Nothing much to report from this weekend. On Friday night, Clark's football team lost to the team who had the 46 game winning streak, and it was OH.SO.SAD. They lost it rea in the last seconds...by 2 points. It was heartbreaking. I'm still not over it.
I will have to say, tho, that it was one of the best and most exciting games I've ever watched. Just wish it had gone our way.
We stayed home most of the day on Saturday. It was so nice. Holly and Aaron came over and we watched some football. Aaron and Joshua played BAGGO and threw the football around outside. H/A went home to grill out and watch the Arkansas game at their house. Clark's girlfriend made dinner for us, and brought it over. We ate and then watched the game. The Razorbacks lost big time, and Joshua was furious. He said we didn't have any defense, only "lazy-fense." Again, he blamed everything on the windbreaker our coach wears.
Sigh...
Today, we had SS and church, and then we hung around here. Holly and Aaron came over later this afternoon. Aaron and Joshua threw the football around again. It was really nice. The weather was beautiful ALL weekend, and that really helps things feel more like FALL!
This week, Clark's team has it's last regular season game. I am so sad to see this season end. It's been a lot of fun to watch Clark play. They will likely have at least one play-off game. Sure would be cool if they could GO.ALL.THE.WAY.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity..." Ecclesiastes 3:1
...finding joy in the UPside of DOWN...
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
What They'll Remember
I was one of "those" moms...in the early years, anyway. You know the ones.
Those same moms made my older self sigh with exhaustion when I saw all they were doing with and for their kids.
But I got to the point where I really appreciated them...their vision, their enthusiasm...their ENERGY. When I made the decision to take a step back, it was just good to know that things would be under control. I'm typically not a good "chief" or leader. I like to be the helper and work behind the scenes. If there's not a good leader, I'll do it. It's just not my skill set at all.
But, in the beginning, I was all gung-ho. I kept up with ALL of the class paperwork. My kids wore the right color on the right day. I made elaborate snacks and helped with the parties and went on all the field-trips. I cut my kids' sandwiches into different shapes or letters, depending on what lesson they were discussing at the time.
And I didn't do it to impress any other mom or teacher. I did it for ME. Because it was FUN!
And maybe, subconsciously, I did it because my Mom didn't do any of that stuff for us.
At any rate, I wouldn't change a thing.
I loved every minute of it.
But somewhere along the line, I lost a little bit of my edge. I had more children. I had less time. I had to prioritize things. I made a conscious decision to major on the majors.
Oh, I still helped with the parties...I couldn't do that for one of ours and not do it for the rest. I just signed up to "help," instead of being the Home-Room Mom. Honestly, it was bliss...a lot less pressure. And I still volunteered in the classrooms and in the school office. I loved doing that.
For us, the major thing we wanted to focus on was our kids' spiritual development (here, here, here and here). That, and family. Everything else had to either fall away, or fit in the empty places. And what better way to have an idea of what is going on in the school and the class and with the other kids...than to be in their classrooms or help out in the office? It kind of gave me a inside look into some of the struggles the kids faced on a daily basis.
And, you know, anytime you can be a light to a kid or a teacher...that's always a good thing. Not saying that I WAS...just saying that I tried. We can all use a friend, am I right?
I wonder what my kids will remember?
We tried to be there for them...every practice, every game, every meet, special lunch days at school, open houses, church events, piano/gymnastics/dance recitals, awards ceremonies. Will they only remember the ones we missed? We tried to be their greatest encouragers. Will they only remember the times we were too hard on them?
(sigh)
My mother-in-law...she is so good about remembering. She remembers everything. Anniversaries of lost loved ones, details about people, my favorite glass I use at her house, all of our favorite foods and candies.
I've tried to do the same with my own kids, even in the little things. My mother-in-law gave me a fork with an "L" on it...she bought it at a garage sale, "you, know...for Logan." Doesn't everyone have forks with the initials of their first names on them? No?
Well.
One of Joshua's "jobs" here at home is setting the table for our meals After Logan went to college, Joshua would say, "I don't want to give you Logan's fork, because I know it will make you too, too sad."
See? We all know that is LOGAN's fork, even though Logan has never really used it. I know Joshua will remember that.
