Christmas Thoughts

Here's what we've been working on (and in the background, what Sam's been working on):

It started a few days ago when Ella got off her bus and told me she wanted to make some cookies for her bus driver.
"I think his name is Ralph, but you can ask my teacher to be sure, I'm certain she would know my bus driver's name" said Ella.
As she said this, I remembered the time that Ralph, had waited for Ella the time it appeared I wasn't home (and indeed I wasn't- I didn't know she had gotten out of school early that day).  When I didn't answer the door, he picked Ella back up on the bus, and dropped her back off after dropping everyone else off.  I'm very thankful for a bus driver who waits to make sure that Kindergarteners get inside the house before they leave, especially when it's often freezing when he drops them off.

I'm also thankful for Madeline's second grade teacher, who she describes as both silly and smart-the ultimate compliment.  "Second grade isn't even hard as first grade," she said.  That is a testament to her teacher and his excitement for education.

Ella is also enjoying kindergarten, many thanks to her teacher and helper.

I'm also grateful for the office staff at the school, who called me yesterday to inform me that I left my stroller outside when I left the school during the blizzard.  An observant man wheeled it inside with several inches of snow coating the seats when it was still there an hour after he had seen it the first time.  How they maintained their composure while they called me is an indication of their professionalism (though we did have a laugh when I came to get it).

Perhaps because I am my kids' teacher, trainer, nurturer, etc, I'm grateful for all the support staff who help make me successful at my job.  They work for pay, but no one can force them to care about my children, and I know that caring takes much effort.

And here are Max and Sam in another favorite destruction site.

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