Saturday, December 15, 2012
A Prayer
Max Lucado's prayer from yesterday... speaks volumes...
Dear Jesus,
It's a good thing you
were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.
These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.
The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?
Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.
Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.
Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.
This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.
Hopefully,
Your Children
Dear Jesus,
It's a good thing you
were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.
These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.
The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?
Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.
Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.
Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.
This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.
Hopefully,
Your Children
Saturday Favorites... not today
It's put on hold for the week.
I just can't get the images and thoughts of yesterday from my mind as I'm sure many of you can't either.
I know that as I continued my day as a teacher yesterday, as some of us staff spoke of this tragedy and about our practices and disaster drills, we were thinking "How should we change what we do in practicing. How can we tighten security? How can we protect these children we are given charge of day after day after day?"
And as I texted my own kindergartener's teacher to be sure he was safe and sound, how many other parents were wondering if theirs was and then finding out they weren't.
To then find out that not only did this tragedy happen in the US, but at almost the same time in China, where guns are outlawed, a group of 22 children were attacked at knife point outside their school.
It's not about the guns.
It's about a world that desperately needs Jesus.
So today I will hold my children tight. I will prepare for Christmas, for Jesus. And I will think of ways to explain to an 8 and 11 year old who may have questions, just why oh why such horrible things have to happen in our crazy world.
I just can't get the images and thoughts of yesterday from my mind as I'm sure many of you can't either.
I know that as I continued my day as a teacher yesterday, as some of us staff spoke of this tragedy and about our practices and disaster drills, we were thinking "How should we change what we do in practicing. How can we tighten security? How can we protect these children we are given charge of day after day after day?"
And as I texted my own kindergartener's teacher to be sure he was safe and sound, how many other parents were wondering if theirs was and then finding out they weren't.
To then find out that not only did this tragedy happen in the US, but at almost the same time in China, where guns are outlawed, a group of 22 children were attacked at knife point outside their school.
It's not about the guns.
It's about a world that desperately needs Jesus.
So today I will hold my children tight. I will prepare for Christmas, for Jesus. And I will think of ways to explain to an 8 and 11 year old who may have questions, just why oh why such horrible things have to happen in our crazy world.
Saturday, December 08, 2012
Saturday Favorites
Do you have an Elf on the shelf?
Well, we do and let me tell you "Tom" has been acting awfully daring of late! (I think Pinterest may be to blame!?)
Tom comes the day after Thanksgiving to our home and leaves on Christmas Eve.
During the night he flies back to the North Pole to talk to Santa and let him know what's been going on in the our household. This often makes for much better behavior during this month! :)
Then in the morning he returns, but shows up in a new location and it's up to the kids to find him. They can't touch him though or his magic will leave!
On one of the first few days we spotted him in the bathroom. I think the blindfold was for Olivia's benefit because just before he came back she was talking about how it's "awkward" when he shows up in the bathroom and she has to shower with him in there!
I apologize for two of these pictures but can't figure out how to format them better. :(
Olivia was beside herself that he got into HER candy jar and was eating her pack of reeces pieces!
After they awoke to Tom ziplining through mom's room (they had BOTH been sleeping in my room that night!) this was their reaction! I LOVE how Braeden clapped his hand to his head, priceless!
Well, we do and let me tell you "Tom" has been acting awfully daring of late! (I think Pinterest may be to blame!?)
Tom comes the day after Thanksgiving to our home and leaves on Christmas Eve.
During the night he flies back to the North Pole to talk to Santa and let him know what's been going on in the our household. This often makes for much better behavior during this month! :)
Then in the morning he returns, but shows up in a new location and it's up to the kids to find him. They can't touch him though or his magic will leave!
On one of the first few days we spotted him in the bathroom. I think the blindfold was for Olivia's benefit because just before he came back she was talking about how it's "awkward" when he shows up in the bathroom and she has to shower with him in there!
I apologize for two of these pictures but can't figure out how to format them better. :(
Olivia was beside herself that he got into HER candy jar and was eating her pack of reeces pieces!
After they awoke to Tom ziplining through mom's room (they had BOTH been sleeping in my room that night!) this was their reaction! I LOVE how Braeden clapped his hand to his head, priceless!
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Bad, Bad Blogger
I know... I owe you a huge apology! I promise I will update soon. I think it's because in a way I have so much to say and not sure where to begin and in a way with some updates I don't want to "Ginx" things.
Here's our week this week...
