Hey, Batter, Batter MOOD SWING! Oh, Wait! Duck!

So, standardized testing is done for this year. The state will now be able to judge my absolute value as an educator on a series of bubbles filled in by a bunch of nine year olds. (Sounds like something out of Sponge Bob to me). Anyway, I'm glad that those bubbles are being boxed up and shipped out. Good riddance. With the magical bubble sheets gone, that means I can go back to actually teaching tomorrow. That will be sort of weird. Hmmm... a teacher actually teaching? That's sure a new concept!

OK. Enough with the snarkiness. I was just wiped out by the time I got home this afternoon. Ethel and Fred had picked all of the chicken nuggets up this afternoon and fed them dinner so all I had to do was do a drive through pick up. That was about the easiest part of my afternoon...

This is what I found when I arrived. Little nugget was making sure that gravity didn't mess with the big nugget. I think Grant is probably one of the most protective brothers I've ever seen! (He can also pester the piss out of Annie like nothing else on earth)!

Arrival at home. I couldn't make her budge so I left her strapped in and went to unload the book bags and other miscellaneous crap from the van.

Ten minutes later, she still wouldn't budge. I had to drag her cement brick self inside.

I dumped her on the sofa thinking she'd wake up and go play. No luck! Why don't they do this when they're infants and you try to move them from the car to their bed?

So, she suddenly roused up for a moment and burst out screaming because she didn't know how to say "buffalo" in Spanish. No, I only wish I was kidding. She finally calmed down and I thought she was actually going to go back to sleep!

No luck. The next outburst was about not being able to make her mouth read the words in the book she pulled out from under the sofa. This was really getting old. I turned the TV on and pleaded with her to stare at the idiot box quietly!

She continued to argue about not being able to read. Seriously? Eat your boogers and act like you're four - not thirteen!

Look out! Mood swing! She suddenly started telling me about making Stone Soup at school today and her reading capabilities (or lack of) seemed to slip her mind.

Not impressed with Word Girl. I told her she had to learn her letters to read. Why am I so stupid? Why did I go and bring up reading again?

Never mind. Here. Watch mindless Mike the Knight and learn how to be warm and fuzzy cotton candy so you can go out into the world and schmooze folks.

I gave up. I don't understand four year olds. Maybe when I admit defeat, the healing will begin and I can at least get a good therapist to help me out!

Suddenly, the world is right again and she wanted Word Girl back. It's like Jekyll and Hyde packed into a cute little body!

Oh wait! Never mind TV! Let's bounce this ginormous ball and smash the ceiling fan and watch the dust bunnies go everywhere!

Could you crazy people please go away again? This is too much for my feeble little brain!

Look! I'm practicing for the circus. My spine won't snap! I'm sure of it!

Look what happens if I curl around the ball! I become a ball too and can roll straight toward the fireplace and watch years slip off of your life as you race to protect me!

Once again, never mind the fireplace! I'm working on making my spine more flexible!

It's all fun and games until you roll into the fireplace!
Why didn't you warn me about that mean fireplace?

Look at my boo boo! Call the ambulance! Call me a tutor and teach me to read! Find my blanket so I can take a nap!

At that point, I was ready to send her back to Ethel and Fred in a box without a return address! I simply wanted to sit and watch last week's episode of Duck Dynasty. I felt like I was being mighty graceful and generous to turn my show off in order to watch Word Girl save the world one word at a time. Obviously, Annie didn't have any gratitude for my efforts.

Now, she's neatly tucked into bed and snoring. She's exhausted. Last week's activities have caught up with her and if she doesn't get some sleep, the authorities might have to catch up with me! While all of this was going on, Dasha was doing homework and sort of watching to see where my breaking point would be and Grant was at scouts. I'm NOT going to complain, though. I'm happy to have my chicken nuggets home with me. Their presence simply expedites my journey toward insanity. It's all good. Who needs sanity? It's highly overrated.

Tonight, I'm going to crawl into bed knowing that the issues on my plate (see yesterday's blog) are over my head but under His feet and I'm going to let Him have them. No, I'm not going to sit back on my butt and simply say, "I'm waiting for Him to perform a mighty miracle," and start zapping folks with lightening bolts thrown from heaven. I'm waiting for emotions to subside, wisdom to come (um, yeah, that could take a while), and a few other answers. Quite frankly, on a sort of unrelated note, I'm really tired of people blaming their laziness on God. He gave us resources to use other than our butt. Yes, there is definitely a time to sit, wait, be patient, and ask for His guidance. However, He never said that you'd be able to do what you need to do by that alone. You have to put some effort into it, as well. If he'd wanted us to do nothing more than sit all day, we'd all just be giant butt heads. Ha! I can think of some folks that seem to have made that category. Geez. Ok. Anyway, you found my soapbox for the night. If David had simply set on his butt and continued to wail out to God about the giants, he would have been killed. But, he picked up those stones and went to battle. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Ok. Yeah. He probably was afraid but he knew he had to do the work. I'm willing to do the work. That's not a problem. I'm just waiting for my marching orders. Consider yourself updated on the issues at hand. :)

Proverbs 14:23
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Good night, all.