This Kid

Today I’m thankful for this kid.

This kid, right here.  

Middle Man.

This kid is funny.  Hysterical, in fact, and he doesn’t try to be.  

Except when he does...and then it’s not that funny.

When he’s just himself, he’s hilarious.

But that’s part of what makes him this kid.

He’s smart.  He thinks so deeply that it blows my mind.  He makes connections across curricular areas that really do impress me.  I know I’m his Mom, but I’m also an educator and educators are usually their children’s most harsh critics.  

His expressive language skills are well-developed.  He speaks figuratively in every day language.

This kid is smart, deep, expressive, and intelligent....except when he’s not.

This kid will lose his shoes 8 times a day.

This kid will have a pair of socks in his hands when he enters a room and when he exits it, moments later, the pair of socks will have  “miraculously disappeared into thin air.”

But that’s part of what makes him this kid.

This kid is the middle of 5. 

Not an easy place to be.

In that space, you’re always either outgrowing the younger 2 siblings or trying to catch up to the older 2.

He’s often caught in between, and for the most part, he juggles it well.

Except when he doesn’t.

Sometimes his frustration gets the best of him.

But he reigns it in, and makes amends.

It’s part of being this kid.

Thank You, God, for this kid.

November 2

Good morning, birthday girl!

Tonight I’m thankful for this birthday girl right here, who is SIX years old today.

Dogos.

My bonus baby number five.

The one who completed our family....

.....and is growing way too fast.

Happy birthday!  

November.

My favorite month.

The month in which we pause to consider our many blessings and to offer our thanks.

The month in which bloggers attempt to blog every single day.

Quite a lofty goal for Grandma Sandy, but I’m gonna give it my best shot.  

I did pretty good last year, until we all got the flu.  

This year, I’m not off to a great start, considering the fact that I’m actually writing this post at 6am on the morning of Nov. 2, but plan to cheat and alter the time and date of when this will post so it will appear as if I blogged on Nov 1.  But I consider it to still count, since I did think about blogging last night.  I gave myself a pass because after the week I’d just endured, I was so tired last night I was unable to form a coherent thought.

So, today, on the evening of this very first day..ahem... of my favorite month of the year I am thankful for the end of a very long, exhausting, stressful week that included 2 field trips...whew... a greatly anticipated and well-prepared for formal observation/evaluation at school that got cancelled at the last minute...are you kidding me?!?....Trunk or Treat at church...yay...and a very long faculty meeting that made my brain hurt....can you say data analysis?

I am most thankful for the week’s end and the weekend ahead of us.

I’m thankful for the month of November when we are intentional about pausing to consider our blessings and to offer our thanks.

It’s November.

And I couldn’t be happier!

Sun and Moon

Last weekend I went to The Lake for a quick trip home.

If it weren’t for the family, animals, plants and chickens back home, I think I could’ve stayed forever.

I mean, seriously, wouldn’t you want to?

Just look at that beautiful sunrise over the water.

It was nice to be in the company of my Mom and Dad, just me and them, even for a few short hours.  I had some time with my own thoughts.  

In fact, I think I had too much time because I didn’t fall asleep until 2am.  Why?  I’m not sure except maybe I wasn’t tired enough!

It was weird to have no kids to bathe or tuck in, no animals to feed, or plants to water.

Nonetheless, it was a brief respite and I’m grateful.

******************************************

We’re 3 weeks into summer and this time has been good for me. 

I’ve been setting some goals for myself.

I’ve started running again.

Grandma Sandy is slow, but determined!  

In 7 days, I logged 24.5 miles.

A good friend told me yesterday that the worst work-out is the one you don’t do.  So slow and steady is the course, right?

Another goal I’ve set for myself is to strengthen relationships here in my beloved Tiny Town.

We moved here 2 years ago and I have acquaintances but I don’t really have friends. No one that I call or hang out with, outside of school. 

2 jobs in 2 different schools in 2 years is a lot of change....I’m cutting myself some slack....but if I’m honest I have to admit that I haven’t made myself too available for developing any relationships beyond making pleasant conversation with the women with whom I teach.

