Best 2009 Thrift Store Treasures!

So . . . I'm a compulsive thrift-store, Craigslist, garage sale, Ebaying shopper! I can't help but think that when I pay for something new that I could have saved so much money had I found it used! Not everything can be found used, but I have had a lot of good luck finding some deals this year. My rule of thumb is to look for several months for certain furniture items used before considering a furniture store, if I still haven't found something. Most of my decorative accessories in my home are repainted, recycled thrift store items that I've found on my many treasure hunts. That's part of the fun of it -- there's no telling what you will find!

Here are a few of my favorite finds from 2009!

Glass hurricane, $2.00, and pewter silver platter which I painted with chalkboard paint, $7.00


Handcarved wooden bird, signed on the bottom from an art gallery, $1.00 (Stuart hates this bird!)


Primigi girl's shoes, .75 cents!!


Stride Rite mary jane shoes, $2.00


Willow Tree wooden figurine, this one is over 14 inches tall, $8.00


Gail Pittman, handpainted platter with iron stand, $8.00


Black and Decker coffee maker with timer, everything works! $2.50


This year, I did have some success finding larger furniture pieces which are mainly on Craigslist. I use thrift stores for clothing, decorative home items, toys, and books. Craigslist is good for larger items like furniture, electronics, or baby furniture. I search Ebay when I'm in need of something specific and don't have time to search for months in thrift stores to hope I find it, like if I want to buy Arden a pair of used Stride Rite shoes in size 7. This year, I've found the following by using Craigslist:
- television
- 9 foot tall silk tree in large decorative planter
- La-Z-Boy chair with matching ottoman (down filled cushions)
- wooden kitchen playset for Arden's room
- cream sleigh bed (twin) for Arden when we move her out of the crib
- two leather bar stools
- full mattress set for guestroom

I can't wait to see what I stumble across in 2010! Happy bargain shopping!

Happy Birthday!

Arden turned 2 on December 27! She is becoming such a big girl now. She slept in a queen size bed which was the first time out of a crib last week on our trip to a hotel in Camden. She is convinced that she wants to use the big potty and keeps taking off her clothing multiple times each day to get on the potty, but nothing is really happening yet. However, she is very interested, and this is not my idea at all. I want to wait until school is out to begin potty training! She is still tall, according to her recent two year old checkup this week. She is in the 90th percentile for height and 75th for weight. Right now, she is about 36 inches tall (3 feet), weighs 29.5 lbs, and she is wearing size 2 clothing and size 7 - 7 1/2 shoes. Arden is a great sleeper and still takes a long 3 hour afternoon nap on days when she is home. She only naps about 1 to 1 1/2 hours at daycare since other kids wake her up. She goes to bed around 7:30 and sleeps until 7 a.m on school days and 8 or later on weekends!

We didn't have a huge party for her birthday since she's so young, plus organizing a post-Christmas party is really hard! We celebrated once with Mama Bea and Papaw and all of Arden's cousins from Ohio when we were doing early Christmas in Camden last week. Then, on Arden's actual birthday, Stuart and I took the three kids to Jump Zone to play and then did a McDonald's dinner. Her final party was yesterday at her preschool where she attended just two days this week in order to ease back into school resuming for me next week. I sent Dora plates, Dora napkins, Dora cupcakes, and goodie bags for the six children in her class for their afternoon snack. She had a lot of fun seeing her friends again after ten days and had to hug her best friend Chesa at least ten times!

Happy birthday, Arden! We love you so much!

White Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .

So . . . we survived first semester! The last week of school was so fun but busy. I think the elementary teachers were trying to kill me with all the things that I had to remember to send with my children each day! I was sending sprinkles, graham crackers, money for a formal dinner, a gift for a gift exchange, teacher gifts, and ornaments for the class tree. Then, I had to remember which child had pajama day on a certain day, so that I didn't send the wrong boy to school in pajamas when it wasn't his day to wear them. I literally had to make myself a list of everything to send to school with the boys each day and what they were to wear; it was crazy! They had a fantastic final week, and Hudson loved "The Polar Express" themed activities that his kindergarten class did. Arden's class each got wrapped toys which were donated by a local vendor, and she came home with the cutest stuffed animal to play with.

We went to Camden for three days this week to do Christmas with Stuart's family. The children really enjoyed playing with their cousins who had come in from Ohio. We hadn't seen them much this year, and the kids love playing together. It is so sweet to see my teenage cousins play with my preschooler and actually enjoy it! The one full day that we were there had wonderful, mild weather, so the kids enjoyed playing outside and throwing the football around. Arden got a wagon ride, and no one even had to wear coats!

When we returned to Bentonville, there were reports of inclement weather brewing, and we are supposedly getting several inches of snow tonight on Christmas Eve. However, the weather caused my mother to cancel her plans of driving here today since she was afraid to take a chance with the impending snow. So, we will be here alone this Christmas, but at least we will have plenty to do inside. I think Stuart bought all the snacks that Walmart sells, and a cake is baking in the oven right now, and I'm trying to get a few more goodies made today.

We brought in the play kitchen out of the garage today (the one I bought her last month on Craigslist) and put it in Arden's room for her Christmas present. She loves it, and so does Hudson. They have spent a better part of today fixing up all sorts of meals and bringing them to me. Their favorite item to use in the kitchen is a Melissa and Doug Stir Fry set of wooden vegetables with a wok. It was one of Arden's gifts that she opened in Camden. I guess they have inherited my love for Chinese food already!

I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if we wake up to a white Christmas, but I know I'm glad to be home to enjoy whatever the weather may be. Merry CHRISTmas to you and your family!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

It is my yearly tradition to read the kids The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson during the month of December. I try to read one chapter a night for the week before Christmas since the book only has seven chapters.

It is a delightful, funny book that also touches on the real meaning of Christmas as well as such themes as forgiveness, redemption, love, friendship, and thankfulness. This year, I started reading one chapter out loud each day to my 7th grade English students since we are now counting down to the last seven days before Christmas break. I read chapter one today (complete with voices for all the characters), and they seemed to really like it! There was lots of laughing out loud, and it made me feel like we were all getting into the Christmas spirit. Next week, I'm adding a week-long holiday unit with the classic holiday short stories "A Christmas Memory" and "The Gift of the Magi." I'm going to try to work in some video clips from "Christmas Vacation," "A Christmas Story," and "Grinch" to go along with the themes. Hopefully, learning and fun will be had by all!

If you have never read this little book, I encourage you to try it this year with your own house! It's so hilarious and touching. I promise that your kids of all ages will love it.

Weekend Top Ten

1. I enjoyed a couple of those good Lifetime television Christmas movies on DVR
2. The boys enjoyed "cookies with Santa" when he came to our neighborhood for a kids' party on Friday night. It was our first Christmas party in Bentonville.
3. Owen and I laughed out loud and enjoyed a local theater performance of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" on Saturday night. The girl who played Gladys Herdman was a riot!
4. I finally made it back to our community group meeting tonight after missing the last three with someone who was sick.
5. We enjoyed a really fun birthday party with Arden and Hudson's friends at a local Gymboree. It was fun to see Arden play in that setting for the first time.
6. I got all the monthly bills paid and paper work is done. Not fun, but necessary.
7. Stuart got me two different types of egg nog at the grocery store. Yum!
8. Arden noticed Christmas lights for the first time and went spastic yelling at them in the van. It was so cute to see her excitement.
9. We enjoyed a great visit with long-time friend Rebekah Hollaway and one of her daughters who were in town for a swim meet. It was great to catch up and have them spend the night with us!
10. Arden was super affectionate this weekend and gave all of us lots of hugs and kisses . . . what a treat!

Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho, It's back to work (school) we go!

The Thanksgiving break went by much too quickly! I really enjoyed having more leisurely time with the kids, and we did get the Christmas trees and other decorations up this weekend. We still have some outdoor reindeer that may or may not get put out this year, depending on how the next few weeks go.

Unfortunately, we can't seem to stay healthy for more than a week or two at a time this winter. It wasn't anything serious, but Hudson started running fever and was lethargic and coughing on Wednesday. He lay around and didn't want to do much on Thanksgiving Day. Sure enough, Arden woke up with a high fever on Friday morning and turned into a crying, clingy, runny-nosed monster for Friday and Saturday. She's better today, but she's still not eating as much and sleeping more than usual. I got the sore throat and congestion yesterday, but I feel better day. Ugh! I feel like we lost half the break with someone being sick . . . again.

The Christmas trees look good; we have the big one downstairs and let the boys decorate a smaller "kids" tree upstairs in the bonus room. Arden is really understanding Christmas this year and is talking about Santa and saying, "ho, ho, ho." She has pulled off the Dora ornament off the tree and is carrying it around with her everywhere!

We have three more weeks until Christmas break, and I'm excited to have that break also. A week was nice, but two weeks will surely help us all to feel rested and ready to face second semester. I've got a lot to do to wrap up my unit with my classes and finish all the grading and projects to end the semester grades in these few weeks, so it will probably just fly by. We will be going to Stuart's parent's house for a few days for Christmas, but it will be relaxing to spend the majority of the time right here at home!

I'm taking Owen to see the play The Best Christmas Pageant Ever next weekend, and then Stuart and I will go to The Messiah the following weekend. I love this time of year! Maybe we'll even get a little snow!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't believe that November is almost over. It seems like Halloween was just last week. Time is flying by, and Christmas will be here soon.

I enjoyed Christmas shopping yesterday since I was out of school, and the kids stayed in childcare for one extra day. I had to get a couple fillings at the dentist in the morning and needed childcare for that, and then I decided to use the rest of the time without kids to finish my shopping. I got most of the gifts bought, and I enjoyed shopping when it wasn't overly crowded. A couple gifts were out-of-stock, but I hope they will get more before Christmas since I got rainchecks.

We went to the lighting of the Bentonville square on Saturday and enjoyed hearing live Christmas music and looking at all the lights after dark. The boys thought that some of the songs were very silly like, "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Clause" and "Santa Baby." They asked me why Mommy would kiss Santa and why would she call him "Baby." I wasn't quite sure how to answer that since the kids really believe in Santa! I just told them that Santa must be cute!

I've been getting a lot of projects done around the house with hired help while I've been out of school. A handyman spent four hours here last week and replaced deadbolts, installed a new doorbell, and installed decorative trim on the garage doors. Today a plumber is coming to install my new kitchen sink and fix a dripping shower. My stainless sink has two pinholes in it -- inside the actual sink bottom! I have no idea what happened since the sink was used by two previous owners before us, but that sink basket also was damaged on that side and had to be replaced once we moved in. So, the only thing to do was get a new sink, so that I could use both sides without having water flood the cabinet below. I guess that is my Christmas present!

The boys are looking forward to watching some football games over the holiday weekend. They have really gotten into the sport after Owen got to attend the last two Razorback home games in Fayetteville with Stuart due to some generous, free tickets we were given. Now, all Owen talks about is football, and he is reading the sports page every day!

We hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving weekend! We all have much to be thankful for.

Score!

After four months of checking Craigslist almost daily for a used, wooden kitchen for Arden, I finally found one to buy! It's a bit bigger than what I was originally looking for, but I figured a way to move around things in her room to make the space. It is so cute!

It has some scratches on the "burner" area of the stove from kids pushing around pots and pans, but it doesn't bother me. I was able to negotiate the owner down to less than 1/2 price of the exact model new, and this one was already assembled.

I love having a van because I have loaded many Craigslist finds into the back cargo area since the seats fold down! I survived another appointment to pick up a Craigslist item from a stranger without being murdered, and now this kitchen is in my garage under two blankets, just awaiting Christmas Day when we move it into Arden's bedroom for her! (Seriously, do take precautions and let someone know where you are going, take a phone, and never enter a stranger's house alone when buying from a stranger).

I love buying used! It's a thrill to save money; it relieves me of stress because I don't worry about my kids damaging items as much, and it is better for the environment.

iHope

Today was a service day at our church which was named iHope. There were various projects that had been set up for groups to do including yard help in neighborhoods, helping with a satellite church's facilities, working at Saving Grace ministry, and moving items for the local women's shelter. Our new body life group that we are leading includes five families, and four families got together today to work side-by-side to participate (the fifth family was sick, or they would have been there too).

The morning began rather rough, as Arden was crying after being woken up early, and I was debating about the benefit of putting her back into a half day of childcare after being away from her during the work week already. I was running late, so Stuart left separately to get there on time. Then, Arden had a dirty diaper, so we had yet another delay. As soon as I started the van, I realized that the gas light was on, so we had another stop to make to fill up the tank. Quickly, I pulled out onto the interstate and started cruising quickly down the road to make up for lost time. However, as Owen quickly pointed out, "Mom, this isn't the way to church!" In my hurry, I had turned down the opposite direction on the interstate and was "automatically" driving towards my favorite mall instead of north towards church! So, after a quick u-turn at the next exit, we were on our (right) way. Upon checking the kids in at church, the printer failed to print Arden's nametag, so I had to go back to the end of the line and wait all over again to get her security tag. Finally, we were all there, and kids were distributed. Only twenty minutes late!

This was the first time that our small group had worked together, and though it started with a lot of setbacks, it was a very good day. We loaded boxes from the other women's shelter and unloaded and organized materials at the new facility. The younger kids had childcare provided by volunteers at the church, but Owen was too old for the childcare and worked along with the adults this year. This was the first service project like this that Owen had ever done, and he absolutely loved it! I was so proud to see him jump in and lift all the boxes and take the work so seriously. He enjoyed talking to all the adults, and I had a couple of offers from people who said they "wanted to take him home with them." He has such a servant's heart and loves helping! Owen begged to be able to do this project again next year, and Stuart explained that we would do a service project again sometime soon, but it might not be at the same location. Owen replied, "But I really want to organize stuff!" Ha. He is definitely my child!

We picked up the kids at lunchtime, so Arden could come home for her nap. It was a good day, and we are looking forward to more times of service in our local community . . . and maybe someone else will need Owen's organizational services!

Halloween

I can't believe we are already into November! October was a strange month that seemed at times to be endless while also flying by. I don't know if that makes any sense. In early October, Stuart was gone for 8 days out of the first two weeks. That. Was. Rough. I had never done the "single working parent" thing before, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for those moms that work every day and have to do all the childcare at night and weekends alone. Stuart went to Atlanta to the Catalyst conference that he attends yearly with friends, and they had a great worship experience. Then, he had to travel to Little Rock for his annual prosecutor's conference the next week!

