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Life – Post Heartbreak

Posted on August 8, 2010 by auburnchick

Here I sit on the Sunday following the Friday in which my heart broke.

The Mr. and I spent that Friday evening lost in our own thoughts.

Or rather, I spent the time blogging, and he watched a show about sharks.

There obviously wasn’t much on TV.

Saturday, we arose at the crack of dawn so we could get an early start home.

When the alarm went off, my first thought was of Chicky who was, at that moment, on the soccer field enduring her first fitness test.

My poor girl had to wake up at 5:15 to have enough time to eat.  That’s 4:15 Central time, which is what we’re on at home (yes, parts of Florida are in the Central time zone).

The Mr. and I wearily got in the car for the long drive home.

As we left the parking lot, the GPS instructed us to “follow the highlighted route.”

“Make a left at blah-blah street, then make a right,” she chirped in an upbeat voice.

“Sounding a little too chipper this morning,” the Mr. mumbled back.

Ugh.

Can I tell you how hard it was to leave Lakeland behind?

I didn’t leave in one piece because half of my heart was still there, at that college, with my baby girl.

“Drive 101 miles on I75,” I heard GPS lady say.

“101 miles away from Chicky,” I said to nobody in particular.

Grrrr…

Away we went.

I pulled out my much-neglected knitting and was soothed by the rhythmic motion of knits and purls.

We listened to the radio as we drove.

Big mistake.

Do not ever listen to the radio when you are sad.

The Radio Gods have a conspiracy to play songs to make you even more miserable.

Changing stations does not help.

Christian, Country, and Oldies know what you’re thinking, and they play songs accordingly.

It was like a bad movie.

Like Transformers.

Where the car plays songs to communicate with Shia.

The first song to bring on the tears was George Strait’s, “I Saw God…”

Here are the lyrics, with the part that made me boo hoo in bold…

I just walked down the street to the coffee shop
had to take a break
I’d been by her side for eighteen hours straight
I saw a flower growing in the middle of the sidewalk
pushing up through the concrete
like it was planted right there for me to see
the flashin’ lights, the honkin’ horns
all seemed to fade away
in the shadow of that hospital at 5:08
I saw God today

Chorus:
I’ve been to church
I’ve read the book
I know He’s here, but I don’t look
near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I’d just slow down to stop and stare
opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

I saw a couple walking by they were holding hands
Man, she had that glow
yeah I couldn’t help but notice she was starting to show
I stood there for a minute takin’ in the sky
lost in that sunset
a splash of amber melted in the shades of red

Chorus

I got my face pressed up against the nursery glass
She’s sleeping like a rock
My name on her wrist wearing tiny pink socks
She’s got my nose, she’s got her mama’s eyes
My brand new baby girl
She’s a miracle
I saw God today

—————————————————————————-

I wiped my face, and we drove on.

We stopped for gas and a bite to eat.

I don’t remember the next song that hit, but it was a Christian song.

Oh my gosh.  Would this never end?  Just when I thought I was okay, I realized I wasn’t.

To make matters worse, we were hoping to hear from Chicky.  We longed to find out how her fitness test had gone.

We had planned to stop in Tallahassee to eat lunch with Super Sis and Super D.  About an hour out, my phone rang.

It was Chicky!

She had me put her on speaker phone.

She sounded wonderful!

She had scored a 99 on her fitness test!  The players were expected to make a 90 or above.

All of her 6am summer workouts with her sports trainer proved worthwhile.  He had prepared her well.

She was so happy!

Our hearts sang with joy, and after hanging up the phone, we could not wipe the smiles off of our faces.

Until we hit Tallahassee, and I saw my sister.

The tears that lurked right below the surface threatened to come out.

Actually, I think they did, because I excused myself to run to the restroom.

Ugh.

We had a wonderful lunch, though, at Bagel Bagel.  The Mr. talked with his brother about work stuff, and Super Sis and I chatted about my classes.

I shared the story of Rooster’s Mohawk, and they laughed with us.

It was a wonderful time of sharing and took my mind off of Chicky.

Then, it was time to begin the final leg of the journey.

I called Rooster to give him a heads-up.

It felt strange pulling into the driveway without Chicky.

I gave Rooster a HUGE hug when I saw him.

