Below are the transcriptions for a few of the little notes of gratitude and well-wishing sent by some of my students before they left for the summer. These are all third graders. And most of them are pretty funny.
1. "I will miss you I like to seen and play the piano is fun. You rock."
2. "bye from Joseph"
3. Front of card: "banjo" Inside of card: "Thanks for being party fun!"
4. "Thank you for getting us a party and thank u for everything u done"
5. "I do not want to leave! Bye bye til nex year!"
6. "Dear, Mrs. King you have been the best music teacher I will miss you this summer I just won't to say thank you your the best."
7. "You are the best music teacher ever and thank you for the guatar lessons. I hope you are the music teacher next year. you are very nice to me and you are the best teacher, and guatar player ever. I wish you a happy summer."
8. Front of card: "please open" Inside of card: "You were alsome at the party! I was excited and also I can't wait until next year! Your dad was great when he played the peano. I [heart]ed it!"
9. "You taught me a lot this year. Thank you Mrs. King."
Sweet kids. You taught me a lot this year, too.
And now someone needs to teach some of you what a run-on sentence is.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
An update on the update...and some other stuff.
Mom is home. She's doing well. Still weak, but strength will come. We'll be enlisting the home-health help again for PT and such.
Only three days of school left. The 5th graders "graduate" to Middle School today. To quote Robert Parr, AKA "Mr. Incredible",
"It's psychotic. They're moving from 5th grade to 6th grade. They just keep coming up with new ways to celebrate mediocrity!"
I'm not celebrating the move to Middle School for the sake of the kids. I'm celebrating it for MY sake. This bunch of yay-hoos look like the kids I had last year. But dawgonit if aliens didn't snatch their bodies over the summer. Something happens in the 'tween brain that makes them little "toots" - really. Like an actual toot, they're funny at times, but for the most part you don't want to be around them.
I'm crossing my fingers, toes, knees, eyes, and ears that the same won't happen to this year's fourth graders. They're already rurnt. [That's southern for ruined, for you yankees out there.] If they come back pumped full of hormones, with brains missing, I may have to start writing this blog from my prison cell.
Still waiting on the house stuff. That's all I'm going to say about that right now, because too much is up in the air. But with that comes a delay in filing the adoption application. I didn't want to file until the ground was broken and I KNEW we were moving into a house. I'm a little disappointed/discouraged, but trusting God that it will all work out. There's a line in an old song by the Martins that says: "The hand of God won't lead you where the grace of God can't keep you." So, actually, despite the initial discouragement, I'm a little excited to see how it's all going to come together. I've always said - as soon as I make a plan about how I want something to work out, it takes an unexpected turn. All because God wants to remain Lord of my life, and my planning gets in His way.
Well, I have to go set up sound equipment for the 5th grade graduation.
Yay.
Kind of.
Only three days of school left. The 5th graders "graduate" to Middle School today. To quote Robert Parr, AKA "Mr. Incredible",
"It's psychotic. They're moving from 5th grade to 6th grade. They just keep coming up with new ways to celebrate mediocrity!"
I'm not celebrating the move to Middle School for the sake of the kids. I'm celebrating it for MY sake. This bunch of yay-hoos look like the kids I had last year. But dawgonit if aliens didn't snatch their bodies over the summer. Something happens in the 'tween brain that makes them little "toots" - really. Like an actual toot, they're funny at times, but for the most part you don't want to be around them.
I'm crossing my fingers, toes, knees, eyes, and ears that the same won't happen to this year's fourth graders. They're already rurnt. [That's southern for ruined, for you yankees out there.] If they come back pumped full of hormones, with brains missing, I may have to start writing this blog from my prison cell.
Still waiting on the house stuff. That's all I'm going to say about that right now, because too much is up in the air. But with that comes a delay in filing the adoption application. I didn't want to file until the ground was broken and I KNEW we were moving into a house. I'm a little disappointed/discouraged, but trusting God that it will all work out. There's a line in an old song by the Martins that says: "The hand of God won't lead you where the grace of God can't keep you." So, actually, despite the initial discouragement, I'm a little excited to see how it's all going to come together. I've always said - as soon as I make a plan about how I want something to work out, it takes an unexpected turn. All because God wants to remain Lord of my life, and my planning gets in His way.
Well, I have to go set up sound equipment for the 5th grade graduation.
Yay.