After Stuart returned, Hudson got the flu and missed a couple of days of school, and then I got it. Yes, it was the flu, and I'm still not 100% (2 weeks later). I was in bed for close to three days, but then I had to return to work and dragged myself there for the rest of the week. I definitely hurt my recovery by talking and teaching all day, but I didn't have enough sick days to use in order to recover slowly. I stayed home until I had been fever-free for 24 hours, but I still felt like a truck had run over me for about another week. All I could do was work and then come home to bed. I am still coughing a lot, but my energy level is back to around 85% normal now, so it's much better. Arden has had a clear runny nose, but she hasn't had flu or fever symptoms.

I was still dragging last weekend for Halloween, but I did manage to go around with the kids to two different church festivals in town. Then, Stuart took them to a few neighbors' houses in our neighborhood before we called it a night. Owen was Obi Wan, Hudson was a cowboy, and Arden was a ladybug. The boys had a huge fall festival at school on Friday, and they had gotten to wear their costumes to school too! That was a huge hit! I enjoyed seeing them dressed up, but it drained my limited energy to be out and walking around for two hours outdoors, so I was back in bed again last Sunday.

I'm already thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas and counting down the days until I get vacation time! Only two more weeks until I am out for the entire week of Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to spending most of that time at home with my kids, just hanging out and playing with them. I do have to go to the dentist to get a couple fillings on that Monday, and I hope to get some Christmas shopping done that day too (when I will have childcare). I have done very little shopping yet since I didn't plan to return to full-time work until August. So, this next year I will definitely be shopping throughout the year instead and spreading it out.

We'll probably put up our big Christmas tree and the smaller kids' tree after Thanksgiving, and that is always fun. I haven't opened the ornament boxes since we we moved last December, so I hope we don't have many broken items in there. I did find a wooden kitchen used on Craigslist this past week that I plan to give Arden for Christmas. I got it for 1/2 off the regular price, and it is in good condition with just some surface scratches from normal play. I know she'll love it, and I'm glad I could find a used set that I won't worry about since it wasn't too expensive. Right now, it's in our garage under two large blankets. She hasn't seemed to notice it yet!

Stuart and Owen are going to their first Razorback game today in Fayetteville. We sure love living in this area. There is so much to do for families. I'm looking forward to some quieter time with the younger kids today and maybe a short trip to Walmart.

What a Difference a Year Makes!

Flu-ish

On Saturday afternoon, my throat began to get sore. I started feeling achy by dinner, and by bedtime I was miserable. I was up every hour all night long with a raging sore throat that wouldn't allow me to sleep. No medication seemed to help. Luckily, by this morning, the sore throat turned into more of a swollen feeling, but I got really woozy and ran fever.

I don't know if it's the flu or not, but it is flu-like symptoms. I have stayed in bed most of the day except to help with Arden when needed. She doesn't like Daddy as much as Mommy these days! My head has been pounding every time I stand up, but I think I feel a bit better now that I did this morning.

I am supposed to have parent/teacher conferences tomorrow and Tuesday nights from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., and I knew that I wasn't in any condition to do two, twelve hour work days after this weekend. I put in for a half day sub for tomorrow, so I only have to go and teach one class tomorrow from 10-11:30 a.m. I think I can manage that, and it will save me from having to use a whole sick day. I will see how I feel at 4:30 if I return for parent/teacher conferences or not. My principal has said I could miss if I still feel too bad tomorrow afternoon.

I am hoping to be almost all better by Tuesday, but please pray! It seems like someone in our family has been sick with flu symptoms for almost every week since early September. First, Arden got sick for 4 days right around Labor Day. Then Stuart got the H1N1 flu very badly the next week, and he missed 8 days of work with it! He was much, much more seriously ill than I am. Then Owen got sick a couple of weeks ago for 24 hours, but he didn't miss school. Last week Hudson missed two days of school due to fever and flu symptoms. Now me. Ugh. Hopefully, this will pass soon!

We're still here!

I think the honeymoon period is over, and I've hit the wall of exhaustion. I need a vacation! Mornings have become the hardest time. When my alarm goes off way too early, and the bed is so warm and cozy, I think to myself how much I would love to just be able to stay home instead of getting up and rushing everyone out of the house in the next 75 minutes. I love my job and my students, but it is really hard to be a working mom. Thankfully, I have a job I enjoy and am paid well, so I try not to complain when I'm exhausted because I think about the people that have hard, manual labor jobs and make minimum wage, and I'm thankful for what I get to do.

I know that I was the one who made the choice to go back to work this year, but I made the choice based on impending financial need since we had all but exhausted our savings after our move and many large repairs that came up unexpectedly with the car, house, and medical bills. I don't think I would have considered applying for a job if we hadn't been dealing with financial stress because I really enjoyed staying home. With the unemployment rate hovering nationally close to 10%, I know there are many, many people who would be grateful to get a great job this year or who have a spouse who has been laid off, so I am counting my blessings and am thankful that I can work in this great profession in a top school district!

However, it's an almost impossible job to work full-time and do all the stay-at-home things, too! I just know that my life before with two kids at home and 1 in regular school was a piece of cake compared with working from 8-4 every day and still doing all the "mom stuff" like cooking, cleaning, errands, laundry, etc. in the evenings and weekends. I used to have time to attend a Bible study, turn on the television, call friends, or scrapbook (sort of). I don't know how long I can keep up this pace, but I'm thankful that we're paying off big things each month and will be making some headway back to having an solid emergency fund again. You have to do what you have to do, and God will direct us in the future!

Hudson had the swine flu or something like it this week, so he missed 2 days of school. He ran high fever, but after two days was well enough to return to school. My junior high has had a 15% absentee rate this week with sick kiddos. I have had around 17 students absent every day with flu symptoms! It's just crazy. I got the kids the regular flu shot, but we are still debating if the H1N1 vaccine is safe enough for us to feel comfortable using it on the kids.

Owen had a third grade school performance on Thursday and did a great job singing patriotic songs. He also performed in his afterschool program and danced with a group to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Ah, that brought back many high school memories for me with the single glove and the moon walk!

Arden is doing really well at her daycare. It has been such a blessing to have a small setting with an absolutely wonderful teacher. Arden has friends that she plays with and talks about, and she hasn't been sick or missed a school day since I moved her. She runs in the room in the morning, and I can barely get her to leave with me at 4:00! She is waking up happy for the most part, and I think she is adjusting to the different hours. Sometimes Arden is still clingy and needs "mama time" a lot more in the evenings. If she has a cold or is more tired, I can tell a big difference in her separation anxiety, but it is getting much better than it was when I first went back to work. She is talking in sentences now, and she has pretty much given up the high chair to sit in a booster seat at the big table. She wants to walk in the parking lot holding hands now, and she is becoming such a big girl! I can't believe she'll be two soon!

People around here are already decorating for Christmas, and all the stores have decorations in them already. We are waiting until Thanksgiving week to tackle the Christmas decor and tree, but I'm excited to have my decorations out this year. It's been TWO YEARS since we put up our real Christmas tree and all the decorations! Two years ago, I was about to give birth to Arden any day, so we opted for a small tree and minimal decor, so we wouldn't have to put it all up right after we came home from the hospital. It was a good choice as she arrived on December 27, and I was thankful for the ease of putting away Christmas items. Last year, we moved from Cabot to Bentonville on December 29. We had packers at our house on December 27, so we didn't put up a lot of decor since we were in the middle of packing. It will be nice to have a "normal" holiday season this year.

We're looking forward to Halloween this week, as the boys' schools have a costume parade and fall parties on Friday. Our church has a big festival planned for Saturday too. Owen is going to be Obi Wan Kanobi, Hudson will be a cowboy, and Arden will be a ladybug. It should be fun!

