Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Where Have I Been?

For all (insert sarcasm here) of you loyal blog followers, I am incredibly sorry.
Where have I been???
Oh my goodness. Well, I've been spending many, many hours of my days here...
Typically I'm inside the doors, not lounging on the steps...
Wonderful, perfect, oh so loving Mooreland Heights Elementary School.
"How can a building be loving?" you ask. Come visit me and you'll never question it again.

I adore every second of every day. 
Is it hard? Absolutely.
Do I go home and cry somedays? Umm... Yes.
Sometimes I think that I can't (ooooh, that's a BAD word at Camp Crawford) do this, but I am doing it anyway. 
And it is perfect.
Every single day I am thankful for this calling and the fulfillment of a plan greater and better than my own. I am blessed far beyond what I deserve.

Soooo... Other than completely obsessing over how blessed I am, some more specific details of what it's like day to day in the profession they call "teaching."
I went from 25 little blessings in my class to 18 when we were so fortunate to add a fourth second grade teacher. For those of you who really know me, you can vouch for the fact that this perhaps seemingly minor change was pretty much life-changing for me. (Not to be dramatic of course...) But really, although I truly miss the 7 that have moved upstairs, not tripping over kiddos every single time I turn around has put a pep back in my step (no pun intended ;) ) 
A projector fell out of my ceiling one day. Thanks to me, the entire school got their projectors reinstalled. You're welcome MHES faculty, next time you want something done in a dramatic fashion just call on the new girl! Fortunately the girl it landed on is a-okay, but she- and all the others in my class, including me- may or may not suffer from Post-Tramatic Stress Disorder and have a new, unusual phobia of falling projectors. (Side note: the projector at my church is HUGE. I've noticed. If that sucker came down... you better believe we'd have to do some major praying for the poor human under it. Note to self: sit on side isles forever and ever.)
See that projector on the floor? Yeah, exactly doesn't belong there...
The kiddos say funny things every single day. Although I LOVE having a classroom all to myself, sometimes I do miss Monica. She and I could make eye contact and giggle secretly to each other about what came out of their mouths. Now it's just me doing the best to remember it all and share it with people who may or may not actually think it is funny. I'm going with typically "may not," but at least they humor me :)
Here are a few of the funny things kids have said:
While eyeing an iPod touch sitting on an iHome that I have never used, D asked, "Hey Miss Crawford, how come we don't every use the mini iPad?!"
I've never heard a more accurate description in my life. 
A precious girl in my class has the sweetest and most high pitch voice I have ever heard. One day I asked her to tell me something, and she said, "Umm... My favorite flower is a... sunflower?!" 
From now on, when in doubt of what to say, I'm going to be sharing facts like that with people. Join me?
They write the funniest things and they say the funniest things. I never ever imagined I would be sitting in a room full of seven year olds laughing with them. At them, yes definitely, but with them, no. But I do. We laugh together every day. And I love it. It is so fun.
Learning about birds and ocean oil spills. Thank you, Dawn Dish Soap!

Meet my kiddos! Waiting for Open House.
Some owls, a bug, and a snake learning about how every part of a food web depends on another!
It is such an adventure. I adore these kids and this job. Hopefully I'll do better at documenting the first year of this crazy, lifelong journey!

Miss Crawford