My young people are home!

It's Sunday night, and the kids just got home from their youth group beach trip. I made it through the long weekend. I had time with Rob yesterday before he went to work, and we had a wonderful day together today- a quiet day. :) That quiet is now gone with three young adult people home, but I'm okay with that. The dog & cat are happy to see the kids too, and Rob and I have been listening to them all talk about Myrtle Beach. :) The day is coming soon when they'll be gone, but I'm not ready for it yet.

Thanks Momma for texting me and calling me and helping me understand that there is life after children & that those feelings are normal. :)

I made cards :), did grad school homework, watched a couple movies on Netflix, did laundry & hung it up outside (love to do that!), cooked myself something yummy, ate pico de gallo. Rob found a show on Netflix that we LOVE; it is an old BBC show, "As Time Goes By." We have been watching episodes today while we did work. Really enjoying it!

Have a great week!!!

My pretty coneflower was being enjoyed by the bees as well.

Rach, I figured out something to make those cards look better; they were too plain. I am much happier with these now.

This one is my favorite- I love that verse!!!

Weekend Alone

My kids left today for Myrtle Beach with Robert's church youth group (Robert's 2nd family). They are all our kids' youth leader, and I could go on & on about the three leaders and their love for our children. They were a God-send to us here in N.C. - truly the only church family we have here. I am so thankful for them!!!

Rob is still in school through part of next week and working this home stretch at the ballpark, plus he has a band gig this weekend, so I will be spending most of the next days alone. This will be the longest stretch of my life that I've ever been without family (except for Girl Scout camp that one year). I clung to Momma after Daddy died, and I got married at 17 and started our family at 19. The kids have never all three been gone for this long at the same time, and Rob & I have never gone on vacation or left them anywhere more than a night with my parents.

I am a family person, so I don't really like this much, but perhaps it will be good for me to "practice" being post-kids as that day is looming in the near future. So while I am practicing how to function without my children :), here are my plans:

• relax a bit (watch a movie or two, read, sleep in a little if my body will let me)
• do my homework for Monday's class- a MUST
• make cards (This is one I made up with Rob's help to draw a template. It's kind of simple, but hopefully people will like it. It flips open on the side for more writing space.)



• cook something that I want- now to figure out what that is :) (I did make myself a huge bowl of pico de gallo this afternoon and have been eating it tonight! YUM!)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! What do you have planned?

BekaBoo :)

garden goodness

We planted a small garden in the yard this year hoping to get some food to help our summer budget. We are amateurs for sure, and we didn't have a tiller so there's a bit more grass in the plot than we'd like but we will keep working on it & learning. I hope to freeze up some vegies later this summer. The food is starting to come in. Thank you God for fresh vegies grown by our hands and blessed by You!

our second picking of green beans

The tomatoes are coming in; soon we'll have a bunch. I can taste pico de gallo already! :)

grape tomatoes for our salads

romas for pico & homemade spaghetti sauce that Robert is going to cook for me :)

the "big boys" for just eating- I plan to eat a bunch & fry some green ones up too; it's making my mouth water just thinking of their juicy, yummy goodness.

my prairie flower to remind me of home- Echinacia- Oh how I miss home!

Our yellow squash & zucchini are blooming like crazy!

peaches!!!

My poor little peach tree is so full, I am not sure the branches can hold it all. We keep thinning them out so the tree doesn't fall over, but I hate to pitch the peaches... Hoping they are edible. :) Going to make a peach cobbler if they are good and plan to sit outside and eat some fresh ones too.

Rob & his Fathers' Day surprise

The kids and I went in together to get Rob this bike he's been eyeing and wanting since last September. He seemed very surprised when we gave it to him yesterday. He is enjoying it and getting some good exercise in too. :)

Happy Fathers' Day

This day is a little hard for me as Mothers' Day & Fathers' Days are for a lot of people.

