Not Me Monday--I would never do that!!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I don't care what you heard but I absolutely did not drop my pen in the process of falling asleep during the middle of my writing assessment class today. It is also not true that I ate two of my meals out today instead of eating the nutritious fruit I had brought in my lunch bag. And furthermore if anyone tells you that I ate half a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey Ice Cream before going to bed you should not believe them. I would never do that. I also did not leave my book bag, lunch bag and drink in the student center with friends, saying I'd be right back, only to return over an hour later. And if anyone tells you that they saw me wasting time on the internet looking at wedding dresses and cakes with a friend they have mistaken me for someone else, I would never use valuable study time goofing off. I also did not tell my friend Melissa that she didn't understand anything because her brain is underdeveloped. No, not me, I would never do any of those things. It is shocking that anyone would even think I was capable of of any of these acts, much less all of them in one day. I just thought I'd tell you in case you didn't know.

Not Me Monday--I would never do that!!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I don't care what you heard but I absolutely did not drop my pen in the process of falling asleep during the middle of my writing assessment class today. It is also not true that I ate two of my meals out today instead of eating the nutritious fruit I had brought in my lunch bag. And furthermore if anyone tells you that I ate half a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey Ice Cream before going to bed you should not believe them. I would never do that. I also did not leave my book bag, lunch bag and drink in the student center with friends, saying I'd be right back, only to return over an hour later. And if anyone tells you that they saw me wasting time on the internet looking at wedding dresses and cakes with a friend they have mistaken me for someone else, I would never use valuable study time goofing off. I also did not tell my friend Melissa that she didn't understand anything because her brain is underdeveloped. No, not me, I would never do any of those things. It is shocking that anyone would even think I was capable of of any of these acts, much less all of them in one day. I just thought I'd tell you in case you didn't know.

If I Had Wings

A friend loaned G a copy of Darius Rucker's CD so we have been listening to it a lot. Thank goodness I love his music. This song really touched me when I first heard it and I thought I would borrow Darius' words to express my feelings tonight.

If I Had Wings

Why do we hate, why do we suffer
Why do we make our mistakes and constantly blame one another
Why is there war and why is there killing
Have we forgotten some secret we knew back when we were just children
If I had wings, I'd fly up to heaven
I'd look down from the clouds on everything
Then I could find all the things we've been missing
I would have all the answers, if I had wings
Like why am I aching and where did I come from
And where will I go when my time here on this earth is done
And what will I leave that will go one forever, oh no
And what can I do while I'm here to make someones life better
If I had wings, I'd fly up to heaven
I'd look down from the clouds on everything
Then I could find all the things we've been missing
I would have all the answers, if I had wings
Ohoho now, If I had wings, I'd would fly up to heaven
I would have all the answers, if I had wings

~Darius Rucker~

If I Had Wings

A friend loaned G a copy of Darius Rucker's CD so we have been listening to it a lot. Thank goodness I love his music. This song really touched me when I first heard it and I thought I would borrow Darius' words to express my feelings tonight.

If I Had Wings

Why do we hate, why do we suffer
Why do we make our mistakes and constantly blame one another
Why is there war and why is there killing
Have we forgotten some secret we knew back when we were just children
If I had wings, I'd fly up to heaven
I'd look down from the clouds on everything
Then I could find all the things we've been missing
I would have all the answers, if I had wings
Like why am I aching and where did I come from
And where will I go when my time here on this earth is done
And what will I leave that will go one forever, oh no
And what can I do while I'm here to make someones life better
If I had wings, I'd fly up to heaven
I'd look down from the clouds on everything
Then I could find all the things we've been missing
I would have all the answers, if I had wings
Ohoho now, If I had wings, I'd would fly up to heaven
I would have all the answers, if I had wings

~Darius Rucker~

Letting Go is Hard to Do

Tonight my heart is heavy as I lay in bed thinking of my sister and the transition her life will take in the morning. Tomorrow my sister's only child is leaving for college. For the first time in almost 19 years he will have an address that is different than that of his parents. He will no longer be sleeping a short 20 feet from his mom and dad; instead he will be sleeping in his own apartment many miles away. The late night requests of, "Mom, would you cook me some. . ." are over (at least on a daily basis). The house will be quiet, his room will remain clean, and plates will stop magically appearing on the kitchen counter after everyone has gone to bed.

