This afternoon, the Mr. received the following text from Chicky (her comments are in blue)…
She was trying to be smooth…asking without asking, if you know what I mean.
The Mr. was good.
He played along.
But he didn’t cave.
She took it well.
Good thing.
We’d just treated her to a few new items of clothing when she’d come home for Spring Break last week.
It’s Rooster’s turn this week.
Maybe next time, Chicky!
😀
Filed under: children | Tagged: children, parenting | 1 Comment »
Ok.
I know I am being a terrible blogger right now.
I usually live for my writing…putting aside other tasks to pen my posts.
But…
This job of mine has been EXTREMELY demanding of late.
I honestly didn’t know how I was going to see my way out of this past week.
Can I just say that God is merciful?
That He is!
I’ve been prioritizing…focusing on the things that need my immediate attention, and that has helped lift some of the stress.
Still though, even as I write this, I know I have two observations coming up this week.
One will not be too big of a deal, but I still want my class to make a good showing. Although it won’t affect my performance rating at my school, I want to showcase my students and, quite honestly, their amazingness (that’s not a word, but it’s my blog and I can do what I want).
The other is my second observation by my administrator. My principal will be coming in to watch my students and I do our thing.
My kids have already been prepped.
They know they’ll get cupcakes later in the week as a reward.
They’re awesome anyhow, but they also know that they are very special…hand-picked by me to do their thing for the top dog.
I’m also going to video the first of the three lesson plans I wrote for my Reading Endorsement. If it turns out well, I’ll send it in and keep my fingers crossed that my instructor approves it. I only have to have one filmed lesson plan approved to meet that criteria for this final class I’m taking.
Meanwhile…
Chicky was home part of this past week for her Spring Break.
She left on Wednesday.
Rooster flew in…well, okay…he drove in…Friday evening.
Happy Dance!
When he was thirty minutes out, he called.
“Mama, um, I just wanted to give you a heads-up that three more guys are on their way to stay at our house tonight. They just need a place to sleep before they leave in the morning for their camping trip.”
Rooster had already planned to bring home one friend.
So I had thirty minutes to prep for five young men.
I did what all exhausted school teachers do at the end of the day and didn’t stress one little bit.
As Rooster told me, they’re college guys.
They don’t need frills.
The Mr. ran to Walmart and stocked up on a few supplies…food, that is.
We don’t keep much in the house now that we’re childless nine months out of the year.
Can I just tell you how happy I was when those boys walked through the door.
They are fine young men.
They’re all members of Rooster’s fraternity, which just received its charter as the newest official member of the BYX family. It’s a Christian fraternity. They have tons of good, clean fun together while holding one another accountable in their Christian walk. They have cell groups that are led by various members of the fraternity. They have accountability partners. They use GroupMe to stay in contact with each other on an hourly basis.
They’re incredibly intelligent too. Many are majoring in engineering…software and mechanical to be precise.
They spent time playing my Wii.
Their deep laughter filled this mama’s heart with joy.
Then, they settled in to watch a movie.
That’s when I crashed. I was wiped out from what had been a stressful week.
I felt blessed, though, to be sharing my home with these fine young people…my son among them.
Filed under: children, Christian | Tagged: BYX, parenting | 1 Comment »
My, oh my, how time does fly.
Twenty-one years ago today, preparations had been finalized.
This kid (meaning the one penning this post) was about to have her own child. In fact, I was the same age as the girl-child whose birthday I’m celebrating in this post.
It’s hard to believe.
It seems like only yesterday when I had been wheeled to the hospital from my doctor’s appointment because I was going to have some serious health issues if my first-born child wasn’t induced.
After the epidural, I found myself doing what I do best…chatting on the phone…
After a not-so-difficult delivery, the details of which I will spare you, out came my sweet Chicky, weighing in at 7lbs, 14 oz and 20 inches long…
She was beautiful…even scored a 10 on her second APGAR test!
The Mr. and I took our beautiful girl home, where we attempted to be the kind of parents we’d envisioned ourselves to be.
I’m pretty sure that we were NOT advised to sleep with our child, but when you’re nursing around the clock and frightfully tired all the time, you do what you’ve gotta do, and Chicky didn’t seem to mind a bit…
Chicky grew and thrived, despite the parenting mistakes we made along the way…
Before I knew it, she was celebrating her first birthday. Back then, I wondered, in amazement, how quickly time had flown.
Back then, we didn’t have blogs.
What we did have were writing utensils…the old-fashioned kind.
