/j/am. /j/ar. /j/et. /j/anazia. /j/ayden. /J/esus.

I was giving a lesson on the letter 'j' today with the 1st grade girls. They seemed to know the 'j' sound very well and any time I said a 'j' word they would clap. After a couple exercises I had each girl go around the room and share a 'j' word they knew. We went through the easy ones - jam, jar, jet, jug, etc. Then we worked through names - Jake, John, Janazia, Jazmyn, Jayden and then comes Jesus. One little girl says (all the other girls are instructed to have 'bubbles' in their mouths while a person is speaking) loud and proud "/J/esus starts with a 'J.' J-esus loves me and I love Jesus!" She looks around the room and one girl follows with, "I love Jesus too." and another "Jesus is God's son!" to which another girl responds, "We know, we know..." Apparently these 1st graders are evangelizing in their classroom and its old news already.

birthday dinner

Last night we celebrated. The 25th was my 1/2 bday and today is my dads 54th bday. I made him dinner - Chicken wrapped around thyme with prosciutto wrapped around it, lightly breaded and cooked in a white wine/tomato sauce. Creme brulee with a nice flame to symbolize a little candle action. We listened to a mix of van morrison, billy joel, stevie wonder, martin sexton, jose gonzalez, amos lee and some other new stuff. He told me about work and how he may retire soon. He stopped to see the girls and soak in the hot springs on the way up to Denver and seemed excited about spending more time with all of us after he was done working. He's a good worker so I doubt he'll be an idle retiree. He asked about my training plan for the triathlon, gave me some tips and we looked up some short runs we could meet up for this summer. I told him about my job at the school and asked him what he thought since he's been in the education world for the last 20-something years. It was good to just relax and celebrate life together.

Sometimes I look at men in their 50's and I wonder what my dad would have been like now. Would last night have really gone like I imagined? Would he be the type of dad to make road trips to see all his kids? Would we talk about important things? Would I be sheepish about my faults still because he was such a perfectionist?

I know this may seem a bit odd, but in moments when I miss my dad I sometimes pretend we live life together, like birthday dinner hang outs. He wasn't around for the ipod era or even for me learning to cook. He only dreamt about me going to college and who knows if he thought of what I'd be doing at 25 1/2. Its therapeutic for me to occasionally trace life over the past 14 years in light of how my dad would have impacted each season. I wouldn't be me without these 14 years... I walk the ridge-pole of appreciating the opportunities to learn and grow in response to all that comes with a single-parent family, other dads that filled in, etc. while on the other side I wonder what would be different - would life be less rich minus that hardship, would dad have stayed involved in our lives...? God is good and these are questions with no answers (and no need for answers really).

alien war

I was cordially invited to join an alien war today at recess with 1st grade boys. I'm "in" with the "in" crowd.

magnifying glass v. airplane window

yesterday was a magnifying glass view of my life… As I babysat last night and headed home I reflected on my day/week. When I look at my life through an airplane window view I am pleased... content. I live near people that love life and enrich mine. I work two jobs that challenge me in different ways while broadening skills. I cook several meals a week, listen to good music and have access to good beer. Reminder to be in the airplane more and look through the magnifying glass in healthy portions. My mom always says to embrace your emotions, whatever they may be, but remember to not hold on too long.

2 least favorite words: "business attire"

My mind is full. My bank account is overdrawn. Somewhere in there my emotions were tapped and I cried. I jokingly drop the “I just wanna be held” card, but its true. I-just-want-to-be-held. I'm babysitting tonight so maybe I'll be the one doing the holding... still therapeutic somehow I guess.
Endurance. Mental stamina. These are things I’m working on. I remember looking at the gymnasium wall in 4^th grade PE class. We were learning words like “endurance” in relation to our Jumpathon in which I earned a striped jump rope with purple handles. Today, endurance looks like networking as though I am already connected and preparing for a career as though I don’t need one, having the peace of mind to endure the cruddy parts (bounced checks and a borrowed business suit) and repeating "this too shall pass" as I look toward 2009.

I signed up for a sprint triathlon with calley and camille... main goal - mental stamina. Those years of little league through high school athletics provided an avenue to set and achieve goals, something I miss and look forward to with this venture.

its potty-time

You would have laughed...
I was babysitting a 4yr old and she, all duded up in tights/leotard/princess dress, looks up at me in the middle of something and says, "I have to go to the potty." She sprints up the stairs and disappears. I hear some frustrating sounds so I go upstairs, assuming she has gotten into her other 25 swimsuits/leotards/princess dresses and find her naked in the closet. I reminded her of our rule of one outfit at a time and ask her where her other outfit went to which she replies,

"I don't know."
Me: "Sevilla. Where did you take your clothes off?"
her: "I don't know."

Me: "Sevilla, take me to them... sh ow me where they are."

She walks me to the laundry room and then to the dryer (full of clean clothes) and points to her outfit. She says, "It's dirty" which I feel as I pull it out of the dryer. She then says, "ummm I didn't make it to the potty fast enough." She not only peed, but seemingly "sharted" all up in that biznass and yours truly did the honors of "ok, lets make sure we wiped good" which she hadn't and then followed her to the bathroom only to realize her underooos didn't see all the damage… the bathroom floor and rug got a piece of it too.

After cleanup you had better believe if she hinted like she was thinking of the restroom I had her tucked under my arm so fast and hauled it to the bathroom. Funny night.

chicago = best vacation of 2009

I finally caved and went for it - the New Year's trip to Chicago. I'd debated and debated but alas, I went.

This was the advertisement: 19 people in one apartment for one week. 150 people confirmed for NYE festivities. "Leah, you help scrub floors and make food for the party and we'll make sure you don't go hungry this week."

The bases were covered and the trip was way more than what was advertised. The week consisted of whirlyball at midnight, burning champagne corks to draw mustaches, brewing beer, endless darts, pool and catch-phrase, sneaking into the aquarium (my first illegal activity I think), Bulls game, human pyramid of all the "hostel #4" residents, code words, taped up feet and sleeping in various positions on all sorts of beds/couches/floors/closets, etc. The list could go on, but I will just say that my life is better after spending one week with 19 people in an apartment which happened to be at least 4 times the size of mine. A few highlights in picture-form:

a little self-incriminating, but oh well. yep, unibrow and mustache!

Tapin it up... don't worry, Rebecca left a nice note explaining his situation.

Waiting in line at the aquarium... making fish-faces!

Oh my goodness... words... there are none that would suffice.

My dear Tara

two of my besties

A great example of talent and creativity

All the ladies of Hostel #4

Mike in his snazzy sweater!