Let’s face it.  I’m just like The Boss.  She gets it honestly.  We’re both shy and change is hard, no matter how old you are!  

*******************************************

The Chef’s former college roommate is here.  

Will has had some health issues that could threaten his career in the music industry out west so he’s taking a “break from life” for a while and staying on the Grandma Sandy compound.  Guitar Boy has had a blast riding mountain bikes with him on a nearby biking trail.  All the kids love “Willifer” as they call him.  He usually comes to visit between Christmas and New Year’s which is always a hurried visit.  It’s nice to have him around when things are much more relaxed. 

This week we look forward to The Chef’s sister and my niece and nephews arriving to spend some time.  It’s been far too long since we’ve seen each other.  I can’t wait for the kids to play and for us all to be able to spend some time together.  I’m hoping that a trip to NOLA could maybe be in the works?!?

********************************************

The past few weeks have been so good.  I feel like myself again.  It seems that sometimes during the school year, life gets so busy that I almost feel like a robot.  That’s not how it should be.  So....I’m setting goals for myself to be more reflective, more prayerful, to take care of my body and spirit so that I can become more fully, who God created me to be.

I took this picture tonight as I was sitting on the back porch.  I was hoping to catch the beautiful half-moon.  The tiny white light at the very top that looks like a doll flashlight would be the moon......Obviously, I failed!  Ah well, I tried.  Nonetheless, the moon was still so beautiful as it shone in the sky and over The Pastor’s house.  

So.....Grandma Sandy has been thinking....relaxing...thinking...and goal-setting.  And maybe a little soul-searching.  Trying to find my way here and my place.  Where I fit in.  Who God is shaping me to be and the purpose He would have me to serve.  

Reflection is good.

  

*After many months, Grandma Sandy is here.  Yay!!  My month-long-marathon posting in November came to an abrupt halt when the entire family got the flu during the week of Thanksgiving.

The following is a post that I wrote back in November.

How happy am I that summer is here and PawPaw’s Garden Market is open!*

Yesterday I mentioned PawPaw Bobby’s Garden Market.

This little place right here, along with this sign right here.....

are probably responsible for making me fall headoverheelsinlove with this tiny town.

When I discovered Pawpaw’s Garden Market, we had just moved here and all I knew about this tiny town was the fact that we found the most perfect house for our family and that we were in an unbelievable public school district.

Remember how I discovered that Pawpaw’s tomatoes were the best tomatoes I’d had in recent years?

(but don’t tell my lovely Tomato Lady that)

And of course, who could forget my favorite sign ever?!?
(incidentally, he was right....the tomatoes were delicious!)

Pawpaw’s Garden Market, his delicious vegetables, and most definitely his ugly girl sign left me wondering, who is PawPaw?  What does he look like?  He must be some kind of a character!

At the risk of making myself sound like a stalker, I have to admit that every time we’d pass by PawPaw’s, I found myself looking into his two big gardens to see if I could catch a glimpse of him.
A few times, I saw an older gentleman out working in the garden and once, when I saw him stocking the vegetable stand, I stopped to meet him.  Turns out, it wasn’t PawPaw, but a garden-helper-friend that rents the house next door to PawPaw.

Who is this PawPaw guy?  
Judging from the signs he’d posted in his Market Stand, he must be quite a character.
I have to admit that I was a bit worried that he might be a shriveled up scary-looking guy with 2 teeth.
I decided he was either gonna be a sweet little, short in stature grandpa with a grand sense of humor, or a scary 2-teether.
It could easily go either way.

I couldn’t have been more wrong!


Finally, one day very early last summer, I was driving past and saw some folks out at the Garden Stand.  I stopped by and met a teenaged girl and her Mom who happened to be PawPaw’s granddaughter and daughter.  Turns out, PawPaw’s daughter is a teacher at the primary school where I’m now teaching and his granddaughter is in the high school band and knows Guitar Boy.
At first, I was so surprised!  Small world, right?
Then I remember that I live in Tiny Town.  Ha.

As we were talking, this big, barrel-chested, silver-haired guy in jeans and a buttoned-down work shirt walked up with some produce.

Wait a minute.

WHAT?!?

