T is for...

A year ago in January we moved to a new town.  No big deal, right?  People do it all the time.  Well, I did NOT want to move from where I was.  I was NOT on the same page as God.  I got there...eventually.  Let's set the stage a little more...I'm an empty-nester.  It's so hard to meet new people when your kids are out of the school system.  So, last fall I started looking for an outlet that would get me out of the house.  I am a very social being!!  I wanted to volunteer somewhere.  I have volunteered many places and for lots of different organizations.  As I thought back on which ones I really enjoyed...my favorite was helping my son's teachers.  It wouldn't probably get me a lot of new 'friends' socially, but it would get me out of the house!

Do you think they knew I LOVE Pink?

I talked to several of my friends and told them what I wanted to do...one of my friends turned me to Obee Elementary.  The principal hooked me up with the first grade teacher.  I was soon to have 22 new friends.  My goal was to not only help the teacher, but to give at least one positive comment to each student every day I was there.  I look forward to Tuesday & Thursday each week.  I have had a wonderful year...and I'm not sure who helped whom more.

The first few weeks I got to help a sweet girl with her journaling...one day she didn't capitalize "I".  I told her an easy way to remember to capitalize "I" was to remember that she was special.  "I'm NOT special!", she said.  "Sure you are," I said.  "No, NO I'm Not special!!"  "Well, I think YOU are SPECIAL!" I responded.  I cried on the way home that day.  1st grade, 1ST GRADE and already this little girl didn't think she was special!

Another day I went out to recess with them...they LOVED it when I did that!  One girl had fallen down and was standing with me as I made sure she was ok.  "My grandma got a black eye once.  Her boyfriend hit her"  Ok, how was I going to handle this one?!  I wasn't an employee of the school and no one had told me what I could or couldn't say, so....I proceeded to tell this little girl that we should never let anyone treat us like that.  We should never let anyone hit us.  Who knows...I may be the only one to ever tell this girl that it wasn't ok for our boyfriends to hit us!  I was not going to let this opportunity slip by!  For all I knew, I was going to get a call saying that the school had gotten a call from the grandmother that her granddaughter told her that Miss Terrie said it was NOT okay for her boyfriend to hit her.  I decided it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission!  LOL!!  Who knows what she told her grandmother?

About a month into my volunteering, I got sick and couldn't hear for almost 3 months.  One of the evenings I was at Wal-Mart with my son & husband...apparently one of the little boys saw me and called out to me several times!  I had no idea, but he told me the next time I saw him in class!!  With his hands on his little hips, "Miss TERrIe!  I saw you at Wal-Mart and you didn't say anything to ME!!"  "Well, Dear, did you remember that Miss Terrie can't hear?"  You could see the light bulb over his head..."Oh Yeah!  I forgot!"  "I promise you...I was NOT ignoring you!  I just couldn't hear you."  Too funny!!  I now look for the kids when I am out and about...would hate for that to happen again! :)

Today was 'T' day in first grade...they told the teacher that it should be Miss Terrie day!  They wrote me thank you cards!!  Did you know that "T" is also for tears?  These kids and their sweet words made me cry...  I will miss them so much!  They already asked the teacher if I would be back next year...she said if I am...she wants me.  "T" is also for tug-of-war!  It would be a hard pick...teacher or kids!

I have been so BLESSED by volunteering in this class!  Teacher - great....Kids - Great!  If I ever was having a bad Tuesday or Thursday...this class turned it around for me!


















Who wouldn't want to volunteer in the first grade?  Where else can you go and when you walk in the room you are mobbed?  Miss Terrie's here, Miss Terrie's here!!  I like your shirt today...you always dress so pretty.  Really?  Hugs when I get there...hugs as they go out to recess.  Wonder why I'm gong to miss it?

Two days left....they are excited for summer...me, not so much!

It Looks like I fit right in...

 I LOVE These Kids!!