Owning it

I teach in the district where I live (which happens to be in a smaaaallll town).  My monkeys are in school here.  Basically, everything we do is here.  After 14 years of being two districts away, I feel that my circle is very small.  At first, this bothered me.  But now, not so much.  I love knowing everyone.  I love that my monkeys are known.  There's something great about a small town, and well, being a townie.

So last night was the big parade.  The Clover was to be on the 4H float, and the Middle Schooler was on the wrestling float.  I didn't have to worry because I couldn't be with them both because, you know...small town.  I sat on the end of the trailer of the 4H float (with two other moms so that none of the kids fell/jumped off).  All down the parade route, I could hear kids calling "Clover! Over here!"  But in the same way, I heard an awful lot of, "Frau M!!!!"  I felt a bit like a rockstar, except, I'm pretty sure real rock stars don't wear flip flops and sit on the back of a gooseneck trailer.  I'm surprised by how many more people I know now after only being a teacher here one year (I mean, sheesh, I've lived here for 10).  I always said before this year that I was basically a Tiger (other town resident), just I lived a little far outside city limits.  All that has changed, now.  So I guess when they say, "Go big or go home," I can answer, "I am home." 

I may be Candor/Erudite...

but the monkeys are Dauntless!

So, clearly, I haven't written here for a long time.  Yeah, about that...sorry?  I have plenty of reasons to not blog.  Mostly it boils down to not really wanting to.  There were times during the last four (!?) months that I had the time, but I just didn't really feel like it.  So there you go.  On with the story...

My BFF recommended the book Divergent to me, so on a shopping trip to Barnes and Noble, I bought it.  It took me less than 24 hours to read it all.  And it was quite possibly one of the best books I have ever read.  Better than The Hunger Games.  So then of course, I read Insurgent (book 2 of the series).  Again, great reading.  Now I have officially become a fangirl.  I even cruised the Pinterest page about it.  I took the quiz, even.  I would be in either Candor (truth telling) or Erudite (loves learning) factions.  The monkeys are a whole other story.

Tonight was the beginning of our town fair.  Each year in June there is a four-day extravaganza of excitement.  The Clover played 6 little songs at the Christian Music Show (on the main stage at the fourway stop...yes, there is only one).  After it was all over, the monkeys wanted to ride some rides.  I am not made of money, so I told them they could ride one each, and bought the tickets.  They have both always been timid about riding things, so I was thinking, "One go on the teacups, and off we go on our merry way."  But alas, my son (who quit Cubscouts after earning his Webelos badge, so now I have to come up with a new nickname for him here), said, "I'm going on the Hang Glider!!!!!"  This is a ride much like a Ferris wheel where you are on your belly and going very, very fast in a circle.  He was yelling "YEAH!!!!!!" the whole time.  Then the Clover surprised me and said, "I'm going on that tomorrow, and the Spinning Dragon tonight!"  All the while, I'm thinking, "Who are these kids?"  I know who they are...they are Dauntless!