Fall is in the Air

It's been difficult for me to find time to blog since going back to work. Somehow, like so many other things, it gets pushed back to the bottom of my "to do" list since the basic necessities of eating, grocery shopping, laundry, etc. take priority.

School is going really well. I am almost finished with my first novel The Outsiders, and I have really enjoyed teaching it. I missed literature so much during the past six years when I was teaching at the community college. I only taught composition, and we discussed brief essays, but I haven't taught a novel in six years! At first, I almost forgot how to approach it, but it slowly started coming back to me, and now I feel comfortable again. I think that it will even be a better unit next year once I can change a few things and improve what worked and didn't work. School is flying by, and I can't believe that the first quarter ends in 1 1/2 weeks with the first report card already.

Fall is already here, and the leaves are starting to turn colors very slightly. The air is very cool in the mornings, and you almost have to wear a jacket before 10 a.m. I love this time of year, and it's been fun to pull out my long sleeved clothing and sweaters. Stuart is enjoying football season and is watching the Razorbacks play right now! I have enjoyed doing some garage sale shopping this month, and I got a few good deals today at some nearby neighborhood sales. I found Arden several Gymboree items and a pair of Lelli Kelly shoes and a pair of Primigi shoes for .75 cents each! If you know these boutique brands for girls, then you know what a deal I scored! I also got 3 infant Cabbage Patch dolls for Arden that were .50 cents each, and they still had tags attached. She has really gotten into baby dolls lately, and we didn't have any of those types of toys from the boys. She has carried them around all day and rocked them, fed them, and acted very much like a little mama.

Arden is still doing great at her daycare, and we've now finished four full weeks at the new school! She hasn't been sick one day since we moved here there, so I am thankful for that. I know that illness will strike at some point, but I am glad to know that it isn't a constant thing for her so far. I am planning on taking a sick day next week in order to take all three kids to the pediatrician to get flu shots during the first week they are giving them, plus I will be taking both boys to the dentist for cleanings. It is more of a challenge to fit all these necessary appointments into a routine with a job, and I will have to start getting our appointments coordinated for the next round with summer and Christmas breaks.

Stuart and I will be starting to lead a new body life (ie: community group) with our church every other Sunday night, and we kick that off next Sunday. We have three other families whom we know that all wanted to do a Sunday night group, and we live near each other. I am excited to be in a group with these families since it will give us a natural opportunity to build deeper friendships here in Bentonville.

Stuart's birthday is this week on October 9, so give him a hard time if you see him or talk to him!

A Kiss and a Prayer

On Thursday, the firetruck came to Arden's preschool/daycare for a themed week that they were doing on community helpers. Fortunately, I had my prep period that day during that exact time in the morning it would be there, so I walked across the parking lot from my junior high building to her school. I wasn't sure how she would act once she saw me since this was the first time I have visited her during the school day and let her know I was there. Usually, I spy on her unseen, so that she won't melt down and think I'm there to pick her up. Sometimes she still has some separation anxiety at drop off (even at church), so I didn't know if I would end up having a crying child to leave behind when it was time for the children to go back to class.

I brought my camera, hoping to get some cute pictures. Arden was already about to be lifted into the firetruck when I arrived. I got some pictures of the group and the outside of the truck before she even noticed me in the crowd. I enjoyed seeing her in her own environment, oblivious to my presence. She was giggling with the other children inside the truck, and I was so amazed at how old she appeared to me all of sudden. She was listening to the teachers, obeying cues, and sitting still.

When Arden did finally see me, it definitely wasn't the reaction that I expected. I thought she would run to me, or she would cry, or she would want to be picked up. None of the above. She waved and said, "Mama," then she turned back to her friends. At first, I felt a bit rejected, but immediately I realized that this is the reaction I was hoping for. She is happy at school. Finally. After attending two daycare locations in just a five week period, she is now getting settled. She feels secure, and we have found a place which is a great fit. She doesn't need me to rescue her, and she is enjoying her day. My prayers were being answered.

When the whole class was posing for a final picture in front of the firetruck, Arden began to hug another boy from the older toddler class. There were three different classes outside, so I didn't recognize him, and I have no idea if Arden had ever seen him before! I thought it was cute to see her giggle and bear hug this little boy, so I whipped out my camera to capture the moment. Just as I snapped the picture, Arden planted a big kiss right on this poor boy's cheek! I can't believe I caught it on film when I wasn't even trying. It was a hilarious sight to see.

After the final picture, the teachers began to lead the kids back into the building to get ready for lunch. The fireman was waving goodbye as the little toddlers trudged toward the front doors with their red, plastic fireman hats in tow, and I didn't know what Arden's reaction would be. Would she run back to me and think we were going home? Would she cry? Would they have to carry her inside kicking and screaming? Once again, she surprised me. She lined up with her other friends and ran towards the door willingly. I stepped back out of sight and watched her from behind a parked car. She never looked back.

And there was a smile on her face the whole time.

A Week of the Flu

I keep thinking that one of these weeks will be normal. This last one wasn't it.

Stuart started feeling bad on Monday afternoon, and by the middle of the night he was deathly ill. On Monday morning, he had a high fever and called in sick to work. I went on to school and took care of getting the children to their schools. Stuart called me at 4:00 and told me that he had just been to the doctor, and that was a surprise since he usually never goes voluntarily. He said he progressively felt worse during the day and thought he might have pneumonia or something. It turns out he had the H1N1 flu.

Stuart has been home sick all week. He is slowly recovering, but it is almost as if when some symptoms get better, then he gets other ones. I am hopeful he can go back to work on Monday, but it is still touch and go. My week was spent identifying with single, working mothers who have no other adult to help them. Stuart remained quarantined in our guest bedroom for the better part of the week, so he wouldn't infect the rest of us. I began taking Tamiflu, but our pediatrician didn't think it was indicated for the children. Plus, the liquid form for the young kids that had to be compounded was over $180 for their prescriptions.

I have used so many Clorox wipes this week that I don't think I'll ever like the smell of them again. So far, no one else is sick, although Owen is dragging tonight and felt a little warm. I am hoping he doesn't wake up tomorrow with the full blown flu.

Needless to say, it was a long week. However, we have survived many things already in the 4 weeks since school has started, and I reentered the classroom. We've had Stuart's dad get diagnosed with cancer. Arden got the flu. Stuart got the flu (worse than Arden). I pulled Arden out of the first daycare, and I am now trying out #2. I hope it slows down now. I don't want to be burned out by Thanksgiving.

The positive side of this week was Arden's transition to her new daycare. She seems to like it so much more, and I have been thrilled with it this past week. She never cried a single time at drop off, and they have said she is happy all day. She has done crafts, painting, had storytime, and made a new friend "Chessa." I have visited her every day on my prep period or lunch and gotten to spy on her. I enjoyed seeing her sitting at the table with her hands folded while the teacher read the boys and girls a picture book. She looked so grown up and attentive! There have only been 5-6 other children with her all week, and she wasn't bitten once! So far, she is also healthy after one week there. I'm praising God for this bright spot in our week! I spent some time this morning going around to our neighborhood garage sales and was able to pick up more board books for her daycare classroom, as I am trying to help stock it full with good books. They have some books, and I am pleased to see how much the teachers read with the children. I want to help make more books accessible to her and the other children there, especially since literacy is my teaching area! Luckily, I can usually always get lots of books for .25 to .50 cents at garage sales or my favorite thrift store.

Please continue to pray for our family's health and that none of the kids get the flu.

