Newness

On my fabulous getaway with my sister last
weekend, we found ourselves at

It was a great little cabin at the top of a
big mountain.

We had a fabulous time. I don't
think I've EVER had such a good time! I had
a lot of time for reflection and thinking about
the future.

(I know you've seen this tshirt many times in this
summer's posts...it just happens to be a favorite!!!)

Sometimes, life just feels old, tired, worn-out.
Sometimes, I just need a change... a new
beginning. I never really put much thought
into it, but there are some times in my life
that I just love because I get to experience
this newness.

New babies. Their noises, their smells, their
facial expressions, the way you can stare at
one all day, and never miss the day you wasted...
there is no better example of something new.
I think we're stopping at two.

Buying a new (semi-new, as we purchased 2
years ago) car, and getting that added bonus
of the new car smell, is so exciting. With a new
set of wheels, going to the store not just a
mundane errand.

A new haircut can bring many emotions. I
can feel light and airy as I step out of the
salon, carrying 6 less inches than when I
entered. Sometimes I love the haircut, and
sometimes I have to go to two salons to
get it fixed...but I learned to love it!

A new school year can excite me, and frighten
me, all at the same time! The precious children
that grace my classroom, with boxes of new
crayons and newly sharpened pencils, are such
a mixed bag of blessings. Some have funny jokes
that make me smile every day, and some have
stories that make me want to take them in my
arms and show them the love of our God. Not
knowing what I am going to get is enough to keep
me on the edge of my seat with great anticipation
for what is ahead!

A new (one and only) tattoo...

A fresh start in my marriage is something so
priceless and cherished. I did not have a bad
marriage to begin with, just one that needed
a little adjustment. Wow! Don't I have a new
outlook on life now!

Finally, and most importantly, the newness
that comes with God's forgiveness. I would
not trade ANYTHING for the great assurance
and love I feel when I ask my God to wash away
my sins. Thank you God for this newness in life!

Goodbye Sweet Girl

I must say, registration day is an interesting day at the beginning of every school year. You meet twenty-plus children and their parents in a few short hours. They look around your room, sometimes share problems and family situations, pay fees, get a supply list, and leave. You spend the next couple of days trying to figure out what your year is going to be like.

A sweet, quiet girl was brought to school by a bus on Registration Day this school year. No parent, no fees, no questions, no words. She did not speak...I wasn't sure if she knew any English. She would giggle and tuck her head when I spoke to her, but never gave an answer.

The first day of school arrives, and you try to see if you can recall the names of the students you met on registration day. You automatically begin assessing each student. You give them "fun" activities so you can assess their writing skills, their listening skills, and a variety of other abilities. You quickly delve into testing each child's vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, computation, and verbal skills. You give timed tests, computer generated tests, and math tests. Tests, tests, tests! You try to see what your students know, and who needs help.

A sweet girl knows no sight words. She reads zero words per minute. She does not know how to add, subtract, read. Does she know any English? After working with her for a while, I come to the realization that she only knows part of her ABC's, some colors, and some shapes. Still the same sweet giggle and the shy look.

You get into contact with her teacher from the previous grade and location. She tells you that she's probably an illegal, and that she just "put her in front of a computer" and tells you that you "shouldn't worry with her much." What??? This infuriates you, and you are determined to help this girl learn to read and to feel successful.

You work with this sweet girl every second you get to. You read to her, teach her ABC's, show her flash cards, and do everything that you can think of to help her. A few months after school begins, she is beginning to talk more and more. She is learning.

A sweet girl came to America with her father. It was a traumatic experience. She had to leave her mother and brothers and sisters. She longs for her mother. She talks about how her dad does not love her mom anymore and how she misses her mom. She is embarrassed so easily when talk of mothers comes up in the classroom. She tells you that she wishes you could be her mother.

I sit and listen in amazement as this sweet girl reads a first grade book to me at Christmastime. I get tears in my eyes. I tell her over, and over, again how proud of her I am. I hug her and tell her how smart she is. We keep practicing and she keeps learning.

You wrap up your school year. You clean, move furniture, average grades, return books, and prepare for the end of school. You think about each student and the progress they have made throughout the year. You try to determine if each child is ready for the next grade. She can read at (almost) a second grade level. She gets along great with her classmates. She chats and plays. She comes and tells me stories like other children in the class.

Today, I said goodbye to a sweet girl. I knew today would be hard. I knew that telling her goodbye would be so very difficult for me. She stopped in the doorway and looked at me. I told her how much I love her and that I am so proud of her. She tucked her head, giggled, and said, "I love you, too." My heart hurt. I pray that the love of Christ that I tried to show her this year, is something that she will remember. I am not sure where she will go to school next year, or if I will ever see her again. Goodbye sweet girl!

Not Me! Monday

Here I am again to announce to the world few of you who read my little blog all the things I did NOT do this week. So here we go again...

This week, I did NOT seriously consider changing my name. I DID NOT here "Mrs. Jones" more than a million times throughout the week at school. I DID NOT here "mommy" more than 3 millions times. As posted earlier in the week, I did NOT think that "Fred" would be a more suitable choice. I never knew I could NOT go crazy from simply hearing my own name!

Last week at school, you would NOT have heard me say any of the following things to students:

• We do not hang from the bathroom walls!
• You are making my hair turn gray!
• If you drive like you lead a line, you're going to wreck!
• Only 5 more days of school! Yea!

Matthew was sick with strep this week, and I most certainly did NOT go for the shot of penicillin instead of the 10 days of antibiotics. After said shot, Matthew did NOT cry for 10+ minutes, which did NOT make me feel like the worst mother in the world for wanting to simplify my life at his expense.

Matthew did NOT get in trouble for throwing a plastic screw driver at his sister. I did NOT tell him to go to his room, and that he would NOT be getting a spanking (which happens rarely, and the waiting is NOT the real punishment!) With no real plans to spank him, because I knew that he was NOT still feeling puny, I did NOT go into his room to talk to him about the seriousness of his actions. When I got into his room, I did NOT see a red leg and did NOT here Matthew say, "Mommy, I panked myself." :O I was NOT upset that he had "panked" himself.

This week, Logann did NOT roll over dozens of times. I did NOT keep telling myself that it was the first time she had done this to keep myself from crying. I do NOT feel extremely guilty for possibly missing such major events due to work.

Confession is a great feeling. Go check out what others have NOT confessed on MckMama's site just for fun! I hope you DO NOT have a wonderful week!