Mother's Day

This is Mother's Day weekend. This blog is dedicated to just that...I love my mother so much. Growing up, I never doubted her love for me....and I always dreamed of being the kind of mom she was to me to my own children. She came to all the school parties and functions. She got excited about events happening to me as I grew. I remember one time being initiated into the FHA...and she knew about it...and kept it a secret from me. When the girls came knocking and running in my room at 5:30 a.m. to get me up for school...she was right behind them taking pictures!! We used to make "wacky cake" on Sunday afternoons. She used to sit outside for hours in summer watching my brother and I play. She was the mom that took my friends and I to walmart, to VBS, to the pool in town, or simply go pick them to bring them back to our house to play. As I grew, we were close. She would write letters to me when I went to college. She and I would talk for hours on the phone when I got my first real job as a teacher in Gentry, AR. Then after Kevin and I got married, we still spent time talking on the phone...daily!!! She came to the hospital in the middle of the night when I went in to have Ryan. Big deal, cause we lived in Gentry...she in Claremore. That's about a 2 1/2 hour drive.....at 1 a.m. She came and stayed for a few days after I got home from the hospital with Ryan. When we moved back to Claremore...we still stayed close. I suppose since we've lived here...I've taken the closeness for granted....b/c we don't talk everyday now. As I ponder Mother's Day from the perspective of the child...I need to make a better effort to keep the closeness real for me and for her.

My own children remind me daily of how much they love me. The hugs, kisses, gestures of love keep me so filled of the Mother's Day spirit. It's alive everyday...not just one day out of the year that is on the calendar. I thank God daily that I am a Mom. There is so much joy, contentment, and Love in being a mother. I'm truly blessed!!!

What a week!!

What a week it's been!! Lots of rain fell this week and also last week!! This has created a terrible thing...INSIDE recess. With school getting close to being out...the last thing a teacher or student likes is yucky inside recess. Rain leads to other problems too...an increase on the volume of children's voices and high blood pressure...b/c of nerve damage due to the close proximity of children in a classroom....BUT there is good news...and it is called 10 days!!! That's how many school days we have til the last day....but here's how I do the math: 1 personal day next Friday + 1 Fun Day + 1 Awards assembly day +1 AR goal party day =4...so 10 - 4 =6....I can do anything for 6 days...gee....I can do most anything for 10 days too!!!!

I always tend to reflect on the school year as it gets closer to being over....b/c sometimes that's when the full circle comes together and you finally see the "big picture". I think the big picture for me is still a little foggy and unclear. I really have enjoyed this year. I have enjoyed teaching 2nd grade and the looping thing has been totally awesome for me. There are so many ideas floating around in my head for next year. I have learned so much this year and I can't wait to build on it next year. There are some things that I'm going to change next year too. But I'm so totally excited about moving into a new classroom that's bigger, has more storage and finally has way more outlets!!!! YIPPEE!!!!

Change is hard for me. If you know me at all....you know that it takes quite a bit to get me to change to some stuff and for some stuff I welcome change. One thing that I'm dealing with is my children getting older. They are changing....and I'm so happy that they are embarking into new seasons of their lives...it's natural and normal and exciting!! I just don't want them to change too fast!!! I need time to process a.k.a. enjoying their seasons....everything MUST slow down in order for me to accomplish that goal.

I suppose that is all for now...I know I'll have more to post as we experience our oldest child graduating from the 8th grade next week. What a week this will be for me!!!

3 weeks...

3 weeks til our son graduates from the 8th grade. It's a big deal at our school....especially since Ryan has gone to JT since PK. Honestly, that time flew by and left me with my head spinning. It's not a small fee to graduate from the 8th grade. Let's see....we've laid down more than $400 for the class trip...(b/c we're all 5 going!!), another $150 on a tux, and then there will be some to pay towards the after party. Oh...and I have to get a new dress!!! I'm just wondering how much I'll have shell out for senior graduation....and that'll be the year that Kaylyn graduates from the 8th grade too!!!! Gee Whiz!!!!



This is totally random but my intern was doing a lesson today on the planets......here's what I heard...."Did you guys know that Ur-anus is the gassiest planet in our solar system?" Oh my goodness....I laughed so hard (away from the innocent children of course). Oh and then I hear this as they are doing their planet mobile from a child: "What color is Ur-anus?" I think that's rather private...don't you think??? Again, I'm laughing hysterically!!!! Teaching is such a fun job and I get much exercise from laughing daily!!!!

Oh my....

I didn't realize that's it's been over a month since I've last updated my blog!! Well...let's see if I can remember to include all the things that have touched my life these past few weeks... For starters, I lost a colleague to lung cancer. She was truly a lovely person...passionate about anything that had to do with books. She enjoyed children and stretching their brains. She loved her family dearly and I came to realize in the past few months of her life that she was a Christian. I know where she is now...but it doesn't make the void she left behind any less sad. She is missed....Dear Teresa....I'm walking in Relay for Life next week for you sweetie!!!

