LarkExaltation

we had a rummage sale saturday. my first ever on my own. i was fortunate to have my husband, sister and cousin volunteer to help. we had a couple of customers come while bets and i were setting up friday night, “can we come look” “sure! why not? it’s all got to sell” i was nervous at first on saturday, but after the first couple of customers by myself early in the morning, it was smooth sailing. i think we did really well, though we still had a small truck load left over, we had started out with much much more. it helps with finances, so i’m happy. lots of surplus gone, i’m even more happy.

the reason for the sale. my family has decided to move to an apartment. we’re downsizing, cutting costs. trying to get into a position of savings and paying off debt, where right now we’re barely breaking even, if even making ends meet. we hope in a year or so we’ll be moving for the last time to a home of our own. we’ve tossed around a few ideas of where we would love to live, but we can’t get past the fact that sam is in a school where many people know him, students and teachers. yes, i know he’s in pre-k right now, and he doesn’t realize his situation, but i think it is going to be very easy for our little man to make friends in this school. it also helps me that i have two friends teaching there. it’s a good central area to live, close to work and town. good test scores, good class sizes and diversity. what more could a mommy ask for?

i have the most beautiful image in my mind
today i saw a delicate japanese woman bussing a table

imagine if you will …

the black and white silk screen as a backdrop
black chairs and table
with tiny red flowers as a centerpiece

this graceful beauty dressed in black
wipes the table with her white cloth

i was mesmerized by the movement of her slender arms

her hair pulled back to a bun
and a red ribbon wrapped around her head.

oh! i miss my camera!
my description doesn’t suit my imagination

and neither the description nor the imagination are expressing just how peaceful i felt watching her

In October he signed on with the School Board as a substitute teacher. The decision just made sense and was obvious to us, God’s calling. PD loves to be around kids, mentoring them etc. He was in school at one time for both Physical Education and Music with the thought to get his teaching certification. He has been involved with our church youth group since he left the youth group. Eight years ago there was a boy at church, who happened to be autistic, who was placed in PD’s care during church time. He quickly labeled PD “my friend.” He has moved away, but even today, he remembers PD that way. It is one thing for him to love children so very much, but the kids really seem to love him too. His own believe he could lasso the moon.

A few weeks into substituting at various schools in the parish, getting calls for classes almost every day, I got a call one day from the school board’s Special Education Department. The teacher of one of the classes he subbed, raved about him and the principal called the school board to get him in the class on a fulltime, but temporary basis. The class is in the Special Education department of the Jr. High, in the Autism class. He was to be an aid to one boy in particular who was joining the school. They were unsure if the student would remain at the school, or even progress through the system. At one time, it was PD’s hope to follow him through High School. Since then, PD has grown increasingly popular in the school, with the teacher, the principal, the faculty, and even more importantly students in the class. PD has seen tremendous progress in his student since November, and has relished in the joy of the strides the other children are taking too. My heart swells more everyday to see him come home, happy, and actually talking about his day with the kids. Soon the push began to get him on permanently. He was lacking a few college courses to be given the true title of paraprofessional, so the principal and the school board began pushing him to take the Para PRAXIS exam to become a certified paraprofessional. He was scheduled for February 1st, but Wednesday, the school board called to tell him there had been a cancelation and they scheduled him in that place for the following day, three weeks early.

I’m thrilled to announce that he passed with flying colors!

And I’m SO very proud of him.

2006 was exceedingly difficult for me and my family, and for those of you who have been praying for us, please continue. We have some more changes to be made before things feel “normal” again. I’m extremely impressed with PD’s ongoing faith through our trials. I could not have been joined with a better man.

YAY PD!

i had to wash her car seat cover twice today.

the poor girl had a hard time holding things together today.

i hope tomorrow will be better.

* yes i made “resolutions”
* i also got to sleep until 9am
* (yay for keeping babies up until midnight)
* sliced my thumb first thing this morning fixing breakfast for the baby
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* i get to work tomorrow
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* yeah i think that’s it.