A little e

Well, it almost NOT Wednesday at all, but there's still JOY! 

This week has been a huge answer to prayer for me. For week I have seen my classroom fluctuate and seen my students and us as a staff struggle. I felt like at every turn we were just barely getting by, if that. I prayed for relief from the paperwork, for my students to make better choices, for peace, and even just for guidance! Well, the last couple days have been quite the answer to prayer. While my student's behaviors are far from over, I see where myself, the therapist working with my kiddos and most definitely my aides have all played a huge role in changing these kids! 

At every turn we are attempting to educate them, but they are right there responding with behaviors of their own. Some are violent rages while others are quiet and tearful sorrows. Either way, they are learning. I am blessed with a classroom of 12 tough and challenging young lives. They are often my toughest challenge and an awesome source of hope. I love my students. 

So what has brought me joy this week is TEACHING. Here are a few reasons why:

- One of my students this week was learning the word "have" and for months and months we have been working on penmanship. This young guy has been in my room for more than a year and we have seen a huge spike in behaviors.... but there are often glimmers of what his knowledge is. Well this week, this little guy wrote a lower case "e" with phenomenal accuracy. I shouted for joy when i saw it. Tears actually welled up in my eyes and I could not have been more proud! I know it does not sound like a huge success, but let me tell you, this was like a hurdle had been crossed. Thank you Lord! 

- Another factor is the staffing in my classroom. I feel at ease with the help that i have in the classroom. I continue to be astounded by the support that is given to the students in my room on a daily basis. (If you are reading this - from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU!) I see how the interactions of the staff in my classroom have helped my students. I am blessed to work with a team that cares so much for the little kiddos in our room. The best part is there is so much more to come. I look forward to continuing to work on this team. One of my team members is being reassigned next week and truly this person will be missed! It brings me joy to have had such a kindhearted person to work with. 

-I taught the students the water cycle this week. It was a really fun and enjoyable set of lessons and I really had a great time seeing the kids learn. I know i had something different written down in my lesson plan book, but sometimes the ability to roll with the punches and just go with your gut can be down right beneficial. The information I presented really worked for my group of students. Really glad to have taught them something! 

So that is what brought me joy this week. I hope that you found joy in something you did, saw, experienced, or heard. Please feel free to comment below and let me know what brought you joy this week! 

JOY: Chores and Cookies! :)

So much JOY to report this week!


There are 2 things:
1 The first is my husband. He has brought me much joy tonight. I came home in a rush. running about 25 minutes later than when i had wanted to be home to make sure to pick up our apartment for our weekly life group that we host/co-lead. Well, as a was walking up the stairs i was thinking of the laundry list of things i was about to spend the next hour and a half doing before i could blog! I knew the dishes needed doing, the laundry i had laid out needed putting away, our dining room table needed to be cleared and coats/jackets needed to be put away. I also needed to make sure we ate something and then i could relax a little. Well, hubby stayed home today and worked from home and surprised me with almost the entire apartment cleaned. He even changed the sheets on the bed! He had already vacuumed, done the dishes, straightened the living room, put away laundry, cleaned the bathroom and I think a few other things! This made me feel like i could actually relax and not feel completely rushed! That is a feeling i have not been familiar with all week or even for a little while (at least on a school night!) So my joy comes from the fact that he thought about me. He realized i may have needed a few minutes to relax and that brings me so much joy! Words cannot even say how much joy that brings me! Plainly put, he ROCKS! Thanks to my handsome hubby!


2. The second even that brought me joy is one of my co-workers. This week has already come with its little bit of drama and when i shared my feelings with another member of my team, she obviously knew i needed a little pick-me-up! The next day she waltzed into my classroom holding a box of Girl Scout Cookies! Its funny because right before the kids had come into the room (coming from PE) and were all talking about how my co-worker was holding Girl Scout Cookies. Despite the heads up from the kids (which in my mind i blew off as just kids talking), I was touched! This co-worker of mine is always so kind, compassionate and always ready to lend a listening ear. Words cannot express how blessed I am to have this person to work with. I know she knows how grateful I am, but it cannot be said enough. So, you know who you are, THANKS A BUNCH! BTW the cookies were the Lemonades and boy are they YUMMY!