Isn't it amazing how days seem to creep by while years seem to sprout wings and fly away. It seems as if it were just yesterday that we were sitting in the waiting room of the hospital waiting for my nephew to be born. Thad was already adored by the time he arrived in the world in October 1990. Too soon he transformed into the cutest tow-haired little boy you could imagine. My oldest son, Trey, was born six days before Thad's first birthday. My sister and I made sure our boys spent a lot of time together when they were small. I remember many times when Thad would take Trey's pacifier away and suck it himself. They played switch the pacifier a lot during that first year. If they weren't sharing them with each other they were sharing them with Mags, our dog. They played together and fought with each other, but most of all loved each other. They climbed up hills of Georgia red clay that refused to wash out of their clothes, they had mud battles that left them looking like swamp monsters, and built way too many forts to count.

My favorite memory is from a visit Trey and I made to spend the day with my sister and nephew. We did this pretty often (at least once a week). This particular day was in the fall of 1991. Thad had just turned one and Trey could only have been a few weeks old. Thad and I played in their backyard running and jumping in freshly fallen piles of leaves all day. We had a wonderful time together. The air was filled with the squeals of joy, laughter, and love.

The day came to an end much too soon. As I loaded Trey into the car Thad began to cry for his Yah, Yah (me). It brings tears to my eyes as I recall it now. I still have a vivid picture of my sister holding that beautiful tow-haired boy wearing a pair of red corduroy overalls and a white turtleneck. He was sobbing as I drove away. When I arrived home I called my sister and she said he cried himself to sleep and had continued to sob after he fell sleep. It broke my heart to see him cry as I drove away that day.

I am filled with pride at the young man he has become but at the same time my heart is breaking because time slipped away far too soon. Oh, how I would love to spend one more autumn day playing in the leaves with that little boy, to see him clad in a cowboy hat and boots holding a guitar and singing one of his country songs while wearing only his underwear. He was, afterall, the first naked cowboy.

Tomorrow will be filled with many tears for my sister. I pray that God will surround her, give her the strength needed for the day, and give her peace knowing that she has been a great mother and has adequately prepared her son for the adventures that life has in store for him.

Letting Go is Hard to Do

Tonight my heart is heavy as I lay in bed thinking of my sister and the transition her life will take in the morning. Tomorrow my sister's only child is leaving for college. For the first time in almost 19 years he will have an address that is different than that of his parents. He will no longer be sleeping a short 20 feet from his mom and dad; instead he will be sleeping in his own apartment many miles away. The late night requests of, "Mom, would you cook me some. . ." are over (at least on a daily basis). The house will be quiet, his room will remain clean, and plates will stop magically appearing on the kitchen counter after everyone has gone to bed.

Isn't it amazing how days seem to creep by while years seem to sprout wings and fly away. It seems as if it were just yesterday that we were sitting in the waiting room of the hospital waiting for my nephew to be born. Thad was already adored by the time he arrived in the world in October 1990. Too soon he transformed into the cutest tow-haired little boy you could imagine. My oldest son, Trey, was born six days before Thad's first birthday. My sister and I made sure our boys spent a lot of time together when they were small. I remember many times when Thad would take Trey's pacifier away and suck it himself. They played switch the pacifier a lot during that first year. If they weren't sharing them with each other they were sharing them with Mags, our dog. They played together and fought with each other, but most of all loved each other. They climbed up hills of Georgia red clay that refused to wash out of their clothes, they had mud battles that left them looking like swamp monsters, and built way too many forts to count.

My favorite memory is from a visit Trey and I made to spend the day with my sister and nephew. We did this pretty often (at least once a week). This particular day was in the fall of 1991. Thad had just turned one and Trey could only have been a few weeks old. Thad and I played in their backyard running and jumping in freshly fallen piles of leaves all day. We had a wonderful time together. The air was filled with the squeals of joy, laughter, and love.

The day came to an end much too soon. As I loaded Trey into the car Thad began to cry for his Yah, Yah (me). It brings tears to my eyes as I recall it now. I still have a vivid picture of my sister holding that beautiful tow-haired boy wearing a pair of red corduroy overalls and a white turtleneck. He was sobbing as I drove away. When I arrived home I called my sister and she said he cried himself to sleep and had continued to sob after he fell sleep. It broke my heart to see him cry as I drove away that day.

I am filled with pride at the young man he has become but at the same time my heart is breaking because time slipped away far too soon. Oh, how I would love to spend one more autumn day playing in the leaves with that little boy, to see him clad in a cowboy hat and boots holding a guitar and singing one of his country songs while wearing only his underwear. He was, afterall, the first naked cowboy.

Tomorrow will be filled with many tears for my sister. I pray that God will surround her, give her the strength needed for the day, and give her peace knowing that she has been a great mother and has adequately prepared her son for the adventures that life has in store for him.

