Hippity, Hoppity, Hippity, Hoppity, seriously it's snowing in MD...Easter can't be on its way!

So today we had a snow day....seriously, it snowed all day. I was wearing flip flops this time last year. Sunday is Easter. It's almost April! This weather needs to go somewhere...pronto!

Because you see, tomorrow is our egg hunt.  And how do you tell 57 first graders that they can't go outside to find the eggs because Mother Nature decided it would be a good idea to snow when we should be breaking out Jack Rogers?  I can hear the conversation now in my head..."listen guys Mother Nature is not bad, she just is making bad choices right now.  I'm sure if we make our best choices and be great role models, she will start making better choices too."  And then they will say "well Ms. Spurry, why can't we have our egg hunt in the classroom." And I'll look around at my small windowless classroom and laugh in their sweet faces for being so optimistic. But by golly even with all of the complaining going on in my head and annoyed secret teacher looks passing between Shafer and I, WE WILL HUNT EGGS!

Because we are oh so ready!

Plane Day.

13 years ago today I became a sister.  It wasn't the birth of a baby that made me a sister, but an arrival on a plane from South Korea.  An arrival through the gates of Dulles Airport that made me a sister. An arrival of a 6 month old baby girl with hair sticking straight off her head that made me a sister.  The feeling of an empty space being filled as an only child for 11 years that made me a sister.  And since that day, that rainy cold March day, we have added a million more ties and reasons that bind my sister and I, but the arrival on that plane was the first time I knew J was my sister. And so every year for the rest of my life, I will celebrate Plane Day. 

For me, being an only child for eleven years was almost as tough as the awkward stage I went through when I was eleven....

J arriving on the plane that day was a blessing and an answer to so many prayers I had had my entire life. 

 She came off of that plane a presence to be reckoned with and she has been a spit fire ever since. She refused to sleep in a crib, so she slept on the floor of my parents' room for two years.  She refused to let anyone do too much for her, so she walked ran at nine months.  She refused to eat sandwiches, so my mom has packed her noodles, rice, or bagel bites in her lunch for the last ten years. She refused to get her ears pierced, so she never has. 

J was by my side through high school. 

J was there every weekend that I came home from college and at every important event through those 4.5 years.  She was on the phone with me through every break up, every homesick phone call, and every celebration. 

 J and I have been through losses in our family and the divorce of our parents. We have been through the "why don't you look like your sister?" and the fights that normal sisters have (eleven years apart or not). 

We have been through Hanna Montana and Jonas Brothers concerts. 

My sister puts up with me daily and loves me anyway. 

 Now, at 24 and 13 we have this sister thing down pat.  We steal each other's clothes. We roll our eyes..a lot. We get reprimanded by mom for getting "smart with each other". But we rock this sister thing out.

 My Asian mini-me is more beautiful inside and out than anyone I know. 

 So today we will eat Sushi, play Jeopardy, open a new pair of Toms, and keep on keeping on. Thank God for adoption, thank God for my sister, thank God for that plane that flew her 18 hours into our lives. 

Happy Plane Day J. 

My Life...

During a math lesson today, all of the students are on the carpet with their slates and markers...merrily using their slates EXACTLY (because that happens all the time...not) as they should.  And I notice one of my boys is writing "potty words" on his slate....please continue reading for our conversation.

Me: "Um, excuse me sir does that say poop?"
Boy: "Yes."
Me: "Well, poop is definitely not how many tens and ones are in the number 64."
Boy: "I know, but it's funny."
Me: "Yes, it is funny, but not appropriate.  Do you know what would happen if you go to second grade and write poop on your slate?  We need to start taking our learning seriously and know that there is a time and place to be silly.  Do you understand?"
Boy: "Yes, do not write poop on your slate."
Girl From Across the Room: "Yea, aint nobody got time for that."
Me: "Thank you Sweet Georgia Brown."

March Madness...

Hello friends!