When the kids have a birthday, or a game, or have done well on a test, or when our married/college kids come home...we make a "sign" for the door. Right now on the door coming in from our garage, there are 4 signs. Three are football related (for Clark), and one is a "congratulations" sign for my son-in-law, Aaron, because he closed on a big deal last week. Just typing paper and markers...no biggie. I wonder if the kids will remember stuff like that?
My kids took their lunches almost every day when they were in school. Well, not Joshua. Boy liked him some hot meals. And, after Logan got into high school, he usually bought his lunch in the cafeteria. But Holly and Clark? I packed their lunches nearly every day, and every day, they got a drink, a sandwich, some chips, and some sort of treat. I know, right? Soooo healthy.
Except not.
But I always packed a napkin in their lunches, and I always wrote a note on it. When my kids were little, they called them "love na'kins." Sometimes I wrote an encouraging word or a Scripture verse. Sometimes I wrote a poem. I have been known to bust out a made-up limerick or two. Sometimes I will draw something on them. Clark almost always has a smiley face on his napkin. It's kind of a "thing" from when he was little. This past Wednesday, I drew a camel on his napkin...okay, it was pretty pitiful and looked more like an amoeba, but it was supposed to be a camel. And I wrote the words, "what day is it, Mike? Huh...huh?" You know, because it was WEDNESDAY! I don't even know if he reads them anymore.
But I still make the effort.
And also in Clark's lunch, every day, he gets a yellow Powerade. Or red, or orange, or purple...but never blue. I pack blue Powerades on game days.
I wonder if he will remember...or if he even notices.
I figure they will remember "Sunday Rolls." We have cinnamon rolls every Sunday. When my kids were little, they called them, "Sunday Rolls." They are just out of a can, but we have them every week without fail. The one time I dared to make them for a Saturday morning brunch, Joshua spent the entire rest of the day mumbling, "I thought we only had those on SUNDAYS...but it's Saturday and we had cimmmm rolls." Over and over and over.
The one thing I KNOW my kids are going to remember...because they remind us of it ALL.THE.TIME. is all the things they didn't get to do, places they didn't get to go...and TV shows they didn't get to watch. It's a fun little game they love to play. UGH. They are all rat-finks.
But they are all fairly well-adjusted (relatively speaking) (ha), and they all love Jesus...so maybe we weren't all THAT unreasonable as parents.
There are just a lot of little things that we do here in our family. I'm sure we sound so weird to anyone else who is reading this...favorite forks and signs on the door? Yep...we are. Since the main thing we wanted to concentrate on with our kids was their spiritual walk with Jesus, there were some things that we did that made no sense to them at the time...but it was deliberate and part of our plan as parents. We taught them at home about our values and things that were important to us. We LOVED incorporating their AWANA songs and verses. We talked about God's hand in every area of our life, but mainly just in the day-to-day things like Creation and how all people need to hear about Jesus.
If that's all they remember...that all people need to hear about Jesus...then I'm okay with that.
"There is salvation in no one else..." Acts 4:12
Those same moms made my older self sigh with exhaustion when I saw all they were doing with and for their kids.
But I got to the point where I really appreciated them...their vision, their enthusiasm...their ENERGY. When I made the decision to take a step back, it was just good to know that things would be under control. I'm typically not a good "chief" or leader. I like to be the helper and work behind the scenes. If there's not a good leader, I'll do it. It's just not my skill set at all.
But, in the beginning, I was all gung-ho. I kept up with ALL of the class paperwork. My kids wore the right color on the right day. I made elaborate snacks and helped with the parties and went on all the field-trips. I cut my kids' sandwiches into different shapes or letters, depending on what lesson they were discussing at the time.
And I didn't do it to impress any other mom or teacher. I did it for ME. Because it was FUN!
And maybe, subconsciously, I did it because my Mom didn't do any of that stuff for us.
At any rate, I wouldn't change a thing.
I loved every minute of it.
But somewhere along the line, I lost a little bit of my edge. I had more children. I had less time. I had to prioritize things. I made a conscious decision to major on the majors.
Oh, I still helped with the parties...I couldn't do that for one of ours and not do it for the rest. I just signed up to "help," instead of being the Home-Room Mom. Honestly, it was bliss...a lot less pressure. And I still volunteered in the classrooms and in the school office. I loved doing that.