But I wanted to say Happy Fathers' Day to my wonderful Pop who took on the challenge of helping to finish raising two girls who were not even his own. He didn't have to do it. He could have just treated us girls as his stepdaughters, but he loved us as his own and he is our much loved Pop/Dad. He is the only grandfather my children have ever had or ever will. He is a dad to Rob. He has been there for my sister & I when our other family couldn't or just wasn't. He has been there for Rob & I when other family couldn't/wouldn't be. I am thankful for him- more than I can express through a few words.

Happy Fathers' Day to my best friend & hubby. Rob, you've been a wonderful father to our children, and I am so grateful for the children God blessed us with and the joys and laughter you've added to our lives. I am blessed to have you as my husband and the kids are blessed more than they know yet to have you as their Dad/Daddy. You have supported me as a mom, a wife, a daughter, a teacher, a student... You have stood by me and your family through the hard & ugly times. You are loved Rob!!!

God, please tell my Daddy Happy Fathers' Day for me. I know You don't have these kinds of holidays in heaven (or I guess you probably don't), but please let him know that I have not forgotten him, his love for his family, his laughter or ornery smile, how he taught me to fish, pushed me to do/be my best, and the example of seeing him in church, worshipping with his guitar and voice, working to help build the church building, struggling to quit smoking and letting God help him. I have so many good memories of him, and God though it hurts to think much about him, I am thankful you let us have him for a short time. Please tell him for me.

And God, please be with my cousins who also lost their dads. Today is just a hard day when you've lost a loved one. Be with those who are mourning today or who are remembering loved ones with tears in their eyes or sorrow in their hearts.
Beka :)

Please Help Me Help My Kids

I wrote here a while back about trying to get some technology for my classroom- an LCD projector. I am totally thrilled to report that I received FULL FUNDING for this project a couple weeks ago. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so thankful to God for blessing me and for all the family, friends, and strangers that helped me!!!! If you were one of those, please accept my deepest thanks!

I have written another grant for some tech hardware that will turn my classroom whiteboard into a giant mousepad- interactive with my personal laptop through this new LCD projector. I can do some pretty neat stuff with it- make my lessons more interactive, create lessons for students to work on while I teach in another part of the room, and more stuff I have to learn about as I get going here on my adventure into technology in the classroom! I am super, super excited!!!

The price tag is a bit hefty, but if I can get 231 people to each give $5 I can get this baby funded and into my classroom. I am trying to find donors that can help me have this wonderful tool so that I can start the school year ready to roll and get my new kids pumped up about technology and learning.

Can you help me spread the word? If you know anyone who might give anything - even $1- would you pass this info/link on? If you know anyone who would be willing to email this note or pass my info/link on to their friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, bosses, businesses, etc. would you pass it on to them? WITH MY THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Friday! I hope you all have a great weekend!

BekaBoo/Rebekah :)

My "Smart Board" proposal can be found here.

My DonorsChoose webpage with all my proposals is located here.

a great day & summer cleaning

I am having a wonderful day with my young people. :) We went to Biscuitville together for breakfast and then went to get Rob's gift for Fathers' Day. It was so nice as the kids and I are going in on something nice together- something Rob wants, but I can't say more now, not yet. :) Barbara wanted to look for a swimming suit and the boys didn't want to wait on her to try them on, so she & I went back to Walmart for some "mommy time" as she calls it. Hit the post office & bank in there too. We had lunch together at home and then have all been working on deep cleaning together.

Matthew helped me move EVERYTHING out of my kitchen & bathroom except the table so I could deep clean the floors. I know this might sound silly, but I love the smell of Pine-Sol. :) And I LOVE having tile floor so I can just dump soapy water on and scrub. Barbara is tackling the laundry pile and the laundry room. Robert scrubbed down all the downstairs doors and the walls & baseboards in the bathroom and kitchen. I still need to rinse the floor- the water was awfully soapy, but boy is it going to look great (for a day- hahaha), and then Matthew will have to help me put everything back.

We are doing a little bit each day, and in about a week my house is going to look 100% awesome again! I don't know about any other teachers, but spring cleaning always seems to get put off here until it's a summer cleaning.

