For the Fans of Ashton from Last year.....

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

You may remember "Ashton", my little challenge from last year's kindergarten class. I just copied the blog I wrote about her, coincidentally (or maybe not) exactly a year ago and pasted it at the bottom of this blog. (can't figure out how to make a link) She was a challenge and a half all year. I loved her to death, and to be honest, also breathed a little easier, when she joined the Early Childhood developmental delay group, and was only with me in the mornings for the last half of the year.

But, in May, this May, 5 months ago, her adoptive mom started not to feel so well. By the end of the year she looked terrible. She died of colon cancer this summer I learned when I returned to school in the fall. Mom was in her late 40s, a military retiree, and adoptive mom of Ashton, her now 5 year old sister and her now 7 year old sister and 9 year old brother. The kids all born drug exposed and the younger two having never lived a day with their bio mom. Mom also had a biological daughter who was in high school. Mom's sister who is on dialysis due to her diabetes also has a daughter who attends our school. She is physically unable to take Ashton and her siblings... but her daughter still goes to "my" school.

But, not my poor Ashton and her siblings... they are currently living with a 23 year old cousin, who, it seems took them on to get the house they lived in. Then quickly realized that Ashton, and her siblings ( read on to remember what a handful she was.. and her sibs are very similar) were too much for her. Cousin has cut of most communication with the kids' aunt and put them in a new school until the younger 4 can be collected by Mom's other sister from Maryland, and the teenager can be collected by Uncle from California.

I saw Ashton's Aunt for the first time this school year on Tuesday. I was on my way to the funeral parlor for a colleague's mom and rushing through the parking lot, so rather than offer my sympathies, I jumped in my car. Someone had other plans for me, though, because I soon realized I had forgotten my purse in my classroom. I ran back again ( finally some exercise) to get it. and could not allow myself to walk by her parked car twice. So I walked over and offered my sympathies. She updated me and my heart broke for those poor babies. Bereft of a mom twice in their young lives.

Do please keep Ashton and her siblings in your thoughts/prayers now and forward if ever I knew someone who needed them it is those poor kiddos.

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Below is the blog I wrote a year ago... when her shoes mattered!



Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Okay, time for a new kindergarten class, and the first story of the 2011-2012 school year.

My new "project of heart" is "Ashton". Ashton is 5, born on St. Patrick's Day (already on her way to my heart) to a crack addicted mother, and the youngest of 5 kids now ages 5-12 all of whom have been recently adopted by a loving but understandably overwhelmed new mom.

To say Ashton is busy is an understatement. She is everywhere, in everyone's business, helping everyone, eating everyone's food, looking in their backpacks, trying on their hats. Ashton can not under any circumstances sit still. She is quiet and quick. Ashton is a lot of work.

Ashton also has a lot of love to give, and doesn't hold a grudge. You can correct her, consequence her, speak harshly, and 5 minutes later she is telling you you much she loves you and favoring you with a brilliant sincere smile and a big hug.

Ashton does not like shoes. She takes them off and/or unties them literally 20 time a day. Or at least until yesterday. Ashton and her shoelaces were driving me crazy. All the other things were annoying at times, but the shoes, for some reason (because she was doing it on purpose to get my attention and my back was aching anyway.) were my nemesis.

When I returned from a lunch outing last Monday, Ashton greeted me with a huge hug, smile and one shoe on. She was due to be picked up for her learning support in 5 minutes. I asked, "Ashton, where is your other shoe?" She pointed outside our playground door. I looked at the lunchmom. She shrugged her shoulders and reported, " I took two kids out and looked all over, we can't find it." So off Ashton went for the afternoon like "Diddle Diddle Dumpling , My Son John." (but she went to CLASS with one shoe on.) I took the rest of the class to an unscheduled recess at about 2:15pm and one of the kids found it! But, I was DONE with Ashton and her shoes. .. and I made....


THE SHOE RULE
It goes like this... I will tie your shoes when they need to be tied, but if you untie them, or take them off I get your shoes for the rest of the day. This is a real "bummer" especially if we are scheduled to go to gym or play outside.

