Another Week

Well, Whisper Day on Tuesday has turned into whisper week; only kinderkids aren't capable of a "whisper week." A day is their limit. :) Although they were concerned about me, they weren't able to keep their voices down and their bodies quiet for a whole week! So I'm very hoarse and sore from "whisper teaching" just to be half-heard all day for the past several days. Have you ever tried to get a group of kids attention by whispering at the top of your lungs? It's not as easy as you might think! :) My assistant, Kristen, was pulled most of the week for proctoring, crisis intervention, and a half million other jobs she has to do around our school, so much of the time I was croaking alone. Picture me trying to do assessments while whispering/half talking and my voice coming in and out in a room full of kinderkids playing with blocks, working on the computer, reading, pounding playdough, playing alphabet games, and more. No wonder my kids kept saying, "Huh?" at me! :) Ha! Ha!

Then, Sarah, a fellow K teacher across the hall tells me to rest my voice and be quiet this weekend; she said that is what she did when she had the hoarseness/lost voice and it helped. I quickly reminded her that I was sure that was great advice and I would love to be able to follow it, but I also reminded her that I am a mother of three teenagers so I was equally sure it would be next to impossible. We had a good laugh about that.

Now, more seriously, my adopted father had some heart problems this week and has spent several days in the hospital. He had tests and a angioplasty yesterday, and as far as I know at this time is home. I was so wishing I could have been there and not here. I kept thinking how if we hadn't moved to good ol' NC, Rob and I and the kids would have been up at the hospital with my mom and sister, keeping them company... I know I couldn't do anything to help them even if I was there- I mean what was I going to do- heal him? But, still I wish I could have gone home to sit there with my family. My sister reminded me that it might be more important to come home later and to wait... Besides, it's not like I have the money anyway. If Pop had dropped dead (thank God, he isn't going to), I wouldn't have had enough $ to drive out of the state, let alone all the way to Illinois. It's a family joke now about me apologizing all the time and feeling guilty for things I have no responsibility for (you know like the day was cloudy or the mail came an hour late)... My sister and mom called me the other night laughing to ask me if I felt like a "bad daughter" yet. Well, no, I don't. I have no reason to; it's not my fault and it's not that I don't care and wouldn't come if I could. But I do hate that I'm stuck way out here when things go wrong and I may not be able to come home. But such is life and life goes on.

The last exciting or not thing to my week was dealing with a son and his bad grades and his hiding them and his lack of responsibility..... I won't bore myself with remembering it all here again. Then I called my mom in tears, blabbed all my "deep, dark secrets" and felt silly later. After all the child was fine when he cooled off in the shower and I obviously don't need to take him too seriously; face it he was just being "bratty." I didn't say my child was a brat, just behaving brattily.

Well, at least the week is over and the weekend now here. The kids are good to me, and I do love them dearly. All is well again on the home front until the next crisis, and my dad is home and will make it and if he takes care of himself live to be an old pestering man. :) He! He!

Another week of my life is done, and now I must prepare for the next.