Back In School...1st 2 days.

Well school has been opened from Thursday, I hate having to get up @6:30 but I will get use. It was an exciting 2 days, meeting all the students, giving out books and telling them what I expect in my class. It was a bit confusing for them but I think it will take a week or two before we are settled in. I am looking forwards to an exciting year. We had our first volleyball tournament out of town on Friday, off and running !!!! We did well on Friday won all 6 of our games, got back to school around 9pm, ate at Chilli's @ 10pm, too tired to go to Wal-Mart and in the end 6 of the girls slept at my house. It was fine because we just wanted to shower and sleep.

Saturday we were up by 8:30, @ school by 9 and playing out 1st game @ 11. We lost 3 so we got 2nd place. I did not think that was bad as we have just started and hope to get better as the days and games go on.

Spoke to my 2 sisters ( Tabby & Deidre) online the other night and it was so great to see my little niece on the webcam, it is amazing what we can now do. She was looking, touching, eating and of cause fell asleep in the end. I really do miss my sister, mom and their families. Being a close family is hard when you are so far from home but this is my choice. Just to see them, to talk, to laugh has always been such a medicine for me. I wish we could do more of it. It is times like these I wish I was home.:-(

Blessing

Yesterday I went with Tnoya and Josh to a car dealership, Tnoya needed a small reliable gas saving car and since she finished with her SUV ( gas hog) she wanted to make that change now. Macy, a student of mines mother is the manager of a Lincoln Mercury Dealership and she told us to give her all the information and she will work something out for Tnoya. So here we are on our way, of cause this place was 50 mins away but we went during traffic ( rush hour) and got stuck in all of that, plus TNoya SUV had no a/c.... and it rain....yes it was not nice.

Due to the traffic it took us 3 hrs to get there, once we did she had already left but had things in place for us. One of the sales person who knew nothing of the arrangement approached us and said "Hi and what's the problem". We looked at each other and said excuse me ( i guess he saw black and thought here comes trouble) Once he went into the office and realized HIS BOSS was our friend he was a different man, I could not believe the change,it was now " Do you want anything to drink?" yeah.... we belong there too. He was assigned to us and was never so sweet.

The car that they picked for TNoya was a PT Cruiser 2006 with only 3,000 miles. Gave her the keys and said see you next week. Tnoya did not like the type of car she felt it looked like a small hearse and it's black. She was not happy but began to reason with herself, saying that she prayed for any kind of car that will be reliable, gas saving car that will have no problems.... and that what God gave her. She felt that she looked like a geek or grandma in it but I assured her she did not. I think it is growing on her, she takes about how thankful she is. She really deserve it, she has worked so hard and needs this blessing in her life.

I am so happy for her, she has a car that I don't have to worry about her with and she can do all those long runs she has to make 4 xs a week to teach dance and driving home at night. We now have her car.....umm Winston has her car because he need one to get him up and down to Galveston and of cause I still have my "old faithful 260,000 miles 1996 van. I don't mind. Two days ago in the flooding waters on my street, I saw updated cars, new car all flooded, or parked on the side of the road and yet I pass them all........... God is Good!

My class

Today I really got into my class, rearranging, decorating, applying,assembling, yes and I was ready. I arranged the desk to look like "Knights of the round table. I am trying to develop a positive, debatable circle. I have to change the posters and pictures on one side of my wall . Tneill said it look like what you would put on walls in nursing homes so..... I have to look for "slamming posters"... don't ask, I have no clue.

Having to teach English,Grammar and Literature will be a task but I am up to the new adventure. I have 7 classes ( 6 grade to 12th) I already have 2 massive books for each class and today I was given 10 more. I really don't see how I am going to get through these books by May, really...... I don't intend to. Now I have to sit down and prepare lesson plans for each day and I have not yet started. I am praying that I have a creative mind and can introduce to the student as fun yet mature way of learning. We will see...

Bitter/Sweet

Were you ever in a position where it was a bad thing yet a good thing. That's how I felt today, my last day working at the daycare, my last day with my 25 three year olds. I was sad to be leaving them, they do leave a lasting impression on you but then I am so happy that I get to sleep later and be able to do the things I pushed aside because i was too tired to deal with it after a long day. Hey... did I say daycare workers are under paid and not appreciated.

I had promised to do something special for them so I made 25 "goodie bags" for all my 3 and 4 year olds. I had them color their white bags, put their names on them and filled it with cookies, candies, toys and of cause stickers. I told them at the end of the day I would be sure to give them their bags and you know not one child forgot. As their parents signed for them, they asked "Can I have my goodie bag now?" There was no good-byes, hugs or tears from them because it was my last day, only hugs to say thank you for their bag of candies.

This summer was a great experience, to remind me that there are still children who can be molded into great adults. That you can make a difference, life goes on and the sun does come out...... rain or shine, it does.

My last week

It has been along time since I wrote. Things are so busy for me and it is about to get worse. I have started preparing for my classes ( ENglish) as school will be open on the 23rd. I have been coaching volleyball for more than a week now and still with the daycare." Praise The Lord!" this is my last week.

I am sure it takes special people to teach, watch and discipline 14 three year olds, thank God it was a summer job for me. I don't think people are aware of the great involvements this type of job is. You have to be watchful at all times, separate fights, change poopie underwear ( i gag) pat back at nap time, encourage them to eat their broccoli and fish sticks, mop up vomits,hug, kiss and hold because of sick tummy, "boo boos", angry mothers, sad and oops reports.

After doing that from 9-6, you then have to stop to the store on the way home, once home it is dinner to be cooked, clothes to be washed, house to be clean. How does one do it......I am not sure. I think these women are so underpaid and not appreciated by employers, parents, and family.

Yes, I am going to miss those running to hug my legs first thing in the morning, I am going to miss those way out stories about super heroes, Dora,little mermaid ( I can now sing the song, Whole New World). I will miss the tight squeeze at the neck, the sloppy kisses and the shouts of "I love you Ms. Lorna!" on their way out the door.

As I leave, I wonder as I look at them, what will they become in the next 5 years, the next 10 years. What kind of person will they be but most of all I wonder if anything I did or say made a different in their lives....... I hope the seed I planted grows into something wonderful!