~and once I was just like them~

Burkburnett, Texas
4 a.m.
Old habits die hard.

We are at the halfway point of our Christmas break from school.  I figured the time would go by fast, and indeed that has proven to be true.  Christmas Day came and went, the packages unwrapped, the tree down, and life goes on.  It's early in the morning and when I could well be still sleeping with no hint of an alarm going off, I'm awake.

Wide awake.
It's been that way every day since our break started.

I think about the children and wonder how they are doing.  I strain to listen for the sound of their voices, but hear nothing except the quiet of my own home.  I find myself starting to miss them and I suppose that is just normal.  Being with them every day is something that I am used to now.  We have our challenges, that's a given.  Yet even in those difficult times, I could think of nothing better than to be with them and to hear them call me "teacher".

Come a week from this Wednesday, I shall do just that.

Mike is probably correct.  I really do need to start thinking of a hobby, something that will keep me going when finally in the short years ahead I do retire.  Not sure what that pastime will be just yet, but I'm thinking more about it.  I have a couple of different ideas and time will tell if I ever follow through on them.  

At least I can dream.

I went over to school the other day, swept and mopped my classroom, cleaned the top of my desk so it would look presentable, and hung up a new bulletin board for the month of January. On the last day of school, I promised myself that I'd take a respite from it all, yet I've been over there several of the days since break began.  It's not that I stay all day either.  Most of the time I limit myself to no more than an hour and a half. I have stuck to that promise each time.  I feel fortunate that my school, even though in an entirely different state, is only 14 minutes from home.  I couldn't ask for it to be any better.

I can only imagine that when those 19 children return to school next week there will be all kinds of excitement.  Stories will be told of the fun they had at Christmas, of each and every gift that was given to them, and all of the wonderful things that they have done.  It will be hard to settle them down that first day, but I have come to accept the fact that it will be like that.  I can work around it and still be ok if I just continue to remember one thing. 

They are kids, after all.
Once I was just like them.

It was a lot of fun to take care of baby quail in our classroom back in Kansas.  2011 was quite a few years gone by now.  I hope to get to do this one more time before I really retire.