"You Gave Me a Prize!"

Last Friday, most of the children were gone by the time I dropped off my key and picked up my time sheet in the office. When I stepped outside heading for my car, a little boy who was waiting to be picked up in front of the school jumped off a bench and stepped up to me. He was so tiny. He had dark brown skin with straight long black hair that trailed down his back. It was pulled into a low ponytail to keep out of his face. He looked up at me with his dark eyes that were a bit askew. He had to be a 1st grader, not only for his size, but I could see by his wide smile that he had all of his baby teeth glistening up at me.

He said, "Do you remember me?"

I didn't, but before I could react or quiz him about what class I had him in, he said, hoping for recognition, "You gave me a prize!"

My face lit up, "You must have been extra good because I don't give out prizes very often."

He told me how I had only given out two in his class that day. "You gave one to me because I was very quiet," he said.

"You need to remember that about me." I replied. "When I give instructions to students and I find most of them aren't following my directions, I start looking around the room to try and find someone who is."

"You gave me some clackers," he smiled again.

I wish now I had gotten down on one knee. He was straining his neck to look up at me and was so attentive and intent on listening to what I had to say. "It's nice to get a prize, but whether you receive a prize or not, you feel good inside when you do what your teacher asks you to do."

His face glowed in agreement. I was so proud of him. I said good-bye, me grinning from ear to ear, and then I was off to my car.

The class I had substituted that day was especially difficult, but I got through it. I don't think that little boy realized how his cheerful conversation made my day. I should have said to him, "You gave me a prize!"


“My dear brothers and sisters, may the laughter of children gladden our hearts. May the faith of children soothe our souls. May the love of children prompt our deeds. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Ps. 127:3.)”
Thomas S. Monson, “Precious Children—A Gift from God,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 70

Student of the Month

I have a friend, Teri Woolley, who shared this story with me. She was having one of those, not so good mother day's. You know, the kind where you are discouraged and beat yourself up over not being able to get it all done or do it right - been there, done that. She went on to say that she was crying when her little boy found her in the midst of discouragement. With great concern he asked his mother what was wrong. She replied through her blubbering tears, "I'm never going to be Mother of the Year!" As he patted her on the shoulder, he said sympathetically, "It's okay Mom, I'm never going to be Student of the Month."

I don't think I'm going be to be Mother of the Year either, but happy day, Sammy is Student of the Month! Hooray! I received a call from his teacher a few days ago making me aware of Sam's honor assembly today.

Hugh and I both filed into the assembly together and surprised Sam. We took pictures and complimented him on his achievement. I was so happy for Sammy and he was pleased about it too. What a nice way to top off his school year.

Ms. Munoz (Sam's teacher) and Sam at the awards ceremony

"There is a brilliant child

locked inside every student."

Marva Collins

My Mother's Day

I got my happy Mother's Day phone call from Elder Blair at our arranged time of 6 a.m. on Sunday. We had 40 minutes of asking questions, sharing, and just plain saying, "It's great to talk to you!"

I also received a Mother's Day gift from Tommy earlier in the week. I was so pleased. It's a shadow box with a white shirt and tie with the pocket stuffed with all the things Elder Blair keeps in his pocket as a missionary.

A piece of Elder Blair

I certainly had other gifts and well wishes on Mother's Day, but Tommy's call and gift were definite highlights for the entire family.

"Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them." Alma 57:21

Traditional Girl

GRATEFUL FOR STANDARDS

Janna has a friend, a foreign exchange student from Belgium. He grades the papers in her French class. The other day he wrote on her paper, Traditional Girl and illustrated a smiley face. She wasn't sure what to make of Traditional Girl, so she asked him about it. His response was, "You know, Traditional Girl." He's learning english and sometimes in his attempt to communicate things gets lost in translation. Anyway, Janna came home and told me about it and wondered what I thought. I told her, "I think he's saying a traditional girl is a girl with standards." In spite of my immediate reaction, Janna still isn't sure what to think of her friend's statement.

I tell this story in conjuction with Janna's prom events. She attended the Lancaster High School prom with some friends when I was visiting in Arizona and then last night she went to what we refer to as the "Mormon Prom". She wore the same dress to both events and looked lovely as the Traditional Girl.

Emily and Janna ready for the prom.

Holy Fusion of Color, Batman!

Yes, even superheroes stop in their tracks in amazement to do a double take of the color that reigns in front of our home. Well, at least I was amazed. My garden was blooming when I left for Arizona, but I was so surprised at what I viewed when our car pulled up in front of our house after a week long hiatus. The flowers were bursting with color, especially the roses. What can I say, "It's spring!" Many of the blooms were far spent. I obviously needed to do some clipping and pulling off old blooms. It's so difficult to cut back all that color, but really that's what needs to done to keep the flowers coming.

I've always loved this Primary song. It isn't in the current Children's Songbook. I remember singing it when I was young. Knowing both verses is important in understanding the message. It's a song I remember well and I still sing it to myself usually in medley with, My Heavenly Father Loves Me.

