brenda’s thoughts, watch out I’m Christian

I’ve told ya what angels my students are this year

I got a new student

She’s not an angel

It’s funny how her attitude permeated the class in one day

And even funnier how it revealed the hidden defects each child has been working so hard to control

Like lemon juice on a secret message

Or is it heat on a lemon juice message

My brother used to drive me nuts with his secret messages

and Morse code!

Don’t even get me started on Morse code

He made a telegraph. Then ran and buried wires from the tree house to a box that he also buried at the base of the tree we used to come down when climbing out the upstairs window.

He said, “You gotta learn Morse code, you gotta learn Morse code!!!!”

He drove me nuts

No, I never learned it

I refused

Anyway, about my students, talk about ADD

It was just sad that they worked so hard and one kid could mess them up so bad

I was more upset by seeing their defects so clearly

Its past sad

It’s tragic when a child displays characteristics of abuse

It makes you stop and re-assess everything you’ve thought or said about or to that child

It makes you stop

One child touches my heart more than the others

There is always one

Last year it was a girl

This year it’s a boy

They both have been the victim

Most of my students have

But some become the perpetrator

And others continue to be victimized

This boy is a victim

He continues to be bullied

He likes me because I protect him

I can’t protect him once he leaves

So

I’ve stopped and thought

But even in the heat of the situation

No message has been revealed

Maybe I should’a learned Morse code

God is so good

Our scripture for today was 1Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

The first day of school was awesome

My students are angels

Or scared to death of me

One said, “I heard you were real mean and I don’t want to make you mad”

The older kids!

They’re so funny.

They also came to visit after school

It’s funny that the child who caused me so much trauma last year

Gave me such a big hug this afternoon

I got hugs, big hugs

And they love their new school

And their new classes

And their new friends

And their new teachers

And everything

They were SO excited

And I was so glad to get those hugs and hear they are happy

What a blessing today has been

God is so good to me

this is cute

Almost time to go back
I’ve been up at the school cleaning the classroom
its a surreal time
I’m wearing shorts,
walking barefoot to the copier
the radio is cranked up
I can have food lying around the room
and check and reply to emails without hesitation
Went to the cafeteria for my free meal and was welcomed like a celebrity
Its was really funny
Not cause the kids were excited
But because the staff was beside themselves
I was greeted so whole heartedly
That I can only imagine that it has been a very long summer
back in the school its back to business
I’m also discovering who my students will be
pray for my new babies,
they need it bad
there’s always that unnecessary debate, “to look at the files before you meet the kids or not”
and then of course the “what are you putting on your bulletin board”
And “are you doing a theme this year”
And “where will we go for lunch”
Here’s a piece of insider information
Teachers talk more than students
and tons of meetings
And training sessions
Oh, oh, oh
Let me tell you
A wonderful blessing of confirmation
God loves me
I was worried about my boss’s reaction to my going to Africa
But
Guess what
Guess who is going to Kampala, Uganda, Africa this January
My boss!
She and her family are visiting an orphanage
A different one
Lots of orphanages
Lots of orphans
Lots of need
So we’ve had the best time chatting about shots and packing and the government and the civil war and malaria and …
You wouldn’t think that would make good conversation
But we love it
Confirmation
I love being loved by God

It’s like the second trimester of a pregnancy

I’m all relaxed and slowed down

Not a hurried-up bone in my body

I wake up late

I read the paper at leisure

I read the paper, period

I actually spend unusual amounts of time on stuff like

Water levels of creeks,

The aesthetics of trash piles and gnarled wood

And social interactions of kittens!!

For example

If you pick them up early in life and force them to be held,

Do they learn to actually enjoy human affection,

Or are they learning a reaction that provides a more tolerable consequence

And

I begin happily planning for the next school year

Like a nesting mother

I await the arrival of my new little darlings

And at this point they’re still little darlings

What fun and amazing things will we learn this year at school

I love this time of summer

What a totally awesome day

The Krispy Kreme has re-opened

It got blown away by the tornado

And I passed BOTH my GACE exams

Waaahooooooooo!

This one’s for the rental car

Don’t know what kind it is, cause I didn’t look, it’s small

But the gas mileage is amazing

Also

Was told by several people to try the steaks here

Cause they’re grain fed or something

Won’t bother to say the tired line “tough job but somebody had to do it”

Very good, tender

I could actually cut it with my fork, easily

Really

Got lost again this morning

Not my fault

There was a wormhole that wasn’t on the map

Tried to go to Wednesday night church service

Apparently that’s a southern thing

Man do I miss home for that

Here’s a favorite quote from my expensive out of state training session

“If you don’t get mad when kids make a math mistake, why do you get upset when they make a social mistake?”

Here’s another

“I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom.”

Sometimes it’s the obvious that gives us the most trouble

You know this traveling thing

Is really kinda cool

I should do this more often

But on someone else’s money

man, oh man, oh man!

done

so I won’t cause that ain’t nice

I will say that God was so with me

Cause they gave me a scientific calculator

And I just looked at that thing

It was God that gave me the test that didn’t have any questions needing it

I praised God big time

And still do

It is done

I talked with the child the other day.
They were walking across campus and said, “Do you know?”
I said, “Yes.”
I asked, “How are you doing?”
“I’m OK.” was the answer.
“I’d be balling my eyes out if I were you” I said
“I know he’s in a better place and he’s not in pain now” they said.
There was nothing I could say. I’m so proud. I want to say I taught them everything they know but at the Home its a group effort.
I’m just glad to be apart of the group.