Bahhh. Hum. Bug. The summer has flown by!!! Our training will start in just a few weeks and the first day of school will start September 3rd. I am already thinking about winter vacation! ha.
Help me stay in the moment, people. Help me get excited about the start of a new school year!
So, my questions for you are,
What makes you the most excited about the start of a new school year?
(Mine used to be new school supplies! And new clothes!-- Maybe I should buy that stuff, just to feel like a kid again!)
Who was your favorite teacher and why? (To motivate me and get me thinking about how teachers can have such an awesome impact on their kiddos.)
Okay! On to Tuesday Tidbits.
- Mrs. Chara girl seems to prefer humans over dogs. She is very rude to other dogs. They whimper to play with her and she just looks completely past them. We have been trying to work on this. We certainly don't want to be raising a snob. So, we arranged some play dates with the local golden retriever pack. :) (3 golden retrievers that live in our complex) She had a great time playing and wasn't too snobby, though she did have many 'princess' moments.
- We had a great day lounging in the grass with Meric, Jessica and our new friend, Mattias, from Germany. Jessica's dad, Patrick, loves cameras and accessories. So Zachary had a great time trying out his lenses and taking photos with him.
- There is a Chinese Cosmo Bride. Full of red shoes and red
- dresses. But it's all in Chinese. Did I mention I miss magazines? :) Hint. Hint.
- We've done a lot of running around this week to our school, police stations, and photo shops preparing all our documents for our visa. We will get our visa right in the nick of time, right before our old one expires.
- More Office this week but on the big screen. :)We finally, got the cables we needed to hook the computer up to the T.V. Whoop! Zachary has wanted these babies for over 2 years. We bought some in Korea, only to find out they were the wrong ones. Josh, graciously, sent his "people" on it to hook us up with the right one.
- In an effort to explore things that help me to relax, I started a paint by numbers. Chara is checking it out with me.
- Family photo. :)
- Our friend Ethan came over to play with us this week! Ethan is 11 and pretty awesome! We had a great day playing with Chara and the dog pack, eating edamame and watching Spider Man.
- Check out life with a golden retriever.
- We enjoyed some Papa John's this week. It looks exactly the same as in the States. And they even have delivery.
- I keep this picture as a book mark in my bible. Do you guys know the story? It's amazing. The picture is called, Prince of Peace, painted by Akaine Kramarick, when she was just 6 years old. You can read more about her and her story here.
- We helped a friend out this week and taught a few kids for an hour this week. We met some new friends and were affirmed, once again, in the fact that we think we make a pretty great team! :)
- We love you guys and miss you! Have a wonderful Tuesday!
(Please ignore the random spacing of pictures and random bullets. I am about to have a freak out trying to get these bullets points to work right and not mess up the rest of the spacing... so just pretend it looks beautiful. Thank ya. :) )
2 comments :
Great Tuesday Tidbit post! Love all of the pictures and your narratives. Also, wonderful family picture! You three look great!! Magazines and care package coming soon from mom and me.
Now, let's talk about school. Going to speak from personal experience a bit here. When I was at Deep Wood, I always focused on the incoming Kindergartners. Literally, they looked like babies coming into school dressed in their news clothes. They seemed so tiny and fragile. But, by the end of the school year, they were not the same--one could tell that they had grown up in so many ways and the "baby" in them was pretty much gone. They were ready to become big first graders! It was awesome to see the impact that the teachers had on these children, loving and comforting and being a good "caretaker" of their parents child for those 180 or so school days. This is such a huge responsibility, but also a wonderful privilege to know that you have an amazing opportunity to make a difference in these childrens lives in more ways than you will ever know. Serve with gladness and joy and look at them in light of the love that is deeply rooted within you!
Who was my favorite teacher and why? Miss Pratt--first grade. She was a very kind, compassionate and loving individual, and without a doubt her students knew that she truly cared for us, even at our young ages. Once we had mastered the alphabet the correct way, she challenged the class to learn it backward. Why, I do not know! Only I and one other girl mastered this feat. We were rewarded with 11 cents each--perhaps because that was all the money Miss Pratt had. I can still see the shiny dime and penny in my minds eye. And, to this day, I can still recite the alphabet backward! I think you know this story, but I am getting to a point that I have never been privileged to make to anyone!! A few years ago, my cousin told me that Miss Pratt was in a nursing home and that she most likely didn't have long to live. I decided to go and see her. As I walked into her room and around beside her bed, I told her who I was and thanked her for making a difference in my life and told her I could still recite the alphabet backward. Certainly that was not all she taught me, but it was something unusual that stuck with me. Although Miss Pratt could not speak, she smiled. I hope that she understood what I was saying. So, you, dear Heather, have the same opportunity and privilege to make a huge difference in the lives of these children you will be teaching. They need your love and your smile. No doubt one day, one or more will say, "Thank you, Miss Heather, for making a difference in my life. Thank you for helping me to learn so that I could be successful. Thank you for showing me kindness and love." In education, the rewards do not always show up immediately but maybe years later. Not long ago, your grandpa and I were at church and a lady came up to him. She was so excited as she told him that when she was in 8th grade he talked to her and had helped her see that the road she was on was not going to lead her anywhere. At that point she changed her direction in life. Today, she is a successful woman, wonderful mother and wife and loves and helps others through her faith. One word or act can make a difference. You are in the position to be that catalyst. Have a wonderful school year. Serve with joy and gladness not because of who you are, but because of who he is! Be still and know that....." I love you so much and you will always be in my thoughts and will be lifting you up as the days begin for school to start. And, oh, perhaps, you do need to go and buy some new supplies and clothes! The main thing---feel good, excited and happy on your first day of school when you greet these precious children.
Sorry this is long. You know me. I talk a lot, but only when I write. :) Much love, Grandma Carolyn
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