I have always loved to write, and the feelings that I had when my baby turned a year old needed to be captured.
I sat down that evening and wrote my girl a letter, which I mailed to her with her birthday card since I can’t celebrate her special day with her in person.
I re-read the letter before I mailed it and found myself very surprised at how timeless my feelings were. I realized that the core of what we feel for others doesn’t really change over time.
Sure, they can evolve.
And yes, they can disappear.
However, the love a mother has for a child…well…that’s something altogether different.
It grows stronger, but at its root, it ultimately is just…well…LOVE in its purest form.
I’d like to share the letter I wrote my Chicky all those years ago.
January 22, 1993
My dearest Chicky,
Today is your 1st birthday. It is amazing how quickly the year has gone by! It seems like only yesterday when I was holding you in my arms for the first time. What an incredible feeling that was! It is something that words cannot describe. You were so beautiful! We had been anxiously waiting and praying for you, and to finally meet you took our breaths away. The pain of childbirth was forgotten instantly, and in its place was, and is, this rush of LOVE!
Every day this year, I have watched you grow and learn. Sometimes, I am sad because I know you are starting to need me a little less. Always, though, I am excited. With each new skill you master, comes another open door. Watching you learn has given me a fresh perspective on the world. You notice even the smallest things, and now, so do I. Your creativity has led me to be more creative. There is something I never realized before becoming a mama – that is that although our children learn much from us parents, we learn alot from you, too.
Chicky, always know how very,very much I love you. Every time I see you smile, hear you laugh, or feel your tiny arms around me makes me love you more and more. I thank God every day that He has given me the privilege of being your mom. It is not something I will ever take for granted.
I love you dearly!
Love,
Mama
And now, my message to my girl on her special day.
January 22, 2013
Happy Birthday, Chicky!
You are and have been such a blessing to me!
I have watched you grow so much…even in the last few months…handling some of the most difficult situations a person can go through in such a way that makes my jaw drop open in awe.
I am more than proud to say that you are my daughter, for you excel in every area of your life.
May you continue to grow in God’s grace.
May you continue to trust in His plans for your life.
May you find joy in each moment you are given and lean on the Lord for His comfort during the times when it is difficult to feel joyous.
May God put into your path the perfect help meet…a man who loves God as much as you do.
All of these things and more are what I wish for you on this day, your 21st birthday.
Love,
Mama
Chicky – 1 Year Old
Filed under: children | Tagged: childrearing, children, parenting | 5 Comments »
My sweet Chicky, who is two semesters away from graduating with a degree in Elementary Ed, had to take a big test today.
It was her final state test…the subject area test for elementary school.
If you want to teach, you have to take three tests: the General Knowledge test, the Professional Ed test, and the subject area test for the subject you want to teach.
I have taken (and passed) two subject area tests – English 6-12 and Social Sciences 6-12.
The English was easy. The Social Sciences test was the hardest test I’ve ever taken in my life.
You can imagine what it must be like to take a test that covers everything you’d have to know to teach children in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade.
Poor Chicky was nervous. She had to pass this test before she could register for her Spring internship. She’s taking six classes this semester in addition to fitting in at least 60 observation hours. She’s also got Spring training for soccer.
There’s no pressure whatsoever…said tongue-in-cheek.
She only had a week and a half’s notice about having to take this test before registering for the internship, so she had to cram, let me tell you.
Poor girl.
She was worried.
The test is about $200, and if she didn’t pass, she’d have to wait thirty days to take it again.
My friends, Barb and Lisa, whom I sat at a basketball game with last night, helped me reassure her, via text messages, that she would do fine…that the test wasn’t that difficult.
Still, Chicky stressed.
I understood.
I cried for DAYS before I took my General Knowledge test…all because of the math section. I even cried between sections of the test when I took a potty break.
I was a mess.
I texted Chicky first thing this morning. She had an 8am appointment.
I was eager to find out the results.
She finally texted me back.
My sweet girl had PASSED!!
I called her, and she told me that the test had asked some of the most random questions she could have expected. There was stuff on that test that she either had not learned since elementary school or had never learned at all.
As teachers, we do have to have some sort of foundation of knowledge but, in all honesty, we study our material before we teach it. It’s impossible to be completely sure about every detail of the curriculum. We have so much to cover in a year that one person, unless you have a the brain of a genius, cannot retain everything. Plus, teachers change up the material sometimes, according to student interest.
Anyhoo, the most important thing is that Chicky passed and can focus on her studies and soccer.
