Grateful Friday

Yesterday I was dropping off my students at lunch and one of the aides was managing the lunchroom (which is not a job I envy at all).  She sighed and said to me, "This is the longest week ever."

And it has felt like that.

I haven't slept well and with the weather warming, the students are getting amped up (as opposed to when they were amped up because the weather was cold and we kept having inside recess...).

Testing is upon us and that brings its own stresses and unpleasantness.

I wish I could take away my mother's health challenges.  

There is a lot to be thankful for though.  Here's a quick list:

The weather is gorgeous and trees are blossoming and turning green.  Spring after a long hard winter is here to remind us to have hope.  Nothing lasts forever.

I slept really well last night and feel like I have a new lease on life.

My students, for all their struggles, have improved this year.

I love seeing my former students in the hall.  Some of them hug me, some of them duck their heads shyly and smile, some of them yell my name.  It all adds up to making me happy.

Adam is home and will be for the foreseeable future.  His huge work project is largely done.  

We found out about some good gluten free donuts.  Awhile ago, Mark said that if he didn't have celiac, the first thing he would eat was a donut.  We tried out the gluten free donuts and he loved them.  He said, "These taste so good they scare me.  I'm afraid they have gluten because they're so good."

They didn't have gluten; he didn't get sick.  It's not like a donut is going to change the world, it was just a little thing, but getting my boy a donut kind of made my day.

Talking to QE + videos of her also make my day.  Last night Mark and I FaceTimed them and she zooms around like a bumper car and then grabs the phone and hangs up on us or carries us around on a wild ride around the room and we are here for all of it.  Her blowing kisses could just about save us all.

I continue to love the podcast Follow Him.  I love delving deeper into the New Testament and I feel like I'm learning.

One of my student's preferred mode of transportation across the room is to somersault.  We're working on it.  Yesterday, when I was driving home from school, I saw his mom riding a bike along State Street on her way home from work (she was wearing her clothes from the restaurant where she works).  She was singing for all she was worth.

There is joy to be found.