Today they're watching Star Wars, episode one. They do not normally get to watch this much television, except for the fact that Micah was stung by a yellow jacket at VBS this morning and I simply want to tranquilize him with young Annikin. Because the ibuprofen just isn't cutting it. It simply hurts.
It's been a crazy summer---a crazy 2012. I haven't written regularly in oh, so long. I've been thinking about taking the blog down for months and months, but I didn't want it to simply disappear. I knew you would worry. :)
Know this---everything is good.
Health is good, kids and Todd are fine.
As of late, Todd and I have been given new opportunities to live out our calling, which is a dizzying, roller-coastery sort of exciting. For him, this came in a partnership with a professor at Gettysburg to assist with a summer class on Ecotheology. For me, it's a real return to teaching this fall.
Juli is ten. When she was born, I was firmly convinced that I would not return to the classroom for anything---not because of the students, but because of The System.
(As a side note, I have so much love and respect for my friends and colleagues who have dedicated their lives to teaching in public education. A word to the wise---always be kinder than necessary to your child's teacher. Nine times out of ten, they are committed individuals working to the best of their ability in a broken environment.)
The thing is, I didn't know what I was going to do instead. And at some point, Todd and I knew there would need to be a paycheck coming from "instead."
For ten years I've prayed for direction---over and over again.
And sometimes it felt like a crazy, mixed-up ride, because year after year, I felt like I didn't have any answers.
But over the past three years, I've subbed and worked very part-time hours at a local Lutheran school. God has used this time to show me that it wasn't the teaching that I didn't like---it was the setting. And though I never expected it to happen, He used the setting and the faculty of this small school to speak to my heart, to help me fall in love with my profession all over again.
Is it perfect? Of course not. Nothing ever is.
But I'll tell you something. I've been around different stressful situations in this school, and I'm amazed at the attempts the faculty make to live as Christ calls us---to be accountable to one another, to curb gossip, and to spread peace. It's a community that I'm very excited to be part of.
I'll be doing a lot of different things this fall, teaching different subjects to different grade levels. When it comes down to it, hour-wise it ends up being about 3/4-time. And while I've been away from teaching full-time for a number of years, I remember clearly the kind of commitment it takes, time-wise. I'm going to need to do some things more efficiently here at home. (Not as much Facebook time!) And there will be some things I won't have time to do, like take care of my chickens. And as much as I've enjoyed this online space, Life Under a Blue Roof will be undergoing a change. In the next few weeks, I'll be stripping it down to what it was originally intended to be---an online resource for fellow straw bale builders.
I'll miss this space, no doubt about it. Life Under a Blue Roof was the perfect outlet for my creativity during straw bale construction and during these past few years as a mostly-stay-at-home mom. I appreciate each and every one of you who found time to visit me here.
I will still find time to visit Facebook, so friends are more than welcome to find me there.
Thanks for the time we've shared.
-Shayne
