May Days, Mayhem, and Moving Home.
As we near the end of the school year, the children’s enthusiasm for anything other than school work is apparent. It is quite hard to focus on penmanship or spelling words when there is a game of softball happening outside the window or program practice is in ten minutes. Miss Miller sometimes wearies of saying, “Get back to work” or “Focus on your work” or “Let’s try to get that all finished by recess”. Nevertheless we persist. Normally it always does get finished and since we have completed a few subjects, there is more time to finish that stubborn math lesson.
One Monday we are privileged with a day off due to a funeral. After spending the morning completing household tasks, KJ and I decide to wield brooms against a garage that hadn’t been cleaned all year. What fun we have scooting the dust around and singing at the top of our lungs! “DON’T GIVE UP!” “PULL WITH THE WILL BOYS!” Wearing white isn’t the best idea for “work days”.
On the last Monday of this school year, the song “Today” is led. The words seem to fit this final week of school. “Today is all we have. Today is ours to live. Today is a gift from God, so we’ll live today for Him.” The Sugar Creek teachers try their best to hold back their emotions as we sing through some of our school’s favorite songs through this school year. It seems that we were just having the first day of school and Miss Miller was nervously lining her students up for devotions. They say time flies when you’re having fun, so we must’ve been having a blast!
It seems that this place where I live is flower paradise. The beautiful bouquets that are put together are simply gorgeous. Flower arrangements are an art form. It depends upon the size and shape of the vessel. The height matters and how many are hanging over the side versus how many are spouting from the top. Side note: I had never heard a vase called a vessel until I moved here. In actuality, the tall narrow glasses are called vases and the short wide ones are called vessels. Turns out the most girls are just girls and flower bouquets will always be a hit.
Finally, the grand day comes. The white board loudly proclaims that there are 0 days of school. The 1st-5th sing together one last time. We sing through our favorite rounds and soon it is nearing 9:00. The finally program practice is not flawless, but it goes quite well nonetheless. All of the 2nd and 3rd graders have one final spelling test which creates great enthusiasm. Next is desk clean out time. It seems as though a tornado has swept through a school supply store and dumped its wares on our floor. One thing about my classroom is that the floor will never be clean. They are creative little souls and sometimes their creativity spills onto the floor. It is quite the empty room when they are all finished and playing outside. We give our program at 1:00 and it goes amazingly well. Miss Miller then releases them into their parents care one last time and the Sugar Creek teachers stand outside and bid the students adieu. How wonderful and sad at the same time!
That evening we once again file on stage, this time in our new clothes and sandals, and stand nervously while we wait for Mr. Koehn to blow the pitch. Then we are off. The program which is about the life of Edison, goes most spectacularly. No one forgets or messes up their lines. The songs are sung with much enthusiasm. The back row is very proud of their little school and the students that grace its classrooms. All too soon it is done. The eighth graders are graduated and it is hugs all around. There are a few teary eyes. It feels so bittersweet.
Playday comes with a heat wave. The slip and slide kickball is a hit to cool off and water in a bouncy house is entirely a good time. Softball is played, candy is shot off, relays are run, a water balloon fight breaks out and the teachers are the main targets. Hamburgers are eaten, report cards are handed out, and the evening ends with the youth and young couples at good old Wall Park. It is a good game of softball and Taco Bell is in place afterwards. :)
Goodbyes are the WORST. It would seem that the eyelashes would be lengthy with all the tears that fell. On the final Sunday evening, there is a line of people to hug. What friends and family I have made here! What’s the quote about if goodbyes are hard it means time well spent? And that is just how it feels. How I have loved this place and these people. United Center has truly felt like home!💕
Fourteen hours in a vehicle that is packed from ceiling to floor and trunk to front seat is not that fun, especially when the plants in the passenger seat make seeing out the mirror difficult. It is sad to drive through the little sleeping town of Galva one last time, but though change is hard, it is necessary for growth. Wise, huh? It is an uneventful ride and it is a sweet sight to see the lights shining from the porch of dear home sweet home. My days are now filled with unpacking and settling back into the routines of life with the family.