Kind of.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Update on mom
The blessings and well wishings and prayers from friends continue to pour in and keep us lifted up. A big thanks to all of you.
Mom is doing well. She still doesn't feel like walking around too much, but the nurses make her. She's stubborn like that. Hmmm. Wonder if I inherited that at all. She's eating solid foods, and actually finished most of her supper last night. She is hoping the doctor will discharge her straight home in the next couple of days, rather than going to a nursing facility until she gets her strength back. I kinda do, too. Let's pray that she gets strong enough for that.
So, I'm thinking about opening my own travel agency, after all the coordination of pickups and deliveries and travel and lodgine and meals for the family. But first, I think I need to research some exotic destinations....
Like Greece, Italy, London, St. Lucia, New Zealand, and let's not forget Nepal. I need to catch myself up on the political situation there and see what all has taken place in the last week, and if that will affect us on the adoption.
We should have an answer on the house situation this week, also.
If anyone is looking for a birthday gift for me [only 59 shopping days left] or for Joe [only 3 shopping days left], a month-long stay at a lakeside mountain retreat would be very thoughtful.
Have a great one!
Mom is doing well. She still doesn't feel like walking around too much, but the nurses make her. She's stubborn like that. Hmmm. Wonder if I inherited that at all. She's eating solid foods, and actually finished most of her supper last night. She is hoping the doctor will discharge her straight home in the next couple of days, rather than going to a nursing facility until she gets her strength back. I kinda do, too. Let's pray that she gets strong enough for that.
So, I'm thinking about opening my own travel agency, after all the coordination of pickups and deliveries and travel and lodgine and meals for the family. But first, I think I need to research some exotic destinations....
Like Greece, Italy, London, St. Lucia, New Zealand, and let's not forget Nepal. I need to catch myself up on the political situation there and see what all has taken place in the last week, and if that will affect us on the adoption.
We should have an answer on the house situation this week, also.
If anyone is looking for a birthday gift for me [only 59 shopping days left] or for Joe [only 3 shopping days left], a month-long stay at a lakeside mountain retreat would be very thoughtful.
Have a great one!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I saw God.
My mom had some very serious health issues come up this week. When crises happen, I tend to focus on containment. Joe calls me "The War Department". I like to organize and give everyone marching orders. Family and friends who call and say "What can I do?" are sometimes surprised when I have an actual answer.
The all-consuming nature of this occupation means I sometimes don't have the spiritual wherewithall to step back from the circumstances and let God work. This week began in much the same way.
But as I realized my helplessness - yet again - which happened at about 4am on Tuesday morning - I took an account of what all had happened, and the blessings of God found in it. At every medical post, we were greeted by someone we knew. Friends, doctors and nurses from our churches, and even an old high school friend who guards the ICU door. Family from out of town have been able to make arrangements to come help with mom or dad as we need them to. No strange sitter service, no major disruption to life, except the daily treks to the hospital for visitations.
At this point, we are praying for the following:
Mom has been stationed as an 'overflow' ICU patient in the Recovery Unit. She isn't actually in a room yet. We are waiting on that. It has been 24 hrs in Recovery.
Pray against infection. She had a temp spike overnight, and is taking major antibiotics.
Pray for improved health overall and quick healing of the surgical site. Diabetes gets in the way of that stuff a lot.
Pray against pneumonia. Her pain from surgery and the way she has to be positioned makes breathing and coughing painfully difficult.
Pray for my dad to be coherent and contented as we disrupt his schedule and keep him updated on mom's condition.
Safe travel for my brother on Saturday, coming from Washington.
For those of you in town who would like to help:
While we wait for a room, we're kind of up in the air and back and forth as far as schedules and transportation and meals go. Just give me a call if you have a specific offer of help. I know we all want to be at the hospital with mom as much as possible. With the out of town family coming in, it would be nice to have some help changing sheets and getting the house ready for them. Frozen casserole kinds of meals [I'm allergic to shellfish] would also be easiest to fix on our flexible schedule - or a fastfood delivery to the hospital near the time of the evening visitation. The church has our phone numbers.
I told you I wasn't afraid to ask for help.
Otherwise, just keep us all in your prayers.
Thanks,
Jo
The all-consuming nature of this occupation means I sometimes don't have the spiritual wherewithall to step back from the circumstances and let God work. This week began in much the same way.