Well, it's time for my little friends to arrive for babysitting and tutoring time. I better get going. Hope the floor is ready to rinse soon. I'm getting a bit high on the smell of Pine-Sol. :) hahahaha

Hope wherever you are, it is a wonderful summer day for you too!
BekaBoo :)

Summer Day 1

Today was my 1st day of summer vacation; my summer school job fell through due to the state budget crunch. So this summer, I am working from home- babysitting, tutoring & working on my card business. Today I:

• slept in until 8:30- aaahhhh, how awesome that was!
• did a grocery run for the rest of the month's food with Barbara & Matthew
• went to Walmart and picked up some cloth & thread- found a simple pattern for smocked sundresses- going to try to make one and see if I can do it well enough to sell some to help our family's summer budget
• babysat & tutored my two buddies- oh what fun! We walked to the neighborhood playground and Robert, Barbara, & Matthew went with us too :), had our "school time," made a card for the kids' dad, and after all that the two little ones & I played with Mr. Potato Head & his friends and then we made a tent for them to play in.

Tomorrow I need to work on homework BIG TIME! We are also going to go pick out Rob's Father's Day gift. Though I needed the job, I am thankful for the time I also truly need to rest and relax. My body had hit its limit this year! God knows what we need more than we do! :) So glad He sees it all even when I don't!

The year is over.

Thanks to my two youngest children, Barbara & Matthew, I am done! They helped me pack my room up, clean, pitch and move everything to one corner as we're supposed to do every summer. I was able to walk out today and won't have to go back until I am ready to start reorganizing and moving to wherever I am going next, once that is decided.

I had many moments this year when I didn't think I would get to this point, but God helped me get through it all. Now I can reflect on the year, figure out what I am going to do next year, rest, exercise & take better care of me, and focus on being a wife & mom, babysitting & tutoring, and my grad studies.

Thank you Father for helping me get to this point. I am so grateful.

backyard party

Rob & I hosted a backyard party yesterday for my coworkers. We wanted to do something fun for everyone after the long, hard year it's been. I think everyone had fun! I prayed for good weather, and God blessed that. The party was from 12-3, and the storm clouds rolled in at 3PM just as everyone was leaving.

lots of talking :)

Momma, this is Mary, one of our ESL teachers (the one who teaches my kids & one of my favorite people at our school!!!) Mary's little one loved our dog; he crawled all around the yard following Samson. It was so sweet!

We turned on the sprinkler for the kids.

Some of the kids found a ball and played basketball on our driveway.

It was a good day!

almost there

i am so tired and have so much i want to record for myself and things i want to share... but for tonight i have one more dvd to burn for my students tomorrow and i must get to bed. it has been two or three weeks of not enough sleep and i'm exhausted.

earlier in this rough school year i didn't think i would make it, but God has helped, a change in the staffing in my room was made in February and here i am- the night before the last day.

tomorrow will be "poofing" day in my classroom. i need a godo night's rest to poof all the kids out of my room and onto their new adventure next year!

happy thursday all!!!

God, let me be faithful.

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." JRR Tolkein

I do not want to be counted as faithless. I believe in them, and will not give up on them. God help me to be strong, and on that day let me found to have been faithful to You and to children You placed in my path.

"in God's way..."

I overhead this conversation last week as we were walking back to our classroom...

"Mrs. T, is kind of like my stepmom."
"Nuh-uh, she is not!"
"Yes she is!"
"No she isn't! Mrs. Thomas, you're not his stepmom are you?!?!?!"
"Yes she is... aren't you Mrs. T?"

I just grinned, and said something about how I wasn't really his stepmom, but at school I am kind of like a mom who looks out for them all, takes care of them, and loves them all very much.

Then my little man looked up and asked me, "Mrs. T, can you be my sister?"
I replied, "D, I can be whatever you want me to be."
"See, she is my sister!"
"Mrs. Thomas is NOT your sister!"
"Well, aren't you really my sister in God's way, kind of???"
"Yes, D, in God's way, I am kind of your sister." :)

pause... silence as he thought...

"Mrs. T, can I call you sis?"
"D, you sure can."

