Mishaps

Since we've been married (coming up on a year, what the heck?!?), we've had a few... mishaps.  Now, a lesser person than I might be a little embarrassed by these, but I think they are funny, so... story time!

Once, a tire on our car was flat-ish.  We filled it with air.  It was flat-ish again the next day.  Rinse and repeat... a few times.  (Busy schedules!) Eventually, it was flat flat. Matt changed the tire, and went to the tire store, and got new tires.  The next day, it was flat again.  Not kidding.  Um hello?  So he changed the tire again, and took it back to the shop, and yelled at them like crazy.  Just kidding.  I have never ever heard Matt yell.  He probs was the nicest ever. Whatever, it got fixed, yay! Oh, and did I mention he had to sit in the snow while changing the tire? Well then.


More recently (Sunday), we came home and put ALL our unmentionables in the wash, you know, so we could have clean ones for the week, right? Well, the washer decided to stop.  Mid-cycle.  And not start again no matter how hard we tried.  Blergamerg.

I tried to fix it.  Matt pulled it out to look at it, and.... a sock fell in the lint trap of the dryer. (I neh-ver leave unmatched socks on top of the dryer!  No way!  So now, here we are.  Unmentionables like soup in the washer. Afraid to turn the dryer on for fear of explosion.  Say now!

Much google-ing occurred, and we went in search of a part! (The next day, after unmentionables were removed from soup, rinsed and blow-dried, and we went to school etc...)  To Lowe's!  They don't have parts!  To random "Mending Shed" that happens to be right by our house and also next to super sketchy abandoned buildings!  They close at five! Order the part on Amazon! Proceed to wait! Huzzah!

Matt had to tear apart the dryer (well, unscrew a bazillion annoying screws), and he got the sock out.  We dried the rest of the unders.  We went to bed annoyed.  And we wait!


I know there's a billion more mishap stories that I can't think of right now. Somehow, being with my love, and getting to see him get lint in his hair, and wet snow bum and the like makes it a little more fun. (Even if we grump about it...)



Did I just write a whole post about how I like to laugh at my husband?  Sorry honey, didn't mean to!

Spring Break Ramble

I just read a bunch of old blog posts.  You know what, sometimes I think I'm funny.  I don't know that anyone else does, but... I don't think I really care.

I'm on spring break right now.  Its perfect timing.  Those fifth-graders are turning into crazed 11-year-olds, and driving me nuts. I needed a break from them.  I love them, but I needed a break.

Since Matt still has school, I'm not doing anything too exciting.  Today I got to go with him to his "Preparing for Medical School" class.  Sister Samuelson and Sister Samuelson (sisters in law, not sister-wives!) talked about medical school from the wife's perspective.  It was good to hear these women talk about their experiences.  They talked a lot about focusing on the positives and being happy in whatever stage you are in.  Isn't that such a good perspective on life?   I love that idea.  I know I need to apply it, even now.  I SO OFTEN live in "I will be happy when"/ "What's coming next" land that I don't realize the beautiful wonderful things that are happening around me right now.

Like sitting at the kitchen table with that handsome man as he absent-mindedly half smiles.  Like getting burgers together.  Like looking for a birthday present for him.  Like just picking him up from school.  Oh these things!  They are so much fun!  I can appreciate that now, if I just WOULD.


I want to talk for a minute about how incredible my husband is. He works SO HARD.  And its for us.  I'm glad he's going into something he loves.  Even if its incredibly over my head MOST of the time.  I've been watching Scrubs just to try and get some medical lingo.  I don't know if its working...  Back to him.  He said tonight, "lets do something fun every night, since its your spring break"  I said, "its your birthday week".  "Its spring break!"  back and forth, back and forth.

I love that we can make fun of the strange noised the other makes, and of yawns, and sneezing... I love that we sing together, and cuddle, and dream about the future. (Hopefully mostly in the "won't it be fun when...." rather than the "I will be happy when...")  I love that we both like Diet Dr. Pepper and America's Funniest Home Videos (Don't tell.  I used to hate it.  But I love it with him.)

This marriage thing is rather great.  Its pretty cool to have someone on your team.  And to be on someone's team.  And to be in love.

How's that for random.  I think I'm done, for tonight.

Feeling 10 years old.

So today something happened.

I was late, again.  It was snowing.  I checked the weather, but we still didn't leave early enough.

Don't worry, I didn't get in an accident.

So, I was late for school.  Today was the day of the big writing test.  It was bad that I was late.  And I was late on Friday because of snow then too.  Ugh, embarrassing.  Someone took my class, and it was okay.  But I came in the door and my students!  Oh my students.  They ran out of their seats. 
"You're laaate!  Why are you late Mrs. Kosterrrr?? What took you so loong?"  Oh. I felt like I was ten again!

How is it that spending time with ten-year-olds make that happen?  I am their teacher! I am a good 13+ years older than them! (Don't tell. They like to guess how old I am.)  I don't understand!  And yet there I was!

And I said, "Don't you think I feel bad?  Don't you think I did my best?"  *cue getting a little choked up* (definitely NEH-ver did that as a kid...) (Actually I did it all the time...) "Don't you think I wanted to be here?"

Apparently tears (really it was only slight eye-mistiness and a very little voice shaking), are a lot more effective adult to kid vs. kid to kid. (When I was a kid, they just looked, turned around, and giggled a little. Oh I still remember.  I see them do it to each other.)

