And The Countdown Speeds Up...

Senior year is a series of milestones. The clock heading to graduation starts ticking the night before senior year begins and ends when your child walks across the stage to receive his diploma. First day of school.  Tick.  Last home game.  Tick. Mid term exams.  Tick.  Graduation supplies ordered and delivered.  Tick Tick.  The time is elapsing but like the New Year Eve's countdown in Times Square, no one really pays attention until the time is almost over. People start counting along when 10 seconds are remaining, not two hours. I've known for months that the end of senior year means Taylor leaving home is real. There are no more finish lines to cross before his enlistment begins.  Tonight is his senior prom though. Did anyone else hear the people yell 10, 9, 8...?

 Taylor and his beautiful girlfriend, Rachel posing in front of the azaleas. Rachel earns many points for this because this is Taylor's fifth prom and she is the first girl to come to our house for pictures.  Every year, Taylor goes to pick the young lady up from her house and I either join him there for pictures or I depend on the date to share pictures.  Rachel willingly came to the house after Taylor picked her up to pose for pictures. Nice change.  Of course, we then drove to Greenville to take pictures of the entire group but still...

 Every year, Taylor and Wrenny, my great-niece take pictures while he is all dressed up.  Last year, a classmate asked if she was his and Taylor laughed.  In today's society, teenagers having children is more and more common.  I am proud to say that Taylor is not one of them.  He does love Wrenny the Pooh though.

Lucas, Taylor's best friend, also came to the house for the photo session and a little help figuring out the pocket square.

This is Taylor's prom group. Taylor is blessed to have an incredible group of friends that he has known forever.  Starting from the left is Suzanne.  In first grade, Suzanne hurt Taylor's feelings by telling him that he had to go to remediation because he was dumb.  He was devastated.  He was (and is) dyslexic.  Taylor forgave her long ago.  Me?  well... Next to her is Chelsie.  She was the tough girl on Taylor's peewee soccer teams.  He once invited her to an all boy birthday party, but she didn't come.  To a seven year old, the invitation was high praise. Interesting side note, Chelsie dates Zach who went to camp with Taylor year after year as they grew up in church together. Small world... The handsome young man next to Zach is Lucas, Taylor's very best friend who he has known since nursery school. In the long pink dress is Sarah., beautiful and sweet Sarah.  Taylor and she have been fast friends since middle school. The young lady in the dramatic red dress is Tori, Taylor's prom date from last year.  In middle school, Taylor told me that Tori reminded him of his "big sister cousin" Cricket which is the highest praise anyone could be given. The tiny blonde next to Rachel is Bree who has went to school with Taylor since first grade. She likes to wear baggy shorts and t-shirts most days so it is wonderful to see her all dressed up.  The last couple is Taylor and Rachel who are absolutely goregous.  Taylor has talked about the twins (Rebecca, Rachel's twin didnt go tonight) since middle school.  He has always thought Rachel was beautiful.  She is.  You know how in Father of the Bride, Steve Martin sees a little girl telling him she was getting married rather than his grown daughter?  That's how I feel when I look at these kids...  How is it time already for them to be grown?

The countdown is speeding up...  Swearing in May 2nd.... Class Day... Graduation... Basics... Tick Tick Tick...

Practice, Practice, Practice... And It Will Be Great!

The EHS production of Bye Bye Birdie opened last week. My students told me not to come see it yet.  They felt the play wasn't ready quite yet.  I respected their wishes and waited a week.  I cannot say if they were ready opening night, but tonight they were wonderful.  Hard work always pays off.

If you are reading this and live near Easley, head out to see the play.  I guarantee that you will laugh at Mama who does a respectable Northern accent and old lady walk.  You will be impressed with the props.  You may even the references to history that are sprinkled throughout the play. You will see dreams inching closer and closer. It is well worth the small admission price.

