Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Great Life Moment.... after a very rough day

Ok, for all of you who requested the GOOD STUFF journal instructions....  has anyone started it? I sure hope you have. I had not written in mine for a while....  it just kind of got set aside and I am working on lots of other things....  well, tonight I had a moment that made me get that journal out.

I had a LONG 2nd day of teaching full day kindergarten. The kids were just not good listeners at all for the most part, and it made everything hard....  plus, we are winging it a little (which is why I will be up for hours tonight trying to be sure we are not winging it tomorrow) which just makes me stressed all day. And,  anyone who reads this regularly knows that as hard as I try not to...  I HATE CHANGE and this week is ALL ABOUT CHANGE. Heck, everything just about has changed....  our routines, the time we wake up and leave, my clothes I need to wear, our evening plans...  yep...  it all has changed and I hate it. Every bit of change pushed me into an icky panicky feeling I struggle to stay away from...  anyway....  so I do not get home until 6:30 and I had planned on being home by 5 and my planned, defrosted dinner was supposed to cook for an hour which is ALL I could think about all the way home. Well, my friend (and old Neighbor who just moved out of our subdivision...  another change I hate every single day) had picked up kal from School for me and  fed her, and as if that was not enough, she sent Neil home with a big bowl of amazing tasting, homemade beef noodle soup. It ROCKED and made dinner the easiest ever! Man, what a perfectly timed surprise.....  and, after surprise soup, a quick pick up of affordable (and still cool) snow boots (because they were WAYYY too tight on kalli today and they made her feet hurt), a super fast bath, and teeth brushing... we laid under our Christmas Tree for prayers which was BEYOND good stuff. It calmed me for that moment and I just appreciated everything I still have....  not worried about the class tomorrow or bills or dinner for tomorrow....  I just prayed with the three people I love most in the world as they looked up under the tree. It reminded me of when my sister brother and I used to lay under the tree when we were small. I actually felt peaceful for that moment....


So I got the buggers in bed, heard a FUNNY story from Kalli about school today that I pinky swore to never tell anyone (or I would have totally told all of you) and now I am preparing dinner in the crock pot for tomorrow, organizing their clothes (and mine) for the morning, cleaning the kitchen, then onto the lesson plan for tomorrow.....  yeah, the happy peaceful feeling TOTALLY did not last, but at least I had it, right??  And, I did jump up and tell them not to move (which made Kalli say "mommy is getting the camera I bet") and take a photo. Maybe I should print it and put it in my pocket for tomorrow when no one is listening to me. Do you think that would work?? 

Things are nuts here, and I am having computer issues....  so if I do not post much, do not think the little 5 & 6 year olds killed me.  Have a great week and please start writing some GOOD STUFF in a journal so you have it. Even if it is just a plain old notebook. Take a few minutes this month to remind yourself about all the good stuff surrounding you.  Here are a few very good things surrounding me this week...
 
A surprise santa gave me an amazing gift card in my mail because they know we are having a rough year. It took my breath away at the kindness.  (sorry for the blurry photo...  no time to reshoot and upload again with lesson plans to do)

I loved coming into the living room on Sunday to see that Teacher Kalli (they were playing school) had safely tucked in all 6 of her students for their nap.  I really wish my students still took naps.
 
It is TOTALLY GOOD STUFF when a simple thing like putting up holiday lights becomes a full fledged dance show from High School Musical. I wish this was a video. It totally rocked.  In the Chaos of what has become my life.... I am so grateful for thoughtful gift cards, hot homemade soup, prayers under the lights, and dance parties. I need to remember that tomorrow.

1 comment:

Megan said...

Kristi

it is all good stuff - your kids are healthy, you have a roof, and you get to do a fun job that you were made for (with all that energy). Stop stressing - it is kindergarten all the mommies and daddies expect is someone to watch over them, and do their best, and care about their own children - no one expects them to learn rocket science. Just do what you can in December and January will be much easier without the added stress of the holidays.