I don’t know why, but the last couple of weeks of “stuff” unloaded themselves from my shoulders.

I was struck with a sudden urge to straighten the house.

Rooster helped out.

I cleaned out the Jeep…the vehicle that Chicky’s drove.  She did not take it down with her because we cannot afford to buy another car.  With Chicky gone, Rooster will have more opportunities to practice his driving before he gets his license.

I carefully removed her graduation tassel and the cross she received from the Chrysalis retreat she attended a few years ago – items that were hanging from the rear-view mirror.

I found a large, silver key on a white key chain in the middle console.

I found earrings, t-shirts, and towels in the back seat, along with a pair of sneakers.

I began collecting some of the things I found into a pile to mail to her next week.

I handed Rooster the Jeep key and told him to remove the fobs he did not want.

Yeah.  I think all of the girlie stuff went away in a flash.

Sigh.

It felt like a changing of the guards.

I know that Chicky hasn’t completely left, but it feels like she has.

My afternoon went on.

After the house was back to my liking, I sat down to watch TV.

Rooster and I watched the news and saw a clip about the owl video that is getting a lot of hits on YouTube.

A couple set up a video camera to record the comings and goings of a family of owls, and we saw footage of the baby owls leaving the nest.

Yeah.

I teared up.

Rooster chuckled at this.

You guys.  If you’ve never said goodbye to a child, let me tell you that the sadness hits when you least expect it.

Like this morning, when I was getting ready to leave for church.

Out of habit, I went to Chicky’s bedroom and opened the door…

Only to face an empty room.

At church, I signed the attendance sheet…

Three names instead of four.

Sigh.

Life, post heartbreak, is different from before.

It will get better.  I know this.

It is the adjustment period that, quite honestly, sucks.

Strong words, I know.  Please forgive me, but the thesaurus just doesn’t have a word that better describes the feeling.

Anyhoo…

I thank God for providing the new adventure that is my job.

I thank Him for blessing me with a wonderful family and sympathetic friends, both in real life and online.

And I thank God for being with my Chicky…helping her clogged toilet to “magically” fix itself that first night.

Life, post heartbreak, is, well, LIFE.

You go on.  You drive each mile.  You put one foot in front of the other.  You check your phone hourly to see if certain “people” decided to grace you with a hello.

You keep on breathing, and you keep on doing.

As one of my favorite heroines would say, “Tomorrow is another day.”

And so it is, and so it is.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

What Do We Do Now?

Posted on August 6, 2010 by auburnchick

Eighteen years, seven months, and two weeks ago, the Mr. and I brought home a 7lb, 14oz bundle of joy.

We were young.

I was 21 3/4, and he was 26.

We did not know how to be parents.  All we knew was that we felt incredibly blessed.

We put her in the bassinet between our respective living room chairs.

And then we sat down.

We looked at her, laying so peacefully, and then we looked at each other.

We asked, “What do we do now?”

That’s when the fun began.

It wasn’t long before Chicky exercised her lungs and told us exactly what we could do with her.  From Day 1, she always knew what she wanted.

Over the years, we’ve asked ourselves this question many times.

None was tougher than today.

This was the day when, instead of bringing her home for the first time, we dropped her off somewhere…to stay…without us.

I’m no dummy.

Well, at least I thought I wasn’t.

I mean, I knew this day was coming.

Because Chicky and I haven’t been getting along very well, I figured I’d wave goodbye and do the happy dance back to the car.

The heavens must have laughed at me.

For a mom of 18+ years, I proved how ignorant I truly am.

Folks, I’ve been crying like a baby.

It started yesterday when we were getting ready to leave the house.

I could barely stand to look at Chicky’s room.

I did, though, snapping photos with the ole blog in mind…

As the Mr. and Chicky got in the car, I had to take a moment to collect myself.

Oh, who am I kidding.

I bawled my eyes out in the bathroom.

The thought of her leaving the security of my house did me in at the last second.

Coupled with the PMS I’m going through (thanks a lot, God…You could have planned this a little differently…), I was having a very rough time.

So, not only was I letting my baby go, but I was feeling chubby and bloated as well.

Yeah.

I know.

TMI.

Just sayin’.

