Halloween

Today is Halloween, and I am blogging some old memories that make me smile. The first one is Adam at 3 years old. Yes, those are "Underoos"....though my mother was a great seamstress, I must admit to complete failure with a sewing machine! So, poor Adam had to put up with a lot of "store bought" thrown together costumes. So Batman was it that year!


The next picture was in Mrs. Savitsky's Kindergarten class at Kreative Kids. Adam and Erica were the best of buddies. As you can see from this picture, Spiderman was the "Target" special in 1981.


The third picture leads me to one of my most precious Halloween memories. This "dracula" outfit was my first attempt at make-up!! Adam was so excited as he headed off to school for his big Halloween Parade!! Didn't he look scary??? I decided at the last minute to take a half day from school, got someone to cover my class, and made it over to school for the parade.... He did not look nearly as happy as he hastily made his way across the platform...of course, he might have just been trying to look scary...ooooooohhh!!!However, when I walked back with him to Miss Graves' class, he was very sad..he said, "Mommy, my friends don't know me, and they are afraid of me!" Miss Graves let me take him into the restroom, and I washed all that scary make-up off. I am so thankful that I went to his parade!!




My next attempt at a "make-up" costume was when he and David Valenzano decided to go to middle school as monsters! This time, no one was afraid of him...However, Adam developed a case of impetigo the next day....must have been bad make-up!! All because his mother couldn't sew!!! I think he has forgiven me for that one...




The final picture that I have, is one of he and Lori in college...Lori can always bring the biggest smiles from the "boy"!! Such a "Joker" !!

I thank my "little dracula" for giving me so many happy Halloween memories...We used to decorate his bedroom with spider webs, and skeletons, and ghosts, Oh My ... and yes, Adam, you even shared your Reese's Peanut Butter cups...oooops...maybe you didn't "remember" that part :)

The World Series

Make a Smilebox postcard

Wow...The Rays in the World Series! Would you ever have believed it Sports Fans??
Dean headed down to St. Pete to take his 88 year old mom to the World Series Game 2. Coach Ray Hughes, from Aucilla Christian Academy, who coached Bobby Thigpen in high school, and our good friend from church, went with Dean. As did a contingent of baseball fans from Monticello, including another birthday celebration for Ricky Finlayson, who celebrated his tenth at the Trop.

Ray actually caught a foul ball, and the usually reticent, shy coach from ACA, went absolutely wild!! He brought the picture to church this morning to show EVERYONE!!
Next to Dean's mom, Lori and Adam, and the long suffering fans in St. Petersburg, Ray wins the award for Rays mania!!

Dean had an absolutely wonderful time, as he checked off another bucket list item...It is the 3rd one in this year...We saw a Yankees vs. Red Sox game in Fenway Park....we went to the College World Series in Omaha, and now he actually got to the World Series....Thank You Tampa Bay Rays...... HOOOO RAYS!!!

Teachers, my friends, my heroes

As most of you know, I spent 30 years in a classroom of either 2nd graders, 3rd graders, or 4th graders. It was in those classrooms that I met my dearest friends... some were and are still teachers, some were and are parents of my students, and some were students. This continues today.... What you may not know, friends is that I have returned to the classroom...well, on a voluntary basis for three days a week.

My friend, Anita is teaching her final year of third grade, preparing for a wonderful retirement. She has had some health issues that would have forced anyone else into an early retirement, but she perseveres. Now, before my friends, who are colleagues, shake their head in wonderment....she had finally been assigned that dream class...the sweetest and smartest.....enough said!

So, Anita has graciously allowed me to share in her good fortune...I get to come in 3 days a week and just help her do whatever she needs me to do...I've been grading papers, collecting candy money and forms and getting them into the right hands, taking lunch choices and count, re -explaining directions, making lists, passing out Pizza Hut reading award certificates, re - explaining directions, helping with computers...and so on and so on...trying to do those things that would give her a chance to just TEACH! That is something that most teachers would love to have the time to do....:)

The children are awesome...God gave me the talent...But, my friends....after 8 years of retirement, a full three days a week in the classroom is TIRING! I HAVE kept my retirement promise, so far...I DON'T do Mondays and Fridays!!! I'm sure I will get used to once again getting up in the "wee" hours of the morning, travel to Thomasville (not much further than my commute to Bardmoor), spend my day with the MOST creative thinkers, drive back home, collapse on the couch....get the picture? The only scary part is that Mr. Rodemoyer, the principal, wants me to get on his substitute list, so that I will be able to sub for Anita, when she has to be out...something about continuity....

So to my friends, my heroes....you know I love you and appreciate all you do for the kids. They are lucky to have you and so am I. And to my friends who are not classroom teachers...you know I love you and your kids....you ARE teachers and parents and grandparents.... If you have a moment, and your child or grandchild is in a school with that special teacher...appreciate that teacher for all the love and work it takes to travel with your child for this year.