For us, the major thing we wanted to focus on was our kids' spiritual development (here, here, here and here). That, and family. Everything else had to either fall away, or fit in the empty places. And what better way to have an idea of what is going on in the school and the class and with the other kids...than to be in their classrooms or help out in the office? It kind of gave me a inside look into some of the struggles the kids faced on a daily basis.
And, you know, anytime you can be a light to a kid or a teacher...that's always a good thing. Not saying that I WAS...just saying that I tried. We can all use a friend, am I right?
I wonder what my kids will remember?
We tried to be there for them...every practice, every game, every meet, special lunch days at school, open houses, church events, piano/gymnastics/dance recitals, awards ceremonies. Will they only remember the ones we missed? We tried to be their greatest encouragers. Will they only remember the times we were too hard on them?
(sigh)
My mother-in-law...she is so good about remembering. She remembers everything. Anniversaries of lost loved ones, details about people, my favorite glass I use at her house, all of our favorite foods and candies.
I've tried to do the same with my own kids, even in the little things. My mother-in-law gave me a fork with an "L" on it...she bought it at a garage sale, "you, know...for Logan." Doesn't everyone have forks with the initials of their first names on them? No?
Well.
One of Joshua's "jobs" here at home is setting the table for our meals After Logan went to college, Joshua would say, "I don't want to give you Logan's fork, because I know it will make you too, too sad."
See? We all know that is LOGAN's fork, even though Logan has never really used it. I know Joshua will remember that.
When the kids have a birthday, or a game, or have done well on a test, or when our married/college kids come home...we make a "sign" for the door. Right now on the door coming in from our garage, there are 4 signs. Three are football related (for Clark), and one is a "congratulations" sign for my son-in-law, Aaron, because he closed on a big deal last week. Just typing paper and markers...no biggie. I wonder if the kids will remember stuff like that?
My kids took their lunches almost every day when they were in school. Well, not Joshua. Boy liked him some hot meals. And, after Logan got into high school, he usually bought his lunch in the cafeteria. But Holly and Clark? I packed their lunches nearly every day, and every day, they got a drink, a sandwich, some chips, and some sort of treat. I know, right? Soooo healthy.
Except not.
But I always packed a napkin in their lunches, and I always wrote a note on it. When my kids were little, they called them "love na'kins." Sometimes I wrote an encouraging word or a Scripture verse. Sometimes I wrote a poem. I have been known to bust out a made-up limerick or two. Sometimes I will draw something on them. Clark almost always has a smiley face on his napkin. It's kind of a "thing" from when he was little. This past Wednesday, I drew a camel on his napkin...okay, it was pretty pitiful and looked more like an amoeba, but it was supposed to be a camel. And I wrote the words, "what day is it, Mike? Huh...huh?" You know, because it was WEDNESDAY! I don't even know if he reads them anymore.
But I still make the effort.
And also in Clark's lunch, every day, he gets a yellow Powerade. Or red, or orange, or purple...but never blue. I pack blue Powerades on game days.
I wonder if he will remember...or if he even notices.
I figure they will remember "Sunday Rolls." We have cinnamon rolls every Sunday. When my kids were little, they called them, "Sunday Rolls." They are just out of a can, but we have them every week without fail. The one time I dared to make them for a Saturday morning brunch, Joshua spent the entire rest of the day mumbling, "I thought we only had those on SUNDAYS...but it's Saturday and we had cimmmm rolls." Over and over and over.
The one thing I KNOW my kids are going to remember...because they remind us of it ALL.THE.TIME. is all the things they didn't get to do, places they didn't get to go...and TV shows they didn't get to watch. It's a fun little game they love to play. UGH. They are all rat-finks.
But they are all fairly well-adjusted (relatively speaking) (ha), and they all love Jesus...so maybe we weren't all THAT unreasonable as parents.
There are just a lot of little things that we do here in our family. I'm sure we sound so weird to anyone else who is reading this...favorite forks and signs on the door? Yep...we are. Since the main thing we wanted to concentrate on with our kids was their spiritual walk with Jesus, there were some things that we did that made no sense to them at the time...but it was deliberate and part of our plan as parents. We taught them at home about our values and things that were important to us. We LOVED incorporating their AWANA songs and verses. We talked about God's hand in every area of our life, but mainly just in the day-to-day things like Creation and how all people need to hear about Jesus.