Filed under: children | Tagged: children, education, teaching | 2 Comments »
Rooster left bright and early this morning, leaving one chicklet at home.
It was hard to see him go after he’d been home for about a month.
I don’t feel that I got to see him much, though, because I had to work two weeks after he got home, and by the time I got home each afternoon, he was out visiting with friends. Then, after Christmas, he house/dog sat for one of his friends, which meant he only came home for a couple of hours each day.
At least he made some $$, but boy, was it hard only seeing him pop in every now and then.
Still, at least he was in the same zip code, and I could surprise him with lunch or Starbuck a time or two.
In less than nine hours, I’ll be bidding adieu to the other chicklet.
Sigh.
I hate this part of my children’s visits home, and I doubt that I will ever fully get used to it.
Filed under: children | Tagged: children, parenting | 2 Comments »
Yesterday evening, I received a phone call from Rooster. He’s been dog/house sitting for his friend’s family while they’ve been on a cruise. Thus, he hasn’t spent much time at home this past week.
His phone call instantly made me nervous because: 1) It came at 10:30pm, and 2) Nothing good usually comes from phone calls that late at night.
“Mama,” he said. “I can’t find the mailbox key, and my wallet is missing too.”
Oh boy.
The family lives in a neighborhood that has the kind of mailboxes that you need keys to open.
The wallet…well…I could only imagine the difficulty in trying to get things replaced…especially since Rooster will be leaving on Sunday, and his college is in a different state.
Still, he’s misplaced his wallet before, so it was my great hope that we’d locate it again.
I also immediately thought of my “word” for the year…RELAX.
What good could come from being anxious?
I calmly asked him all of the key questions: “Did you look in your car? Did you check under the seats? Did you look under the couches? Did you retrace your steps?”
He answered yes to every question I directed at him.
He knows the routine…the looking-for-something routine.
He is a boy, after all, and prone to such mishaps.
😉
I told him that I was watching a movie with Chicky, but that I would drive over afterward.
That seemed to calm him.
I also prayed.
Hard.
I left the house about an hour and a half later, and he called me on the way.
“Mama,” he said. “I found the key! It randomly showed up in my backpack in the pocket I checked a bunch of times.”
He’d been keeping the key and his billfold in an open pocket of a backpack he uses every day.
The first thing I thought, though, was that it wasn’t anything random.
“Honey,” I said. “I think an angel put that key in that pocket.”
See, I don’t believe in randomness, unless you’re talking about one of my students saying something random. You know kids. Their minds flit from one thing to the other quicker than a woman can change her mind!
😀
He still had not located the wallet, but I assured him we would.
That was a challenge that proved difficult, if not impossible.
When I got to the house, I checked the chair he’d spent the week sleeping on.
As I dug my hands into the crevices, I felt a sharp pain and quickly withdrew my hand…to see this…
Oh my word.
It was a nasty cut, let me tell you, and we could not find a band aid to save our lives.
I wrapped a napkin around it, and we continued our search.
We walked out to his car, scanning the ground with each step we took.
Imagine us doing this at midnight in the cold.
Yeah.
I love my boy that much.
😀
As we got to his car, Rooster apologized for the state it was in.
In other words, it was messy…oh so messy.
That’s my boy!
😀
He assured me that he’d looked everywhere, but I still had to put my own eyes on every inch of that car.
The wallet wasn’t there.
We returned to the house, and we formed a plan. He would get up in the morning and search the path to his car again.
I’d go home and look through his dirty blue jeans once more. I would also check the couch he’d been sitting on the last time he’d been home.
Granted…I’d done both, but I’ve been guilty of overlooking things as well.
I assured Rooster that God would lead us to the wallet.
In other words, I was RELAXED.
When I got home, I bandaged up my thumb and began my search.
I checked the couch, pushing my hands carefully into the crevices.
Nada.
My couches recline, so I lifted up the footrest on the side he’d been sitting on.
Then, I got on my knees and shined my flashlight underneath.
What a nasty sight! All I saw was dog hair, trapped by the metal bar contraption that allows the couch to recline.
And then I saw something lumpy.
Hmmm…
It was actually very near the outside of the couch, right under the armrest but on the floor.
I reached my hand around the outside bottom of the couch and pulled out his wallet!!!
It was dusty and covered in dog hair, but it was intact!
I think that when I’d pushed my hands into the crevices, I’d pushed the wallet all the way through the crack in the couch from where it had been stuck.
I excitedly called Rooster and gave him the good news, all the while praising the Lord for His help in locating the elusive billfold.
