Thursday, February 21, 2013

My Uncle Duck

My uncle Duck..

My first memory of him was he gave me a dollar. He said" Your dad will park at my house...you can get a snack at the fair." I may have been around 5 or 6. But I never told dad...kept it in my piggy bank.

My uncle Duck.

I remember he had a cool old truck. From the fifties I think..it was in the Wayne county outlook...I was so proud I had a cool uncle in the "paper" and his name was Duck.

My uncle Duck.

Grandma Ballou ( my most favorite person in the world) was dying...I came to see her whenever I could. Duck, a man of few words, told me..." you are her ,Korisa. She loves you because she sees you as her.". Then he left...that's Duck.

My uncle Duck...

When my uncle Junior died...was in a funk because didn't think dad was proud of me...he said, are you joking? Your dad has kept every newspaper clipping of you and I have them too!

My Uncle Duck...

He had cancer and got saved...and wanted everyone else to feel that peace.

My Uncle Duck..

Every visit he wanted to see my kids. He wanted ME to be happy. And if strength allowed , he visited ,laughed and was his crotchety hateful old self... That's what we loved about him.

He looks JUST like my dad as an older man. And he was a good man. I LOVE you so much Uncle Duck!!! Can't wait to see you aggravating and making fun of the angels in heaven! My life was blessed because you were there!!!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

What we "want" or what we "need"

I have been happy as a clam all week...I have my kids, uninterrupted, for a whole week for Winter Break...being back in full-time mommy mode -although exhausting, is heavenly!

Except I have to work. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE my job...it is awesome but I miss my kids and I kinda felt guilty that their time with me would be a majority of time while I was working. However...I'm SO grateful I have a job they can go with me to. They usually want to just stay with me and my 4-5 year olds even though there is an awesome program for their age 3 rooms away...

I was gonna have my mom come down and take them to KY...so they wouldn't have to do "daycare". But I got selfish...I want them with me during the nights and mornings...so I made them stay.

At first they complained...but I said " you can stay with me in my class.". But middle of the first day, my boss said "sorry they have to go with their class, other teachers kids want to stay with them and they can't.".

I was so worried about Zander, not kaya...she makes friends anywhere. But he cried and was so scared. But I made him do it. His first day was scary but he survived.

The next day, he complained but I would peek in the window and see he was ok. My assistant was in his room a few hours and said ," yeah I see what you're saying. He will just sit by himself and kaya is fine with anyone."

And further in that day...he made a friend. And the next day, he made 3 more new friends. So many friends he is mad at me that he didn't get to stay the WHOLE day.

Tomorrow they go skating for a field trip... Zander has complained and cried saying " he hates skating !". I think he was scared....so tonight I was shocked when he took a shower and put on his field trip shirt to sleep in and told me "make sure you set the alarm mom, we need to get there early!".

Not what I think he or I wanted earlier this week...but making him push out of his comfort zone ( and mine, if I'm honest...worrying about him) was EXACTLY what we both needed!!!