2 weeks later...

I seriously can't believe that it has been so long since my last post. What a fast 2 weeks it has been! The week before last was TAKS week. In Texas, TAKS week is obviously a huge deal. I teach one class of Social Studies and my kids took their test on Friday, May 2. Now, they are sophomores so they don't have to pass it to move on to the next grade, but, if they don't pass the test, that usually means they will be in TAKS tutorials or a TAKS class the next year. You definitely do want to pass that dang test. I'm anxious to see if all my kids passed!

Last week was pretty interesting. Wes left after I got home from work on Friday, May 2 to go to Snyder, TX to play a gig. He didn't come home until Thursday, May 8 so of course it was just so different without him being here! And when Wes is gone, that means we have to find someone to watch Eli. I am more than willing to take off work any day, but considering now that I have zero days left, I get docked a full day's pay when I do that. ...so... that kind of cuts in to what Wes is bringing home and doesn't make a lot of sense. Friends and family to the rescue! My mom took off work on Monday to watch him. Hannah drove in from Dallas to watch him on Tuesday. And Jeff watched him on Wednesday and Thursday. For those of you with kids, you know what a HUGE relief it is to have people that you know, trust, and love to watch your child. I am extremely picky on who I let watch Eli. Some people may get their feelings hurt by that, but if I don't know someone that well, then I just don't feel like I can entrust them with one of the most precious things in my life!

Jeff is the Jeff Johnson in the band that Wes is in, and he's like a family member to us. He's totally capable of watching Eli and I trust Jeff just like I would my own brother... but... he'd never changed a diaper before, and I don't think he'd ever watched a baby all by himself before either. So, he came prepared with a video camera, his camera, and Starbucks, and he was ready to go! haha... We did have to have a practice diaper changing session with a teddy bear, which was really funny. And he did end up having to change a dirty diaper... fortunately that was after I got home. He videotaped his response to that, so I'll have to get it from him to post up here. He did a great job though! Thanks Uncle Jeff!

I am still in the process of trying to find a part time job so I can stay home next year. We have come to the decision that working full time is not what is best for our family at this time. Wes and I are totally at peace with that decision and we are so excited to see what God has in store for us. The only negative part to this whole thing is not being able to be fully open to talking about it with some close people in our lives. I hate it that this is a barrier in some relationships we have. There are some people that are 100% against this decision, and that's fine with us. We don't have to have the support...it would be nice, and we want it... but we don't have to have it. But we're ultimately going to do what we think is best for us. What more can people expect than that.

There are only 17 more school days. Can you believe it?! Gosh, I am so excited about that! The good thing is that I am truly loving all of my classes. Usually at this time of the year I am getting pretty close to being so "over" some of my classes, but this time it's not the case. There are a couple of students though that I am withholding my true feelings from daily. This one student in particular thinks that he/she is better than anyone else. He/she acts in a way that makes me never want to see him/her for the rest of the year. He/she thinks that he/she is above everyone and must always be the center of attention. Daily I am telling myself, "he/she is only 18. His/her frontal lobe has not developed yet." That has become my mantra. Part of me feels like I should be totally honest with this student and tell him/her exactly how I feel, but I honestly don't think I could do that in love at this point, so that's not the best idea. I can handle pretty much anything. I've encountered lots of different types of kids. But dealing with a student that puts people down to make him/her feel better, that constantly expresses how he/she can do whatever he/she wants because of some sense of entitlement he/she has, and feels like he/she is above everyone in the school. That's the kind of thing that makes my stomach hurt. I have students with stories that would make even the hardest person cry, and they come in, are respectful not just to me, but to their peers, they treat people with kindness and have a filter on what they say. ... wow... I am ranting. This isn't very productive (smile). Anyways. I am no better than this student, none of my other students are above this student, and I need to remember that as well. sorry for the verbal vomit. I do feel better though!

On to happier things! Eli's new thing is this high pitched squeal/scream. haha... it is hilarious! Here's a little taste of this greatness!