BACK TO WORK

Friday, for the 1st time in over 8 years, I went to work. Well, I went to work and got paid for it. I was the PE substitute at the kids school, and it was wonderful. I got to work at a little after 7, and didn't have my first class until 8:55. I got to teach the k3, k4, K, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grades. One of the reasons I am excited about the possibility of becoming the PE teacher is that I'll get to interact with kids of all ages. I got to see many of the kids I've coached over the years, and I got to meet a lot of kids I haven't seen before. The younger kids loved talking to someone new, telling me how everything is supposed to be done. Of course the older kids were quick to tell me what they would like to do, even if that conflicted with what I was told they could do. When the day concluded at 3, I was happy to have been able to go in. I talked to the principal for a while about how much I enjoyed it, and she mentioned she would like to get me in for math and science. I told her that would be great, so I think I am moving forward towards being ready and able to take a position when one opens up.

But as fun as it was, I "was missing" the Tornado all day. I thought about him often. This isn't the first day I've spent without him at home, but it is the first one I've spent without him while I was at work. I know it isn't going to last forever, in fact it's going to end in just 8 months before he has to go to school. I've missed being able to run with him as the jog stroller is just too small for him. So as the day was almost over, I thought about him doing his "homework" earlier in the week, and how he's just about ready for school. It's almost time to let him go on with the next step, and for me too. We are both about ready I think, but that doesn't make it any easier. The good news is I'll still see him everyday at school if I can get in there, the girls too. So hopefully it'll be the best of both worlds!

THE HEART OF THE BEAR

The Bear has a heart as big as anyone I have ever met. She's only 8, yet she's always thinking of others. Most kids are in their own world, they rarely think about how their actions affect others. Bear isn't like that. She's always thinking of ways to make others happy.

Last week she heard me talking to Grandpop about how much I liked Ichiro, how much I enjoyed watching him play. Well, about an hour later, she comes down from her room and hands me something. It's an Ichiro baseball card that she had. She says,"I heard you say how much you liked him and figured you might like this card...I can always get another one."

Two days ago she finished her homework, yet kept working on something. After dinner I saw a card laying on the kitchen counter. She had written a letter to her Godfather who lives about 1500 miles away. The letter said how much she missed him and his little girls. I asked her why she wrote it and she answered that she thought he would enjoy getting a letter.

She's always making little cards and crafts for me and her mother. She just always has others on her mind. But it's not always purely without alterior motives.

This week her and O were really lax with leaving doors open, lights on, things like that. In fact, O changed the thermostat after being told not to do it, because she felt it was too hot. So I explained to both of them that things such as electricity are expensive, and we need to do our best to conserve them. The more we save on those things, the more we have for things we like to do. Later in the week, she had an assignment in school to write three things she wishes for. She got in the car after school and told me about the assignment. Then she explained that her first wish was for "lower house insurance". I started laughing, because that wasn't one of the things I discussed as being expensive, however The CEO and I have been discussing it quite a bit lately as our renewal is due soon. So when I asked why she wrote that she responded that she knew it was expensive and it would help us if it was less. Then she added "plus, I'd like to go to 7-11 once in a while". :)

WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE??

The Bear and the Tornado love being together. They now sleep in the same room, she helps him take his showers, they are with each other whenever one goes upstairs to change or get something. But like any two people who spend LOTS of time together, they get on each other's nerves. Often. For the first two plus years of the Tornado's life, this was completely acceptable. The last year though? Less acceptable. Yesterday they were playing on Webkinz, and Bear was giving some instructions to the Tornado. He finally snaps, and says "You think you a parent??!!! You a stinky little parent!" Laughter ensues, he gets even more frustrated...tension building...then more laughter.

Of course when I got back from a run the day before, O told me that Bear wasn't listening to her regarding being in charge. I guess everyone wants a little control, huh? Not that it matters much, Gramma declared herself the Big Dog last week, so we are all just part of the pack I guess.

The picture was taken after basketball practice with O yesterday too. It was REAL hot, and the kids decided they would pour some ice water on each others heads. O went first, then Bear, then the Tornado. They had fun, and I had fun watching them all enjoy themselves together.

WHOOPS!

O gets in the car yesterday as I am picking her up from school. I ask her how her day was, and she tells me that it was "fine, I guess". That's not the typical answer, so I press a little and she starts to get upset. She tells me that during class she sneezed, and as she sneezed she let out a loud fart!! How am I not supposed to laugh at that??!! Well, I do my best, and ask if anyone heard, if anyone made fun of her, things along that line. She said yes, everyone heard, but that no one made fun of her. HOLY COW, that was a close one!.

Later that afternoon, the CEO pulls into the driveway while O and I are playing hoops. O tells the CEO what happened, and as I knew would happen, she absolutely cracks up. Loses it. O starts crying, or at least trying to cry, then recovers and starts to laugh too.

Good stuff.