Renovation Update

Frustration. Patience. Amazing amounts of dust. Excitement but wait, wait, wait, wait. My mantra, "Its going to be so great!" But Scott and I admit to each other frequently, "I don't know how much more of this I can take." We can't do a thing about the dust because there is so much dust to come that it is pointless to change the furnace filter or try to dust. So many broken promises. Like this week, "By next week we'll spray the ceilings and sand the walls and you'll be ready to paint" then a text that Rex had to go to a fire and that puts us back a day which is three days for Rex due to his job. Then I found out that it was a friend of mine's new house that burned, two weeks before their move in date. Unbelievably difficult after all the work that had to go into it. My heart just hurts for them. It really puts all this into perspective. Its an exercise in gratitude. It really is going to be so great! The dogs are starting to get that they aren't supposed to go into the new room to pee. The sheet rock and openings to the new room look so awesome! This place is going to be a castle! I am so excited and have tons of ideas for decorating (but no money and it is overwhelming). As I type, my computer keyboard is filled with dust. Scott is sitting here dusting off his screen repeatedly but the dust just settles back down. And we cough and cough. The dogs smell like dust bowls. The new bathroom and closet are dust filled. The new entertainment system is covered with plastic which is a joke because it, too is dust covered. All the things on every shelf will need to be dusted in great details. Enough. Enough. But its going to be so great, right??????

Amazing Week

God is good. This was a very hard week but God was there and all the outcomes were good. We had tons of stressful things and some super fun things yesterday at work. We had to move one young lady to the Therapeutic Learning Classroom because of her anxiety and acting out because we just don't have any ideas left and she just resorts to refusals and tantrums. It is so hard. Another young man created a lot of stressful meetings, conversations and emails over the last few weeks also. Staff conflict and issues are the hardest part of my job. On Thursday it was my big idea to mediate three kids in the TLC room who are gang members and are all mad at each other which has been going on all year and causing lots of office referrals and suspensions. God laid it on me to attempt the mediation and so I had to lay down serious ground rules and had b www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYfv6BO5Whc ack up in case it flopped but it miraculously went really well and the kids have been much calmer since. These are kids who have heavy court involvement, etc...really a God thing that it went well. I hope it makes a huge difference but that is up to the kids.

On top of all this, I was fighting off a cold all week so though I didn't have supervision except on Wednesday, I also didn't go work out after Monday. This was huge for me. I got as much rest as I could and piled on the emergenC and fought the cold off for the most part. Nancy was gone Thursday and Friday so I picked up some extra stress including pregnancy rumors and drama. Middle School. Ugh.

Then yesterday we had the performance of the thriller dance for the kids to pump them up for State Assessments. I think it is one of the funnest things we've ever done at EMS. It was a lot of hard work, extra practices before and after school, even practicing at home. It turned out well (pics and video on my facebook page but I will put the link on here also. My mind went blank so I was copying the gal in front of me for much of it but it turned out well. The kids loved it--screamed and gave a standing ovation, lots of applause. Putting on the makeup and walking around school afterward as a zombie was pretty fun too.

Last night I picked up Adelle and we got some food then came to the house to eat then walked up to the high school to watch the girls basketball game. Adelle has three close friends on the team so we'd made them some posters. She held up the posters whenever they'd get the ball and kept switching them out rapidly. She has sooooo many friends that came to talk to her because she is such a happy, friendly girl. She loves writing on people's facebook walls. The game was tons of fun and we laughed and sang to loud music in the car, also, which is always fun. It is so cool to be a blessing to someone else but the blessings that come back my way are huge too.

So that leaves an entire free weekend to nurse my cold and get done all the things I dream about doing during the week that I can't do. But I will need to rest up for yet another stressful week at work ahead. Spring Break--I'm ready for you!

