February 11, 2012

animals for my Caleb

My youngest child loves animals more than anything on this planet... reptiles, mammals, birds, fish, extinct ones, live ones, books about them, videos about them, zoos, aquariums, action figures/stuffed or plastic animals, and anything else that can be used to pretend to be an animal.... He knows more about most animals than I have ever known in my 40 years... He is 6. He teaches me about the "electro-reception" of a duck-billed platypus - which happens to be one of the two egg laying mammals....

My youngest is amazing with his knowledge. He has been to the zoo. He has been to the museum here. He has been to a museum in Charlotte. He has been to the children's museum at Myrtle Beach. He has been to several aquariums. He has been all over Animal Kingdom and about had a stroke while on the African Safari (he was able to check off EVERY SINGLE animal on the check list for the tour).

All of his friends know that he loves animals. All of his teachers know he loves animals.
People who have never even met him know that he loves animals...

Today, I took him to the zoo. I purposely bought seats on the third row... we could SMELL the animals. I told him that we would be able to meet the clowns and acrobats before the circus...
then we would see animals during the circus...

It was different this year. We were able to meet clowns...
We were able to meet acrobats and  children were even able to try their hand (feet?)
at tightrope walking...
But at the last minute, they brought out Asia...

Less than four feet from my youngest child... A enormous elephant walked by, painted a picture, and danced for my kid... okay, probably for hundreds of kids... but I only cared for one.

Later in the show, we were 20-30 feet from 10 tigers, 8 elephants, and more than 30 horses. He enjoyed the acrobats. He laughed and gasped at the stupid men (okay, I thought they were stupid, he thought they were cool) that walked on the rings that spun high in the air. He thought that clowns were funny. He wanted to be the ringmaster. He loved seeing the band and danced as they played. He even complimented the ringmaster on his singing ability...

but the animals.... they took his breath away

today, we both made some memories...
he will always remember being so close to these animals...
 I will never forget the look on his face as he was watching them and smiling...



I may need to go back to the circus, so I can watch the show this time... 

February 08, 2012

spirit week

I remember spirit week... wacky tacky day, favorite sport day,  backwards day, blue and gold day (I went to NHS!), and my personal favorite PJ day...

I would dress up to the hilt. I laughed at all my friends at just how ridiculous we looked. I would purposely dress to stand out. I wanted to be noticed for being different.


Isn't it funny how much we change when we "grow up"?

How many of us are willing or desire to be different with our peers as grown-ups?

Our Lord calls on us to stand out, be strong and different in a crowd...

Lord, please help me to be willing and able to be different...






February 06, 2012

funk

I am in a funk

I look around... I have three healthy kids... I have a nice home... I have a job... I have dear friends... I have a great life... I have a well running car... I have freedom... I live in a country that has a lot to offer... I have a God who is active and moving all around me... I have eternal life through my Savior...

I have more than most to be thankful for...

I am in a funk


Lord, please help me to see the joys around me and the blessing that You have given me... I deserve none of them, yet here they are... Help me to concentrate on the good. Help me to see the cup as half full with the potential to run over... instead of half empty with a crack in the glass.....

February 05, 2012

super bowl....

well... the super bowl is over...

guess what

I really hate professional sports

did not watch any of it... and could care less about any of it

struggling

...the love of a mother...

I have a child with special needs... this child has not always made great choices... this child tends to sabotage his life...

I am struggling.

I fight for him
I lose friendships due to him
I spend a majority of our money on his medical needs and medications
I use most of my time in the afternoons helping with homework one on one
I rarely take time off of work, except when it is for a meeting for him
I argue with my husband over choices for him
my marriage suffers because of him
I worry over the other two children because of how much attention I have to give to him
a majority of my life is spent worrying over him

when he lashes out or acts out, 90% of the time it is towards me 

I am struggling

This child is sabotaging his life... he does not make great choices... he has needs...


I love him... I really do...
but I am struggling too

February 04, 2012

demolition vs. construction

do you ever stop to think just how often you criticize the people around you?

  • she wears too much make-up
  • he should pull up his pants
  • she drives too slow
  • her voice drives me nuts
  • she is not the brightest
  • he is wild

I tend to be a fairly critical person. I had a critical parent. I hated the feeling that it gave me... I would spend the morning cleaning... think I had done a great job..
the parent would come in and say
 "I guess you did okay, except for the entire bottom of that table that you did not dust...."


As parents... no, not just as parents.... as common, decent people we need to make more of an effort to be thankful. We need to work harder to build the people around us UP instead of tearing them down.

It is certainly easier to tear things down...

demolition is easy.

Construction is hard work.

I want to strive to work in construction these days...

memories of parenting

old memories die hard... I spent some time today reflecting on how my parenting is effected by the way I was parented...

I think parenting has to be the absolute hardest job ever....

I do not desire to be my kids' friend. They do not need to love me twenty-four hours a day. It is okay for them to spend some time sulking and frustrated. I pray for them to succeed at everything they try... but I will stand by them when they fall.

I had an angry parent. One parent had a "punish and holler now - ask questions later" approach to parenting.... I have found myself taking this approach a few times...

it is not good.



not sure what I am going to do with these memories that I am having or how it will change what I am doing...

just kind of praying thru it...

February 01, 2012

too young

35 is too young to leave this world...

I taught a wonderful young man named David. He was an amazing singer and musician. He wrote songs for me. He sang with a group of young men in several of my choral concerts. His senior year, he joined with a couple of kids and sang a beautiful song to me. He called me "mama" and treated me like a queen. I enjoyed every day that he was in my classroom...

Yesterday, the Lord received him into heaven...


makes me sad to think that one of my wonderful students is gone....

meeting

we have a meeting this morning... not really sure what the meeting is supposed to achieve.

there are all kinds of meetings; planning meetings, budget meetings, organizational meetings, parent/teacher meetings, staff meetings, chance meetings....etc. Most meetings have a purpose.

this morning, we have a meeting with a child who has been very ugly to our middle child and this child's father... don't worry, the assistant principal will be there as well...

so, what is supposed to be taken care of in a meeting like this?

do we throw the two kids in a ring and let them battle it out?
do we flex muscles and offer to handle it between the parents?
do we sit and list all of the horrible and wonderful things about each child?

I have no idea what we are supposed to accomplish.

I do know that I will be there. I also know that the "mama bear" in me is scheduled to make an appearance. I know that there will be air so thick in this meeting that a knife should be present... but on second chance, all weapons should probably remain at home...


(this is a very tame blog entry... I decided that I probably should not list all of the stupidly mean things that this brat has done to my precious child. I should not threaten the child over the internet as well. I figured that I needed to remain neutral sounding and seem to have my wits about me... however, all who know me also know that there will be some sort of nuclear explosion this morning around 8:30... listen for it and see if you can hear the BOOM)