Love You More!

One day at circle time, this conversation took place:

Student:  We love you!

Me:  I love you, too!

Student:  But we love you more!

Me:  That's so nice of you to say, but I think I love you more.

Since then, it's been a lovefest in kindergarten.  Each day, they present me with new reasons why they love me more than I love them.  They tell me the love me more than recess, more than ice cream, more than all the chocolate chip cookies in the world. 

We become a big family during kindergarten.  We spend the majority of our days together.  We have experiences and inside jokes that belong to us.  They bond us together.  Sure, there are times when we fuss and argue, but we also take care of each other.

And now my little ones are in their final month of school.  It's that time of year when I wish I could just slow time down.  There are still so many things I want to teach them.  There are so many more stories for them to tell me.  There are still so many experiences for us to share.  We need more time.

But I can't slow time down.  For now, I'll do my best to fill their final kindergarten days with as much learning, fun and happiness as possible.  And when that final day arrives, I'll be the one at the door quietly whispering, "I love you more!"

Garden Therapy

Yesterday, we moved my grandma into a nursing home.

She had been in assisted living.  She knew this move was going to happen.  She had seen the room she was moving to.  The dementia made her forget.

I sat their holding her hands, sharing her tears, trying to make her understand.  Trying to make things okay for her.  Trying to make things okay for my own mother as she tried to take care of her mother. 

We found things to smile about.  The bathtub she loves.  Discussions on spunkiness.  A visiting dog.  The picture of her with her five daughters.  She seemed to calm down and relax a little.

I went back today.  I saw her in clean clothes, sitting in the main room, still confused, but not agitated.  We talked for a bit and then she sent me away. 

It's been a tough couple of days.  Wishing I could do more, but knowing I'm doing all I can.  Knowing she is confused, but knowing she is safe and being well cared for.

So I came home and planted twenty dollars worth of flowers into the ground.  I know it's too early.  There's still a good chance of a final frost.  But the time spent playing in the dirt and calming my own mind is well worth the twenty dollars I'll have to respend to replant those flowers.

Admitting Is the First Step, Right?

I'll admit it.  I am a control freak.  It's not that everything needs to be done my way.  It just needs to be done correctly, preferably on my time schedule. 

I've reached a point where I can finally admit I can't do everything by myself.  Oh, it's so hard for me to admit that.  It actually pains me to admit that.  Let's not dwell on this admission too long or I may reconsider.

With new recognition comes a new challenge--delagation.  I have to be okay with other people being responsible.  More importantly, I have to trust that all will be okay in the end.

I took my first steps towards delagation this week.  I passed two tasks to two different individuals. 

In the first case, I kept checking with other people to see if the task had been accomplished.  It did get done eventually, but all the waiting made me anxious!

The second situation was a bit easier for me to handle.  This person sent me text messages looking for my input and actual photos for my approval.  It was quite a relief after my earlier experience.

So much for me releasing my need for control.

Super Aunt Saturday

Things are more than a bit hectic in this neck of the woods, but I took a break on Saturday to play Super Aunt.  The nieces and the nephew had various activities going on and I was determined to get to as many as possible.

The day began at 10 am with the two little cuties pictured above on the soccer field.  Despite being different ages, they managed to be on the same team.  Lucky me!

At 11 am, it was off to another soccer field to see The Nephew in his game.  He had a double header, but I only stayed for the first game. (Bad Aunt!)

Niece #1 had to get to her softball tournament with her mother and The Nephew had baseball practice after his games with his father.  I opted to take Nieces #2 and #3 with me after the first game of the double header to make life a little less complicated for their parents.

The afternoon was spent doing the things Nieces #2 and #3 enjoy:  lunch out, shoe shopping, and ice cream.  Then it was off to the softball portion of our day.

Niece #1 played the first of three softball games at 3:00.  (Did I mention she had played soccer earlier that morning and had track practice the day before???) 

I had accomplished something that had never been done before.  I had managed to attend a game for all my nieces and my nephew in a single day!  Under our family rules, I would have fulfilled my aunt responsibilities for the entire season.  But this was not enough for Super Aunt.  Oh no!  I went back for the 6:00 and 7:30 softball games as well.

My day ended at 9:00.  I was tired, a little sunburned and WAY behind on my weekend chores.  But, I had managed to spend time with four of the people I love most in the world.  I got hugs and smiles from every one of them.  I got a little glimpse into their worlds.  Best of all, I got all to rare treat of holding my favorite six year old for almost an hour as she fell asleep on my lap. 

Next on the list, the t-ball, baseball, and track. 

Teachers Say the Funniest Things

Here are a few comments I found myself saying in my classroom today.

"If it hurts, stop doing it!"

"Hiding my keys is not acceptable behavior."

"No, you may not ask the men across the street for a ladder so you can get on the roof."

"No, you can't be a dog until after snacktime."

"No, we are not getting a hot tub for the classroom."

"Beer is not an appropriate conversation for center time."

And today was a good day!

It Worked!

Joy and happiness have returned.  The sun has taken its place of honor high up in the sky for two days in a row.  I spent most of Friday morning sitting in a sunny spot in my classroom playing games with my kindergartners.  I really can't ask for a better way to spend a day at work.

And now, everyone is happy.  I have the sun back and you no longer have to hear me complain about its absence.  It's a win-win situation.