Could this be PawPaw?!?  

Why, yes!
Yes, it was!!

And y’all, he was the nicest guy.
Of course!!

“PawPaw, I have to tell you that your Market Stand idea is the most brilliant thing ever.  I cannot tell you how much we love it.  It’s perfect!”

“Well, you know, Grandma Sandy?  I was laid off a few years ago and an old man like me can’t get hired these days.  Things are too tough for everyone.  And another thing?  I used to take vegetables to work all of the TIME and couldn’t PAY a soul to take ‘em home.  They’d just sit in the fridge at work.  So after I got laid off, I got to thinking.  You know what?  I’m just gonna build this Market Stand.  You wouldn’t believe the folks that come by here.  I can hardly keep up with ‘em.  In fact, I have a house in Tiny Town that I rent out, like this next one to me.  The house in town has a half acre yard in front and I’m thinking about planting it, too!”


Now, how precious is that?

Since then I’ve learned that he goes to my school and plants pumpkins for the 2nd graders to water and care for every year when school starts.

Be still my heart.

And not to overstate the obvious, but I clearly have a little bit of a crush on him.  Who wouldn’t?!?

I’m so thankful we have a neighbor like PawPaw Bobby.

I hope that one day I’ll be able to have the skills and know-how to have a garden like his!!

In the meantime, I’ll continue to enjoy the fruits of his efforts every summer.

And eagerly anticipate seeing the first posting of THIS sign in his yard every June!!

*And now its June.  So far this summer we’ve enjoyed PawPaw’s new potatoes, snap beans, squash, and sweet corn.
Speaking of snap beans, I learned how to can and put up 18 quarts...yes, 18 quarts...
let’s have a moment of silence because Grandma Sandy still hasn’t recovered
...of PawPaw’s green beans

I’m still waiting to see that Tomatoes sign in his yard.
When I finally do, you’ll probably hear Grandma Sandy whoop and holler all the way from Tiny Town.  :)

Happy Summer, y’all!!

72

Today is The Pastor’s birthday!

She is 72.

Birthdays are always a special occasion in our household, but today?

Especially, so.

The Pastor has been fighting cancer for much of her adult life.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer when The Chef and canape were kids.  Years later, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

They were living in California at the time where she was serving as an associate pastor.  Middle Man was born that July and because of her diagnosis and treatments, she and our Pawpaw were unable to travel to Mississippi to see their new grandson until he was 10 months old.
Finally, she got the “all clear” from her Dr. to travel, and they flew to Mississippi and came to stay with us in Laurel.
Not only did they come to see their new grandson for the first time, but also for The Pastor to baptize him.  What an awesome thing!

At this point, I have to say that I have the MOST wonderful mother-in-law in the world.  Not many girls can say that.  From the very beginning, her gentle ways, soft words, and kind heart have endeared her to me.
But y'all?  That week that she and Pawpaw were with us?
She came to welcome, love, and baptize her new grandson, just days after her last chemo treatment.  
She still had her gentle ways, soft words and kind heart, but I saw a different side to her. 
It wasn’t anything she said and it wasn’t anything she did, but the side I saw was fully represented in her bald head and face devoid of eyebrows or eyelashes.  
All I could think, when I looked at this woman who had already gone through so many hardships throughout her childhood and life, was that THAT was what true womanhood was all about.

I thought that her bald head was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
It represented to me the fear, anger, desperation, sheer resolve, and submission to a Higher Power it must take on anyone’s part to be in the fight for their life.  To face the fear of the unknown and to defy death’s grip.

Several years later, she was diagnosed with metastasized ovarian cancer that was inoperable.  The prognosis wasn’t good, and she and Pawpaw uprooted their lives and moved from CA to just around the corner from us in TN.  
It just so happens, that they arrived in TN on Thanksgiving Day, 2006.

Since then, she’s not only baptized Dogos, as you see above, but two of my precious nephews, as well.

Y’all?  The Pastor has lived years past her poor prognosis.  
She is still fighting cancer each and every day.
Every birthday is an extra special gift.
We thank God every day that she is with us!