Shopping Ups and Downs

The Rhea Lana sale ended, and I am loving my 65 items which I bought for Arden and Owen. I should have looked for some jeans for Hudson, now that I actually pulled out my bins of Owen's old clothes from the attic. Oh well. It was a crazy night to shop since Arden was sick, and Stuart was trying to take her and the boys to the pediatrician. I sold all but 5 items of the 125 items which I put in, and I cleared over $300 profit. That made me feel like the effort was worth it (not to mention that it allowed me to shop at the presale). If you haven't consigned or shopped at the large children's consignment sales in your area, you really need to try it. Yes, it is crowded. Yes, you will have to plan to stand in line for a long time (I heard over an hour in the Little Rock Rhea Lana, but I only waited in line 20 minutes in Rogers). I averaged around $5.00 per item for each of the 65 items which I purchased, and they were all name brands like Gymboree, Children's Place, Gap,and Stride Rite. I only spent $60 above what I earned in selling my old clothes. Yep, that is only $60 for my children's entire fall wardrobe!! Any odds and ends or more shoes for Arden will be filled in with used items off Ebay throughout the winter.

Now, I wish I could go to a great consignment sale for clothing for me! I have lived in shorts, jeans, and yoga pants for the better part of the past six years as a SAHM. Now, I am teaching again, and we are only allowed to wear jeans with the school shirt on designated "spirit days." I literally own three pairs of pants that fit me right now! So, I went shopping on Sunday to find some pants, and two hours later I came home with one pair and $60 less in the bank. I am very hard to fit in pants. Yes, I am skinny and can't help that. It's genetic and nothing I try to attain. In fact, I purposefully have to eat ice cream or high calorie foods daily to keep up with my metabolism, or I would become downright gaunt if I don't pay attention! I just have a hard time keeping weight on. The negative side to my figure (or lack thereof) is that I have a long waist, short legs, and no curves. Most pants gap hugely at the waistband if they fit my hips because I have a small waist. The few pants that do fit me are often styled to the tastes of a teenager and are cut way too low or tight for someone who is 39, a teacher, and a mother of three. The pants I just bought were a 2 petite at Ann Taylor. They only had THREE entire pairs of pants in the entire store in my size! Two were too low on the waistband, so I left with one pair. I tried Gap, Banana Republic, and White House/Black Market, and very few people make pants in my size or stock more than one pair since the demand is low. If they do, then they must be sized for models who are 5'11 because they will be 35 inches in the inseam and require hemming and alterations. I'm trying to avoid paying for that after the ridiculous prices of the pants to begin with! It is frustating. So, I will probably get online and order this exact pair of Ann Taylor pants in two more colors. It's hard to be fashionable when you can't get clothing that fits. Too bad I'm not Arden; I could have had 65 items for the price of my one pair of pants!

Appearances can be deceiving

Whew, what a week it has been!

One big thing happened this week; I'm moving Arden to a different daycare. Yep, only three weeks into it, and I just don't feel that it will get better . . . or better fast enough. Basically, I just think that she can't handle a room with 14 toddlers in it, even though they have two teachers, and it meets the state ratio of at least 7:1 (or something like that). Overall, fourteen kids means more aggression, more fighting, more biting, and more germs.

So, I am leaving the fancy castle daycare with its security systems, doors with codes, wooden floors, indoor climbing room, and luxurious playgrounds for a much more modest center that is run by my school district and right next door (as in I can walk there in 2 minutes) from my junior high. They share a parking lot, in fact. She might not have the newest building with the turrets on top, but hopefully she will be taken care of better. That's what counts, you know? I got suckered in by appearances because the other facility wooed me with its poshness. The BMWs parked in front helped reassure me that the rich people wouldn't settle for mediocre care. However, in Arden's situation, it just hasn't been a good fit. I tried to overlook some of the disorganization of the room and the fact that every day I had to hunt for all her belongings that were strewn all over the room. But then, it started. Yep, seven bad bites in four days was pretty bad. It was worse that the teachers never even noticed it happened.Every day, I saw the bad bites and had to report them. Then, she got the flu this week and has been out since Tuesday. So, I had had enough.

I had visited this other center earlier, and it was down to these two when I made my original choice. I revisited it today, and I see so many more benefits to it now. The class has six kids! That, in itself, is enough to jump up and down for. Hopefully, she won't be eaten alive there, or at least the occasional bite will be noticed and cared for. Also, we are hoping she will get sick less often with less kids in the room.

I don't know for sure if I'm making the right choice, and so much of her experience can't be known until you actually start attending the program. One person's good experience doesn't mean that your experience will be the same based on your child's personality and the individual teachers. I wouldn't say that her former school was bad for every child in every room there, but it wasn't good for her. From what I know, I love the new teacher, and I can walk over every day on my prep period or lunch to check on her. Believe me, I will. This teacher does art and various craft projects with the kids every day and has student's artwork on the walls. Why didn't I notice that before instead of only seeing the age of the older walls?

I'm learning that appearance isn't everything. What is beautiful on the outside is often shallow and deceiving. What matters is the heart, in all circumstances. I need to work on that one too. But for now, I'm praying that the heart of this new school is better for my little girl.

Cancer

During this past week, Stuart's best friend and Stuart's father were both diagnosed with cancer. Needless to say, it has been an emotionally draining week for Stuart.

Please pray for them, as their doctors decide the best course of treatment. We are praying that both of them can have a full recovery from this disease. I can't believe how many people that I am close to have been affected by this disease in just the past few years. My own father died of cancer two years ago, and my mother has battled cancer this year. One of my childhood friends lost her mother to breast cancer at the same time that I lost my dad, and now her brother-in-law has pancreatic cancer that is terminal. Stuart has also had another close friend who was in our wedding be diagnosed with cancer and have surgery and chemo this past year. I feel that I am constantly hearing of new cases, and it is so sad. Ironically, both Owen's and Hudson's namesakes were Stuart's two friends who have both been diagnosed this year.

Please pray for Stuart's dad and our close friend, as well as any other people that you know who are battling this disease.

Adapting

I have now finished one more week with students, and it completed my first full month back at work (with inservices and meetings for many days prior to students). The boys have had 1 1/2 weeks in their new school, and Arden has finished two weeks in daycare. It is amazing that every single one of us was beginning a new school adventure at the same time! Now we just need Stuart to go back to school, ha!

This week had its ups and downs with Arden, but the rest of the family is adjusting well. The boys love their new school and teachers, and they are coming home with stories about fun things they are learning and new friends that they are meeting. Both of them like the after-school program which they attend for 1 hour until my school releases, and I can drive over to pick them up. They have made friends, and both of them think it's fun to have an extra 30 minutes on the playground and a snack in the cafeteria after school. Thankfully, they don't have to stay there very long. I think they are adjusting well to the school routine.

Arden has had a cold this week, and her regular teacher at her preschool was out sick for three days this week. That made for a rough time for her since she didn't feel great and had different caregivers as subs each day. We had some issues with her being bitten several times this week, but I have talked to the director every day, and it appears to be under more careful supervision now. I have been inspecting her from head-to-toe before I leave with her, since her bites had not been noticed by the teachers. Luckily, yesterday was a good day with no problems. Arden seems to slowly be adjusting to her routine, and she had two good days with waking up without melting down on Thursday and Friday (she's like her mama and is NOT a morning person!). She was happier and less cranky in the evenings during the last two days also, so I am praying that she will soon feel comfortable in the schedule. I am on a waiting list for another preschool that is highly rated and seems like it might be the best one in this area. I actually know someone from church whose son is Arden's exact age and in the class she would be in, and they love it. The mom is also on the board of directors, too. However, she is #31 on the waiting list for her age, and it looks like 12-18 months to get in! It is like that with many childcare centers here.