And since then, I have been a combination of Mrs. T and "Sis," to which I have been replying, "Bro" and we both smile. :)

A Standing Ovation

Work- well according to a lot of people, we teachers stink and nothing we do is good enough. We are villains and worse....

BUT, I don't care what anyone says, I have to be doing something right. And though it won't show up on any state EOG or any little "number" these "experts" want to throw around to judge us, I had living proof of my successes and the successes of my students today! And, boy did it make me smile and cry a couple tears of joy!

This week, two of my littlest, youngest, and struggling kinders read their first book with "real" reading or great improvements. One of them was really reading- not just making up a story that matches the picture or memorizing the words, but going back and fixing "boo-boo's" (that's what I call mistakes). And my other little one was pointing from left to right and reading from top to bottom and though it wasn't word-for-word matching YET, it was very, very close, and he was using the pattern of the story and the pictures to help him. These are HUGE, HUGE, HUGE steps I tell you!

We read for anyone and everyone- Barbara (who was volunteering today, and two other staff members that I called to come over and listen to my newest readers. My two little ones were positively beaming and one was jumping up and down with excitement and pride in himself. He even asked if he could read to our whole class.

So these two little ones sat down in front of my whole class of mixed K's & 1st's and read their first book to the group. Part way through, several of my 1st graders realized they were "really reading" (quoting one of them who mouthed this to me) and they were cheering and clapping after each page. When it was all done, my 1st graders, spontaneously got up to their feet and were clapping and cheering and gave these two kinders a standing ovation. I have never taught them this and I did not coax them to do so, but I did join them in it.

That was such a HUGE success for us all- for the boys who are learning to read and things are starting to "click." I LOVE these "lightbulb" moments!!! Oh what joy they had on their faces!!!! And success for my 1st graders who are learning to be supportive, caring, compassionate children. And success for me. A long time ago, I set out to help these children become a little family and to learn to care for one another and support each other on the good days and the bad days. I have succeeded.

My children made me proud today- each and every one of them.

And yes, I stood, unashamedly crying in front of all 16 of them!!!

Five Minutes

I saw this video here, and wow- it is sobering. God please let me not forget and may each of my moments in each of my days count for something to someone and to You.

Next Five Minutes from David Platt on Vimeo.

Robert is a college graduate!

Last Thursday our oldest son, Robert (20 years old) graduated from Guilford Technical Community College. He has two classes this summer before he'll receive his diploma, but he was able to march in the ceremonies last week. We are so proud of him!!! While going to school full time, Robert has held down, at times, two jobs and worked an average of 30-35 hours a week, thus enabling him to pay his way through school. He is a great young man!

Our graduate!

Our family and our two friends, R & J.

As is our usual, we love to be silly.

a child's note

This has been a killer week... EOG's (end of grade testing). Robert's graduation ceremony last night plus keeping two of my favorite kids from school. I am sick and have grad school this weekend plus Robert's graduation lunch for his church family and friends on Sunday. I have photos to post of cards and flowers (for Ruhiyyih) and our oldest son graduating from college (for Momma and everyone else)... I promise I'll be back with those in a couple more days.

But for me, tonight, I wanted to jot down a memory. This week was EOG week. I made cards for the third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers and classes- just something super simple to encourage them on this big, stressful week. Not a big deal really! I had so many kids ask me "Why did you do that?" I was surprised at their asking. Several kids were excited about it, and one class called me and put me on speaker phone to shout a big thank you to me. :) All of these made me feel so wonderful! But I think, without a doubt, the student that touched my heart the most was a third grader that did not attend K at my school so I didn't know her by name (I know almost all the kids from K to 4th now at our school). She wrote me a letter back and she made me cry (no biggie I know!). She wrote, "You are the nicest teacher I never had." I am blown away by the love of children and the love of God He gives me through them! And people say God isn't in public schools. :) They are so, so wrong.

