Summer
Look who just bought a new camera! It's so pretty. I am having all sorts of sun experimenting with photography all over again. Good times, good times. I bought it just in time for all of the end of the year celebrating at school.
That's right. School is over and done with. Summer has just begun and I am feeling incredibly free. So free in fact that I think that I am going out to take a walk and enjoy the fact that for the next couple of days I can't think about school even if I wanted to. It simply doesn't exist for the next couple of weeks. What liberty. What joy. This loveliness should be photodocumented and it shall be.
Full Life
I am so thankful for this full life that God has blessed me with...Although it sometimes feels a bit overwhelming and I need an occasional nudge (i.e. sickness) to remind me to rest and slow down.
This weekend Whit graduated from ISU with a degree in Elementary Education and she starts her first teaching job in the fall with 8th grade science. Wow! She graduated Suma Cum Laude. Double wow! Her graduation was very prim and proper and lasted for 90 mins in the wonderful city of Bloomington.
On the same day Tina graduated from NIU with a degree in Clinical Laboratory Science. Wow! She still has some classes to finish up but she wanted to walk with her friends (good choice by the way). She is looking for employment and trusting God whole heartedly. Double wow! I can't wait to see how He leads her and teaches her!
Then of course it was Mother's Day. We celebrated by attending church with mom and dad, followed with a meal at Grandma's. Always a good combination. Mom is the best.
Tina and I then scurried back to DeKalb for Lauren and Tom's graduation party at OUR house (emphasis added for Tina's sake). Where we got to chat with family and friends and learn a lot about farming pigs. ;) Thank you Rodefers (sp?)!
Once the party dwindled down Lauren and Kyle faced off with Tina and I in a game of Cranium and friend's Scene It! Needless to say they kicked our butts but we did try.
Somewhere in all of that I became quite sick. So I have Nyquil or Dayquil pumping through my system 24/7 now...but it has reminded me to slow down. I love my family! I am so proud of my sisters. My mom is the greatest. My roommates are awesome. It has been a full weekend...just a brief glimpse at a full life for which I am ever so grateful!
Teaching Story
This is a book that I can relate to. It was a super fast read.
Reading Lewis
This is an excellent read for anyone who has any interest whatsoever in mythology. This is classic C.S. Lewis with rich detail, full allegory, beautiful symolism, and excellent quotes. I learned a lot about beauty, worth, trust, and love. It was timely. I loved it. It was a good investment of my time and money.
SSR and Wicket
My students have been begging for me to let Wicket bounce around the room for a while now. But I have been fearful for his safety. Fifth graders jump around a lot when excited and he is a small guy that can be downright hard to catch. He is a very skittish animal and he just likes to take his dear sweet time being curious. He does enjoy his explorations and he needs the out-of-cage-exercise. I have had a hard time seeing how these two seemingly conflicting needs could be met. But today I came up with a great plan. I decided to get him out of his cage during our Silent Sustained Reading(SSR) Time. The kids are extremely quiet (and still) then and they would be occupied enough with their reading to not be too focused on(and/or bored by) his reclusive, skitterish, nocturnal tendencies.
So with some careful introductions and some longer than normal "settling in" time we were ready for Wicket's release. All went wonderfully. It was so funny to watch him explore and then he would come running back to me whenever he was startled. I thought that this was particularly interesting since he has previously ignored me when I let him out. But I guess I was his point of reference for today. Hopefully more such successes will be made in this area in the weeks to come.
BTW only three weeks and four days (one of which is a half day) till school is out for the summer! It seems too good to be true. I love teaching. I love summer. Now is a good time to be me.
