haphazard musings

read this.

a sweet family we know has been deep in the process of adopting a little gal from China over the last year and a half or more.  

they are in China right now - to bring her home.

they got to be with her forever on monday.

please read their sweet words of faith and love as played out by them and by Jesus. (just click the photo below.)

 

delicioso zuppa

aka delicious soup in my personal version of italian.

i made some super yummy soup yesterday and posted a picture of it on instagram and facebook.  after doing so, i had several requests for the recipe.  so here you go my friends.

i call it tortelini soup - it's pretty original since it has torelini in it.

the cast of characters (for about 14 good sized servings):

• 2 lbs ground italian sausage (but links would taste yummy too)
  
• 5 carrots, a large dice (make a good pile)
• 4 stalks celery, diced (same size pile as carrots)
• 1/2 an onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finley diced
• 2 small zucchini, a large dice
• 1 or 2 yellow squash, a large dice
• 16 oz chicken stock
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1 big palm full of italian seasoning
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 bag frozen cheese filled tortellini
• 2 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup-ish flour

the directions:

• in a giant pot, brown the italian sausage, drain off grease, set aside
  
• in the same pot, drop in the butter, let it melt, and add in the carrots, celery, onion and garlic
• cook for 5 minutes (so they get a little soft)
• sprinkle in flour, stir to coat veggies and let cook for a minute
• slowly pour in chicken stock stir, stir, stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, then let boil for a minute or two to thicken
• dump in sausage, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, italian seasoning and salt and pepper
• bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for 30 minutes
• in the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and drop in the tortellini (they cook super fast - 2 minutes according to the package - and if you aren't careful they get mushy which is why i do them in a separate pot)
• when you feel like the soup is done mixing all the flavors (make sure you taste it first) and you are ready to eat, gently stir in the pasta

and there you have it.  tortellini soup. 

now go make some, snuggle up on the couch with your favorite person, put on a movie and enjoy.

 

a bit of stress...

it all began around 4:00 am on sunday morning when my rational thinking abilities were obviously in fine form.  i had been awake for an hour at least already that night and had begun thinking. 

my only real complaint about being pregnant has been the sleeping problems - even early on when rolling over didn't require a fully awake state.  i just don't seem to enter into that lovely deep sleep state (the one where you are completely unconscious for several hours) - it has been illuding me for several months now it seems

anyway, back to my story. 

since i was awake, i started thinking.  thinking of any kind at 3 or 4 am is never a good plan.  i was thinking about the big stuff...

do i want to get an epidural?

how do i find a long-term substitue?

this teaching thing is exhausting...how can i possibly make plans for 6 weeks in advance?

when am i ever going to find time to complete my teacher work sample (the major project due for my teaching class)?

will i ever be able to breathe through my nose again?

what about this....and this....and this....the list went on and on.

 

i got myself so worked up i started crying.  i didn't even know i was stressed about most of that stuff.  the best of lindsay always comes out in the middle of the night.

luckily, i have a lovely husband who is willing to get me some water, some tissues, and sit and speak truth to me even at 4:30 on a Sunday morning.

 

we came up with some good ideas like:

Ryan: "you don't have to decide about the epidural tonight...the baby isn't coming now."

me: well that's true.

 

Ryan: "why don't you email your department chair on monday and just ask a few questions about how other teachers have dealt with maternity leave? i bet she has some suggestions."

me: well that might help. good idea.

 

Ryan: "in the morning, why don't we pull out your big assignment and make a little calendar and set some deadlines."

me: yeah, that could work. sniff...sniff...

 

Ryan: "let me get you a breathe right strip. it will help you breath, it's not just for snoring."

me: oh ok...do you think it will help?

Ryan: "yes, my dad swears by them."

me: ok, i guess that would be ok.

 

Ryan: "maybe you should try to get some sleep."

me: yeah, i'm pretty tired.

Ryan: "i bet you are.  let's say a few prayers and you try to sleep."

me: ok, yeah, ok.

 

seriously, why do i insist on having these discussions and minor panic attacks at ridiculous hours of the day?  but apparently it's just another aspect of my character to love.  thanks hubby for talking me down from the ledge and reminding me of the bigger picture.  you love me, the baby will love me and jesus loves me.  what more could a girl really need?