I do not know all the performers in the play.  I have had the pelasure of teaching several of them however. Katy who plays Spanish Rose was a premature baby who fought to live in the early weeks of her life.  She (like Taylor) was saved through treatments funded by the March of Dimes and through prayer.  Katy is a tiny thing, but she knows exactly what she wants to do with her life.  She will be studying drama when she enters college next year. I fully expect to see her on the big screen one day.  There are three sisters who figure prominently into the play; each totally different from the others but all incredibly talented.  Anna Cat and Caroline teamed last year for the Wizard of Oz. They returned this year to showcase their talents along with their little sister Mary Helen.  Caroline has an amazing voice.  For Christmas, I was one of the fortunate ones who received a CD of Christmas music sung by her. She will also be famous one day.  Anna Cat is a comedic actress.  Hilarious! Little sister plays a little boy in her first dramatic turn.  I wonder how the older girls convinced her that was a good idea...  She was hilarious though.  The tap dancing sad girls practiced a few steps in my class this year, so I was glad to see that all the extra practice paid off as they looked like true dancers up on the stage. Great Job girls!

Now, if I can just get the tune We love you Conrad... oh yes, we do... out of my head..

Are You Ready For Summer?

Today has been a rather long day.  I can always tell when I have reached the point of being weary - not simply tired, but truly weary.  I turn to fashion magazines at that point. I flip through the perfume-scented pages and make plans to buy pretty things. I review the designer lines, check out the columns telling how to get the look for less, and plan entire wardrobes without spending a dime. It's totally free therapy.

The weather today was warm and mild.  Perfect weather to sit outside and turn the pages until the knots in my neck relax. Perfect weather to plan for summer.  I love summer. I always have, but now that I am a teacher, June, July, and August are a little more special.  For six weeks, I do not have to do a single solitary thing.  I can sleep late.  I can watch bad television.  I can float in the pool for hours at a time. Teachers can deal with all the stress that comes with the career of an educator because of June, July, and August.  We return revitalized... and tan.

Of course, summer requires planning. First and foremost, you need a cute swimsuit. Summer in the South is HOT.  By late July and early August, to be outside, you need to be in the water.  Pools, lakes, beaches... they all require that you wear a swimsuit.  Now, women do this crazy thing to ourselves.  We go shopping for a swimsuit when we are still pale.  No one looks good in that little clothing when they are pasty white.  Stores may have magical mirrors to trick your eye, but I have never tried on a bathing suit before I have a little color and thought wow, I look great in this. Use a little self-tanner before hitting the store.  Fake the color or trust me... you will walk from rack to rack looking for a suit that does not make you look sickly. Pick a great suit that makes you smile.  You are going to spend a lot of time in this so don't hunt for the bargain rack.  Buy a suit that makes you look in the mirror and feel confident. Confidence is what makes the suit look good. I've seen women with amazing figure look bad poolside because they were visibly ill-at-ease in their own skin.  You are you. Embrace that truth.

Once you have the suit, you are going to need accessories. What these are depends on you.  I absolutely need a big floppy hat.  My friends laugh at these.  By the end of summer, the hats are mis-shapen and discolored from being wet so many times.  I love them though, so I buy one every year.  My friends on the other hand wear visors typically.  Same concept as my hats, but they are slightly more stylish.  My niece wears a baseball cap.  Whatever style you choose, you need a hat of some kind to block the sun and help your sunglasses do their job. Choose whatever style makes you smile. Speaking of sunglasses, they are required unless you want to end the summer with deep lines that will be etched into your face forever.  Protect your eyes. Other accessories you need to consider are beach towels (choose a pattern that is bright and cheerful), beach bags (you need to carry stuff to the pool afterall), pool shoes (flip flops,Keds, Sperrys, wedges), beach chairs.  You MUST have sunscreen.  We want you to be beautiful for years to come.

Books are also a must. I have a Kindle (an electronic reader) which I love, but during the summer, I dont risk it around the water.  Instead, I head to the nearest cheap used book store or library and load up on whatever books catch my eye. I love to read. During the summer, there are no essays to read or lessons to plan so I can read whatever I come across.  It's truly one of the best parts of summer. If you have a suggestion, I'm open to new authors although I really don't like the whole vampire as a romantic figure thing.

Of course, you don't spend all your time in the water. After a while, you become wrinkly. You will also need cute clothing to hang out with your friends and go on excursions to wherever you end up.  This is my pick for my first summer outfit.  It's from Lands End.  I love it... I love wearing skirts during the summer.  They look like you have made an effort even when you haven't in a way that your favorite pair of faded shorts just can't.  Look at the picture.  You think she is running errands, but I know the truth.  Under the cute preppy outfit is a bathing suit.  In the bag are her beach towel, books, and sunscreen.  She is ready for summer.  Are you?

When Were You ...You?

