School 'n Stuff

It's feeling nippy these days, but once I get to school and settle in to the work I forget about the cold and enjoy myself. 

Immensely. 

Here's my little office space where the hard work happens.

Ten students from first and second grade.

They are all just amazing and so much fun.

I've been working with them just long enough to see them connecting the dots and even the youngest ones are beginning to read. 

It's all so fantastic really, that we can make the squiggles on paper turn into sounds and the sounds into words and thoughts. 

Today this sweet girl finished Book 2 and got her prize.

She chose a necklace from my give away box.

I seriously can hardly stand how cute they are. One of them told me the other day that she had swallowed a pencil, "well, five of them"... and that she had gone to the hospital to have them removed and she didn't even need a needle to put her to sleep!  

I thought that was just remarkable.

And one boy today said his dad paints real live turkeys purple.  

And keeps them in big cages.  

Oh my word.  

I also popped by a friend's place that I hadn't visited in ever so long for a catch up visit and these two ended up in my back seat for a brief hello as well.

When I get home there is a fantastic welcome awaiting me.

This big fellow is just the sweetest.

This is him looking hopefully at me over the kitchen counter. 

Go outside?

Play ball?

Treat?

I thank God often for the gift and privilege of having animals to cheer up our lives around here. 

Little Boy Blue is also bringing much joy and so many happy sounds into our home.

He's a bit moody, pecking us hard one minute and then doing a happy dance on our hands and kissing our thumbs.

His cage is often left open and he flies around terrorizing Ladybug and sitting high on the kitchen cupboards eyeing the action below. 

It seems to run in the family... this love of animals. Elsie's little Pupcake is pretty much the bomb as well. 

Look at that tiny bundle of cuteness all snuggled up against her.  

I had such a lovely evening yesterday. 

Dinner out with Daniel for some connecting time and then a family visit at Oma's.

God's richest gifts surround me.

Daily he pours out his blessings on me.