Even after all these years of fighting the cancer demon, she continues to love and serve others in the same gentle way, with the soft and kind words that she always has.

Happy Birthday, Pastor!
We can’t wait to celebrate for many more years!!

Thankful November 16

Today I’m thankful that our internet is fixed!

Internet blinked out on us sometime Wednesday and it wasn’t until late last night that it was fixed.

Hence the reason for no posts the last 2 nights.

I’m also thankful for computer-genius-friends that could tell The Chef how to fix it over the phone after all the regular “fixes” didn’t work.

verdict...this has happened 4 times lately and our router is going bad

I’m thankful for eye doctors shout out to Dr. Lisa! and the fact that as of today, Grandma Sandy has her first pair of real glasses ordered.

Enough with wearing Dollar General or Walmart reading glasses!

I’d gotten to the point that I was wearing reading glasses all of the time and not just while reading. 

I can’t wait to get my new real glasses. 

I’m thankful for the end of a very long week that was full of fun but physically and mentally exhausting.  

Which also resulted in Grandma Sandy having a nasty cold, yet again.

However, it’s not the flu which is running rampant around here, so I’ll take the crud any day!

I’m most thankful for Thanksgiving break!

We are out of school for the whole next week.

And as Middle Man said when we picked him up after school today and The Boss questioned him about when Thanksgiving break started,

“Boss?  Thanksgiving break started as soon as my butt hit this van seat.”

I sure do love that boy!

For now, I’m off to bed.  

Sweet dreams!

Fun field trip (forgive the lack of originality)

The post about Middle Man’s NOLA field trip will probably not get done until this weekend.

Today was our 1st grade field trip and I’m whipped!

We took 7 of our 13 1st grade classes to the Children’s Museum in Jackson today and it was unbelievably awesome!  The other 6 classes will go on Thursday.  The Boss’s class will be going Thursday so I’ll be chaperoning that one, too.

3 field trips in 4 days.

whatonearthwasIthinking?

Did I mention that I was whipped?

momsandteachersneverstopright?

As I was saying, the Children’s Museum was amazing.

I was SO impressed.

The facility alone was state of the art.

The activities in every rotation of the museum kept the kids fascinated and focused and having fun the entire time.  We were there for 2 hours and could’ve easily stayed another hour without anyone getting antsy.

It was completely organized and every single member of the staff “knew” how to talk to and handle kids.

If you’ve ever worked with children or accompanied groups on field trips then you know exactly what I mean!

Tomorrow I’ll spend the entire school day administering Level 2 dyslexia screeners.

I’m physically tired today but tomorrow I’ll likely be brain dead.

But before that I gotta get up a little early to enter grades into the computer.  Progress reports go out Thursday and grades have to be posted by noon.

I could do it tonight but I’m whipped.

Did I mention that already?!?

Tonight I’m grateful for a wonderful day in Jackson, MS at the Children’s Museum with my some of my favorite 1st graders in the world.  I’m thankful for the fresh experience of discovery in so many different ways today through their eyes.

I’m also thankful to be turning off the lights and shutting down this laptop. 

Grandma Sandy is off to bed!

Sweet dreams, everyone.  ;)

Gifted Field Trip

Middle Man and I had a great field trip to New Orleans, today!  

I started downloading some pics earlier and got started on a post about it.  Hopefully I can finish it tomorrow.

For now, I’m dealing with a few last minute screw-ups for our 1st grade field trip tomorrow, plus finishing up a "turkey disguise" project with Dogos.

I can hardly believe it’s almost Thanksgiving!

Today I’m so thankful for time today with just Middle Man.

Last year I was able to see him all throughout the day because I was teaching 4th grade.

I’ve missed him and today I was reminded of just how much.

Today, it was great to be just Middle Man’s Mom.

It’s been a beautiful fall weekend here in south Mississippi!

I opened up all the windows and enjoyed the fresh air all weekend long.

I love being able to do that!

Friday night, Peanut went to a birthday party for a friend and Guitar Boy went to the football game.   It was the first play-off game of the season we won! go Panthers!  and hopefully we’ll be headed to the state championships again in a few weeks.  

