Ok, so the totally random title is really just that--random. I was just sitting here trying to think of a catchy, not grumpy sounding title for today's post, and I started thinking about taking the boys to the zoo this summer and their favorite bedtime story (The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton, by the way), and it made me think of the characters in the story that the boys just have to point out EVERY time we read the book.
My one negative thing today is that seriously...I don't know what the deal is. I don't know if it is that I hang around teenagers in full-blown puberty all the time. Or if it is just all the extra stress. Or if I am just a mess in general. But really...since starting this teaching job, I feel like skin has decided to take a long break from looking good. I feel like it is constantly looking gross. Not that anyone else cares, but it is driving me really nuts lately! Argh!
Ok, past the grossness...I feel the need to be a bit more upbeat. I didn't really have a good day. I didn't have a bad day either though--it was just sort of blah. I came home from work and immediately, Cameron had to start work, and I tried to start dinner. I was attempting to make chicken cordon bleu and homemade au gratin potatoes. Both turned out ok. The potatoes needed some seasoning and more cheese, and the chicken...well, it tasted good, but it did not look all that pretty. Everybody ate it though--there isn't any left. Even Ben and Sam ate all their food. They are normally good eaters, but they did especially well tonight--they even scarfed their broccoli. ("B R O C C O L I--Broccoli, uh broccoli!" Ok, unless you have spent many MANY hours of your life watching Sesame Street, you probably didn't get that!) So dinner was good--I ended up eating mine cold because by the time I was ready to eat it, the boys were done and Levi was screaming, and I had to deal with all that first.
I had a nice evening though. The kids weren't any better than normal. But, I am back on a semi-normal medicine schedule, and that seems to be helping. I don't want to give up totally on this thing we call my life. But, I feel much more tolerant of them (even when it is 10:32 and Benjamin is laying on my arm STILL not in bed, even though I started reading stories and putting them in pjs at 7:30--and we read about 15 books!). My friend Stephanie came over tonight, and just hung out for a little while--I wish we could have done a little more, but with Cam "working" (he is so totally in there playing a game, but trying to pretend he is working hard so I don't bug him!), and the boys not going to bed, we just kind of hung out. We did go to Walmart. That was nice--it was nice to be able to talk with NO kids around--not her baby, not ANY of mine! I loved it! And I got an email from another friend. Isn't it great how those little things can make a person feel so much better?
Tomorrow I have the goal of making some Valentine's Day cards for a basket the 7-8 teachers are putting together for a silent auction to raise money for some of our students. These poor kids--ages 7, 7th grade, and 8th grade (so one of mine, whom I adore!)--got pulled out of school on Nov. 19 because their mom had been in a terrible car accident. At the time, they were pretty much told to say goodbye, and that it didn't look good. Over the course of the next several days, the prognosis was still not good. I went to the hospital to visit my student several times--just to check on him! The mom had lost control of the car on a patch of gravel, and been thrown from the car almost 80 feet! Her pelvis is crushed, her leg was ripped apart (literally, bones sticking out), her wrist was broken, and she had severe head injuries. Right now, over two months later, she is still is hospice care (ICU gets expensive fast, and they don't have insurance!), with no definite prognosis. I think they are going to go ahead and try to repair her pelvis the best they can (they did one surgery earlier, but it was kind of a bandaid fix) and her leg in the hopes that once the swelling in her brain is completely gone, she WILL recover. I pray continually that a miracle will be worked for this family. They have experienced several already, but I hope still that they get their big one. The mom is a single mom, and the benefit dinner/silent auction is to raise money to keep the kids in town until the end of the school year at least. To help pay the house costs--utilities, payments on the home, food, etc.--for someone (family members have been taking turns) to stay with the kids until school is out, at least. So, long story shortened, I want to make some cards to contribute to the basket. I love this young man, and his sisters are sweet too!
I never realized how emotionally draining it is to be a teacher. I would venture to say that it has been a bit worse this year than it usually is, but wow! The first semester, we had a young girl (9 years old) get kidnapped, raped brutally, and murdered, then her body was dumped in a cave--by her stepdad and his buddy (yeah, I know, innocent until proven guilty, but this is one of those times when I struggle with being impartial). Then we had my 8th grade boy's mom get in her horrible accident. I have been fighting sexual innuendos and harrassment from some of the students all year--it blew up the same week that we were without power for a week from the ice storm. Then, we had Christmas....ahh...what a blessed time! Now, already this semester, it has just been a series of ups and downs. I worry so much about my students, and although I am really good about not bringing it all home with me, I am there so much of my day, and it is hard to leave that worry and concern behind at school. I love teaching. I love sharing my knowledge with students and watching them get it. I do NOT enjoy the paperwork. Or being organized (I am NOT!). Or grading papers. Or dealing with rotten little punks. Or contacting parents. Or any number of tricky things when working with teenagers who haven't totally figured out who they are yet. But, I love it. And I love them! So, I can do this for a few more months until we know better what the future holds for us.
I am grateful today for quiet. I am grateful for the quiet few minutes I have right now to type this. I am grateful all my kids have gone to bed. I am grateful that I have some time to think and reflect on my day. I am grateful that it is calm and that I can go to bed without stressing--well, except for the REALLY messy kitchen! I feel very peaceful tonight--no real anxiety. And that's major for me. Good night!
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