Hello, Blog.

So much going on. Back to school has kept us BUSY! I've had things to post about but it hasn't gotten done...here are a few updates for now!
- I have a wonderful class- of only 18 students!
- Wilson has had a few rough days with going to class, but overall doing very well at school.
- Lots of intense behaviors to deal with at home from Wilson. I'm thankful that he is well behaved at school. Really. But that means he saves up all of his intensity for home. Some nights are rough!
- Doing pretty well with my thankful journal. Trying to keep perspective!
- Haven't run but 1 time since Andy left for Colorado. He was gone two weeks and now has been home for two weeks. Hmmm...guess I need to get back at it so I can do Race for the Cure in October!
- Overwhelmed is my normal state right now. Which isn't healthy. I've lost 7-8 pounds which hasn't hurt me any! 5lbs while Andy was in CO. I'm happy, just trying to take each day one thing at a time!
- I'm really enjoying being on our Leadership Team at school.
- Luke got some kelly green converse and he is absolutely adorable in them! I'll post about his back to school shopping this weekend.
- Tyler is doing well, talking soo much! So proud of my big boy. He'll be two in a few weeks. The way he says light is hilarious! He rolls his l and then adds ight. lulight is the only way I know how to type it!
- Andy and I have laughed the past two evenings watching the double rainbow on you tube and then the double rainbow song. So funny!
Hoping this weekend to catch up on some cleaning around the house...

Thankful Notebook

Really trying to focus on the things I have to be thankful for, as I mentioned in a previous post. Each night I'm listing all the specific things from that day that I have to be thankful for in a little notebook. I'm easily overwhelmed and bogged down by the negative. So maybe this will help!

Today I am thankful for: cooler weather, watching Tyler sing and dance, my wonderful classroom of new students, Andy giving the boys a bath and dealing with a lot of Wilson's VERY intense behavior tonight, getting the school tubs taken care of, making my own taco seasoning because it made me feel so domestic - less sodium and such!, and being motivated enough tonight to start a couple loads of laundry.

Goodnight :)

No concept of time!

My Lukie really struggles with the concept of time. I'm sure it's a developmental thing but he refers to anything that happened yesterday as last year. Tonight, he told Andy he didn't need a bath because he had one last year. We were cracking up! If only he knew what he was saying. :) The reason this sometimes concerns me is that on days I have been at work and I ask him what he did that day or what he ate for lunch, he really struggles to answer me. I don't know if he just doesn't want to talk or if he truly doesn't remember. We usually have to help him remember and jog his memory and then he starts to remember things. He does the same thing if Andy has been gone and asks him questions. Hopefully he'll start to understand and develop his concept of time soon!

She really got me thinking.

I learned a lot this weekend at the Living Proof Live event I attended. It was just what I needed! I have a renewed focus. I heard Beth Moore speak with several friends, including most of my small group and my sister. It was amazing. If you are a woman and you haven't heard Beth Moore speak you need to. She is down to earth and real - even though she was speaking to 11,000 women here in our city! Here are some highlights that have me really thinking about my life:
* In order for God to build, something has to be torn down. He'll never tear anything down that won't be re-built better.
* A desert (unplowed land) in our life is anywhere that we don't let God in. Maybe we say we'll do anything God asks of us except _____. God can turn a desert into paradise. Where is my unplowed land?
* We become what we follow, so follow hard after Jesus.
* God is so devoted to me he will come and get me - with as much force as it takes to bring me home. How do I want my life to end? Am I headed in the right direction?
* God knows what He is doing. He does not have destructive thoughts or plans for me. He has a beautiful plan.
* God has to have our WHOLE heart. Let go of your game. We truly don't even understand our own heart. Our heart can torture us the most because it can be deceitful. Our heart can rationalize things that cause destruction.
*Nothing is too hard for Him. God is stuck right on me. He will never leave or betray me.

I have so many things in my life to be thankful for. It is time for me to focus on those . I am raising three precious boys and am married to the love of my life. That doesn't mean things will always be easy. Life can be hard. But life is good!

What Happened?

If you read yesterday's post you know how well Wilson did going to class on his first day. So why was the second day harder?? He went to bed excited and woke up very excited before I even went in to wake him. Then we got to school and his tummy started hurting. I tried all the usual things. He was then hiding under my desk while my students were coming in. I finally left with him (don't worry, Mrs. B was in there!!) and went to the office. Got some tums which he refused to eat, tried to make him go to the bathroom, had his temp taken. At that point I knew it must be nerves. Took him to get his back pack and walked him to class. There he stood with this painful look on his face whimpering and stuff. I got down to his level and told him I couldn't do this right now. I needed to be a teacher. Told him I loved him and I'd see him around the building. Reminded him of how well he did yesterday and that it would all be ok. He would not show me where he sat. I walked in and found his seat. Then he slowly came in. I told Mrs. G that his tummy hurt and to let me know if she needed me. Then I left him in his classroom.

