They said...

They said.... we teach high school. Parents don't come to parent/teacher conferences.
They said... I get so much done in my room that day.
They said... you might have a couple of parents, but that'll be about it.

Well, they were wrong! I had parents in my room steadily all day. Literally, I was without a break. Some I met for the first time, and others, I have taught their younger children. I smiled and greeted parents, I explained my philosophy, and I listened to parents tell me about their children's strengths and their quirks as well as their needs. At the end of the day, I was exhausted and not prepared for the rest of the week. Not a paper graded or a lesson plan made. Then I went to volleyball games for the rest of the evening and snapped yearbook pictures. Some days, that's how it goes.

I was surprised at how pleased I felt that parents cared enough to come and check out the new English teacher. Just another morsel validating my feelings about my school... things I believed to be true about it... to now, things I know are true about it. I have the support of my students' parents, and they are thankful for me. For me. That's humbling. So many changes in the English classes have been difficult for some of my older students. I am so very different from my predecessor. My strengths are very different and my passions are different. My expectations are different and my temperament is different. I knew it would be an adjustment for everyone, and I knew I would have some stubborn students who would just dig in their heels and resist the change... any change. I also believed that I could win them over in the end. I just keep doing what I do, and slowly and surely, they are falling in line behind me. I don't pretend that every one of them likes me, but I don't care if they like me. I care if they are equipped with the tools they need to be successful in their futures.

The next morning I complained to my colleagues. I told them how popular I was the day before. They whole heartily laughed and told me they had forgotten that I was the new teacher and that parents probably would want to meet me. CBA doesn't have new teachers very often. I can see why they forgot. I'll make a note-to-self to be sure and notify the next new teacher at CBA... whenever that may be.

Just a reminder...

So far this summer I've chalked up a lot of windshield time.  My girls and I drove to Minnesota to see family. My cousin, Katie,  graduated high school with about 400 others in her class.  We didn't go to her graduation though... I'd rather go to a wedding or a funeral than a graduation.  Graduations are so tedious, so we went and celebrated with Katie and our family for three days instead.  Katie didn't care; she was just glad we were there.  We drove about 900 miles to be there; she felt the love.

But in the days just before we left for our planned trip to Minnesota, Aunt Jane's daddy died.  Aunt Jane is, well.... Aunt Jane.  She's one of the most special people in the world.  She's just one of those people in your life who makes you feel like you're always home when you're with her, and there's always homemade cookies coming out of the oven- just for you.  Janie is from west Texas.  Janie's daddy was also from west Texas; therefore, we had to make a decision if we would be attending a funeral for a man we've never met in a place we've never been and spend 9 hours in the car to boot.  Also we were leaving for our planned trip north in two days.  Sigh.  What to do....  we didn't want to go.  We also didn't want to miss it. 

I texted Aunt Jane and asked her specifics on when and where the services would be held the next day.  She didn't text me back.  My phone rang instead.  "Why?  You're not coming are you? (no space or breath) That will be 9 hours in the car. (still no break) I love you, and I understand, but you DON'T have to come. (slight pause)  Really."  I chuckled and told her we were "thinking" about it although the decision had really already been made.  She went into another sentiment about how much she loves us and gush, gush, gush (in lieu of blah, blah, blah) ending with a cracking voice and a few tears. Needless to say, we went.  Oh, yes, it was a long, uneventful day, but it didn't feel wasted.  Not a minute.  The next day we received a card from Aunt Jane, and part of it went like this:
          "Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers you sent, but also for making the very long trip to Plainview.  I love you all so much, and it made my heart feel so good to see your faces there.  We know you love us, and you know we love you, but I was surprised how very good it made me feel- how very loved by wonderful family- to see your sweet faces there.  I didn't want you to make that trip, but I'm so happy you did.  If you ever wonder if the nice things you do for others really matter- I want to be sure you remember that they do.  Even when somebody tells you it's not necessary!"

Just a reminder... it matters.  Do what you can.  Love others and serve others selflessly.  Discern when it matters and when it doesn't.  Put your efforts where it counts because time is precious and... it matters.

What song would the Piper play for you?