I Have a Garden
by Maryhale Woolsey
"Sing With Me" G-18

I have a garden, a lovely garden,
With flowers blossoming ever fair;
Where sun shines brightly and rain falls lightly,
And breezes gather sweet fragrance there.
Songbirds come singing out of the sky;
Butterflies winging, hovering by;
And in my garden, my lovely garden,
There's always beauty to greet the eye.

I have a garden, a secret garden,
Where thot's like flowers grow day by day;
'Tis I must chose them, and tend and use them,
And cast all wrong one like weeds away.
Goodness and love are seeds that I sow;
God up above will help me I know,
To keep my garden, my heart's own garden
A place where beauty will always grow.

If ever there was an affirmation, I hope that my blooming garden will be a reminder of what my thoughts and heart should be.

Also, Sammy received his YELLOW belt today. Congratulations!

And, It's Billy's B-day. Happy 29th Bub!

Move Over Susan Boyle

I've blogged about my niece, Janet, before (The Next American Idol). She's graduating from high school this year and moving on to BYU-Idaho in the fall. We saw Janet perform last January in an incredible high school performance of Les Miserables, but I didn't have a video to share then. This is a bit distorted, but her talent still shines through. Best Wishes Janet!

"As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices,

by making the most of the talents we've been given."

Mary Lou Retton

Ryan Mae

Grandma and Ryan

Ryan looking really cute.

I had the rare opportunity of being with my granddaughter for an entire week. Bill and Chelsea were there too. The point of my trip was to help with babysitting. Chelsea is finishing up her last six weeks of teaching 1st grade. She already had 2 weeks behind her when I showed up. I was in Arizona April 25th through May 2nd.

It was such a pleasure tending to Ryan. I had a nice visit, but everyone missed me at home. I definitely had to get back to my Lancaster agenda. Besides caring for Ryan I exercised, which I hope to continue. I haven't been as consistent as I should since I started working. I also did a little cooking for Bill and Chelsea and took advantage of the opportunity to do some reading.

Grandma

~ Author: Unknown

Grandmas are for stories about things of long ago.

Grandmas are for caring about all the things you know.

Grandmas are for rocking you and singing you to sleep.

Grandmas are for giving you nice memories to keep.

Grandmas are for knowing all the things you're dreaming of...

But, the most important thing of all,

Grandmas are for love.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

I was substituting Friday when another teacher came into my classroom. I knew who she was because I remembered substituting for her the month before. She didn't see me at first, so I made a point to say hello. She immediately recognized me and told me that the children she works with liked me as their substitute. I was pleased, but I also thought it was interesting when she said, "The children said you were . . . PEACEFUL." I could tell by the way she said it, that she thought peaceful was an interesting description for a substitute. I was a bit surprised too, it was in that classroom a little boy said I was abusing him. I'm grateful that the children felt peace in spite of that disturbing interaction.

"While those around us may not choose to taste the sweetness and peace of the fulness of the restored gospel for themselves, surely they will be blessed by seeing it in our lives and feeling the peace of the gospel in our presence. The message of peace will grow and expand through our example." - M. Russell Ballard, “The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom,” Ensign, May 2002, 87

The Last Pinewood Derby

Sam and Hugh at the final event.

It was a fun evening and the end of an era for our family. Sam raced his last pinewood derby car at pack meeting tonight. He was good at being the best of sports. He was sure his car was getting faster as the evening wore on. His theory is the graphite takes a while to circulate around the wheels. I told him he needs to remember that tip when his son participates in a pinewood derby.

The Magic Wolf

Children are one third of our population
and all of our future.
~Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981

Janna and Jake

Janna celebrated her birthday with the requested dinner of lasagna, tossed salad, and crusty bread. We also had cake and ice cream. Too bad the working mom didn't go the homemade route, I was even home today. I ended up serving store bought lasagna and cake in the interest of time, YUCK! In spite of the food downfall there were a few highlights, like the Peruvian hat Jake gave Janna. She's 17 years old today.

"...Happy Birthday Dear Janna..."

It's also our last meal with Jake before he leaves to see Cassie tonight. He's going to Disneyland tomorrow and then heading to Provo on Wednesday. We're glad he came to visit and stayed for Janna's birthday.

"Miss you."

"It was fun!"

“The great gift of family life

is to be intimately acquainted with people

you might never even introduce yourself to,

had life not done it for you."

Kendall Hailey

JAKE'S HELPING HANDS

Jake, my nephew, my sister Beth's son, pulled in late last Sunday night. He's essentially homeless until April 25th, that's when his BYU housing becomes available. He decided to take the opportunity to come our way and spend some time with us and visit Grandma and Poppy.

We've been busy with everyday living and haven't spent a lot of time entertaining Jake. He blended right into our family routine. He just finished a semester in Peru and had some assignments to finish up. He's been puttering around the house trying to keep things in order for me, doing the dishes and such. I really appreciated it because I've been working, same with Hugh, and Janna has been gone with school and musical rehearsals. Becky and Sam have been sick all week, but they're on the mend. Anyway, I was grateful for his help during our busy week and he made a point to be particularly attentive to his grandparents.

