I work as a... um...what's the Politically Correct term again...oh yeah, School Nutrition Services Employee(in other words, I'm a Lunch Lady). I like the job because it allows me to be off work when my kids are off school and the hours are great. The pay is not, but I'll take the good with the bad. One of the other things I really like about it is that I get to interact with the kids. I love kids. I should have been a teacher but didn't always make wise choices and one of those was not going to college.
Today I was at an elementary school and I got to work on the serving line. I love to watch all the kids come in and listen to them interact with each other. Sometimes they are too hilarious. Today when the First grade came through the very last kid in the very last class was a little boy who had obviously been crying. Of course, the first thing we asked him was if he's ok and, of course, he said yes. With his little bloodshot eyes and swollen red face. About this time his teacher came in, had a little heart to heart with him, took off the little guys glasses, gave him a tissue and helped him wipe his eyes. It was all very sweet and I was so impressed with said teacher.
"So what", you might say, "teachers handle these types of situations every day." And you would be right. The difference today was that this teacher was male and when he came back around the line and saw this little boy crying I fully expected him to take him by the shoulder and tell him to buck up and get over it. He did take him by the shoulder and they had a little "man to man", I don't know what was said but I know that the young man got himself together and was able to get his lunch and go on his way. I just can't get out of my mind the gentle way that the teacher helped him to dry his face and go on. I guess you could say it "warmed my heart".
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Families Needed
As you may be able to tell this is supposed to be a blog about our adoption of a baby girl from Vietnam, however, here lately it's been about whatever the crazy woman who lives in my head feels like at the moment. That's because we are making NO progress on an adoption, from anywhere. After all the stank that went down with the agency we were going to use we decided to just sit back and see what happened and whether or not adoption from Vietnam would even continue. As we gave it some time we started thinking more about a special needs adoption. We had thought before that we would be willing to adopt a child that may be passed over otherwise. Since we have been trained as Therapeutic foster parents and I have experience working in the school system and our church with Special Education students we're pretty sure we could handle a variety of issues.
With all that said my problem is that I have been checking out all the Waiting Child lists that I know of and so many of these children are in China and Korea and we are not approved to adopt from either. I hate it because every list I see the majority of their children are from one of these two places and I just keep thinking if they didn't have such strict requirements perhaps a lot of these kids would have families by now. I understand the desire for the children to have the best life possible but what I can't figure out is how can being a couple years over 45 make you an unfit parent or how can being over a certain body mass disqualify you to be a good parent? These children are living in orphanages and the care they receive may be better than in days past but it's not anything like having a family that you know is yours forever. A little extra weight, a past bout with depression, being older or any of those other minor issues isn't going to make it less a family.
We still have plans to adopt, we are just not saying we are adopting from "XYZ" and I'm trying not to put a timeline on it. I know..."Good Luck with that!"
With all that said my problem is that I have been checking out all the Waiting Child lists that I know of and so many of these children are in China and Korea and we are not approved to adopt from either. I hate it because every list I see the majority of their children are from one of these two places and I just keep thinking if they didn't have such strict requirements perhaps a lot of these kids would have families by now. I understand the desire for the children to have the best life possible but what I can't figure out is how can being a couple years over 45 make you an unfit parent or how can being over a certain body mass disqualify you to be a good parent? These children are living in orphanages and the care they receive may be better than in days past but it's not anything like having a family that you know is yours forever. A little extra weight, a past bout with depression, being older or any of those other minor issues isn't going to make it less a family.
We still have plans to adopt, we are just not saying we are adopting from "XYZ" and I'm trying not to put a timeline on it. I know..."Good Luck with that!"
Saturday, January 12, 2008
HUH?
I was just sitting here watching the news while I surf around and I think I just saw a bunch of people in a Metro station in their underwear. I live near DC and I know folks can be nuts but I didn't think that many were that nuts!
Did I really just see what I thought I saw or do I seriously need to put my little delusional tail to bed? Boy howdy!
Did I really just see what I thought I saw or do I seriously need to put my little delusional tail to bed? Boy howdy!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Does this mean we're related?
I saw this on someone else's blog and just had to make my own. Curiosity always gets the best of me.
I'm ok with a couple of them being dudes only because one of them is Johnny Depp and I heart him so much!
I'm ok with a couple of them being dudes only because one of them is Johnny Depp and I heart him so much!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Outside the Touch of Time
"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time." Clara Ortega
Today we spent a few hours hanging out with my Great-Grandma. She needed someone to fix the phone line that runs to her bedroom and I wanted to get some names of ancestors to start doing some genealogical research. She's an awesome little lady who will be 90 years old this June. While we were there she fixed us a wonderful lunch, which of course included fried apples because she knows I love them. She followed Hubby up and down the stairs showing him what needed to be run where and why, and dug around to find me all her lists of names and dates of relatives that have been long gone, some of whom she still remembers.
While we were sitting, just she and I, talking and reminiscing together she shared how it bothers her to think that soon she could be the only one of her generation left. She was trying to explain to me how she feels like she will be alone. She will be 90 and her only sibling left, a sister, will be 93 and is "failing". I think the quote above puts into words the feelings Great-Grandma was trying to convey to me today. . They are the only two left and even though she has lots of children, grandchildren, greats and even a few great-greats, it's not the same. Now I think I have a better perspective on what she meant.
Today we spent a few hours hanging out with my Great-Grandma. She needed someone to fix the phone line that runs to her bedroom and I wanted to get some names of ancestors to start doing some genealogical research. She's an awesome little lady who will be 90 years old this June. While we were there she fixed us a wonderful lunch, which of course included fried apples because she knows I love them. She followed Hubby up and down the stairs showing him what needed to be run where and why, and dug around to find me all her lists of names and dates of relatives that have been long gone, some of whom she still remembers.
While we were sitting, just she and I, talking and reminiscing together she shared how it bothers her to think that soon she could be the only one of her generation left. She was trying to explain to me how she feels like she will be alone. She will be 90 and her only sibling left, a sister, will be 93 and is "failing". I think the quote above puts into words the feelings Great-Grandma was trying to convey to me today. . They are the only two left and even though she has lots of children, grandchildren, greats and even a few great-greats, it's not the same. Now I think I have a better perspective on what she meant.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Birthday Pictures
That last post kind of depressed me but my birthday was actually a very nice day. Not spectacular but nice. My husband baked me a cake, from scratch. My youngest started insisting about two weeks before my birthday that he had to. So, that's what they did. I was so impressed and they really did a wonderful job.
I am loved!
I am loved!
It's a New Year
Yesterday was my birthday, I turned 31, and today is the first day of the New Year. Christmas has come and gone, and I'm sitting here wondering why time flies now that I'm grown. I remember when I was 10 and I wanted to be 13, then I was 13 and wanted to be 16, then 18..... and then at 19 I had a baby and ever since then my life has just flown until now I'm sitting here tonight trying to figure out how I got to be 31already and have two practically half grown kids. It's bewildering and almost depressing.
I think one of my resolutions this year is going to be to enjoy my kids more and cherish my time with them. I think way too much lately of how they will someday, in the not so distant future, be grown and gone. Am I the only one who gets a little nervous at that thought? I want to make sure that they are ready, that they know how to make good choices when that time comes. That's what we all want for our kids, right?
I think one of my resolutions this year is going to be to enjoy my kids more and cherish my time with them. I think way too much lately of how they will someday, in the not so distant future, be grown and gone. Am I the only one who gets a little nervous at that thought? I want to make sure that they are ready, that they know how to make good choices when that time comes. That's what we all want for our kids, right?
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