I’ve never much believed in coincidences.
I know that God orchestrates the happenings in our lives.
I am so grateful for His hand, which is there to guide us, if only we’d ask for help.
I’m pretty sure He’s helping us ALL the time, but that it’s actually rare for us to acknowledge that it’s His work, not ours, that is responsible for positive outcomes.
This is not the first time God has shown Himself so tangibly in our lives…especially in regard to lost items.
For this, I am grateful, for it is in this way, among others, that God has shown how very real He is and how He does care about the everyday things in our lives.
God is a personal God who knows each of us individually and meets our individual needs.
There’s absolutely nothing random about that!
Filed under: children, Christian | Tagged: Christianity, God | 1 Comment »
I rarely speak about politics on this blog.
Although I consider myself a person of conviction, I do not think of myself as one who is gifted with the ability to debate a topic logically.
That is because I think with my heart and not always with my head.
However, after reading an Associated News story about Putin’s support for a law forbidding American adoption of Russian orphans, I felt that I had to write.
As I read the article, I became dismayed when I discovered that this law has namely come about as a reaction against decisions that American political leaders have made that have angered their Russian counterparts.
Thus, Russian authorities are seeking to halt the large number of American adoptions that are nearing completion. The new law will also forbid future adoptions of Russian children by Americans.
Mind you…these adoptions will result in many Russian children leaving the care of the Russian state.
Can someone please explain to me how in the world this makes sense?
Are Putin and all of his misguided supporters so hell-bent on political revenge that they would sacrifice the well being of their country’s defenseless citizens just to make a statement to the rest of the world?
My feeble brain cannot see the logic in this.
As a teacher of under-resourced children, I understand the impact that one loving person can make on a life.
I’ve witnessed the change that one person can make in a young, underfed and unloved little being’s life.
To deny a child the right to a better life is criminal.
It speaks of an unselfishness that goes beyond political rhetoric.
Such a decision brings back memories of years spent in a Cold War; however, the constituents who will suffer the most are those who are unable to speak for themselves…innocents who never did a single thing to deserve a punishment such as this.
Forgive me if I’ve misunderstood some “givens” in life…one of which is that hurting innocent children is the biggest taboo one person can inflict on another.
I thought that children were the force that united people…strangers even.
I’m either the world’s most naive or the most foolish person around for holding such beliefs.
My heart hurts for the children who long for parents to love them…for siblings to play with…for individual attention that speaks of genuine interest in their well being.
My heart rages against the unfairness that exists in the world…the kind of unfairness that has nothing to do with natural disasters that are beyond a person’s control but the man made firestorms that seek out fodder that will keep them on their destructive paths…destruction that has no regard for human lives.
What a shame to live in this kind of world where such selfishness exists.
Filed under: children | Tagged: adoption, children, politics, priorities, Putin, Russia | Leave a comment »
A strange thing is happening around the country.
Have you seen it?
It looks a little something like this…
That is what I like to think of as the Christmas Happy Dance.
While it’s probably not exactly what the shepherds were doing when the Good News was touted by the angels, it IS the dance that’s being done as parents everywhere celebrate their college-age children returning home for the break.
Oh my, but I am thrilled beyond belief.
My own Rooster is coming home today, and I cannot wait.
I warned him that he better expect me to be glued to his hip as an extra appendage for the next month.
Though I’ll have to work and will still attend my students’ sporting events, he can rest assured that there will be PLENTY of Mama Lovin’ Time!
Feel free to join in with me as I dance with joy…
Filed under: children | Tagged: children, parenting | Leave a comment »
Boy, am I a bad blogger lately!
Last night, I ran into a friend of mine, a first-year principal who started a blog a few months ago, and she apologized for not having responded to a comment I’d made. She also told me that she was going to subscribe to my blog. I assured her that she hadn’t missed much as my blogging has been haphazard of late.
The reason why I haven’t blogged much is that this has been a very busy time for me.
I had the first of two observations, so I had a lot of thinking, planning, and more thinking (maybe I should say “overthinking”) to do.
All went well, I am happy to say. I’ll be blogging about that tomorrow.
What I wanted to share was some new lingo I learned this week.
When you work with teenagers, you get to keep up with the latest and greatest in everything…music, movies, clothing, and lingo.
You already know that I took advantage of Black Friday sales to pick up new clothes.
I was eager to show off the new threads at school, so I wore a pair of my skinny jeans, paired with a blingy customized t-shirt I had made. I wore a pair of Skechers that I’ve had for a while.
