Short week!

Ooooooo...so full. I made burgers tonight on the stove. Never tried that before, and I did alright! We also enjoyed baked beans, chips, and Koolaid. It was a regular Soules family summer meal.

I am so happy that this week is a short week. I feel so much less stressed about it for some reason, even though my 4/5 classes before the concert are limited(yikes). Tomorrow is a easy day, and I have lots of prep so I don't have to feel like I need it all done tonight. It is just so awesome to be sitting here doing lesson plans, etc. with Theresa. She is really taking this on full force, and I am proud of her for that. I want to help her so much, but I hope she also knows that she can do, literally, whatever she wants. There is so much freedom in elementary music, let alone her situation. This whole experience is great for me, to talk through things, and share what I know, but also to have her be emerced in what I do every day, and we'll have a better understanding of that for the rest of our lives now. In many ways her school seems slightly better than mine. I mean, she has ONE combined grade level class and I have twelve of twenty. Everyone seems much more welcoming and friendly too. She has another music teacher to talk to there, which can be good and bad, and lucky for her it seems good so far. They get along, and this teacher matches our philosophy more than anyone else we've met here. Theresa needs to decorate her room and make it her own now, so we are trying to figure out how we can get stuff on walls when she doesn't have any posters. She's working on making one right now. :)

Friday night we hung out with Mark Lundin. His place is pretty sweet, lots of plants! It felt like we were in the jungle, or like we were in Where the Wild Things Are. (yes, your assumption at this point is correct). Then we went to a bar that he said was like The Joynt, and it really was, but it was so busy that we couldn't find a place to sit or stand. It was fun to see Mark, he is a really fun guy and we've always gotten along easily. Yesterday Theresa and I slept in sooooo late after that. I have not slept that late in years, no kidding. So, we felt like we couldn't go to bed at a regular time and went to the bowling alley bar. We just sat and split a pitcher while chatting and listening to people butcher songs on kareoke. It's nice to get out, even if it's just the two of us. I really want to go back there, and this other bar we were going to go to but they had a $6 cover when people come to visit. Errin wants to have a Wicked party with cheap vodka in January. Ha, we'll see if it happens. Well, we ARE getting together in January, but we'll see what it actually turns out to be like.

Today I went to one of my student's piano recital. It was so cute! She was by far the best one there in her age group. I was so impressed! AND she arranged the pieces she played "herself". I mean, I know that could mean anything, but it is still cool. Her little brother is a kindergartener, and he freeeeaked out when he saw me. Actually he is the boy I mentioned in a earlier post that said I don't have a mother and loves getting falcon feathers. Their parents were ecstatic that I came and kept thanking me. I guess the girl told them I might be coming, and they made brownie cupcakes for the reception afterwards and made one for me with a music note thing sticking out in case I actually showed up. I bet that they didn't believe her when she said I was coming. BUT I DID! It made me feel really good to support her and see what she is doing outside of my class. It is hard to give the well behaved and gifted students the attention that they deserve when you have to deal with all of the other crap all of the time. I just wanted her to know I care, and think it's cool that she is liking piano lessons.

I think I am going to put my laundry away, and the dishes, and then do some school stuff until bed. I CAN'T WAIT to go home Wednesday night for Thanksgiving. I am just going to veg out, watch TV, and sit on the couch all day talking to Mom. Can't wait to see Laura and Morgan and everyone! I just might do some black friday shopping as well. Toodleloooooo!