One of the arguments that my family and friends used to convince me that Taylor was indeed supposed to join the military was that he had always played war, acted out battles with his GI Joes and army men, and spent his extra allowance buying military regalia at the nearby flea markets. What child who is that fascinated with all things military does not join the military? My child, I believed.  I ignored the signs for many years because I did not want my son to serve in the military. It's dangerous. He is my only child.  I was certain he would never serve right up until the time that he said I am supposed to be a Marine.  Ooorah... He always knew who he was.

My friend, Brandi's middle child is a fashionista.  She loves clothes, shoes, and accessories.  If she is to be rewarded for a job well done, take the girl shopping.  Her outfits look like they belong on the pages of Elle, Vogue, or at least, Seventeen Girl. Arianah will be a designer or a buyer for a major retail chain or a model when she grows up.  See, Ari is only 7.  She knows exactly who she is though.

I'm fascinated by these two and by the students I interviewed this week for Teacher Cadets who say that they have always wanted to be a teacher.  I changed majors four times in college (nursing, social work, psychology, and education). Then, I pursued a career in a totally different field before becoming a teacher. I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do. I didn't know who I was.

I am called to teach. However, I do not remember clamoring for chalk or begging for a lesson planners.  As a little girl, I pretended to have at least ten children all different ages. I mimicked dancing grand ballets in front of huge imaginary audiences. I rode fantasy horses to historic towns through the back field at my grandparents' home. I read every single book I could find about Abigail Adams. I never once sat all my teddy bears down and said "now, boys and girls, turn to page 276".  I did not know who I was supposed to be until I stepped in front of my first class.  It felt like home. I was 36, and I finally knew exactly who I was.

The little girl version of me always knew she was supposed to teach history; it took me a little while to put it all together though.  Teaching is a dance in front of twenty or thirty children who I lead on adventures through historic towns every single day.  And, Abigail Adams is still one of my all time favorite women... I thought I was searching for one specific thing until I realized that to be the true me, I had to incorporate all of me into the picture. Teachers are moms, entertainers, nurses, social workers, psychologists,  and tour guides all rolled into one. I was always me; I simply didn't know it.

If you are not blessed like Taylor and Ari with total self-assurance as a young child, you can still be the truest version of yourself right now. You are who you are supposed to be right now... if you will let yourself be YOU. Make a list of every single thing that makes you happy.  I like to read. I like to write. I like to talk.  You get the idea.  When you finish, see what they have in common.  Your true self is staring back at you. 

God will use you in ways that you have not even thought about, but to do so, He needs you to be the person He made you to be. Go be the real you. Today is the day you become you.

The Drive

Yesterday, I awoke when the alarm went off at 6 a.m. as I do most school mornings, got dressed for work, and woke Taylor up. This is all pretty typical of a Monday morning in my household.  Yesterday, however, I drove Taylor to Anderson to start the MEPS portion of his enlistment instead of the two of us heading to our respective schools. We got lost because the recruiter had not given me a specific landmark, but we found it and Taylor was a minute late.  He hates to be late.  I went home, finished making a test, ran errands, went to school late, and taught half a day. Then, I interviewed rising juniors who want to take the Teacher  Cadets class nex year.  I left school around 5:30 not to head home but to the school board meeting where the board was deciding on position elimination before 500 or so district employees. When I sat down in my seat at the board meeting, it was 6 pm and I was exhausted. I had spent the last 12 hours constantly going - all while worrying about Taylor which wears on a body too. We were at the board meeting 2 hours before it became clear Donna needed to go. Donna, one of my closest friends, received a series of calls from her daughter who attends College of Charleston. Lauren was sick and needed to come home.  She wasn't getting better even though she had been in the infirmary getting fluids and medications a few times already.  Donna decided to drive to Charleston and back to get her sick child. Despite being bone weary from my day, I was going with her. She is my friend; she needed someone to keep her awake. How could I not go?

We left Easley at 9 pm. Taylor jokes that I hate to even leave the house after dark and try to be in my pajamas by 6.  Both statements are true.  Lauren needed to come home though so I ran home to change clothes to put on comfortable clothing that would look appropriate if I had to spend hours in an emergercy room in Charleston. Off we went. The first 3 and half hours down weren't that bad.  Donna and I have been friends since junior high. We can ride in comfortable silence; neither feels the need to rush to fill the gaps with words.  Last night, we were both exhausted and needed the words to act as a reason to stay awake. We talked about work.  We talked about the board meeting.  We chatted about this blog (which she does not read...). We talked in the way friends with history can. We arrived safely.

