Change my Heart Oh God

Thankfully, I have  a lot to keep me busy tonight. Going to the community building at 12:30      a m setting up actually was nice. I had hoped it would give me some peace or atleast distract me somewhat.. but no.

A couple weeks ago a friend and I were talking  and I said something to her.. about someone that I shouldn't have said.  Well, I am Baptist, so - I asked her what she thought.  I knew when it came out of my mouth that I shouldn't have said anything.  I really do NOT like to gossip. Someone always gets hurt. I think that is why I am so open with my life.  I have been the brunt of gossip before and in my crazy head I think that if I make my life an open book that no one can hurt me.  Anyway - back to my saga.

As fate would have it my friend slipped and repeated what I said TO THAT PERSON.  I can honestly say I wasn't mad. I know she would not do anything purposefully to hurt me.  Now what?  I have to do what is right... I tried to call the object of my  stupid gossip to talk to him and apologize and got no answer. I tried calling several times.  Finally I sent him a message. It was eating me alive. He didnt reply.  Tonight he was online and I spoke to him.  He spoke back.  He told me what I already know.. how hurt he was. He basically did not let me off the hook.  I can honestly say that MOST days I can go to bed with an easy conscience, but not tonight.  I am hurt by my own ignorance and there is nothing I can do to fix it.  He mentioned that he had told his family how hurt he was.  I love his family.  Now, I would assume they think I am a hypocrite as well.   By opening my mouth and saying 6 words I have ruined a relationship with people that I respect.  

I feel awful. 

I had hoped that spilling my guts in here would make me feel better... no.

I talked to Randy... no.

I have asked forgiveness from the friend.

I have asked forgiveness from the Father.

(1 John 1:9 KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

That is a promise from the Bible.   Thankfully it pertains to stupid people, like me too.

Lord, please help control my mouth. I have noticed lately that it is becoming easier and easier to say things I shouldnt . I dont understand why.  I want to be in your will and I do not want to be a stumbling block to your people.  

Change my heart, Oh God, make it ever true

Change my heart, Oh, God, may I be like You

You are the Potter, I am the clay

Mould me and make me, this is what I pray

Change my heart, Oh God, make it ever true

Change my heart, Oh, God, may I be like You

Thanksgiving Memories

Note: If you read this just for preschool "thoughts" I have started a new page that I do just preschool stuff on for my parents. www.onceuponadayinpreschool.blogspot.com Preschool is bound to flow out on here a few times since that is " who I am" but I hope mostly to separate the personal and the short kids stuff.


Thanksgiving Memories...

Tonight after getting in from choir ( which by the way was missing one of our lead sopranos...we were weak. Come back Dana! ) I decided that since I am cooking for 45 or so people on Wednesday as a Thanksgiving Feast with my little guys I better get busy. There is something about a huge pot of celery and onion cooking that brings back memories of Thanksgiving past.

My very first Thanksgiving away from home I lived in Witchita Falls Texas in an apartment. A friend also newly married and I decided we would cook our meal together and invite some of the guys from base over that couldn't make it home. We were PUMPED. We thawed out the turkey and cooked it. Yes... we missed an important step. Did you know there is all kinds of stuff inside the turkey? Seriously, why hide it in there? AND, how did I miss 18 years of my mother pulling it all out? And.. what is it??????? Debbie and I promptly took one large long piece down to the lady in the office that had sort of adopted us. We laughed all the way down. She first laughed and asked us what we THOUGHT it was. Very naively we asked..well... is there such thing as a male and a female turkey?( Remember we were newly weds!) If so, we have it figured out. If not, we have no clue. We were wrong but the conversation made for a Thanksgiving we will never forget . I doubt the lady in the office does either.

Then there was another Thanksgiving that we lived in Michigan. I had gotten my grandmothers huge formal dining room suit. Back in the day my grandmother LOVED paint. If it stood still, she painted it. Well, I wanted to refinish it down to the natural wood. I started stripping it --- in the dining room. A few weeks later it was time for Thanksgiving and we again had company coming. The chairs were sticky and I just covered the top with a table cloth. Maybe stripping a dining room suit indoors in Michigan when there is a foot of snow on the ground right before a holiday isnt a great idea.

This Thanksgiving will be just Randy, Danielle , Mom and Dad and I. I buy turkey breast now, so I dont have to worry about the stuff inside the turkey. I gave up on that refinishing project years ago. But I am SO thankful for the memories...even the ones we will make this week. There have been times this year that I wasnt sure my mother would be with us this year. So Thank you Lord for memories - Old ones and New ones.......

It all boils down to this...

I have been a wee bit stressed lately. Not to the point where I am sitting in a corner rocking back and forth ----just a nice slow--- eat a cheeseburger and gorge on ice cream pace. Things are going really well in school. I have had to change the schedule yet again. Seems Peter in Little Rock doesn't really know what Paul ( in the next office in Little Rock ) is doing - therefore my schedule for my kiddos keeps getting adjusted. Yes, I am my own boss BUT to meet quality standards I need to have the least amount of transitions possible and still be within the time limits that everyone else expects. Difficult ? Yes. Impossible? No.



