Never say Never

I have truly learned the meaning of the term "Never Say Never" this past year. Prior to 'life happening" I was the first person to say what I would never do..where I would never go..what I would never say. These days, I just live life one moment at a time and hope for the best and pray that life's circumstances will not overtake me but take me closer to my destiny!

What's up with me..

The school year has ended and it was a doozy..full of twists and turns. But the key is, I survived and so did my wonderful staff. I pray that next year is a lot smoother and the work life is simpler.

I am starting school next week. Never quite envisioned myself going back to school with my children still so young. However, I ain't getting no younger and a wonderful opportunity presented itself. I am very excited, but know that it's going to take another level of organization for myself.

My kids are growing so fast...now ages 8, 6, soon 4, and 1. They keep me on my toes. Aminah is talking with such clarity these days. She was a late bloomer in this area. One of her favorite quotes these days is, "I'm not your friend." Or question.."Are you my friend?" It's amazing how different boys and girls are. My boys never asked these type of questions or made such statements. I keep trying to tell her that I am her "Mom...not her friend." Her reply is always.."But you are my mommy and friend." The big boys will be starting basketball camp next week and baby boy will be spending more time with me:) He is getting quite adventurous..walking, trying to run and saying Momma!

I am blessed!!
Blessed.. by Jill Scott
http://www.youtube.com/user/missjillscott?blend=7&ob=5#p/c/A15215C38EA574B2/0/c6BgPh2VIcM

I'm Not Your Superwoman!

I have never been a self-proclaimed superwoman. Yes, I have a lot on my plate and yes, my life is full..but I am no superwoman. I am just a woman who takes care of business and knows how to take a break when I need one!

Yes!!

It's Winter Break!!! And while I should be sleeping in late..I'm not, but I'm just thankful for not having to go anywhere. Of course, my little ones are home. We'll make the best of our time.

Notes From the Principal's Office

So...Who visited the principal's office this past month and why?(Of course I am not using real names)

1. Tony, a third grade boy, was walking around the playground saying, "Vagina, vagina, vagina."

2. Chad, a third grade boy, was calling his classmates, "Jack Ass."

3. Dave, a 1st grade boy, put the scissors up to another students face and told him he needed new glasses.

4. Tanya, a kinder girl, put the scissors(Thank God, these are blunt, kid scissors)up to another students face because he was trying to write on her paper.


5. Ross, a 1st grade boy, choked another student because she wouldn't tell him what she said to another student.

6. Dee, a 2nd grade girl, cut her barrette out of her head...almost cutting off her 15 inch pony tail.

7. Ross, same 1st grade boy, jabbed the teacher in the stomach while being escorted to the office.

8. Evan, third grade boy, stole golden tickets (reward tickets for being on best behavior), and attempted to purchase items from the golden ticket store.

Looks like I am going to have to ban any kind of scissors, provide self defense classes for the students and teachers, maybe begin sex-ed classes and hide those golden tickets!

Writers Block

I have writers block but....I am going to make myself write something anyways. It's not really writer's block....I am just TIRED. I wonder when I will get good consistent rest again. Will it be when all the kids are middle school and up and they know the value of sleeping in. This morning Jahlel, our 7 year old, walked into the room about 6:45 and declared.."Mommy, it's morning!" Although I almost threw something, I refrained and told him to go back to his room until I get up. Mind you, I had already been awake for at least 30 minutes. Adar, now 8 months, had been up making noises in the playpen next to our bed. Aminah, our 3 year old had snuck in our bed at some point in the middle of the night and had awaken shortly after the baby. Qiym, our five year old, had already walked passed the room door a couple of times making it clear that he was ready to eat...he's hands down the biggest eater in the family.

So, it is 12:02 a.m. and I why am I up? It's the only time when no one is up asking me for stuff. But, I am going to wrap this up and call it a night because soon I will be up making bisquits, bacon, grits and egss!

When children speak....I listen.

There are times when I have a conversation with one of my students which leave me speechless.

