Soccer Mom

I took 4 little boys to the movies this morning.
In a minivan.
To watch Alvin & The Chipmunks.
With every other kid in Volusia.

I hate the chipmunks.
A whole lot.
Always have.
But I enjoyed myself - and I'm pretty sure the boys did too (even if they did try to beat each other on the way home... but I think that's an innate masculine thing that never goes away.)

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The status on the Extended Essay?
Nada.

I need to get something done on that.

Thesis

Okay, so I realize most normal teenagers are going to get in their happy place over the prospect of writing an essay during the summer that determines if they can get their diploma or not.

But I'm pretty stinking excited to learn about the place I love most - Detroit.

My essay requires me to answer an investigative question in one of the 6 major areas of the IB hexagon (blah blah blah, nobody cares).

My thesis? (We're still working on the wording, but here's the general gist).

What was the biggest factor in the downfall of Detroit in the 20th century?

The essay will address the downfall of the city from three perspectives

1. Racial - including the white flight phenomenon, the riots of the 1960's, and increased animosity spawned from the influx of uneducated African Americans from the South to work for Ford at lower wages, as well as the Civil Rights movement
2. Economic - focusing on mainly the rise and fall of the automobile industry (see above about Ford), the effects of the highway system, and perhaps some pop-culture industries like Motown Records and Creem magazine and the introduction of drugs to the area
3. Political - specifically approaching the reign of Coleman Young, the areas first black mayor, who can be seen as either friend or foe; the blatant racism of the police force primarily during the first half of the century

It's still in the works.

Housesitting

I've spent the last week housesitting for my pseudo parents, Nate and Amanda. They weren't supposed to come home until tonight - which left me this morning to clean up after myself.

Until they texted me yesterday afternoon saying they came home early.

Umm. Oh crap.

The instant thought that rushed through my head was

• the week's worth of dirty dishes in the sink
• the assortment of clothes left in their bedroom (so the Satan dog wouldn't eat them)
• the explosion of teenage girl in the bathroom
• whatever else I've left out around the house

Can I say enough apologies to save myself from too much embarrassment?

But instead of being angry that their cozy home looked more like a college dorm, they brought me dinner. I came home to money on the table for watching the dog. I walked in the laundry room and found a basket of already clean laundry with some of my stuff in it. The sink was empty. The bathroom was neatly organized, with my stuff either put in nice little piles or back in my makeup bag (which my dad argues is a toolbox, and needs wheels). They came home from the concert after me with a big hug and a kiss.

I think they kind of love me.

Good thing they still don't know about the party.

jk ;-)

Satisfied

"Satisfied is not a life full of activities, but a soul full of Jesus."

Momma Manda started this bible study with me a few weeks ago, and I came across this line in my study today. It made me stop and think for a moment...

What is satisfied?

• Being content
• Needing nothing more
• Having no desire or craving for something else
• Being full, complete, and whole

How often do we go through our lives thinking

"... if I can just get XYZ done in time..."

"... if I can run my miles a minute faster..."

"... if I can get an A on this test..."

"... if I could sign up for this event..."

"... if I could make this work..."

only to find out that once we've accomplished it - we just crave more. We cross one thing off of our TDL, only to add three more items. It's a never ending list of things we wish or need to do. We do things we feel obligated to contribute to. We do things that are expected and required of us. Sometimes (if we're really lucky) we do things we want to do. And maybe, somewhere in there, God gets thrown a bone or two. Quiet spiritual time is both a need and a desire (hopefully!) but somehow always gets thrown on the backburner between working full days and making dinner.

I don't think God had much of a TDL when He made the heavens and the earth. I don't think He stressed about where to put this tree, or what shape to make Adam's nose, and I'm sure He didn't worry about if He would have time to do the laundry between running to the store, making it to movie night (oops, I'm blogging instead of doing that one!), or going to yoga. He just did. He just covered the earth with greenery - and said that it was good. He just made Adam, and knew that because He put his love into it, it must be good.

I'm not sure Jesus had a planner He kept with him in His purse (I would argue that when you go from city to city, you're allowed to carry a bag and still be masculine - but I believe He said something somewhere in the bible about not having any possessions) that had events color-coded and time-slotted. I'm not sure He had to schedule people in days or a week ahead of time in order to "make time" for them. He just went. He just lived. He did what He needed to do. Am I making sense?

Now if we look at my life...