Tuesday: After school Pediatrician appt for Liam to begin to look at ADD and whether or not to start down the path of medically trying to help his focus in school. In the classroom amidst the noise and students his learning presents as "he can't do it" (counting, one to one correspondence, letter tracing, etc) BUT if an assistant takes him to the library or somewhere with no other people, sounds, etc and has him do the exact same assignment, he can do it and usually perfectly. I am so NOT a proponent of medicating children, but as a teacher I've seen students where it makes a night and day difference in their learning. So... we'll see. I need to talk with his neurologist as well and find out what would conflict or work well with the meds he's already on and do some labs and we'll go from there.
Wednesday: Morning Dr appt with Liam's ENT. A 6 month check up following his tubes. Ears are looking good so we scheduled a 1 year follow up in June.
Thursday: Christmas program at Braeden's school in the afternoon. I am 99% sure he won't perform in it, but at least I'll be there for him and will get to see him in his environment. I just wish it had been a different week since I already had two half days this week. :(
And then after school...
Vision appts for both Liam and Olivia. Olivia got glasses this summer, BUT she had to go twice to the eye doctor before they gave her a script as she was hard to test. Because of that, they wanted her in glasses for a bit and then asked that she return to be tested again with the glasses. Liam failed his eye exam which was perfect timing because his resource teacher and myself had both been wondering if he was having some vision issues which were playing into his learning deficits. He can write/trace letters and numbers that are "straight" lined, but anything with curves is a no go. So we'll see how that plays out tomorrow.
Friday: Neurology appts in the afternoon for both Liam and Olivia. Olivia was weaned off of her seizure medications this past summer and has done great, no issues whatsoever. I wasn't too worried since she hadn't had one seizure since beginning meds more than four years prior, but there's always that doubt. So I think this will most likely be a final appt for her. At our last appt this summer they had talked about starting to wean Liam off of his meds if he didn't have any more seizures/issues between then and now. BUT when they weaned Olivia they first did one final EEG and they haven't scheduled one for Liam, plus he has had multiple issues over the years with his seizures, the last of which was two summers ago when they got really bad before adding his second med. SO... if they suggest weaning again I'm going to be VERY worried. Seizures are NO FUN. :(
(I'll be glad when this week is over... and I will watch much more carefully in the future and not allow so much to happen all at once!)
Last weekend...
Here's our week this week...
Tuesday: After school Pediatrician appt for Liam to begin to look at ADD and whether or not to start down the path of medically trying to help his focus in school. In the classroom amidst the noise and students his learning presents as "he can't do it" (counting, one to one correspondence, letter tracing, etc) BUT if an assistant takes him to the library or somewhere with no other people, sounds, etc and has him do the exact same assignment, he can do it and usually perfectly. I am so NOT a proponent of medicating children, but as a teacher I've seen students where it makes a night and day difference in their learning. So... we'll see. I need to talk with his neurologist as well and find out what would conflict or work well with the meds he's already on and do some labs and we'll go from there.
Wednesday: Morning Dr appt with Liam's ENT. A 6 month check up following his tubes. Ears are looking good so we scheduled a 1 year follow up in June.
Thursday: Christmas program at Braeden's school in the afternoon. I am 99% sure he won't perform in it, but at least I'll be there for him and will get to see him in his environment. I just wish it had been a different week since I already had two half days this week. :(
And then after school...
Vision appts for both Liam and Olivia. Olivia got glasses this summer, BUT she had to go twice to the eye doctor before they gave her a script as she was hard to test. Because of that, they wanted her in glasses for a bit and then asked that she return to be tested again with the glasses. Liam failed his eye exam which was perfect timing because his resource teacher and myself had both been wondering if he was having some vision issues which were playing into his learning deficits. He can write/trace letters and numbers that are "straight" lined, but anything with curves is a no go. So we'll see how that plays out tomorrow.
Friday: Neurology appts in the afternoon for both Liam and Olivia. Olivia was weaned off of her seizure medications this past summer and has done great, no issues whatsoever. I wasn't too worried since she hadn't had one seizure since beginning meds more than four years prior, but there's always that doubt. So I think this will most likely be a final appt for her. At our last appt this summer they had talked about starting to wean Liam off of his meds if he didn't have any more seizures/issues between then and now. BUT when they weaned Olivia they first did one final EEG and they haven't scheduled one for Liam, plus he has had multiple issues over the years with his seizures, the last of which was two summers ago when they got really bad before adding his second med. SO... if they suggest weaning again I'm going to be VERY worried. Seizures are NO FUN. :(
(I'll be glad when this week is over... and I will watch much more carefully in the future and not allow so much to happen all at once!)
Last weekend...
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Olivia - 14
Braeden - 11
Liam - 9
Macy - 5
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