One of the activities Jake participated in was a service project for the city of Lancaster. Members of the Church from all three stakes in the Antelope Valley joined together, Saturday, April 18th from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, picking up trash in the Amargosa Creek bed.

Getting ready to get to work.

Jake, Hugh, and Janna

in their Mormon Helping Hands vests.

Getting the job done.

"Service makes us strong in our faith and useful in His kingdom. Service gives us purpose and courage in life. It brings us closer to God and helps us refine our divine nature. It teaches us to love and understand our fellowmen, and it helps us forget about our personal desires, eliminating selfishness, pride, and ingratitude. It teaches us to think of the needs of others, which allows us to develop the virtues that the Savior possesses.

"Kindness, love, patience, understanding, and unity will increase as we serve, while intolerance, jealousy, envy, greed, and selfishness decrease or disappear. The more we give of ourselves, the more our capacity to serve, understand, and love will grow.

Carlos H. Amado,

"Service, a Divine Quality," Ensign, May 2008, 36-37

SURPRISE FROM TEXAS

Tommy worked for Steven's Construction before he went on his mission. Cindy, the secretary for Steven's, and her husband are both originally from Texas. They recently made a trip home, sadly for a funeral, but happily they rendezvoused with Tommy. Elder Blair and his companion, Elder Fiefia, were able to make arrangements to have lunch with our Lancaster friends. They met last Monday. We're so grateful to Cindy for sharing these pictures and giving us a firsthand report.

Chris & Cindy picked up Elders Blair and Fiefia for sushi. Afterwards, they came back to their apartment complex, took some pictures, read the scriptures, and shared testimonies.

They also sang - Elder Fiefia on the guitar and "what a voice!"

Cindy also said Tommy looked great. They got to hear about some of the experiences he has had serving as a missionary.

Tommy is loving Texas and doing well! We pray everyday for him, Elder Fiefia, Sister Kate Reynders, and all the missionaries every where. We pray for their safety. We pray they will serve valiantly, and we pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ will go forth throughout the world.

"And I saw another angel

fly in the midst of heaven,

having the everlasting gospel

to preach unto them

that dwell on the earth,

and to every nation, and kindred,

and tongue, and people"

Revelation 14:6

EASTER GREETINGS!

This little girl makes me think of my Cassie as a child. She came to visit this weekend with her children. We went to the Ercek's Annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday morning. We decorated Easter eggs, cut hair, and watched movies.

We had our own Easter egg hunt Sunday morning. Hughie spoke at Church. Later we had our Easter dinner. We've talked and spent time together. Cassie left last night. I'd say we had a very busy and fulfilling Easter weekend. It was nice.

Janna with our visiting Cassie.

Janna holding Ammon with his new haircut.

Sammy with his three nephews,

on the hunt for Easter eggs and treasure.

Our Real Treasure

He is risen! He is risen!

Tell it out with joyful voice.
He has burst his three days' prison;

Let the whole wide earth rejoice.

Death is conquered; man is free.

Christ has won the victory.

Cecil Frances Alexander (1818 - 1845)

Did I say "HATE"?

Subbing has been good, but this week really didn't start out very promising. It seems like I've been sick ever so long. Spring is that time of year when my allergies become so unbearable. At times I can hardly talk let alone sing. I use to just hunker down in my house and try and cope with my condition, but I'm employed now - exposed to the public. I take lots of medication trying to keep the weirdness at bay, but I still find myself overwhelmed by pollen.

I get discouraged when I'm like this. I woke up Monday morning and dragged myself out of bed to get ready for work. Later Hugh was sitting at our dining room table reading a magazine while eating breakfast. As I prepared to leave, I stood in front of him mournfully. I did not want to go to work. I took a big breath and let out a sigh. With my head bowed I quietly said, "I hate subbing." He looked up at me wide-eyed and said, "You don't have to do this, you know?" I shook my head. I did know. I told him that it wasn't that I "hated" subbing. I don't really hate anything (except . . . maybe split pea soup). It's just that when my sinuses get so hampered and I'm so miserable that it's hard to keep upbeat functioning through the daily rigors of a classroom let alone life. Ugh!

You're probably wondering why I'd even go to work feeling so terrible. What you don't know is that I am the Allergy Queen. I always have a sinus issue! The debate is - how bad am I today?

It was a second grade class I would be facing for the next two days. I already had them once the week before. I wasn't feeling good then either so I was by no means excited or motivated about the coming prospects of the week. Anyway, as my workday began I wasn't greeted by the usual school secretary, but one of the office clerks who was filling in. I introduced myself and told her what class I was taking for the day. She talked in a confident happy tone, as if she didn't need an introduction to me, "I know who you are," she said. "You're the Singing Sub." I was surprised at her declaration. I had never heard of such a thing. A smile came across my face as I thought and wondered about the accuracy of the statement. In conclusion I verbalized my agreement and said, "You know, I guess I am the 'Singing Sub'." I took my key and walked to class. Even though I had been trounced by an allergy barrage, becoming aware of my new designation lifted my burden. My countenance became a little brighter and my step a little lighter. What can I say, "I love substituting!"

"He who sings frightens away his ills."

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra