Kids are Cool

Kids are definitely more honest than adults. Yes, I find that out most days at school.

Yesterday I got my hair cut and colored. It's a bit darker than I'm used to. I was apprehensive about walking into school today. You never know what kids will say. They notice the little things. And they say what they think. Unlike many adults I know. I thought that if I got any negative remarks I'd just tell them it was part of my Halloween costume. I'm going "goth" this year.

Well, the girls are the first to notice. Some of them can remember exactly what you wore a week ago Friday. But somehow I can't get them to remember their multiplication facts. Very strange. Well, I got a few "You got your hair cut" and then nothing else. Hmm...then I had two of my students discussing my new color and whether I should keep it or not. One said yes, the other said no. Okay, by this time I'm not feeling very good about this new look. Later in the morning, I walked into my fifth grade classroom and all eyes turned to see me come in the door. Eyes widened as I tried to look inconspicuous. Fat chance. One of the more talkative boys looked at me and said "you changed your hair!" I just smiled and turned my attention to the other teacher in the room. (She was talking to the class.)

All day, not one adult mentioned my new do. That usually means that either they didn't notice (though it was quite different) or they were just being polite and didn't want to lie and say they liked it. Okay, I can certainly live with that. I've been in that same position before.

But back to kids...as I'm leaving school today, walking through the cafeteria, one of my fifth grade boys yells out my name to say goodbye to me from across the room. I wave goodbye to him and start out the door. But all of a sudden, he's alongside me and asks "Mrs. Davis, did you get your hair cut?" I said "yes" to which he replies with a big smile, "It's very cool!" I thanked him, but I really wanted to hug him. Like I said, kids are cool.

The Weekend

There are just never enough hours in a weekend. A friend of mine at school said she saw a t-shirt on a student that she wishes she had to wear...except at school. It read " School - the annoying thing between weekends." I actually like my work (at school), but I love my weekends. Maybe because I'm around kids all week (or adults all week), but my time on the weekends is precious. And since I'm an emptynester, I seem to have more control over what I do on the weekends. You did read the word "seem," right? Yeah, we really don't have as much control as we think.

This weekend, Bob had his account manager from China in town for training. He flew in on Saturday, and Bob picked him up from the airport. We wanted to take him to dinner and asked him what food he would like to eat. His answer...Chinese. So we went to P.F. Chang's in Grapevine. I think the gentleman was disappointed. Apparently his Mongolian Beef was nothing like what he is used to in China. He was extremely polite, but you could tell P.F. Chang's just wasn't as authentic as we would have hoped. Today, Bob picked him up for lunch, and then by his request, Bob took him for a tour of the Gaylord Texan. That place is always a big hit with non-Americans.

In between hosting this Chinese gentleman, Bob and I spent a good deal of time doing yardwork. The price of home ownership. Well, you know how one project leads to another? We had bought some shrubs at the Home Depot Landscape store that's going out of business in Lewisville. We planned on planting them along the fence by the pool. Well, wouldn't you know it but that's exactly where some sprinkler heads are located. So...this weekend, Bob dug trenches and re-routed the sprinkler pipe and heads. Not an easy job when there's tree roots all over the place. But he did it, and planted the shrubs. While he was tackling tree roots, I was planting five flats of pansies and a host of other plants I got at Home Depot Landscape (second weekend in a row, but my last trip, honest!) Now I haven't done much yardwork since my surgery 9 weeks ago, so needless to say, the yard needed it. But my body wasn't used to it yet. Sunday morning was tough. Bob and I both ached. We do not have great "weekend warrior" bodies we had years ago. Well, maybe I never had one at all. Anyway, we are going back to work tomorrow with aching backs and shoulders, and a slew of mosquito bites. So much for a weekend. I still need to clean the house. Oh well...I guess there's always next weekend. Unless something more interesting comes up!

Just a Thought

Measure thy life by loss not gain,

Not by the wine drunk, but by the wine poured forth.

For love's strength standeth in love's sacrifice,

And he who suffers most has most to give.

I don't know who wrote this, but wanted to share it this morning. Just four little lines, but lots of meaning. We should not be afraid to suffer, for through suffering we can be made in His likeness. Our Lord gives us the victory. May you see His hand holding you up through the daily grinds that could easily bring us down.

A Case for Using Sunscreen

Growing up as a teen, I didn't use sunscreen. In fact, I did the total opposite. I lathered myself in baby oil and baked for that much desired tan. Though New Jersey wasn't known as a land of sun and sand, I spent a good deal of time on the beach at Montauk in Long Island. It's near the place where they "filmed" the movie Jaws. I can't tell you how many times my skin peeled from sunburns. Well, fast forward 30 years, and I'm paying the price.

I have preached to my children about the dangers of not wearing sunscreen. But alas, the ultimate golden tan is still cherished by many. So maybe if they saw what I have to go through now, just maybe, that would change their minds. Yesterday I had to have a very tiny area of skin cancer removed from my nose. Well, it appeared tiny. Today I had to have the plastic surgeon repair the area. No small matter anymore. The plastic surgeon seemed like a nice guy with a good sense of humor. He showed me some before and after pictures. I told him if they were gross that I didn't want to see them. He said too bad, that it was all part of the deal. The pictures were gross, but I'm glad I saw the after picture. It's going to take at least two surgeries to get it right. I have to go back next week to get the stitches out, then come back in another 3 weeks for another surgery. All because of one, little spot that appeared a year ago and didn't go away.

So right now, half my mouth is numb. A stop at Smoothie King was good. I've got gauze bandages covering half of my left side of my face. I'm writing this blog under the influence of hydrocodone, so please don't hold me liable for anything that doesn't make sense.

Bottom line: Be smart. Use sunscreen. ( As told in a loving, motherly tone of voice.) :)

Scratch, Patch and Dispatch

Have you ever thought how much time you have spent waiting in a doctor's office? It's got to be one of the most unpleasant places to be. At least that's what I'm thinking as I'm sitting at this moment in a waiting room at UT Southwestern Medical Center. This area of town is way too familiar to me. I've either been the patient, or have been the parent of a patient, which I have to say is worse. Either way, it's not a fun way to spend the day.

I'll not bore you with the details, but I'm here at the Clinic for Cosmetic Dermatology. I'm not getting a nose job, but the doctor is working on my nose. My nose is so numb that I can't breathe out of the one side. My upper teeth are numb too. Thankfully though, I'm not having any dental work done. The procedure takes awhile. They numb you up, scrape, and then you wait to see if they got it all. I'm hoping I don't have to go back in. Then it's off to wait in the plastic surgeon's office for the "repair work."

They wouldn't let me eat past midnight, though I'm not sure why. I've been thinking all morning about having something really big to eat for lunch...or dinner, depending on when I get out of here.

I made sure Bob got the VCR set up to tape "The Office." We just better get home in time for that.