 

 

how about a bump-date?

in photos.

july 2, 2012 (about 15 weeks...i'm not counting back that far.)

september 2, 2012 (22 weeks)

(buying my first maternity pants...i might have put it off a little too long)

october 13, 2012 (29 weeks)

(not the best picture, but the only one that accurately showed the bump or bumpette. please ignore the fact that i might have eventually rested that coffee mug on my bump or bumpette.  the traveling table is a nice benefit.)

maybe now you understand why my students keep asking me if i am having twins...

"mrs. frasier...

you be trippin'."

yes, that's right.  i BE trippin'.  oh my.  i told that young man that if he could insult me using the appropriate verb tense, it wouldn't bother me so much. 

he said, "i don't know what you mean."  

i acknowledged that he probably didn't and moved right along in my lesson for the day, and promptly emailed my english teacher from high school and said, "so, do you have any good lessons on subject-verb agreement i can use with seniors?"

we started a little grammar work today, and they know shockingly little about it at all.  they all moaned and complained (i am sure tomorrow's class will do the same), but they all agreed that they needed the practice and didn't want to sound like morons when they got to college.

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"mrs. fraiser, you have gotten like 10 times bigger than when we first met you."

yes, young lady, i have put on weight - it's called pregnancy.  thank you so much for pointing it out...every single day.  it is very helpful to have someone monitoring my "condition" so closely.

*********************

"mrs. frasier, can i tell you a story about..."

no. you absolutely may not tell me a story.  period.  end of sentence.  stop that thought this very instant.  

why?

well i really don't care about what happened to your dog, your lizard or your homework last night.  seriously, quit trying to get me to be off topic.

*********************

"mrs. frasier, you're just irritated because it's friday and your tired and pregnant."

au contraire, my friend.  that's not the reason.  the reason i'm irritated is because your lips are still flapping.  now, are you sure you wish to persue this course of converstation?

*********************

"miss...miss...mrs. uhhh...mrs. frasier, can i go to the bathroom?

yes.

(same student) "miss...miss...mrs....mrs. frasier, can i go to the bathroom again?

no.  

(same student) "i'm gonna pee here at my desk."

ok.  

**********************

(me) "hey, get to class."

"i'm goin'."  

"move a little faster; you're already late."

"i can't.  i don't want to crease my shoes."

(me) "well, perhaps you should get over that and get to class."

**********************

happy thursday, almost friday!

 

Victory

We all know the saying, "Kill 'em with kindness."  Right?

I know I've been hearing that forver.  Well, I have news for you.  It doesn't always work.  Period. End of sentence.

Sometimes, it turns out you just need to get a little rough with people and tell them exactly how it's going to be.  So today, for my two hours that have been giving me a bit of trouble, we had a good, old- fashioned come to Jesus meeting.

I laid it out.  And, for today at least, it worked.

Hallelujah!  

They actually sat at their desks with a laptop and typed pretty quietly for about 45 minutes.  It was a pretty amazing feat considering last week they couldn't contain themselves for more than about 30 seconds without needing a reminder to shut their yaps.

But man, I tell you kids are persistent and negotiators.  They will do everything in their power to convince you they need to work with a partner or they will be quiet even though everything they have demonstrated in the last 2 weeks was an absolute inability to be successful at partner work or silence. :)

So victory on day 9.  I'll take it, friends.  I'll take it!

the first week.

well, it's been a week since school started.  almost.  tomorrow will actually be a week, but i thought i would give you an update.

first, here's my first day of school picture.

and honestly, at this point, i am not quite sure what to think.  some of my classes are wonderful and i really love seeing those students walk in the door.

but friends, there are two classes that might drive me absolutely bonkers.  and beyond.  for real.  they are just plain awful.  i had them today and they make me want to pull out each hair on my head individually, because i think it might actually be more fun to do that than stand there and try to engage the students.  in fact they would likely be more engaged if i was pulling out my hair strand by strand.  because, they are CERTAINLY not interested in learning about narratives or figurative language, or even in taking roll. and while i know those don't sound riviting, i do try to make it at least a little more fun by doing group work or a game or something, but nope.  no dice.

