Sports Opposites

This weekend was a sports-o-rama weekend. We attended and watched so many different games that it was hard to keep track of where we were, who we were watching, or what the rules of each sport were. Well, maybe not that bad, but looking back, it all kinds of runs together.

Friday night, we met teachers from school out at the bowling alley to watch the bowling league. It ends up being a happy hour where bowling is being played in the background. We typically end up staying for dinner and drinks, so it turns into a night out too.

Saturday morning we went to watch Mia's soccer game. Nothing like a bunch of 5-year-old girls mobbing a soccer ball and moving around the field. Mia likes to stand in the middle of the field chatting with her friend, only to be surprised when her name is called to kick the ball. She also likes to scan the crowd after she does something well, to see who was watching. What a ham. The opposite of her game was her brother Eric's soccer game on Sunday. He is on a 9 and under traveling team. It's pretty serious, down to the matching uniforms, backpacks, and warm-up suits. They actually play offense and defense, unlike the mob mentality of the 5 year-olds. Eric rarely looks at the crowd, unless the coach or his parents cheer him on or direct him to do something.

Saturday afternoon we went to the U-M game. All I can say is that it was a really bad game and it got really cold. I won't get into the specifics of it, but they didn't look good. My friend Sarah even made sure to rub it in when I received a text message from her that said, "I-L-L-I-N-I". Thanks Sarah. The opposite of this game was the Bears game on Sunday where they won big over the Lions. They played well, and I didn't have to be in cold weather watching it. I listened to some of it on the radio, and watched some of it on TV. Not bad.

Saturday night we went to see our friend Doug play hockey. He plays in an adult league with our friends Dean and Steve. His game was at 9:30, so the group that tailgated with us just moved to the ice rink before the game. We were able to watch the game from the restaurant/bar that has windows overlooking the ice. The Cubs game and college football games were also on the 30 or so TVs that they have there. (And that's all I'm going to say about the Cubs game. Ahem.) The opposite of the adult game was Ben's (Doug's son) hockey game on Sunday. It was at 1:00 in the afternoon, and this time we sat in the stands in the rink. A lot colder than the warm restaurant/bar behind the glass, and a bit more annoying with some screaming parents in the stands.

Next weekend? No big deal. Just watching Chris and Dean run a marathon in Chicago.

A Fall Favorite

When I worked for Einstein's, we always were aware of what the seasonal offerings would be well before any customer saw them in the stores. Working in the marketing department and then the training department, there were many times in the middle of the summer when I was testing and tasting items that would be in the stores in October or December. Those summers I could never get a true sense of how things like pumpkin muffins or cranberry bagels would taste. To me, the food needs to go with the season in order to truly taste it. Kind of like eating salads in the summer, or chili in the winter. It just tastes right.

Like pumpkin bagels. Tasting these in the summer never appealed to me. But when the weather starts turning cooler, I get a hankering for these. (I had to email my friend Megan at Einstein's and ask when they were coming out this year). When I worked in the stores, I would have one every day while they were available. I would grab one out of the bin, zing it through the slicer, and slide it into the toaster. Then I would spread butter on it and savor it.

Now I have to ration them. Stein brought a dozen of these beauties home a couple weeks ago. I save one for Fridays, a treat for getting through the week. And then I usually have one on Saturdays too. So I guess that means that in about 4 weeks they'll be gone. Until then, I'm savoring every bite. It tastes like fall.

Okay, I'm Done Now

So remember how I wanted a change of season? Well, I knew that wasn't going to last very long. I'm done now. Can I please have summer back?

I had my comfort foods, made a meal in the crock pot yesterday, had some hot chocolate last night, wore sweaters every day this week, and sat on the couch with a blanket on. The trees look great, the cool weather has been great for sleeping, and the smell of burning leaves was nice. But again, I'm done. Now summer please?

The kids have been a little squirelly too. Teachers sometimes talk about how kids react to the change in barometer, change in temperature, or change of the moon phases. Sometimes I think it's true. Like today. Gloomy, grey day, just waiting to rain. And the kids? Non-stop talking, couldn't sit still, and very irritable with each other. Throw into the mix picture day and you have a recipe for disaster. Luckily I didn't have the lippy 4th graders. I think that would've sent me over the edge.

What's in a Name?

Ever since I've been teaching, I have had some funny experiences with kids trying to pronounce or remember my name. When I first started, I would introduce myself, and tell the kids that they could call me Mrs. S if they were having trouble with the name. Some did, but surprisingly most didn't. Until this year.

I don't know what it is, but this year, a lot of kids are having a hard time pronouncing or remembering my name. It could be that I deal with a lot of kids this year (like the whole school) and that this includes the kindergarten. And in kindergarten, everything is new.

I have heard all variations of my name, from "Mrs. Einstein" to "Mrs. Einsteinhauer" to "Mrs." (just plain Mrs.) to "Miss S". Today someone asked me my name, so I told him. He said, "That's a nice name, but it's really hard to remember." "Thanks?" I mumbled in return. I'm surprised that I haven't heard "Mrs. Steinhouser" as most people like to say when they are soliciting something over the phone.

I wonder how long it will take for kids to learn how to spell my name? Oh, now that's a whole other story. Baby steps, right?

