Precious Italian Cargo

One of the other second grade teachers is away this week skiing in Italy.

Yup. That's right.. .

I said it.

Skiing. 

Italy.

She sucks. 

I'm moving on. 

Here's the story of the day. 

One of my boys came to me this afternoon and said that there was another student in the bathroom playing around. 

Apparently something about mountains of soap ending up on the floor. 

 .. .Another gentleman from Italian skier's class was the culprit. 

This young man is infamous for his behavior. 

So I needed to step in and help the sub a bit. 

I asked my student to call him out of the bathroom and let him know I needed to talk to him. 

So out he walks slowly, head down. eyes following his footsteps. 

He stopped. but several feet away. 

That wasn't close enough for me.

I like 'em good and close so they can smell the cafeteria lunch on my breath.  

"Come closer."

He took a few more steps. 

"Nope.. .closer..." 

"Nope. closer yet." 

Eyes still at the floor.

"Look at me."

I didn't even mention anything about the hilltops of foam soap that apparently had been formed on the tile floor. 

All I said was "I wanted to make sure that you have been on your best behavior while Mrs. -- --- is gone. How is it going?" 

"Good, so far." 

"So far? Why do you say it like that?" to which I couldn't help but giggle a little. 

"I don't know. .." he shrugged.

He quickly started sputtering.. . "All I was doing in the bathroom was putting toilet paper on the seat before I went to the bathroom. .." Then continued to trail on and on. 

I was listening but I couldn't help but smile so very big.. . [this is when I start to kinda tear up and wanna just pick them up and 
love on em - what's wrong with me? ]  I asked if he washed his hands real good. 
He answered and then went right back to his classroom.
All while his teacher is up in the mountains of Italy. 

How is it possible that the silliest moments are sometimes the best at giving you a dose of reality?

These soap mongers .. . the ones that call your name a hundred times a day and interrupt incessantly -  seeming sometimes like the loudest possible things on the planet ARE still little babies who are learning to cover toilet seats and tie their shoe laces. 

I can't forget that. 

I mustn't forget that. 

My Posse

We all know the Lumineers from Ho Hey

.. . and if you don't, well, you've got some learnin' to do.

I stumbled upon Stubborn Love of theirs today.

I'm loving how the video starts, 

as if I'm peering from the inside out and must find my way toward them. 

Cause that's basically what has happened.

Wish I had a posse like this.

Swig me some hard cider 

and sing it up in the corner 

with my boots clanging on the hard wood floor.

I'm down with that.

WAIT.. .

I have these guys.. .

That works? right?

.Love 'em.

it's gonna be wild

 
Come away with Me, Come away with Me
It's never too late, it's not too late
It's not too late for you

I have a plan for you
I have a plan for you
It's gonna be wild
It's gonna be great
It's gonna be full of Me

Open up your heart and let Me in

DVR music

I love when one of my favorite shows features a christian band. 

Cougar Town had this from Needtobreathe on my DVR tonight. 

my roommate, my sleepmate

                                                                                                                                             [source]

If Tess could remain curled up beside me, intertwined in my legs 

or on my belly, all night and day she would. 

She thinks she's a lap.dog.. . all 45 pounds of her. 

I don't remember my days without her.

nor do i want to

.my baby girl. 

mom's playlist

on the back pages of my bible, i wrote down all the things my mom told me the last few days she was alive. 
I can still hear her saying them to me as I read the words. 

today, I stumbled upon this while listening to my sister's Pandora playlist. 
basically, our shared account... .

my mom found her way there.

how could you possibly know? .. . you are never far from me. 
You will always be in me. 
you are never far from me. 

at the water's edge

it's beyond crazy how a photograph can capture a feeling.. . 

.almost as if i peeled the edges and crawled inside. 

every time i look at this, the sensation of the water creeps upon the tips of my toes. 
i think therein lies the Beauty of art.
We are able to find respite _ if only for a moment.
.transporting us to places where we think we can start anew. 
or rather 
just catch our breath ever so briefly.

[source]
photographer credit on left sidebar