I do like my job, so that is a blessing. My students are getting in a routine and are very friendly and obedient. I don't have any students that seem to be a handful, and only a few have some academic deficiencies. I am teaching mainly pre-AP (honors) students, and I really enjoy that. I still feel a bit overwhelmed with all the new curriculum, but my lessons are going well. I'd just like to get a few weeks ahead in my planning, so I am not planning day-to-day. I know that will come in time, and if I continue in this job, that would be much easier after the first year. This year, I am teaching all new literature titles that I've never taught before, so I knew it would be a lot more preparation. I'm thankful that I like my time while I am at the school, and the time flies by since I am so busy that I can barely chew for lunch!

We are going to enjoy a calm and quiet weekend at home with the kids, and I don't even think I'll do any cleaning!

Mistake?

It's been a rough couple of days. To be honest, I've spent a lot of time thinking that I just made a big mistake by trying to go back to work. And not only that, but I also let my online teaching job go, and since they have never spoken to me after my resignation, it isn't looking too likely that I can get it back. Tensions are running high in the household at this point.

I don't know if I can keep this up. I keep telling myself that it will get easier, but it's hard right now. I love the teaching part. I have a very manageable schedule and only three classes. My students have been attentive and wonderful, and I think the teaching part would be easy next year once I've gone though planning all the new curriculum once. I'm fine when I'm at school, but it's balancing it with home and family. When do working parents find time to cook, clean, go to Walmart, run errands? I spent all day Saturday doing errands and cleaning, so I haven't had any time to rest this weekend. I was cleaning bathrooms at 10 p.m.!

To top it off, Arden got sick on Friday afternoon and came home from daycare with a runny nose and red-rimmed eyes. By that night, she was running a low fever, and she officially has her first cold. Only one week in daycare and already sick! My mind is racing to how often she will get sick and how I only have 9 sick days to take off work to stay home, and we're not even into the winter flu season yet.

I knew these things when I decided to teach, but it has been a hard reality check when Arden has been crying and cranky for pretty much every waking hour since Friday afternoon. I am home from church with her this morning, and she won't let me out of her sight without going into hysterics. I'm thinking that drop-off at her school tomorrow morning will not be a pretty sight.

I'm discouraged. I'm tired. I'm overwhelmed.

I thought I was following God's leading, and I prayed so hard for Him to close this door if it would be a mistake. I thought it was a sign when the job description was changed exactly to how I prayed. Maybe this will get easier after a month or two.

Please pray for my family and this adjustment. I am committed by contract now to the entire school year, and I'm praying this gets easier on all of us.

First Day of School

Okay . . . I am alive.

I haven't had much time to post lately with starting my new teaching job.

My brother visited us last weekend from the Denver area, and it had been one year since his last visit. Arden had changed so much since then, and it was fun to see her interact with him. Asher, Owen, and I went to Eureka Springs last Saturday. Stuart stayed home with Hudson and Arden since Hudson got a quick stomach flu and had gotten sick early Saturday morning. It was fun to walk the same streets that Stuart and I went on for our honeymoon 19 years ago! I hadn't been back there since then! We ate some fudge and lemonade ices, and Owen had to pick out a few treasures from a gift shop. Owen got carsick on the winding roads back home, and we almost had a mess in Asher's rental car, but luckily we got pulled over to the roadside in time!

I have officially survived my first week back to work! Overall, it was a good week. I like the job better than I expected considering it is 7th grade. I haven't taught 7th graders in 14 years, but the three classes I have are pre-AP students and more mature than the 7th graders of 14 years ago. They have been extremely well-behaved and respectful, and I think it will be a good year. I am learning the ropes of the school procedures, and my teaching rhythm is coming back to me.

The balance of work and home will be a challenge with three kids, and I hope I can get used to the physically demanding schedule. So far, I haven't been able to cook or clean during the work week, and I am so exhausted when I get home. My feet are killing me from standing all day, and I can barely stay awake past 9 p.m.!

The boys both like their new school and seem to have good teachers. I met Owen's teacher at the new teacher orientation meetings, as she is returning back to Bentonville schools after staying home with kids for the past seven years. She previously taught at this same school in 3rd grade for many years before, and I really like her. Hudson's teacher has taught kindergarten for 15 years, and she is great too. The boys stay in an afterschool program for about an hour while I finish my day since the junior high dismissal is later than their school.

Arden has had the hardest adjustment since she has been home with me until this year. She is doing well for her first week in daycare, but she is extremely tired since she has to be woken up almost two hours earlier each morning and is only napping for one hour at school. She is tired and crying by 7 p.m. every night, and I hope the pace of her schedule gets easier on her after time. She seems happy at school and only cries a little when I leave. She is social and enjoys the facilities for outside play and the indoor climbing room.

Continue to pray for all of us in this adjustment. It will be a few months before I will feel like there is a routine or if I can determine if this will work for our family long-term. I do know that I still love teaching, but I don't know if I can keep up this pace indefinitely. Time will tell.

Out with the old, and in with the new

I resigned from the college almost two weeks ago. Now, fourteen days later, I haven't heard a word from anyone there. I emailed in my resignation letter and expected to hear from my department head or dean that they wished me well. But, nothing. So, I emailed the administrative secretary to make sure someone knew about my situation. No response. I then checked the online enrollment that shows live numbers for sections. Sure enough, my news had been processed because my name had been taken off the schedule, and my four sections had been reassigned for this fall to other people.

It was a bit hurtful that after six years of employment with the college, they didn't even recognize my departure. I know they got the information because the schedule was changed. I'm not sure if they are upset that I gave two week's notice and resigned, or if they just don't care. I felt that I had a good experience there, and I thought that I was on friendly terms with everyone. Now, I'm not sure where I stand. I don't know if I should make more contact with them in the future, and I don't know if they would consider me for future employment, if my situation in Bentonville were to change.

It's all sort of confusing. Six years, and no goodbye.

I think I've done the right thing by moving on to Bentonville schools. My college enrollment has remained low, and it appears that I would have only gotten two out of four of my sections to teach online. That would have beeen a 50% drop in my expected part-time income, and it would have really caused a financial strain in our budget.

God has been faithful to provide. Out with the old, and in with the new!

Hi ho, hi ho, It's off to work I go

I have five days of work behind me for this school year . . . only 188 left to go!

I will post pictures and more details later, but I do want to let you know that I am into the swing of inservice days and surviving! Yes, I'm tired. I haven't had this many days in a row of being up so early in six years! I'm not a morning person. However, once I get up and going, it's fine.

Last week, Roy and Bea Cearley came and graciously agreed to take care of the children on Tuesday through Thursday. Stuart took off a half day of work on Friday while I had meetings until noon. Last week was "new teacher" orientation meetings with all the new faculty from K-12 throughout the district. Most of it was pretty interesting, although I got a bit overloaded by Bloom's taxonomy and brain research. There was quite a bit of theory in some parts. The best day was Thursday when we sat in a real classroom and had a former "teacher of the year" give us all sorts of real-life tips for classroom management and organization. I took away a lot of concrete things to try with this age group, and the teacher was very inspiring.

