- Up at 4:30
- Got a shower and washed my hair (turned out to be a good thing)
- Washed two loads of clothes
- 6:00 -- Down to Lauren's to pick up Carsyn
- Bottle and a nap
- Grace arrived
- Breakfast for the girls
- Cleaned the kitchen (at least 3 times)
- Picked up toys
- Washed 6 more loads of clothes
- Took the garbage out
- Two golf cart rides
- Picked up toys
- Watered the ferns and flowers
- Outside time on the arbor and trampoline
- Turned on the dishwasher
- Picked up toys
- Snack time
- Bathtub to cool off the girls
- Folded clothes
- Lunch Time
- Nap time (one hour)
- Got Grace dressed for a trip to Greenville
- Got Carsyn dressed for her checkup
- Got dressed as best I could :)
- Dollar Tree for Bible school supplies
- Stopped at gym to change a very dirty diaper
- To the doctor for Carsyn's check up
- To Wal Mart for bubbles, bread, peanut butter, and jelly
- Home to freshen up
- Church for Bible school
- Playdough, bubbles, crab hats, mangers, barns and Bible stories
- Hot dogs and chips for the kids
- Home
- Got towels off the line
- Picked up toys
- Egg sandwich for supper
- Cleaned the kitchen
Monday, May 23, 2011
First School-Free Week Day
This was my first weekday out of school. I am POOPED!!! This was the schedule for the day:
Sunday, May 22, 2011
End of School Thoughts
More big days in the news!!
After Grace's K-5 graduation on the 13th, the seniors had baccalaureate on the 15th. The speakers, both dads of seniors, delivered such amazing messages. Dr. Ken Jackson brought his message of "know where you're going and have a plan to get there" by using Alice in Wonderland's cheshire cat, Diana Ross, and the Dave Matthews Band. Reverend Harvey, whose son just transferred to our school this semester, prayed a blessing on the seniors that made me wish he prayed for me every day. We had a reception afterward and all went home. Thanks to Sal-Lee Sasser-Williams for staying the whole time (and thanks to her hubby for keeping their twin babies for her to do so!)
The first part of the week was filled with semester exams and getting ready for graduation. I cannot tell you the happiness and relief of knowing that all twenty seniors would graduate. I think it must be very hard for anyone who is not a teacher to realize how much I care for those kids...it breaks my heart to even think that one would be left out of the graduation ceremonies. Easy it is for others to say, "Oh, don't worry about it! You've done all you can. Just let it go." Would that I could! Instead, I keep questioning if there is anything else I can do, and I keep thinking what I would want if it were my child -- wait-- what I DID want when it WAS my children!
The teachers gave the seniors a luncheon on Wednesday and graduation went off without a hitch on Thursday night. The lockers are all cleaned, the teacher gowns and hoods are packed up and ready to go, grades have been posted and transcripts printed. Wow! This has been sooooommmmmeeeee year!
Always as the year begins I pray that God will bless my efforts and help me be the best teacher I can be. As senior sponsor, I also turn to God at the end of the year. I see these young ladies and gentlemen leaving the safe place they have known for thirteen years, and I wonder if they are really ready. Have I done all I can do for them? Have I taught them more than characters in a play and literary movements? Will they be able to survive the next phase? And I pray this prayer by James Metcalf:
After Grace's K-5 graduation on the 13th, the seniors had baccalaureate on the 15th. The speakers, both dads of seniors, delivered such amazing messages. Dr. Ken Jackson brought his message of "know where you're going and have a plan to get there" by using Alice in Wonderland's cheshire cat, Diana Ross, and the Dave Matthews Band. Reverend Harvey, whose son just transferred to our school this semester, prayed a blessing on the seniors that made me wish he prayed for me every day. We had a reception afterward and all went home. Thanks to Sal-Lee Sasser-Williams for staying the whole time (and thanks to her hubby for keeping their twin babies for her to do so!)