We have been having a lot of fun doing Thanksgiving activities. I don't like to use coloring sheets but the kids enjoyed this one where they decorated the turkey feathers with stickers. GREAT fine motor practice. Lots of fall playdough colors ready to be rolled out and cut! The boys in the picture to the right are sorting beads for the Thanksgiving bracelet we made later in the day. It was a lot of fun and after putting it together, most of the kids were able to tell the story of Thanksgiving.

Since we have been talking about things and people we are thank

ful for we have been visiting people in our community that help us. We have went to a doctors office, a grocery store. That was a great one. While we were there we got to visit the baker and the butcher. CHING! Time well spent. We
stopped by a barber shop and a pharmacy. For literacy we made a list before we left and read it as we went along.

We also took our clip boards out one day for a scavenger hunt. What a fun experience!

We have had a wonderful restful weekend. I have done NO work today -at all. It started off great as the preschoolers left and I have this new flip flop couch I bought. I put it down, covered it with bright red new sheets that have a white bear on them and Wah laa! a cute little bedroom for GG. She LOVED it! This is one of my three playrooms . She was so excited and kept saying " This is MY room??" Her weekends here are already like disneyland since she has access to my preschool but now a bed in the middle of it all that is just hers? What a joy! After having pancakes we journeyed to Chucky Cheese , then out to eat, and then toy shopping. She sat in my lap and put her little hands on my face and said " I Wuv you Mia." Wow.... I LOVE being a grandma.

What a wonderful , restful Saturday. This was one that I needed . It all boils down to this -

To stay creative and keep the steam in my engine for my job, I have to be able to shut it off for a while. It doesnt happen often, but today I did it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday Dear Mickey Mouse.....

Happy Birthday to you!

Girl:  Mickey Mouse is Dead.

Girl 2 : NUH UH... He IS NOT!

Girl 3 :  I saw him he lives in San Diego?

Ms Debbie to girl 1.   Have you been to San Diego? Is it possible he is there and you just didnt see him?

Girl 4:  He is alive. He lives in the TV.

Debbie:  In the TV? Where does he sleep?

I enjoy conversations like this!

Randy, Oh Randy Dear

Katie's dad made me laugh this morning.

Katie's dad: Debbie , I need to talk to you about something ( I think that is what he said)

Debbie : Yes?

Katie's Dad : Last night Katie asked me what Ms Debbie's last name was and we told her Mays.

She looked puzzled. We asked her why? She said she didnt know and shrugged her shoulders Then we said, What is Mr Randy's last name? Katies reply : " Dear.... Randy Dear..."

BAH HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

So, through the day I may say dear to Randy a few times. ( Not that we are ALL THAT SWEET, I just keep the not so sweet things to myself :)

But, a few years ago the kids loved a story that I told about a squirrel family. The dad was out looking for the perfect Christmas tree and each time he left looking she would call him " Sammy oh Sammy Dear" and back he would run . I bet I told that story 1000 times. Somehow, one day we decided that when we are ready to do something and Randy is someplace else ( most likely the kitchen) we all call " Randy, Oh Randy Dear, it is time to. ...... " Over the years this has stuck and the kids still do it.

I find it hilarious that I haven't told that story in two years therefore when we call that-" Randy, Oh Randy Dear" Katie and probably many of the other kids think that is Randy's name - Randy Dear. :)

Makes sense to me!

Small Souls

Randy and I are taking a 45 hour class on the social and emotional development of a child. This video was featured in our class. It takes about 5 minutes but it is well worth the time. It addresses school and the different learning styles of a child. Go to the web address and then click the purple box in the middle. http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/

How Cute! WOW!

I think as a teacher the information you are given is all most too much to wrap your hands around.  I think you grow as a teacher.  Every year I say I feel sorry for the children that came to me the year before.   I like to think I learn every day a better way to be a teacher.... or just a person in general.    

A good example is "introducing centers." When I first heard this I thought what do you mean introduce the centers? Well, the first problem was that I set up my room with "toys' and it pretty much stayed that way all year. Seriously... who wants to play with the same things all day every day. We do this and then we wonder why the children misbehave.  So, first I got smart and started rotating my toys and then I even started "purposefully" placing things in my centers.  For instance, the dramatic play might become a doctors office or ( gasp ,horror) I might move all those old pine cones off the science  center and put a scale and some acorns on the table.  When you move things, you will need to introduce the center so the children will know what is there and how they can use it!  If the children are not writing as much as you want and you don't use worksheets , you might try introducing a doctors note pad to write prescriptions on or a graph to tally acorns.

Here is my epiphany today.

Adam:  Ms Debbie, look I got a compass out of the treasure box.

Ms Debbie.  Cool ( big Smile)

on second thought I add-

Ms Debbie :Adam what is a compass used for?

Adam : So, if you get lost you can get home.

Ms Debbie :  You are right Adam, do you see some letters on the compass?

etc.....  this went on for a while.

Many Many times today I found the opportunity to extend language by conversations the children initiated with me.  In my language experiences I was also able to discuss letters, counting, science and more.

I have always heard ask open ended questions.. but do I practice it as much as I should? Or.. it is easier just to say " cool" or " wow, I like that."  

I guess, I could also extend that in my grown up life.  You know... when I see people at walmart and say " Hi, how are you?" Actually wait for an answer...