Now I understand what love is...

Monday, January 12 through January 18, 2009

Monday, I got to teach Art class again. The music teachers were not able to make it today, so they are re-scheduling music class for Thursday afternoon. Since that is when I teach art, I get tot each today! Today’s class was even better than the first class. We talked about shapes and identified shapes in our physical world. The class did great and we still had a lot of participation. I really enjoy it. Abby got her first homework assignment today. She is very excited. She is assigned to read in her reading books on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Tuesday, we had library. I got the list of overdue books updated and prepared to story time this afternoon. I read two or three books, some poems and then we did some tongue twisters. The kids checked out books and I got to read some of them their new books. The guy came and replaced the windshield in our truck today. Abby got her report card today. She is doing very well. She needs to work on her handwriting, but otherwise she is doing well.

Wednesday, we dropped off our truck at the repair shop around lunch time. They called at 3PM and said they had the wrong part to fix the windows. We left the truck there until the next day, when we picked it up. The windows work fine. However, the passenger door cannot be opened from the inside now. So, another trip back to the shop on Monday.

Thursday, the Sprinkles came to teach music. Dave said that Abby is learning very well on the keyboard. He suggested that we do some hand exercises with her to help her be able to use her “ring” finger separately from her other fingers.

Friday, we went out to eat with Mr. Bill and Miss Springer. We finally got to try out the China Feast restaurant at the other end of town. It was very good The girls were well behaved and both ate pretty well. It was when we arrived at the restaurant that we realized that the door handle didn’t work. No one had ridden in the passenger seat prior to this time.

Saturday, we stayed home. It was a beautiful day for January. It was 70 degrees and sunny. The girls and I went for a walk out behind the trailer I felt pretty comfortable, as the rattlesnakes hibernate during the winter. We walked out a ways, back to the back fence of the property, then over to the fence corner behind the school. All of the tumbleweeds back there had been broken off and rolled away already. After that, I worked a little bit in my art room and the girls played on the playground. Abby is getting very good at starting the swing and swinging by herself. We got back to the house and I tried to get the girls settled for a nap, but they wouldn’t go for it. Jerry stayed with them, while I walked up to the church to get things ready for Sunday School class and to do a little straightening in the storage rooms. It was a nice relaxing day.

Sunday, we had church at Red Sands. I didn’t have any kids show up for my Sunday School class, so I got to sit in Jerry’s Sunday School class. Then, I did Wee Worship during the service so that Miss Springer (who teaches Abby’s Sunday School class) could come over for church service. We went home and had tacos for lunch. Mr. Bill drove the church bus to take the church members home. We had another lazy day, we all took a nap this time. Well, I guess Jerry did not nap because he was watching the Arizona Cardinals win the NFC Championship and get their place in the Super Bowl! We could have been at that game! Jerry argued that God would understand why we couldn’t go to church, but instead had to go to Glendale to see the Cardinals play. But I didn’t quite buy his argument. Jerry was kidding, of course.

As I sit writing this, dusk is falling over the desert. Another day is done.

I am having a hard time adjusting to life here again myself. I am feeling a little lost and lonely. I have been reading the Bible and that helps, but I really miss my friends and I am an adult. I can’t imagine the impact this is having on Abby & Kelcy. I am struggling with not crying almost every day. I am not sure why I am so emotional, but the decision we are making about whether to make another year’s commitment here weighs on my mind a lot.

I am trying my best to get things accomplished at the office, but Kelcy has been very needy and clingy. I haven’t been able to get nearly done what needs to be done. I feel like I get farther behind every day. I guess I have never really told what all I do, so here it goes. I do a little bit of church secretary work (trust me, not near what a real church secretary would do) and a little bit of school secretary work (again, not nearly what a school secretary does). I do a little bit of administrative assistant work with Mr. Bill, but he doesn’t ask for my help very often. I do the bookkeeping, paying the bills, the taxes, the salary and answer the telephones while watching my three year old daughter. I also try to do my part to keep the sanctuary clean by dusting furniture, vacuuming carpet and sweeping and mopping. I am not the only one who does this job, but I try to do my part. I am teaching the second grade through high school Sunday School class at church. I am acting as the librarian since Ms. Anne is in Phoenix for the winter. I keep track of the outstanding books and try to return the books to the shelves in their proper place. I also get to do story time with Miss Springer’s class. I am now teaching art on Thursday afternoons to the third through eighth grades. I get to lead the singing at Chapel every other week and to teach the Chapel lesson every fifth week. I try to keep up with the domestic chores as well, trying to keep the clothes washed, dinner cooked every night and the house straightened up. Life is pretty busy. I am not trying to impress anyone, just let you know a little about what I do in a week and why I might have a little trouble keeping up with everything. And I have yet to set up the ladies Bible study that I would like to start.

The title of the blog is a song lyric in an important song in my life, just in case you all are wondering.