Sizes

Today Dave and I decided to go shopping for clothes. We are both starting school/work soon and are in need of a few new clothes. So we started at Ross Dress For Less and found NOTHING that would work for 2 LDS adults with jobs...no offense.
Then we headed to Target (I know big shoppers) when we came across Kohls. It is a new store in Centerville, so we skipped Target and went inside. Dave found some great wool pants and nice dress shirts. However, let me tell you that this man is the pickiest, OCD, preppy, professional I have ever encountered in my life. I picked out a million shirts and he would just frown and say, "I thought you were going to help me pick out some decent clothes." GRRRRRR We have such different ideas on the word "helping".
Then is was my turn. I went to the Junior section, not because I believe I am tiny teenager, but because I know I am a very short person. I found some really cute shirts and dress capri's and dress shorts. Into the dressing room I went...and out I came. It seems that I have grown a lot this year, particularly in the "shirt" area. I had to actually go back and get a bigger size. This has never happened to me before, I was so happy! I have arrived, puberty finally hit!
The joy was smashed into the ground the minute I tried on the pants. Apparently with the "shirt" growth came some "pants" growth. I was a lot frightened and maybe wanted to cry, but determined to find something flattering and adultish. So I proudly got the bigger sizes and tried them on, walked out of the dressing room, and was greeted with a wrinkled nose husband that said, "you look like a square." Without another word I went in the dressing room and changed back into my sweats and tee shirt. "K I am done, let's get your clothes and get out of here," was the next thing I said with tears in my eyes. But Dave insisted that we get some long dress pants and form fitting shirts. GRRRRR Back to the Junior section to pick out pants in the double digit sizes. Dave kept saying, "you are not this big, you are crazy if you think this will fit." Low and behold...they fit...Dave frowned and said, "wow that's pretty big." (From the man tipping the scales at 220) But in the end I got 2 pairs of dress pants and 3 very cute shirts and 1 regret, I left the shirt I liked the most at the check out counter because I did not want to look like a "square".
Dave and I went home hungry and tired.
After dinner it was off to Target to get socks and unders for the kids. When what did I find?? The cutest pants I have ever seen. Dave piled pants and shirts in my arms and said, "try them on." The pants fit great and the best news is they were a size 7. How could this be? Well, I felt they were a little tight, Dave and the kids disagreed. I saw another really cute dress that was long enough to wear to work, but short enough to be a fun summer dress, I tried it on and my boys burst out laughing, "you look like a Grandma" said Hunter. Hayden said (while rolling on the ground with laughter) if you had bushy hair you would look like an old granny." Self esteem -10. Then the nicest lady walked past me and said, "that is the cutest dress on you. Where did you get it." To which the boys burst out with laughter and taunting again. I ended up buying the dress because I really liked it and I got some killer high heels to go with it. In the end I have 4 pairs of pants that need a major hem and then I will be ready to spread my wings and go to work.
So when you see me and I am sporting my new attire...please be gentle. Honest but gentle, my self esteem is hurting right now.

Dogs of Our Lives

I started reading a book called, The Dogs of Babel. It is a book about a dog that is the only witness to a death. I was sceptical at first, having 2 dogs of my own, but it had a good start. And that is when it happened...Sunday evening, when we got home from visiting Grandparents, Shrute was gone (our Golden Lab). We figured he was at the Jr. High, High School, or church so that is where we looked. But it quickly became dark and he was no where to be found. After we put the kids to bed Dave and I got in the truck and began driving around Bountiful, mainly Orchard Drive in fear that he had been hit and was on the side of the road. But alas, no Shrute.
That night Dave and I both had nightmares about what had happened to him. Dave dreamed he was hit by a truck. I had a horrifying dream of the neighborhood kids (teens) drowning him in our creek. When we woke up I hit the pavement again looking for him. But to no avail. Shrute was gone.
I called the pound, no Shrute. We went outside every 20 min and yelled his name, no Shrute. I gave up at 2pm and sat on the porch to read my book, The Dogs of Babel, and waited for the phone to ring. The book took an interesting and heartbreaking turn that made me feel a massive guilt for having lost Shrute. I missed his annoying, hyperactive, puppy behavior. I missed him wanting to follow me everywhere. I missed walking him this morning. It was a strange sensation seeing as how I thought I hated him, cursing his name on a hourly basis. I continued reading but it was painful and I was sad. I found myself making promises of loving him, letting him in the house more, taking him to work with me, throwing the ball for hours with him, if only we could find him, if only, if only....The book ended on a sad note for me. The beloved dog in the book will never be the same and I was haunted by that. How much emotion can a dog feel? Lonely, Sad, Happy, Elated, Mad, Scared? Was Shrute feeling sad and missing us?
Then at 5pm we got the call from a lady that lives about 1 block from our house. She found him at the Jr. High and took him to her fenced in yard to keep him from getting hit by a car or picked up from the police. I was grateful to her, she was kind to him. She fed him and played with him. When he saw us he ran right up to me and sat down waiting for me to praise him for his intelligence ("Look at me, you found me! I am such a smart dog) he is defiantly a male dog :) She said he followed her around and did not give her a minutes peace. I think Shrute would be happy with anyone that gave him attention. But in the long run I have to believe that he would miss us and does love us in a big dog way. Not like Charlie our little dog, not like a human. But in a "something is missing, not quite right, and I just can't put my paw on it...oh well, let's play!" way. He is that kind of a dog and I love him for it!

The Capt. Rocks!

I was surfing the web tonight and decided to get onto my school web site and check out the improvements. I thought it was great because there was a staff section. So I clicked on it and wow! My name...

Stefie Munk Head Pirate, Manager of the Learning Center, and PE Teacher
smunk@spectrumcharter.org


I love my job!