Lauren looks horrible.  This is not an overstatement.  Calling her elephant man would be an overstatement, but only slightly... Her face is swollen to the point where she can barely speak.  The area beneath her eyes has not simple bags, but huge jumbo pillows that almost totally eclipse her eyes. She had been vomiting for hours; she is dehydrated. Lauren climbed into the back seat of the car and went to sleep. Her mom was there; she was safe. We started home.

I was a little jealous at that moment. Taylor is enlisting, and though he will undoubtedly fall ill at some point during his service, I will not be allowed to drive to him to make it all better. I will cover in him in prayer, as I ask you all to do. His Heavenly Father will watch over him and keep him safe, but as a mom, I want to be able to get to him when he is sick like Donna did for Lauren. Taylor is called to serve, and in God's will is the safest place he can be. I know this. He does not need me to rescue him, but as his mom, I still want to be able to do so.

The trip home seemed remarkably long.  No one over the age of 40 needs to start a four hour drive after midnight. We talked and talked and talked. Not to communicate, but to force our brains to stay awake. My eyes wanted to close so badly but I managed to keep them open. Donna and I laughed over stupid things not because they were hilarious, but because we were exhausted. 22 hours after my alarm beeped to start the day, I arrived home. I would do it again. Any good friend would.

That's What Friends Are For...

Taylor is at MEPS, the physical and testing portion of enlistment.  He will be standing around in his boxers tomorrow being poked and prodded to see if he meets the qualifications necessary to be a Marine.  We had a comical conversation about the appropriateness of his boxers last night.  Today's youth wear colorful designs on their shorts, no plain colors or stripes in his wardrobe.  He will catch flax about this tomorrow I am sure...  Choices get you every time.

I am also headed out.  The daughter of one of my best friend's is in school at College of Charleston and she is sick sick sick. She has already been to the infirmary and isn't getting better.  She needs to be home in her own bed, under the care of her own doctors (and her mom). We are headed to Charleston to pick her up. Every mom reading this understands why Donna is going.  Why am I?  Simple...  That's what friends are for.

Are You Tipping God Instead Of Tithing?

Let's get right to it, my friends.  What did you put in the offering plate this morning? 10% of your income as required by scripture or did you pull out a twenty, a ten, a five and drop it in the plate? Did you honor all that the savior has given you or did you find a small enough bill to TIP God? I want you to receive all God has to offer you, so please... Keep reading.

We are living in a time of inflation.  Gas is high; food prices have increased.  Money is tight. You gave what you could afford to give.  God knows your heart and he understands.  Any of these sound familiar?  They do to me.  I've used every single one to justify my keeping money that belonged to God. What I was really doing was keeping money from myself?

Our message this morning was from 1Kings 17: 10 - 16. Elijah has been provided for by ravens while he was hanging out by the stream as God commanded him.  How cool is that?  Birds bringing him bread every morning and night.  He is told to move from this easy life though and go to Zarephath where a widow woman will care for him.  He does.  Smart man.  When God tells you to do something, do it. He finds the widow, asks for a drink of water, and she starts to go get it.  Then, he asks for bread.  The woman tells him that she can't do this, that she only has enough for her and her little son who will eat it and then, die.  It is their very last meal on this earth.  Elijah listens to her. Then, he tells her to go fix the bread for him first and that they'll be enough for them some too, that there will be enough for them all always.  Did you catch that? He asked her to give BEFORE receiving a blessing.

As a single mom, I don't think I could have done it.  I could not have put this stranger's needs before my young child.  I would be so wrong. She does it, and by doing so saves her son's life. They have food, and when her son dies in verse 18, Elijah prays for the boy's spirit to be returned to his body.  God answers this prayer.  The boy is saved again because his mom did what God told her to do. God rewards obedience.

Let's go back to the original question... Did you tithe this morning as God commands? If you didn't because you were afraid you wouldn't have enough money for gas or to go out to eat with your friends or buy a new Easter outfit (or some silly ring like I wrote about earlier this week), what blessing did you keep from yourself? How wonderful life would be if we all did what we were supposed to do... Tithe.  Don't just tip God.