• I'm babysitting 74 hours this week (14+ hour days!)
• Charlie, my car, has a doctor's appointment
• I have meetings with multiple people that I have to attend
• I have to work the concert (after a full day of babysitting)
• I need to find somewhere in there to work out, clean, do laundry
• I'm not really sure where I'm living next week (does anybody have a spare bedroom and would like to house a teenage girl for a bit?)
• I'd like to see my friends some time this week

My schedule is full. But is my soul?

I thought today about what I had to do. The father of the kids I nanny for said he would be coming home a couple of hours early today. The first thing I did was think of all the things I could do with these extra two or three hours - go run a few miles, go to yoga, start a load of laundry, do the dishes, sweep the floors, complete another day in my bible study, go to Movie & Theology. Then it hit me - I'm exhausted. I'm tired and full of events and things to do. I can't remember the last time I just sat in front of a TV or on my laptop by myself for a half hour just to escape and regroup.

So instead of going out or being productive, I stayed home and vegged out. Then I went to bed. And it was good.

Adventures

I'm almost certain that Aunt Michelle is ready to beat me for not blogging in so long.
My life over the past few months has been quite the adventure. The entire contents of my closet that still fits has been packed into my Detroit bag - organized and packed in 40 minutes, with room to spare! (Feel free to donate to the Danineedsnewclothes Fund).

It's been mass chaos around Danville... for reasons I cannot explain on my public blog (thanks Mom, for cyberstalking me to get info for court).

However, I did get a chance to get out of this town for at least a day. So while it may not quite fit the "road trip" description (I'd argue that any trip that leaves you yelling at each other over directions is a road trip), it was my first unchaperoned out of town adventure - and we didn't do half bad getting there! We only had to stop for directions once, but we were so close to our destination. I must say, Paige, Elyce, and I know St. Augustine like the back of our hands now.

I've always been a pretty cautious person, but I think through everything that's happened over the last few years, that's changed. Sure, I'm still pretty high maintenance, and I still go into shut down mode when I overheat, but I've found a new love in exploring and trying new things... including climbing all over the ruins in St. Augustine.

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Now if you know me, you're probably fully aware that I don't do well with nature (refer to above comment about heat)... but I think this would make Steve Irwin proud... don't hate on the gloves though. A girl's gotta make sure she doesn't get salmonella ;-)

Take a good look at this picture.
No, look again.
Do you see that?
That's mud.
Thick, gooey, black mud full of whoknowswhat kind of bacteria and other critters.
I'm up to my calves in it.
And yes, I got in that kayak (new adventure for me!)

But I loved it.
Enough said.

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Okay! So finally, we're back inside! Hello, air conditioning, UV-protection, and dirt-free ground! But before I risk looking like too much of a sissy again, please note that that is slick ice that we are running (and falling!) on.

Kevin has introduced Refined to broomball.

Possibly my new sport of choice - if I were to ever get a chance to play again. It's essentially hockey with brooms instead of sticks, and shoes instead of skates (omit any physics here). You will crash. You will be bruised. You will become ultra-competitive, and then realize going faster and playing harder... only makes you crash faster and fall harder. That's my kinda game... I'm secretly highly competitive.

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And saving the best for last... Here is the latest picture of my baby sister, Amira Rose (who doesn't look so much like an alien anymore).

Let's say it all together now... Awww (-:

Momma Manda surprised me yesterday by kidnapping me - I must say, I thought I was in some sort of trouble when she demanded I tell her where I was and that I was coming with her, whether I wanted to or not. But she totally made my whole week by letting me come to a sonogram with her and Dad!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM! I was all smiles. It's probably the most amazing thing ever. Can anybody put into words how AWESOME our God is?

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Next on my list of adventures?

- Shoot a gun

- Canoe the Panama Canal (okay, so this one is a very distant goal)

- Do yoga with Aunt Michelle

- Go to the circus with Aunt Michelle ;-)

- Actually finish a sewing project with Aunt Michelle

A great big God who made little tiny atoms.

The above picture is a book many of my peers refer to as the "bio bible". It received it's name from the sheer usefulness of its contents and the number of times it has saved us from failing grades (I paid nearly $50 for this beast, and I'd do it again, too). While this idea of correlating a science text book to Scripture may seem like heresy to some, I'd argue that with the right heart, it's not too far off.

You see, I start every morning with a worship service.
Not the stuffy kind of worship service with children squirming on hard wooden pews and crazy old ladies sporting bird feather hats.

It's more like 40 desks filled with teenage bodies (live ones, mind you - though half asleep), writing fervously on sheets of notebook paper.

