This job of mine

I am not a mother.

I never thought I'd say those words at 35, but I'm not. 
It's ok.
I believe there is a plan and everything is for a reason.  I also believe it can still happen for me.
This really isn't the sole purpose for this post.

Today one of my students dislocated her elbow in a freak accident...while we were on a field trip to see a play at a high school ten minutes away.  Yeah....

This child was so strong and brave. She was in an unfamiliar place, with an unfamiliar nurse (who was excellent!), and hurt.  She didn't cry. During the ordeal, I held her while the nurse and the EMT's did their thing.  It was determined that she would need to go to Children's Hospital.   I was going with her.  I needed to go back to the auditorium  to get my purse and assured her I would be right back. This is the only time she did cry.

It hurt my heart. 

I also got yelled at by a high school teacher for running in the halls. (lol!) 

We rode the ambulance downtown with some excellent EMTs who kept things calm and chatted with her about books she read and what my classroom might look like if I wasn't there by the end of recess.

They decided a zoo.  I silently agreed. :)

After her parents got there and we switched roles, my principal picked me up and treated me to lunch, and I went back to school to her worried classmates to reassure them she was ok.

It's exhausting and emotional this job.

Tonight as I was reflecting on the day, it reminded me of the time in my early years teaching when I had a student cut his head open on a fence in the playground. He was a TOUGH kid both physically and emotionally. I used my outer shirt (I was wearing another underneath,don't worry) to help stop the bleeding.  I believe he got 13 stitches that day.  After that day, Eric also started opening up to me just a bit and treated me with a little more respect.

That same year another student, a tiny girl named Ashley, was choking on a piece of hard candy.  Truly choking. The kids were lining up for lunch and were loud as lining up for lunch seems to be. She purposely knocked over my desk supplies to get my attention and then collapsed. I had taken CPR/First Aid three years earlier. Somehow, I remembered the Heimlich and that piece of candy flew across the room.

I never believed when people said that you will know what to do if the time came. I also never believed the item being chocked on would fly that far.  It happens. Believe me. It does.

We went down to the office, the nurse checked her out, called her parents and she insisted she wanted to go to lunch because she was hungry. Finally, they allowed her to rejoin her class. I then broke down and cried. Hard.

Adrenaline is a crazy thing.

A few years ago, I had a boy break his arm at recess playing soccer. His parents has "highly important" jobs. Apparently, so important it took his dad two hours to get to school. Seriously?  His father walked in the door in his three piece suit and the first words out of his mouth were "You think your arm hurts,wait til you feel your backside."  It was one of those times I wanted to kick out teeth...multiple times. 

I'm not trying to toot my own horn.
Today's experience just solidified to me that teachers are more than just educators.
Teachers all over and everywhere do these things all the time.
We care for these kids.

We care. We hurt for these kids we are entrusted with. We want so badly for these kids to be ok. 
I think that's why it hits so hard when our jobs are attacked for whatever reason.

Being a teacher in Ohio holds a lot of uncertainty right now. I do not want to open up a debate about good teachers v. bad teachers or funding or Senate Bills because of course everything is relevant and there are exceptions. I will block all negative posts because this is my blog and I'm allowed to write what I want.  You don't have to like it.

It's still the job I would choose even though it's harder than h-e-double hockey sticks. ;)

Good Deed

Tonight I was running through my Google Blog Feed and came across this post on  I Am Momma,  Hear Me Roar.

The gist is to leave a note/word of kindness to a food service industry worker. You can read more about it here.
Cheri provides a good deed challenge each Wednesday on her blog. In a time of such worry and negativity, I think this is a cool thing.  This is going to be the first of her challenges I am going to complete.

I really think it's a simple, easy way to make someone's day brighter.... and who couldn't use that? Please share on Cheri's blog (and on mine) if and/or when you take the challenge. I'd love to hear about it.

Miracles At Play

One of my students had a such a cool opportunity to be one of the "Miracle Seven".  Alli lives with Cystic Fibrosis and has been under the care of Nationwide Children's Hospital since birth.  She is on this HUGE (like 4 stories huge!) 3D wall-scape in downtown Columbus as part of  the Miracles at Play campaign. 

Here's a Slide Show about the Making of the Wallscape and the day it was dedicated. Sweet Alli is the first picture!  http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/miracles-wallscape

Here is an EASY, PEASY way you could help raise funds for the Nationwide Children's Hospital. It's as easy as pressing "Like" on Facebook.  :)  Read below for more info.

For a Limited Time
Help Us Meet the "Challenge"

To Celebrate the launch of the Miracles at Play, Wolfe Associates Inc. is generously funding "The $100,000 Kick-off Challenge."

How it works:  Wolfe Associates, Inc. will donate $1 for each person who joins the Miracles at Play movement during this limited time, up to 100,000 people. If we're successful, the challenge will culminate in up to a $100,000 donation to the Nationwide Children's’ Hospital. There is no cost to sign-up or participate in the Miracles at Play Movement or the Kick-Off Challenge.

The $100,000 Miracle Kick-off Challenge could fund:

• 20,000 packages of diapers
• The toy room for almost 2 years
• 400 patients summer camp experience

How can you help?

• Join Today
• Help spread the word on Facebook and Twitter
• Make a Gift

Sketch Inspiration

My dear friend, Trisha, is the site owner of Sketch Inspiration.  She posts a new sketch each week week with a sponsor giveway each week as well.  She is selling a book in a sturdy 6 x 6 cardstock of all of last years sketches including 6 exclusive sketches.  The cost is only $14 and includes shipping in the US.  The book is the perfect size to have on hand and her sketches are easy and fun to use. Here are some layouts I've done using Sketch Inspiration Sketches

Please stop by and check out Sketch Inspiration and if you are interested in getting your own Sketch Inspiration Sketch book please email Trisha:  trishahill76@hotmail.com

Flowers, Cookies and Basketball

Starting growing this amaryllis several weeks ago.  It's been fun to see it go from a bulb that looks like it's not going to do anything, to a long green stalk that still won't do anything, to this beauty. 

Jen brought me cookies.  :)  So cute and delicious!

Joe and I went to UD (his alma mater) to visit and watch some b-ball.  

UD won in an exciting game against Duquesne.

On the couch today with some chest congestion.  

Hoping I can breathe without feeling like an elephant is sitting on my chest very soon.

Coolest Valentines Box

Check out my nephew's Valentines box for his card exchange tomorrow at school.  The eyes are mirrors and the nose a faucet.  The base is a Tide detergent box and some duct tape.  My sister tried to use things around the house. The cards go in near the slinky arm. I think it's awesome!  There are more views, but I only have this picture to share with you now.

Happy Valentine's Day!

T-Shirt Scarf

I'm a scarf girl.  Clueless on how to knit or crochet.

I came across a tutorial on how to make a scarf out of t-shirts and finished this one in about an hour!

T-Shirt scarf tutorial and examples can be found here and here.

 

Jack Frost Crop Today

It's an impromptu scrap booking crop over at Have Your Way With Paper today in honor of this winter weather!  Stop by!  Check out the challenge/game list here.

I've been playing with paper

For several months I didn't have any scrappy mojo.  It was gone.

Earlier this month I went to a crop and had a great time playing with paper again. 

Here are a few creations I've made recently.