HOW HAS THE FIRST WEEK GONE? DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK.

MC 1 is loving the year so far. His biggest joy....he has a locker. With a number and all. He is simple giddy about it. Tonight he told me he sometimes pretends he needs something from his locker just so he can go to his locker.
Quote, "It's my FIRST locker mom!"
He really likes his homeroom teacher, He is having success with his math facts - the very thorns in our sides. Short of getting to play Little League football, his week has been perfect. He has lots of words to use when he gets home. He loves to tell all about his day.

MC 2. He told me on the second day he wasn't going back. When you ask him how was school, you get "eh". His biggest challenge is keeping out of the red. HH questions him daily as to what color he is on. The other night I overheard Mc2 explaining how yellow is really not that bad.
Academically...well, who knows.

Me. Well, I have a lot of little babies I wasn't planning on. About 110 physics kiddos and 38 chemistry ones. We are on 8 period days, so.....I see all there lovely faces for 47 minutes a day. Some longer than that during the blessed 55 minute period that allows for all the lunches. Many of the kids I had last year so that is nice. The newbies are good also. We have a new commander in chief on our campus, so we have all been adjusting to the new rules & regs. My co-workers are awesome. Not a one I don't like. I missed them over the summer.
Overall, I would say it has gone very smoothly.

So how has your first week or weeks been? Public, private or home, how has it gone?

MY BIGGEST BATTLE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR...

Well, we are back at it. School has kicked into gear. While I will appreciate your prayers for our school year, I will covet them for our home. Here is a secret....one of, if not the, biggest battle I face during the school year is having patience with my own kids. At the house, Snappy McSnappy mama can rear her ugly head quickly. After spending 8+hours correcting other children, trying to educate them, trying to encourage them, trying to input some home training to the ones who need it, and trying to grow them as people, I don't have a high tolerance for doing the same thing at my house.
The good news is I know this. I know homework time at the house stresses me out. I know I don't always use kind words and tones with the MCs & HH after a rough day. I know I am short on time and grace and listening when we hit the door running at the house.
The bad news will be if I leave it that way this year.
I need to be the best here.
At home.
For them.
I must choose.
So I ask you, if you are the praying sort, to choose to pray for me in this area.
Feel free to hold me accountable.
Choose to.
On here.
On Facebook.
At Wal-Mart.
These babies at home are my primary investment.
I must choose them.

Have a great week!

WHILE WE WERE AWAY

CLOAK CHECK

Is there a time and place to be a Christian? The question that Sister #2 and I were talking about the other day.
I am hoping, if you have read for this for even the smallest amount of time, you will know that I say - no, there is not a time and a place, for I am always a Christian.
My Christian faith....
- goes with me into my work place, a public school. Dictating how I interact with my kids, their parents and my co-workers.
- takes me shopping. Guiding what I buy and don't buy, where I shop and don't shop, and how I deal with the people on both sides of the register.
- comes into my house. Determining how I am as a wife and a mom and a sister and a daughter and a Facebooker and a Tweeter and a Blogger.
- sits with me in my rocking chair. Compelling me to spend time with the very one I desire to be like.
- walks with me into the voting booth. Selecting based on what the Bible holds as truth and not by party lines.
- runs my track with me. Reminding me why I need to take care of this temple, who it is for, and granting me the self discipline to keep it up when my legs want to quit.
And the one that will trip most people up and cause them to call my a hypocrite-  my Christian faith is carried into all those places and grants forgiveness and grace when I completely blow it.

There is no place where we, as Christians, are to leave those values at the door.
None.
It either colors and guides everything we do or it doesn't.
Even in my flesh driven struggles and mistakes, my faith in Christ is paramount.
Faith that He loves me.
Faith that He forgives me.
Faith the He redeems me.
Faith the He justifies and sanctifies me.

Whole-hearted belief He desires to do the same for you.
Let us take off our church cloaks and carry Christ with us.
EVERYWHERE.
We choose.