Getting Cultured

This past Saturday I went on a shopping trip to some international markets around Toledo. The trip was put on by Global Connections, a non-profit org. comprised of various churches and ministries that aims to serve international students at BGSU. There were 8 international students, plus Marisa, her 2 year-old son Liam, myself and David (our faithful van driver). We went to an Asian store, a Mediterranian store (with an amazing eatery- yay hummus) and an Indian store. The students were so excited to purchase food from some of the delis in the stores for us Americans to try. I was nervous tasting some of it for the first time thinking: Please don't let me gag... , but I would have never experienced those kinds of food otherwise. It was all very good and reminded me of just how uncultured I am when it comes to food- and many other things as well.

Then later that evening, my dear friend Nisha (from India) whom I met at a Global Connections event in the fall, came over to Amy's house and cooked for 5 of us! We were all taking notes on just how to make her amazing lentil soup served over rice with nan on the side. She went easy on us and didn't add too much spice and my was it good! She even made Chai tea from scratch later on. I must say that it was sure nice to step out of my American bubble a bit. I need to do that more often. There's a whole world out there and it's literally right in front of my face.

Ohio Poem

Got this in an email. Thought it was blog worthy. Ohioians- Enjoy.

It's winter in Ohio
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At twenty-five below.

Oh, how I love Ohio
When the snow's up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Ohio
'Cause I'm frozen to the ground!!

Diaper Dilemma

You know, we were really going to give cloth diapers a shot at some point, but these sound so much better! I'm torn...

1st Trimester Tummy

So here I am in the first days of the second trimester in one of the few pairs of pants that still fit me. Fortunately I have discovered these wonderful elastic bands that are just right for too tight pre-pregnancy pants or too loose maternity clothes. So I confess, I've been walking around with my pants unbuttoned (some of them even unzipped!) with my wonderful "tummy tube" holding them on while giving my belly some breathing room. What will they come up with next?

Fruit

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Well, we closed off 1st semester of the 08/09 school year today. One more to go: my final semester.

Even before the pregnancy I had been struggling with my choice of profession. Everyone says that 5 years is the burn-out rate for special educators, but I was convinced that was just "most" people and not me. I was gonna go the long haul. And I still may, who knows what the Lord might have me do after raising my child/children. All I know is that my job, as well as any educator's job, is exhausting. I'm just mentally and physically TIRED. I'm tired of my lessons falling short of what they could be because I don't have time with all of the IEP's, progress reports, grade checks, meetings, etc. I'm TIRED of the students on my caseload not getting my full attention and concern because of lessons, grading and the everyday duties of a teacher. And I'm really TIRED of trying to jazz up Ohio Graduation Test prep. when the knowledge and skills my students really need to prepare them for life after high school are nowhere to be found on that test. Those have been my thoughts about life as a special educator in a nutshell.

Now on to the more positive part. I have to say that those "this is why I teach" moments have been few and far between. However, I experienced one this week. Last year (let's call him "Joe") hated me. He hated that I didn't let him sleep in class. He hated that I called on him just as much as everyone else. He hated the expectations that I tired to hold him to. And he hated that I was pretty consistent with all of it. He could have cared less about English, but the one reason that made him want to pass: he couldn't bear the idea of having Mrs. Martin again. Fast forward to one year later after Joe failing my class. At least this time around I would know what to expect, but half way through the semester, Joe surprised me. One day he pulled me aside to ask about his grade and what he could do to change it. The solution was simple: keep your head up and do your work. Joe started staying with me during extra help and even after school. Talk about change of heart, mind and attitude! There was no explanation for this sudden motivation other than, "Well, I realized that if I'm gonna be here, I might as well do the work." Ya think?! The rest of the semester you might as well called Joe's grade The Millennium Force. I would say Top Thrill Dragster, but there were many more hills than that. If it weren't for the absences, there would have been no argument. Going into the exam this week Joe was well aware of just how borderline his grade was and I think we both knew that the exam grade just wasn't going to help. Regardless, on his way out the door after the exam, Joe says to me, "Mrs. Martin, I just want you to know that without you, I wouldn't be trying this year."

Thanks, Joe. I needed that. More than you will ever know...

New Things in '09

A month before the new year began, Ben and I discovered that 2009 would hold much more than vain aspirations and good-hearted strides toward being better friends, neighbors and family members: we are to be parents of a child that God is knitting together inside of me. Is there a word for this feeling? I can think of several things that have been swirling around in our hearts and heads, but I don't think there is one way to describe exactly what this miracle of life means to us. Surprised? Yes. Overjoyed? Yes. Nervous? A bit. And while we tread this ground will all of our posts be about the pregnancy and the baby? Will I have anything else to say? I certainly hope so! While I'm sure I'll be tempted to be consumed by this child, I want to stay in touch with the real world. Any readers out there who have found the key to this balance? Anyone else have the same concern? Stories and suggestions welcome.

We did see our babe this week via ultra sound. A cute little nose protrudes from his/her profile. Absolutely miraculous. How can it be that God would bless us so?

So It's December

Despite our lack of blogging, there really have been some things going on. Let's see... Some highlights of November were Sara's trip to Chicago and 27th bday, the beginning of fun holiday parties in December, and more updates to come. We hope you are enjoying your Christmas season and reflecting on the gift of Emmanuel during this time!