Anyhoo…

The Mr. had rented a large SUV for the trip.

Thank goodness.

Chicky filled up every square inch…

Then, we hit the road.

We stopped in Tallahassee to see Coupon Queen and Grand Pooba.  They treated us to a deli sandwich lunch and cookies.  Chicky picked out a couple of towels and washcloths to take with her.  You know grandparents.  They have loads of this stuff.

They gave Chicky a goody package as well.  It was wrapped in plastic stuff, so she had to wait to open it.

After taking pictures, we left.

The rest of the drive was fairly uneventful.  At one point, I took a peek back at Chicky, only to find her asleep.  This was monumental because Chicky never sleeps in the car.  She was exhausted from all of the packing and excitement.

We arrived in Lakeland later in the evening and decided to eat at B D’s Mongolian Grill.

Oh my gosh.  What a wonderful restaurant!  You get to pick out your meat and veggies, make your own sauce, and the cooks grill everything up for you…

YUM!!

After that, we went back to the hotel.

It felt strange…almost like we were about to attend a soccer tournament.

But in the backs of our minds, we knew the truth.

Chicky and I shared a bed, and I don’t know if it was because it was cool in the room or because she knew she would miss me, but she unconsciously let me snuggle with her.

When you’re 18, it’s way not cool to snuggle with mom.

I found comfort in the closeness.  I needed this after the months we’ve been at each others’ throats.

Before I knew it, the day I had dreaded dawned upon me.

Chicky looked very happy.

Duh.

She was a little nervous, though.  She begins pre-season practice tomorrow, and of course she wants to do well.

As I took a final picture of her in the hotel room, I couldn’t help but think about how, in less than 12 hours, I would be returning to this room…without her…sitting in the same chair that she was, at that moment, occupying.

So sad…

I fought back tears.

We drove to the college, left her at the gym for a new player meeting, and walked around, looking for a place to eat.  I snapped a few photos of the campus…

Chicky's dorm

The main walkway between buildings

The cafe

The courtyard

The lake (don't know the name)

We wound up eating at the cafe on campus.  I had the Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Sandwich.  Oh my gosh.  It was DELICIOUS!  The next time we come down, I will definitely be ordering it again!

Then, it was time to meet back up with Chicky, who was undergoing her physical.

Once that was done, we headed over to her dorm to check her in, get her room key, and move her in.

We had approximately four hours.

We needed every second.

We met Chicky’s roommate, a sweet girl who is a sophomore at the college.  She and Chicky hit it off when Chicky visited the college a few months ago.  It’s so great that Chicky has a ready-made friend.

We helped Chicky unpack and organize her room.  Actually, she told me where she was putting things, and I obeyed…

This will be how things will roll from here on out.

Oh, who am I kidding.  This is how things have rolled for a long time now.

The room is actually larger than what I expected.  You can kind of see in the following picture…

I took more pictures so you could get a better idea of the layout of the room…

Two dorm rooms share one potty and shower. Each room has its own vanity.

We decided to run to Walmart for a few last-minute supplies…fruit, snacks, and paper products.  I also needed to get a screwdriver and hammer to put together her TV stand.  I just couldn’t leave it still in the box…

Back to the dorm we went, a bit in a hurry because we were going to be late for the pizza dinner and parent meeting.

I put the stand together in 20 minutes…

Then, I left the tools in Chicky’s desk drawer.  She thinks she won’t need them.  Girls ALWAYS need tools!

Meanwhile, the Mr. was rushing me.  We were already late to the dinner.

But, I wanted so badly to dawdle.

If I took my time, I figured I’d get to see Chicky that much longer.

No can do, folks.  The coach told us when it was time to say our goodbyes.

It felt like being in the military.

Chicky walked us to the car.

Now, I ask you.

How do you say goodbye to the child you’ve been with almost 24/7 for the last 18+ years?

It’s not easy.

She actually hugged us.

Real hugs.

The kind where you use two arms.

And you squeeze.

Yes, folks, I actually felt her squeeze me.

I kept reaching in for more hugs.

She couldn’t pull back.  She was out of excuses.

She knew this was my time.

She finally told us she was walking away because if she didn’t, we’d never leave her.

Oh, but my heart was about to break.