Ah, the Pied Piper of Hamelin.  We read the Robert Browning version of the piper story recently in sixth grade.  Don't quite remember it?  A rat infestation plagued a small community in Brunswick.  Soon the town's folk stormed the city hall and demanded a solution from the mayor and his council of obese imbeciles who were hopeless to find a fix.  The problem was quite serious... the rats were "fighting the dogs and killing the cats".  Soon a queer fellow raps on the door and offers to rid the mayor and his city of the problem for $1000.  The mayor, exasperated and a bit unbelieving runs off his mouth and says if he can indeed do it, he'll give him $50,000!  Well, the piper plays his pipe and lures all the rats to the rolling river and in the river where they all drown, save one.  So the piper fixes the problem, returns for his $1000, and the mayor refuses to pay.  He offers the piper a meager $50 for the extermination of his epic problem.  Thus the phase "it's time to pay the piper..."  Keep your promises and pay your debts.  The piper is not one to be trifled with... he went back onto the street and piped a tune that this time lured all the children of the town away, save one.... forever.  How did he do it?  The stories from the rat who survived and the lame boy who couldn't keep up are the same... the piper's song is so enthralling and cunning.  It promises each creature the desires of his heart if he just follow.  The old rat described it "like a great sun shone glorious, scarce an inch before me... soon, I found the Weser (river) rolling o'er me."  The boy with the lame foot was in utter despair that he couldn't keep up and spends the rest of his life in depression and remorse over the situation.  The piper's song had promised him healing. 

So, what would the piper's song sing to me?  I thought for a short moment.  What fun!  Suntanned skin year round and blaze orange polish on my toes with warm sand between them... Hair that never needed styled and a PX90 body without the PX90 workout... the sun on my face and a gentle, warm breeze on my back.  Health, and hands that work all the time...  Never have to eat again...  Ooh, this IS fun.  I could go on and on. But what is the cost?  Do I get to have my husband beside me?  My children?  My family and my wonderful friends?  What about my God?  Does he get to come, too? I have a hunch that the answer is, sadly, no.  Keep focus on what is real and what really matters. The rest will be destroyed.  Exert energies on what is eternal... people.  Find people generally fickle?  Adjusting our attitudes and saving our judgments does wonders for our heart condition and ultimately our acceptance of people in general.  We are not perfect.  In fact, we are quite messy.

I assigned my sixth grades the question "What song would the piper play for you?"  I didn't spend any time predicting what kind of responses they would give me.  Naturally, some talked about very trivial things... chocolate, no homework, etc.  Others, however, were very thoughtful in answering the question... one girl said that she would sit at God's feet and ask him questions.  Another wanted to be friends with Queen Ester and described what the two of them would do together in great detail.  Others talked about healing relationships in their families and places where people loved each other and love them all the time.  I almost wept.  Me, too.... me, too.

Golden Eagle basketball...



O how I've missed you friends...  I have so much to share but so little time to write.  Right now, I'm keeping up with my life, my children, my other 29 children, and my household.  I have been snapping a few pictures and capturing some great shots.  Here are a few of my favorites from the elementary basketball season this year.  My fifth grader Rayne is #4 and my sixth grader Rosalind is #24.  I am a very proud mama of these two tough little players.... they're a joy to watch.

At first glance, this is an average shot of a jump ball... then I noticed #4 was also in the air.
 I guess she was helping her teammate, Kim, jump.  Now that's a team player/cheerleader all in one!

Take it to the bucket!  You've got her beat!

Autumn going for the ball

Andre moving to the bucket

Ref, look! and blow your whistle!  My girl's being fouled.

Garrin #30 is being pounded by two fourth graders in the same colored jerseys...
easy boys, he's on your team.

Great position girls!  Waiting for the rebound...

Rosalind shooting two



Rayne and Abby "taking care of" the opponent

From my front porch...

I received a new camera this year, but I am ashamed to admit that I haven't spent much time learning how to get really great shots.  Sigh.  But here are some of my favorites from September 2011... enjoy.

Shooting baskets... that Tharp tongue... it's definitely genetic

This is her "Uggg, why did I do that?" face

fudge pops

My red crepe myrtle that actually lived through this summer's scorching drought

One of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen

Nine weeks...

I have been blogger-starved for months now. All summer, my future was so up in the air with what I was going to be doing this fall that I really didn't have much to say.  So here is a reflection of my first nine weeks back to school...