Saturdays and a Crazy Week

Wow, this was a crazy week. Lots of stress at work and worked Parent/Teacher Conferences until 7 on Monday and Wednesday nights. Usually I get tons done during conferences but I have been so crazy busy at work that it didn't work out that way. I am also doing clinical supervision outside of work hours so I did that on Tuesday night and Thursday after work. Then Friday morning I took the KAY kids to a conference at Anthony Middle School. So I worked over 50 hours this week. Yesterday afternoon I took two naps and ran some errands then Scott and I and Jon drove to Olathe to eat with the fam for Jeannie's 75th birthday. I always pig out at Aberdeen--I think the food is fabulous. We surprised Jean and got to spend time with them and the entire Griffith clan, always a huge treat PLUS I got to meet Landon for the first time! He is amazingly cute and good and quiet! Liam is adorable, too, at 9 months and crawling! He is going to walk early. And an extra surprise--my Mom was there! I love to see her and am so looking forward to our trip in March.

So we got home and I crashed right away. I woke up at 9:15 and probably could have slept longer but my body was aching and the doggies were getting restless. The house is perfectly quiet and sun is streaming through the windows. It is finally much warmer in here since they put the insulation in all the walls. Yesterday they put the sheetrock in most of the new room. Monday they will put up the remaining sheetrock including the diningroom and kitchen. This is a very dusty, messy process so I am not doing any cleaning for a few weeks at all! Next week they will need to mud and sand (repeated about 3 times) and dust will be everywhere! We have TONS of painting to do after that--a bunch of trim, the new room, the kitchen and diningroom. And then Rex will put in the front door insert and we will have to move out for a few days while he insulates and sheetrocks thebedroom and has a crew completely sand and refinish all the floors and steps. That will complete the renovation for now as we will need to wait to have the deck put on, the outside parts repaired, and the front steps repaired--until Spring. Rex estimates that this part of the renovation will be done within a month! I will believe this when I see it. Oh, he'll also have to repair the large hole in the livingroom caused by a big clumsy foot in the attic. I am not sure, but I think that involves putting new "stuff" on the entire livingroom/foyer ceiling. Then when this thing is done and we move back in, literally every single surface and every single item will need to be thoroughly dusted and cleaned. A huge job.

More updates--Scott is doing fine in the class that he was so stressed about, of course, but with his high school soccer season looming, he has decided to stretch his program out until next December. Much more realistic. Besides, the drama of a new season has already begun. You'd have to be a coach or be married to one to know. There is no such thing as coaching without drama.

By the way, Scott is super fun. We laughed and sang all the way home from Olathe in the car last night. I would love to know what Jon was thinking. He wasn't feeling well and dozed for much of the ride but Scott was playing random songs, mostly old, some country, some strange. I enjoyed this very much. I hadn't spent a whole lot of time with him this week!

I miss my babies and hope I get to speak to each one this weekend! I have more errands to run and things to do for Homestead. We are also learning a dance routine at work to Thriller (I will leave out details just in case as it is top secret) so I need to work on that.

And oh, this is funny, but I'm going to try it. A friend of mine is spending money on this wrap thing that is supposed to make your body shed toxins in certain places and make you lose inches. I refuse to spend money on that so I am going to wrap my tummy and thighs with saran wrap and work out then sit in the sauna. I'll measure before and after and let you know!

Have a great day! Text or facebook us ideas for paint colors for the new room! We are thinking maybe a lighter shade of what we put in the hallway.... what do you think?

