A Lifetime of Love

This week brought about the end of the school year, cleaning out lockers and retrieving items from the kids' various schools, returning items to said schools, and lots and lots of rain. Like a lot of rain. Every day. :( Seriously though, this week was a refreshing break after all the emotions of graduation from the week before, as well as the stress of Zoom meetings and school assignments from the weeks prior to that.  I spent a lot of time reading (current read: “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand), meal planning, time in my classroom organizing my lesson files, and preparing for the 4K Art Show at my school. Every year, the preschool holds an event called Family Day. Families come and watch a performance put on by their child’s class and then enjoy a reception. For the 4K students, this also includes an art show. We spend almost the entire semester preparing for the art show. We study an artist and either replicate one of their works or create our own piece based on their st...

8 weeks.  I can’t believe it has been 8 WEEKS since social distancing, quarantine, and COVID-19 became such common verbiage in my life. This week brought about a broken air conditioner BUT God was so gracious to provide cooler temperatures outside. It was only miserable in the house one day (inside temp reached 85*), but other than that, we kept the windows open, fans spinning, and time outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. And, thankfully, it was not a terribly expensive repair. Week 8 also brought on Teacher Appreciation Week. I love this week because it affords me an opportunity to sit down and write a note to each of my children’s teachers. This year it was no different, except that my children were unable to hand-deliver their notes and gifts. We boxed up everything and delivered to the front door of the school. They will receive their boxes when they come to the school to pack up for the year. It’s sad, but at least they will know how loved they are! Teacher Apprecia...

Full acceptance hit this week. I didn’t cry (very much) and I didn’t get sad; rather, I just reached the point of acceptance. Acceptance that I am not returning to school this year, and neither are my kids. Acceptance that we will be social distancing for a long time. Acceptance that this is our new normal, and our previous normal will never return. I have come to realize that acceptance is a good thing. Acceptance brought peace and calm. It also gave me time to reflect, analyze, and think about changes I want to bring about in my life as a mom, teacher, and friend. I was able to go back and look through photos of my year in my classroom, and seeing my little people brought some BIG smiles; we had such a fun year! Acceptance also forced me to realize that there is no better time than now to pursue my goals. I want to be the best teacher I can, and in order to be that, I need to know more. When you know better, you do better. I enjoy school and learning, and I try to take advan...

*Sigh* This week has been mentally challenging. I was officially laid off from my teaching position and began the steps to file for unemployment. That was heartbreaking, and it has nothing to do with money. When I was still being paid, it gave me hope that we might return to school before the end of the school year. However, the moment I received the news, my bubble was burst. On Wednesday afternoon, the governor announced that no one would be returning back to school before the end of the year. That was expected, but again, knowing what my children are feeling makes it difficult to accept. I have been thinking about this a lot, and it seems to me like we are going through the stages of grief (all over again). I definitely had denial (no, school won't be canceled), anger (why can't we just stay until Spring Break), bargaining (we can at least go back for a day to see friends and say our goodbyes), depression (been in this stage far too long), and now acceptance. I get...

When we took these pictures, I had no idea these would be the last pictures we took as a class. Looking at them brings so much joy to my heart! What else could the smiles, the laughs, and the fun of dressing up and being silly bring to one’s heart? Today my heart is hurting. I miss these kids. I miss the hugs, the excitement of sharing in their lives, and the thrill of witnessing them master a skill.  I miss my right-hand man (woman) who is so much more to me than my assistant. She is my friend, my idea-bouncer, and the peanut butter to my jelly. She is just as important to the success of the year as I am as the teacher.  We were only a few days away from Family Day, which is the day we sing songs and reveal the art work we have been secretly working on for the past 3 months. The stress of planning the artwork and executing the process was almost to an end, and I was both thankful and excited to reach that point in the year. I had already begun planning our...

Week 3 has been better in many ways. School was easier to complete, I was able to "talk" to friends while maintaining social distancing rules, and I got myself on a more "normal" schedule for our morning routine. Schooling with Ruthie, my 1st grader, went a lot better since I assigned my older 4 girls specific times to play with/entertain my little boys.  We tended to finish her school work by noon each day. Ruthie was also able to Zoom with her Spanish/math teacher one-on-one a couple of times throughout the week. Seeing her teacher and receiving individualized instruction was so good for her emotionally and academically. Ruthie was also able to Zoom with her class and both teachers for a little bit one morning. This is really the first time she has seen her friends and had an opportunity to talk to them. I think it was the highlight of the week for both of us! Ruthie talking with her class A couple of mornings this week I met a friend in a parki...

This week was somewhat better than last in certain aspects, but it also brought its fair share of difficulties. TJ wasn’t feeling well most of this week so that meant I was a single parent for 90% of the week. Let that sink in- 9 kids for 90% of the day, 24/7.   There were a few times where I was able to get some time to myself, for which I am thankful, but I am ready for this entire situation to be done and over.   Trying to balance schoolwork, housework, cooking, sibling squabbles, and children is challenging and often overwhelming for me.   I cried daily in the shower, sometimes in the middle of day, and even before bed depending on the day I had. I realize I am sounding very negative so let me add there were a few bright spots in my week.   The first was on Tuesday when I got to see most of the students in my class.   Let me share the backstory (since there really isn’t much else to do these days): prior to all the school closures, my class was wri...