A Servant's Heart

My sweet G has the heart of a servant. There is not anything that I could ask him to do that he would not be willing to do. His heart is so willing to serve. It is only his body that prevents him from achieving what he so desires to do.

He has been wanting the first season of America's Funniest Videos on DVD. We feel that he is old enough to begin learning that you work for what you want and need so we talked to him and have been finding ways for him to earn money. Yesterday I tackled the laundry room. I straightened and organized shelves and washed almost every stitch of clothing in our house.

As I was loading and unloading the dryer it suddenly occurred to me that this would be the perfect way for G to earn some money and put his servant nature to work.I placed him on the floor in front of the dryer and he pulled the clothes out and placed them in a basket. I then handed him the clothes from the washer and he loaded them into the dryer. He did all of this without complaint and was so proud when I paid him for his work.

In my busyness I frequently forget how limited G's experiences are and fail to find ways to expand his possibilities. To be honest it is just easier to do things for him than to teach him how to do them himself. Sure it took twice as long to transfer the two loads of laundry but the lesson my son learned from the experience was so valuable. He saw that he will be capable of washing and drying his own clothes in the future. The most important thing I can give him is the ability to see his potential for success. After all isn't that what parents are supposed to do?

A Servant's Heart

My sweet G has the heart of a servant. There is not anything that I could ask him to do that he would not be willing to do. His heart is so willing to serve. It is only his body that prevents him from achieving what he so desires to do.

He has been wanting the first season of America's Funniest Videos on DVD. We feel that he is old enough to begin learning that you work for what you want and need so we talked to him and have been finding ways for him to earn money. Yesterday I tackled the laundry room. I straightened and organized shelves and washed almost every stitch of clothing in our house.

As I was loading and unloading the dryer it suddenly occurred to me that this would be the perfect way for G to earn some money and put his servant nature to work.I placed him on the floor in front of the dryer and he pulled the clothes out and placed them in a basket. I then handed him the clothes from the washer and he loaded them into the dryer. He did all of this without complaint and was so proud when I paid him for his work.

In my busyness I frequently forget how limited G's experiences are and fail to find ways to expand his possibilities. To be honest it is just easier to do things for him than to teach him how to do them himself. Sure it took twice as long to transfer the two loads of laundry but the lesson my son learned from the experience was so valuable. He saw that he will be capable of washing and drying his own clothes in the future. The most important thing I can give him is the ability to see his potential for success. After all isn't that what parents are supposed to do?

New Experiences

G began his first week in his new school on Monday. He had a really good day with no tears. He did, however, begin to tell everyone after lunch on Monday that he would not be back on Tuesday and that he was not kidding. He kept trying to convince me that he needed to stay at home and I really worried about today, but he had another great day!!

I think moving him to our "home" school was definitely the right thing to do. It is so nice to be 2 minutes from the school. I love that they have the track that he can walk on and the school is just so much more handicapped accessible. The playgrounds are much more accessible for him as well. I can't wait until they get his swing up!!

He walked all the way around the track in front of the school during recess. His parapro said it was his idea. He told me about it when he got in the car this afternoon. He said Taylor walked with him. I asked if Taylor was a boy or a girl and he said, "It's a girl, but she is not my girlfriend." T started kidding him about walking with a girl and he was quick to say, "Look, it's like this, we are not getting married." Needless to say I am anxious to meet this girl whether she is his girlfriend or not.

G had music for activity today. Mrs. Burkhalter is wonderful. I had the opportunity to observe her last fall when I was at Glenwood for my practicum. He loved music! He said that he and Ms. Davis played the drums and that everyone applauded. I only wish that I could be there for all of these new and wonderful experiences.

New Experiences

G began his first week in his new school on Monday. He had a really good day with no tears. He did, however, begin to tell everyone after lunch on Monday that he would not be back on Tuesday and that he was not kidding. He kept trying to convince me that he needed to stay at home and I really worried about today, but he had another great day!!

I think moving him to our "home" school was definitely the right thing to do. It is so nice to be 2 minutes from the school. I love that they have the track that he can walk on and the school is just so much more handicapped accessible. The playgrounds are much more accessible for him as well. I can't wait until they get his swing up!!

He walked all the way around the track in front of the school during recess. His parapro said it was his idea. He told me about it when he got in the car this afternoon. He said Taylor walked with him. I asked if Taylor was a boy or a girl and he said, "It's a girl, but she is not my girlfriend." T started kidding him about walking with a girl and he was quick to say, "Look, it's like this, we are not getting married." Needless to say I am anxious to meet this girl whether she is his girlfriend or not.