Today and tomorrow I am meeting with my English team on my campus. I got a lot of useful curriculum information today, and I now know what my focus should be for the first semester. I am still working on decorating my room, although Stuart helped me get all my boxes up there this weekend. Owen tried to help me unpack on Saturday afternoon, but it was really a time when he tried to put all my money in the hall vending machine until it jammed!

Arden's mother's day out teacher from church is keeping the kids this week through Thursday, then Stuart is taking Friday off again. I think everything went well today, and the boys really enjoyed playing with Kristi's girls who are a bit older than Owen. It also helps that Arden knows Kristi as her former teacher, and I'm thankful that the boys can stay in their own home for these two weeks.

Arden begins daycare at Pinecrest Private School next Monday. I am really praying for that transition, and I hope she likes it and does well. Monday will also be Hudson's kindergarten open house! I can't believe he is off to real school already!

So, overall, I think things are going well. It will take a few weeks with students before I feel like I am in a routine, and it will take some adjustment for my energy level to match my schedule. However, I'm not nervous or overwhelmed at this point which is completely amazing considering that I was only hired 2 weeks ago! God has been very good in providing great support with coworkers and new friends, so I feel like I am learning the ropes pretty quickly.

Birthday Party

Today was the boys' joint birthday party. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate with us, and it started pouring down rain at 8:30 a.m. Due to that, we decided to move our 10:00 a.m. party indoors at our house since the temperature had cooled too much to swim comfortably, and the playground was all muddy from the recent downpour. When I planned a pool party a few weeks ago, I never expected all this rain and low temps in early August in Arkansas!

We had three families attend the boys' party, so it was a nice size group for an indoor gathering. I really didn't have a free weekend to reschedule the party now that I have to start my new teaching job this next week, plus we already had some existing plans over upcoming weekends. We emailed everyone that it was going to be moved indoors, and I did some last minute internet searches for indoor party games! I hadn't cleaned my house recently, so I hope that was overlooked by my guests.

We played a few rounds of musical statues, Doggie Doggie, Who's got the Bone, and hot potato. Then, we attempted a contest to wrap partners in toilet paper like mummies to see who could finish first. That game was harder than it sounded, as the toilet paper kept tearing every few squares.

The boys chose a "Cars" theme from the Disney movie for the cake, and we had chips, cheese balls, Doritos, and pretzels, along with the cake and ice cream. The boys opened their gifts, and then the kids spent a bit more time playing and chasing each other around the house with foam swords.

The boys still stated that they had a great party, so that is all that matters. I'm sure that playing musical statues wasn't as fun as splashing outside in the pool on a warm, sunny day; however, you have to take the weather as it comes! So for this August party, we made the best of Plan B.

Happy birthday, Owen and Hudson! I hope the day was lots of fun.

Gearing Up

Things are falling into place, slowly but surely, for my return into the great 7th grade adventure this year! Stuart's parents are coming next week to keep the children at my house on Tuesday- Friday while I attend inservices for new teachers. Then, Arden's mother's day out teacher from last year who is also a friend of mine volunteered to keep the kids the following week from Monday through Thursday at my house. A good neighbor Laurie is going to watch the boys at her house the final two days on August 17 and 18 while Arden starts at her full-time childcare. I feel good having a plan in place for the children, and I'm glad that they can be in their own home with their own surroundings (especially for Arden) for two weeks.

God also provided a spot for Arden at a well-reputed childcare center in Bentonville called Pine Crest Private School. It is right in front of the boys' elementary school campus, so I will be able to drop off and pick up in one place. Arden got the only spot open in her age group! Many places I called had waiting lists up to one year long, and Pine Crest initially told me they had a waiting list too. God opened up a spot, and I think it will be the best place I can find with one week's notice. I'm praying that Arden adjusts well to her new school and teachers and doesn't have any behavioral changes.

I did my final "hiring" interview with Bentonville Schools yesterday and met with the director of human resources. He approved my hiring and sent me on to do paperwork. I did all the tax forms, verification of experience, intent to hire form, and got information on benefits. Stuart was able to take a half day off work for me to go to the district office plus get my fingerprinting done at the sheriff's office. The school board will vote and approve all new hires on August 17, so then I will sign an "official" contract on August 18 and pick up my first paycheck! Yea!

I resigned from my online teaching job yesterday after I passed the final interview. That will give the college two weeks to reassign my sections to other instructors which I don't think will be too difficult since only one section is currently full, so they might not even need to keep all of them on the schedule. It was a little bittersweet to relinquish this online job since it has been such a blessing to work from home for six years, but I think God provided just the right time to change jobs since it appears that the economic slowdown is finally trickling down to the community college. My enrollment was low this semester which, in turn, dictates how many sections I would be able to teach any given semester. At least with secondary education in Bentonville, it is not affected as much by the economy since it is mandatory public education in the fastest growing school district in the state. If I do a good job for the district, I should not have to worry about job security.

I'm anxious to get into a classroom and start unpacking. I have twelve boxes of materials and files in my attic from my P.A. days, and I'm ready to go through them. I'm sure I will be spending several nights and weekends up at the school in the next few weeks trying to get a room ready for the first day with students on the 19th. I don't like feeling in limbo, so I will be glad when I'm "unpacked" and have some idea of what I will be teaching during the first few weeks. I will meet with the English department on August 10-11 for curriculum and should get my textbooks and have a much better idea of where to start.

Tomorrow is the boys' birthday party, and it will be just a small gathering at our neighborhood pool since we don't know many people in town yet. Several friends were not able to come and were traveling. The boys picked a "Cars" theme from the Disney movie, and we ordered a cake from Sam's Club and picked it up today. I'm glad we are having a simple, outdoor party, so I don't have to worry about my house!

I'm finally sleeping normally again after the whirlwind of stress and excitement with this job change. I feel relatively calm and more excited than nervous. I know it will take a month or so to even get my bearings and feel like I have some sort of rhythm, but I know I can do the job once I figure out the curriculum and have some time to plan.

God's timing is perfect. It wasn't what I envisoned for this year, but He has a purpose in my assignment. I love teaching and always looked forward to returning to the classroom. I hope I can be used positively to reach many students this year!

A Sign

On July 7, my world began to change. After six years at home full-time, I had begun to feel a stirring in me to teach in the classroom again. Hudson would be starting kindergarten, so Arden would be my only child at home. Financial stress had driven my inital thoughts of how to make more money. We had spent a lot of money on the move to northwest Arkansas, exterior drainage issues in our yard, and unexpected car repairs which eventually left us with needing to abandon our ten year old vehicle in June and buy a new car last month. Financial stress loomed heavily as I had also found out that my part-time job had capped the maximum number of courses that I would be able to teach, plus enrollment was low in my existing online sections for the fall semester. I randomly had the urge to check the teaching openings for the Bentonville School District website, and I saw it. There was an opening for a 9th grade English teacher at the high school. The opening was posted on 7/7/09 -- the same day that I randomly felt the urge to check.

I applied for the position which was very involved. It required typed essays, work verification from my former employers, and eight letters of recommendation. Fortunately, my secondary teachers' license was recently renewed and valid. However, my excitement was short-lived as I found out from a friend of mine who teaches in the high school that the position was filled internally from a transfer of another district teacher. I felt that God's will had been made clear, and I began to focus on my online curriculum to prepare for the fall.

The very next day, on Wednesday, July 22, I got an unexpected call to interview for an English teaching position at Washington Junior High in Bentonville. This was a 7th grade opening whose vacancy was from a transfer to the high school (the exact position that I had previously applied for!). I interviewed on Friday, July 24, and I met with the principal and three other faculty members.