Happy Weekend all!

neat video

a coworker shared this with me yesterday. it's pretty neat!

aaaahhhhhh, a peaceful Saturday

it was so nice this morning to be able to sleep in a bit! :) thanks, God!!!!

i have started the stamping on some graduation cards and when i get back from a mom's taxi run i will start doing major lesson planning and homework time. if money allows, i think i am going to go buy myself some plants for my front porch flower pots too.

hope you all have a terrific weekend!!!!

my payday prayer

each month as i drop the bills that i've paid into the post office box around the corner from our home, i say a prayer thanking Him for providing for those bills to be paid. it's not a ritual i go through, but something i do to let Him know i'm a grateful recipient and that i do not take His provision for granted.

today my prayer went like this; i put each bill in the box one at a time and said:
God, thanks for taking care of us.

• for the money to pay these bills in my hand.
• for jobs to earn the money.
• for a warm, safe place to live that provides this sanctuary away from the world where my family can live in love and laughter.
• for insurance that protects our home and cars in the event disaster should ever strike us.
• for Rosie (my car) and Toto (Rob's car). There was a time in our lives and not very long ago at all when we couldn't even qualify for an auto loan on our own. we are so grateful.
• for water and power and heat and a.c. thank You for living in such an advanced place where these technologies make our lives easier and better. please let me not take it for granted.
• for phones to be able to communicate with our kids and each other in the middle of all our many obligations and most of all to be able to just talk and share and hear our "back home" loved one's voices from so far away and not totally lose touch with them.
• for internet to stay in touch with our family, do work at home, go to college and study.
• for these medical bills- well, God- thanks for insurance that paid for most of the bills in hand. thanks for insurance that helped provide much needed medical care for Matthew when his leg was broken. without it he might have not gotten the care he needed- the surgery to fix his broken leg. he could have been in pain and had a badly healed break or been denied care and ended up with a bone sticking out of his leg, or an infection, or so much worse. in another place or time he would not have had that option. thank You that You provided healing for him and now provide for us to be able to pay a portion of his medical needs.

God, thank You that You take care of what we need TODAY! i may now know about tomorrow's needs, or next month's or this summer's, but You already do and just as you keep taking care of us one month at a time, You will continue to provide our needs. You have never left us, and You won't start now. Thank You for that!

Let the Waters Rise

There are two songs that are really speaking to our hearts right now (that'd be Rob and me). One I blogged about the other day here... This song (Let the Waters Rise by MikesChair) is similar and reminds us both that we are doing what He called us to do. It is getting harder than we either one ever would have imagined, but we are trying our very best to remember that He is here with us in the storm and that He promised to never leave us or forsake us.

Some of the lyrics that really jump out at me:
"There's a raging sea right in front of me, wants to pull me in, bring me to my knees. So let the waters rise if You want them to, I will follow You. I will follow You... I will swim in the deep 'cuz You'll be next to me. You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea... God, You know where I've been, You were with me then. You were faithful before, You'll be faithful again..."

My Momma has been sending me verses this week on facebook and it has encouraged me a lot! I found another one today as I was talking with God and thinking about things. If you're going through a hard time, maybe they'll touch your heart to. I hope someone else will be encouraged.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned..." Isaiah 43:2


"You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble..." Psalm 32:7


"If the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive. The flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away.... Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 124: 2-5, 8


This Tuesday, May 4, there will be a court hearing that may decide the future of my school, and will most definitely affect the children who learn there. It may decide the future of the teachers who work there. Please pray.

random wednesday thoughts...

so much to do tonight, but here's a quick peek into my brain for today:

• turned in my last assignment for this semester's grad course- WOOHOO!!!
• have one week without grad school before the next two courses start- double WOOHOO!!!
• robert (our first "baby") graduates from community college on May 13- WOOHOO again!!!
• assessments have started already at school- please pray for good results for all the children at my school and for us teachers who may lose our jobs regardless...
• payday is in 30 hours- but who is counting?
• got to talk to my pop today- two times- so enjoyed our talk!
• parenting teenagers is fun, rewarding, challenging, and sometimes frustrating.
• my dear husband is working four jobs (three part time, temporary jobs plus teaching) right now and so tired. please pray for him to have strength and get rest in the midst of all that work. i miss him.
• trying to trust God and figure out how to pay our summer bills with no summer work for me and only Rob's one part timer this summer.
• thinking on how to do my own "Big Mama's Boot Camp" program to help a certain someone grow up and get with the program. :) hahahaha

that'll about do it for tonight. going to go do a little weeding and planting seeds and then tackle some school work. have a great rest of the week!!!

the kind of "Walk" I want to have

I need to start this journal entry with a disclaimer. Here goes:

I do not claim to be some wonderful person, or an excellent example of what a true Christ-follower looks like.

