On days like today, I am ready to just throw in the towel with special ed. (*Please don't stop reading here.*) The two things I heard the most from people before entering this profession were, "What a rewarding career!" and "Oh, you must be a very patient person." I know the latter statement is not true, and days like today also make me think the former is not, either. Because when you spend a good chunk of your day just trying to keep kids from running out of your classroom and from shouting profanities down the hallway (those were coming from a six-year-old, mind you), you can't help but think that what you do isn't important, and that these are not the kind of rewards you anticipated when you signed your contract.
I do not think that this year of teaching autism has been a mistake. Oh, it's been hard. In fact, I've been downright miserable for much of it. But I don't think God makes mistakes when He brings you to certain places in life. If I have learned anything from this year, about teaching or life in general, it is this: None of it is about me.
Knowing that changes everything. Although I find myself often frustrated at work, I can remember that life is not supposed to be easy. God is always in the business of making us more like Himself, and His means of doing that is often through challenging times. I went into teaching with the thought that I could change children's lives and by so doing, I would feel happy and satisfied. I should have never tried to make this job about how I would feel. The point is that this is the work God has laid out for me for now, and it's all for Him.
I also have to remind myself that although I am not always teaching concepts as I had hoped and am instead doing a lot of "zookeeping" (because my classroom often feels this wild), my work is important. Some kids never receive "tough love" at home and really do need someone to teach them that there are consequences for yelling profanities down the hallway. They need someone to teach them that they cannot always get what they want. They need someone to love them like Jesus loves me- He disciplines because He cares and has my best interest in mind. I rarely do a good job of reflecting this love, but it is nonetheless the huge task that God has set before me daily, and for that reason alone, teaching special ed this year has not been a waste.
I often think that I have learned patience well enough. I find myself in situations in which I am forced to wait on something, I wait (not very patiently), and by the end of that situation, I am convinced that I am a more patient person and no longer in need of lessons on patience. Ha. Boy, do I have so much more to learn!
My patience ran out today. I hate those days. I hate to end the school day just crying at my desk because I feel like I cannot do it anymore. The good thing about days like today, though, is that they bring me to the end of myself and I once again realize that none of this is about me. Thankfully, God says, "I am not finished with you yet."
Friday, March 4, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year
New Year's is one of my favorite holidays. Unlike birthdays, during which everyone jokingly asks you if you feel any different or older and you never do, New Year's legitimately does feel different (at least to me). The start of a new year promises new hope and new beginnings- a chance to leave behind the bad habits and misfortunes of the previous year and to start over. The tunnel that you were in on December 31st somehow seems a little less dark on January 1. Perhaps we are all a little blissfully ignorant when beginning a new year, but I prefer that manner of living. In the words of a Puritan prayer, "I bless thee that Thou hast veiled my eyes to the waters ahead " ("Year's End", Valley of Vision).
A few Fenrick big events from 2010 (in no particular order):
-Bought our first house in Norman, OK (June)
-Celebrated our first year of marriage (July 11)
-Ran my first- and possibly only!- full marathon (February)
-Andrew started seminary classes at Southwestern Baptist (August)
-I started my first "real" job as an autism teacher (August)
-Andrew started a new job at Quibids (September)
-Dear friends got engaged, married, and had babies
-Andrew had a major seizure and trip to the hospital (April)
-Went together on a mission trip to Trujillo, Peru (March)
Andrew made one ambitious New Year's resolution this year: Run a full marathon. Since he is the one who originally inspired my love for running and hung with me through all the brutal training of the first half marathon that we ran together, I'd say he is perfectly capable.
I decided to make only 3 resolutions for this year as opposed to my usual lengthy list:
1. Drink more water. As one who is prone to kidney stones, I think this is necessary. I do not enjoy feeling sick to my stomach and having constant back pain simply because I do not make more of an effort to slow down and take a drink.
2. Eat real food away from my desk every day at lunch. Oh, and school cafeteria food is not real food. (As a side note, some of the "healthy choices" we serve to our children at lunch in the public schools are more than mildly concerning.) I plan to pack my own sack lunch every day with delicious, healthy food and then leave my classroom to take a walk or to eat in a quiet, refreshing place. I also am not going to feel guilty for taking 30 minute lunches- at least I hope not.
