The times, they are a changin'. it must be commonplace to ask for a charger for your phone at a bar, prior to ordering a drink

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first loose tooth!

so it started a few weeks ago now, when nissa started complaining that her tooth was hurting, then moving. it's been wiggle-ably loose for a solid couple of weeks now! nissa even started keeping a little zip-topped bag in her backpack, just in case it came out during school. some days she is focused on it all day - other days it is not so fascinating. she asks me to wiggle it for her, and it creeps me out. who knew loose teeth were so traumatic for me? it brought back weird feelings. anyway, working on a tooth pillow so the tooth fairy won't have trouble finding the tooth.

Sunday School Sighs

i didn't realize that when grandma talked us into taking nissa to sunday school that i'd end up being the full-time teacher. the first week last year, i asked if it would be ok if i hung out to help (with the intention of learning myself). next thing i knew the usual teacher isn't available one week, then the next, and i'm preparing my own lesson plans just to avoid staring at a group of kids for an hour and a half. last year they varied from 4-7 years old, a decent age gap, a group not prone to listening attentively without a lot of structure and guidance. i also learned i can't fake structure or guidance for very long. so i decided this year would be great - i'd prepare lesson plans in advance, send home parent newsletters, the whole nine yards. then no parents gave me their email addresses and my "supervisor" can't figure out what she did with everyone's sign up sheets. plus, i have two kids coming beyond my own. so i'm planning the day before, big deal! i'll make it happen. last week my "supervisor" insisted a mom leave her 2 and 3 year olds with me for that infamous hour and a half. she was completely ignorant of the fact that the little ones do not speak english. fortunately, they spoke spanish and my brain worked just well enough for me to struggle through some basic instructions to at least keep them occupied and reasonably comfortable staying with me without mom. did i mention my "supervisor" didn't know i spoke spanish either? geez. then there's the whole "incorporate scripture into my lessons" thing. this week: "and may the wife fear her husband." - yeah, we'll be skipping that part of Ephesians at Sunday School. Yes, love your spouse as yourself. No, do not be submissive to any other human, seek to understand and support instead. the bible (and some traditions maintained by our church) are archaic at best, rooted in a fear and misunderstanding of women and their bodies' mysterious ways. it's bizarre to me that women in this day and age are content to "contribute" by spending time in the kitchen. yes, i love cooking and baking, but that's not all i'm good for. yes, i menstruate once a month, but it is no more than the sloughing of unneeded material, no different than peeling after a sunburn. it's not a plague or a disease, just natural function. anyways, my early-formed sense of feminine pride (a.k.a. refusal of gender stereotypes) and unfailing perfectionism make being a sunday school teacher a real challenge. i take it as a worthy challenge to improve myself spiritually and give nissa (and soon ani) a good example of incorporating her heritage into our lives. it makes me cringe all too often, but i'm going to stick with it. besides, how can i stay away, when nissa looks forward to it every week?