We Got Lucky

A strange thing happened on the way to the end of the U-M game yesterday. Michigan was down 19-0 and managed to come back and win the game 27-25 in little over a quarter's time. Unbelievable. It is now the biggest comeback in Michigan's history.

Because I've only been attending Michigan games for a short time, I'm still trying to grasp the whole concept of Michigan football. It is obviously a team steeped in history. When I mention casually to people outside of the state that I live in Ann Arbor, a lot of times they'll look at me in awe and say, "Oh, have you been to the big house?" I feel spoiled. I've been there many times. And because we live near it, I see it almost every day.

But the mystique of Michigan football still eludes me. Maybe because most of the sports teams I follow have not been winning teams. Being a Cubs or Bears fan, you learn early that you shouldn't have very high expectations. "Next year's the year" is heard after every Cubs' losing season. "Next year is here" is heard at the very beginning of every Cubs' season. It just becomes a way of life. Low expectations. Hopeful, but realistic. (And we're not going to talk about this year's season. I don't want to jinx anything.)

So when people talk about this year's Michigan team, the long-time fans are bewildered. They don't know what to say, they don't know how to act. This year, there's a new coach, and a new way of playing offense. The talk started well before the season began this year. How will they do? Will this new offense work? What about this coach? What about the tradition? Let's not forget the legacy of Bo Schembechler, the tradition of "Hail to the Victors", or the long line of players going on to the NFL. All of this is intertwined into a Michigan fans' psyche. And this year, it's just being rattled.

I noticed it for the first time at yesterday's game. The usual stuff was there - the band high-stepping at the opening, the smell of sausages and candied almonds being sold by the vendors, the long lines to get into the stadium. But when the game started and Wisconsin pulled ahead, the normally quiet crowd (I know, hard to believe with 107,501+ people, but it's true) got quieter. Most people sat with their hands holding up their heads, and were more interested in a fight in the stands than what was happening on the field. They just didn't know what to do.

I felt at home. My days of rooting for the underdog have prepared me, I guess. Sad to say, fans like Stein are not prepared. Michigan football teams don't do this. Michigan football teams don't allow a team to get that far ahead. Michigan football teams don't depress us this much.

But then we got lucky.

At the end of the 3rd quarter, Michigan came back. They scored, and intercepted, and scored, and scored. The crowd came alive, stood on their feet and cheered. I'm glad that I didn't leave at halftime or the beginning of the 3rd quarter like I wanted to. It was exciting to be there to witness it all first hand. On the way out of the stadium, people exited quietly with smug looks on their faces. One woman kept saying, "I can't believe it. I just can't believe it." I don't think any of the fans could.

If only this luck could continue. Or maybe the fans could adopt the hopeful but realistic attitude that I'm so used to. Maybe not.

Random Bits

I have been getting into more of a groove in my position. It is certainly less stressful than my long-term 5th grade job last year, but it just doesn't have the "oomph" that the 5th grade job had. I think that has to do with not having my own class of kids.

A big relief was felt this week when I was able to put the kindergarten and 1st graders on the computers. Before, I had to figure out something to do with them in the library for 2 class periods. Y'all know how that goes. Or went.

I think the most rewarding part of the job is the comments I get from some of the lower el kids, and also the "aha!" moments I see in some of their eyes when I'm reading a story or helping them do their math on the computer.

I really need to start writing some of these funny moments down. There are probably about 3-5 things that happen everyday that make me laugh or realize just how young these kids are. I'll try recall a few of them this week:

• The first day that one of the kindergarten classes visited the computer lab, I talked to them outside in the hall first. I wanted to give them a little prep about what we were going to be doing in the lab. All of the prepping in the world couldn't have prepared them enough for the overwhelming sight of seeing 25+ computers in one room. When one boy walked into the room, he screamed at the top of his lungs while shaking his whole body, "THIS IS COMPUTER LAND!!"
• As I stood in the middle of a class of kindergartners, I felt something on my shoe. It was one little girl just rubbing her hand back and forth across my smooth clog. She was mesmerized.
• It continues to amaze me how everyone has a story to tell, regardless of the topic being discussed at the time. I can be in the middle of talking about pumpkins, or leaves, or whatever topic we're reading about, when I hear, "I have 3 grandmas." or "I have Star Wars figures at home." or "I like your necklace and earrings." or "This weekend I'm going to my cousin's house."

I still continue to grapple with the logistics of the library. It became more challenging this week as books were coming in and books continued to go out. Some days I felt like Lucy in the candy factory, trying to get the books checked in and shelved before the next class came into the library. I did have a parent volunteer one morning, which helped a lot. I hope to find more parents who want to help.

What isn't different about this teaching job is the thoughts that continue to run around my brain as if they're running a marathon. Plans for lessons, kids' names, library processes, computer program issues, helping teachers with curriculum supplement, etc., etc. I don't find myself up at night as much as I did last year, but the thoughts are there when I wake up.

I hope everyone is enjoying fall. We have been lucky here in Michigan (I think all of the Midwest) with beautiful fall weather. Cool nights, sunny days, and the changing colors on the trees. Enjoy!

One More Rant

Sorry. I saw something at Target the other day that made me go, "Huh?" I was just getting over the fact that Halloween candy has been out since school supplies have been in stores. So when I was there this past weekend, the five aisles of Halloween candy didn't bother me. What bothered me, then?

Oh, the half-aisle with Christmas stuff. Seriously.