Life isn't always fair

I started training my replacement yesterday. She is nice enough, but I think overconfident. Since she has a certification and has taught for the past few years in California, she seems to confident in handling the kids with no problem. She has limited experience with autistic kids. In all honestly, she probably will do an excellent job from the get-go with all but one who she is underestimating. Naturally, he was in a great mood yesterday until she wasn't around at the end of the day. I guess she'll figure it out soon enough.

I think today will be a much harder day for me than yesterday was. I'm really going to miss the kids. The teachers I work with were so supportive of me yesterday and disappointed I didn't get the position. Ryan was as bummed out about it as I was. I wrote up a "things to know" list for the new para and showed it to Ryan. He took it to the principal and showed it to her pointing out that by doing that I was demonstrating that for me it was all about the kids. My only snarky comment of the day was when I told him it certainly wasn't for the replacement.

So, now I have to go be nice and pave the way for a good experience for the new para. I really don't feel like it today, but I will. Sometimes life isn't fair. Sometimes life sucks. But it is what it is.

Life, Death and Life Again

Yesterday I went to the funeral of a boy who was in a class where I frequently sub. He was such a sweet, sweet guy. The minister did a wonderful service, but funerals for children are just so hard. The family spoke of how this child impacted their lives, but he impacted the lives of so many other people as well. This special needs child, along with the other special needs students, has taught me so much.  

When I first started working with these kids, someone commented that they couldn't do my job because they couldn't handle it emotionally - they felt too sorry for the kids. I understood because I used to feel that way  However, I quickly found out that I don't feel sorry for them. I must admit to wondering what they would be like if they didn't have their particular disability, but I don't feel sorry for them. For the most part they are happy, and they are blissfully unaware that they are "special" in the way we mean it. They just know, at some level, that they are special because they are loved.  

I am also a bit envious of the freedom they have to let the the world know when they are happy or sad or mad. Honestly, I just love it when one student says, "Go away, please" when she wants to be left alone. There are times I'd like to say that!

It's been a hard week for me.  It was even harder for this boy's regular teachers and excruciating for his family. The night I heard about his death, I had a dream that he was running, jumping, dancing, and laughing in heaven. God had made him whole. God is good. 

It's About Time!

Hmmm. I can't believe it's been ten months since I've written on my blog. It has been an eventful ten months. We've moved to University Place from Lynden and are all settled in. Mike is planting a new church and has been approached to start another one. The boys are happily back with their friends and are settled into their new schools. I'm working as a para sub in the schools, and find that I am enjoying it. It is a different assignment every day which suits me as it keep the monotony at bay!

Living History...

This would make the commute more enjoyable....

Scruffy's Big Day

It's been a year since Scruffy had a haircut. It finally got to the point where I couldn't brush out his legs and tail, so he had to go in. The local place starts at $55 and charges more if they wiggle. Whatever. So I took him into Bellingham. It took an hour to get there because of a wreck and road construction. When I went to take him out of the car, I found a huge pile of vomit right by the door of his crate. The car ride was just too much. Naturally, I forgot to take off his leash which was buried in the vomit. Naturally, he didn't want to walk in the vomit to come out of the crate. Sigh.

So while I got to clean up the vomit, Scruffy was treated to a bath and a hair cut. I then went shopping to take up the rest of the time while waiting for Scruffy. I think I was in the third store before I noticed the vomit on my coat. It showed up quite nicely on my black jacket. Sigh.

Eventually I decided to go to Petsmart to see how Scruffy was doing. The little rat was up on the table standing as nicely as you please. And he let her brush and groom his legs like he thought it was fun! If I touch his legs he goes all submissive. If I tough his tail, he gets snippy. I need one of those grooming tables.

So here are the befores and afters.

I like the chorus of this song today...

Iowa Bed Shaker Pictures

Why Lie?

So you have to wonder, why do so many people tell lies when the truth works just as well? When we lived in London, we had a teenage girl under our supervision that lied like a dog. Even when the truth would work better for her, she would lie. Fortunately for us, I soon figured out an ironclad means of knowing if she was telling the truth or uttering a lie. It was so simple. She would twirl her hair with her fingers each time she lied. It drove her nuts that I could tell when she was lying but wouldn't tell her how I knew! LOL

I expect a teenager to tell lies. What really troubles me is when people in authority tell lies. I just don't get it. Why not let your "Yes" mean yes and your "No" mean no? I find lying especially horrendous when done within the church. It obviously is not a Godly thing to do. One day we will all stand before God. God will say one of two things: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done." Or, "Why did you persecute me?"

Snow, Snow, Go AWAY!!!!

