Tickles of Today

After battling some kind of 24-hour stomach flu that my niece, N, and I shared (but somehow and gratefully, nobody else in either family), I got back to school with the kids today after the weekend.  Yesterday, they had no schooling, unless you count my teaching example of "when you're sick, rest a lot" (Health class?).  I wasn't purposely trying to set that example, I simply had no energy beyond what was required of me to make several trips to the bathroom -- therefore, I laid around a lot.

But in getting back to school following my illness, I felt it was necessary to make up for the day off because, after all, I'd written my lesson plan in advance and once I write it down, I feel like it is then mostly compulsory.  I do try to work in some flexibility, but I struggle with that, too, because once I let some things slide, it's easy to let more slide -- more often.  So, still tired, I charged ahead and pushed everyone (and me) to the brink of exhaustion trying to catch up.

This ended our day with me in tears trying to explain to C why I felt like I had to push so hard and that I still needed to go to the grocery store because we're out of basics and I meant to go last night, but of course, I did not.  I was still resting.  He loves me anyway -- even when I'm an emotional basket case.  That's one of my biggest reasons for loving him so much.

I did not go to the grocery store.  We'll have to live without milk for another day.  Somehow.

Anyway, amidst the madness of the day, I did have three particularly joyful moments that I wanted to blog about so that my day doesn't feel like a complete waste of my energy and efforts.

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As I taught J and O about the Tower of Babel from their Bible Reader, we discussed the subject of "other languages" besides English.

I asked, "Can you think of some other languages besides English?"

J started answering right away, "Spanish ... Chinese ... French ..."

O thought about it for a moment and said, "Mexican?"

I laughed and said, "Well, yes ... but we call that Spanish."

Then he said, "Japanese!"

I said, "Yes!"

Then J added, "Tropical?"

I burst into laughter and said, "Do you mean like the way they talk in Jamaica and stuff?"

"Yes!" she said.

"Okay, Mon."

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I handed worksheet after worksheet to O.  He completed math.  He completed Maps.  He completed his Bible story page. 

At one point he looked up and said to me, "Can you please hand me papers more carefully?  Sometimes when I hold paper it sort of ... tickles me."

???

I don't know what he meant by that, but it brought a smile to my face anyway.

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Later in the evening, after C and I had had our discussion about the day, while the kids waited patiently for us to figure out dinner, I was gathering up E's baby medicine that I'd forgotten to send back with her earlier to be used at home -- knowing we'd need to deliver it to my sister before E's bedtime.

S reached out to me with open arms for a big hug and a kiss (a show of loving support).

I started to lean in, but then I stopped myself and said, "I'm all snotty ..."

She said, "That's okay, it's the mucus that binds us!" and she kissed me anyway.

In this family, that's definitely true!!  We always feel closer after a good cry -- snot and all.

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Even the worst days have glimmers of hope and light.  Don't forget to keep watch for them!