We got in the car and started driving down the lane.

We saw her walking.

I had my camera.

We called out to her, and she turned.

She had a huge smile on her face, and she raised her hand up in a wave.

My heart broke in that moment.

She was happy.

I was sad.

We drove on.

The Mr. and I didn’t speak for a while.

All I could think about was that she was about to experience new things, and I wouldn’t be there to share them with her.

It made me feel lonely and left out.

The Mr. and I returned to the hotel room.  We’ll be leaving for home first thing in the morning.

I went into the restroom, where I broke down.

I had done so good in front of Chicky.  I’d only shed a couple of tears in that final moment of separation.

But once I was by myself, I cried and cried.

All I could think about was that moment 18 years ago when she was all mine for the very first time.

Ultimately, I realize that she hasn’t been mine all along.

She is God’s child, and He has plans for her life.

I feel so privileged to have been a part of that plan.

When I exited, the Mr. and I looked at each other and asked, “What do we do now?”

I really don’t know.  I guess we’ll just get in the car in the morning and leave, like we’re supposed to.

Meanwhile, I comforted myself with this…

…along with the knowledge that Chicky is in God’s hands.  He knows her every need and desire.  His is always with her.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | 7 Comments »

My First Week as a Teacher

Posted on August 5, 2010 by auburnchick

So, my first week as a teacher has come and gone.

Oh, I realize that it is only Thursday, but I had to take today and Friday off to take Chicky to college (you’ll be reading about this in a couple of days).

I have to tell you that my excitement has not waned.

Even though I find myself at the mercy of an annoying alarm clock, I actually do not mind crawling out of bed before dark, donning “teacher clothes,” and starting my day well before the 9-5’ers.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that one of the most important things a teacher must learn is how to adapt.

You see, many of the students were absent on the first day of school and, thus, I found myself with half of them in my classes.  Because I am working at a small school, that meant that at times, I only had two students.

Yeah.

And so I did not follow through with my lesson plans for Monday and simply shot the breeze…handed out a couple of things, and made do.  I shifted Monday’s plans to Tuesday.

On Tuesday, I still had a few students out, but I pushed on, determined to stay on track no matter the challenge.

Now, I have to tell you…I am teaching 6th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade English.  There is quite a difference between a 6th grader and a 9th grader.

For instance, when children enter the 6th grade, they are assigned lockers…for the very first time.  Because there is only five minutes between classes (it’s a one-hallway building), the students do not have far to go.

However, the 6th graders are very intimated by the upperclassmen, who use the top lockers.  Thus, they are very slow in getting back and forth.

One of my rules is that students must be on time.  Three tardies equals detention and a 500 word essay.

I did not think to make the rules different according to the grade.

My poor 6th graders.  They saw “500-word essay” and, quite honestly, freaked out.

As we were going over the rules and procedures, they seemed stuck on the tardiness rule.

“Mrs. AuburnChick,” one student asked, “What if I am really sick and can’t make it to class on time?”

I replied, “Mrs. AuburnChick does not have a cold heart.  Of course you will not be marked tardy in that case.”

Another student followed…”Mrs. AuburnChick, what if I am about to throw up and really need to go to the bathroom.”

“Sweetie,” I responded, “You better run out of my room as fast as you can, because barfing on my carpet will get you in worse trouble.”

heehee

One girl, still perplexed, posed this question:  “Mrs. AuburnChick, what if I’m running down the hallway, don’t see the door closed, and knock my head on the door and fall down?”

Um, yeah.

They were trying to anticipate every scenario for being tardy.

I told her, “First, you should not be running in the hall, and second, we both know you are not going to hit your head on the door.”

Good gravy.

When I shared these questions with my teacher friend, Barb, who has been teaching for hmmm hmmm years, she said, “Oh AuburnChick, I should have warned you ahead of time.  NEVER let students ask ‘What if’ questions.”

Gee, thanks Barb.  I could have used this advice seven hours earlier.

But, I still love her and went in the next day armed with that retort (which worked, by the way).

Too funny, though.

Probably the highlight of my week was when I gave my students their first pop quiz.

Here is what it looked like:

———————————————————————————————————————————

First Test of the Year!

