Nothing To Really Complain About-How’d That Happen

Still enjoying reliving my Old Florida trip memories.  I can’t wait til we do it again!

Made plans with Sis for the next day – to go over to her apartment and go swimming.  I have been craving some fresh water swim time.  I mentioned it to Chickie and invited her to go with me.  I always invite her.  She always says NO.  She never wants to be where I am of late.  So you could have painted me orange and called me Gertrude when she said she’d like to go if I could wait until she got off work to go.  Even more surprising…she had a good time.  Let me rephrase that – WE had a good time.  We swam and played and teased and it was good. 

SO good, in fact, that we made plans to return on Memorial Day and have a cook-out at Sis’s and another swim in the pool.  We did that also.  AND we had more fun!  Afterwards Chickie even took the 4th of July off so we could make sure to do it again THEN.  Not only that, but I got to go to the movies with her and her boyfriend.  Momma non grata has become (at least temporarily) acceptable again.

One of my graduating students has a pretty tough home life…but is a really good kid.  No matter how bad things are at home or how little he has, he is always smiling, happy, chipper, and in a good mood.  I bring him to the house and pay him to mow my lawn so he has money.  (He has NEVER asked me for a dime – no matter what.  He DOES offer to do work for me if I’ll pay him.)  When it came  time for the 8th grade dance, another teacher and I split the cost of renting a tux for him.  He hasn’t stopped thanking me for that.  When Chickie graduated, he went with us to the graduation as part of the family.  He is no genius.  His grades are average.  He behaves very much like a 14 year old male.  But he is one of THOSE kids.  You know – the ones that make you think that this generation is not entirely self-centered and lost.  Yesterday I picked him up to bring him here to show me which pictures he wanted me to print for him because he is going to have to return to Georgia in a week or so and I want him to have something to remember this year by. 

After we were done, Chickie had some errands she wanted to run and so she took SmilingSon with her.  WHEN she returned, she returned not only with SmilingSon, but also her boyfriend, his brother and sister, and 2 of SmilingSon’s friends (also my former students).  This was at 11 p.m.  They came in with clothes, a play station, movies and big appetites.  We had, courtesy of Chickie, a heck of a slumber party.  Boyfriend’s family had no air conditioning and Chickie was too soft hearted to make them spend a hot night home if they didn’t have to.  The boys…well they’d all been staying at one kids house for days….and mom was tired of them….and Chickie took pity on mom…..and I ended up with a mixed bag.

They came over and oohed and aahed at being IN Ms. Wolf’s house.  Then they settled in with the computer and the phone and the tv and the play station….and bags of chips and bowls of cereal.  They talked and looked at old pictures and had a good time.  They told me they wished they lived closer to me – could I move to their neighborhood so they could hang out?  I went to bed….and they were asleep all over the house this morning when I got up to leave……for work.

Yes, for work.  We have a summer program at school.  Its a fun program rather than a schoolwork program.  I only go for 3 hours – and one of those hours is just watching the kids eat lunch and have "recess" time.  Today was the first day – and it was a lot of fun.  There were only the "good" kids there.  I guess the "troublemakers" were off making trouble for someone else for the summer.  YAY!  Anyway – day one and TOTAL no stress.  The pay is good for this little bit of work….and I need the money……..to finance my finding Florida trips if nothing else! (and I have another one planned for this weekend if Sis’s schedule permits).  Here’s hoping that it stays this way!  I’m off at noon every day….not a bad deal.

Back to the boys.  After school today, I came home and got Cassidy.  He needs his annual shots and we were off to the vet.  I brought them home some lunch…..and they all thanked me WITHOUT being reminded!  By this time Chickie, my own personal human humane society, had gone and gotten her friend’s 5 month old baby and brought it home for some love and a BATH.  That baby has such a loving disposition and she’s just not getting……well don’t get me started THERE.  Before I left for the vet, there were boys all over my house…playing games, eating, burning CDs on the computer….and playing with the baby!  My VeryBestStudent, was having a wonderful time holding, cuddling and loving that baby girl.  (I call him my VeryBestStudent because he is awesome!  He got my Best Student Award this year…his second year with me.  He has always done anything I ask of him – above and beyond sometimes.  He has helped out on school weekend projects….and never complains.  He is trying to write a book…but he doesn’t want to tell anyone…so he shows me chapters in secret.  Another one of THOSE boys.)

Anyway, too many people!  So Cassidy and I headed off to the vet.  By the time I came home….Chickie had taken everyone home.  The dishes were done.  The garbage was taken out.  There was NO mess.  Everything was picked up. 

You’re probably saying, isn’t Chickie a good girl!  Well, yes.  She is.  But NOT about picking up the house!  The boys did all that, I’m sure.  I’ll verify that with Chickie later….but I’m pretty sure I’m right about this.  I’ve mentioned that I love my students, right??

So there you have it……..a perfectly wonderful entry…….for a perfectly wonderful few days………and I’m just as happy as…….as a pig in poop!