3. Work to live, don't live to work. I want to do my job well. I want to be a great teacher and make a real difference in my students' lives. However, my health, relationships, and sanity ultimately need to have a higher priority. I lost myself in work this past semester, and I think that God had to teach me the hard way through health issues and hurt relationships that He does not intend for my life to work that way. I will continue to work diligently and to have my students' best interest in mind, but not to the detriment of my personal life. Work is ultimately a means to an end, not an end itself.
As I was throwing away my 2010 calendar just before the Christmas holidays and replacing it with 2011's calendar, I realized that, for the first time in my life, I was not in the least bit sad. Normally, the start of a new year leaves me at least slightly wistful in remembering the joys of the previous one. This year, I was not melancholy at all. That is not to say that God hasn't been immensely gracious to us in the past year, because He has. I should also clarify that we have been the recipients of so many undeserved blessings and joys this past year. I guess the best way to describe my thoughts this time around is that there is real hurt and sorrow in this broken world of ours; we experience much more of that during some years than during others and yet we are never left completely hopeless. This year was hard. And yet, God is still good.
A few Fenrick big events from 2010 (in no particular order):
-Bought our first house in Norman, OK (June)
-Celebrated our first year of marriage (July 11)
-Ran my first- and possibly only!- full marathon (February)
-Andrew started seminary classes at Southwestern Baptist (August)
-I started my first "real" job as an autism teacher (August)
-Andrew started a new job at Quibids (September)
-Dear friends got engaged, married, and had babies
-Andrew had a major seizure and trip to the hospital (April)
-Went together on a mission trip to Trujillo, Peru (March)
Andrew made one ambitious New Year's resolution this year: Run a full marathon. Since he is the one who originally inspired my love for running and hung with me through all the brutal training of the first half marathon that we ran together, I'd say he is perfectly capable.
I decided to make only 3 resolutions for this year as opposed to my usual lengthy list:
1. Drink more water. As one who is prone to kidney stones, I think this is necessary. I do not enjoy feeling sick to my stomach and having constant back pain simply because I do not make more of an effort to slow down and take a drink.
2. Eat real food away from my desk every day at lunch. Oh, and school cafeteria food is not real food. (As a side note, some of the "healthy choices" we serve to our children at lunch in the public schools are more than mildly concerning.) I plan to pack my own sack lunch every day with delicious, healthy food and then leave my classroom to take a walk or to eat in a quiet, refreshing place. I also am not going to feel guilty for taking 30 minute lunches- at least I hope not.
3. Work to live, don't live to work. I want to do my job well. I want to be a great teacher and make a real difference in my students' lives. However, my health, relationships, and sanity ultimately need to have a higher priority. I lost myself in work this past semester, and I think that God had to teach me the hard way through health issues and hurt relationships that He does not intend for my life to work that way. I will continue to work diligently and to have my students' best interest in mind, but not to the detriment of my personal life. Work is ultimately a means to an end, not an end itself.
As I was throwing away my 2010 calendar just before the Christmas holidays and replacing it with 2011's calendar, I realized that, for the first time in my life, I was not in the least bit sad. Normally, the start of a new year leaves me at least slightly wistful in remembering the joys of the previous one. This year, I was not melancholy at all. That is not to say that God hasn't been immensely gracious to us in the past year, because He has. I should also clarify that we have been the recipients of so many undeserved blessings and joys this past year. I guess the best way to describe my thoughts this time around is that there is real hurt and sorrow in this broken world of ours; we experience much more of that during some years than during others and yet we are never left completely hopeless. This year was hard. And yet, God is still good.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Giving
I was the recipient of a random act of kindness at school just before the break. When I went to check my mailbox in the teacher's workroom, I found a single white envelope with my name on it. I opened it to find the following note:
"Dear Mary Rachel,
I think you are a great teacher. I am able to share this year and I want you to have this. I hope you will use it to buy something just for you."
Inside were two $50 giftcards to JC Penny. The note was typed and not signed, so I had no way of tracing the giver.
I think most of us (including me) miss the reason for the holidays. Giving and receiving is wonderful, but we often forget why we do it. Oh, we weave our way amongst the holiday crowds at the mall in search of the perfect gift for that "special someone," but isn't this often out of obligation? Don't we sometimes give gifts at Christmas just because that's what we're supposed to do? Not only was I humbled last week by this anonymous person's generous gift, but I was reminded of why we should give. It's not because of any good in the person on the receiving end. (I didn't deserve that gift any more than any other teacher at school). It shouldn't be because giving makes us feel better about ourselves upon seeing the other person open our wonderfully creative and expensive gift. (The person who blessed me with such kindness intentionally gave anonymously.) It is not because we expect anything in return. (I cannot reciprocate the random act of kindness because I cannot trace the giver.) Giving should simply be done because we recognize a need and joyfully desire to meet it... just because we can. Giving is about caring and sacrificing for another person, whether they deserve it or not. Giving is about love.
