life will change for her...

"there it is, Mom... there is the place where my life will change..."

 

I told you that things were changing... Well, on Thursday morning, I took my two teens to tour a local public highschool... I had one child that was so excited, and the other child was nervous.

 

My girl has wanted to leave her charter school for awhile. She wants a larger scene with more music and more opportunities. She wants to move away from the clicks that have defined her life for five years and move into a more diverse group of people.... She understands that it will be different. She know there will still be clicks - but when you have had the same 100 kids in your class for five years, she is ready for a "different" set. She seems to grasp the idea that 1800 kids in her new high school will be very different than the 400 that she was headed towards...

 

During our tour, we visited the media center. She was able to go into the office and see the student services area. She toured the auditorium. We saw the computer classrooms and the cafeteria... but near the end of the tour, we headed down a hall that I recognized as the "music area". We could hear the dance class leaping around and the band warming up... My girl saw the chorus room and ran to the window...

 

"there it is, Mom... there is the place where my life will change"

 

 

I am making the right choice for my kid...

I pray that she finds her niche quickly and as painlessly as possible....

changes

Six years ago we started a new journey... We chose to send our oldest child to a charter school. It was the first year that the school was open. We had several people suggest that we wait to see how the school preformed - but we knew that we could always leave, yet it was going to be very difficult to get in to the school. He was number 37 on the waiting list... and just a week before the school opened, he got in. He started 5th grade there, and one year later, our daughter started 4th grade there too.

The oldest is in the high school building now, the middle is enjoying her final year of middle school there, and the youngest is presently in 1st grade in the elementary building.

We do not have huge problems with the school. The teachers are well educated. Our special education teachers who help our oldest child, have been above average at almost every turn.

Yet, I am faced with the fact that as a parent I need to send my children to the school that will BEST meet their individual needs... If this means that I am in car line for 1.5 hours like I am right now, then I will do it. Three different schools and three different calendars would be hard, but I will do it.

My middle child wants to sing and perform. She wants a strong nucleus of friendships that will help her enjoy all the moments of high school. She seems to desire to have a lot of the similar experiences that I shared in high school. I want these for her too! So, she will be returning to public school....

My youngest enjoys his charter school but asked me last week, "Mom, when will I go back to MY school?" It cracked me up - too sweet. He loved his teachers and his friends. He was comfortable there. He will succeed in a large setting. He desires to learn as much as someone can offer him. He wants to rule the world one day, or at least the zoo that he is planning to start in Durham County... So, we have applied for him to return to his year-round school... we will find out in two weeks if he will be able to go there.

Then the oldest...

He does not want to leave his school. He has about three friends there. He is barely passing, but is passing all of his classes. He feels safe with less than 400 students in the entire building. He has three resource teachers who are fighting for him.

 

but

 

He is in a school that is solely college bound. There is nothing in place to help a student who needs vocational training or support finding a job and getting set up with his future....

 

This past Tuesday night, I had an accidental meeting with a wonderful teacher. I went to an open house to learn about the opportunities for my daughter... yet I found a "exceptional children's coordinator" standing at a table with no one speaking to her... after a couple of questions, I had a strong hope for the future and what all was available for my oldest son....

 

So, he may change schools too....

 

stay tuned - big changes are coming to the Subletts... two people who have been Baptist forever are attending and enjoying a Methodist church... three children who attend a small charter school are considering large public schools as a better choice for them...

 

All my life I have struggled with change. I like the "same-o same-o" all of the time. I order the same thing every time at most restaurants. I own clothes for more than ten years at a time. I drive cars until they die. I live across the street from where I was raised, so I have lived in the same neighborhood for almost 38 years....

 

But I am learning that change can be great too...

 

Lord, lead us where YOU would have us to be - guide us and help us make things work for our children in order to provide them with the best foot toward their future...

 

amen

the professor has "got game"

My youngest has a crush... I caught him at his desk last night writing a letter to his "love"

He then put it into an envelope and sealed it... He would not let me read it... however, I am really good....


tune in later for the results...

dern it

My goal to stay positive is not working...

 

I had wonderful intentions... I planned... I thought it out... I had goals...

 

Then one of my children decided to be difficult. Then, things at home starting backing up... I was unable to jog one day... then I got into an argument with my kid...

 

then I sat down and saw my "notes to self" about being positive....

 

 

dern it

 

 

I am not abandoning my goal. It is a good goal. It may not be achievable every single moment. Life happens and it is not always good... I will have a horrible moment...

 

but my goal is to try to FOCUS on the positive...

 

My goals for this week:

jog at least four times

prepare a birthday supper for my parents (birthdays are last week and next week)

valentines for my valentines

be positive more than I am negative

 

 

let's see how far I get

Happy 70th, Mom!

Every time I sang anywhere... She was there
Every time I was sick... She was there
Every time I needed anything... She was there

My mom has always been involved in my life... She knows most of what I have done, and she loves me regardless... She was always present.

I never appreciated it while growing up. I wished that she would sit out for a concert or two... Maybe miss a conference or concert. I wanted her to lay low....

Then I started teaching

When getting ready for a concert, I was shocked to watch some parents drive their child to the concert... Then drop them off and return afterwards. Even when the concerts were free, there would still be students waiting outside for 30-45 after a concert waiting on a parent for a ride. When teaching middle school, I would have to allow kids to stay after school in my classroom until 7pm for the concert just to ensure that they would be there for the concert. We would hang out and order pizza... Their parents would grab them after the show...

I realized how blessed I was...

I never wondered where she was...

Even now, I can find her across the street... Watching out the window to see my oldest climb a tree, my youngest on his swing, or the middle child supervising the action...

Happy birthday, mom...I hope I aggravate my kids like you aggravated me... Because that means that in a few years, they will realize just how blessed they are too... Blessed that my mother taught me how to be a great mother.

things that are true, noble, right...

Philippians 4:4-9

4  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5  Let you gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6  Do not be anxious about anything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests
    to God
7  And the peace of God, which transcends all understand, will guard your hearts and your minds in
    Christ Jesus.
8  Finally, brother and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
    whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about
    such things
9  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And
    the God of peace will be with you

This morning in church we heard about joy... true, to-the-bone joy... I have been thinking about this actually for a few days - I was surprised, yet happy to hear that God had placed a similar message on our pastor's heart.

 

Over the last few months, so much has happened around me. I have seen people pass away much too early. A friend of my son's youth was in a horrific car accident, and we are still waiting to see how well he will recover. I have experienced wonderful times and some dark, lonely times. Each instance, I have allowed to effect me... I have chosen to concentrate on things that do not deserve my attention. I have been overly critical of myself and have had pretty negative thoughts about things...

 

not good

 

Another look at the above scripture, but in a different translation... The Good News translation for verses 8-9, are the following:

 

"In conclusion, my brothers and sisters, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honourable. Put into practice what you learnt and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you."

 

Seems as though I have been concentrating on the wrong stuff.

 

I am saved from the depths of hell from a Savior who died for me. I have a good husband. I have three healthy children. I have seen my life change for the better in many ways over the past 6 months. I have a good church with people who love my three kids and look for ways to help each of them weekly. I love my job of 11 years and laugh at the idea of getting paid to play with young children each day. I have a warm home that is more than enough for the five of us.

 

I am a blessed woman who needs to be reminded to concentrate on lifting myself and other UP... the world will drag us down - there is no need to help with the dragging...

 

Let's swim upstream together - fight the negative thoughts and fill yourself with the joy and the knowledge of all that we have in our Lord....

 

some days it is harder than others... but I need to start making an effort every day