Grateful Friday

 Yesterday I was driving to work and got a phone call from Whitney.  She said, "No one died."

I didn't know how to respond to that.

She said, "I know it's early for you, so I don't want you to think anything is wrong because I am calling so early."

Then she explained that she was at Costco (in Atlanta, where she lives) and they had Esprit sweatshirts.  Did I want one?  Because she would buy me one and ship it to me. (She was there to witness the angst of me not being able to get one when we were in Washington in July.)

It was just the nicest thing and I said, "Absolutely!"

I am grateful for people that think of me and act on their kind impulses.

I am grateful for the torrential rain we had yesterday afternoon.  Monsoon season is a good time.  And we need it!

I am grateful Adam is home.  I wish he was home all the time, but at this point, I will take what I can get.

I had a student gift me with a book she had written (about her hamster).  A boy said he wanted to write a book too, but he didn't have any paper at home.  I gave him paper.  He wanted to do it at school and I told him that he could, when his work was done.  He kept doing everything except his work.  

Then he would cry when we would transition to something else and he didn't have time to work on his book.

Finally at the end of the day, there was a block of time that he was finished with his work and I told him he could write his book.  He had me staple it to his specifications.  I had to hear all about his pencil sharpener.  (I can't tell you how much I have heard about his pencil sharpener over the last week.  A loooooot.)  He finally got situated and said, "Hmmm.  It's actually hard to write a book."

He wrote about three words before time to clean up for the day.  I coaxed him to take his "book" home to work on.

Despite the sort of maddening characteristics of these people, I really love third graders.  I am grateful I get to be with them.

Speaking of third grade.  We had our first fire drill of the year yesterday.  One little girl is terrified of fire alarms.  Terrified!  She was in the special ed. room at the time, but the teacher told me she started crying and shaking and yelling, "I need Jesus!"

Same.

We all do and I'm grateful for the reminder.