Gratitude

Over the last couple days I have (obviously) been thinking about things that I am grateful for....and here is what I decided. It is super easy to be grateful for things you already have. Duh. So instead I decided to make a list of things I KNOW I would be thankful for IF I had them:

*A car that never needs to have anything worked on.
*A magical credit card...magic because the balance is magically paid off every month by not me.
*A Disney cruise vacation (I know I'm a grown up but seriously they look like SO much fun!)
*The ability to say no...even just sometimes.
*Good AND cheap health insurance.
*A laundry fairy.
*An extra day every week that is just for laying in bed/reading/eating chocolates (and none of the food you ate that day would count)

Well, now I've made you all feel bad about yourself because I really stepped up and was grateful for things I don't even have while you were just sitting around being grateful for your family. Sorry. (I of course mean "sorry that you are lame and I am amazing...but there is really nothing I can do about it.")

Happy Thanksgiving

I sure don't know....

Today I had the following conversation with one of my 4 year-old students:

Little Girl: "Does your husband know when my birthday is?" (maybe just a little ego-centric...)

Me: "I don't have a husband."

Little Girl: "YOU DON'T!!" (thanks for the surprise in your voice...i think?)

Me: "Nope." (wanting to add that most days I'm not even sure I want one....and I'm sure I don't need one...but what good would that really do)

Little Girl: "But WHO is gonna marry YOU?!?" (now I'm definitely insulted)

Me: "That is a really good question, I sure don't know." (I kept the swears out of my response which took a great deal of self-control.)

Just when I feel like a valuable member of society in spite of my single/motherless status, along comes somebody else to remind me that I live in Utah County and therefore am far too old to live such a non-conformist lifestyle.

Except Cows?

You may or may not know that I am a vegetarian (yes really.) but the other day I heard a couple of little girls talking and I was very surprised to hear this from a 5 year old....

Little Girl #1: "I like animals."

Little Girl #2: "Me too. Did you know that animals have to die for us to eat them?"

Little Girl #1: "What?"

Little Girl #2: "Yeah. That is why I don't like to eat animals. It is gross."

Little Girl #1: "What?"

Little Girl #2: "Except cows....I eat cows."

The other little girl was very confused about this conversation (that seemed to be going on whether she contributed or not) and I was just laughing while I tried to write the whole thing down.

Back at School

If you read my very last post then you know I was sick and stuck at home for a solid week. Boring. I have really enjoyed being back at school since the sick days. Just a couple funny things:

(Jill this one is for you)
Little Boy: "Hey Miss Dawn! Did you know Michael Jackson had a heart attack?!"

Me: tried to respond but this was difficult due to my laughter (which was because of the randomness of the comment and because of my friend Jill) I was finally able to say "Yeah, actually I think I did hear that..."
Meanwhile all the other kids just stared at me like I was a crazy person...but I don't blame them.

Another day there was a little boy who I believe learned a new term and was practicing it...a lot.

"Come on Ladies, let's go play at the blocks!"
"Ladies! It's time for snack!"
"Where are the ladies?"
"Ladies watch out for the crocodiles!" (they were pretend crocodiles...just in case you couldn't figure it out.)

Did he watch a "Ladies Man" sketch from classic SNL? Seriously where does a 3 year old learn the term and understand the appropriate use?

I love those kids...it is only a couple months into school and already I love them all so much! They make me laugh, they make me think, they make me very tired, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Swine Flu.

I got it. I got the stupid swine flu. I was not happy. I am beginning to wonder what horrible karmic offense I committed to deserve my un-lucky fate....I can't think of anything bad enough. I came down with my symptoms on Saturday night, I felt sick but not the sickest ever. So I figured I would either have a fairly easy go of it OR I would get worse before I got better. And that is exactly what happened.

For 72 hours I alternated Tylenol and Advil, taking something every 3 hours. Also, being the slightly crazy person that I am, I also religiously took my temperature every hour. (If there had been a paper and pen handy...I definitely would have tracked my hourly temperature readings but alas there was not.) My fever hovered between 100.0 and 101.7 (the highest point) for 3 days straight. Then a day and a half after my initial symptoms, I added nausea and vomiting as well as rattling breath to my list of symptoms. Awesome. I was grateful that Lindsay was nice enough to get me the sprite that I desperately needed to help with my nausea (she left it on my doorstep and then called to tell me it was there!)

I remember lying on the couch and watching the clock for literally an hour and the whole time I was thinking, "man, time is moving really, really slowly." All I really wanted was for someone else to do everything for me but it turns out I am a grown up so I should do it for myself AND no one wanted to be within a 20 feet of me (except Tera who somehow braved living with me and listened to me whine and cry...thanks Tera.)

After a few days my fever finally broke, and at some point after that I stopped obsessively taking my temperature every hour (which I felt was the real turning point for me.) I am now a week past my first symptoms and 3 1/2 days past my fever so I can say with confidence that I am no longer contagious! :) The undeniable proof of my non-contagious-ness is that my mom will actually be in the same room with me and even hug me again! YAY!

I am SO glad that it is over. Oh. I've also put away the thermometer.