Complete Exhaustion: September

The Little Things

• I watched 8 seasons of Supernatural within a 4 month period. No regrets, baby.
• SEASON 9 premiered this last Tuesday. Sooo excited I got all caught up so I can experience this show "as it happens" for the first time--ever. And if Tuesday night was any indication, this season is gonna be one of the best in a while. :)
• I have a class of 68 students. 68 sixth/seventh/and eighth graders with instruments made of wood and wire that love to slip out of tune when you're not looking. 68 little angels that love talking. 68 different ways to hear "Ms O! Ms O!" throughout a 50 minute period. 68 names and faces to memorize. 68 children to remember to love.
• My favorite number of late has been 67. (no wonder that ^ class period is so hard...I'm one off..)
• I don't know which I prefer dealing with: my students--who frequently guess that I am ancient--or my students' parents--who frequently comment on my "youth" with slight disbelief. 
• At this moment, I have a Hershey's Chocolate pie sitting in my fridge, 2 packs of Sour Watermelons in my cupboard, 2 bags of mushroom-flavored instant rice, and a gallon of Simply Lemonade. The #obsessions continue.
• I have been to the dentist more times in the last 6 months than I have for the last 2 years. I hate the dentist. And these visits have given me no cause to break that streak. 
• I am consistently drained by those that inhabit my life. 
• Now, I've been called many things before, but I have to admit that a "condescending ingrate who treats people disrespectfully" was a bit of a new one. 
• My taste in music is apparently "eclectic." 
• I am so grateful for music. For all kinds of music. The Classic Rock and the Folk, the Classical and the Score, the Country and the Pop. 
• Hey cellists: ever had your endpin slip inside your cello itself? No worries; I know how to fix that. Not only is it hilarious, entertaining, and mood-lightening; it's also quite the work out ;)
•  I'm quite amazed with the human body in general. Even when there is no good reason for going on--and thousands of reasons for breaking down and curling up to nap for a good season--it keeps trucking on. I've found myself in a semi-constant state of wonder that I can accomplish all that I have, when running on insufficient amounts of sleep, nourishment, and brain power :)
• I know now what it's like to dishwasher shopping.
• I got to have the first "I don't drink." "Yeah right" "No really, I don't drink" conversation with some of my kids. I'm not certain their surprise at this fact quite equals mine in the moment they gave me "because it's what you do" as a response to my question of "Why do you want to drink?"
• Sometimes the things these kids have seen and experienced and learned breaks my heart. 
• Jake from State Farm, Coconut Jose Sharkbait, Hardunkichud Casper Fried Chicken. Sometimes I just can't explain how much I love my 6th graders.
• Wagner is a beast; but so incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable.
• There are few things as fascinating as apathy and feeling numb. 
• It's getting cold here. I can't tell you how nearly ashamed I was at shivering in a sweatshirt when the weather app read "65," but, well...there you have it. 
• General Conference was absolutely wonderful. It means so much more to me now that I'm older than it ever did before. It's kinda fun to look back on that sort of character development ;)
• 3 of my kids made it into the Clark County School District Honors Orchestra. I was a pretty proud mama hen. 
• #NewObsession: Pumpkin Spice lotion. 
• I don't think I've gone to bed before 11pm since possibly my sophomore year of high school. It's happened over a dozen times since I began my grown-up life. 
• I'm so tired. That's the only answer I can give when people ask what's wrong or how things are going or try to dig for details in the bags under my eyes. I'm just tired. Complete and total exhaustion. 
• But thank goodness for the 240 reasons I have to keep going.