The Day That Nobody Could Literally Even.

Today was different, so I thought I'd blog about it.

Overall, my days this school year have been pretty tame. Discipline issues? Nah. Parent issues? Nonexistant. Drama? Minimal.

But today.

Something was in the water today.

I think this dog illustrates what my brain was doing inside of my head from eight to three o' clock:

 This year I work with kids in every grade--and in EVERY GRADE something was off.

It started with the third graders. We were reading a passage about helper dogs, and as any third grade teacher knows, the most discussion that will ever be generated in a third grade class happens when you say the word "dog". 

"MY DOG LOOKS LIKE THAT PICTURE."

"ONE TIME MY DOG _____."

"MY NANNY DOESN'T LIKE MY DOG."

"MY DOG ______ ONE TIME."

"MY DOG DIED LAST YEAR."

"MY DOG LIKES TREATS."

Second grade was no better. Our story was about Louis Braille. I don't know how many times this conversation happened:

"Why was Louis Braille's alphabet important?"

"It helped blind people see."

"But...they...no."

My seventh grade group was as unintelligible as a vine video on repeat. 

Me: *talking about the article we're reading, which is about the Paris attacks*

Seventh grader: "Hey, when you went to China, didn't you say they had toilets that weren't real toilets?"

And as they were leaving: 

Seventh grader 1: "China's got better security so they don't get blown up."

Seventh grader 2: "It's like 'Die, Hitler, die!'" 

I just. Huh? What? Hitler?

Then there were my fourth graders.

Me: "Did I tell you that I'm going to get married?"

Fourth grader with a shirt over his head: "I have a turtle shell."

Me: "What would happen if the settlers crossed over into the Indians' land?"

Fourth grader: "They would all DIE. DIE. DIEeeeeeeeaaaaahahahahahahaaa!!!"

Even the eighth grader couldn't keep her brain straight while we were reading Hatchet.

Me: "Why was Brian excited to find the berries?"

Her: ".....because they were RED."

Me: "He hasn't eaten in two days and he's excited about them being red? Is that what you would say if you hadn't eaten in two days? 'Oh, I'm so hungry, look how brown this hamburger is!'"

Eighth grader: *can't stop laughing*

My first grader was upside down and sideways in her chair at one point, between pulling things off of my shelves and needing to use the bathroom.

Fifth grade didn't understand anything I was saying, and sixth grade really just wanted to talk about relationships and the new Hunger Games movie (the latter, at least, was related to our reading the actual book together. Which is what we're doing. And I personally think it's awesome).

I finished the school day feeling close to what a normal day last year felt like.

Then, at five o' clock, I went back to my old school to watch the girls' JV game--which was a little awkward but 100% worth it. Nothing beats kids yelling your name as soon as they see you...except having heart-to-heart talks with them afterwards. I saw four of my kids, but they told me about some of my other kids as well, and I felt completely pathetic about how excited I was just to know how my troublemakers were doing.

The day was weird, hilarious, and fulfilling.

I love my kids.

I love my job.

That's all.

We Got Engaged: A Tale of Rings, Candy, and Silliness.

I got engaged, and I suppose it's only fair to share the story.

It all started back in May, when Josh asked me to be his girlfriend and I had a hunch that we would get married.

He loves the Lord, likes to travel, uses big words, and is really, really weird.

In September, after I had returned from Europe and the panic attacks of doom had subsided, we started ring shopping...a process that deserves another blog post entirely.

(NOBODY TELLS YOU HOW STRESSFUL THESE THINGS ARE.)

On October 21st, we found the ring, and on the 24th, we bought it.

YEAH, YEAH, I WAS THERE. 

Not that Josh can't do a good job, but we both felt better making the decision together. 

However, I didn't get to see the finished product that day, because we bought the band and diamond separately (and by "we bought it" I mean "Josh bought it", but, you know, everything in our lives is getting VERY WE-ISH).

After walking out the door, we double high-fived, had the biggest hug of our lives, and suddenly got slap-happy. 

We spent the rest of the day feeling engaged but not telling everyone. 

And we bought pumpkins.

That was a Saturday.

On Wednesday, October 28th, we had our first kiss.

We had wanted to wait until engagement, but we were pretty much already engaged when we bought the ring.

And I was dying.

And I regret nothing because it was a FANTASTIC first kiss.

On Saturday--Halloween--dad talked to me about marrying Josh.

Then he went to the shooting range to talk to Josh about marrying me and because he "needed someone to hold the target."

Dad doesn't do things halfway.

At this point, I was losing. My. Mind.

He has the ring.

He asked my dad.

IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TODAAAAYYYY!!!

Imagine my disappointment that evening when I realized that Josh's Halloween costume didn't have pockets for a ring.

(We still had a blast that night because we are US and that's what we DO.)

The next morning was the first day of non-daylight-savings-time, as well as the first day of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

I was a MESS.

Then I got these text messages, because Josh was out buying discount Halloween candy before church:

Which made me feel better.

After I got home from church, I decided to make pumpkin bread. However, as soon as I'd started looking at recipes, Josh called and asked if I wanted to go to the mountains with his friends, Seth and Caleb.

(Josh was coming too, of course.)

I like Seth and Caleb, and I didn't want to be in the house all afternoon...but I wasn't expecting him to propose while we were just hanging out with a couple of his friends.

Which is what he did.

Before we got up to the mountains, I asked him why he was being so giddy.

"CANDY," he replied, which wasn't surprising to me because he had eaten an entire week's worth of candy before church even started.

We drove up the motor nature trail, which was spectacular. At the first viewpoint, I took a picture of the boys. Josh sneakily asked Seth if this was the prettiest spot, and Seth was all, "Nah, man. *WINK WINK*"

I have no idea how I was so oblivious.

At the second viewpoint, I got out to look at the mountains while Caleb frantically retrieved the ring box for Josh behind me.

Then Caleb offered to take our picture.

Josh couldn't figure out where to put his feet.

It was awkward.

Then I felt him reach in his back pocket.

And I went backwards while he asked, "Will you marry me?" in an I'm-going-to-cry-if-you-say-no voice.

And I gracefully replied, "ARE YOU REALLY DOING THIS RIGHT NOW??"

Then I remembered that I was supposed to answer his question, so I said, "Yeah."

In two minutes, it was over.

A lady from the Visit Gatlinburg Facebook page had taken our picture and asked if she could put it online. 2,500 strangers thought we were cute.

Because we are.

We're the cutest of the cute couples.

And we are getting MARRIED.