G had music for activity today. Mrs. Burkhalter is wonderful. I had the opportunity to observe her last fall when I was at Glenwood for my practicum. He loved music! He said that he and Ms. Davis played the drums and that everyone applauded. I only wish that I could be there for all of these new and wonderful experiences.

The End of the Beginning

Today was the first day of Ts senior year of high school. It only seems like yesterday that I was a high school senior dreaming of my future and wondering where life was going to take me. T seems to be so far ahead of where I was at his age. He has his plans for life all laid out. Of course we all know that plans are made to be changed and life has a way of leading us down paths we never would have imagined we would walk. Although his plans might change and take him in a completely different direction than he is set to follow, I take comfort in knowing that he is a really great young man with a good head on his shoulders.

I hope that T has a great senior year filled with wonderful memories. I pray that he will form friendships that will last for a lifetime and that he will grow and become the man that God desires him to be.

The End of the Beginning

Today was the first day of Ts senior year of high school. It only seems like yesterday that I was a high school senior dreaming of my future and wondering where life was going to take me. T seems to be so far ahead of where I was at his age. He has his plans for life all laid out. Of course we all know that plans are made to be changed and life has a way of leading us down paths we never would have imagined we would walk. Although his plans might change and take him in a completely different direction than he is set to follow, I take comfort in knowing that he is a really great young man with a good head on his shoulders.

I hope that T has a great senior year filled with wonderful memories. I pray that he will form friendships that will last for a lifetime and that he will grow and become the man that God desires him to be.

Old Friends and New Memories

Yesterday I attended my 25th Class Reunion. It is hard to believe that it has been that long since I graduated and officially began my trek out into the world. I have been looking forward to last night for months now. I have connected with friends that I haven't seen or heard from in years. I owe all of this to one of my classmates. Annette is an amazing organizer and managed to find almost all of the members of our class.

As J and I drove to the site of the reunion I realized that I had butterflies in my stomach. This is something that happened to me all the time when I was younger but never happens anymore. All my butterflies disappeared shortly after we arrived at our destination. There were already several classmates that I recognized standing inside when I walked in which calmed my nerves tremendously.

The night brought with it many enjoyable moments. We were able to share old memories from high school and make new memories that will be the topic of conversations at future reunions. The jello shots will definitely be a memory some will not soon forget. The band was great and the dancing was entertainment not only for those who danced but to those who chose to watch. There were, as in high school, the wallflowers who chose to be observers and the rebels who let it all hang out and shake their booties.

It is funny how you can immediately connect with someone you haven't seen or talked to for 25 years. Time has changed our looks (some more than others), we have matured and moved into middle age, and we have each lived separate and very different lives; but once we were together it was as if time had stood still and once again we were the best of friends. It is sad how life takes people in different directions. Sometimes our best friends end up being far away and we simply loose touch. I am thankful that my classmates and I share a common bond of love and friendship. Our class seems to have a special bond that not every class has and I am proud to say that I am a Graduate of the Chattooga High School Class of 1984.

Old Friends and New Memories

Yesterday I attended my 25th Class Reunion. It is hard to believe that it has been that long since I graduated and officially began my trek out into the world. I have been looking forward to last night for months now. I have connected with friends that I haven't seen or heard from in years. I owe all of this to one of my classmates. Annette is an amazing organizer and managed to find almost all of the members of our class.

As J and I drove to the site of the reunion I realized that I had butterflies in my stomach. This is something that happened to me all the time when I was younger but never happens anymore. All my butterflies disappeared shortly after we arrived at our destination. There were already several classmates that I recognized standing inside when I walked in which calmed my nerves tremendously.

The night brought with it many enjoyable moments. We were able to share old memories from high school and make new memories that will be the topic of conversations at future reunions. The jello shots will definitely be a memory some will not soon forget. The band was great and the dancing was entertainment not only for those who danced but to those who chose to watch. There were, as in high school, the wallflowers who chose to be observers and the rebels who let it all hang out and shake their booties.

It is funny how you can immediately connect with someone you haven't seen or talked to for 25 years. Time has changed our looks (some more than others), we have matured and moved into middle age, and we have each lived separate and very different lives; but once we were together it was as if time had stood still and once again we were the best of friends. It is sad how life takes people in different directions. Sometimes our best friends end up being far away and we simply loose touch. I am thankful that my classmates and I share a common bond of love and friendship. Our class seems to have a special bond that not every class has and I am proud to say that I am a Graduate of the Chattooga High School Class of 1984.