Over the summer, third grader, Jaime(alias) lost her 27 year old father to a rare heart condition. Yesterday as I was supervising on the playground Jaime came up to me and asked, "Mrs. Pope, did your mother die when you were a little girl?"
"No Jaime. My mom is alive and lives in Oakland."
"My dad passed away this summer and I had a dream about him last night. Ever since I had that dream, I keep seeing and hearing things."
"Really, Like what?," I reply.

"Well, whenever I look at one of the boys at school, I see my dad's face. It's as if he is going into their body to give me a message. I also see his footsteps. It's like he is calling me to go with him. I try to follow them, but they eventually disappear. When I am doing work in class, I hear him giving me the answers. When I walk places, he walks with me. He used to always walk me into places. Do you know he was only 27. He was too young to die and I am too young to have all these thoughts in my mind. I am only 8. I need to talk with someone." These were her exact words.

I am sitting and listening, but not verbally responding. I am not a trained counselor and I am afraid I may say something incorrect and in this instance, that would be dangerous. I do tell her about a grief group that is going on at the elementary school next door. I ask her if she thinks she may want to participate. She says yes, and I get her the permission slip to give to her mom. Our school, of only 196, has counseling services only 1-2 hours per week. Hopefully Jaime will start the sessions this week.

I am so amazed by my scholars. There are times I wonder if I can be as strong as they are. If I can articulate exactly what is going on with me and the need for help.
It's students like Jaime who help me forget about the challenges that are going on within the district. She and the others remind me daily of why I fight so hard for them and why I need to push even harder to get them what they need.

Jaime is not the only student who lost her father this summer..Aya(first grade) also lost her very young father to a heart attack and she is not as vocal about her experience. However, I will also see if her mom wants her signed up for the group as well.

Tired, drained, stressed, irritated, strained, and in need of some relief...and a release.

WOW!

So this year has been so busy I haven't had time or energy to write. Big changes at work have been a major challenge. Overall, I am still standing..with a smile...and greeting my students with a smile each day.

My babies are well. Jahlel loves 2nd grade. He's learning a lot already. He's also getting a crush on a different girl every week. How did this happen? My husband blames me:)

Qiym, my five year old, started Kinder and seems to be adjusting quite well. I need to spend more time working with him on reading.

Aminah..my 3 year old (going on 17)daughter is going to speech classes in the morning and regular school the rest of the day. Her speech is improving more and more..THANK GOD!

Adar...the easy one, only six months. He still has a pretty calm demeanor. I wonder if he will remain this way or change overnight..like the others:)

Me and the hubby..tryna squeeze in couple time when we can. It's funny how when we had one child we could always find a sitter..with four...nearly impossible!!

Year Three Begins!

In two weeks my 3rd year as a principal will begin. I have learned a great deal from my students, their families, my staff and all who have walked through the doors of our school. Each year I aim to get better. This year, I will depend more on God for direction and strength. Pray for me!

TIRED

I am TIRED!!
We took the kids to Legoland for a couple of days. They had a great time and it was fun watching them enjoy themselves. However, I am truly drained. Overall, it was worth every single moment.

Glenetta Pope, Mom in Training

There are those days when I ask myself why have I not perfected my mothering skills. After all, I do have four. I should have it right by now..shouldn't I? But then it hit me this morning, as I am up with Aminah since 5 a.m..on a Saturday morning.
I AM A MOTHER IN TRAINING. Let's call it a "MIT." I may not 'perfect my craft,' until I am 90. Why? because every child is different and I will be faced with unique challenges as it relates to each one of them for the rest of my life. In fact, I may never 'perfect my craft." I will add to it with each child and every challenge, but perfection will never come. In the meantime, I can do those things which make life a bit easier for all of us. If I do the following below, I believe I can be a decent mom!
1. Be as organized as possible.
2. Maintain routines.
3. Do my best to serve nutritious meal options.
4. Get as must rest as possible.
5. Allow myself some mommy time each week.
6. Provide all of us with a consistently calm environment. (I am naturally high strung..so this is a challenge for me. Thankfully my hubby is the opposite so he helps to keep things balanced.)
7. Maintain a clean environment (not my forte!)
8. Pray with and for all of us.
9. Help them discover their talents and provide opportunities to nurture them.
10.Love them unconditionally.