The first part of the week was filled with semester exams and getting ready for graduation. I cannot tell you the happiness and relief of knowing that all twenty seniors would graduate. I think it must be very hard for anyone who is not a teacher to realize how much I care for those kids...it breaks my heart to even think that one would be left out of the graduation ceremonies. Easy it is for others to say, "Oh, don't worry about it! You've done all you can. Just let it go." Would that I could! Instead, I keep questioning if there is anything else I can do, and I keep thinking what I would want if it were my child -- wait-- what I DID want when it WAS my children!
The teachers gave the seniors a luncheon on Wednesday and graduation went off without a hitch on Thursday night. The lockers are all cleaned, the teacher gowns and hoods are packed up and ready to go, grades have been posted and transcripts printed. Wow! This has been sooooommmmmeeeee year!
Always as the year begins I pray that God will bless my efforts and help me be the best teacher I can be. As senior sponsor, I also turn to God at the end of the year. I see these young ladies and gentlemen leaving the safe place they have known for thirteen years, and I wonder if they are really ready. Have I done all I can do for them? Have I taught them more than characters in a play and literary movements? Will they be able to survive the next phase? And I pray this prayer by James Metcalf:
I want to teach my students how--
To live this life on earth,
To face its struggles and its strife
And to improve their worth.
Not just the lesson in a book,
Or how the rivers flow,
But to choose the proper path,
Wherever they may go.
To understand eternal truth,
And know right from wrong,
And gather all the beauty of
A flower and a song,
For if I help the world to grow
In wisdom and grace,
Then I feel that I have won
And I have filled my place.
And so I ask your guidance, God
That I may do my part,
For character and confidence
And happiness of heart.
I have often said that my sense of worth as a teacher cannot be measured by how my kids feel about me when they are in school, but rather by how prepared they are when they get to college. Often students come back or email me when they move on. Although I don't believe I'll ever hear from anybody in this class, I know they have been given all I have, and, for this year, that's going to have to be enough.
Friday, May 13, 2011
A Big Day...A Very Big Day...
It was an incredibly important day today. Not only did we have elementary honors day and high school honors, but GRACE GRADUATED K5 TODAY!!!! She has been so excited all week. Monday was her "last Monday as a K-5er." Tuesday was her "last Tuesday as a K-5er," and so on. So sweet. They have practiced and practiced and practiced...and then Grace has come home and practiced so more. In fact, I think I had seen ALL of graduation -- but only in little pieces. It all came together today. We are so proud of her!
They gave their parents sweet gifts to make their mamas cry :)
And they were sooooo cute with their little poems and songs...
Grace on her way out--now for the K-5 play!
Such a cute little jungle play--I must say, Grace really came alive when the gown came off!
It seems like only yesterday that we were heading to Montgomery for Grace to be born. then in a few days she was walking. Soon she started to school, and now whe's graduated K-5. We'd better not blink for the next few years!!
Now to get the senior graduation done, and then Dylan graduates on May 25th and Daniel on June 21st. time is really flying!!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Thanks A Lot...
- To the state workers in the white truck who decided to drive 32 in the no-passing zone today, thanks a lot. I had places to go!
- To the person driving the white car with the handicapped license plate -- might want to get that turn signal checked! Thanks a lot for leaving it on for SEVENTEEN miles!
- To the city of Georgiana, thanks a lot for your focus on safety by having your school zone at 20 miles an hour--my truck IDLES higher than that!
- To the lady working in the photo department at Wal Mart--thanks for being so diligent to check truck deliveries and site to store orders BEFORE checking the photo file for my online photo order. I'm sure your dedication will come in handy one day.
- To the Wal Mart greeter, thanks for your diligence in making sure I don't shoplift--there's not much else I could put in that tiny photo bag!
- To my machine, thanks for deciding today that you would refuse to sew a design you had sewn many times before. Perfect timing...
