did i speak too soon?

Remember how just days ago I showed you pictures of my shiny and organized office?

Remember how I said there is never a dull moment in my new job?

Well, to quote one of my favorite movies, The Little Rascals, "the clouds opened up and God said 'I hate you Alfalfa'!" Although, perhaps that should say Mary instead of Alfalfa.

I walked into the school today and was greeted by one of our secretaries who curled her face up and said "I just sprayed about half a can of Lysol in your office to make the smell go away." Um....come again???

Turns out, the roof and ceiling of Blue Haze Elementary, along with the clouds, opened up this weekend. Score. I'm really, really trying hard to choose my attitude and for that attitude to be a positive one. However, when the overhead lights start crackling due to water contact, there is nasty brown water dripping from the hole in the ceiling all the live-long day, the planner which is your Bible gets ruined, all the paperwork on your desk, including the sole copy of a child's psych. discharge papers are also ruined, and the library books you had laying out for lessons get destroyed, it gets tough. Oh, and did I mention the smell?

The only positive highlight so far is that all my documentation and paperwork for TCU happens to be kept in a hard plastic folder that I just happened to choose because it was purple. God bless plastic.

I might need (just a little) counseling

Ah, yes, I am now 13 days into my new job as counselor to 700+ kiddos. It is...to sum up in a brief phrase...never a dull moment. The days begin and end before I can even realize what's gone on the middle. I am loving getting to meet all the kids. I was asked again and again at staff development if I missed being in the classroom. My answer was always a solid "no." I loved teaching for 5 years, don't get me wrong, but I was/am very excited about a new role and routine. I really didn't think I missed it until I read a book to a class during my first guidance lesson last week. I'm really glad that I will have 1-2 lessons a day. I'll still get to read to kids, teach them, and have the heart and soul conversations I so grew to love. I loved just talking to my kids about life "stuff" way more than I loved teaching them to do subtraction with regrouping. I still get to see all my previous loves and am meeting new little loves everyday. Yay! Here are some highlights/interesting things/tidbits/learning moments from the past couple of weeks:

-I now truly recognize the developmental differences between grade levels. I'm teaching lessons on trustworthiness (for what seems like the rest of my life, but really only 3 more weeks) and the "get it" factor is dramatically different between 3rd and 4th grades.

-Choose a book I really like, because by the time I've read it 6-7 times (6-7 classes per grade level), I want to throw it out the window.

-Contrary to some beliefs, I do not sit in the dark. I refuse to use the overhead bright lights in my office, so instead I have about 4 lamps on at all times. It's much more calm and relaxing.

-Pre-K kids are my new favorite. I spent the mornings with them the first week and quickly bonded with them. I miss them daily now that I'm busier and can't get down to see them as often.

-I have only cried once so far. And not really even at school, but on my way home.

-I listened to a frequent office visitor sing "When Good Girls Go Bad" from his desk in the little room where kids go when they can't quite get it together enough to stay in the classroom.

-Said child also randomly makes dinosaur/monster/not-sure-what shrieking noises, too. (Is it wrong that I actually really like him??)

-I nicknamed a TINY girl "Polly Pocket."

-I have conducted two meetings with parents who want their kids in either speech or special education...um, do they know I have NO idea what I'm doing??

-I didn't realize how much time I spent talking, laughing, and bonding with my 2nd grade team of teachers...that was probably the hardest adjustment so far...and may or may not have contributed to my tears.

-My knee got kissed during a kinder friendship lesson. Ok, creepy.

-I get lots and lots of hugs, which always make me smile.

-I walked back into my office this afternoon to find a kiddo laying on a blanket on my floor.

-I have learned to appreciate all the behind the scenes work my amazing principal and VP's do.

-I get to greet kids every morning and help them out of their cars. Your day can't help but start out great doing that...even if I almost got taken down by a boy who DID not want out of his car and subsequently pulled me in when I tried to get ahold of his arms.

Like I said, never a dull moment!