My Thursday

This morning was again the morning to work at school. The students have been growing flowers in styrofoam cups placed on a tray in the window. Ross decided the plants needed weeding!! Oh yes, he got to 2 kids' cups! I was DREADING telling Mrs. Jung! She was kind about it though. When I walked into the school office to do some photocopying Mr. Tucker (the principal) said "Ross you don't have your war paint on today!" Last week when we went in there he had the remnants of coloring on himself with red marker. The night before when he smiled at me he had red teeth!! Ross, you just GOTTA love him!!!

While at school, the kids go out for recess at one point. Today Gabriel opened the door and looked in and started crying saying "I want to be with you Mommy". He kept saying that over again. I asked if something happened and no he just wanted to be with Mommy. He came in and played with some toys with Annalina and was happy. He told another classmate "I wanted to be in here with my Mommy". That has never happened all the days I've been there. He misses Daddy. Tonight he told me that when he wants daddy he looks at his picture on his wall next to his bed. He told me he likes Daddy's smile and his own smile. Mission accomplished with the Daddy pictures! Ross looked at his daddy picture on the refrigerator and said excitedly "DADDY!!!" Ross asked for daddy a couple of times today.

Last night when I was reading Farmer Boy to the kids we were reading about the butchering of the beef. Annalina wanted to know if they have beef at Walmart!!! Yep, good to read the book to expand their horizons!!!!!! Gabriel tonight got a kick out of the story that Almanzo's brother and 2 sisters went off to an Academy to learn and that HE too went to an Academy to learn!! Exciting stuff for a child. Gabriel put that together on his own.

On Sunday afternoon our landlord came to do some work on the yard. Brian, Gabriel, and Annalina all went out with him. Annalina talked and talked to our landlord and he enjoyed her chatter. After awhile Babe came in with Gabriel and Gabriel was upset because he wasn't being aloud to help with fixing some of the sprinklers (the landlord only had so much time). I went to talk to Gabriel and he said "I didn't go outside to play, I didn't go outside to talk, I went outside to help". He was bummed to say the least. I reminded him that Farmer Boy wasn't aloud to help with everything. Almanzo desprately wanted to help with the colts but he was to young. Gabriel prayed and asked God to help him do right. He stayed inside and changed his attitude. I felt bad for him he REALLY wanted to help!! He is my little helper.