Saw him less than two hours later and he was all smiles! Tonight when we talked about it he said he thought he knew why his tummy hurt - because he was nervous. Yesterday was SOO good. Hoping tomorrow he can have courage again!

1st Grader!

Unfortunately my digital camera is broken. I tried taking a picture on my phone this morning and it didn't turn out well. So I'll pretend it's the first day again some other time and take a picture again! BUT, Wilson had a wonderful 1st day of school! Yesterday when I got home from work he was acting out. A lot. It dawned on me that he was nervous and didn't know how to let it out. So we talked about 1st grade and all of his friends who are in his class. He had a little trouble going to bed. We talked on the way to school about having courage and being brave and how much fun it would all be. Ya'll aren't going to believe me but he walked to his classroom by himself on the first day! From my room all the way down the hall to his room! Mrs. Engram and Mrs. Dowd would have been so proud of him! I watched him walk all the way there, so happy that he wasn't afraid. There were many days last year that weren't easy. But Mrs. E and Mrs. D helped him through it. Tonight when I put that tired boy to bed he said "I can't wait to go back to school tomorrow!" That's my boy! I'm so glad his fears have subsided so he can actually enjoy himself. :) Hoping for continued peace for him.

My first day went very well too! I even got a gift...a box of instant pudding. Hmmm... :) Thought everyone could use a good laugh!

Funny things that happened today:

* Luke tells Tyler almost every night at bed time "Don't let the bad bugs bite."
* Luke told me today that his pillow sometimes gives him bad dreams. :) I asked him if we needed to change the pillowcase and he said, "No, they all give me bad dreams." Poor thing.
* Luke rocked his new stuffed animal to bed tonight!
* Tyler took his train whistle to bed with him. We kept hearing the whistle from his room for a few minutes after I put him to bed!
* I put both contacts in my left eye this morning. Everything was blurry. Then I figured it out.
* As I was hanging posters this afternoon I accidentally bumped my clock. It fell of the wall and hit me on the forehead as it fell down. I was glad there wasn't anyone in there to see! The clock hands spin freely around now. Had to email the custodian and ask for a new clock. The clock I broke today was a new clock from last year. Oops!
* Luke smashed his silly putty into the TV remote. Not good. I've gotten most of it off. Not really funny but fitting with the day!
We went out for icecream tonight after dinner. It was the hottest day we've had so far this year. Miserable! I'm ready for cooler fall weather. And I can only admit that now that summer is over for me. If it's time for back to school, the weather should cool off now.

Just because I am a woman...

does NOT mean I am stupid! So let me explain. I went to an office store today that gives teachers a discount. I decided to buy a new chair for my desk. Mine is a hand me down and has been broken for a while. I realized I could get a nice $90 chair for $54 with my teacher discount! So I bought the chair. Then Ty and I went to my mom's house for lunch. She said she'd help me put the chair together. We followed the directions and I used the allen wrench and we put the chair together. Now the back of the chair was crooked. One side leaned into the arm rest. So I took the back off and mom and I looked at it and it was on the metal bracket crooked. Not that I had screwed it in crooked. It was defective. So I said let me try again. Put it together, still crooked. We take the chair into the office store and they agree it is crooked. So a man takes it apart and puts it back together because "I did it wrong". Yeah...so about 30 minutes later Terry sees him get the floor model and wheel it over to where he was working. We wait a few more minutes and he wheels the chair out to me. He said "you had the arm rests on the wrong side too." Um... sorry but that wasn't even possible with the way the arm rests were made. They could only be screwed into one side of the chair! It wasn't possible to do them backwards. I say thank you and start walking out. I notice the base of the chair is dusty. I run my fingers across and it is really dirty. The metal bracket between the base and back of the chair has a layer of dust. I said to my mom "He gave me the floor model!" Without telling me or saying anything along the lines of yes, the chair was defective...he just tried to be sneaky and give me the dusty floor model without even saying anything. Well not saying anything other than how I put the chair together incorrectly - but I didn't! I'm not confrontational. I didn't turn around and say "Why is my new chair so dusty?" But I've been very upset by his dishonesty/customer service. I'm not one to call and complain. But should I? I'm happy with the chair, I got a great deal with it being $36 cheaper with my discount. But still. Grrr.