- To all drivers in Greenville, thanks ahead of time for reading this memo: RIGHT TURNS ON RED ARE ALLOWED WHEN TRAFFIC IS CLEAR--EVEN AT THE ONE COMING OUT OF WAL MART!!!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
My Mother's Day 2011
Today has been a WONDERFUL day. We had Robert's kids overnight, and they are always a lot of fun! Who would have thought I would be spending most of Mother's Day weekend digging in the flower beds for grasshoppers? We had a ball.
Cinnamon rolls for breakfast made for a super easy cleanup, then it was time to get ready for church. Dylan had a little meltdown when we got there since he wasn't allowed to carry his motorcycle in--I could just see the fights that would take place over having only one. He soon recovered though. We had a big crowd of kids, painted hands and feet for Mother's Day gifts, handed out animal crackers, and --if I do say so myself-- a good time was had by all.
We had a little surprise at lunch--Mama and Daddy invited us all to eat. Kathy and David had hamburgers and they were willing to share! Easy breakfast, and now an easy lunch! Yipppeee!! After a yummy lunch, we headed to Red Level to deliver knock-out roses to Grannie for her Mother's Day. Sooner or later we will have her entire house surrounded in those beautiful things! The kids played a little, and then it was time to go meet their mama.
When we got to the drop-off -- or maybe exchange place is a better term-- Kandace gave me a beautiful hanging basket. I'm going to try really hard to make sure it lives. Maybe I should get Mam to do a couple of drive-bys per week. We'll see. I'm going to try really hard.
When I got home, Lauren, David, and Carsyn brought me a new camera and ...wait for it...LINDOR TRUFFLES. Oh.My.Gosh...I'm really going to have to ration these! Then Grace brought in the CUTEST dancing flower -- solar powered and water free. I'm pretty sure that one will live. And -- Vicki swears in no way connected to my recent fall that hurtled me through the air and left me stiff and sore-- they gave me a gift certificate for a 30 minute massage. Can't wait to cash that in!!
Finally, off to Cracker Barrel with my kids. What a great supper! I think Carsyn ate some of everything we had, and our waitress was wonderful. A quick trip to Wal Mart and home we came. A final surprise...Lauren handed me two Reese's Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches. Man, I'll be on a sugar high for a while!
It's been a great Mother's Day. Not a day goes by that I don't miss Robert, but days like this are a little harder than most. Well, ok, a LOT harder. But I take such comfort in knowing that he is waiting for us in a place far better than I can imagine. I recently read Heaven Is for Real, and if you haven't, let me encourage you to run out and buy the book or borrow it from someone. It's amazing how we can know something, but having someone with firsthand knowledge makes it seem sooooo real. So get it. And...look for signs from heaven however they come. I do.
Cinnamon rolls for breakfast made for a super easy cleanup, then it was time to get ready for church. Dylan had a little meltdown when we got there since he wasn't allowed to carry his motorcycle in--I could just see the fights that would take place over having only one. He soon recovered though. We had a big crowd of kids, painted hands and feet for Mother's Day gifts, handed out animal crackers, and --if I do say so myself-- a good time was had by all.
We had a little surprise at lunch--Mama and Daddy invited us all to eat. Kathy and David had hamburgers and they were willing to share! Easy breakfast, and now an easy lunch! Yipppeee!! After a yummy lunch, we headed to Red Level to deliver knock-out roses to Grannie for her Mother's Day. Sooner or later we will have her entire house surrounded in those beautiful things! The kids played a little, and then it was time to go meet their mama.
When we got to the drop-off -- or maybe exchange place is a better term-- Kandace gave me a beautiful hanging basket. I'm going to try really hard to make sure it lives. Maybe I should get Mam to do a couple of drive-bys per week. We'll see. I'm going to try really hard.
When I got home, Lauren, David, and Carsyn brought me a new camera and ...wait for it...LINDOR TRUFFLES. Oh.My.Gosh...I'm really going to have to ration these! Then Grace brought in the CUTEST dancing flower -- solar powered and water free. I'm pretty sure that one will live. And -- Vicki swears in no way connected to my recent fall that hurtled me through the air and left me stiff and sore-- they gave me a gift certificate for a 30 minute massage. Can't wait to cash that in!!