Isn't that the example Christ set?
"Dear Mary Rachel,
I think you are a great teacher. I am able to share this year and I want you to have this. I hope you will use it to buy something just for you."
Inside were two $50 giftcards to JC Penny. The note was typed and not signed, so I had no way of tracing the giver.
I think most of us (including me) miss the reason for the holidays. Giving and receiving is wonderful, but we often forget why we do it. Oh, we weave our way amongst the holiday crowds at the mall in search of the perfect gift for that "special someone," but isn't this often out of obligation? Don't we sometimes give gifts at Christmas just because that's what we're supposed to do? Not only was I humbled last week by this anonymous person's generous gift, but I was reminded of why we should give. It's not because of any good in the person on the receiving end. (I didn't deserve that gift any more than any other teacher at school). It shouldn't be because giving makes us feel better about ourselves upon seeing the other person open our wonderfully creative and expensive gift. (The person who blessed me with such kindness intentionally gave anonymously.) It is not because we expect anything in return. (I cannot reciprocate the random act of kindness because I cannot trace the giver.) Giving should simply be done because we recognize a need and joyfully desire to meet it... just because we can. Giving is about caring and sacrificing for another person, whether they deserve it or not. Giving is about love.
Isn't that the example Christ set?
"Now the whole world will not be the same
Because Love has come down, and Grace has a name..."
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Professional Life
Last night, we had some friends over who are in a very similar situation as us. They are newly married, he is in school, she is working full-time and feeling overwhelmed, many of their friends have moved away... all factors which prompted a conversation about how different our lives are now than they were a year ago.
In school, most of my decisions affected only me. Will I sleep a little later and study less for that test? Will I go to this meeting tonight or should I go to the gym instead? One of the most important things about school- my grades- didn't matter to anyone but myself. Now it seems that almost everything I do affects someone else, and often my decisions affect multiple people. If I forget to tell my kids about a fire drill, someone throws a fit when the alarm sounds. If I don't send a note home that gymnastics is tomorrow, someone wears a dress and off I go to round up some sort of alternative attire. More importantly, if I run out of time to cover a subject, it's the kids who suffer. Suddenly, every decision I make seems significant. And now, not being perfect bothers me more than ever.
Furthermore, the community of friends which fell into my lap in college has proved to be much more difficult to acquire in a professional setting. I have wonderful aides, and there are some wonderful people who work at my school, but despite the fact that I spend 8+ hours of my day with these people, I still feel as if I hardly know most of them. There simply isn't time to have the kinds of life conversations that just happened during a study session or a late game night. At work, there is only time to talk about the here and now- "Where does Seth need to be right now" or "Did Jason's homework folder make it back to school today?"
Finally, I always thought I was so busy in college and now I am realizing that I had no idea what busy was. Usually the longest I sit down during the day is for about 15 minutes at lunch. I have about seventeen things racing through my mind at any given time and also have a to-do list which literally never ends. When I wake up, I think about school. When I come home, I work on school. And then what I used to consider my life (seeing friends, going to bible study, running, etc.) takes up the last and tiniest piece of the pie. I'm hoping that will change to some degree as the year goes by and I feel a little less like I'm drowning.
I love to walk around the campus of OU still. There is something so stimulating about being at an institution of higher learning and thinking, "Great minds are being enriched here. People go out from here to do things that change lives." But there are also many things about my job which suit me. Sometimes I complain about being busy, but honestly, I like being busy. I love the challenge that my job brings because there is hope for overcoming obstacles, and it prevents boredom and monotony. This may be one of the hardest and best things I've done.
In school, most of my decisions affected only me. Will I sleep a little later and study less for that test? Will I go to this meeting tonight or should I go to the gym instead? One of the most important things about school- my grades- didn't matter to anyone but myself. Now it seems that almost everything I do affects someone else, and often my decisions affect multiple people. If I forget to tell my kids about a fire drill, someone throws a fit when the alarm sounds. If I don't send a note home that gymnastics is tomorrow, someone wears a dress and off I go to round up some sort of alternative attire. More importantly, if I run out of time to cover a subject, it's the kids who suffer. Suddenly, every decision I make seems significant. And now, not being perfect bothers me more than ever.