Read this whole paper first, and then follow the directions given. You have 10 minutes to complete this test.  Mrs. AuburnChick will be watching you and making notes of what you do, so read carefully!

1. Write your name in the upper right hand corner
2. Put the date in the left hand corner

3. Write your age: ________

4. Write the name of the President of the U.S. ______________

5. Call the name of a friend, wave to them, and say hello.

6. Stand up and shake someone’s hand.

7. Get two others to tell you their favorite colors. Write their favorite colors here ____________ and _____________.

8. Walk once around all the desks in the class whispering “We’re the best in the school!”

9. Find two other students and play “Ring Around the Rosie.”

10. Put your left shoe on the desk and leave it there.

11. Give a high five to another person.

12. Tell Mrs. Hall your middle name.

13. Add 237, 4986, and 866. Answer: __________________

14. After you do number 13, whisper, “I found the answer!”

15. Write the name of your favorite food. _______________

16. Sit down and stand up 10 times as fast as you can. Record how long it took you here: ________________

17. Print the name of the planet you live on ____________

18. Look to the person at the right and tell them something you like about them.

19. Draw one red circle and two blue triangles on the bottom of this page.

20. Don’t follow these instructions. Do only #1 and #2. Then sit quietly at your desk until time is called.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

I administered this exam to every class EXCEPT the 6th graders.

Oh my gosh, y’all.  I had to cover my mouth to keep them from seeing me laugh.

The entire point was to teach them to follow instructions.  However, almost all of the students went forth without paying attention to the first set of instructions.

I saw smiles appear on their faces, and, when they started giggling, I giggled along.

I watched them march around the room, whispering “We’re the best in school.”

I saw them take shoes off and put them on their desks.

I played Ring Around the Rosie with the girls who needed someone to play along.

And then…

I saw it…

As they reached #20…

An awareness that they had been duped…

They looked up at me with surprise etched all over their faces.

DING!

I saw light bulbs turn on.

I discreetly put my finger to my lips to ask them not to spoil the surprise for those who were still adding numbers and saying, “I found the answer.”

Uh huh.

One of the girls laughed and laughed afterward.  She said, “You had fun at our expense!”

Well, I sure didn’t intend to, but yeah, I guess she was right.  It was very entertaining.  I don’t know that I’ve laughed like that in a long time.

However, the most important thing was that the students learned an unforgettable lesson…following instructions.  I might have to pull this trick again in the middle of the year…see if they truly took the lesson to heart.

Of course, I can always see how well they executed the instructions of the project I left for them to complete while they had a substitute teacher.

Yeah, on top of everything else I have going on this week, I had to make lesson plans…for a sub!!!

Oy, but what a toughie!  I do think, though, that as someone who has subbed for the last two years, I am probably one of the best people to be making sub plans.

So, my first week as a teacher ended well.

I still want to go back on Monday.  The students have not scared me away.

In fact, I have already formed a strong bond with my students…even the ones who wish I had picked a different color than pink for that particular class’s color theme.

heehee

I think that the kids KNOW that I am in this for the long-haul and have their best interest at heart.

I cannot wait to see what next week holds!!

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | 6 Comments »

One “Mo” Crazy Day

Posted on August 3, 2010 by auburnchick

So, you know that yesterday was my first day as a teacher.

I shared the emotional highs of the day.

What I neglected to mention was how my day began and ended…

Chicky had just taken my picture, and she was about to head out to work with her sports trainer.

I had gone to the garage to start putting stuff in my car.

All of a sudden, I heard loud scratching, followed by the sound of jingling collars…

My precocious fur babies had escaped!

Oh sure…they look all sweet and innocent in the above picture, but believe me, behind those precious faces are wheels that are constantly in motion…coming up with new ways to make me crazy.

I honestly don’t know who is the instigator.  I strongly suspect it’s Molly.  Pele provides the muscle, and the two of them make for a well-oiled machine.

So, they got out and took off out of the garage.

My heart fell.

It was 6:30, and I wanted to be at school by 7.

My pups love a good chase, so it looked doubtful as to if I would be able to round them up in time.

To make matters worse, I had not put on their collars yet.

Sure, they have microchips, but still.

Ugh.

I went back inside to ruminate.  Over the last three years that Little Miss Escape Artist has lived here, we have been through this many times.

