things are happening

We have a new hickory hand-rubbed floor and it's beautiful. Pictures to come soon. The cabinet maker started today on my new kitchen cabinets. He promised to have them ready in three weeks, we shall see! In the meantime, guess who is the new president of the Missionary Society? I am. I was asked to do this last year and declined because I knew I had this long-term subbing job coming up. Now that is coming to an end, I couldn't think of a legitimate excuse. Dear Jesus, make this one way I can serve you better. Even though I find it easier to interact with kids, I am willing to expand my comfort zone to witness and serve you. I will need your help.

she's wearing my bracelet

Last week I broke a good (Brighton) bracelet and lost one. This morning during math I noticed the smartest and one of the sweetest girls in my class wearing my lost bracelet. While I was trying to figure out what to say or how to confront her, another really smart and sweet girl came up to me and mentioned that she had found the bracelet on her desk that very morning. I didn't ask any questions and was very appreciative that she (who was not the girl wearing it earlier in the day) had given it back. Later on, after the kids had left, I asked the night janitor if he, in fact, had found the bracelet and laid it on the girl's desk. He had not. I choose not to investigate this any further,the main thing is; I have my Fossil bracelet back and I still might buy me a new one.

book list

I just finished reading The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure. Since I'm from the Midwest and grew up reading all of the "Little House" books, I knew when I saw the title that I had to read the McClure book. It's about a 30s girl from Chicago who grew up living in Laura World and decided to take road trips to visit all of the Ingalls homestead sites. On some of the trips her boyfriend went with her; on other trips, she just took out alone. I enjoyed it very much. I've always loved the "Little House" books, not so much the television show. Now I'm reading the book about the astronomer who "kills" Pluto. I've just gotten into it. Oh, I also have to use wall paper stripper and remove the little strip on wallpaper still in my dining room. You can see it if you go back to the "before picture" I posted. It was under the baseboard which will be replaced with a wider piece. Why is there a need to take it off if we are just going to cover it up with another piece of baseboard? Because that is the way my "perfectionist hubby" does things!

spring break

The second day of my spring break was spent picking out a new kitchen sink and faucet. Also, the five gallons of paint originally meant for the kitchen wall will now become the ceiling color and we will coordinate with that on the walls, so back to the paint store for more samples. The dining room gets new carpeting and paint. The laundry room gets a new tile floor and paint after the wallpaper which is original to the house when we built it seventeen years ago is removed. All of the doors and wood trim will be replaced and we have some different plans for our fireplace as well. Lots of updates and changes going on and I'm trying to enjoy this upheaval and know that it will be worth it in the end. This is Sam's second day in his kennel. He is a good little trooper and so far, so good. He just cannot pee on the new wood floors. Dear Jesus, help me get that through his sweet little doggie head! 

bracelets, grade cards, renovation

This past week I broke a favorite Brighton bracelet. I know I can sent it in to the company to be restrung but that's a hassle along with everything else I have going on. On the same day I was taking my jacket off in the classroom and I felt my Fossil bracelet slip off my arm. The kids and I looked for it everywhere but it just disappeared. Both bracelets were less than a year old and although I had purchased the Fossil one on sale, it was a good one to wear to school and now I have a need to replace it. I always wear a bracelet, even on a Saturday morning. It's my signature jewelry. Fortunately, I have a week of Spring break to look forward to and I'm so excited to have some time to pick out granite, tile and paint. The "kitchen" remodel has evolved into the whole first floor which will be like living in a new house again. My only real chore this week is sitting down and filling out grade cards. I used Grade Pro on the classroom computer to figure the grades but I still have to transfer them to the actual report cards and make a short comment on behavior and study skills. I do have to give one F this quarter to a little girl that is not progressing in reading. She should have spend another year in first grade but apparently the parents overruled the teacher and she was sent on. And if she isn't retained this year, it will be another year of failure in third grade. The parents will probably blame her teachers for not performing a miracle.

thoughts

It's important for me to be a good teacher and this may be my last long-term subbing job. I'm not posting as much because I simply can't find the time. I'm not walking or exercising or reading my Bible either. I'm not helping the Braille ladies and because I don't have a kitchen, I'm not fixing dinner. I know that both school and renovations will come to an end eventually. I will just continue to get up, put on my big-girl panties and quit complaining!