School Is Here. Need I Say More?
Wow! You guys are the best. I loved reading all your fears. That's right I just said your fears were madly entertaining. It did worry me though how many of them (and I mean like 99.9%) I agreed with. Maybe some of us would have shorter lists if we listed what we WEREN'T afraid of. BUT due to the big comment turnout, I picked three winners instead of two. And by picked, I mean, I used my handy dandy random number generator I got off the information super highway. The winners of Just Between You and Me are:
1. Lauren
2. Tammy (seriously–who said she felt this was her lucky day–I totally did not rig that!!!)
3. Katherine B.
Ladies, just email me (jen at jennybjones dot com) your mailing addys. I don't have the books yet, so you'll receive them in 3-5 weeks or so.
Quite a few of you mentioned being afraid of your first day back at school, whether it be junior high/high school or college. Let me unplug from the sass for a moment and tell you that you have been prayed for today. I can't imagine how hard it is to be the new kid. I never moved growing up, so I was one of those intimidating people you had to meet. But as an adult, I am constantly so jealous of the people skills movers have vs. those of us who inherited our friends because we all grew up in the same town. I have few “getting to know you” skills. And believe me, walking up to someone and just staring is not effective. So for those of you who have had to move one or more times, I think this is one of the best things that could happen to you. You get skills that you are gonna totally need later in life. And for those of you who encounter newbies at your school, make an effort to reach out to the new folk. And not just the cute boy new folk. (Though by all means, you must extend your kindness to them as well, burden though it will be.) I wasn't Miss Kindness to newbies (or to a whole list of others, but that is a boring collection of information), and I regret that as well. As a teacher, my heart always goes out to those who don't have buddies. Y'all don't want to be thirty something and regret snubbing people in high school. That's a wasted regret. A more worthwhile regret? Not eating chocolate mini donuts in mass quantities when your metabolism was still touched by angels.
There was once this girl who came to our school when I was in the seventh grade. She was so different. Not like the rest of us who were like fourth generation attenders of this junior high. And because no one–like me–talked to her, she had to sit at lunch by herself. Well, not exactly by herself. She would talk to the salt and pepper shakers. (Kids, once upon a time, the school trusted students with salt and pepper shakers and they were left on the table. Ketchup bottles could also be found. They were free, happy times.) When she moved on to conversing with the napkin holders, her reputation was sunk. Or was it? I personally had nothing to do with her. Her behavior was…unique. And I was of perfectly sound mind. Flash forward two years later, and due to constantly being thrown together and bonding over some really horrible band uniforms, a flare for homemade jokes, and dad stories, we were really good friends. She's still one of my BFFs. And I remember being shocked at all we had in common. Those commonalities never included an inclination to talk to tableware, but whatever. Just goes to show you can't always judge someone by first impressions. Or by their affinity to Morton table salt.
Thanks to friend and fellow writer Danica Favorite and her Twittery tweets, I have discovered Dave Crowder's Rockumentaries. It's a great way to spend a Sunday night when you're supposed to be writing, reading, preparing for school, spending quiet/reflective time with the Lord, perfecting my downward dog, or watching a Desperate Housewives rerun.
Here's Episode III. I've watched them all, and I have to say Jack is my absolute favorite band member. He totally needs his own show. Or to at least a starring role on The Big Bang Theory.
Everyone seems to be joining Twitter these days. And sounding off about it.
Even Louie Giglio.
And I think we all know I would agree with Giglio about boring Tweets. They drive me nuts. I read one last month that read “I am buying shampoo.” I couldn't hardly go to sleep that night because I was hanging over the cliff of “what could possibly come next?” by my very fingernails. I never got a conditioner selection update, which was a huge letdown.
Today I have real school. Not inservice. Not a meeting. But students. And their parents. It's funny (and when I say funny, I mean maddening to the point I sprout a vein in my forehead), but parents can be the worst audience members. We have this back to school day where parents go to class alllll day with their kids. So I talk briefly about my class, tell them my most important rule (students must bring me cash daily I don't accept late work/zeroes are written in my gradebook in blood), and then we do an ice breaker game. And what are some parents doing while I'm talking? Taking calls, texting, speaking loudly to someone next to them. I'm SURE they are just helping out by modeling what NOT to do, but it really makes my hand itch for a taser. The one I keep hidden in the back of my top desk drawer in a box labeled “extra markers.”
So let's do another book giveaway. This is for a copy of the soon-to-be released Just Between You and Me. In the book, Maggie Montgomery always has candy on hand–Jolly Ranchers, SweetTarts, chocolate. What is a product you are dependent on? For example, I love L'oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara. I used to be a die-hard Voluminous user, but after finding this stuff–I'm sold. And I have used Cetaphil soap to wash my face forever. My mom is a fan too. I always have some Burts Bees lip stuff on hand. Any products you swear by? Leave a comment and tell me all about it, and you'll be entered to win a copy of the new book. And just a reminder, this is not a YA book. It's appropriate for teens, but Maggie? She's the ripe old age of 3-0. Ancient, right? ; ) You have until Thursday night to leave a comment. I'll announce the winner Friday. If I have any strength left to blog. After my return to teaching and all.
Pray for me, y'all. I gotta be an educator today.
And wear heels.
JEN