ugh.

ok.  so there have also been a few really good parts too!  one super dry kid asked me about unexcused absences.  according to the school policy, a family vacation is not excused.  so that's what i said.  he said, "well that's a dumb rule."  i said, "sorry pal, i don't make the rules."  he said, "but what if i wanted to go to Jamacia with my family?"  i said, "well it would be unexcused."  "well, that's dumb, you should let me go to Jamacia and excuse it," he stated.  i said, "well honestly, i would like to go to Jamacia too, but since i can't either, perhaps you should just come to class like the rest of us lowly non-Jamacia going individuals."  he wasn't amused, but i sure was.  and since he stopped asking, i guess he decided to let it go.

in another class, we had a ridiculously successful friday.  the students held a class discussion over the text they all read over the summer and didn't even need me to be part of the discussion.  they seemed excited to be talking about what they were talking about and just occasionaly sought out my help to decided whose turn it was to talk. VICTORY! hopefully we can be that successful again in the future.

i had a student today who turned in a paper using the word "like" in her writing just like she was saying it in a conversation.  another young lady decided that instead of using the word "to" she would just write 2.  since it's ok in a text, it's obviously ok in a "formal" paper.  and for another laugh, another gal just didn't use any capital letters at all.  (pretty much like this post...hmmm...) 

so back to the drawing board for tomorrow.  hopefully tomorrow will be a better day!

 

tomorrow...students...

that's all i can even say at the moment...

on productivity...

mine stinks.  does yours?

what is your reason?  too many friends, lots of invitations?  enjoying being outside this summer?  playing games with your kids? 

what is mine?  the olympics...it's bad friends.

source

one day this week, i watched nearly all day and then took a break when NBC did and then proceded to watch the entire evening program from 7 to 11.

this week i have avoided lesson planning, laundry, exercise, grocery shopping, cleaning, making dinner, and even phone calls from friends so that i don't miss something "important" on tv. :)

if you are someone who as been avoided as a result, please accept my apologies, i am seeking help.

i am curently watching the women's relay next to a pile of clean and folded laundry on my right and a pile of clean and unfolded laundry on my left.  perhaps i will get them folded and both put away before this is over tonight.  but i'm not banking on it.

hold on...brb...

sorry, it got really exciting there for a couple minutes.  another gold!  we were yelling pretty good at the tv.  which is hilarious, considering everything i am watching happened about 6 hours ago...

missy franklin is so fun.  have you seen this video?

 

oh well perhaps my productivity will improve tomorrow.  but i'm not really anticipating it since the more i watch the olympics, the more i think i need to plan a trip to London.

BIG changes

Well friends, I finally feel like I can post again.  There have been so many things going on in the Frasier house that I have been completely overwhelmed.

BUT, I think I am ready to share about all of them with you.

1st - 2012 will be a big year for us...as you can see...

Yep, that's right.  In December, we will be adding a little guy or gal to the family.  We are pretty excited about it and believe it or not, so are our parents and Finley. :)

Obviously, things are moving right along. :)  A good friend took that shot at 16 weeks...according to my mother, I am going to be huge!

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2nd...I got a new job!

That's right folks, I will now be educating impressionable teenagers.  I will be teaching English at Heights High School in Wichita - freshmen and seniors. 

I was ready for the change and am nervous but totally pumped to be in the classroom.  In the interest of full disclosure, I am freaking out, but all things with prayer and petition, right? 

So, that's what I have been doing most of July, praying then reading then praying then planning then praying some more.

As you can see, I am now composing my posts with appropriate capitals and punctuation as much as I can.  I am now tyring to be a good example...hmmm...we will see how it goes.

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3rd...We got up close and personal with the most curious little calf.

And got what seemed a little too close to this brand new mama cow.

Ryan was pretty excited on this trip to the ranch.  There were LOTS of calves to tag and he got to use his awesome catching skills.  Basically, he loves launching himself off of a full-speed-ahead 4-wheeler just for fun.

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4th...we took a little trip...to HAWAII!

More details about all of the above to follow.  I am excited to share all of my first year teaching stories with you (names will be changed to protect the innocent children) as well as developments on little baby Frasier.