something right.

Few things in life surprise me. Yes, I love surprise parties and I always appreciate a good "ta-da!" moment, but let's face it - it's hard to really shock and awe me at this point. I've most likely bought the shirt and seen the show, yada yada. But just when people had become all too predictable, the tables turned and some baggage shifted in flight.

Insert Metro Schools and 160 unruly 8th graders. It is no secret that this is my first year teaching. I have made several rookie mistakes and there have been days when I about lost my S on a student - that time I told a kid to tuck his shirt in and he called me a whore, or that time when I confronted a girl about her "F List" she had created and she told me flatly, "I will probably only do half of them"... that's enough, you see the trend. Honestly, the stories continue to shock me and I've been here all year. Anyways, so through all of this I have had the responsibility of actually teaching them something, including how to write a proper essay, on which they were given a huge assessment earlier this year. I taught them everything I knew, as well as I knew how and prayed for the best. I got the writing scores back this week and about lost it when I saw the numbers. It was a miracle, that's all I kept thinking as I looked at all the 4's and 5's (6 is the highest) next to all the names of my kids. Turns out, my kids have some of the highest scores in the district, and I shan't bore you with statistics but let me tell you, they are nothing short of a miracle. Just when I was wondering if I had made any impact on these kids, I realize that I did something right. My kids are just excited because I'm making cookies tomorrow.

Now insert a certain boy that has become apart of my recent, well and not so recent, life. It is a fact that timing is everything, and after communication and miscommunication we're just us, and it's just fine. Some people just have that hold on you, and you can't fight the feeling anymore. You're welcome for that classic rock reference. At the end of the day what's important is that you treat people well, that you love people for who they are and how you are when you're with them. For the lack of a better phrase, he's my brandy alexander. Sometimes a girl has to accept the surprises as they come and just roll with it. That's what keeps life interesting, right?

Oh, and I had my first spray tan experience yesterday. The tan lines are surprising, but wow, that's another conversation for another day.

XO