We had more snow last night and this morning. I am officially sick of winter. Ok, the white stuff is very pretty when it first falls. Beautiful, even. But really, enough is enough! We have had twice the normal amount of snowfall. We have had more snow than Denver. Spring starts on Friday. When will it end????

All I have to say is thank goodness for global warming. Can you imagine how much more snow and frigid temperatures we would have had if it weren't for global warming? Why, we might have been worse than Alaska instead of Denver!

Where to???

This week Mike got a call from the D.S. He was told to call another D.S. if he wanted a new appointment. The D.S. is from the other side of the mountains. I told Mike weeks ago if he stayed, they'd send him to a three point charge in Northern Idaho. He thought it would be a one point charge in Eastern Washington. Guess who won? It is a three point charge in Idaho. The largest church has 30 people. The second church is 20 minutes to the south, and the third is an hour and a half north.

The area is beautiful. BUT the nearest, Starbucks, Costco, Target, Walmart, K-Mart, Michael's etc. is like a couple hours away. If it comes to it, I can do it! I can do it! LOL

Life

I looked at the local paper today. A mother driving here two young daughters slid on an icy bridge and spun into the path of a pickup pulling a load. The truck hit the passenger door of the mother's van. One of her little girls was killed. The other girl and mother were not hurt at all. It makes you wonder why. Why was the girl taken while everyone else walked away?

The Inauguration

I'm being a good citizen and watching the inauguration. There are a lot of people are there.

It strikes me how supportive conservatives are of Obama. They are full of well wishes and truly seem to want him to succeed overall as president. As Glenn Beck aptly put it, we all need to support him when we can, but oppose him when we must. The Bushes wish him well, as do countless others. I have yet to hear one person voice a negative thought. How different than during the last two inaugurations. I think a lot of it has to do with the grace Bush and McCain have shown after Obama won. Neither Gore or Kerry lost their elections with grace or dignity, nor would their followers and fellow democrats support the Bush administration. Let’s hope the “O” keys are left on the keyboards. :^)

And just to be really catty, I hate Michele Obama’s dress and I think her embellished diamante necklace is gaudy.

AAARRRGGG!!!

So, here we are approaching the end of January. Do you know what that means? No, not Joshua's 15th birthday. It means tax time is fast approaching. It means that we should all have those lovely W-2s in our hands by January 31.

If you know me at all, you know how much I HATE doing taxes. So as I was surfing the Internet today in search of that ever elusive tax program that is made specifically for the oddities of ministerial taxes, I ran across a little jewel. On the church's national website there is a document stating how churches should fill out the W-2s. If they would actually share this document with the churches, it would be extremely easy for me to do our taxes. I would not have to shell out big bucks to pay someone else to do our taxes.

The lady who prepares the taxes here gave me a copy of the document sent to her (and presumably all her counterparts in the conference). Not only does it omit the way to make it easy for me to do the taxes, it also discourages them from doing it the way the IRS recommends which is an alternative easy way. AAARRRGGG

Here is a picture of Skeeter in the snow. Jeremy and Josh won't let me take their pictures. Scruffy won't go out in snow that is deeper than she is!

Snow!

So far we have about 4.5" of snow and are supposed to get more later. Jeremy decided to feed some snow to Skeeter.

Sound the Trumpeter!

I had to drive down to Bellingham last week. As I went over the lake I noticed dozens and dozens of the most beautiful white birds. I thought they were domestic geese until I saw an article in the paper. They were trumpeter swans.

There are a lot of pretty birds here. When I was walking the dogs one day a huge crane flew up out of the creek as we passed. It can just a few feel from us and must have had a 6' wingspan. Skeeter still looks for the crane every time I walk her there.

Dizzy Dog

We are easily entertained...

What a Beautiful Sunset

I took Jeremy to the fruit stand this afternoon for some apples and to see what else they had. On the way home, there was the most beautiful sunset. The sun was huge and bright orange. The surrounding sky was a gorgeous orange as well.

Jeremy commented on the sunset, and I commented on how pretty it was. Giggling, he replied, "It looks like the sun vomited all over!"

Dork. I blame it on the Beggs side.

Boys!

Today I decided I'd better vacuum. Skeeter sheds way worse than Caleb ever did, and I think I'm allergic to her. I notice when I don't' vacuum as often as I should, my allergies act up a lot. So today I vacuumed the house, except for the boy areas -- their bedrooms and the hidden room. After all, if I can't take a step in a room, I can't vacuum it! When the boys got home from school, I told them they had to clean up.

Jeremy was so sweet. He suggested I should just take it easy for the rest of the day. He had a bit smile on his face and patted me on the back as he said it. He said he was concerned for me since I have a laryngitis. NOT!!! LOL