Well, let me tell you that while the kids liked the new look, they HATED the shoes.
The boys who entered first period were not shy about dogging them.
The girls were more polite, telling me, “Well, I wouldn’t wear them, but if you like them, then that’s all that matters.”
Yeah. Right.
One of my girls in my 6th period class told me, “I’m surprised that you are wearing those. You usually have on cute shoes.”
Gee. Thanks.
Another girl went so far as to look me up and down and say, “You did that. But the shoes. No.”
I’d never heard that phrase before…”You did that” except in strictly literal terms…so I had to ask her what she meant…if it was a good or a bad thing.
She repeated the statement, “You did that.”
Ok.
Sure.
“But is it good or bad?” I repeated.
“It’s good,” she said, “Except for the shoes.”
Ok. Gotcha.
On Thursday, I wore a sparkly red shirt and new pants. I also had on a cute pair of grey plaid flats I’d bought at Old Navy.
I wasn’t sure about pairing up the shoes with the rest of the outfit, but I’d gone for it.
The kids ooohed and ahhhhed at my outfit.
My 6th period student…the one mentioned above…said, “You did that.”
I had to smile.
I’d done good.
Friday, I wore a school soccer sweatshirt, a different pair of new skinny jeans, and a different pair of white lace up sneakers.
I was very nervous given the response to my shoes a few days before.
My worries were not necessary. My little girl gave me the validation I needed when she declared, “You did that” again.
I laughingly told her that I’d be blogging about her comment.
It’s always good to know what they kids mean when they say something.
Actually, maybe it’s not always good.
heehee
Filed under: children, Teaching | Tagged: clothing, teaching, teenagers | 1 Comment »
Well, today could almost have been a carbon copy of yesterday, as far as goodbyes go.
After attending church, where Rooster pitched in to help with the light and sound systems, we headed back home.
That’s where the not-so-fun stuff began.
I heard Rooster make a few trips back and forth between his bedroom and his car.
I weakly offered to help him.
I was not feeling too happy.
Depression always sets in the morning that my babies are heading back to school.
He told me he could handle things himself.
Rooster seems to get a little grumpy before he leaves too.
I think it’s his transition time. I know he’s eager to get back, but I also think that leaving is a little hard too.
We took him to lunch, and I soaked up everything he said…every movement he made.
When he had filled up his belly, we drove to the gas station at Walmart.
It was deja vu.
I stood outside while he filled up his car.
The minutes passed by too quickly.
It was time to say goodbye.
The Mr. went first.
I always like to be the last person to hug the kids when they leave.
I don’t know why.
I reached my arms way up high, for he’s quite tall, and hugged him tightly.
I always give him a kiss, but because he’s so tall, I only pecked his neck.
heehee
As much as I wanted to hang onto him, I couldn’t, and before I knew it, I was waving to him as we drove away.
Sadness descended heavily upon my heart.
When we got home, I immediately left again to run a few errands.
Starbucks was in order, but I started crying on the way.
I sat in the parking lot with tears rolling down my face.
I could not understand why this separation was so difficult…especially given that I’ll be seeing my children again in a couple of weeks.
I called Barbara because I knew she would be a voice of reason and would return me to an un-crying state.
As we chatted, I realized the “why” of my sadness.
Earlier that morning, at church, Rooster’s friend’s mom had approached me and told me how highly Rooster had spoken of me and my teaching. He’d told her that he could see that I was making a difference in my students’ lives, and that I was very committed to my teaching.
Rooster had never shared those words with me.
While he’s a great listener and can, at times, talk a person’s ears off, he still has a somewhat reserved side.
During this visit home, he’d been a little quieter than usual. I don’t know if it was relief from projects and tests he’d recently finished or the fact that final exams are only a couple of weeks ahead.
Thus, his friend’s mom’s words touched my heart and, I suspect, made the parting that much more difficult for me.
I’d had a wonderful visit. Both of my children are so precious to me.
Chicky and I are growing closer…the cracks in our relationship are slowly healing.
Rooster is still exploring options for his future, and it is interesting to listen as he talks about things he’d like to do…different routes he could take.
I am officially on a twenty-day countdown.
There are twenty more school days until Christmas vacation…the time when I can fully engage my heart and brain in the fun of being with my family and, perhaps, enjoy some respite from the hectic schedule that is a part of my profession.
Filed under: children, Teaching | Tagged: childrearing, children, college, teaching | Leave a comment »
AuburnChick's Adventures 