God

I don't blog about God much which is totally weird since I don't have any other part of my life segregated out--He is part of everything I do--my social work, everything! I learn so much about God and His greatness every single day and this week He has revealed Himself anew to me again in mighty, mighty ways. I have been a Christian for 28 years and I discover that there is no end to God and my need for Him. So this week, the FCA thing. I get stuck in ruts and it is hard to get me to change. We've done FCA in the mornings for 9 years. The last several years it just hasn't gone well, we can't get the numbers. There is now no reason to do it in the mornings since we don't have any coaches involved. So I let go and agree to try an after school FCA event. I talk it up and advertise it in all the usual ways, line up worship and the speaker and the details, and three kids sign up. Ok, have to trust God. The day before the event, 4 kids are signed up. So God says to put it on facebook. I do that. I get more prayer cover. At 11 pm the night before, the speaker texts me that his daughter is sick and he isn't sure if he can make it. I just have to trust and I manage to sleep like a baby. When I get up in the morning and have morning FCA, I am feeling incredibly discouraged. We pray, I do Spiritual battle in my mind all day long. I keep checking the list and there are more and more kids signing up. By lunchtime there are 10. I buy more pop. By 2 there are 15 signed up. Oh, I forgot to add that on Monday, I had put an open invitation to all the staff to come, too! So I keep busy doing social work and arrange for a guy to go get the pizza since I'm paying out of pocket. He shows up at 240 saying they wouldn't take a check. I talk him into going back even though he's supposed to be back to do after school supervision. I hear nothing from Jon. I cannot doubt that he's remembered and that he will find us. At 2:50 Jon texts me he's at the back door. Excellent. At 3 I walk into the room and it is swarming with kids! We get Jon set up and the powerpoint (which I haven't had time to check on) and the speaker walks in. It is gravy from there--Jon not only leads the kids in excellent worship, but he connects with them. He teaches them what worship is. He gets a student to pray! I pray and I feel so filled with the Holy Spirit. Then Ben has all the kids sit on the floor and he tells them a wonderful story from the Bible and they are enthralled. I pray again. Then we all fellowship joyfully and eat the pizza (there was just enough pop, pizza and cookies). All a lesson in trust and patience.

Also this week, I had two conflicts with a staff member that I've struggled with for two years--one conflict on top of another. Because of the incredibly difficult, hurting kids we work with, we have to work closely together, cooperating, collaborating, communicating, problem solving literally all day long. And I am bone tired and frustrated with her. I am feeling done. I really am thinking things like how can I get her fired. But I keep praying. I keep doing the healthy and right thing (for the most part). Nancy tells me to stand up for myself as the staff member calls me out in front of my peers one day, and makes me look like an ass in front of staff and a parent at an IEP meeting. I cannot tell you how done I was with this. Greg sees how downtrodden I look and asks me. I don't want to tell him but I tell him. He tells me maybe I've done something. I feel totally unsupported and do not want to hear this. It makes me angry at him. He comes to me later and tells me that he wants to pray with me. He prays that I will humble myself and stay in listening mode (I've already sent an email to set up a meeting to work this out with her). I do NOT want to do this. But I have done it again and again with God's help so I stay in prayer all day long. In she comes at 2:00 and we have an amazing talk. Usually my stomach is churning but it wasn't. God gave me the words to express what I needed to and she heard me. He gave me the ears to hear what she needed to say and I heard her. I humbled myself and realized that while she was assuming negative intent all week with me, I was also doing this with her. There is absolutely no way on this earth, using the world's wisdom, that this would have worked out. I think we both left that meeting feeling good and having healed our relationship. I know we did because we had to jump right into the fire together all the next day and the next with the kids. I'm talking about incredibly frustrating, stressful stuff that these kids put us through that can rip apart any collaboration and communication in an instant. But God held it together.

And today I was just journaling that God has bugged me all week that I need to go see my Dad. I have a to do list a mile long, need to get Adelle, have a Homestead meeting, don't see any way possible. I wake up early this morning and realize, when I stay in God's will in planning my day, He will multiply my time. He's done it again and again and again.

Read all about God and everything that He can do for you in Psalm 119. Every single thing I went through this week is specifically written about in there. :)

Reno update

Well, it still seems like there is tons to do on this renovation but there has been a flurry of activity and lots getting accomplished. I will take you on a visual tour with words. The front step is not done and in fact, has now broken off so it is a hazard. The front door insert not done. The front outside of the window and the siding near the new window still not repaired. The floors not refinished. The new room is looking good--lots of progress--it is done on the outside--siding and roof and shingles and windows and doors. (Funny story to insert here--this morning at 7 am, still dark, I know that the new sliding door on the addition does not have a lock installed and that the back room has a bunch of the contractor's equipment in it. So I'm getting ready to leave for work and I hear a noise out in the addition. Then I hear footsteps! I freak out and run as fast as I can down the hall to Scott, who is sound asleep, and I throw open the door and whisper loudly, "There is someone in the new addition!" He calmly turns over and says, "Its the electrician." Geez. I about had a heart attack.) So also in the new room, the closet has been framed in. The electricity has been put in and the heating and air condition unit has been installed in the attic. This will be awesome and supply more heat to our bedroom and also more air conditioning to the rooms upstairs! A bummer side note, though, one of the electricians stepped through the attic floor so now the livingroom ceiling will have to be repaired. The openings for the french doors into the new room have been cut and prepared for the doors to be installed. I got to see one of the openings the other day (they put plyboard up at the end of the work days). It looks amazing! So the bank of windows from the back of the livingroom has been moved and installed to the back of the dining room. They look so fantastic! It makes the room really bright and open and makes it seem bigger! No new progress in the kitchen or in the bedroom although I did install more contact paper that looks like etched glass in the bathroom for privacy. As I mentioned in my last blog, we are removing the remaining old wall board in the dining room this weekend and possibly also move the bed upstairs and remove that wallboard too. The sheetrockers are coming next week! Scott got some carpet samples for the new room, too! This is coming together! It is going to be soooooo cool!

