Memoirs of a Field Trip Chaperone

Dear Korean War Memorial, not long ago, I said (on this very blog, in fact) that I would never get sick of you. I really meant it at the time, I really did, but last week I unexpectedly reached my saturation level. I still love you, but I think a temporary separation is in the best interest for both of us.

Dear 4th grade girls, you are a strange and beautiful species. Thanks for letting me be your chaperone to the War Memorial. You were all well-behaved and polite. P.S. Cora, I love spending time with you!

Dear father of one of the girls I chaperoned, I realize that you are from Russia, and that it is part of your culture and everything, but was it really appropriate to teach/play Russian Roulette with your children, with a Nerf gun, and have them shoot themselves in the head? Just wondering. I'll try not to judge.

Dear school district, I understand that you can't afford buses for a bunch of field trips, so it's okay that we had to walk the mile from the school to the Memorial, and then back again. I just wish it hadn't been raining.

Dear rain, I really shouldn't complain. Thanks to you, all the yellow dust in the air that had been KILLING my eyes for the past week, was washed to the ground in your lovely puddles. It looked nasty in those puddles, but better down there than in my eyes, and my nose, and my lungs.

Dear Joe, thanks for tracking us down at the War Memorial when I realized that I had left my military ID in the car on base, and wouldn't be able to get back on base to walk back to the elementary school. Good thing you weren't at work!

Dear souvenir shop at the Korean War Memorial, Cora really likes the Disney's Little Mermaid mechanical pencil that she bought from you, but I have to admit, I'm having a hard time finding the connection (Korea....War....Disney....Mermaids???)

Dear loner protest lady at the gate to the base, I appreciated your lovely smile, as you welcomed us with your big sign that basically was telling us to get our of your country. P.S. We still have 1 year, 3 months, and 13 days left here:)

Dear fellow-chaperones, it's the little things, isn't it?:)

the Good, the Bad, and Some Other Stuff

Note: I completely, totally, and shamelessly stole the idea for this post from my friend Katie, including the title...kind of:) It's just what I do sometimes.

Recent Good Decisions
- Started exercising again
- Tried some new restaurants (Greek, Mexican, Thai, and Middle Eastern=YUM!)
- Being in a Babysitting co-op
- Taking 4 kids to church by myself every other Sunday because Joe is working (it's really tempting to stay home sometimes, but I don't, and I'm always glad I don't)

Recent not-so-good Decisions
- Ordered from a Korean menu that I couldn't read, and Joe wasn't with me to translate
- Stayed up way too late, because I hate going to bed by myself when Joe is working mids
- Buying 3 lbs. of fresh hamburger, and forgetting about it until it was expired....more than once
- Spending too much time on the computer....I'm on it right now.

Recently Excited about
- The possibility of going home for a visit in the summer and seeing the final Harry Potter movie with Joe and my sister Rebekah
- The great weather we've been having
- Getting some new patterns in the mail, very quickly after ordering them
- The possibility of being able to run a 5K in 2 months or so

Recently Making
- A schoolhouse tunic (one of my new patterns)
- A Korean friendship quilt/wall hanging
- The most delicious homemade pitas with hummus and greek salad (thanks for the recipe Harmony!)
- Messes....everywhere;)

Recently Loving
- The book I just finished, "Scribbling Women"
- BBC movies
- Tuna fish with Wheat Thins
- That Joe still makes me laugh all the time. Recently I mentioned that I wanted to get something (I can't remember what), and a short time later Joe asked me if I was still thinking about it. When I said no, he said he was disappointed. "When you want something, I expect you to get OBSESSED with it, like I do. I try my best to enable your obsession, but you don't help me out AT ALL!" hahahaha, I love my OCD husband:)