Waiting on Autumn

Oooh how I love Autumn! I cannot wait for it to get here. I get to wear my big sweaters and I don't have to keep my toenails polished! How wonderful is that?!
We've been pretty crazy here at The Doublewide over the past week. School has officially started and Lil R is back in daycare during the day.
It's amazing and sad how fast time passes. Only seems like yesterday that I was looking forward to summer vacation, being able to relax and spend long, lazy days with My Little Man.
He's not doing as well as I am. He cries every morning when we pull into the parking lot of his daycare. He immediately starts in with, "Mama--I go home?" It breaks my heart to take him to his classroom wiping crocodile tears off his cute little face, to drop him off. His teachers usually have to pull him off of me and I cry a little each time I walk out the front doors. Man I wish we were millionaires and I didn't have to work and was able to stay at home with him during the day. I know I miss out on so much, but we have bills to be paid.
Anyway.....back to FALL!
I can't wait for:
Stanley's CountryFest (Our small town's little autumn celebration/craft show!)
Colorful Leaves
Our annual trip to Lineberger's Pumpkin Patch
Apple Cider
Cool breezes
Walks in the woods
Apples EVERYWHERE
Pumpkin spice lingering somewhere in the doublewide
Friday nights at the FIRE PIT in the back yard
Our church's Fall Fesitval
Picking out a costume for Lil R
Taking lots of pictures of God's beautiful hands at work. By the way--Fall MUST be God's favorite season too---it's just too amazing with all the colors not to be
Coffee at 4:00 PM because it ain't too hot outside to drink it
Evenings on the front porch
Sleeping with the windows up
Four wheelin' on the farm with the family

Anyway---Happy Early Fall! Ooooh I can't wait!

Tomorrow Morning....

Here it is...the time I've been looking forward to and dreading all in the same.
Tomorrow morning I will walk into school knowing that I'm not "free" until Christmas for two weeks.
I have had such a wonderful summer here at The Doublewide. Lil R and I have created art projects, eaten a lot of fun stuff, gone swimming, gone shopping to The Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart--his two most favorite stores, spent the day in our PJ's watching TV and playing, been on vacation to Pigeon Forge, TN, gone to Bible School, and done lots more stuff.
It's hard to believe that it's gone--my summer break is GONE I tell ya!
Tomorrow morning, I will get up at the buttcrack of dawn and get both of us ready. I'm sure I'll forget something as I have to get a blankie and diapers for daycare. I also have to remember to get another checkbook since I wrote my last one last week sometime. Then I have to get what I'll need to sit ALL DERN DAY in meetings at school.
Tomorrow morning I'll kiss my little man goodbye and send him to a daycare that loves him almost as much as we do.
Tomorrow morning I'll drive to my school and wish that I was home snuggled up with him in the bed.
Tomorrow morning I'll probably cry before I get to school...
Tomorrow morning is coming way too fast and my little man is growing up way too fast.
But I know that I'll be fine tomorrow morning, because I put tomorrow morning in God's Hands today.
Have a great day!

Today it's MY Turn!

The past two days have been loaded with workshops for teachers here at the Doublewide! In my school system they have two days near when we go back, devoted to offering a wide variety of workshops that we need for renewal credit.
Every five years teacher's must renew their certificates--and it's a LOT of hard work.
Here's what is involved in case you want to know:
During a five year cycle you must earn 15 credits. 1 credit=10 hours so 150 hours of classes must be taken!!
You get 1 credit for each year you teach, so that takes care of 5....
10 to go....

3 must be in reading (whether you teach reading or not) Now THAT makes sense...NOT

2 in technology, which is understandable since I actually worked with a lady last year that didn't know how to check her school email and came into my room demanding that I use MY ink that I PAY FOR to print all 94 emails FOR HER! I think she was smoking something before she got to me!

3 in your area that you teach. Since I now teach Life Skills (the old Home Ec.) I guess I'll be going to Gaston College and taking a sewing class at my expense? hmmmm

2 in anything else.

Granted you have 5 years for completion, but come on. Let me remind you that the whole time we're taking these classes, we do NOT get paid. UGH...one more reason I think that handing out smiley face stickers at Wal-Mart isn't a bad idea.

Anyway--nothing will ever match the feeling of running into a former student and having them hug your neck and say thank you.
Nothing will ever match the feeling of getting a message on Myspace from a student that just graduated telling you that YOU were the only one they ever felt cared about them and the rest of the class.
Nothing will ever match the feeling of having a former student ask you to play the piano in her wedding and tell everyone at the rehearsal dinner how much you mean to her.
Nothing will ever match the feeling of having people you know call the school and beg for their child to get to be in your class.
Nothing will ever match the feeling of opening a thank you card in late July from a student you just had, who you worked hard with, telling you thank you for working with him and that you are awesome.

ALL of those things don't come with a paycheck either, but they're truly priceless.

As your children start back to school, know they're walking into a classroom where the teacher could make more money working at McDonald's and have MORE benefits there. Know that your kid's teacher is there because he/she WANTS to be there. Know that they love your child almost as much as you do. Know that they want you to trust them and give them some space to do their job. Know they need you supporting them--not trashing them in front of your kids. Know that they want to hear from you and they want to support your child, but know that they can't do it alone.

Enjoy the last few days of summer vacation with your babies! I know I am--heck--we're still in our PJ's here at the Doublewide!

Lightnin' Fast Speed!

I cannot get over how fast this summer has flown by! It seems like yesterday that I was closing the door to my classroom and practically running to my car to get out of there!
Now I find myself longing...
Longing to smell dry erase markers
Longing toput my hands into a teacher mailbox only to shred junk mail (yes it comes to me at school too!)
Longing to step so lightly on my newly polished, waxed and buffed classroom floors
Longing to smell lemon cleaner as I clean all of my desks and chairs
and longing to get to blow pencil shavings all over my newly cleaned floors as I sharpen them all in preparation!
Longing to catch up on everyone's summer--students and teachers alike
It's a bittersweet ending to a wonderful summer. I remember the first summer we had Lil R here. I remember telling my sister that I couldn't wait until he was like 2 or 3 so that he could talk to me and I could run and play with him, read him books, give him snacks and snuggle on the couch. Now those days are almost a memory for now--only to live on in my heart and in his scrapbooks.
I must admit though, that I am ready for him to get back into a routine. It's so much easier and it's better for him to get interaction with kids his age. It's just that I know as soon as school does start, and I'm in a classroom with hormonal teenagers, I'm going to long for the sweet slow days of summer with my little two and a half year old running through the house saying, "Mama---Hooollllllddddd meeee! or Mama...whatchoo doin?"
Lord, thank You for my baby boy and thank You for giving me such a full heart!