Well, I can officially say that I am ready for fall. Trevor got up Saturday morning and walked around the block to our local farmer's market to see what kind of fresh summer produce caught his eye. He came home with some fresh squash and a variety of tomatoes. Not being your typical fourteen year old, he actually had a great time striking up conversations with the old farmers and their wives. I think they gave him most of what he brought home for free... they were just thrilled to see a young face.
Last night, I decided to fry some green tomatoes. I had been craving them since I was in South Carolina at Fort Jackson and saw them on the menus at several restraunts there. I set up the electric skillet outside under the carport... definitely didn't want the smell lingering in my house! Scott shook them in a ziploc bag full of flour and we fried them to our hearts' content! Ahhh, fried green tomoatoes and sweet tea... summertime in the South! It was delicious, and I have had my fill until next year!
Now, I am officially ready to hear the drums of the high school band as they play at the Friday night football games. And, I will gladly put away the fried green tomatoes for the smell of funnel cakes at the county fair. I see another ten pounds coming on...
Monday, July 23, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Play-doh and Ponytails!
The time is here again. I am swamped with preparations for the new school year. I have taught preschool for around ten or so years now, and I absolutely love it! Aside from my third year of teaching when I was bitten on the "rear end" by a three year old, I find my job very rewarding. I teach Pre-K in our Church's Weekday Program. We minister not only to families in our Church, but also to other families throughout our community.
I love the honesty of four year olds... the good and the bad. One morning last year, I had to stay home with Anna Claire because she was sick. To keep my assistant and the substitute teacher from having to frantically prepare the room for the day, I went in before school to set up my room. I got up, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and threw on my favorite ...purchased in 1992 and worn faithfully every chance I get...Alabama Crimson Tide sweat shirt. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see that I was the first car on the parking lot. I turned my key in the door and rushed in for my task. I ran into my room, put out some Mr. Potato Heads, mixed up some paint, set up the wooden blocks, and drug out the Play-doh. (Play-doh is a staple in every Preschool classroom. Parents prefer it that way... anything to keep it off of the carpet at home!) Anyway, as I exited the door I let out a sigh of relief! I had accomplished my mission... in record time! I was in the home stretch... until it happened... it was Jake! As I rounded the corner in the hall, I saw him... the kid that was always the first at school for early care! I quickly gave him the same greeting I gave him every other day, "Good Morning, Jake." Jake stopped in his tracks. He turned and looked up at his Mom and asked, "How did that lady know my name?" His Mom replied, "Jake, that lady is Ms. Heather... your teacher." Then he sternly told her, "No, that lady is not my teacher! My teacher doesn't look like that. My teacher has make-up on!" I quickly decided to exit the building on that note, rather than terrorizing the child anymore... or running the risk of seeing any other ones! As I was leaving, I could still hear him arguing with his mother about it. I never mentioned that morning to Jake again. And as far as I know... he still thinks his Mom was wrong! Why ruin his image of me, right? :)
We start school in a little over a week. As a matter of fact, Trevor registered for High School today! Our system is on a "year round" schedule, so we only have eight weeks of summer. It seems like we haven't had time to get last year "out of our systems" yet! Ready or not, here it comes.
For now, I am concentrating on a new class of kids. Jake and the rest of his classmates are off to Kindergarten. I just pray that I had some kind of positive impact on those little lives in God's big plan!
And as for Play-doh... the staple in my classroom... kids are so much like Play-doh. They are being shaped and molded every day. We never know what soldier, musician, doctor, nurse, teacher, preacher, or missionary might be in front of us. It is up to us to mold them with gentle, loving hands. And Isaiah tells us that we are Play-doh in God's hands!
"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8
Today, I am thankful for Play-doh, and I am thankful that I am the work of His hands... even with no make-up and a ponytail!
I love the honesty of four year olds... the good and the bad. One morning last year, I had to stay home with Anna Claire because she was sick. To keep my assistant and the substitute teacher from having to frantically prepare the room for the day, I went in before school to set up my room. I got up, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and threw on my favorite ...purchased in 1992 and worn faithfully every chance I get...Alabama Crimson Tide sweat shirt. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see that I was the first car on the parking lot. I turned my key in the door and rushed in for my task. I ran into my room, put out some Mr. Potato Heads, mixed up some paint, set up the wooden blocks, and drug out the Play-doh. (Play-doh is a staple in every Preschool classroom. Parents prefer it that way... anything to keep it off of the carpet at home!) Anyway, as I exited the door I let out a sigh of relief! I had accomplished my mission... in record time! I was in the home stretch... until it happened... it was Jake! As I rounded the corner in the hall, I saw him... the kid that was always the first at school for early care! I quickly gave him the same greeting I gave him every other day, "Good Morning, Jake." Jake stopped in his tracks. He turned and looked up at his Mom and asked, "How did that lady know my name?" His Mom replied, "Jake, that lady is Ms. Heather... your teacher." Then he sternly told her, "No, that lady is not my teacher! My teacher doesn't look like that. My teacher has make-up on!" I quickly decided to exit the building on that note, rather than terrorizing the child anymore... or running the risk of seeing any other ones! As I was leaving, I could still hear him arguing with his mother about it. I never mentioned that morning to Jake again. And as far as I know... he still thinks his Mom was wrong! Why ruin his image of me, right? :)
We start school in a little over a week. As a matter of fact, Trevor registered for High School today! Our system is on a "year round" schedule, so we only have eight weeks of summer. It seems like we haven't had time to get last year "out of our systems" yet! Ready or not, here it comes.
