'Cause You Are All That I've Waited For

(all of my life)
"Closer to Love," Mat Kearney

5 Things Tim and/or I did today to continue making our parents proud:

1) Spent $300 at Target

2) Tried all the samples (twice) at Costco, then had Costco hot dogs before leaving

3) Wrapped (almost) all of our Christmas presents (Tim)

4) Blasted a ton of new, good music in the living room and shamelessly sang along with American Idol hits (Tim)

5) Cried at the end of Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (Chelsea)

Oh, the rhythm of my heart

is beating like a drum

with the words "I love you"

rolling off my tongue...

No, never will I roam,

for I know my place is home

Where the ocean meets the sky,

I'll be sailing...

-Rod Stewart

This is My December

Linkin Park

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer!

Cheer to all Whos far and near.

Christmas Day is in our grasp

(so long as we have hands to clasp!)

Christmas Day will always be

just as long as we have we.

Welcome Christmas while we stand,

heart to heart and hand in hand.

-How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Dr. Seuss

It's Friday, I'm in Love

The Cure 

Me: Okay, bonus question! Who is on the ten dollar bill? I'll give you a hint; it's not a former president!
Jesse: Roosevelt!
Me: Um...no. Again, not a president.
Jesse: I know! I said Roosevelt!
Me: Roosevelt was a president. Two different Roosevelts, actually.
Luis: Denzel Washington?
Me:...

Your World Is What You Make It

"Through Being Cool," Saves the Day


My 6th period class this year is quirky and different. Inquisitive and impatient. Funny and bright. It took us a little while to get to where we are, and we still have work to do, but they crack me up all the time. We're currently reading Lord of the Flies; we're finishing on Friday. A few memorable clips from our recent discussions: 

Me: Yes! Good! Piggy represents knowledge and insight. And then, ultimately, what happens to him?
Austin: They kill him. So...it's like they're killing knowledge and insight!  
Me: Exactly! And, if you read his death scene again, it's actually also somewhat literal. In the third paragraph of page 178, Golding writes, "His head opened and stuff came out."
Summer: Sick.
Me: I know, it's gross. And sad. But think about what it represents...
Juan: The knowledge is gone. Like, it actually fell out.
Kyle: So, I guess you could say Piggy lost his mind. I mean, really.

*          *         *          *          *

Kyle: Didn't you say there are like 30 boys on the island?
Me: Yes.
Kyle: Then how does just one pig feed all of them? And they even have food leftover.
Me: Well, the pig they killed isn't a little pink pig like Wilbur. We're talking a big huge pig...a wild boar...like Pumbaa. 
Amy: Awww.
Me: Yeah. Sorry.  
Caleb: Um, Pumbaa was a warthog.
Me: Whatever. I'm using it as a size comparison. 
Amy: Timon was a meerkat.
Kyle: What is the difference between a wild boar and a warthog?
Me: I actually have no idea. Probably not much. At least in terms of size. Okay, let's keeping reading.

*          *         *          *          *

Me: What do you think? Would this really happen if a group of boys were stranded on a deserted island?
Logan: I don't think so. I don't think people would actually get that violent. It might get a little crazy, but no one would get killed.
Austin: I think people would die. I mean, think about how annoying some people get.
Me: True, but are the boys that are killed in Lord of the Flies killed because they are annoying?
Justin: No...they're killed because some of the boys are savages. They aren't following the rules Ralph set up.
Me: Right. Ralph tried to set up a democracy. It didn't really work out that well...the rules and procedures he tried to set up aren't being followed.
Austin: That's because democracy is stupid. People need dictators. Fascism is the way to go...that's what we should have here.

Mountains and Oceans and Winters and Rivers and Stars

"Funny the Way it Is," Dave Matthews Band

Call it a clan, 

call it a network, 

call it a tribe, 

call it a family.  

Whatever you call it, 

whoever you are, 

you need one.  

~Jane Howard

"Your first Thanksgiving as a married couple! Choices, choices...did you spend it with his parents or with your parents?" 

I was asked this question Tuesday, back to school from a long and relaxing break. My response was quick, somewhat robotic, halted: "Actually, both...We were in Santa Barbara with my family, and his family came up." Really, it was a half-truth: Yes, we were in Santa Barbara, but it wasn't all of Tim's parents that came up, but rather his dad and step-mom. His mom and step-dad weren't there. And my dad wasn't there. And my answer left me questioning why I answered the way I did. Was it too much of a hassle to explain the entire scenario, or was I ashamed? Was I embarrassed to admit both my and Tim's lives, from a glance, are far from Leave it To Beaver; intertwined with step-families and sometimes heart-breaking choices regarding where to spend holidays? Was I frustrated by my inability to answer the aforementioned question with a simple "my parents' house" or "his parent's house?" because our families' lives just don't fit into a quick and simple response? It was a question I thought about at multiple junctures throughout the rest of the day, and a variety of potential answers and excuses arose. But through all of it, my mind was nagged by a consistent and real truth: While Tim and I, technically, are  "products of divorce," the phrase hardly covers the way I define my upbringing and my family. My mom and dad are incredible people; unique, undefinable, supportive, passionate. With the exception of a few (unavoidable) frustration-filled and angst-ridden years in high school, I have always held both of my parents in the highest regard. They've been my biggest fans and my staunchest supporters for as long as I can remember. Together or apart, they put their differences aside in the name of my brother and I. Meanwhile, my step-dad entered my life once I was out of high school. At 19, I was a full-time know-it-all and constant-questioner-of-authority, and my poor step-dad had his work cut out for him when it came to forging a relationship with me. And yet, he steadfastly held to the notion my mother was a package deal; in order to find true happiness with her, his relationships with both my brother and I needed to be truthful, full, and independent of her. Because of that, our connection is positive, meaningful, and real today.


And so this Thanksgiving, while of course I'm thankful for Tim, his family, our friends, our health, our dog, and our happiness in general, I'm especially thankful for:


My dad and my brother, who manage to make me laugh, challenge my wit, and drive me crazy; sometimes all at once:

My mom and my step-dad, who taught (continue to) teach me what it takes to build a friendship and a love into a marriage and a life: 

And my step-sisters and step-brother, who have showed me siblings don't have to be blood-related:

The family - that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to.   

~Dodie Smith