Finally, off to Cracker Barrel with my kids. What a great supper! I think Carsyn ate some of everything we had, and our waitress was wonderful. A quick trip to Wal Mart and home we came. A final surprise...Lauren handed me two Reese's Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches. Man, I'll be on a sugar high for a while!
It's been a great Mother's Day. Not a day goes by that I don't miss Robert, but days like this are a little harder than most. Well, ok, a LOT harder. But I take such comfort in knowing that he is waiting for us in a place far better than I can imagine. I recently read Heaven Is for Real, and if you haven't, let me encourage you to run out and buy the book or borrow it from someone. It's amazing how we can know something, but having someone with firsthand knowledge makes it seem sooooo real. So get it. And...look for signs from heaven however they come. I do.
FLASHBACK!!!
Time literally rolled back yesterday. Dylan ran in, and in his most serious voice, said (self-importantly, I might add), "ZiZi, I need some matches or a lighter. I'm gonna burn this big limb and the sticks in the back yard."
Now, those of you who are not familiar with us are saying, "My, what a helper he is! All young men should help out like that."
That's until you know he's five.
And the "big limb" is really half a tree that almost hit the car.
And the pasture is right beside the big limb.
And his daddy once burned that very pasture off when he was four by trying to burn that very tree down (because it was in his way).
And we had to call the fire department to help us and the neighbors keep the fire from burning forty plus acres.
And then his daddy convinced the fire department, wearing only underwear and sandals while walking with them to put out "hot spots," that I had set the fire by burning some garbage in the pasture.
Which I most certainly did NOT do.
But who do you think they believed? Yep, you got it. They brought me "Learn NOT to Burn" papers.
Oh, yeah. It was a flashback indeed!
Now, those of you who are not familiar with us are saying, "My, what a helper he is! All young men should help out like that."
That's until you know he's five.
And the "big limb" is really half a tree that almost hit the car.
And the pasture is right beside the big limb.
And his daddy once burned that very pasture off when he was four by trying to burn that very tree down (because it was in his way).
And we had to call the fire department to help us and the neighbors keep the fire from burning forty plus acres.
And then his daddy convinced the fire department, wearing only underwear and sandals while walking with them to put out "hot spots," that I had set the fire by burning some garbage in the pasture.
Which I most certainly did NOT do.
But who do you think they believed? Yep, you got it. They brought me "Learn NOT to Burn" papers.
Oh, yeah. It was a flashback indeed!
Mother's Day
Sunday, May 8th, is Mother's Day, and I couldn't let it go by without writing about the most wonderful Mama in the world...MINE!!
If you've read my profile or ever been around me, you know that one of my life goals is to grow up to be just like Mama. Anybody who knows Mama would tell you that I would have a looooonnnnngggg way to go :)
Mama is most likely the strongest Christian I know--and I know a LOT of Christians. She has more Bibles than most churches own, and she reads from all of them AT THE SAME TIME! It is not uncommon to go in and find Mama on the couch, surrounded by study materials and Bibles, reading away on a lesson for that week or just studying over something she heard on television or Faith Radio. Often she will ask one of us to look something up on the computer, and she adds all that information to what she has found on her own. She has an insatiable desire to KNOW when it comes to the Bible and knowledge of God.
She is also an AH-MAZING prayer warrior. We go to her for everything in terms of prayer. Granny, her mama, left her the secret to knocking right on God's door -- of that I am totally sure. She prays for us every morning as we travel to work. She prays for our work places. She prays for us when we are sick. Once, when Lauren had a co-worker that she just could not tolerate, I mentioned the situation to Mama. The next information from Lauren -- the co-worker's husband was offered a contract in Japan. JAPAN! Mama prayed her not only out of Lauren's life--she prayed her slam out of the country! Amazing!
