Where Are They Now? Another Teaching Year Comes to a Close

Teaching.  Last week two of my teaching commitments came to a close.  As I was packing up my class supplies I began to reflect upon the year. I get so sentimental, so easily.  I realized this year how much I love teaching, not just teaching my kids, but others.  I really do love it!  Perhaps this is why I'm so passionate about homeschooling.  I love learning and presenting material in a way that hopefully appeals to students.

Reaching the end of yet another year has given me cause to reflect on my brief experience in the public school arena.  The first kids I taught are now in their 30's!!  How can that be!  I wonder what became of them?  What happened to those little 4th graders?  Also, when I look at the precious gifts given to me by dear Ukranian students and their families, I wonder if they made it in their new found country, America.  What happened to Yuri, Alexei, Nazar, Ludmila, and so many more?  Did they embrace the freedom they were seeking?  Did the kids who struggled in 4th grade, make it through and find a love for learning?  I often wonder where they are now.  Teachers spend a year with kids, pour into them, and then the kids have to move on.  Next grade, next teacher, next year.

Little Nazar, Travis, Olga, Travis, Antonio...1992

Summer Staycation: Blessings From Above- Angels Game

As we're watching our pennies at home, I can't help but feel completely humbled when blessings pour out in unexpected ways.  This was the case on Friday, July 8, 2011, when I got a call from my hub.

He called us Friday with news he had been given four tickets to the Angels game.  The Angels were playing the Mariners.  Being from the Northwest, but living in Southern California we're fans of both teams.  Needless to say the kids and I were pretty excited.   My hub will occasionally receive a ticket or an invitation to go with a work group, but rarely do we receive four tickets.  With only four tickets he suggested I go with the kids.  Since we were receiving complimentary tickets, I was expecting to make the hike up to the 400 level.  We like to take our kids to a couple games each season and we're familiar with the nosebleed section, but it's just fun to be at the game.  Was I in for a surprise!

Arriving at the stadium, I glanced at our tickets to see where we'd be sitting.  Section 109!!!  What??  These are fabulous seats along the third baseline!  My hub had told the boys to bring their mitts to the game.  I was surprised at that, but I didn't know what great seats we'd been given.  Blessings!

Wonderful Surprise!

Great Seats!

We have some Jared Weaver fans in the house.

A beautiful night!

Ichiro







Ichiro!



I don't think this game helped Ichiro's batting average, but he did have a Fabulous bunt!  Impressive!

The kids and I had a great night together.  The boys wore Mariner gear.  My girlie and I wore Angels gear.  We were a perfectly balanced family.  Sadly, the Mariners lost, but how wonderful for the Angels! The final score was 4-3.  Vernon Wells, Hank Conger and Mark Trumbo of the Angels all hit home runs.  On a side note, a couple Mariner fans who call themselves "The Old Bats" shared with us at Spring Training that we should record events of the games on a sticky  note and paperclip them to our tickets.  Next year when we're at spring training we can ask the players who hit home runs to sign the tickets from the night of their home run.  Great idea!  I've started recording so we have a plan for next year.

I love seeing our kids become excited about baseball.  I've never been one to follow the sport, but I'm becoming more interested in it as they are playing and wanting to see games.  I have a lot of learning to do, but it's never too late to learn something new.  Maybe we'll have to resubscribe to cable so they can begin watching games on television.