But since everything and anything are always possible, the miraculous is always nearby and wonders shall never, ever cease. -- Robert Fulghum (from Maybe (Maybe Not).

And another boy...

Last Saturday we celebrated our dads' birthday. They are 29 again...We have been celebrating their 29th birthday for most of my life. A couple of months ago my sister and cousin were discussing how long it had been since we celebrated their birthdays together.

So...the invitations were sent and the family gathered. We were planning on meeting at a park in Meridian. The party time ended up in the middle of a 3-4 day flash flood warning, so we met at a church.

We also liked playing games. Pictionary is a good one for various age levels. Stephanie drew "Happy Birthday" as the last clue. Then we sang and the cakes were presented...

These master pieces were created by my older sister.

When my niece saw the cakes she said, "It's a boy." brief pause to examine the next cake, "And another boy!"

They reply she received was..."That's what the doctor said to Grandma."

You teach Special Ed...

I make mistakes. I am very well aware of this. I am actually horrible at spelling. I may rely too much on "spell check." I hope my lackadaisical method of responding to making mistakes will rub off on some of my students.

The other day I was talking with a student about our shared inability to spell. I actually told him I shared with my mom that I might actually have a student who spells worse than I do. Her comment was "Wow, that's bad." (Not sure how he felt about that.)

His response was...I know why you teach Special Ed, so you can make mistakes and still feel smart.

I had to agree with that one.

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.
C. S. Lewis

Can I stay...

I hope everyone has moments to remind them why they do their job. The priceless moments where we a reminded we do have a positive impact on the world.

I had one such moment about a month ago. I was working with a student in an English class. With this particular student the academics of school isn't hard for him. It is the sitting still. He is being a teenage boy with lots of energy to begin with. Add to that ADHD. And to that over exaggerated nervous/anxious energy. These things are only increased if he feels at any level he may not be successful with the task at hand.

This day he was doing pretty well. He asked for help appropriately. He worked diligently. When it was time to go, he wanted to stay? Really. He was looking forward to P.E., which was his next class. However, he also wanted to complete his lesson so he asked; "Can I stay and finish my work?"

The Price of Children

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Here is something
absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice.
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.
But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:
   * $8,896.66 a year,
   * $741.38 a month,
   * $171.08 a week.
   * A mere $24.24 a day!
   * Just over a dollar an hour.
   Still, you might think the best financial advice is; don't have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.
   What do you get for your $160,140.00?
   * Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
   * Glimpses of God every day.
   * Giggles under the covers every night.
   * More love than your heart can hold.
   * Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
   * Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
   * A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
   * A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
   * Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
   For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:
   * finger-paint,
   * carve pumpkins,
   * play hide-and-seek,
   * catch lightning bugs,
   * never stop believing in Santa Claus.
   You have an excuse to:
   * keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
   * watch Saturday morning cartoons,
   * go to Disney movies, and
   * wish on stars.
   You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under
refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
   For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck.
You get to be a hero just for:
   * retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
   * taking the training wheels off a bike,
   * removing a splinter,
   * filling a wading pool,
   * coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
   * coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets
treated to ice cream regardless.
   You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
   * First step,
   * First word,
   * First bra,
   * First date,
   * First time behind the wheel.
   You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
   In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Walk Forward

I found this on a blog of a friends, friend. I don't really know much about the group, but I like the video.