Just M.E.

Back by popular demand!! Okay...so only one person demanded...but still. My dear cousin is keeping me in line (Las, I believe this is shout-out number TWO on the blog!) and demanded some more entertainment. I made my weekly to-do list yesterday and "blog" was one of my to-dos. What is this world coming to?!

Anyways...I went to the dentist today. Can I just tell you that I absolutely LOVE going to the dentist. This seems weird because I CANNOT stand when people slide their teeth on their forks...even the thought of metal on teeth is making me cringe right this second. I have the chills the entire time I'm getting my plaque scraped off...and I'm usually sore after from being so tense the whole time. BUT, I love clean teeth. So so much. Clean white teeth are perhaps one of my favorite things.

Perhaps I have become obsessed with teeth in general because of my horrifying history with orthodontics. Let's go through my timeline of teeth misery and you will see why I now care so much about my teeth.

It all started in the fourth grade. I had lost all my front teeth through the prior years and most of my permanent teeth had come in...but turns out my bottom left middle tooth didn't want to grow in. So...I was bottom left middle toothless for a few years. Now that seems very sad, I know. Is it more sad than the fact that one of my top front teeth had grown in completely sideways? I'm talking perpendicular to my other teeth. I'm not sure whether my top or my bottom situation was worse.

So 5th grade brought the days of the retainer (dun dun dunnn). I was in a retainer for a short time and then got braces on my front teeth. Luckily my front tooth turned fairly quickly and most of my teeth were facing the right direction. I also got several teeth pulled, and then had a chain glued on my tooth that wouldn't come in (the chain was glued to my tooth under the gums and then attached to my braces to that it would be pulled up). With all of this work done, I now had a bottom left middle tooth. Well after that year, we moved to Idaho. I got my braces taken off in Utah so that I could start new with a new orthodontist in Idaho.

I went through sixth and seventh grade without any orthodontic appliance (thank heavens...I was awkward enough)...but in my eighth grade year, the nightmare started. I went to get braces back on and the orthodontist decided I needed...wait for it...an EXPANDER! Yep, the good old expander on the roof of the mouth that you crank every day to create more space. It was sooo embarrassing. Let me share an experience with you that will illustrate why this was such a nightmare: I was an 8th grader (that's a nightmare in itself) and I was sitting in Ms. Faude's History class (another nightmare considering this lady was like 70 and had long gray hair like a witch would have). I had had my expander on for some time and the gap between my front teeth had been obvious for quite awhile. Well good old Ms. Faude came up to me in the middle of class and said "Wow Maren...have you always had that gap between your front teeth? You could practically fit a finder through there!". I. Was. Mortified. The whole classroom heard her. I mean, obviously everyone could see that...but the fact that she said it out loud was horrifying. Poor me.

Luckily after a few months of embarrassment, I got braces back on. I wore braces from 8th grade through my sophomore year of high school. About 2 1/2 years. Ever since I got my braces off I have been obsessed with straight, clean, shiny, white teeth. It is one of the first things I notice about people. I'm very put off by crooked, yellow teeth. It gives me flashbacks. Horrible flashbacks.

So this is why I love the dentist. I love knowing that my mouth mess days are over. I love having all my teeth. I love that my teeth all face the same direction. I love it all. Thank you orthodontics. Thank you dentistry. Thanks Mom and Dad for paying for it all. If it weren't for these things, I'd still be sporting the closed-lip smile in all my pictures. Classic...but not cute.

Call me crazy...but I have found my new fave song for the week.

My dear cousin LaLa reminded me the other day about our jackpot finding of "Save Ginny Weasley" a year or so ago. The song is by Harry and the Potters and it basically rocks. We loved it for awhile...but I had completely forgotten that it existed until she brought it up the other day.

So what did I do? I went to trusty old youtube to refresh my little memory on the greatness of wizard rock. The thing about youtube is, once you start watching videos...you're doomed. They really know what they're doing with the "Related Videos" on the side. Of course I need to watch all of them. It's a never-ending chain! Genius. Does anyone else have the problem of always ending up with "Miley Cyrus pole dances at teen choice awards" as one of the options? Somehow she ALWAYS gets into my chain. Explain that!

