open house night

well tonight we survived all three kids' open houses at their elementary schools.

i have to admit, i am very nervous for this school year.
mostly for josh since he had such a bad year last year.
and when i met his teacher tonight, i had flashbacks of his teacher from last year.
and i started sweating. and looking around to see if john was thinking the same thing.
but he wasn't. and apparently i'm "creating drama."
so let's hope, beyond hope, that everything is ok and she turns out to be cool.
i want him to feel inspired and interested this year. he deserves that, especially after last year.

we met anna's teacher and she seems like a doll.
they had an instant connection: she told anna that her name was ann. and she always wished she had an 'a' on the end of her name so her name could be anna since that was such a prettier name than plain old ann.
of course that made anna smile BIG and they quickly became friends.
and her door was covered in ocean animals.
and she gave out candy bags.
looks like anna hit the jackpot.
no worries there.

and then we rushed over to ben's new school. (i'm not even going to talk about how tomorrow is his last day at daycare and how much i love that place and how hideous it's going to be when i walk outta there for the last time.)

ben's new teacher is our next door neighbor.
her moving next door to us was all a part of God's plan. i promise you, it was.
her having a background in special education--part of His plan.
her knowing sign language--another part.
her going back to work the year after ben was born--another part.
her getting a job as the pre-k teacher with special ed kids--ditto.
her getting ben in her class--the wonderfully knit and amazingly crafted plan of my most wonderful Father.

i will hate leaving the kind and generous women at the daycare, the women who have cared for and loved on my children for the last 8 years.
but i am excited to watch ben blossom in this new environment.
i really feel like it is the best thing for him. and so that's what i must choose.
even if it's not the best for me.

sooooooooooooooooooooo........what's next?
school starts monday, if you can believe that.
and i think i need some goals for this school year.
me.
why not?
i always feel like going back to school is sort of like new year's eve.
time for a fresh start. a do-over, if you will.
stay tuned.