Pinterest Addiction

I think I'm addicted to Pinterest. I know I am. I am thinking about limiting my time on it but I don't really want to. I know I should. I have spent many an evening where I intended to do something useful or important but the next think I knew, it was bedtime! I do still check my facebook, of course, and make my scrabble moves. But do I call either of my parents or any of my kids? No. I just love to Pinterest! And I've started rationalizing how it makes me a better person--a better cook, more creative, and stylish! I'm not kidding--every recipe I've tried from Pinterst is fabulous! And when I need to laugh, I think about some of the funny pins. I get compliments on my clothes because I've gotten inspired on Pinterest with color combinations and how to tie a scarf! I've even done some of the crafts and they turn out awesome! I notice that I work Pinterest into about 4-5 conversations at work per day! As I write this, I am looking forward with anticipation to my Pinterest time. Ok, maybe I will only allow myself to Pinterest on the weekends. Only after my to do list is done tomorrow. And tonight. And Sunday night--those are reserved to pure veg time. Then I will either not do it at all during the week or only for half an hour. See? I sound like an addict.

Hello Weekend!

Whew what a week! I've been insanely busy at work, then I've taken on more things outside school. I'm doing clinical supervision some afternoons and evenings for pay. I enjoy it but it does take up some free time. I am also on the advisory committee for Homestead which is a transition home we are opening for girls coming out of sex trafficking. I am helping put together the training for the mentors and staff. Its exciting work. I also had a special FCA event this week after school on Wednesday. Jon and his roommate led the worship and did awesome and 16 kids came! That was cool. Yesterday I got home from work and was supposed to text Kim to tell her if we could meet at my house for supervision and when I pulled around the corner, I just started laughing. There were trucks and vans parked all along both side of the street and contractors and electricians and workers streaming in and out of the house carrying ladders and stuff. So I went inside and they were cleaning up but there was a fine coating of dust over everything in the house! We were supposed to have people over in three hours for dinner! There was my crockpot bubbling away on the counter covered in dust. Scott took me aside in the living room and said, "I cleaned up most of it but see that plywood on the livingroom ceiling? One of the workers stepped through the attic floor and down into the livingroom. Insallation was everywhere!" I just laughed. Scott continued to clean while I met my friend for supervision at the coffeeshop. Jon and his friends came over and of course, didn't notice any mess. We had a good dinner with them.
So I am quite ready for this weekend. I haven't made a single plan although I have much to do--grocery, library, get Adelle, talk to my loved ones on the phone, move the bedroom upstairs, take down the rest of the sheetrock from the diningroom and maybe also the bedroom, a Homestead meeting, and Bible study. And I HAVE to work out both days-- by spare tire is starting to resemble a tractor tire. I worked out way too hard on Tuesday and could barely walk on Wednesday so took a couple days off:).
THANKFULLY Scott's stress level was way down--that is a huge answer to prayer and he was quite helpful this week--ran to the grocery one night, did some cleaning, helped with some of the construction, and took the trash and recycling to the curb this week! That rocked! I am looking forward to sleeping in. I need to go to the chiropractor and get my hair cut but I doubt I can get in to do that, too.
This blog entry isn't very interesting but so be it! That's my life! My job is really interesting so maybe I'll blog about it one of these days!