If that's all they remember...that all people need to hear about Jesus...then I'm okay with that.
"There is salvation in no one else..." Acts 4:12
Friday, November 1, 2013
Halloween 2013
Halloween is probably my least favorite holiday. Growing up, I don't really remember celebrating it too much. Altho there are a few pictures of us, I have no memory of any costumes or anything. My Mom did tell me that on my 2nd Halloween, I would sit down and immediately eat whatever candy or treat I was given. That was back in the day when you didn't have to have the FBI check things out before you could eat it.
Once we started our own family, we mainly did the church carnival things. I liked it because the costumes were innocent and fun. And we would usually go to a few of our neighbors or friends' houses. Nothing big.
I spent most of Halloween day in Little Rock, because Joshua had an outing with his group. By the time I got home until dinner time...it was hectic. I'm sure most moms cans relate to this. I was trying to get dinner on the table before the trick-or-treaters got there, and I had a football moms meeting. I fixed lasagna (Joshua's choice), salad, broccoli and cheesy, garlic bread. As I sat the broccoli down, Joshua goes, "ahhh, broccoli....smells like feet, but SO good for you."
ANYWAY...
I LOVE staying home and handing out candy. The little kids are SO adorable.
The big kids? NOTSOMUCH.
Seriously?
This year...wow. So many precious littles.
BUT, I also had a terrorist. Seriously, a BIG kid straight-up dressed like a terrorist. Head-to-toe...complete with a black, plastic machine gun.
I nearly fainted.
Here in the South...that will win you no Snicker's bars.
I also had a DAD dressed full out in a sock-monkey onesie.
Wait...
A GROWN MAN WEARING A ONESIE.
Not a good look for anyone.
On another note, Holly helped me paint our pumpkins to look like minions from Despicable Me. They were sooo cute! And a big hit with all the kids AND parents who came to our house. Lots of people took pictures of them, or had their kids' pictures made standing in front of them.
On another, ANOTHER note, I love Arkansas. The weather here is so unpredictable. We've had our heat on for a couple of weeks, but yesterday? We had a storm front come through, and it was so hot! I almost turned on the air-conditioning. I was not comfortable when I went to bed last night. I figured I would have a hard time sleeping. We typically like it cooler at night. But the front came through and it feels AWESOME out today. The sun is shining, and the sky is blue and clear. So many people in Arkansas lost power last night in the storms. We are blessed with a nice day for the linemen to get the lines back up and fixed.
We have a football game tonight. We are playing a team who hasn't lost in, like, 46 games or something. Eeek!
"Let all creation rejoice before the LORD..." Psalm 96:13
Once we started our own family, we mainly did the church carnival things. I liked it because the costumes were innocent and fun. And we would usually go to a few of our neighbors or friends' houses. Nothing big.
I spent most of Halloween day in Little Rock, because Joshua had an outing with his group. By the time I got home until dinner time...it was hectic. I'm sure most moms cans relate to this. I was trying to get dinner on the table before the trick-or-treaters got there, and I had a football moms meeting. I fixed lasagna (Joshua's choice), salad, broccoli and cheesy, garlic bread. As I sat the broccoli down, Joshua goes, "ahhh, broccoli....smells like feet, but SO good for you."
ANYWAY...
I LOVE staying home and handing out candy. The little kids are SO adorable.
The big kids? NOTSOMUCH.
Seriously?
This year...wow. So many precious littles.
BUT, I also had a terrorist. Seriously, a BIG kid straight-up dressed like a terrorist. Head-to-toe...complete with a black, plastic machine gun.
I nearly fainted.
Here in the South...that will win you no Snicker's bars.
I also had a DAD dressed full out in a sock-monkey onesie.
Wait...
A GROWN MAN WEARING A ONESIE.
Not a good look for anyone.
On another note, Holly helped me paint our pumpkins to look like minions from Despicable Me. They were sooo cute! And a big hit with all the kids AND parents who came to our house. Lots of people took pictures of them, or had their kids' pictures made standing in front of them.