But as I realized my helplessness - yet again - which happened at about 4am on Tuesday morning - I took an account of what all had happened, and the blessings of God found in it. At every medical post, we were greeted by someone we knew. Friends, doctors and nurses from our churches, and even an old high school friend who guards the ICU door. Family from out of town have been able to make arrangements to come help with mom or dad as we need them to. No strange sitter service, no major disruption to life, except the daily treks to the hospital for visitations.
At this point, we are praying for the following:
Mom has been stationed as an 'overflow' ICU patient in the Recovery Unit. She isn't actually in a room yet. We are waiting on that. It has been 24 hrs in Recovery.
Pray against infection. She had a temp spike overnight, and is taking major antibiotics.
Pray for improved health overall and quick healing of the surgical site. Diabetes gets in the way of that stuff a lot.
Pray against pneumonia. Her pain from surgery and the way she has to be positioned makes breathing and coughing painfully difficult.
Pray for my dad to be coherent and contented as we disrupt his schedule and keep him updated on mom's condition.
Safe travel for my brother on Saturday, coming from Washington.
For those of you in town who would like to help:
While we wait for a room, we're kind of up in the air and back and forth as far as schedules and transportation and meals go. Just give me a call if you have a specific offer of help. I know we all want to be at the hospital with mom as much as possible. With the out of town family coming in, it would be nice to have some help changing sheets and getting the house ready for them. Frozen casserole kinds of meals [I'm allergic to shellfish] would also be easiest to fix on our flexible schedule - or a fastfood delivery to the hospital near the time of the evening visitation. The church has our phone numbers.
I told you I wasn't afraid to ask for help.
Otherwise, just keep us all in your prayers.
Thanks,
Jo
Monday, May 11, 2009
Trying to Stay Positive
We're waiting on a final approval from the bank for the construction loan. So crazy. We've had no problem with the permanent financing. But rules for construction loans are different. We can't actually break ground until the construction loan passes. If we were buying a house, we would have moved into it over a month ago. I am tired of this.
Also, in case you didn't hear, the prime minister of Nepal stepped down (or was forced out) by the newly elected president. Several nepal adoption blogs are reporting different consequences of this governmental move on the adoption process. It all comes down to the Ministry of Women and Children's Services in Nepal. (MOWCS)
The Nepal ambassador for MOWCS signed the Hague convention two weeks ago, which does a couple of things: Makes sure no child is illegally removed from the country, exploited, or given to a family who hasn't gone through an internationally accredited adoption placement agency. This is great, but it will greatly increase the amount of paperwork and time for referrals. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just because it's better to be sure, and better to have international accountability. But it may make things more expensive and time consuming. Since we haven't gotten our application and dossier completed, we won't be "grandfathered" in under the old regulations. Once the Hague signing is ratified by Nepal's parliament and its ordinances take effect, then we will know if this will actually affect us. Otherwise, I'm not sure.
There's not much else we can do except stay positive, trust God to work it out, trust God to PAY for it, and trust that someday, SOMEDAY!!!!, we'll have a home to bring a child into.
OH....By the way, in case you were interested....I found it!!! The perfect robin's egg blue coverlet - for $39.99. Thanks, SteinMart! Now if we can just get the loan approved!
Also, in case you didn't hear, the prime minister of Nepal stepped down (or was forced out) by the newly elected president. Several nepal adoption blogs are reporting different consequences of this governmental move on the adoption process. It all comes down to the Ministry of Women and Children's Services in Nepal. (MOWCS)
The Nepal ambassador for MOWCS signed the Hague convention two weeks ago, which does a couple of things: Makes sure no child is illegally removed from the country, exploited, or given to a family who hasn't gone through an internationally accredited adoption placement agency. This is great, but it will greatly increase the amount of paperwork and time for referrals. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just because it's better to be sure, and better to have international accountability. But it may make things more expensive and time consuming. Since we haven't gotten our application and dossier completed, we won't be "grandfathered" in under the old regulations. Once the Hague signing is ratified by Nepal's parliament and its ordinances take effect, then we will know if this will actually affect us. Otherwise, I'm not sure.
There's not much else we can do except stay positive, trust God to work it out, trust God to PAY for it, and trust that someday, SOMEDAY!!!!, we'll have a home to bring a child into.
OH....By the way, in case you were interested....I found it!!! The perfect robin's egg blue coverlet - for $39.99. Thanks, SteinMart! Now if we can just get the loan approved!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)