Furthermore, the community of friends which fell into my lap in college has proved to be much more difficult to acquire in a professional setting. I have wonderful aides, and there are some wonderful people who work at my school, but despite the fact that I spend 8+ hours of my day with these people, I still feel as if I hardly know most of them. There simply isn't time to have the kinds of life conversations that just happened during a study session or a late game night. At work, there is only time to talk about the here and now- "Where does Seth need to be right now" or "Did Jason's homework folder make it back to school today?"
Finally, I always thought I was so busy in college and now I am realizing that I had no idea what busy was. Usually the longest I sit down during the day is for about 15 minutes at lunch. I have about seventeen things racing through my mind at any given time and also have a to-do list which literally never ends. When I wake up, I think about school. When I come home, I work on school. And then what I used to consider my life (seeing friends, going to bible study, running, etc.) takes up the last and tiniest piece of the pie. I'm hoping that will change to some degree as the year goes by and I feel a little less like I'm drowning.
I love to walk around the campus of OU still. There is something so stimulating about being at an institution of higher learning and thinking, "Great minds are being enriched here. People go out from here to do things that change lives." But there are also many things about my job which suit me. Sometimes I complain about being busy, but honestly, I like being busy. I love the challenge that my job brings because there is hope for overcoming obstacles, and it prevents boredom and monotony. This may be one of the hardest and best things I've done.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Thought on School [4]
So, I'm not sure if all of this entry could really be considered "thoughts on school," but here goes my random collection of the thoughts that seem to run through my mind and get all smashed together these days...
It's been another crazy week at Roosevelt Elementary. I am trying to think of a time in my life when I have ever been more tired, and I can't think of one. This morning, I woke up at 9:30, and it was absolutely glorious. I have been trying to go to bed early during the week, but my mind never stops thinking about school, so I often lay in bed wide awake despite the fact that my body is exhausted. The weather is still too hot to go for a run right after school, so if I want to get my workout in for the day, I wake up at 5:00. Usually by the time I am leaving school (a couple of hours after the kids have gone home), I am out of energy and patience. Poor Andrew.
Aside from being constantly tired and having about 6,000 things to do, I suppose one could say that things are going fairly well at school. Having my own classroom has made a HUGE difference, and sometimes the kids are hilarious. I find myself trying to stifle laughter sometimes when I should be telling the children "that's not how we act at school."
Andrew is loving his new job. I got to go see his office last night, and it is beautiful. It seems like a much more relaxed environment than PayCom was, and I think he will be happy here. He is also loving seminary. Hearing him come home and talk about everything he is learning makes me wish that I was able to take seminary classes. Andrew is very busy, too. Sometimes I feel like we hardly see each other or know what is going on in each others' lives despite the fact that we live in the same house.
Our friends, Adam and Erica, stayed with us last weekend because they are now living in Fort Worth. It was fun to have them here. This weekend, we are doing nothing! Saturdays of waking up whenever we want, making pancakes, and watching college football are rare around here, and we are more thankful for them now than we ever have been. Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE gamedays here in Norman? The whole town just comes alive. That will be one of the things I miss most when we move someday down the road.
Last Sunday, Tim (my brother) got in a terrible car accident in which he hydroplaned off the road, flipped his car, and broke out both windshields. He walked away with a cut on his toe. I was reminded of 1. how wonderful God is to take care of his people and 2. how thankful I am for my brother.
We have a mole living in our front yard. It is funny but actually quite annoying because we keep finding random piles of dirt everywhere. I also made these things to go in our "Sooner" guest room. Neither of those things are very interesting notes to end on, but I think I am finished blogging for today.
In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel
It's been another crazy week at Roosevelt Elementary. I am trying to think of a time in my life when I have ever been more tired, and I can't think of one. This morning, I woke up at 9:30, and it was absolutely glorious. I have been trying to go to bed early during the week, but my mind never stops thinking about school, so I often lay in bed wide awake despite the fact that my body is exhausted. The weather is still too hot to go for a run right after school, so if I want to get my workout in for the day, I wake up at 5:00. Usually by the time I am leaving school (a couple of hours after the kids have gone home), I am out of energy and patience. Poor Andrew.
