THIS POEM IS DEDICATED TO MY SWEET DAUGHTER, AMY, WHO IS EXPECTING HER FIRST LITTLE TOT IN FEBRUARY!

There once was a teeny-tiny tot
Who would daily invade one particular spot,
Who lived in a land that was not too far
That nestled someplace under a twinkling star.

She looked to her left and peeked to her right
Then suddenly her eyes would shine ever so bright,
Slowly, but surely, she'd begin her climb
As she knew that it was the beginning time.

After a short while, she reached the top
And finally was able to make a pleasure stop,
There she had found her treasured goal
The sweet, tasty morsels within the sugar bowl.

(written in 1981)

LOVE can hurt or LOVE can heal
LOVE can make a young Texas heart feel,
LOVE can make an old Texas heart sing
LOVE can do most anything.
LOVE to some is just a game
LOVE can make a wild streak tame,
LOVE can be seen in a small child's smile
LOVE someone, it is truly worthwhile!
LOVE is trusting his every word
LOVE is the sound of a singing bird,
LOVE is the sparkle she gets in her eye
LOVE is a tear when saying good-bye.
LOVE is a gift that you should cherish
LOVE can be lost or forever perish,
LOVE can be soft or it can be hard
LOVE is as simple as giving a "Get Well" card.
LOVE is a Texas feeling that is deep within
LOVE is a wonderful time to begin,
LOVE makes you happy or it can make you cry
LOVE cannot find its way if you do not try.

Children learn in different ways and at different speeds. Just like adults, our brains are sometimes wired a little differently. Today was a great day here at school. I saw so much pride and so many smiles from our Kinders. They respond to kindness and compliments and especially patience from the adults around them. Each little step they take towards success just adds sparkles to their eyes and brilliance to their toothless smiles.

Today's journey left me with tears in my eyes and such a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart. One little boy for some reason went from gloom before lunch to a shining glow after lunch.

After he sounded out some words and then read them to me as I was working with him one on one, his little face was beaming and his eyes were so wide with the wonderment of his accomplishment. His excited voice said, "I'm beginning to learn!"

WOW! What a great statement and all afternoon after his great feat, he was just grinning from ear to ear and I kept having to wipe my tears of joy from my eyes.

People often ask me how I can stand working with children day in and day out for all of these years (21 to be exact). Wish they could have been walking in my shoes today, then they would know the answer to their question and never have to ask me again.

One day I wore a shirt to school that had a frog painted on it with the words, "Look Before You Leap." My students wanted to know what it said and I told them. Then I asked them if anyone knew what it meant. They all thought and then one little boy said he knew. "It means you have to be careful where you go to the bathroom!"

Another time I asked a student to write a sentence on the chalkboard. It was unreadable by the time he was finished and I asked him, "What did you write?" He looked at it for a few seconds then grinned at me and answered, "Oh, I wrote it in Spanish."

My oldest daughter came home from school one day and was telling us that they had talked about hobbies. My 3 year old twin daughters wanted to know, "What is a hobby?" So I explained it to them and they seemed satisfied with the answer. Then at the dinner table two weeks later, one of the twins piped up and said, "My hobby is swimming and Mommy's hobby is getting pregnant!" My poor husband had just put a spoonful of food in his mouth and almost choked. I really couldn't deny her statement, since I was sitting there, very pregnant with my fifth child.

Working with children is an adventure everyday. One of the things I learned one day is to be very careful what kind of shirt you wear. I liked one of my daughter's shirts, so decided to wear it. It had a lady's profile painted on it and for her eye was a red stone. What I didn't pay attention to was that the stone was positioned upon my chest area. One of the children poked the stone with their little finger and asked, "Is it real?"

I am truly blessed with so many extraordinary friends to share my joys and sorrows. I wrote this for one of my dear friends. I hope you like it.

I felt the touch
of your soul today
It echoed the kindness
you always display
The warmth it radiated
touched my heart's core
Giving me a feeling
of wanting much more
You knew my needs
and you sought out God
Along the prayer path
you tenderly trod
On my behalf
you bowed your head
Seeking God's source
in my stead
You quietly prayed
making a plea
That I once again
be heartache free
I want to thank you
for your kind way
Of dealing with problems
during our earthly stay
You are so unique
such a dear soul
I fervently pray
for His blessings to flow
Did you feel the gentle touch
upon your heart today?
I asked God to send it
in a loving, caring way.