Just 40 Days

Thanksgiving 2008 I was having trouble falling asleep last night...missing Haylee.  When I finally did, I had a strange dream about a cottage, with blow-up rafts in the rafters.  And now as I sit here in the kitchen, drinking my coffee, looking at the photos on the wall of my kids, I'm feeling emotional.  Most days, I can't believe that I raised four kids.  I remember when they were little, when we first moved back to Toledo in August of 1988.  Derrick started 2nd grade and Haylee was in kindergarten.  Sending them to St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the best decisions I made.  I remember them playing soccer and running cross-country.  Here it is, 27 years later.  I have grandchildren and a dog.  Haylee is gone to heaven and I'm feeling anxious.  Maybe that's the coffee or maybe I'm just wondering what the future holds for my family.  I know we will be all right as God has a plan for us.  So I will leave it to Him and...

Just saying...

Ahhh...after a busy week of a new school year and two family functions (dinner & Mass) to celebrate my mom, I took the time today to rest and relax.  The weather has been perfect lately, sunshine and high 70's.  I was able to get some sunshine in yesterday so I stayed inside and finished the book I was reading.  It was a good day.

My mom died seven years ago an August 22nd.  We celebrate her on the anniversary of her going to heaven.  She liked to have fun, go out to eat and to laugh so we try to do the same without her.  One year we went to a comedy club, another time we had brunch at a brewery.  We always have a Mass in honor of her and join my dad at his church on Sunday.  I miss you mom.

Today was the first Friday of the school year and I did not celebrate with my friends and other teachers during happy hour.  This has got to be a first for me.  I was so exhausted from the week of back to school preparations.  Longer work days proved that I was out of 'school shape'.  I also chose NOT to color my hair and only got a cut.  I told my hairdresser I didn't need it yet, but really it was that I was too tired to wait the two hours it takes to get it done.  I still can't believe I was too tired for happy hour!  When has that ever happened?

Yesterday was the 1st day of school.  It is my fourth year at St. Pat's and my 18th year in education.  It is the first year in a long time that I will not have air conditioning for part of my day.  As the tech person or computer teacher, I have been spoiled by AC.  This year, I agreed to teach my middle school teachers in a regular classroom instead of in my computer lab.  What was I thinking? It was a very hot and humid day!  I decided to 'suck it up' and brave the elements.  The 8th graders I had were not too happy, but we lived.  But it was the first day, so they were on their best behavior.  It went by fast.  Wouldn't it be nice if ALL teachers and students would treat each school day the way they treat the first day of school?

Today was the first time since May that I had to use my alarm clock.  It was easy for me to set it as the time I wanted to awaken, 5:30, had not changed.  But after it went off, I didn't know how to turn it off!  I knew I didn't want the big snooze button as I am not a snoozer. All I know is how much I struggled trying to make it turn off, that I had to resort to turning on the light to read which button was the reset.  I honestly cannot remember having to do that before.  I must be getting old.