Aside from being constantly tired and having about 6,000 things to do, I suppose one could say that things are going fairly well at school. Having my own classroom has made a HUGE difference, and sometimes the kids are hilarious. I find myself trying to stifle laughter sometimes when I should be telling the children "that's not how we act at school."
Andrew is loving his new job. I got to go see his office last night, and it is beautiful. It seems like a much more relaxed environment than PayCom was, and I think he will be happy here. He is also loving seminary. Hearing him come home and talk about everything he is learning makes me wish that I was able to take seminary classes. Andrew is very busy, too. Sometimes I feel like we hardly see each other or know what is going on in each others' lives despite the fact that we live in the same house.
Our friends, Adam and Erica, stayed with us last weekend because they are now living in Fort Worth. It was fun to have them here. This weekend, we are doing nothing! Saturdays of waking up whenever we want, making pancakes, and watching college football are rare around here, and we are more thankful for them now than we ever have been. Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE gamedays here in Norman? The whole town just comes alive. That will be one of the things I miss most when we move someday down the road.
Last Sunday, Tim (my brother) got in a terrible car accident in which he hydroplaned off the road, flipped his car, and broke out both windshields. He walked away with a cut on his toe. I was reminded of 1. how wonderful God is to take care of his people and 2. how thankful I am for my brother.
We have a mole living in our front yard. It is funny but actually quite annoying because we keep finding random piles of dirt everywhere. I also made these things to go in our "Sooner" guest room. Neither of those things are very interesting notes to end on, but I think I am finished blogging for today.
Mary Rachel
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Thoughts on School [3]
People are unbelievable. Really. Some are unbelievably rude, arrogant, etc. But lately, I have been reminded of how unbelievably kind, encouraging, and uplifting people can be. It's a great thing to remember.
The start of this school year has been hard. I think I knew it would be, but knowledge doesn't always prepare you for the future. The other day, my mom asked me if I've thought of a way to explain to people why special ed is so crazy, and after thinking about it for a minute, I answered, "I think because nothing ever goes the way you think it will." This has been my story since the start of school, but I'm convinced that crazy does not necessarily means bad. I think I'm starting to become satisfied with crazy because:
1. I'm realizing how much people care. Some of the teachers at my school have really gone out of their way to encourage me and tell me I'm doing a great job (whether I am or not!). These little words mean so much to me and help keep me going.
2. I'm becoming more flexible. A personality test at inservice this week confirmed what I've always known about myself- that I am highly organized, obsessive, structured, and often controlling or unbending. It's good for me to be stretched.
3. I'm learning to let people help me. (Yikes!) I am discovering that I will literally drown and/or have a meltdown every day if I do not ask for help.
4. I'm realizing that I cannot be perfect- and it's okay not to be!
I'm finding it easier to have a positive attitude about school. Despite the meltdowns of students, projectile vomiting, and quitting of one of my aides this week, I have been so much happier than I was at the beginning of the year. All of this can only be attributed to Christ, who is the reason I know I will be okay. :-)
Other news, briefly:
-Andrew is at a church conference in North Carolina this weekend. I'll miss him, but he has been looking forward to this thing for weeks now. Matt Chandler, John Piper, and others will be there. I'm a little jealous!
-Andrew starts a new job on Tuesday. After starting the bus driver thing, another opportunity randomly landed upon his lap. Andrew interviewed for the position and got it! He'll be working about 27 hours each week for a company called QuiBids. It's an online company, and Andrew will be doing product research. He is much more excited to have this job than to be driving buses, and I'm excited about the fact that he could possibly end up working from home one day!
-We got to spend Labor Day weekend with my parents. It is always so refreshing to be at their house! We also saw Andrew's family on Monday. A weekend of basically nothing was exactly what we needed.
-Last night, I started leading a bible study with two other girls from church. We're studying Tim Keller's Counterfeit Gods. I think it will be a good one!
In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel
The start of this school year has been hard. I think I knew it would be, but knowledge doesn't always prepare you for the future. The other day, my mom asked me if I've thought of a way to explain to people why special ed is so crazy, and after thinking about it for a minute, I answered, "I think because nothing ever goes the way you think it will." This has been my story since the start of school, but I'm convinced that crazy does not necessarily means bad. I think I'm starting to become satisfied with crazy because:
1. I'm realizing how much people care. Some of the teachers at my school have really gone out of their way to encourage me and tell me I'm doing a great job (whether I am or not!). These little words mean so much to me and help keep me going.