I haven’t posted in a couple weeks, and I always process my thoughts/feelings better through writing, so this blog post is going to be somewhat lengthy. Stop reading whenever you are tired or bored, lol! A week ago last Thursday my sister, who is the District Nurse for a district in OH, called me and told me her district was closing beginning Monday by order of the governor. I was a little surprised, but I understood. Fast forward to last Sunday afternoon. The governor of SC ordered all schools here to close, effective Monday, also. I was not surprised as between Thursday evening when my sister called to Sunday afternoon, several states had shut down schools. While I wasn’t surprised, I also wasn’t prepared for what that meant. Schools closing have effectively turned my world upside down. And not just my world, but everyone’s. I am going to chronicle each week as we employ “social distancing” from our friends, classmates, and even family members. Week 1: 3/16-3/22/20 ...

So I shared in my last post that I went back to paid teaching 2 years ago. I am teaching 4K at a local preschool and LOVE it! I wasn't sure what to expect with that age group, but I teach academics along with social and behavioral skills and it is a perfect match for me. I applied for a grant last November to fund a project I wanted to implement in my classroom. I want an indoor tower garden that grows plants hydroponically so we, as a class, can grow our own fruits and veggies. There are so many learning opportunities in this project including nutrition, biology, literacy, and communication skills, among others. Each of these learning opportunities imbed academic, social, and behavioral skills and definitely fits into the overall goal of my classroom environment. I am thrilled to say my project was fully funded, and hopefully by the end of March we will have everything in place and can at least explore the science behind the way it works. We will not be planting anything this ...

Not really much to talk about this week. I spent the day yesterday going through all the toys we own trying to make room for toys received from 3 birthdays and Christmas coming up in the next 3 months. I separated everything into 4 piles: keep, toss, sell, & donate. Although it doesn't seem like I made a huge dent in our toy supply, I donated 1 huge bag of toys, trashed another, and have 3 boxes and 2 piles of toys in my bedroom that need to be cleaned and priced to sell. I have registered for a local consignment sale next week, so I need to get everything finished between now and next Tuesday. If I work on it a little each night, I should finish. I am not looking to get rich, but it will be nice to have a little extra money to put away for the babies we need to plan for. I am excited for tomorrow. My sis is having an ultrasound to determine her baby's gender. She wants a boy but would be okay with another girl. I just want to know because I'm excited for her. I'm g...

The first week of school went well. It was very exhausting (more than I anticipated!) but very fun. I have a wonderful class (17 in all) and I think it will be a great year. We begin our study of letters this week so I have been busy preparing mini-lessons to accompany each letter. I will admit I am surprised at the amount of preparation I need to do even in preschool. I thought because I was teaching only half-days the work load would be less; boy, was I wrong! I have brought work home with me each day, mainly because at the end of the day my own kids are ready to leave so I can't really finish up things at school. I am also surprised at how quickly the morning passes. It seems like we never have enough time to finish all that I want to get done in one day; I suppose I will learn to better manage our time as I get used to our daily routine. We do lots of art projects, and I am still working on timing those better so that we can finish them in one day rather than two. On a differen...

Tomorrow is the first day of preschool. Typically this day is marked by excitement from all; this year, however, it's filled with a mixture of emotions. I am excited, but I am also very nervous. I have planned and prepared for this day all summer. I have met the kids and their parents, yet for some reason I am still nervous. I know I am adequately prepared. My awesome mentor teacher and friend Martha has helped me tremendously by providing tips and suggestions. She has encouraged me and supported my ideas since I was first offered the job back in February. I suppose a case of the "nerves" is normal for any first-year teacher. I just know how hard I have worked to make the classroom "mine", and I pray the Lord will bless my efforts. Something new this year is bible story, which I am happy about. I love to share about the Lord and this provides a scheduled time each day to do so. Pray for me this week as the kids and I get used to a new schedule and routine, both ...

The PT evaluation is complete; I am just waiting to go over the “official” results with Kathy (the PT) and Crystal (EI) on Thursday. Unofficially, Kathy said that Teagan has a 2-3 month delay, which doesn’t seem so bad until you consider she is just now 6 months old. It means she functions as a 3-4 month old baby- not good! It sort of took me by surprise and I really can’t help but blame myself, mostly for my lack of unavailability to “play” with her like I did with the others. On the bright side, at least I put my pride aside and was able to get her the help that she needs, and just since Friday’s meeting with Kathy, I have already seen some progress. Teagan has learned that she can roll from her side to her back by using her arm for momentum. It may seem like a small feat, but it’s a step closer to rolling over. Also, she has been grabbing her feet more, and she enjoys playing “Peek-a-Boo” and me singing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Pat-a-Cake” using her legs. I had her sitting for a...

I have found, and been taught through countless university courses, that the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher is reflection: reflection on the lesson, student learning, and ways the teacher can improve. Perhaps I have taken this to heart because I tend to apply it in all areas of my life, not just in my teaching. Which is a mixed blessing, I suppose. I know I need to improve as a wife and mother, and I definitely need work on being a better source of encouragement for my friends, particularly because I allow the busyness of my life to sometimes get the best of me. However, dear friends, I would like you to know I think of you often and pray for you regularly despite my lack of communication with you. I will try better, especially at responding to emails as that seems to be the area that needs to improve the most. There has been a lot going on in my family’s life lately that I have not shared. Not that I didn’t want to, it’s just simply been a lack of time to relay ...