On another, ANOTHER note, I love Arkansas. The weather here is so unpredictable. We've had our heat on for a couple of weeks, but yesterday? We had a storm front come through, and it was so hot! I almost turned on the air-conditioning. I was not comfortable when I went to bed last night. I figured I would have a hard time sleeping. We typically like it cooler at night. But the front came through and it feels AWESOME out today. The sun is shining, and the sky is blue and clear. So many people in Arkansas lost power last night in the storms. We are blessed with a nice day for the linemen to get the lines back up and fixed.
We have a football game tonight. We are playing a team who hasn't lost in, like, 46 games or something. Eeek!
"Let all creation rejoice before the LORD..." Psalm 96:13
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Sticky Notes
During Joshua's years at the elementary school (here, here and here), he got in trouble a lot. Not bad trouble...just not following directions in his "regular" class.
I think it's Dr. Phil who says that every kid has their own "currency." Something that motivates them, something that matters to them...something they would not want taken away.
Joshua's currency was recess. He loved to play outside. I remember one of the first times I saw him playing outside...I had driven by the school during recess time and stopped like a stalker on the side of the road to watch him. If I did that today, my car would probably be surrounded by the SWAT team in minutes. And rightfully so...gotta keep the kids safe from the crazies.
But I would see him running around playing or swinging...and he was usually alone. It broke my heart that he didn't have any friends who would play with him. I would sit in the car and cry...and just plead with the Lord to send him some friends. But over time, I got to see that the other kids weren't necessarily excluding him...Joshua just liked to play alone. And he was perfectly content and happy to do so.
So, Joshua's motivation was to do the right thing in his "regular" class, and then he would get an afternoon recess. If he did not do well in his class, he had to stay inside with the teacher during recess and do WORK, and he would not be happy about that. AT ALL. And I would get a note about this nearly every day.
I really LOVED the days when I got the good notes.
Joshua's regular classroom teacher would write on a sticky note whether or not he had had a good day in her class...and she would send it with him as he walked to his special-ed class. He was supposed to give it to his special-ed teacher.
Well, Joshua wasn't born yesterday. He might have Down Syndrome...or just a "touch of it," but it didn't take him long to learn that most of the time...what was written on those sticky notes did not bode well for him having an afternoon recess. So, apparently, he started sticking the notes on the metal poles that held up the awning over the walkway...on the way from one of his classes to the next. Or on the walls, or on a random door or window. His teacher found them one day, after she noticed Joshua playing outside during his afternoon recess when he was supposed to be staying inside...10-15 sticky notes stuck on the poles and various other surfaces on the way. They said things like, "Joshua had a great day today!" (not many like that one!)...or "Joshua disobeyed in class. NO recess for him today."
Well, he showed them.
Until he was caught.
Oh, well...it was good while it lasted!
"...be sure your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23
I think it's Dr. Phil who says that every kid has their own "currency." Something that motivates them, something that matters to them...something they would not want taken away.
Joshua's currency was recess. He loved to play outside. I remember one of the first times I saw him playing outside...I had driven by the school during recess time and stopped like a stalker on the side of the road to watch him. If I did that today, my car would probably be surrounded by the SWAT team in minutes. And rightfully so...gotta keep the kids safe from the crazies.
But I would see him running around playing or swinging...and he was usually alone. It broke my heart that he didn't have any friends who would play with him. I would sit in the car and cry...and just plead with the Lord to send him some friends. But over time, I got to see that the other kids weren't necessarily excluding him...Joshua just liked to play alone. And he was perfectly content and happy to do so.
So, Joshua's motivation was to do the right thing in his "regular" class, and then he would get an afternoon recess. If he did not do well in his class, he had to stay inside with the teacher during recess and do WORK, and he would not be happy about that. AT ALL. And I would get a note about this nearly every day.
I really LOVED the days when I got the good notes.
Joshua's regular classroom teacher would write on a sticky note whether or not he had had a good day in her class...and she would send it with him as he walked to his special-ed class. He was supposed to give it to his special-ed teacher.