Anyways...way off topic. Back to the point: So I got tangled into the web of "related videos" after Ginny Weasley, and I came across The Ministry of Magic. The two Ministry of Magic songs I listened to were "Meet Me at Diagon Alley" and "Accio Love". Turns out, "Accio Love" is dang catchy. I catch myself humming/singing it to myself throughout the day.

So for all you Harry Potter fans...please enjoy with me this 3 minutes and 43 seconds of wizard rock! (click HERE to go to the youtube page so you can meddle in the mess of "related videos"...or just watch below if you don't feel like getting caught in a web of endless time wasting)

I absolutely love having this year off from school. Substitute teaching and coaching volleyball has been a blast. I thought I would feel like I have a bunch of free time...but I've stayed fairly busy the whole time. Some days that I don't get called in to sub I feel a little unproductive...but I don't usually have an entire day with nothing on my schedule. It's still busy busy spring time as always. Between subbing, coaching, playing city rec, siblings' sports events, and church stuff/church calling, I have stuff going on all the time! I absolutely love having weeks full of something every single night. The days I don't substitute are precious days of rest that I can just collect my thoughts and prepare for other activities ahead.

I enjoy substitute teaching so much. The kids have been so fun. I never have problems with the kids. I love when they try to be sneaky about stuff...like texting, or getting out of class, etc. I don't think they realize that I still remember the tricks from school (it has been a whopping 5 years that I've been out of high school...but come on, that doesn't make me an old hag!). It still makes me laugh that students think I can't see them texting when they hold their phone under their desk. pahaha. I can almost see it better that way. I get a good laugh every time I sub. The jr high kids and freshmen say the funniest things. I'm just going to share my favorite quotes/compliments I've heard/received.

Freshman boy to his friend before playing Fortress Ball in P.E.: "Every time I score, I'm gonna say SHAM-WOW. It's gonna be so funny." (...oh gosh that will be so hilarious...sham-wow?)

8th grade girl conversation: "I can't believe you told ____ that you love him." "Shut-up. That was like last month." (....oh well then that's okay)

Junior boy pays me a compliment after I tell the class that they can chat quietly with their friends if they show me their completed worksheet: "You're like.......BOMB" (...thanks?)

Freshmen boys in P.E.: "Are you going to be a teacher here next year?" ... "No..I'm going to law school...so you can call me with all your legal problems when you're older" ... boy's friend: "when he's OLDER?..He needs help with his criminal activity right NOW!" (...hahahaha. Sad, but probably true.)

7th grade girl: "You're the best substitute ever. You should be a sub forever." (...uhh no thanks!)

Sophomore girl after seeing my name (Ms. Ericson) on the board: "Are you like..Mr. Ericson's wife?"....."Uhm first of all, I'm a little young for that. Second of all, NO, that would be my Uncle!" (...plus what does "Ms" usually imply?)

7th grade girl: "If you're single, Mr. York is available." (...pahahaha)

At least one kid every time I sub (this is not an exaggeration..EVERY time): "Are you old enough to be a sub?" (...YES! Do I really look that young? Ugh)

Freshmen kids in language arts. I don't know how ABBA came up, but somehow we got to talking: one kid said, "Who's ABBA?" ...I was amazed, "Are you kidding? They sing Dancing Queen!"...all the kids in the class,"Dancing Queen?"....so the only thing I could do was sing, "Ahh...you know...You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen"...kid, "don't know the song, but you're the coolest substitute ever"...all the kids nod and smile (...haha i'm glad they enjoyed my singing of Dancing Queen. I assumed as freshmen they'd all just think I was crazy. But they really didn't know about Dancing Queen. So tragic!!)

And last but not least...freshmen boy: "I'm going to be 18 in two years...can I call you then?" (....NO you cannot. I'll be 25 in two years. Gross.)

Everyday I get a laugh. Never a dull moment in the substitute world.