I have discovered that part of the fun is in the chase.

I sneak up behind them, they play like they are going to let me catch them, and then they take off as I make a dive, catching nothing but air and a mouthful of grass.

Not pretty.

Anyhoo…

I heard Chicky start the car, so I thought she was leaving; however, when I went outside a minute later, I saw that she had barely backed out of the driveway.

She was standing outside the car, a smile on her face.

The dogs, it would seem, decided they weren’t in the mood to run, and Molly had returned of her own volition.

Yes, folks, if you ever doubted God’s existence, let this be proof.

He had mercy (doesn’t He always) on wee little me, knowing that being late for work on my first day was not a good thing.

We put the dogs inside, praising them all the way, and I left for school.

So, my day went on (I’ll share a cute school story tomorrow).  It was incredibly wonderful.

Meanwhile, Chicky and Rooster had gone on a day-long biking excursion with my church’s youth group.  This is Youth Week, and there are activities going on through Wednesday.  The kids look forward to this every summer.  It is a great way to end the summer and kick off the new school year.

The only bad thing about today’s trip, though, was that I had scheduled an eye appointment for Rooster.  At the time, I did not have the schedule of events for the week.

So, Chicky and Rooster had to drive a separate vehicle and leave a little early so he could get back in time.

I had a game plan…

As soon as school let out, I would meet the kids at the eye doctor’s office.

When I got there, I did not see the kids.  They were running a little behind, so I let the front desk know.  Of course, this was the ONE day when they were actually right on schedule.

Go figure.

I have that kind of luck, you know.

Meanwhile, I kept calling Rooster…”Are you almost here?”

Ugh.  That is a horrible feeling.

I stood and waited…

And waited…

And waited…

Finally, I saw Chicky drive up.  Rooster jumped out and hurried in.

And then I saw it…

My Rooster…

Oh

My

Gosh.

His hair…

Oh

My

Gosh.

This is a story in and of itself.

See, on Sunday, the youth group had its annual scavenger hunt.  It is the big kickoff to Youth Week, and the kids and parents look forward to it.

You might remember my post from last year.  It was the first time I had ever driven, and I had a blast!

Although I had lesson plans to write, I decided that I needed a respite from my work, so I gave myself the afternoon off.

The way the scavenger hunt worked was that we had several items we had to find (and take) back to the church.  Each item was worth a certain number of points.

Then, there was another list of things each group had to do.  The driver (an adult) was the photographer who would snap pictures of the entire group doing the listed activities.  The pictures served as proof that we really did what we said we did.

Some of the items on the list included:

  • Proposing to a random person
  • Serenading a male/female couple in a public place
  • Helping an elderly person cross the street
  • Tossing pizza dough in a pizza parlor
  • Singing to a child in front of Toys R Us
  • Braiding someone’s hair
  • Applying a peanut butter facial
  • Walking through a drive-thru and pretending to place an order

There were a lot of other things on the list, but perhaps one of the most unusual (and most difficult) was to find someone sporting a real Mohawk.  Extra points would be given if the person’s hairdo was dyed.

Uh huh.

You see where I am going, eh?

All of the groups had to meet back at the church by 5:30.

As my group walked in, I saw my Rooster.

Sporting a Mohawk.

With pink, green, and blue sparkly paint to boot.

Oh

My

Gosh.

You might wonder what my first words were.

You would be surprised.

I asked him to let my group take a picture with him.

I like to win.

Remember the chicken biscuit party?

AuburnChick MUST win.

To the point where I hollered, “Don’t let them in,” as my new associate pastor entered Toys R Us with his group.

I’m ruthless.

However, Rooster had other ideas, and they did not include helping his Mama.

He’s ruthless too.

He likes to win.

He gets it honestly.

Well, me being ruthless and all did what all people desperate to win do in situations like this.

I offered him money.

I saw him smile.

How much, he wondered.

Ten stinkin’ bucks.

Deal.

My group got its picture.

We didn’t win though.

We couldn’t find kumquats.

Apparently they aren’t in season, and I didn’t know what they looked like, so I missed the kumquat tree that I passed on one of the roads.

Losing stinks.

But, back to the original point of my story…

The eye doctor.

