Resisting!

So my bathroom policy in class is that 2 kids have to go together to the bathroom, but no more can go until they return (since kids are smart and like to not be in class and hang out in the tiny bathroom instead).

As soon as 3rd grade got here, 1 boy asked to go to the bathroom, I asked him to please wait until I started class, then he could go during work time. He said sure. So as soon as work time came, he asked again, and I let him go.

Not 30 seconds later, another boy came up and asked to go to the bathroom. I said sure, when boy # 1 comes back. He said "Ohhhh."

Another 30 seconds, and I see boy # 2 walking in a circle, sit down, write a word, stand up, walk in another circle, sit down. I ask "what are you doing?" "Resisting." Okay- whatever.

30 seconds later, he is up doing a little dance, sits down, writes a word, stands up and wiggles, etc. So I say "What are you doing?" "resisting!" "resisting what?" "Using the restroom."

"Oh okay... just go, grab a buddy, and don't talk to the other two boys in the bathroom."

So right now, since I have a class in here, and will have a class in here for the next 2 hours, I am also RESISTING! But in 2 hours, I will go to the bathroom.

My Friend

I have the most amazing friend. She is a mom of 2 boys. She is a kindergarten teacher. She is a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. She loves to clean. Her house is spotless and germ free. She successfully gave up drinking cokes... only to become addicted to coke zeros. She is the Queen of the Crop at the Scrapbook weekend each year. She is overly organized. She is funny. She is thoughtful.

But maybe the most amazing thing about her is that she is a mom to a child with an immune disorder and yet she is so NORMAL. And her life is normal. mostly.

Travis, her almost 9 year old son, was born basically without an immune system. Remember the "boy in the bubble" from way back when? Well, Travis has the same thing, Common Variable Immune Syndrome.

My friend has learned how to give her son IV blood transfusions. Each Sunday, she and her husband sit Travis down and poke each little leg and he gets Gamma Gobulin (I don't know how to spell that) for 2 and 1/2 hours. This is his immune system... white blood cells that people have generously donated. It lasts about a week for Travis, so they repeat each Sunday.

It's a good system, but it's not perfect. When you or I get sick, our bodies make extra white blood cells and fight extra hard. Travis just has what he gets each Sunday, and throughout the week, those cells fight a bit, then die off, and he needs more. See the problem??

The truly amazing thing is that my friend trusts Travis to the Lord. He is fully in God's hands. They do an amazing job raising him and keeping him "normal." They have break downs in worry- but they are never consumed by it. They have taught me to rely more fully on prayer and its power.

Last February, Travis was granted a wish from Make-A-Wish. After he asked for tickets to a Texas Tech game (which he has gone to MANY times), he finally asked the Wish Granters for a trip to Disney World for ESPN week. And they went on the trip of a lifetime. The pictures are truly amazing, the stories are seriously unbelievable.

And now... its time for Travis to give back. On March 7th, Make- A-Wish is hosting "Race for Wishes" - a 5K run or 1 mile walk - to raise money for the wishes. And Team Travis has formed! So, Team Travis has 2 goals...

1. Have the LARGEST team out there
2. Raise $6,000 - enough to fully fund 1 wish for some special child.

So- you can help.... you can join Team Travis- and either come to the race or sponsor in money, but either way you'll be helping out other kids, just like Travis.

If you want more information, go here to Race For Wishes.

To follow my amazing friend's life and read about her weekly/daily victories/struggles, go here to The Shoemake Family Blog.

And if nothing else, pray for Travis, pray for my friend.

Iced In!

So yesterday the roads were supposed to be TERRIBLE! they were not. People in Texas seem to overreact to the prediction of bad weather. But last night, everything really did freeze, and I think the roads were legitimately bad this morning- since Texas does not have enough salt machines to properly prepare the roads. So, at 5:40 am, I received the most glorious phone call

"Hello?"
"No school at all today!"
"oh yeah! Thanks!"
"good night"
"good night"

And with that, I rolled over and fell back asleep.

My sweet husband was supposed to fly out to Cincinnati this morning, but instead, woke up, watched the news, called the airlines, and changed his flight to 1:50. So we spent the morning together and he just walked out the door for the airport.

Hopefully I will write a much more creative blog later today, but for now, I am basking in my surprise day off.

My Gas Situation

While that title sounds embarrasing and personal... it's not... tricked ya!