I have never been an all-trusting, "God is great all the time," "Praise God and pass the mustard" kind of Christian. My walk with God has been rocky at times. I've questioned Him and doubted Him and been angry with Him and told Him so too. I'm not proud of that, I'm just saying... I don't understand a lot of things. I tell Him. I ask Him things. I tell Him when I'm angry about the injustices I see or hurt for the lives Rob and I work with. I am honest with God- it may not be pretty, and I'm working on it. So far He hasn't struck me down or abandoned me. He hasn't given up on me yet, and for that I am eternally grateful. Maybe there is hope for me.

But may I be honest??? I have a hard time with people who are so spiritual that they aren't "real." I know that's wrong. God loves them, and is proud of them. I should love them too. Maybe those people are what I should be like. Maybe they have struggled too and have just reached a higher plane, and maybe someday I'll get there too. I just hope I NEVER forget where I've been. Never forget the hard times. Never forget how much hurt there is in the world. I'm afraid if I do forget these things I won't be any good to God or anyone else. I have no pat answers. I have no great advice to give. I have no great Christian-ese that I can share. All I have is the knowledge that God loves us- a LOT, and that He is always with us- even when it doesn't seem like it, maybe even more so then- and that is what I have. That, and a big set of shoulders and a pair of leaky eyes that will cry for people I know and don't know- even when I try to fight it.

So what kind of walk do I want to have?

Honestly, though it means pain sometimes, I want the kind of relationship with Christ that makes Him proud of me. And not on the easy days- anyone can say "Praise God" when the sun is shining and the coffee is good and the bills are paid.

I want to make Him proud of me on the worst days- when it's pouring rain and I have a broken umbrella, when I lose my job and can't pay my bills, when my kids are fighting and driving me nuts, when the dog pukes all over the floor and I step in it, when the kids I love are suffering and I love them through the ugliness, when my coworkers aren't happy and the "judge" or the state or the feds may can us all. When life is hard- if I can say "I love You Father and I'm trying my best to trust You..." and my life can show His love through and in spite of my crabbiness or emotions or tiredness... then I will know that I am walking the walk I want.

Trying for Tech

I have been using DonorsChoose.org for almost two years now. I have been BLESSED with so many learning materials for my classroom and my kids!

• homework backpacks
• TONS of learning materials to put in those homework bags (I currently hae 15 lending bags for the kids to check out to use for homework- each has at least one book and puzzles, games, and other learning activities that center around the theme of the bag: colors, numbers, shapes, rhyming, alphabet, family, art, etc.)
• a sand/water table
• a listening station
• TONS of science materials: an incubator & egg turner (which we are using right now!), a butterfly habitat, a see-through garden window box, life cycle materials, and tons more!
• a photo printer & lots of ink
• a classroom digital camera

Now I am trying to get some technology for my classroom. I am starting with this proposal. It's my goal to find tech tools that will help make the learning even more fun & engaging but more important will allow the kids to use and learn about technology as they will be surrounded by it in their adult lives and will need to know how to use it.

If you know anyone who would be willing to give any amount at all, I'd be so appreciative if you'd pass the link on. The really neat thing about Donors Choose is that donors can give any amount - even $1, and it really does add up. So even though my grant proposal is more than I could ever afford to do on my own, if I give, and a lot of other people give even small amounts, my children could be the recipients of some GREAT learning!

Thanks!!!

a child's compliment cheereth my heart

Today one of my kids (at school) stopped working, looked up at me and said, "Mrs. Thomas, you're still a kid in here," and then pointed at his chest (heart). Oh how that made me smile! I've been told something similar before by a little boy who told me I was "brown on the inside" then he paused and added, "where it counts."