Suddenly it had all turned around.  "Mrs. Koster, was your drive really bad?  I heard you telling that teacher it was a parking lot. How far away do you live again?  Woah I wouldn't want to go that far every day..."

Empathy! What?  If only I could teach them to treat each other that way!  They really are the sweetest, once they get out of themselves! Oh, have I taught them anything?  And such feelings...


Then it was inside recess and they were hooligans and I had to be mean Mrs. Koster and my own empathy rather flew out the window.  I made a kid cry. I apologized but I still don't really feel bad about it.

Oops.

Cleaning the Kitchen

“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.” President Gordon B. Hinckley

 ...

Okay, so no great service was done in this house tonight.  I just felt bad about myself, and I felt like a slacker wife, and I didn't make dinner. (We had Cafe Rio.  And it was good.  But still.)

So I put on my headphones, and I did the dishes.  They were gross.  Its been a crazy week. But I did them.  And I took the trash out too.

And it came to pass that I felt better about myself. Amen.

Sunday

He's cooking.

I'm sick, dreading work tomorrow, and blogging.

He's incredibly good.  And nice to me.  I would love to say that he is cooking because I am sick, but lets face it.  He always cooks.  He says he likes it.  I know I like it.

My house is messy, but much cuter than last week.  On Monday my mom and sister came and we bought curtains and painted.  It looks better but we still need to put pictures up.

Its weird that that was just a week ago.  It feels like much longer.  Its been a very long week.  Matt's grandpa passed away.  We saw him Wednesday night, Thursday night, and just a couple hours after he died on Friday.  It was sweet to be surrounded by family, and he had a stroke 8 years ago, so he hadn't been himself for a while.  But it was still a little sad. It was sad to think that I never knew him, and that my future kids wouldn't.  Well, on this earth.  Maybe they're getting to know him right now.  I don't know how that works, but its a nice thought.

It made me want to hold onto life and never die.  It made Matt say he wanted to die young(er) and quick, so he wouldn't have to suffer. I get that, but it also makes me sad.  I don't want him to die ever.  Bleh.  I don't like thinking like that.

Let's get back on a positive note.

Its snowing, which should clean out this nasty air. (Worst in the nation. Ew.)

I now only have 22 kids in my class (I'm sad one moved, but maybe it will make life easier.)

My husband makes a cute funny face while he grates cheese.

We got to see Matt's dad and sister this week, and it was so so nice to see them.

My primary kids are adorable.

I took a two hour nap today.

I like Sundays.

DDP Induced Rambling.

I'm in a very silly mood.

I'm not fully sure why, but I figure hey, let's go with it.  This might be entertaining to read later.

I just realized why.  44oz of Diet Dr. Pepper.  It is, after all, the nectar of the gods. 

Well anyway.  Pretty much every day this week I have fallen asleep while reading a Harry Potter fanfiction novel (I found it on pinterest?  Its intriguing?  I don't know.)  Last night I was next to my dear husband who I "love so terribly much" (to quote Matthew Crawley.  I'm "so terribly" obsessed with Downton Abbey.) And he was studying.  He had gone to school all day, worked, cooked dinner, and then studied like a madman.  I am awfully proud of him. (I think I finally understand why teenagers use bad words to mean good things!  Sick!)  I'm also painfully in love with his new "hipster" glasses and the fact that his name is Matthew.  (Wow, this is turning into a wordy love note to him?) #toomanyparenthesis #switchingtomisusedhashtags

I feel a little like a dud.  I spend too much money, never clean up, and waste an enormous amount of time on the internet every day.  I feel like I'm getting squishier.  My hair has gotten absolutely ridiculously too long. I made him switch cars with me because my tire was flat-ish this morning.

I feel absurdly lucky.  I have a good job, a great family, and the best husband.  I just feel as if I need to be better.  A better teacher, and a better wife (whether or not that includes all those vain things above, I'm not sure.) #crapIdiditagain 

I think that a portion of... my current state is because I'm so tired.  Teaching sucks everything out of me. #noI'mnotpregnant  I interact intensely with kids, all day, trying to form them into better people, trying to teach them something, getting frustrated with their behavior, and also plenty of laughing with/at them.  How can I have more energy to be better?  Should I start exercising?  I know I'd get stronger but right now I don't see how I could begin.  Too tired.  Should I go to bed earlier?  I already feel like I never see my husband.

How did this post start out?

Oh well, I'm happy.  I guess I'd just like to express to the world that teaching is hard and great, and my husband's the best no battle, and you can always do more, but you can also be happy now.  With what you have, where you are.

What to do when you won't grade papers.

Write a whole bunch of random stuff.

1.  So, our heater is broken.  Which is cold.  One day it worked, the next it smelled like wet dog, and the next, it was blowing cold air.  Now we're waiting for a new one.  And its cold.  Last night I got in bed to warm up, and Matt had to wake me up to go take my contacts out.  When he went to bed.  Like 2 hours later.  He said I was not mean. My family says I'm mean when you wake me up and I'm not all the way awake.  I apparently just "did not listen to him".  Well. My husband tells me what to do a lot.  Not really.

2.  Got dinner ready by nine tonight.  Go me... Hey, at least I cooked.  Oh and the rice looked like mashed potatoes.  Oops!

I like this post I just found in drafts.  I think I'll publish it.