On Tuesday Ashton went home sick... before 10am.

On Wednesday, I didn't see a lot of shoe action until we went out for recess. She was on a climber and her shoe fell off. She didn't stop, she didn't ask for help, she just kept on going. Thankfully I was right near her, and called her with her shoe in my hand. She smiled , put her foot out (for me to put the shoe on,) and said "thank you". I said, no, sorry. Give me your other shoe. And she watched everyone else play for 10 minutes. She was really surprised when she didn't get her shoe back for the rest of the afternoon.

On Thursday, she took her shoe off before 9 am. She really needed those recesses that she watched ( shoeless from the porch, again).

On Friday, she made a real effort, the shoes stayed on until 1:30. Then she took one off. She looked at me, smiled, then remembered, and tried to hide it really quick. I said, you know the rule and she handed me the shoe.

But, guess what? Her shoes stayed on all day yesterday, and all day today. They were even untied for about 10 minutes today (didn't want to stress her too long) without coming off.

So, here's the ahaa moment after that long story....

I need to be more like Ashton. I am getting in shape, I tried it my way, with a smile on my face, I tried it half way, I tried hiding. But, I just gotta realize that the rules are the rules. Calories in equal pounds on, and working out more helps, but it's not a free pass to eat.

It's time to tie up my shoes and keep 'em on til I get "home".

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Was that 12 days ago that I had a plan?

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

hey all
I am back in the saddle. Got kicked in the behind by a weird virus.
Very tired, felt feverish, but there was not. Some sniffles, lots of aches then cough. I am sure it was a combination of stuff the girls had, stuff the kindergarteners had and the fact that I had been so stressed that I didn't fight it off like I usually do. Didn't miss any work, but did nothing but work for a solid week.

At any rate, today was the new day 1.
I ate right.
We went for an hour long fall family walk. (my favorite kind0
I am now settling in to help with homework and watch the debates. (I am a political junkie.)

Hope all is well with y'all.

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Oh where, Oh where has my little blog gone?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I wrote a blog last week about my current exercise plan.
In it I mentioned
Logging exercise.
Logging food
And....
Taking a suppliment I had researched and want to try.
It was up and received two comments in a matter of moments. Then it disappeared.
I do not have the time or the energy to investigate what happened. Could be an accidental deletion... complaint about my mentioning of a specific auppliment. Cosmic editing. Don't know... not important.
Though annoying

Currently I am resting in bed (at the unheard of hour of 7:30 pm)u

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Joy

Friday, September 14, 2012

That my friends is the word of this day. I am breathing easier, smiling more, more patient have a better sense of humor. Everything is just"more". Very odd how you can roll along think you are "fine". And on many levels I was "fine"Just not "good". The best I can equate it to is the times I've had pneumonia and not realized how exhausted I was until I wasn't anymore.

So, blessed blessed me that I am usually so healthy and strong that this was so foreign to me. So many, many people live with challenges every day with such great attitudes inward and outward. I strive for that while at the same time hoping and praying I don't need to. If that makes sense.

It is difficult to explain how much I feel I was guided back here...to Spark! I was needing to get back "on the wagon" and went back where I knew I had something "just for me" as opposed to my supermom/wife/teacher persona who tries to be all things to all people.

You can call it karma, intuition, coincidence, luck... us catholics would call it "the Holy Spirit". I was guided back to a safe harbor, I already knew, where I had love and support and didn't have to feel bad about asking for it or or worrying you all. Not that you weren't worried for me, but that that's what we do for each other.

So thank you , thank you, as I said previously, I could feel your thoughts and prayers at times like a protective cloak, and I believe that you (and the many in my 3D life who were holding me up) were not to be ignored!

Peace Out my friends...

Next week back to the scale and the tracking, but for now it's celebrate life paloza weekend, as well as my DH's 52 birthday.

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BENIGN

Thursday, September 13, 2012

That my friends is the word of the day. I have no more for you now... but to thank you for the thoughts and prayers....
Be back tomorrow. Must celebrate.

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