Mama is also our example in the areas of being a wife, a mother, a homemaker, and a grandmother. "Lucky enough to be able to stay home" with us (her words), she took her job at home very seriously. The house was always clean or being cleaned; clothes were always washed or waiting to go into the washer; summers were filled with shelling peas and beans and silking corn. We were not lovers of lunchroom food and did not like to take our lunches in high school. No problem for Mama--she had delicious food ready as soon as we got off the bus. In fact, it seems like she had food ready all the time. I can remember watching her pull cans of food from the cabinet and packages of meat from the freezer to prepare for supper--all this while we were eating breakfast!
She and daddy have taught us by example: don't argue in front of the kids; don't discuss the bad aspects of life, school, or church in front of the kids; work hard; keep a clean house; honor and respect each other; the strongest love is the one that quietly perseveres and supports each other through thick and thin.
I have learned a lot about being a mother from Mama, but she has also taught me about being a grandmother. I used to wonder why my kids were just wild to stay with Mama and Daddy, but why would they not be? At Nannie and Papa's, the world stopped while our children were there. It's been so easy to follow her example. Buying food the kids like, special snacks for them, having a play room when we don't have little ones here, having sippy cups filling our cabinets, having extra clothes in sizes newborn to 6 in our house--that's just what I learned from watching Mama.
My Mama--the most beautiful words in the world--about the most beautiful woman in the world. How blessed I am to have her. How thankful I am the God placed us together in our family. How honored I am to be her daughter. Love you, Mama!!!
If you've read my profile or ever been around me, you know that one of my life goals is to grow up to be just like Mama. Anybody who knows Mama would tell you that I would have a looooonnnnngggg way to go :)
Mama is most likely the strongest Christian I know--and I know a LOT of Christians. She has more Bibles than most churches own, and she reads from all of them AT THE SAME TIME! It is not uncommon to go in and find Mama on the couch, surrounded by study materials and Bibles, reading away on a lesson for that week or just studying over something she heard on television or Faith Radio. Often she will ask one of us to look something up on the computer, and she adds all that information to what she has found on her own. She has an insatiable desire to KNOW when it comes to the Bible and knowledge of God.
She is also an AH-MAZING prayer warrior. We go to her for everything in terms of prayer. Granny, her mama, left her the secret to knocking right on God's door -- of that I am totally sure. She prays for us every morning as we travel to work. She prays for our work places. She prays for us when we are sick. Once, when Lauren had a co-worker that she just could not tolerate, I mentioned the situation to Mama. The next information from Lauren -- the co-worker's husband was offered a contract in Japan. JAPAN! Mama prayed her not only out of Lauren's life--she prayed her slam out of the country! Amazing!
Mama is also our example in the areas of being a wife, a mother, a homemaker, and a grandmother. "Lucky enough to be able to stay home" with us (her words), she took her job at home very seriously. The house was always clean or being cleaned; clothes were always washed or waiting to go into the washer; summers were filled with shelling peas and beans and silking corn. We were not lovers of lunchroom food and did not like to take our lunches in high school. No problem for Mama--she had delicious food ready as soon as we got off the bus. In fact, it seems like she had food ready all the time. I can remember watching her pull cans of food from the cabinet and packages of meat from the freezer to prepare for supper--all this while we were eating breakfast!
She and daddy have taught us by example: don't argue in front of the kids; don't discuss the bad aspects of life, school, or church in front of the kids; work hard; keep a clean house; honor and respect each other; the strongest love is the one that quietly perseveres and supports each other through thick and thin.
I have learned a lot about being a mother from Mama, but she has also taught me about being a grandmother. I used to wonder why my kids were just wild to stay with Mama and Daddy, but why would they not be? At Nannie and Papa's, the world stopped while our children were there. It's been so easy to follow her example. Buying food the kids like, special snacks for them, having a play room when we don't have little ones here, having sippy cups filling our cabinets, having extra clothes in sizes newborn to 6 in our house--that's just what I learned from watching Mama.
My Mama--the most beautiful words in the world--about the most beautiful woman in the world. How blessed I am to have her. How thankful I am the God placed us together in our family. How honored I am to be her daughter. Love you, Mama!!!
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