This post is all about perspective:

This post actually began a lot differently...with a lot more pessimism.  I will spare you the pain of listening to my pity party.  Instead, I have decided to count my blessings (all 17 of them). 

You're welcome. 

Five Week's Worth of Under-appreciated Blessings:

1. One school morning was particularly rough.  I cried up until two minutes before the bell rang.  I plastered a fake smile on my face and warmly welcomed my students to class.  As I was checking their morning work one student said: "Mrs. Lontine, I'm going to buy a Broncos shirt."  Me: "Like the Denver Broncos?" Student: "Yes, like the Denver Broncos football team!"  I don't know if my students are learning much, but at least they know which football team to cheer for.

2. Small success such as getting a student to come to school or teaching a math lesson where every one is actually paying attention.  

3. Participating in the school walk-a-thon and having five students try to hold your hand while running.  But mostly being able to spend some time with that one student that I just can't figure out.

4. Goodbye hugs.

5. "Mrs. Lontine are we having lunch?" "Nope sorry, we aren't having lunch today!"  The two students (out of 17) who get my sarcasm and giggle while the rest give me horrified looks.

6. First grade innocence.

7. I love working up in Heber.  I am surrounded by a class of little cowboys and cowgirls.  One morning the students had to take a shape and turn it into anything they wanted.  Here is one student's picture and accompanying explanation: 

"This is a combine.  Those are the blades on the bottom for cutting corn. Those are the lights on top so he can see."  

8. I gently reminded one student to turn in his homework.  His response? "Bubble nuggets!  I forgot."

9. The days where I throw my hair up in a nappy bun and I have three students tell me that they like my hair.... also the time when one particular student informed me that "You look very pregnant."  

10. Lunch Bunch with four of my students.  They chatted my ear off about peanuts and pets and siblings: "your friends are your family because we are all Heavenly Father's children."

11. Nearly all my students getting 100% on their math paper!

12.  A student lost her tooth and got to put it in a tooth necklace to take home.  Suddenly there were 10 other loose teeth in our classroom... including teeth that were just growing back in!  

13.  Brain breaks- where we dance around the classroom and act silly for five minutes.

14. Classmates are given the opportunity to ask our student of the week questions.  She climbed into the teacher's chair and said: "I'll call on someone who is sitting quietly."  <-- definitely a future teacher in the making.

15. Support from friends, my facilitator, teachers, and my <poor, poor> husband.

16. Tender mercies such as a comforting sunrise or this video to make things all okay: 

17 smiling, toothless faces filled with hope and excitement, forgiveness and love.  

<33 Amanda