The interview went extremely well and lasted well over an hour. I had been very nervous until I pulled into the parking lot, and then I felt a rush of calm and peace come over me. I felt that I was completely myself in the interview, and I really liked the principal. However, I was panicked in the final few minutes of the interview when I was told that 1 of the sections for the position was ESL (English as a Second Language) to a group of non-English speaking students. I have never taught ESL, so that was a bit stressful to consider doing that with no experience. Then, I also found out that the start date was Tuesday, August 4, which was almost a full week earlier than I had expected. I didn't realize that there were additional days of training for new hires over the regular inservice days for returning teachers. My concern was childcare for all of those days since it meant I would have just over a week to pull all this together.

I wrestled with the pros and cons of the job all weekend. I had been told that a decision would be made on Monday, July 27. We went to dinner at a friend's house on Saturday night, and I was discussing the interview with her and my fear over the ESL class and the early start date. She jokingly said, "Wouldn't it be great if the principal changed the schedule and got rid of that ESL class?" I agreed and thought that would make the job so much more comfortable for me. I prayed all weekend that God would close the door if I shouldn't go down that path. I was fine with the district hiring someone else; I just didn't want to accept a job that would be a mistake.

Like Gideon, I wanted a sign. I wanted a fleece that would show me what to do -- a clear sign from God that I was in His will. I prayed that I could sort out my stress because I couldn't tell if the stress I felt was due to the fast pace of the situation and the normal stress of change, or it was an indication that I was making a mistake.

The phone rang on Sunday night. I expected it to be a relative, so I casually answered. It was the principal from the junior high. She expressed how excited they would be to offer me the position as an English teacher at their school. I was the committee's first choice. I knew that I still had a couple of questions about the ESL assignment that I had thought of after I left the interview, so I asked the principal if I could ask a few more things about that section. She laughed and said she had changed my schedule, and that I would not have to teach ESL. My schedule would be three sections of 7th grade English.

A sign -- I had prayed for a sign. I had laughed the night before about how great it would be if God sent me a sign by having the principal change the schedule and eliminate the ESL class. This was my fleece.

I felt a complete peace about the situation. God was in this. He had arranged for me to get the job. It wasn't some mistake that I had created.

So, I accepted the position. I start next week, and students arrive on August 19.

Now, this isn't to say that I'm not having stress! It is still a lot of stress having to arrange two weeks' worth of childcare and find a full-time placement for Arden with only one week's notice! I don't "fly by the seat of my pants" very well! However, now I know that it is going to work out. I know that I can do this job well and that it is a good fit for me. This is God's plan for me and my family.

God gave me a sign.

Habla Espanol?

Yesterday, I asked Hudson to count to 20 out loud again, as we have been practicing certain skills for kindergarten readiness. He can actually almost make it to 100!

He looked as me very seriously, and he asked, "Do you want me to do it in English or Spanish?"

The Interview

Well, I survived my first interview in over 6 years! It was very nervewracking, and I'm glad I only had 36 hours to wait from the time they called me because I haven't slept well since then with all the anticipation.

So, how did it go, you might be wondering. Honestly, I think it went well, and I thought that all of the four interviewers seemed to connect well with me and gave positive comments and had postive facial expressions and body language. We laughed a lot, and I felt that I was relaxed and myself. So, I probably wouldn't change anything about how I performed in the interview. Basically, they had a sheet of established questions and went around in a circle and each asked me one. Only a couple of them were ones that I didn't immediately know what to say (What has been your biggest failure in the past three years? What text or professional literature has impacted your teaching style the most?).

I loved the principal. Loved her! She would be a dream personality to work with, and I felt she was so approachable, funny, and laid back. She was not intimidating at all. She obviously wants faculty to approach her easily and bring her any concerns. I felt like she would be supportive and give me lots of help. I also really liked the two other English teachers in the meeting, and they both reminded me of others I have worked with before. I think we would get along well. There was a fourth man in the interview that I couldn't really read as well. He was an ESL/reading specialist, so I didn't really connect with his questions quite as much because that isn't my area of expertise. He also left early to go to another meeting, so I didn't get to know him as well.

The interview was over 1 hour long. I brought in samples of previous projects I have done with students along with some photos from my scrapbook of my former students while they were working on one of the projects and the finished results. The other teachers seemed to like that, and I think they got an accurate picture of who I am and my teaching strengths.

However, I got sort of panicked at the end of the interview when I found out some more information about the teaching assignment and the starting date. I was originally told it was for a 7th grade position, and it turns out that those two classes are pre-AP, so I was thrilled about teaching honors level again. However, they didn't mention until the very end of the interview (as in "By the way . . . we'd better tell you . . . ") that the third class is 8th grade English ESL!!! What?? I'm not ESL (English as a Second Language) certified. They want me to teach a class of non-English speakers? I have no idea where to start with that. These kids are going to be using Rosetta Stone curriculum. The up side is that there will only be 8 kids in that class because it is ESL. The principal said that with the late notice of this job becoming open, there is no way any of their applicants will be ESL trained, so they will just make do for this year, and then they will try to reassign sections for next year and get a real ESL teacher to take that section. However, for this year, they will have to use a regular English teacher who will get some team-teaching support from another ESL teacher in the building. I was a little blindsided by that one. My ESL experience consists of teaching about five foreign exchange students during my eight years at Pulaski Academy, but they were all super motivated students who didn't sleep and stayed up all night translating my novels into Chinese (seriously!).

The positive thing is that this job only has 3 classes (2 pre-AP 7th grade English and 1 section ESL 8th grade English) and a total of 58 students. No one ever has 58 students in secondary school at the full-time level! The grading should be very managable, which would be a good thing since I'll probably have to learn Spanish! ha!

The other stress factor that got dropped on me in the last 5 minutes of the interview is that the starting date is AUGUST 3, as in 1 week from now! What! School begins on August 19, and I knew that teachers had to report on August 12 for inservices. However, what I didn't know is that ALL new teachers to this district have to report a full week earlier than returning teachers in order to go through "new teacher orientation" with the district. Now, that wouldn't be a problem except for the small issue of Owen, Hudson, and Arden. I have no idea what I will do with my children for two weeks until they can start school and daycare. Plus, I will only have 6 days to figure it out! That is a stress.

So, how do I feel right now? Overwhelmed.

Would I like the job? Probably.

Would I take the job? Probably.

I honestly think that I underestimated how much work it would be to return to the classroom in a public school. I'm rusty on all the benchmarks, assessments, and all the state requirements for teachers that I didn't have to worry about while I've been off teaching in private schools and at the college level for the past 14 years.

I think I would LOVE this job after the first year. I think the first year will kill me!

It's a steep learning curve with a lot of information to process and only 1 week to pull it all together. Combine that with worrying about my three children, and I don't know if I can do it.

I do think that after I got adjusted to the schedule, and after I got through a year of lesson plans, this would be a pretty easy job in the second and subsequent years (only 58 students, remember??). That is, if I live through the first year.

So, the principal said they will finish interviewing today and check references over the weekend. They will make a decision and call on Monday due to the start date of August 3. There are at least three people being interviewed as I know they mentioned another male teacher, and there was another woman waiting in the lobby after I came out from my interview. Who knows, maybe one of them speaks Spanish, so they will be the better candidate.

We'll see what happens. I don't even know what I want to happen! I need God to give me some very clear direction.