Oh how these little moments (tiny seconds of time) bring joy to my heart and lighten my load at the moment. They let me know that I am important to someone. I know I am to my family, but outside the Thomas/Lane/McCracken household I don't matter much to anyone but God. I'm not well-known and will never have any far-reaching effect or change the world. I am just me, a very large, big-mouthed, child-adoring, crazy-silly mom, wife, daughter, teacher kind of girl. But to some little people I matter; I am important. When I think about it, this is so much more important than feeling like I fit in with my fellow teachers and coworkers, more important than having friends or not as the case may be, and more important than almost any of the stupid, little things that sometimes get me down. I love and I am loved. And in the end, that's all that really matters!

It's like an amazingly awesome little circle- God loves them through me, and I get loved back by God through them. He's just amazing to me! Thank you Father for Your love, for the love You give to me for children, and the love You give back to me through children! I am forever grateful!

once again- Embryology 101

Three years ago, I did a project I have always wanted to do with my students- we hatched chicks, well we tried to. Chicks take 21 days to grow in utero and then hatch. The project went beautifully. We shared it with a lot of the other children and teachers at our school; it was truly WONDERFUL. We watched the chicks growing inside (Did you know you can see inside the egg with a special light? We made one and could watch them moving inside! So utterly amazing and beautiful!) Then hatching day arrived and it was so amazing to watch. I stayed late that evening and watched almost all the chicks hatch successfully, only to come in the next day to disaster. My t.a. (God bless her) and I drove the dying chicks to a nearby vet and paid for them to be put to sleep. She and I stood there crying messes (me mostly) with a box of dead & dying chicks; it (I) was pathetic I'm sure!

I never did the project again; parents and students asked me to, but I've been too afraid. Jump ahead to last summer when I, for some strange reason, wrote a donorschoose grant proposal for an incubator and egg turner- it was funded. So now I'm about to start this project again. "Why?" I am sitting here asking myself. Why????

Because, Rebekah, you've always told your children and "your children" that they cannot let fear stop them, that they have to always keep trying even when it's hard and they're afraid. So am I going to be a good role model or am I going to just be another person who talks the talk but doesn't "walk the walk?"

So, tomorrow we fire up the incubator, build a wet bulb thermometer and prepare to receive a batch of chicken eggs that will- PLEASE GOD- hatch successfully in three weeks into some cute and fuzzy chicks. If you are a praying person, please, please please pray for my chicks, for my students and others who may visit, and for me (to be brave and not a nervous wreck!), but mostly please pray that our chicks hatch well and have no complications like the last time but have a high survival rate this time around. I will be more crushed than I can say if disaster strikes again.

And this week, I will share those old, original posts for myself and anyone else who wants to go there with me. I need to remind myself of the wonder and beauty and joy of life and the amazing lesson I learned from a 5 year old last time around.

post # 1 from May 2007- Embryology 101

Until next time, hope you have a blessed, wonderful, happy week!
Love,
BekaBoo :)

help out a teacher and his/her students!

This is such a neat & FREE way for you to help out a teacher/students you know or don't know, near you or far away. DonorsChoose is a nonprofit that teachers can submit grant requests to; then donors can go online to their website and find projects they want to give to. Donors can give anything from tiny to grand ($1 to the-sky-is-the-limit!). Once a teacher has reached full funding, DonorsChoose orders and ships the materials to the teacher, the teacher and students take photos and write thank you letters to send to their donors. It's AWESOME! I've given and received through DonorsChoose, and it is just a great experience all the way around!

Here's where the FREE part comes in. If you go to www.earthdayphotocontest.com you can choose your favorite photo, provide your email and birthdate and Microsoft sends you a $5 giving card to use on a project of your choosing. So, let's review- all you have to do is vote for a photo and enter your email & birthday. Check your email and get the online code for the gift card and go visit DonorsChoose to choose the class/teacher you want to give your $5 to. You can do this EVERY DAY until April 19th. What a great deal!!!