First period IB Biology SL.
Probably one of the greatest worship services ever (okay, so there's still children squirming in hard chairs, and Dr. White is pretty crazy, but we can't win them all).

Now, the whole idea of God and science may seem like an oxymoron to some, but the more and more I study biology, the more and more I am absolutely amazed by God. I first came across this idea last year in chemistry, when my teacher was explaining how amazing it is that the elements are arranged in such neat and convenient patterns (period patterns... periodic table... get it?), and how this had to be just so for the world to come to be. A light bulb went off, and I was filled with awe. It wasn't a chance happening that these elements to perfectly lined up in their fancy little rows with their electrons in just the right places, behaving so well. It was a powerful God who enjoyed fancy little rows with their electrons in just the right places, behaving so well, that created the elements just so. I love a God of order and sense.

I'm amazed by the beauty of God's creation. How perfectly everything lines up. How two gametes (eggs and sperm... track with me here, you'll be amazed, I promise) can join together - millions of sperm, and as soon as the first one reaches the egg, there is an instant infusion. A barrier is placed around the egg to prevent other sperm from trying to join, and meiosis (cell division of sex cells) begins. Life is created. In six weeks, a heart will beat and a gender will be determined (sorry ladies, you're the default gender). 23 chromosomes joined with 23 chromosomes. They will split once in meiosis to make 2, then split again in mitosis to make 4... and soon, you will have a beautiful you (cue song).




It doesn't stop there - nothing goes to waste. Umbilical cords? They can get up to six feet long. The two arteries and one vein that for nine months somehow nourished a growing baby in an aqueous solution can be harvested for vein transplants in adults. The rain that falls? It's absorbed by the soil and used by plants or humans. Excess is evaporated back into the atmosphere to create new rain clouds again in the hydrolic cycle. Death? The energy and minerals in that organism decomposes back into the earth to replenish the soil, which will grow flora, which will be consumed by new organisms. Even fecal matter can be recycled. Nearly everything is either matter or energy (or both) - these two things can neither be created nor destroyed. God gave us everything we'd ever need in just six short days.

The God of the universe made everything just so perfectly so... Down to the tiny cell, where everything is just so... ordered and perfect.

See, to me, science isn't like my other subjects. It's not history, the study of man's repetitive sin. It's not psychology, where we try to find ulterior motives other than sinful desire to explain our shenanigans. It's not math (nobody likes math, period). Science is the study of the refulgent Creation.

So there you have it. I live and die by my bio class. It sucks the life out of me (no pun) every morning, but it also gives me new life. I walk out of D-01 every morning thoroughly ineffibly in awe and a little bit more aware of a great big diety who's done great big things that I can't even fathom.

"Can I do my homework in your room?...

... because your room is really cool and you're so awesome!" These sweet words came out of Hannah's mouth after the last girl left from the Grapple kickback at my house tonight. She connected so well with the girls. She was buzzing around the house before the kickback started, asking if this girl and that girl was going to be there. By the end of the night, she was begging them to stay, asking when they were going to be back, getting this one and that one to play with her, and telling Faith how excited she was that she might come over later in the week.

8 sweet little girls came over with Ms. Jamie to watch "Up", bake cookies, and eat popcorn. The movie ended early, and somehow (naturally) they all ended up in my room - and to my closet. The first girl spotted homecoming dresses. 10 minutes later, this picture was the end product. All of the girls were in one of my dresses, waddling around in unstable heels, draping on jewelry and headbands, and fumbling around in the makeup drawer - what is this for, where do you put this, is this for your eyes?

There's just something about these sweet little girls that I love. They're so innocent, so ready to love - and yet they're starting to be more aware of the shakeable world around them. This might become a monthly occurance, movie and game night with the girls. They saw my small group journal and liked the idea of writing in it and sharing. Maybe it's something we'll start doing. There's so much I want to do with them. I can't imagine some of them leaving next year for middle school.

So Hannah sprawled out on my floor while we both did homework and watched the finale of Jon & Kate Plus 8. Then she asked me about my bible study, and asked me if she could go with me. She said she wanted to learn more about the bible, and that she wanted to start taking hers with her to school to read during extended day. We went out to my car to find hers, and she laid on my bed reading it for a while until bed. We had lunch with Les, Momma T, and Nana Gail on Sunday (after we got in the car she said "Today was so much fun!"). She started talking about them and how she likes them, and asked about "Les's band". So we listened to some Fireflight as my heart defrosted a little. Tonight I'll go to bed with the first bit of hope I've had since moving.

My poor puppy... He had no chance tonight.