Rooster walking in.

In that moment, the last day and a half flashed before my eyes.

Rooster came home from church, intending to cut his hair.  I had been hounding him for weeks, so he knew I wouldn’t mind the Mohawk since it meant he’d be halfway done with the hair cut.

However, Rooster had been invited to sleep over at a friend’s house.

I had agreed.

I had forgotten about the hair.

This teaching/working thing has totally taken over my life, because although I had remembered about his appointment, I had forgotten that we never cut the rest of his hair.

So, when he walked in, he looked like Billy Ray Cyrus’s son.

Yeah.

There I am in my teacher dress and new shoes, looking all professional, and there is Rooster…sporting a Mohawk.

In the middle of a very busy doctor’s office…the kind where they have something like 20 or 30 eye doctors…who do all of that specialized surgery along with regular checkups.

Uh huh.

I wanted to crawl under the carpet.

I could only imagine what others might be thinking.

Now, this is not to disparage those who wear Mohawks, because there could be some very fine fellows who make well-thought-out decisions to wear their hair this way.

However, my experience has been that when I see kids wearing their hair like this, well, I do a double-take, and it’s not the kind where I go, “Hmmm…their mamas must be so proud.”

Let’s leave it at that.

The only good thing about Rooster’s Mohawk was that he had managed to wash out most of the paint.

Thank the Lord (again, He was merciful).  Rooster wasn’t sparkling like a girl.

Yeah.

As a nurse escorted us back to an examination room, I made it a point to have a loud conversation with Rooster…

“The SCAVENGER HUNT was fun, wasn’t it?  You were so kind to do this for the SCAVENGER HUNT, weren’t you?”

Yeah, you know those conversations that we have for other people’s benefit.

The nurse came in, ignored the hair, and did her little “Which one is better…1 or 2” quiz.  It was all I could do not to giggle.

When she left, Rooster and I busted out laughing.

Oy.

Rooster decided to get glasses instead of contacts.  He has had one bad eye ever since middle school…the result of a collision with another student in PE.  I finally got him seen about it last year (I am such a good mom, eh?), and he had tried wearing a contact (since it’s only the one eye) but hated it.

Let’s just say that I was a little more than relieved when he told me he wanted to look for frames another day.

He had already outgrown the Mohawk.  It had served its purpose and put $30 in his pocket.

Thank goodness.

When we got home, he cut off the rest of his hair.

My clean-cut boy was back.

Praise the Lord.

And so, another day ended…just one more in the saga that continues to be my crazy life.

Filed under: children, Pets | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

I Am a Teacher

Posted on August 2, 2010 by auburnchick

It is official.

I am a teacher.

I have been waiting 20 years to utter these words.

Today, I sort-of jumped out of bed at the oh-so-early hour of 5:30.

I only hit the snooze button three times instead of my usual six.

It’s funny how having a purpose does that to you.

Oh, I know that, as a child of God, I have a purpose, but it was invigorating to know that when I got up, the thing I had dreamed about for so very long had finally come to fruition.

It seemed fitting to have Chicky take my First Day of School picture.  After all, I’ve been taking pictures of the kids on their first day of school each year since they started kindergarten.

When I got to school, Jane, another first-year teacher, looked at me with the same expression that I had seen reflected in the mirror only minutes earlier.

True to form, I had my camera and insisted we take pictures.  It was a moment that we would never have again, and it needed to be captured for eternity (or until we accidentally delete them).

So, just like the teenagers we have chosen to surround ourselves with, we acted like a couple of girls and took pictures…ones of us by ourselves, some of us together.  We used both of our classrooms as our backdrops.

It was probably the most excited I’ve ever been on the first day of a new job.

But see, there’s the thing.

To me, this is not a job.

This is a passion, long-delayed and much sought-after.

As the bell rang, I stood at the door, waiting for my first students to arrive.

I remembered my posture, stood up straight, and beamed a smile that could have been seen from outer space.

I am a teacher.

Sweet music to my ears.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , | 6 Comments »

Twas the Night Before the New School Year

Posted on August 1, 2010 by auburnchick

…and all through school, teachers were preparing to make their rooms cool…

Mission accomplished.  I have a BIG day ahead of me!

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

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