If you've never given to this organization, I promise you that you will TREMENDOUSLY bless a teacher when you do, not to mention his/her students! I've written and received about 20 funded projects in not quite two years and have so many wonderful, rich learning materials now that have helped my kids learn so much more! It's AMAZING!!!

And if you don't know a teacher and have no idea who to share your money with, you can just choose a teacher/class from their site or I "just happen" to know this great guy, named Rob, who teaches in the inner city, rough part of Winston-Salem, who is trying to get a document camera for his students. :) :) :)

The Biggest Loser

Today we were told we are in even more trouble. We may be closed or all fired. Someone must go to court to represent our school. We were told, "our usual 'excuses' will not be acceptable anymore." We were told, "You cannot blame the kids; you cannot blame the parents. It is your fault."

I, for one, do not blame the kids. I do not blame the parents either. I am not saying I am perfect, or have never done these things, but I always have given a lot of credit to our kids and to their families. I firmly believe that all but the smallest percentage of parents care deeply about their kids, but not all are well equipped or ready to deal with the issues, stresses, and commitment involved in parenting, let alone parenting well. Many are dealing with their own issues and problems. Many are working multiple jobs to just keep a roof over their head or food on the table. Many are dealing with drug or alcohol addictions or trying to stay alive or facing abusive situations or trying to make bad relationships work. Many parents care a great deal, but just don't know what to do or where to turn. Whether "the judge," or the county higher-ups, or the president, or anyone else for that matter, likes it or not, these are not excuses, they are facts. The facts that so many of our students live with. The facts that many of us teachers are trying to find ways to work around. That many of us teachers are trying to help our students rise above.

Unless we acknowledge these facts, nothing is going to change. Making the teachers the scourge of society, blaming it all on us, and even firing all of us will not fix this mess of an education system either. All that is going to happen is politicians keep their jobs a little longer because they can put it on our backs. But in the end, the children will be the biggest losers in this reality show that's not a "show" but true reality. That is what is most discouraging to me.

He is Risen

Dear God,
Thank you just doesn't say what my heart wants to express. How can I ever in my lowly human form express it? There is no way. No way I can even really understand Your love for me.
No way I can ever, this side of Heaven, fathom who You are, the sacrifices You made, the depth, breadth, unconditional, unending love.

Thank you for coming to our world. For living as a weak human and experiencing what we do so that You could really understand who we are and how we think, feel, and all we must go through. For suffering a most horrible, gruesome, torturous death. For rising again and sharing all that will be with us. For being so long suffering and merciful, even when I am slow, stubborn, just plain stupid, and just plain wrong.

Thank You God for it all.

Happy Easter!

love my cousins!!!

My dear cousin, Regina, came to see me this week. She even brought us Roma's pizza all the way from Bethalto where I went to high school!!! OOOOOHHHHH, Roma's has the best pizza ever, and I had forgotten how good it is!!!!! The best thing she brought to us, though, was her love and these two sweet little ones who call me "BekaBoo."

Thank you Regina, Bella, and Sarah for coming to see us. Thank you Phillip, Paige & Caleb for sharing your wife/mom with us! I love you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The girls loved our pets, and were especially fascinated with Cinnamon. They tried to coax him downstairs to play with them. Here they finally got him to come down for some cat treats.
Bella is a sweetheart! She loved posing for me every time I snapped photos. Such a cutie!

Look at that grin! How could you refuse such a face??? She's a doll, and her voice is even more adorable, especially when she said, "BekaBoo, I love you!" awwwwwww

Bella loved picking the flowers on the "mountain" at the school playground behind our house.

Loved this photo of Sarah! She was playing in the playhouse at the school playground, and I snuck around and caught her photo through the window.

Blowing the dandelion to make a wish

Matthew was a good sport and played Hide & Go Seek/ Tag with the girls.

my baby girl, Barbara Rose, a.k.a. Pippi Longstocking :)

Regina and me

Joe Cool just chillin' while we play

Loved this one! Bella copied Matthew soaking in some rays on the hillside

Barbara Rose and the girls making cookies

the girl cousins before we said goodbye