Yes, I am alive. I am just very busy in the land of working and house hunting.  Seriously teachers out there...what is up with March being soooo busy?!?!? Only eight school days until spring break!

In the last month, we have been hit with Dr. Seuss Day, a field trip, interims, a spring concert, and Friday with St. Patty's day celebrations.

Speaking of St. Patty's day...if you ever want to see something you won't see anywhere else...come to my town tonight.  @ midnight, the SHOPPING CART RACES begin.  That's right.  I said SHOPPING CART RACES.  Over 2,000 people turn out to crowd the streets (they shut down the main street) and watch crazy people push even more crazy people in shopping carts! I'd compare the epicness of this night to the running of the bulls.  Serious comparison.

But through all this craziness, I have still found time to...

 Drink my body weight in Shamrock Shakes....

Rebel against the pricing of PetSmart and groom my dog myself....

AND sign up for a half marathon in October. That's 13.1 miles.  That's a lot.  Training starts tomorrow!

In classroom news, Dr. Seuss Day went off without a hitch.  I loovvvee this man, his books, and the joy I see in my students when they read his work.  I also looovvee celebrating his bday.  We Seuss it up all day long and then the fifth graders come to read to our students.  They pair up, spread out, and read to each other for 40 minutes.  I love watching my kiddos look up at the fifth graders like they are super heroes.

  

St. Patty's Day was celebrated in grandeur in the Irish land of Ms. Spurry's room.  Minus the Irish accent.  I tried for two straight days....I suck.  I go to be Irish and I come out all  Eliza Doolittle EVERY TIME. But, even with no awesome accent we rocked it out!

                

As you can see from the smiles from Shafer and Femi above, they LOVED putting green footprints on everything in my classroom and sprinkling gold glitter EVERYWHERE.  My OCD has mellowed now that I'm nearing the end of my second year of teaching...but still only slightly.
                     

Spring has sprung in Maryland, although much slower than last year.  The daffodils are out, and the sun shines through most days, but it is still a little cold for my liking.  No lie, I was in flip flops this time last year.  Where is this global warming they keep speaking of?

If you have ever taught first grade you will understand what I mean when I say spring is when you see your students jump out of the nest and soar on their own.  I have only ever taught first grade, but I am not alone in saying the growth you see during the first grade year is mind blowing.  Spring is when you realize "WOW, that kid used to cry daily...I haven't seen him cry in months."  "You can tie your shoe?!?!?"  "You just covered your mouth when you coughed and missed my face?!?!?!"  "Wait, hold the phone, are you all, yes every single one of you, doing exactly what I asked?!?!?!" Ok disclaimer, on the last comment I think I had at least 3 kids out with the flu.  But still...these kids are taking off!

Spring also brings sights that will keep me laughing for days and keep me thanking God for the little joys in life....like growth spurts.

FLOOD WARNING!!!!!! 

Always Sunny With Him...

So this weekend, due to some uploading issues with my usual "Always Sunny With Him..." post, I decided to just blog.  Which to me is basically vomiting words.  And oh how good does it feel sometimes! This weekend I did nothing, which is one of my favorite things to do. But isn't it funny how when we say we did "nothing" we really did so much, but it is so much of our normal that we take it for granted as "nothing."  

I always say that I wish God spoke to me more.  I'm one of those "Ok God if I can chug this glass of orange juice before this commercial is over that means you want me to _____."  Really, Caitlin. What I mean is I never really stop to listen...I plan and manipulate what I hear.  Maybe its a girl thing?  Maybe its a virgo thing?  Maybe its a teacher thing?  Who knows.  What I do know is it's what I do...and that my personal goal and my prayer for myself is that I can start letting go and letting God.  What do you need to let go of and give to God?

