Dear Lord, Deliver Me!

Let's see...where did I leave off?

Yesterday, one of my students and her siblings were all sent home with headlice.  Haven't had that happen since I taught elementary school in the early 90s.  It is just a reminder that we can't give up vigilance on the problem.  I can hardly wait until my grandchildren come home with bugs...

Also yesterday, I got an internal IM from a special ed. teacher saying that one of my former students...a Senior now...wanted to come see me on her free period.  It seems that her beloved grandmother died suddenly of a ruptured brain aneurysm.  The dear girl didn't know that I had suffered the same malady just over a year ago.  I tried to comfort her by assuring her that her grandmother probably didn't suffer long...and gave her some advice on how to get through her grief.  "First, you cry."  We talked.  We cried together.  Then it was time for us both to get back to class.  For everything, there is a season...

I am trying desperately to understand my 4-year-old grandson.  It seems that I can't do anything right these days.  This afternoon, I went to pick the children up from Grandma Judy's...and was met by a temper tantrum from Ryan the minute he saw me.  (He apparently wasn't ready to go yet.)  I piled the children in the car and took them to McD's for supper.  He behaved miserably...telling his sister he would "kick [her] butt"...and called her an idiot...all in the play area where I couldn't reach him.  We could have stayed to play longer, but I was done.  I packed them up to go home, threatening that he wouldn't be able to go to soccer if he didn't shape up.  He DID shape up for a bit...but it was all marginal. 

Meg met us at the soccer field, as did Grandma and Grandpa Heffelman.  God bless Ryan...he scored six goals.  (No one else on his team scored any.)  The opposing team may have scored three.  He shows great potential at age four.  On the field, he shines.  Off the field, he is a semi-monster.  I wish I knew what we are doing wrong.  Some of it, I'm sure, is perceived competition with his sister (who absolutely provides no impediment to his sports desires at all)...and the rest may be his age.  I just don't know about little boys.  Never raised one.  Help!

My sister called tonight to tell me that our first cousin, David Covill, has died.  He lived in Rosemont, IL.  We have never been close to Dad's side of the family.  Still, I am sad to hear the news.  What to do about it, I'm not sure... 

Shari sounded tired.  She says she always is.  So am I!  Maybe it's our age?  God bless, sister dear!  Get some rest...which is what I'm going to do now.