I've had to enroll our son in high school this week. CHS has changed alot in the last 22 years. Courses have changed...the campus has changed and the teachers have changed. But one thing remains....they still have a nutty mascot: Zebras!!! I do feel a little old now. Why the crap do parents have sign this piece of paper that gives the school permission to teach my child about STD's and AIDs? Why have we let our society get to the point where schools have to teach those things because it isn't taught at home?? Why must we be politically correct when talking about sin? Why can't sin just be called sin because it is sin instead of sugar coating it and making excuses for it? (Can't believe I just got off on that tangent in the second paragraph!!)

Kevin and I have forever been talking about building onto our house. We'll talk about it and then table the discussion because we're both scared about the extra financial part of the equation. But...we've opened up the discussion again. This time we're going to have an architect come and let us know how we can add on and what our options are....then I suppose we'll look at the options and figure out if it's something we want to dive into. I know our home is a blessing from God and we are so blessed to have a place to call home.

I guess I'll finish this up and write more later!!!!

Rambling...

Apparently I erased the "spring break" entry. I have no idea how...but I think I said some pretty earth shattering things in that entry and now I have no idea what earth shattering things I said. Oh well!! Maybe it happened for a reason?!

I'm pretty good at rambling...so here goes. I'm loving this working out stuff. I think I've discovered that variety is key for me. By variety, I mean taking some classes outside my comfort zone. I like routine. If anyone knows me at all...they would probably all agree that I'm the MOST predictable person they know. I thrive on routine and to some extent that is good, I suppose. But...I've really enjoyed "spicing" things up with going to these work out classes. I love spin class. I love my Triple Whammy class. And I really love the total toning class too!! When school is out, I'm going to try Pilates. So, those of you that know me best...watch it...I'm stepping outside my box.

Doing all this working out has been good for me in other ways too. The girls enjoy going to swim when I'm being "studious". I finally feel confident that they can swim without me there in the pool area and they like the "responsible feeling" too. I've enjoyed getting to know all the different instructors. And inviting friends to come along is fun too. Especially when they come and they like it, so they end up getting a membership. That's the best!!!!

Ryan and Kevin spend more time together when us girls are at the rec center. I'm secretly going to brainwash them and see if they will join us!! Of course, we have to wait til the outage is over and Kevin recovers from all the OT.

I got quite a bit accomplished this week. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and conducive to working!! I love it when I can cross things off of my mental and written "to do" list. I need to tie up some loose ends like giving my house a quick tidy up, grade some papers (ugh), iron clothes for next week and make up a few things ahead for dinners next week. I love it when that stuff is all done!!!!

One more thing...I'm directing VBS again this year. I took last year off since we went to Florida and times didn't work out....but I'm really looking forward to this year. I like getting to know the people of our church in a more deeper way...the way you get to know them when you work closely with them for a stretch of time. You know...I tell my kids this all the time....You can NEVER EVER have too many friends. That is exactly true!!! Making friends and then enjoying the friendship is something wonderful. I love my best friend to pieces!!! I love the phone conversations we have, the school email dialogue that we send back and forth, and the many other commonalities we share. I also love the many other friends that God has given to me. Each one has a very special place in my heart and each one God placed in my life for a reason. I don't think I do enough or say enough about how I feel about my friends. I'm sure that if you are reading this and stuck with this entry this long....then you are a true friend...and I need you to know that I treasure you!!!

Spring Break

Been a While

It's been a long while since I've last blogged. I've got spring fever!! I'm ready for spring break. I have a lot on my to-do list!! I want to clean out closets from top to bottom, clean out drawers and cabinets, clean out my garage, and do a total detail on my car. I'd also like to work in my classroom just a teeny bit to get things a little spiffy for the last bit of the year we have left. I'm so excited that I have an intern for the next 8 weeks. She is a sweet person with a beautiful smile!! My kiddos love her and can't wait for her to start teaching!! I love watching people teach. I learn so much from their style and their art of teaching!!

It's outage time again. What that means to a wife of a guy that works at PSO is that I'm a single mom for about 6 weeks. It's OK. I don't really mind it....and here's the reason: I prayed for nearly 3 years that my husband would somehow find a job that was something he enjoyed, closer to home and with a good amount of job security. What I didn't realize is just how amazing and precise God is. He answered that prayer so beautifully AFTER Kevin went through a series of tests on his liver and we found out that he has this condition called Hemochromotosis (too much iron.) and his previous insurance had paid those big bills. I guess the reason that I find it so precise is that His timing on when Kevin was offered that job was when Kevin seemed to be at his lowest at his previous job. God brought us out of some financial debt in order for Kevin to be able to take a job that paid a little less than what he had been making. How awesome was that??!! Well...I'lll tell you....he actually made more that year than he'd made in the previous few years!!!!!! God is good and so very faithful when we ask and when we are obedient. I'm OK with outage time...two years ago at this time Kevin was offered this job and he's never looked back, except with amazement. I know so many people are being affected by this economy and things do look bleak....but the beauty of being a child of the King is that I don't worry too much that I'm going to go without....if God takes care of the birds....I certainly can be assured that HE'll take care of me and my family!!!! I say thank you every single day that He's given me exactly what I need!!!!

The trouble with blogging for me is that I start chatting about one thing and end up on a totally different thing by the end of this...if you've been patient enough to read this....then God Bless You!!!!