I have learned, more so in the last two years than ever, that when you plan God laughs.  Case in Point. Five years ago I would have bet money I'd be married and planning for a baby at 24.  God said HAHAH. Two years ago I would have bet money I'd be engaged right now planning a wedding.  God said HAHAHA. One year ago I would have bet money I'd be living in my very own house right now.  But yet again God let out his deep belly laugh and HAHAed in my face.  Now don't get me wrong, they're not nasty, mean, bullying haha's.  They are more like haha if you only knew the plans I have for you type of laugh. They are like haha your disappointments would make you laugh too if you could actually see how your life will turn out. And sometimes, especially when I look back on some of the guys I dated, they probably are HAHAHAH you were honestly hoping to marry him? (because I do believe God has an amazing sense of humor).

See, if God had answered my prayers two years ago...I would have never accepted the job I have now, I would have been in a relationship with someone who didn't share my faith, and I would have been two hours away from my entire family. Two years ago I thought my life was over when those prayers weren't answered.  But oh my Lord had my prayers been answered then, I'd have lost or never known the amazingness of what I have now...my school, my friends, my kiddos, my Cami, my family.  Wow, how amazing these last two years have been.  And yea there were some sucky times.  But aren't the sucky times so much less sucky when you are where the Lord wants you to be?

So maybe hearing God isn't actually hearing his voice in the quiet of your brain (which is a HAHA moment because my brain is never quiet).  Maybe its not sitting down and having meditating prayer time when all of the sudden everything makes sense.  Maybe its applying to ten counties in your state and ONLY getting an interview in the county that you were raised in, the county that only hired two elementary teachers that year, the county where you never ever expected to work in.  Maybe its going to work every morning and going to church every Sunday and being surrounded by people who you know fit into your life as though they were made to be a part of you, and realizing you would have never known so deeply, or at all, if God had answered your prayers two years earlier. Maybe its having your 13 year old sister raid your closet and realize this would have never happened if He answered my prayers. Maybe its having a stomach disorder that basically crippled you and then mysteriously went away as quickly as it came and getting a clean bill of health as soon as you accepted God's NO and started living the life he had planned.

I'm not the type of person to hear God right away.  But I've grown to be the person who realizes two years later WOW when I didn't have my crap together, God held that crap together.  And when I can't hear him and figure things out just by listening, He says NO to my prayers and I am forced to listen. Just like a parent, He says no not to be a tyrant and to take away our fun, but to love us and guide us when we can't see the way ourselves. Regardless of how you hear Him, He is da bomb diggity and I am oh so grateful.

Keep smiling friends, it's almost Spring, and we all have our God holding our crap together s

How we Keep it Always Sunny on Sundays…

We teach Sunday School.  And smile from ear to ear for the entire hour and a half listening to the the three and four year olds play, pray and talk and talk and talk and talk. 

We go grocery shopping and make faces that we can't name...but both do simultaneously without prompting.  

We listen to our Dad's whining about how we used to bond and do fun things like play airplane.  And after five minutes of explaining calmly that when you are 24 there are other ways to bond and other fun things to do,  you honestly get tired of hearing it...

and prove to him...

we still got it. 

Jumping for the Heart...

Hey Heart Healthy Friends,

Some awesome things happened today...
1. I got my last observation of the year YIIPPEEEE! It is now time to reduce the stress load, have fun with the kiddos and count down the days to break out my toes!

2. We got to wear sweats to work today as long as we jumped. Jump roped for the heart that is.  And can I just say...there is something so very amazing about yoga pants.  I was such a better teacher today wearing the stretchy amazingness of Target stretch pants.  I had more patience, more funnies, more smiles, and more teachable moments.  True story.

3. It was Jump Rope for Heart Day!  Every year our kiddos get donations and raise money for the American Heart Association and they spend a whole day jumping rope for the healthy hearts!  They love it!  And (as you can see below) so does Shafer.

I got kind of lucky that the pics of the kiddos were blurry, so I could share them!  

They had a blast!




Keep jumping friends!!!

Always Sunny With Him...

On another note...Valentines Day made a huge come back this year. 

A big ol' jump up and down, butterflies fluttering, face turning red, buckle them in and smile the whole way home, loving the redeeming qualities of all things...even sappy holidays kind of come back.