WMG

Sometimes I have Working Mothers Guilt (WMG). When I look up and the house is a mess or things aren't going quite right with the kids. The flow of the family is just a bit off..WMG hits me like a ton of bricks,

Uhmm

Thanks to my handsome, intelligent and thoughtful husband, I slept in until 10 today. I feel like a new woman!

Now the big boys are playing the WII..golf. Aminah is playing Tea Time, which means water is every where. The baby is in his bouncy...in and out of sleep. I'm watching the ribs on the grill in the backyard. Thanks hubby for starting the fire.

It's gonna be a great day! Yesterday was the fourth and I absolutely loved watching the kids reactions to dad lighting the fireworks. Lots of fun!

Acceptance

Today I FINALLY accepted two things.

1. I will never have the same amount of energy as my four little ones so I must get more rest. No more staying up 4 - 5 hours after they have gone to sleep. It's just not enough rest. They always wake up before me..running through the hallway..playing some loud games in the room...'waking me up.' So, I must get in the bed..even if, I have not done everything I thought I would do in a day or even if..a good lifetime movie is on. I WILL GO TO BED! Especially since I end up falling asleep on the couch and not feeling fully rested in the end.

2. There is simply not enough caffeine in the world to substitute for real bonafide sleep. So...I have to cut back. Yes, I will still have a couple of cups, but ODing on caffeine is no longer an option.

GET SOME SLEEP GLENETTA!!

Summertime!

I can hear the Will Smith song in my mind and I can see me dancing to the beat. Yes, it is summertime. While I will not have the entire summer off, at least I will have a few weeks of modified R and R. Modified R and R means that I still will be taking care of the little ones on a daily basis. Qiym and Aminah will be in school most of the summer. Jahlel will do a few weeks of summer camp. Ultimately, I will at least not have to check in to work every single day and to that I say Hallelujah!!
Summa
Summa
Summertime!!

One Day I'll Have to Explain...

One day I will have to explain certain things to my children that I'd rather not. Today in the car Jahlel was talking about how his classmate kept saying crackhead and how funny it was. Of course, I told him that it's not something to laugh about. But someday I'll have to break it down to him. I'll have to tell him the story about two of his Aunts, my sisters, and the fact that they are 'crackheads.' One of whom shares the same birthday with him. One day I'll have to tell him about how their crack usage led them to abandoning their children and seeking the high..by any means necessary.

Until then...I'll let him think it is a "person with a dead brain," which is what he told me. Or, as my five year old, Qiym, said "It's a person with cracks in their head." And both of their definitions are not that far from the truth.
**The picture is a photo of my sis way before the drug use. The after picture is much too painful to post.

What a busy week! Jahlel turned 7 on Thursday. I can hardly believe he is already seven. Seems like I just gave birth to him. I bought a cake/ice cream for his school party. We'll have another party next weekend. Would have loved to have it this weekend, but my school is having a spring showcase on Sat and Sun.

So Far...

We are half way through 2010 and I just want to write down a few things I've learned or have been reminded of so far:
1. When things don't go their way...a 'friend' can become an enemy.
2. I have to take breaks! They will not be given to me.
3. More than anything, my children need a peaceful home, it is the foundation of a
peaceful life.
4. When you have a job where you plant seeds, don't expect to see growth for a
loooong time.
5. People will sell you out to make themselves look good.
6. I am still Under Construction.
7. I don;t have to settle!
8. I can't do everything..especially after 7 p.m.
9. Appreciate my mom more! Remind her of how much a blessing she has been to me.
9. I NEED GOD! Trying to do all I do in my own strength is fruitless!
I am really trying to become better each day. Trying to get more organized...Spend more quality time with my babies..and take better care of my body. At the same time, I give myself a break when things seem to be moving sooooo slowly..especially the things I want to change.

Hmm

Jahlel did two days of swimming classes and caught some virus which had him out for the rest of the week. He's had a fever, chills, diarrhea, stomach ache, etc. Qiym had a bad rash this week. So...it's been an interesting week..to say the least.

Work has also been quite busy. Looking for a few new teachers and enrolling new students has been my main focus. Also, our second graders have been testing all week. I'm excited about the future, but also a little unsettled about some of the changes that are taking place. Overall, I trust God and know that all things will work together.