Well, Joshua wasn't born yesterday. He might have Down Syndrome...or just a "touch of it," but it didn't take him long to learn that most of the time...what was written on those sticky notes did not bode well for him having an afternoon recess. So, apparently, he started sticking the notes on the metal poles that held up the awning over the walkway...on the way from one of his classes to the next. Or on the walls, or on a random door or window. His teacher found them one day, after she noticed Joshua playing outside during his afternoon recess when he was supposed to be staying inside...10-15 sticky notes stuck on the poles and various other surfaces on the way. They said things like, "Joshua had a great day today!" (not many like that one!)...or "Joshua disobeyed in class. NO recess for him today."
Well, he showed them.
Until he was caught.
Oh, well...it was good while it lasted!
"...be sure your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
2nd grade...Mrs. Faith
Once again, our lives were changed by the influence of a teacher. This time, it was Mrs. Faith, and she was Joshua's 2nd grade teacher.
By this time, Joshua had been at this school for 3 years...2 years of Kindergarten, and one year of 1st grade.
We were not "zoned" for this particular elementary school, altho it wasn't that far from our house. The elementary school that was in our zone was really close to our house. Holly had gone to Kindergarten at a private, Christian school, but we were planning to enroll her in 1st grade at the public school. She and Joshua are 2 years, 9 months apart, but because of how things worked out with Joshua...they ended up being one grade apart in school. So, it goes without saying that it would be wayyy more convenient for us to just tell Holly she was gonna go to the same school as Joshua, but we decided to include her in the decision-making process...and use it as a kind of "teachable moment" with her. We made it a matter of prayer for weeks. We always tried to take each child into consideration when making decisions that will be best for them individually...instead of just making blanket decisions for all 4 kids. Which, we have done that before, too. It's just case by case...and we live and learn, right? So, we prayed about it and when it came time to make the decision, Holly said that she would write it down on a piece of paper and give it to us. When she brought it to me, I was nervous opening it...because, let's be real...one of her choices would make things trickier for me, and one would make things easier. And, honestly, most of her friends from Kindergarten and from church...were going to the other school...of course she would want to be with them. But, when I opened the paper, written in the middle of the page was the name of Joshua's school! So, both of them would be going together each morning to the same place. Thank you, Lord!
While requesting a teacher was not openly acknowledged as an option, we did request a teacher for our 3 younger kids...every year (you write a letter of request and list your top two or three teacher requests, and send it in to the office at the end of the spring semester for the next fall...it was not a guarantee by any means). We had requested the same 1st grade teacher for Holly that Joshua had. I figure if they are kind when it comes to Joshua...then sign me up again.
We did not know Mrs. Faith, but she was a teacher that Mrs. Thomas recommended for Joshua for 2nd grade. We were told that Mrs. Faith also requested that Joshua be in her class. I was immediately put at ease after one meeting with her. We found out that we had many connections...we knew her brother, and one of her nieces was the same age as Holly. Mrs. Faith had the sweetest spirit about her and we heard she was a faithful Christian....which we knew would be a bonus in figuring out the best plan for Joshua's situation.
Well, it was love at first sight. Seriously. For both Mrs. Faith and for Joshua. They formed a bond and to this day it is such a precious memory. It was during Joshua's 2nd grade year that I became pregnant with our 4th child...and it was not an easy pregnancy by any stretch of the imagination. When I had Clark in February...over 12 weeks before his May due-date...things were uncertain with him, and unsettled with our entire family. I was in the hospital for several days, and Jim shuttled back and forth between the hospital in Little Rock...to our home an hour away. His Mom came to stay with the kids at home and she helped out so much. But even at an early age, Joshua was very sensitive. He knew things were serious. Mrs. Faith told us that she couldn't find him one day...he kind of just disappeared in the shuffle of kids coming back from a class. She thought he might have gone down to Mrs. Thomas' class, but he hadn't. Mrs. Faith ended up finding him in the bathroom...he was in there all alone, crying. He was worried about his baby brother, and he was missing his Mom. Joshua says Mrs. Faith said, "I'm not your Mom, but I'll hug you and take care of you while you're here at school."
Seriously. How sweet is that?
PAY OUR TEACHERS MORE MONEY.
We had to leave the hospital without Clark. He had to stay in the NICU for 7 weeks, but when I was discharged we headed back home. But we didn't go straight home. We went straight to the school...and we checked out both of our kids, and went home to Mammaw Jack, who was staying with Logan. One of the sweetest sights was Joshua running up the hallway to see me.
