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.

I noticed I'm really getting negative, and I don't want to do that too often, so here is some positive I hope you enjoy.

The little girl asked with a tear in her eye
"Where is the sunshine that was up in the sky?"
Mama answered with an encouraging smile
"Only God knows the answer my child
God has a plan and I know for sure
Please don't feel sad, He'll send the right cure."
Suddenly the little girl giggled out loud
As a cooling breeze blew away the darkened cloud
There in its place appeared a rainbow so bright
It was truly an incredible, heart-warming sight
A promise God made a long time ago
Decorated the Texas sky with a colorful glow
"Mama," she said, "God is painting the sky!"
Then the little girl pointed to the rainbow so high
Mama whispered, "God has special brushes to make it so large
The rainbow helps us remember Who is always in charge."
The little girl reached out to take Mama's hand
As the sunshine began to cover this Texas land
"Mama always knows," the little girl thought with love
As they walked hand in hand, enjoying the rainbow above

Thanks Rosy for your comment on my blog about CHRISTMAS SHOPPING. I was just wondering if people in other countries get as crazy as they get here. Shame they are missing the point completely. I was listening to a radio station yesterday morning and they mentioned the news reports on the stampede of people and they were laughing about it. I can see the humor in it, but the negative feelings I have about it outweighs that. I have two daughters who are expecting and I actually said a prayer thanking God that the ones who were knocked down and walked on were not expecting. As it was someone did get hurt. I put a lot of blame on the stores themselves for creating the situation. They know what is going to happen and should have some kind of security outside, allowing only so many people at a time to come in. A lot like the Kindergartners at school. We tell them to line up in one or two lines and to get in control of themselves before we allow them to come in. Plus they are to walk, not run, and to not push. Ironic isn't it? Adults expect children to behave like adults should be behaving and there are the adults out there, behaving like Kindergartners. It's a lot like teachers expecting respect out of the kids, but some teachers show no respect to the children or adults for that matter. And then people wonder what is wrong with the kids of today!

Witnessed by these walls of Texas past
Living memories that will forever last,
We view what looks like nothing more
Than a sagging roof and a rotting floor.
A splintered door, shattered window panes
Faded tattered curtains wearing water stains,
Colorless visions of what used to be
Whispering voices spiral around the old oak tree.
The presence of long forgotten laughter is heard
Chorused by yesteryear's mockingbird,
Whispers of sorrow join in on the song
Children of Texas past forgot where they belong.
Alone and unloved this Texas home seems
Its purpose not finished, this house with rotten beams,
As it sits all alone, absence of care
Stripped of its contents, left lonely and bare.
Lingering memories of hopes and fears
Have continued to reside throughout the years,
Suddenly there's a stillness all around
Then a gentle voice is heard along with a creaking sound.
"Come my dear children, crawl upon Grandpa's lap
I'll tell you a story," as he adjusts the little boy's cap,
As the Texas night breeze gently rocks the old chair
The little girl's grandpa brushes back her tousled hair.
Now all is quiet around the house of Texas past
It revealed its purpose, the children are home at last,
The voices were happy, giving a secure feeling of right
As we travel on by, through the cooling Texas night.