teaching here so far is still the awesome collaboration, support, and cohesiveness of the English department. Seriously, I can already tell that I would not make it through this school year if I didn't have Irene and Melody (the "mommas" of the LA teachers) to show me what's what. I love that we collaborate on what we're doing all the time, because that way we're making sure that our kids have similar lessons that give them all the same solid base knowledge that they need to succeed in high school. (Plus this way we get tried and true experience plus my crazy greenhorn ideas, which is a fun mix!) So I'm scared for Monday (the day when I first have my 8th graders), but I also know that I'm gonna make it through the year, because with a team like this I can't fail. =)

In other other news, I'm excited because in addition to my teaching I agreed to be the second co-sponsor of Stuco (student council) here at West. Not only is it not a huge time commitment, which is nice since it's my first year, but the other advisor and I have some cool ideas about what sorts of events and projects the kids might want to work on this year. I'm really excited -- I think it's the perfect way to start dipping my toes into extracurricular involvement at school.

Well, that about wraps it up for news for the moment... plus I have lesson plans to write! So I'm gonna go work, and I will catch you all on the flip side! Don't be a stranger!

~Rebekah

Heat wave. (Aka a normal summer day in Liberal.)

It. Is. Hot.

Because we have plenty of windows in our apartment, Daniel and I decided to try a few days without A/C, just keeping cool(ish) with fan-made and "natural" wind coolage. Apparently we have an insufficient understanding of the air flow patterns of our new dwelling, because it's 8:30 p.m., 94 degrees outside, and (seems like) about 100 in here. (Daniel stepped outside to cover the bicycles and said, "It's beautiful out here -- what are we doing wrong?")

Shortly after supper, I was sitting on our bedroom floor planning our closet when I realized... I hadn't moved hardly at all in the previous five minutes, but I was still sweating.

Is it autumn yet?

~Rebekah

Home, Sweet Apartment!

HOORAY, I get my husband back! Daniel (and my parents) arrived safely in Liberal Thursday night around midnight. We stayed at a hotel for the night and then (after I went to my morning training session for school) Daniel and I went to sign our lease for our new apartment! =)

After many, many pages of paperwork (this is government housing, after all) we signed our first lease together! (Slash our first real lease ever.) We think this comic about sums up our thoughts on the matter...

It's a little bit goofy to be "All Grown Up"... but we are also super, super excited to have our own place!! We got a lot of unpacking and furniture-arranging done yesterday, so things are starting to look pretty good in here, especially on the main floor. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea....

The unloading begins.

Taking a lunch break on our living room floor -- with our new picnic basket of awesomeness from Bethany! =)

You can see the whole building better in this one -- it's a little town house! =)

U-Haul: Conquered

Sitting at our kitchen table (notice the centerpiece - thanks again, seestow!).

Kitchen, left side.

Kitchen, right side.

So that's (part of) our new abode! We worked hard pretty much all day yesterday, and then went out to dinner at Billy's, which is a local favorite. And for good reason! They have DELICIOUS food... and it's pretty reasonably priced for a restaurant, too! 

Then after dinner I REALLY, REALLY wanted to show everybody my classroom... so we stopped by West for a little visit. 

I have a badge and keys. Be afraid.

Mrs. SJ's corner! =)

Lots of work to do on both the classroom and the house -- but it will be good! Another day of unpacking today... We'll keep you posted. And don't forget, if you're ever driving through the middle of nowhere and notice yourself surrounded by cows, do please stop in for a visit! We'd love to have you! =)

~Rebekah