Yesterday Guitar Boy, Peanut, and Middle Man went with The Chef to a Men’s Breakfast at the church followed by a service day to get the church and grounds all spiffy for the upcoming holiday season.

Meanwhile, I stayed home with the little girls and did a ton of laundry.

I also have a confession to make.

I discovered that Lifetime was airing Christmas movies.

I’m afraid that I cheated on Thanksgiving a little bit by watching Crazy for Christmas and A Christmas Angel while folding 8000 loads of clothes and making supper.

I’m hoping that Thanksgiving will forgive me!

Today, The Chef, Guitar Boy and Peanut stayed after church for some meetings and for the youth to go rake leaves in the yard of an elderly church member.

I’m doing more laundry, sigh, while The Boss and Dogos are picking up leaves from the pool deck before they can get blown into the pool.

Fall is definitely in full force and I’m trying to keep those skimmers clean and be a little pre-emptive about more leaves in the pool!

Miraculously, the promise of a bowl of ice cream with sprinkles convinced them to happily collect leaves from around the pool and dispose of them!  YAY!

Middle Man and I are looking forward to a special day tomorrow.

It’s his Gifted class field trip and I took a personal day so I can join him.

Where are we going, you might ask? 

NEW ORLEANS!!!!!!

Yes, that’s right.  We’re headed to the beloved N.O. of LA.

First stop?

The world famous Cafe du Monde for beignets!

After we enjoy our beignets we’re headed to a Riverboat Cruise down the Mississippi on the Natchez steamboat!

It’s a two hour cruise and we’ll enjoy a Creole lunch.

Oh.  My. Word.

I can hardly wait!

I’m excited to spend the day with Middle Man.

I’m also excited to see some of my students from last year.

26 of my 48 students last year were in the Gifted class so I’ll see quite a few of them!  

It was a beautiful fall weekend here in south Mississippi and we enjoyed every minute of it.  I hope your weekend was a great one, too.

Home

I love where we live.

I mean, I really love it!

I love going out to get the mail and being greeted by these pretty girls in our neighbor's yard across the street.

I love going down to the barn and seeing the horses in the pasture that backs up to our property.

The kids love it, too!

 I’m pretty sure the horses don’t mind, either. 

I love having neighbors like PawPaw Bobby and his garden market stand.

I mean seriously.  The first time I stopped by there and read his note I thought, “You mean there are places like this that still exist?!?

Speaking of neighbors.........

...... allow me to introduce to you, Billy the Goat.

Peanut’s best friend, Cam, lives right around the corner from us.

Cam's Mom loves animals and has rescued several dogs, cats, a horse, and now Billy.  

I must admit that he does have a few bad habits.... 

....like jumping on top of parked cars and hopping up and down.

But generally speaking, he’s a pretty nice guy!

He greets me most afternoons when I drop Cam off after school.

Thankfully, he hasn’t jumped on my car yet.

I usually don’t stay parked long enough!

I love driving past the cotton fields every day.

Isn’t this field beautiful?

The fields go on and on, on either side of the road.

Cotton on one side, peanuts on the other.

It’s harvest time so soon these fields will be bare.  

I took this picture yesterday afternoon with my iPhone after saying hello and goodbye to Billy.

The sun was just setting and it was beautiful.

Don’t you agree?

I love having a barn....

...that affords me the ability to have chickens....

.....with plenty of space for them to free-range eating seeds, bugs, grass and other things that chickens are supposed to eat.

The chickens love the space and so do we.

There is plenty of room for the kids to run and play.

They spend time outdoors playing all kinds of games using their minds and imaginations.

Televisions and video games are off.

And they love it.

Horses?  Goats?  Barns?  Chickens?

Never in my life would I have thought I’d be posting about such things one day, proclaiming my love for them!

But I am one lucky girl to live in this place that is our home.  

Truly our home.

I know that I’m blessed and I try very hard to give thanks to God every single day 

for providing this home for us.

I’m also thankful for this man, here.

Our own PawPaw, whose hard work and careful planning helped to put us in this place that we call home.

We all still miss him so much.

I only wish he were here to enjoy it because he would’ve loved it, too.

Home is a wonderful place to be.