But I do have a gas situation. You see, our gas meter was in our garage. That's bad. We wanted it moved. That's expensive. Unless there is a gas leak, then the gas company moves it for free. We had a gas leak in the meter. They fixed it.

Yesterday they came and put the meter outside of the garage. (It's big and ugly now, we need a bush quickly.) However, it was our job to hire a plumber to move the connecting tubes from the house to the new outdoor meter. We did that.

Then they tested it with some pressure test thing. And here is the situation... our gas lines could not hold the 3 pounds of pressure... we have a leak. or two. or three.

So the plumber climbed up into our attic. He looked for leaks (I don't know how he did this, by smelling? by some machine? who knows.) He found two. He fixed them. The pipes still don't hold the pressure. This means there is another leak. But he gave up and left.

So, we don't have gas. Which means we don't have a stove. Or an oven. Or hot water. Or heat.
Oh, and did I mention that channel 8 weather has predicted today and tomorrow to be the worst ice storm EVER in Dallas? Oh yeah, perfect timing for no heat.

So, last night we packed up and headed to the in-laws house. We slept in warm beds. We took hot showers. All while our little home froze to death. I left the faucets "trickling" in hopes that the pipes wouldn't freeze and bust. Wouldn't that just top my week off.

And today, my father-in-law is climbing back into our attic to find the leak himself. Then he is going to call the plumber and tell him where it is and fix it! And hopefully it will be fixed.

but then the gas can't be turned back on until an official city inspector comes out and inspects it. And when will that happen? I have no idea.

And that is my gas situation.

Hoop it Up!

Saturday morning we woke up early, drove to Dallas Love Field Airport, flew to Tulsa, rented a car, and drove to Siloam Springs, Arkansas. (The car ride was longer than the flight.) All to celebrate 50 years of John Brown Basketball.

It was a blast! Ty played basketball at JBU in college- and his senior year they won the national championship! This year marked 50 years of JBU basketball and we got to be a part of the celebration.

We arrived in time to see the last 7 minutes of a 3 v 3 tournament and scrimmage. Somehow Ty planned the trip perfectly so that he would not have to participate. Hmm. We went to lunch with Ty's friend Josh- a missionary in the Philippines and father of 3. His wife went out with a girl friend for lunch, but the truck she was riding was not safe for the kiddos. So we were helpers as Josh ventured out for the 1st time with ALL THREE kids. It was super fun. (and also a bit fun-ny).

Next we went back to the gym... where years before I drove from Branson to Siloam to watch Ty play his season opener at the famous "Toliet Paper Game." You see, JBU has a tradition, at the first home game every year, after JBU scores their first point, every person in the stands throws rolls of toliet paper on the court. It is so cool. Yes they get a technical, but it's worth it. So, I watched Ty's senior Toliet Paper Game. The only thing is, we weren't dating then, and we didn't even like each other, I was just going with a friend who wanted to watch Ty play. Who knew that 5 years later, we'd be married.

Anyways- we were back at the gym for the women's and men's games- and lots of visiting with old basketball friends for Ty. Fortunately, his friends have wonderful wives- who I got to visit with- and precious babies- who I got to hold.

After the games, there was a banquet for all the alumni and current players. They opened the mic and the men got up and told hilarious stories about their basketball days. It was quite the night!

We continued visiting at the adorable home of one of Ty's dearest friends. And hours later, we rolled ourselves into bed.... only to wake up the next morning for the drive to Tulsa, flight to Dallas, and drive home.

It was exhausting, but worth every minute...I only wish our time there could have been longer... oh and I wish I wouldn't have left my camera in the hotel room the whole time.

Monogram Chick Giveaway

Okay, so on a blog I follow, I followed that one to another blog and found this amazingly cute giveaway!!



So go and check out the blog- leave a comment to enter yourself in the giveaway and mention that I sent you (because if you win, then I win too) nice! You have til next Wednesday to enter.

Go GO GOOOOO!!

http://monogramchick.blogspot.com/

And if anyone wants to teach me how to make a link into just a single word (like when you write "Here" and all I have to do is click on "here" and it really opens a new web page) please inform me.
Gracias

Sweeter than Cookies

Yesterday I baked cookies as a good behavior reward for my 4th grade class. A few minutes later, this folded up note landed on my desk (with the deliverer walking quickly away).

"Thanks!! Dear Mr. Sawyer, you're sweater than coocies, love Trent"
(Thanks! Dear Mrs. Sawyer, you're sweeter than cookies, love Trent)

Oh- be still my heart! This reminds me of how much I love my job