So what brought you joy today? Or even this week?

Finding joy in Yoga

This week was tough! Again I am reminded of how caught in the moment I can get! If a day is terrible, then I am wrapped up in that feeling and I am learning that I have not learned to move on as much as I thought I had!

Regardless, I still have joy. 

This week an individual yoga session with my sister-in-law brought me joy. She has become a yoga instructor and while my husband was helping to fix her stereo system in her new yoga studio, she gave me a one and a half hour class. It was really neat to practice some breathing exercises. I realized how much I truly still have such stiff lungs! (I had pneumonia in 2006 that has left some scar tissue in my lungs) I even got to work on my splits! Yes, that's right, this girl is really close to being able to do the splits both ways. It is something i have worked really hard on and though it takes a lot of work to get there, I can do the splits! It was exciting to spend time with my SIL and also "see what she has done to the place." 

If you are in the area, she has a new yoga studio located in Orange. Here's the link for more information: Path of Light Yoga. She's an awesome instructor - she has made me sore for days and I loved how she challenged me! I realize how much I need to be doing yoga more regularly, rather than infrequently as it has been. 

Life Group and a Clean Apt!

What's bringing me joy today? 

2 things .... its so hard to limit myself now that i have been doing this every week. I am now finding myself looking for the things that truly are bringing me joy each week! 

1. The first thing that is bringing me joy is my life group! My husband and I have been blessed to lead this group for a little over a year now and we really have enjoyed leading this small group of couples. We have grown and learned so much in a year and I am so excited about what is to come this year! My husband and I are welcoming another couple to lead with us and WE CAN'T WAIT! It is so neat to invite someone in who is so excited to learn, lead, and help in so many ways. Its also really great to have a new set of friends! With that said we are also expanding in membership which excites me and brings me much joy. I think of it all as this new horizon to learn and grow together as Christian adults living in a crazy mixed up world! So, our life group is really bringing me joy! (Everyone is coming over in approx 20 minutes!!!!) 

2. The second thing that has brought me joy this week is MY CLEAN APARTMENT!!!! I am loving how it looks so much better and is way less cluttered. I have to say my husband has really kicked it into high gear and has said enough is enough for both of us. So we cleaned and stuffed Christmas stuff into storage bins on Saturday. We also straightened up our garage! It is also really cool that we finally got a brand new vacuum all our own! (We had been using difficult-to-use "hand me down" or borrowed vacuums before now!) It makes vacuuming so much easier! I love my new Dyson! 

So that is that....tomorrow I will be participating in my first "Linky Party" and you will get to hear about "A Day in my Shoes"!  Can't wait! 

Have a great night! 

What's Bringing Me Joy Wednesday!

So it's Wednesday and it completely felt like a MONDAY! That's cause it was the dreaded end to Christmas Break. (I can see the storm clouds rolling in and the organ playing some daunting song!). That's right I went back to work and my classroom which was completely ignored for all of break! Though I went back kind of dragging my feet, I realized how much i missed my little kiddos. This leads me to my content for today... 

So, my thoughts are that Wednesdays on "Busy as a Honey Bee" will be all about what has brought me JOY for the week. So there it is "What's Bringing Me Joy Wednesday." I am hoping to find something every week to remind me that I have so much joy in my life. I feel that often times I can truly get so bogged down in the mundane stresses of life that I lose sight of what has brought me the most joy. I may not be the only one in this, but regardless, Wednesdays will regularly be about what has brought joy to my life. 

Today, my students are what brought me joy. They are so awesome! I went to work almost kicking and screaming and left feeling like I know exactly why I stay late, drink too much tea, and stress about making things better than the last time. My reminders today were when one student randomly said "I love school" and then a small conversation continued with another student about how they loved the school too. Another reminder was when a student winked back at me after i winked at him. It was adorable and he looked so much like a pirate when he did it! I hope and pray every day for moments where I made an impact educationally or even emotionally. Maybe today was one of those days!