For now, I am concentrating on a new class of kids. Jake and the rest of his classmates are off to Kindergarten. I just pray that I had some kind of positive impact on those little lives in God's big plan!
And as for Play-doh... the staple in my classroom... kids are so much like Play-doh. They are being shaped and molded every day. We never know what soldier, musician, doctor, nurse, teacher, preacher, or missionary might be in front of us. It is up to us to mold them with gentle, loving hands. And Isaiah tells us that we are Play-doh in God's hands!
"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8
Today, I am thankful for Play-doh, and I am thankful that I am the work of His hands... even with no make-up and a ponytail!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Blessings!
We found out great news yesterday! It looks like Scott is going to be able to wear ACU's to work for a couple of more months. This time, however, he will be sleeping in our bed... thankfully! He received a call from the CSM at the Armory this afternoon asking him if he would be interested in Active Duty orders for 73 days. There is an administration job available. He won't actually be performing Chaplain duties except on drill weekends or unless "deemed necessary" during the week... but...he jumped at the opportunity.
It's truly amazing how God works. Today was his first day back at his "secular world" job. He is presently in sales at a local car dealership while he attends Seminary and drills on the weekend. He was SO not looking forward to trading his ACUs back in for khaki pants. This new position will give him an opportunity to spend his days at the Armory and be visible and available to the soldiers. He is anxiously awaiting his orders!
I really miss my new friends. I miss going out to dinner with our husbands. I miss sitting at the park on Post and chatting in person...rather than online. I miss talking to them everyday. But... I know that God is directing each of our paths... though we are in different places... in the same direction!
It's truly amazing how God works. Today was his first day back at his "secular world" job. He is presently in sales at a local car dealership while he attends Seminary and drills on the weekend. He was SO not looking forward to trading his ACUs back in for khaki pants. This new position will give him an opportunity to spend his days at the Armory and be visible and available to the soldiers. He is anxiously awaiting his orders!
I really miss my new friends. I miss going out to dinner with our husbands. I miss sitting at the park on Post and chatting in person...rather than online. I miss talking to them everyday. But... I know that God is directing each of our paths... though we are in different places... in the same direction!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Coming Home!
He is coming home today! He is on the road as I type. Probably two hours into an eleven hour drive! Our house is buzzing with anticipation. The beds are being made, the floors are being swept, and the grocery list is being jotted down.
The kids and I arrived home from Fort Jackson on Wednesday evening. We extended our stay a couple of days because... well... we absolutely loved it there! Not only was the missing piece to our family there, we absolutely love life on an Army Post! Wow, I have so many stories (the 4th of July, new friendships, new appreciation for our soldiers, and on and on)... those will come in future blogs! New pictures are coming, too!
I received a phone call from Scott a little earlier. He was telling me that he was on the road home. I could tell that there was mixed emotion in his voice. He was excited to come home to us, but heavy hearted about leaving Fort Jackson. Most of the friendships he made were with Chaplains that are staying for six more weeks of CH-BOLC and going directly on to Active Duty with the Army. As a Candidate, he still has a couple of more years in Seminary before he will be able to finish and accession to the Chaplaincy. These past six weeks have just reaffirmed the calling to Active Duty that he has been feeling all along. In seventeen years, I have never seen him happier or more fulfilled than these past weeks as he was spending every day in his uniform and serving God and Country. Now he has a new fire lit under him to knock out the remainder of Seminary and "get on with this!"
As for the friends he was leaving, I have no doubt that they were everlasting ones. I've never seen him form such bonds as these. Something is different about them... God ordained, i guess. Not to mention the fact that the wives have bonded, too! And as for the wives, we have determined not to let these friendships fade away!
Today, I am off to the Grocery to pack the fridge with all of his favorites. He told me that he is soooo tired of eating out. Anyone that knows him, knows he has to be really tired of eating out to say that! It's gonna be home cooking around our house for a long while! Our six weeks are over and (in his words) my "non-combatant" soldier is coming home! HOOAH!
The kids and I arrived home from Fort Jackson on Wednesday evening. We extended our stay a couple of days because... well... we absolutely loved it there! Not only was the missing piece to our family there, we absolutely love life on an Army Post! Wow, I have so many stories (the 4th of July, new friendships, new appreciation for our soldiers, and on and on)... those will come in future blogs! New pictures are coming, too!
I received a phone call from Scott a little earlier. He was telling me that he was on the road home. I could tell that there was mixed emotion in his voice. He was excited to come home to us, but heavy hearted about leaving Fort Jackson. Most of the friendships he made were with Chaplains that are staying for six more weeks of CH-BOLC and going directly on to Active Duty with the Army. As a Candidate, he still has a couple of more years in Seminary before he will be able to finish and accession to the Chaplaincy. These past six weeks have just reaffirmed the calling to Active Duty that he has been feeling all along. In seventeen years, I have never seen him happier or more fulfilled than these past weeks as he was spending every day in his uniform and serving God and Country. Now he has a new fire lit under him to knock out the remainder of Seminary and "get on with this!"
As for the friends he was leaving, I have no doubt that they were everlasting ones. I've never seen him form such bonds as these. Something is different about them... God ordained, i guess. Not to mention the fact that the wives have bonded, too! And as for the wives, we have determined not to let these friendships fade away!
Today, I am off to the Grocery to pack the fridge with all of his favorites. He told me that he is soooo tired of eating out. Anyone that knows him, knows he has to be really tired of eating out to say that! It's gonna be home cooking around our house for a long while! Our six weeks are over and (in his words) my "non-combatant" soldier is coming home! HOOAH!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