2. I'm becoming more flexible. A personality test at inservice this week confirmed what I've always known about myself- that I am highly organized, obsessive, structured, and often controlling or unbending. It's good for me to be stretched.
3. I'm learning to let people help me. (Yikes!) I am discovering that I will literally drown and/or have a meltdown every day if I do not ask for help.
4. I'm realizing that I cannot be perfect- and it's okay not to be!
I'm finding it easier to have a positive attitude about school. Despite the meltdowns of students, projectile vomiting, and quitting of one of my aides this week, I have been so much happier than I was at the beginning of the year. All of this can only be attributed to Christ, who is the reason I know I will be okay. :-)
Other news, briefly:
-Andrew is at a church conference in North Carolina this weekend. I'll miss him, but he has been looking forward to this thing for weeks now. Matt Chandler, John Piper, and others will be there. I'm a little jealous!
-Andrew starts a new job on Tuesday. After starting the bus driver thing, another opportunity randomly landed upon his lap. Andrew interviewed for the position and got it! He'll be working about 27 hours each week for a company called QuiBids. It's an online company, and Andrew will be doing product research. He is much more excited to have this job than to be driving buses, and I'm excited about the fact that he could possibly end up working from home one day!
-We got to spend Labor Day weekend with my parents. It is always so refreshing to be at their house! We also saw Andrew's family on Monday. A weekend of basically nothing was exactly what we needed.
-Last night, I started leading a bible study with two other girls from church. We're studying Tim Keller's Counterfeit Gods. I think it will be a good one!
In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Thoughts on School [2]
I think I could love my job. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but probably soon.
This week for the first time, I have not felt like I am drowning. I wouldn't say that I hated going to work before, but the feeling of never getting a chance to breathe did not exactly make me like what I was doing. Thankfully, I got the support I needed in the addition of a new teacher's aide- my friend, Amanda Willis. Having an extra person in the room makes everyone's day so much more manageable and enjoyable. My students are charming, and actually getting to spend some time with them this week has changed my whole perspective on my job! Oh, I still come every day and am ready to crash basically as soon as dinner is over. It's exhausting to chase kids around all day and try to calm them when they are having meltdowns, but this week I have actually been happy that I took this job instead of just grateful to have a job.
One unfortunate thing I have noticed is that my work has made me extremely forgetful of anything not related to work. Normally, I am very organized (too organized, maybe), but I have so much on my mind with school that I haven't left room for organization elsewhere I guess. I forgot a friend's birthday this week. :-( I also forgot to buy insurance. I woke up yesterday and realized that I hadn't had health insurance for over a week! I meant to buy it awhile ago and then never thought about it until yesterday. God is very gracious, and thankfully nothing happened! I also forgot that we were getting cable for football season installed today. I turned on the TV when I got home and could not figure out how we got so many channels.
Now, off to my parents' house for the four day weekend! Happy Labor Day, everyone!
In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel
This week for the first time, I have not felt like I am drowning. I wouldn't say that I hated going to work before, but the feeling of never getting a chance to breathe did not exactly make me like what I was doing. Thankfully, I got the support I needed in the addition of a new teacher's aide- my friend, Amanda Willis. Having an extra person in the room makes everyone's day so much more manageable and enjoyable. My students are charming, and actually getting to spend some time with them this week has changed my whole perspective on my job! Oh, I still come every day and am ready to crash basically as soon as dinner is over. It's exhausting to chase kids around all day and try to calm them when they are having meltdowns, but this week I have actually been happy that I took this job instead of just grateful to have a job.
One unfortunate thing I have noticed is that my work has made me extremely forgetful of anything not related to work. Normally, I am very organized (too organized, maybe), but I have so much on my mind with school that I haven't left room for organization elsewhere I guess. I forgot a friend's birthday this week. :-( I also forgot to buy insurance. I woke up yesterday and realized that I hadn't had health insurance for over a week! I meant to buy it awhile ago and then never thought about it until yesterday. God is very gracious, and thankfully nothing happened! I also forgot that we were getting cable for football season installed today. I turned on the TV when I got home and could not figure out how we got so many channels.
Now, off to my parents' house for the four day weekend! Happy Labor Day, everyone!
In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)