Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Hooray for summer!

I know only kids are supposed to get excited about school ending, but we teachers are pretty pumped too!  I mean, we've had a great year and my students are wonderful---but I can't wait to not set the alarm.  Oh, the bliss of waking up at 6:00 a.m. and realizing, "I don't have to get up soon!"  Yes, this is what motivates me to smile and love and overlook my class' boisterous activities these last few days/weeks.  We only have three days left!

Having said that, I am so thankful to be a teacher.  I taught K4 for several years and loved it.  A lot more stress, a lot more goofiness, a lot more potty breaks, but so good.  A few years ago, I had the opportunity to move up to 3rd Grade.  The teacher at that time was leaving to have a baby, and our principal was looking to fill her spot.  My husband, wise man that he is, urged me to tell my boss that I could teach third grade if he wanted me to.  I was terrified!  I had become comfortable in K4; I had a great routine in place; I had little grading or testing to do.  I had it made!  But, I followed Chad's advice and threw my hat into the ring.......and I've never been so glad I did.  These students are at the perfect age:  they are moldable, teachable still; they listen still when I talk; and they love unconditionally.  I have learned so much from them about helping others, about seeing the Bible through a child's eyes, and about how kids grow up---what shapes their thinking.

Let me just stop and say, "Thank God for godly teachers for my children!"  We take our teachers for granted, expecting them to train and instruct our kids in academic values, forgetting that they teach much more than just 2+2=4.  My children are who they are because of their godly teachers.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

But, even with a school year full of excitement and a computer full of grades reflecting how well I taught and they listened, there comes a time when we all need a serious break.  We call this summer.  Summer is the time when even adults try to sleep until noon, when life takes on a more relaxed pace, and when we pretend to get lots of chores done that had to wait until we had time.  This is also the time that drives my husband nuts.  He can't stand the fact that we don't have to get up at O-dark-thirty or the fact that we tend to laze around for at least the first week!  To pacify him, I will create a "chore list" of things that truly should be done around the house, and then each week we will look at the list.  We probably won't actually do any of the work, but we at least looked at the list!  This also drives Chad nuts.  I may have to change my strategy.

I think I need to make some actual changes to Dale's schedule.  He seems to have regressed physically this year.  He is not at all steady on his feet; he falls frequently; and his balance is way off.  I want to implement a workout program for him to strengthen his muscles and help him feel better in control of himself.  I think, with the growth Dale has experienced over the past couple of years (height), he's not as sure of himself as he used to be.  Chad thinks we also should make another appointment with the neurologist to see if Dale's medication needs to be adjusted.  Please pray that the insurance will approve a referral from our regular doctor to the neurologist so that we will only need to pay the office visit fee.  Right now, the contract that the neurologist has with the insurance company states that any visit must be covered as an outpatient hospital visit which means we must pay our $500 deductible as well as the specialist fee.  That's quite a chunk of change!  We need to make the appointment in the next week, so your prayers are coveted.

With the close of the school year, everybody moves up a grade.  Emily will be in third grade---yep, my class.  (The year I moved up to third grade from K4, Emily was supposed to enter K4.  She was soooo upset that I wouldn't be her teacher.  She has been threatening me all year with dire punishment if I move to another grade this next year!)  Ashley will be in eighth grade.  She acted recently in our school plays; she was an accountant to the king in one and part of a group of protesters in the other.  As the accountant, she was dressed in a much older style and had her hair up and makeup on---she was almost unrecognizable!  She's already pretty, but in a few years when she can start actually wearing makeup---watch out!  Dale will be in tenth grade, although he is still catching up in a few subjects.  And Katie will be a Senior!!!  She is excited and scared to death.  But those feelings are swamped by the overwhelming relief that she passed geometry this year!  Amanda is finished with her first year of college and is coming home in a few weeks for a two-week visit.  We are so excited, not having seen her since saying goodbye in September.  Each member of our family has had to deal with not having her with us each day, but the ache in our hearts never eases.  I thank God for kind, loving people who are helping work out the plans to get her home.  Sooooon!  :-)

God has been good to us.  There's no doubt about it.  Have you every heard the song, "God's been good in my life"?  Each word is so accurate an accounting of our family that I cry each time I hear it.  He is so loving, just giving us breath; to bless us with health and home and work and children and mercy and kindness and love is beyond expression.  He is wonderful.  He is good.  He is!

John 11: 40  "Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"

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