I feel like I've been on somewhat of a roller coaster ride.  Going from teaching junior high and high school to teaching 5th and 6th graders was much harder than I had anticipated.  See, I've been teaching Jesus to 3rd - 6th graders in Awana and Sunday school for years, but I guess subordinating conjunctions are much harder to grasp than the gospel of Christ. Go figure.  I knew I would struggle with finding out what they knew and what they could handle and still push and stretch them, too. Keep in mind that I have a daughter in each grade I teach, too.  You'd think I'd had a little more of an advantage than most teachers.  All my sixth graders have been stretched and stressed with three big writing assignments already, and they are learning how to produce well organized and well thought out papers.  I am so excited about the growth I've seen in just the first three assignments.  I am also so blessed to be able to draw from all my days of teaching Awana counciltime lessons and Sunday school lessons and use them when applicable thoughout my days.  But, for the most part, my days are leveling out; my students are getting comfortable with me as I am with them, too. 

Sure, there are days I want to pull my hair out because they are, well, they are elementary students.  Ten, eleven and twelve year olds for the most part... but they are the sweetest blessings with the biggest hearts.  My girls fit in so well; we are a good match with our schools both the elementary and Regan's high school, too.  Rosalind wants to go to school every day... no breaks.  Regan never wants to come home... until she can't and has to spend the night in the dorms.  Then she realizes how much she needs her mama to help her decompress her day.  And Rayne, well, Rayne is just happy no matter where she is.  My girls are all going through really fun stages right now... good times.

I teach with some really awesome women... women of all ages.  Some new faces and some old friends.  A building full of women and not a snide comment or dirty glare anywhere.  No tension or contempt.  No gossip.  These women are so good.  They are just good.  And that, my friend, is priceless.  I know what you're thinking.... and you fit in?  Yes, usually :)

Home life is different, way different, but it was going to change even without me teaching full-time because of Rodney's change in occupation, too.  It's going very smoothly.  We couldn't have asked for a better transition.  We are both enjoying our work and staying connected emotionally via text, cell phone and our short evenings at home.  Weekends have been busy with us girls cleaning house every Saturday from when I roll them out of bed (somewhere around 9-10am) to noon.  We continue with laundry, and then we play or go and do.  Rodney's Saturdays are usually much shorter work days than normal.  On Sundays we cook and bake for the week, so we can start all over again.  A wrench is thrown in when we are gone for a weekend or extremely busy with something or someone else.  That makes for a very difficult week to follow... we're usually tired and hungry... thank goodness we own enough clothes so we're not naked, too!  Well, almost.  I've spent the first 9 weeks in basically the same three pairs of pants. I'd throw in a couple of skirts and a pair of capris occasionally to try and mix it up a little.  Finally, Friday I'd had enough, so after school I dumped my kids off on friends and ran to the city and shopped for pants.  Hallelujah, I found three pairs in Banana Republic, the very first store I went to. What a blessing.  I almost wept.  But that's my life these days... stock full of small blessings everyday.  I couldn't ask for more.  (maybe a get-a-way with my sweetie.... but that's coming this weekend!)  Cannot wait!

Twins?

Browsing the card aisle at Walgreens this week, (I'm really really bad at keeping up with birthdays...sigh), anyway.... browsing the card aisle I find this card...

Hallmark greeting card 2011

and I think to myself, "Wow, that sorta looks like my grandparents."  I pick the card up and look more closely and think (this time a little louder in my head) "WOW!  This REALLY looks like my grandparents!  This has to be them!  Wow... this has to be!"  I decide to purchase the card. 

Later, at home I pull the picture of my grandparents out of my curio cabinet just to be sure... here are my grandparents in 1965 at Aunt Bunny's farm... somewhere in Iowa, I'm sure.  Didn't everyone originate in Iowa?

Wayne and Valda Ridenour 1965

See why I was blown away?  or is it just me?

What kind of card was it?  I'm not sure.  The greeting inside said, "Bow-chicka-wow-wow!"  I'm still not real sure what that means, but bow-chicka-wow-wow is right when I think about the resemblence.

Here's a shot of the back of the card and a picture of the woman who entered this photo.  I'm guessing she is in her late 60s.  She took this picture when she was 8 years old.  Circa 1945.  My picture is 1965, and I would guess them to be about 20 years younger in her picture... weird.