Hello 2010

Welcome to 2010! I've been waiting for this for a long time. I love new beginnings! I say bring on the new decade and let's see what happens! We give each year a theme. 2009 was the "Year of Mercy." I do not recommend this theme if you are a parent because the kids will use this to get out of trouble. 2010 will be known in the Wierenga household as "The Year of Peace and Tranquility" My plan is to have this work when they are arguing or in the case of general disobedience. I'll pull the "this year's theme" card and see if it works. They used it last year so I'm just following suit.

I used to not make New Year's Resolutions but I got thinking a few years ago that if I never have any goals I have nothing to work towards. I now make a New Year Goal List.

1. Be more organized
2. Better time management
3. Read the Bible more
4. Get more sleep
5. Drink water
6. Cut down on Diet Coke (this one might kill me)
7. Be a better friend
8. Be timely with Thank You's
9. Save $ at the grocery
10. Blog more regularly

So there you have it. Keep me accountable (but be nice).

Random Thoughts

Here are my random thoughts for my first day of unemployment:

Should I get dressed?
Is it okay to eat cake for breakfast?
Wonder what Uncle Harry is doing and does he know I drank my noni juice today?
I should go back to school, call Alice about this one.
I need to get my concealed weapon permit and then learn how to handle and shoot a handgun.
Probably should get dressed.
Diet Coke for breakfast instead of cake.
How can I unseat Pat Bauer?
Thank the Lord for all my blessings. I will bless Your name in the desert.
Wonder what preschool I'll end up at? Looking forward to it!
Is it too early to put up Christmas decorations?
Okay, I'll get dressed. maybe even eat something healthy with my Diet Coke, like chocolate.

New Chapter

I really cannot believe that as of tomorrow at 1:00pm I will be unemployed. I am not only losing the job I love, but I am losing my second family. We are a band of sisters who have been through births, deaths, marriages that struggled to hold on and ones that couldn't. We've carried each other when we couldn't go on. We've fought, laughed and cried together. I love them.

This has been a very hard 6 weeks. But I am looking forward to the next phase of my life. I can't wait to taste the grapes as my manna is disappearing. The silver lining is that I hope to have the opportunity to do the thing I was created to do. I love teaching. I love seeing those little eyes light up when they've done something they thought they couldn't. Being a teacher comes as easy to me as breathing. I'm praying that the right teaching job will come at the perfect time.

Tomorrow afternoon I step out into the unknown, the uncomfortable, the uncertain. As we lock the doors for the last time, I will look back with unimaginable sadness but with a knowing that God has something amazing in store for me. I believe that. I revel in my unshakable faith that something great is about to happen in my life. It's been brewing for a year in my soul. Can't wait!

Bravery Defined

My dearest friend Alice saved my life from a baby tarantula tonight. I know, I'm as shocked as you are to find out that Northwest Indiana is full of trantulas, but it had to be. It was the BIGGEST spider I have ever seen! As we were leaving work she threw herself between me and the frightful beast so I wouldn't be attacked. She shielded me from its venomous bite by spraying it with deadly poisonous carpet cleaner. Not only did it not die, it walked away leaving a trail of poison behind. It slowed down and she was sure it was dead so, being the brave friend that she is, she poked it with a stick. She flipped it on its back but it wasn't dead and it flipped back over and started to walk away again! She decided not to play any more games and grabbed the Windex. Everyone knows that Windex to a spider is like sunshine to a vampire (which in fact spiders and vampires are very much alike because they both want to kill people). I ran for my car and locked the doors. I have never seen a truer display of bravery in all my life. I love Alice Merrill.

Senate Fail

While our great Republic is imploding, the US Senate has decided to create a committee to discuss the dangers NFL players take when they plow into each other's heads. Mind you that these aforementioned, willing adults, are well compensated for the deliberate agreed upon head butting behavior. Our nation is in a financial crisis, the president wants to socialize anything he can get his hands on, our free speech is being stripped away on a daily basis and these "leaders" (I use that term loosely) of the US decide to spend their time and waste my money drilling NFL players, coaches and the commissioner about head traumas. Wonder how many of the senators played in college?

Shocking

I'm heartbroken. I'm losing the job I love. I've known for a few weeks but my heart is not healing. Someday I'll be able to write about it. Today is not that day. What I do want to write about is my outrage with the average American citizen. You see, as Pages is liquidated, we are running a contest. Customers get the chance to win points and fabulous prizes. I have learned that they take this contest very seriously. Every Monday is trivia day. This past Monday I was embarrassed. The questions were so easy I thought we would offend each and every one of them. Here they are: 1. Name the first American president 2. How many stars on the U.S. flag 3. What are the colors of the U.S. flag and for 10,000 bonus points...What is the name of our national anthem. I asked my 7 year old and she was able to answer these. What amazes me, no OUTRAGES me is that several people did not know the answers. What kind of country do we live in when we don't know the name of our first president or our national anthem?! The absence of patriotism is both shocking and sad.

I Love Teaching!

I really love being a teacher. I was born to do this. I feel completely satisfied when I'm teaching. I have the privilege of working in Gracie's classroom once a week. Her teacher and I work very well together. The kids in her class are delightful. When I am there my heart is warm. I've been staying for lunch and get to eat with Grace and her BFF. I am treasuring this time with my daughter. Today she told me that she will always want me to eat lunch with her at school. I'll remind her she said that when she's 16. Fall is here, the fireplace is crackling and I want to sharpen pencils!