Rainbows

In the beginning of April, I completed two final tours of our home and my new career path of opening a home daycare, is in it's final stages for licensing.  By the end of 2016, I’ll have 8 littles in my care as my new daily life.

Then Tuesday April 5th, a senior had invited me to the NHS banquet as her teacher honoree.   This student I only taught for one class in 5th grade. But coached as a middle school volleyball player and the past 5 years on the golf course.  It was all these hours that formed our relationship and I miss coaching her and everyone so much this spring already.  Her speech to me was emotional and touching, and I almost got through that without tears.  Thank you Maggie!  I am excited for golf with you next summer in the cities... scoping out some courses and speed golf leagues this summer!

So driving from my old town of Hutch to HLWW the next morning... this April rainbow brought more tears to my eyes.  Rainbows through history have symbolized many things.  But I couldn't help but think about the new journey of creating my daycare, the promises I can build with new littles and provisions I can help provide to them and to my family.  I felt so excited and so sad all at once to begin saying goodbye to HLWW. 

I will miss the independence of my students, their ability to walk to lunch without me and my lunch break sitting with adults,

I’ll soon be done begging 5th graders not to go to the bathroom because they’re just bored and instead guiding and stopping toddlers from their work to try going to the bathroom.  

I’m ready for the sillies, the giggles, the cuddles, mealtimes, songs, walks, parks, art, books, pretend, play, play, play.

I’m ready for the dishes, messes, diapers, emotional honesty, being needed, paperwork, cooking and grocery shopping too. 

I know I'll be a new kind of tired, not from the commutes and 5 am wake ups, but I really am excited for the new life in store for my boys, my home, my new littles and me this summer..

Though this "real life rainbow" is a little hard to see, it wasn't for Declan in our nature park... His first "real life rainbow" as he repeated over and over and kept asking Andy if it was his "first real life rainbow"!