Last Day

Monday night was FHE, Tuesday was dance, Wednesday I did my visiting teaching, Thursday was my last night at dance (my teacher LOVED the drawing and expects me back in September), and last night I got together with my visiting teachers for a final get together, since neither of them will be around for my going-away party next week. And I don't have anything in particular going on tonight, but I am babysitting in the afternoon, for the family I'm watching all next week. So that also means that yesterday was my last day at work.

It was really a rather normal day at work, doing my organizing for Mrs. Young, so her papers could be managed better, and she wouldn't be making so many extra copies. At one point during the day though, amidst the busyness of the day, Tawnia called me down to her room to take some pictures. I'm like FINE! Gosh, she still needs my help even though we're at school. So I went down there. Took a few pictures and ask, can I go now? She said no, take a few more pictures. So I took more, and asked again. She looked at the clock and said .. uhhh .. no. Tawnia, are my kids throwing me a surprise party? She smiled. She isn't a very good liar. It made me feel so loved though! When I got back to class they hadn't done more than put up a banner, write all over the white-board, and put up ONE streamer. But it was great. A few kids had presents, including some chocolate and bath smelly stuff (since a teacher just couldn't get away without that every gift-giving time). The REAL present was from a student named Zach, who struggled through most of the year with turning things in and being on top of things, but then this last term he did a complete 180, and now has every single thing in, and is getting straight A's. Anyway, he gave me a large pink piggy bank, with a crown and a tutu! It's SO perfectly cute! Her name is Zacharina (he approved the name). He also left me a card that made me cry, because it talks about how I really helped him through the year and how I'm his favorite mentor and I've taught him things he won't soon forget. It was fabulous. I really will miss all these kids.

The good news is that I'll probably pop in off and on next week, while I'm babysitting. There are four kids, but the three older boys (11, 10 and 6) are all at school, so during the day I'll just have the 3-year-old girl. And since her oldest brother is in my class, it probably won't matter if I bring her along. I'm sure my class will be excited to see me, and Tawnia and I are going to tap dance for both of our classes. Wahoo! And then we party Friday night, after I'm done with the baby-sitting thing, and we drive home next Saturday. At least I finally had some time to pack this morning!