Quick 8th Grade Story

I just sneezed in class and while other kids were saying, "bless you" as loud as they possibly could without sounding rude because they LOVE being able to talk during silent reading time, one boy sang the quick , 2-word theme song: "Kim Possible."

hahahaha

WHAT?!

8th grade rules.

I watched the most recent episode of The Walking Dead with Kelly tonight. Remember me in your prayers that I won't have nightmares.

THANKS!

How You Know You've Found "The One"

Last night Kelly and I were having a hard time deciding what to do. I was up to my usual antics of following Kelly around like a puppy and doing annoying things like climbing in his lap and trying to hug his arms while he typed on his computer, and Kelly was finding internet videos to show me.

Our usual go to when deciding what to do on a Friday night or Saturday night or when we have a day off or any spare moment really, is to go play pinball. Who doesn't love the chase for Wizard Mode and the wacky artwork?

But, we wanted something different last night. Just, something new.

So, Kelly opened up a file he had on his computer called: Things To Do...

First, we had a wheelbarrow race in our apartment.Kelly won because I went first and was laughing too hysterically to move very fast. My arms kept laughing with me and dropping me to the ground.

Next, we had a thumb war. I won and Kelly didn't call for a rematch because I had lost at the wheelbarrow race and he's a nice husband.

Then it was on to playing with matches. I chased his un-lit match around with my flame-filled match until his caught fire. Then we lined a few up in a row and watched those babies burn! (And come on, who didn't used to do this when their parents weren't home? Classic!)

And finally, after our (my) burning desire to build a fort was thwarted by the fact that we didn't have any extra sheets, we decided we needed to make puppets.

So, we drove to Hobby Lobby to buy some foam for the heads and they were closed. (Anticlimactic, sorry.)

So we ended up at the Jordan Landing nickelcade, playing The Twilight Zone and Scared Stiff. Which was magical and really fun, like pinball always is.

So I guess I'm trying to say, you know you've found the one when whatever you do - no matter how mundane or silly - feels like something you should blog about. Kelly makes every day feel like Disneyland. He's my "The One."

Those Telling 8th Grade Conversations...

We all know what's important in middle and high school - the music you listen to! The music you listen to determines who your friends are and who you hang out with. Just admit it. You know it's true.

Case and point:

First day of 8th grade Algebra, I turned around to the girl behind me and asked, "Do you like MxPx?" (or I might have said The Hippos...)

I didn't know this girl. I had no reason to really be friends with her. As far as I knew, all we had in common was Algebra. But, she said yes and we started an instant friendship: Hangin' out, going to the skate park, button making parties, going to the movies, going to shows. Oh, so many shows... and we're still friends to this day. We were roommates for a while in college, I introduced her to her husband (kind of), and we were even in each other's weddings! Who knows, if she would have said, "Who?" instead of her enthusiastic, "Yes!" our lives would have been so much different...

It's fun to now be on the outside of those very funny and very telling "what bands do you like?" conversations. I love walking around class, eaves dropping, in hopes I'll over hear a hilarious 8th grade conversation.

I got a new student yesterday which is prime time for those conversations. You know the first thing kids do is look at what she's wearing. Is it a band shirt? Is she wearing skinny jeans? Any girly accessories? Then, once they've decided if her style matches theirs, they can move in for the kill and ask the very telling questions...

Girl in class: So, what kind of music do you like?

New girl: Metal Core.

Girl in class: Oh, cool what bands?

Metal core?! My response would not have been, "Oh, cool what bands?" It would have been more like: "What?! Hahahahahahaha. That sounds hilarious and possibly awesome. Are the songs just all screaming about wrestling?...Do you have a lot of angst?"

So, I guess they're meant to be friends. They both like...metal core.

8th Grade Mysteries

Today during group work, one boy yelled at another, "You stupid whale digestive system!"

Did I miss something?

I'm grading papers right now.

On this paper, instead of writing his/her name this student wrote "D is for Dad."

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean...

Dancing

I used to dance like this:

I think I'm going to change my style...

Brave Little Lunch

Out of all cartoon characters, I try the hardest to be like good ol' toastie. I think I give off more of an annoying radio vibe though.

This guy knows what I'm talking about...

Candy Rabies

I have a problem. A problem called I-want-to-eat-candy-all-the-time-even-in-my-sleep. And we just so happen to have a whole cupboard full of candy right now. FULL. I'm talkin' baby Butterfingers, mini M&Ms, regular M&Ms with peanuts in them, gummy worms: the works. The delicious works. So today, after driving home and foaming at the mouth because I couldn't wait to get home and EAT 12 BUTTERFINGERS, I decided I needed to do something about this problem.

I came home and instantly forgot that I wanted to do something about it and ate a handful of gummy worms. But THEN, after I was full, I told Kelly we needed to do something about this problem. So I picked up a popcorn bucket and shoved all the candy inside, handed it to Kelly, and locked myself in the bathroom. He's hidden candy from me before - he's a good hider.

I come out when the coast is clear and, of course, instantly start searching for the candy. It's not on the water heater, not in the DVD box, and not by the potatoes - so it was out of sight. PHEW.

Problem solved.

Until I go to pack my lunch and see THIS:

Thanks a lot, Kelly.

Short Stories

I have to read 200 short stories this week. Some of them are pretty good.

Here are 2 of my favorite excerpts so far:

"Well it all started around the year of World War 3. We fought that war for 20 years against Jamaica."

"He took the bat and took a swing at my head! I started to run. He started to run after me and he was fast!....I had a plan to turn around when he got close and punch him in the face. It worked."

Oh, 8th graders. You are so funny.