The story of Joshua in the bathroom has stayed with me all these years. I am so thankful that God placed Joshua in Mrs. Faith's class and that He allowed her to be his teacher. She taught him...she taught us. She went on to become a wonderful friend to our family for many, many years.
A good teacher makes ALL the difference.
"...who knows if perhaps you were made...for such a time as this." Esther 4:14
By this time, Joshua had been at this school for 3 years...2 years of Kindergarten, and one year of 1st grade.
We were not "zoned" for this particular elementary school, altho it wasn't that far from our house. The elementary school that was in our zone was really close to our house. Holly had gone to Kindergarten at a private, Christian school, but we were planning to enroll her in 1st grade at the public school. She and Joshua are 2 years, 9 months apart, but because of how things worked out with Joshua...they ended up being one grade apart in school. So, it goes without saying that it would be wayyy more convenient for us to just tell Holly she was gonna go to the same school as Joshua, but we decided to include her in the decision-making process...and use it as a kind of "teachable moment" with her. We made it a matter of prayer for weeks. We always tried to take each child into consideration when making decisions that will be best for them individually...instead of just making blanket decisions for all 4 kids. Which, we have done that before, too. It's just case by case...and we live and learn, right? So, we prayed about it and when it came time to make the decision, Holly said that she would write it down on a piece of paper and give it to us. When she brought it to me, I was nervous opening it...because, let's be real...one of her choices would make things trickier for me, and one would make things easier. And, honestly, most of her friends from Kindergarten and from church...were going to the other school...of course she would want to be with them. But, when I opened the paper, written in the middle of the page was the name of Joshua's school! So, both of them would be going together each morning to the same place. Thank you, Lord!
While requesting a teacher was not openly acknowledged as an option, we did request a teacher for our 3 younger kids...every year (you write a letter of request and list your top two or three teacher requests, and send it in to the office at the end of the spring semester for the next fall...it was not a guarantee by any means). We had requested the same 1st grade teacher for Holly that Joshua had. I figure if they are kind when it comes to Joshua...then sign me up again.
We did not know Mrs. Faith, but she was a teacher that Mrs. Thomas recommended for Joshua for 2nd grade. We were told that Mrs. Faith also requested that Joshua be in her class. I was immediately put at ease after one meeting with her. We found out that we had many connections...we knew her brother, and one of her nieces was the same age as Holly. Mrs. Faith had the sweetest spirit about her and we heard she was a faithful Christian....which we knew would be a bonus in figuring out the best plan for Joshua's situation.
Well, it was love at first sight. Seriously. For both Mrs. Faith and for Joshua. They formed a bond and to this day it is such a precious memory. It was during Joshua's 2nd grade year that I became pregnant with our 4th child...and it was not an easy pregnancy by any stretch of the imagination. When I had Clark in February...over 12 weeks before his May due-date...things were uncertain with him, and unsettled with our entire family. I was in the hospital for several days, and Jim shuttled back and forth between the hospital in Little Rock...to our home an hour away. His Mom came to stay with the kids at home and she helped out so much. But even at an early age, Joshua was very sensitive. He knew things were serious. Mrs. Faith told us that she couldn't find him one day...he kind of just disappeared in the shuffle of kids coming back from a class. She thought he might have gone down to Mrs. Thomas' class, but he hadn't. Mrs. Faith ended up finding him in the bathroom...he was in there all alone, crying. He was worried about his baby brother, and he was missing his Mom. Joshua says Mrs. Faith said, "I'm not your Mom, but I'll hug you and take care of you while you're here at school."
Seriously. How sweet is that?
PAY OUR TEACHERS MORE MONEY.
We had to leave the hospital without Clark. He had to stay in the NICU for 7 weeks, but when I was discharged we headed back home. But we didn't go straight home. We went straight to the school...and we checked out both of our kids, and went home to Mammaw Jack, who was staying with Logan. One of the sweetest sights was Joshua running up the hallway to see me.
The story of Joshua in the bathroom has stayed with me all these years. I am so thankful that God placed Joshua in Mrs. Faith's class and that He allowed her to be his teacher. She taught him...she taught us. She went on to become a wonderful friend to our family for many, many years.
A good teacher makes ALL the difference.
"...who knows if perhaps you were made...for such a time as this." Esther 4:14
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