thank you, Stacey

"Wow what a back to school night!! Your confidence has always been incredible but I've got to tell you this was your best one yet. Thanks so much for all you do for those kids, and if any parent ever questions you after that presentation they need serious help.

You have always had such a great presence but I've got to tell you that tonight there was something about you, a glow, a fire, a something that I can not put into words that was beyond compare. You are such a gifted teacher, an amazing person, and someone that deserves nothing but the very BEST in all aspects of your life. Even Bobby said that there was something different about you tonight, besides looking more amazing then ever, he said there was something else he could not put his finger on. I then told him about the tough summer you had, and the new outlook you were going forward with. He said that when one door closes another door will open, and usually what awaits us on the other side of the door is usually the best thing for us. We just don't believe it at the time when that first door is hitting us in the butt. So anyway what we are trying to say is that we are glad that you are in our life, we have so much respect for you."

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I don't know that I can ever thank her enough for saying that.

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That Monday night cast a shadow over my entire week. My appetite is off; I am exhausted but can't sleep (look at the time of this post); my mind is wandering and I am lacking the strength to veer it in the right direction. Wednesday's only just BEGUN and if yesterday was any indication of what things are like now, the kids are sensing my change and rolling right over me. Yesterday during recess one little boy got bitten on the bicep by a child from another class. It broke the skin so his mom came to pick him up and I was fine with that (unusual) because he was REALLY enjoying his new roll as boy-with-injury. Shortly afterward, they both show up at my door (JUST as I was kicking my good deep-south Poppleton accent into high gear during Lit time) and lo and behold, he wants to stay. Mom's fighting back tears; I'm trying to comfort her yet return to my story post haste; and he's savoring the moment. I'm telling you that boy walked around with his arm clutched to his chest like the walking wounded. You'd think he were a vet returning from war with a medical discharge the way he proceeded. Finally I told him his arm was going to hurt even MORE if he didn't relax it and let it hang the way it should rather than clutching it to his ribs as if he were wearing a sling. I have another little girl, all of 12 pounds herself, with a heavy plaster cast extending from just below her shoulder all the way over her knuckles, and she manages with less dramatic flair than this little neosporined thespian. I hope he's back to normal today. I need a LITTLE bit of normalcy wherever I can find it.

Frankly I hope I'M back to normal. I don't think sitting here at 2:50am is going to help, so I'm back to the SC for round 2.

♥e