El Campesino II - the B-day-field trip

Well, we went on the field trip. I made it but looking back on it, I don't know how I did it.
The day started out great. We had a little time before the ninth graders and I left for lunch at El Campesino. We had a nice little conversation about various things. I really enjoyed talking to them and am constantly surprised at how much they know about what's going on in the community. Anyway, 11 a.m. rolled around and they were anxious to go. They were hungry. I was still a little apprehensive about going. I don't know why. I just really wanted someone else with me. Bill was going to go but he ended up going to the evangelism conference in Flowery Branch. Headmaster John Mooneyham was going to go but he ended up in the hospital with a terrible viral infection and pneumonia. Sooooo, I was going into the lions den by myself.

We got to the restaurant and the kids were great. They all took their places and dove into the chips and salsa like they never had a bite of anything in their life. We just had a real good time. A man from our church came in with a friend and we greeted them. We all enjoyed our chicken nachos, cheese dip, chimichangas and there was hardly a morsel of anything left on tanybody's plate. At the end of our meal, I was trying to find out if the kids were going to order dessert.....all of a sudden here came two of the waiters with a gigantic fried ice cream covered in whipped cream and caramel sauce and a great big Mexican sombrero for me to wear. A couple of girls clued them in that it was my birthday (not really til Friday) and they began to sing a LLLOOONNNGGG Spanish birthday tune. All the while one of the waiters was spoon-feeding me whipped cream. They finished that song and started in on the very familar "happy birthday to you" and all of a sudden when it got to the part "happy birthday, dear Kathy, one of the waiters picked up that fried ice cream, dripping with whipped cream and caramel sauce and pushed right into my face. It took me by such surprise that I got hysterical. The man from our church was dying laughing. He said he wished he had brought his camera. I was a mess. The kids had known all along that this is what they do at El Campesino to celebrate birthdays. I had never heard this and we have been to El Camp a gazillion times. Oh well, I tried to be a good sport. The kids loved it. It made it VERY memorable for me. Hope you enjoy these pictures from my most fun birthday/field trip.

Habla Espanol?

As many of you know, I have been teaching Spanish at Georgia Mountains Christian Academy.
I have a great bunch of kids (for the most part) I haven't quite figured out if the middle schoolers are great or not. Right now I just look at them as a bunch of gigglers who get on my nerves a little bit. They are pretty sweet but most days I am one big " class, be quiet now" teacher . (or worse!!) Next week I am celebrating my birthday so we decided to incorporate that with a trip for the high school Spanish class to a Mexican restaurant. Of course, in my mind, I am thinking it will be an all Spanish speaking trip. They will "pedir" in Spanish. We will "hablar" in Spanish at the "mesa". They will throw tacos shells a "mi"! I will duck under the "mesa". They won't have enough "dinero", and I will have to "pagar". They will tear "mi Carro" apart on the way there and back. I will return to the school never "hacer un viaje" like this again. Oh well, it probably won't be this bad. The worse thing that will probably happen is the Mexican waiters will come out and "sing" feliz cumpleanos" to me in "Espanol autentico." EEEWWW!! I will post later and let you know how it went. !Ojala que pueda reportar un buen viaje!!!

Love - An everyday thing

Bill and I were talking this morning about Valentine's Day. I commented that it seemed like the media had taken over this day too. It has become so commercial. I can remember the days when it was a simple day to exchange valentine cards at school, giving your favorite valentine to the one you had a crush on. Husbands doted on wives and gave them candy and flowers. It was a sweet, loving day that would sometime jumpstart relationships of school friends and make a day extra special for husbands and wives. It's nice to have a special day set aside for paying a little extra attention to one another. It's true. Everyday should be special if you are with the one you love.

It's nice, though, to have one day to do something special or receive a special gift from the one you love. The media has made it a day that thrives on selling, selling, selling! I loved the simpleness of the old Valentine's Day. This morning we are having a simple Valentine's Day. Bill gave me a huge basket of flowers, we are watching (his favorite) a Sci-fi movie and tonight I will fix a special dinner for him. (We chose not to go out and fight the crowds) We are going to keep it simple! It really isn't that much different from any other Saturday. We just enjoy doing things together. Well, I don't particularly love the blood and guts of the sci-fi movie but long story short, I do it because I love being with Bill. I love doing some of the things he loves and he loves doing the things I love.....or at least making the sacrifice for each other even if it isn't our favorite. I am sure when I drag him shopping that he isn't always happy about it but I would never know it. He sacrifices for me. That's the way it is with relationships. It's a give and take. I am going to make this day as special as possible for the one I love. You know what,
I am going to do it Sunday through next Saturday too. I am not saying that life is always a bed of roses. Even though there may be spats and differences to deal with, it's fun making up with the one you love.

Well, I need to add a little addendum to this blog. Bill just asked me if I wanted to go out for a late lunch. he said, "what would you call a late lunch? A DUNCH? It is such a joy living with this man. We laugh so much. But see, this is another little surprise he has for me. That's the way it should be. I can't help loving that man of mine.

Taxes

Bill did our taxes today. I love that day believe it or not. I love watching all the moods Bill goes through while doing them. Sometimes I see him rubbing his brow in a very pensive type of pose. Other times he has his head in his hands trying to think of just one more deduction. Sometimes, though, he's very vocal.......as in......where is that other electric bill? can you believe we had this much medical expense! can you understand now where our money goes? Oh my goodness, do you know how much we spent on food???? He muddles through everything, puts every cent down, adds and subtracts and multiplies and then does it all over again. He always stops short of snorting and spitting. The last few years have been a little better than other years. At least we have been getting some refund. Of course, that has to be my favorite part, hearing that world famous declaration, "Guess what? we're getting ______ back from Federal and ____ back from the State." Yay!!!!yay, i say!!!! Refunds are nice because it allows to do a little something special that we have wanted to do. Nobody has asked us if we needed a bailout. Nobody has asked us about stimulous packages. We just have to fare for ourselves. I kinda like that. Our God has always met our needs. He hasn't let us have everything we want but we are very well taken care of. He "bailed" us out a long time ago. We don't have to worry for tomorrow because we know He has us in the palm of His hands.