What's Up March

Happy Wednesday Y'all!

Today, I'm joining Shay, and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. 

Every month we answer the same list of questions based on how things are currently going in our lives. 

The questions are...

 

What am I eating?
 
Nothing terribly exciting - But it has been nice being off for Spring Break and having lots of time to cook, which I love to do. I just don't do it a lot during the school year because I'm usually exhausted by the time I get home each evening. So yay for having time to actually enjoy cooking for a change! :)


What am I reminiscing about?

The image below showed up on my Facebook memory feed last week. 11 years ago, this month, I accepted a position to teach at Dakar Academy. I was teaching Special Education in Montevallo, Alabama and was loving it. My school was great. My kids were awesome. And my co-workers were great, too. But, I knew God was calling me to leave all of that, my family, and life in my sweet home Alabama behind. Why? To teach at Dakar Academy... 

Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's been that long. So much has changed in that time. And I know I have grown in my role as a Missionary Teacher, and a teacher in general. It hasn't been a bed of roses every single day/year. There have been plenty of hard times along the way. But I can honestly say that, at this point, there is no where else I'd rather be. I'm so grateful for the 100+ kids who have walked through the doors of my classrooms here at DA. And I'm grateful for all of the memories I have of all of these years of teaching here.

 What am I loving?

I’ve been loving how teachers from all over the world are sharing resources on social media. I participated in a Zoom chat with a few different teachers, from 3 different countries, all in the same boat... We're all SPED Teachers who teach multiple grades at the same time, trying to figure out how to make that work if we end up having to teach online. We shared ideas and resources, websites, etc. And we also took the time to pray together and offer encouragement to one another. It was such an incredibly huge blessing and just what my teacher heart needed at that time!

What have I been up to? 

Prepping for the potential of having to do online schooling... I teach 8 out of 8 periods a day. I have 7 students in 4 different grades. I also supervise/monitor others in other grades, due to their IEP requirements. So yeah... That's a lot of online schooling prep. Our goal is that we won't need it. Our goal is that when April 6 comes and Spring Break is over, we will be able to return to normal schooling. However, our Administration reminded us (and I 100% agreed) that it's better to have it and not need it than the other way around...

And I must say... I'm feeling a bit emotional. I miss my kids. I know it's still Spring Break. But the thought of us potentially going to online schooling, and all that entails, just breaks my heart. Forget the extra work that will be for me (and yes, it will for sure be a LOT of extra difficulty for me)... Forget all of that. I just miss my kids.

This is all of the books/supplies I would need to use if we did online schooling for 2 weeks.

What am I dreading?

Next month will be 5 years since my dad passed away. I'm kind of dreading the pain that goes along with that day. And yes, I do know that he's no longer sick and in pain. I know he's in a far better place. But it's still hard. Bittersweet memories still bring a tear to my eye...

What am I working on?

I'm still working on summer plans and finalizing my speaking schedule. Send me an email today at enichols85@gmail.com and we'll set something up. As of now, my plans are to still come back to the U.S., like I always do each summer, to connect with supporters and raise missions support. However, we need COVID-19 to get its act together and leave Senegal and the USA first...

What am I excited about?

It's officially Spring Break for teachers at my school. Last week our students were out on an extended break, as the Senegalese government shut down all schools. However, we teachers still came to work. It was nice being able to get so much planning done, though. So I'm not complaining at all. But still.. It's nice to be on Spring Break now, to be able to sleep late without hearing alarm clocks every day, and to not have to go into my classroom to work unless I just absolutely want to do so. I am still an early riser and I'll still work a bit. But it's nice to be a bit more lax with my schedule. So yes, I'm excited that Spring Break is finally here.

What am I watching?

I watched The Hiding Place last month with one of my classes, as a wrap up to the book. They were able to compare the two and to explore a bit of the history surrounding that time period, in that part of Europe. Y'all... I guess I forgot about this part. But at the beginning of the movie, Corrie is walking with a group of students, who very obviously have disabilities. After the police stop her to ask questions, she tells the children she won't be able to see them for a while. And I knew... I knew why. These kids were considered to be "inferior," so obviously they'd have to be sent away. And my heart broke. It broke for the reality of people who dealt with that all those years ago. It broke for my own students, who thankfully did not fully understand the implications of that scene. And I totally teared up every time I thought about it. Oh my heart... It was hard.

 I'm also going to finally watch The Sound of Music for the first time EVER, much to the joy of my friend/neighbor, who couldn't fathom how I've never watched it.



What am I reading?

I'm reading a lot, thanks to having lots of time due to Spring Break and self-quarantining-ish. But the highlight of my reading times was last night when I got to chat with my nieces and hear each of them read me a book, followed by me reading them a book. Seriously... It was so special! 

 

What am I listening to?

I've been listening to Micah Tyler's song, Even Then, a lot lately. In fact, I wrote about it on here yesterday. You can read it HERE if you missed it.

What am I wearing?

Let's be honest... I'm wearing PJ's as much as possible. After all, it's still Spring Break, y'all! :)

 What am I doing this weekend?

We're only on Week One of our two week Spring Break, so I'm planning to be sleeping late, reading (for fun), and working on grad school assignments. I'll probably record a couple videos to have on hand to use if we end up having to do online school lessons after Spring Break.

What am I looking forward to next month?

Elementary Camp is at the end of next month. I've led it the past few years and have absolutely loved it. It's a lot of work, sure. But it's worth it, for sure. I can't wait! Past that, I'm just looking forward to life getting back to normal :)

What else is new?

People all over the world are streaming their church services, watching online in various formats. I love that even though this way of attending church is new to most, it's still happening. Pray for your churches/congregations, your pastors, and your missionaries y'all. They need the support now more than ever!

And that's what I'm up to this month.

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Currently

 Happy Wednesday, Y'all



 
Today I'm joining Anne from In Residence for her monthly link-up, where we share what's currently going on in our lives. And each month, Anne gives us a list of prompts to use to guide our posts. 

March's prompts are...

  *  fixing *  hearing * borrowing * feeling * recommending * 

So what am I currently up to?
 

I'm currently fixing pizzas. Or rather, my students, were fixing pizzas. ...the paper versions, that is. They seemed to really like this project. And I really liked how they had fun and most didn't even realize how much learning was happening while working. Pizza Fractions, for the win! :)

I'm currently hearing everyone say, "Oh wow. You're really sunburned." Yep, that's me. I honestly wore a sweater and a scarf, thinking I was being smart and protecting myself from the sun. And I did protect those areas. But I obviously forgot my face. So any part not covered by sunglasses is now a bright shade of red. I told a friend that I looked like a lobster and a white raccoon had a baby. And it hurts. Wow does it hurt. One day I'll learn...

I'm currently borrowing this movie from the school library. I watched it with one of my classes. Oh my word... Y'all, it's been so long since I watched it. I honestly had forgotten about some of the intensity in it. We've had such good, in-depth discussions as a result. But yeah... It was a hard one to watch.

I'm currently feeling grateful for the concept of "even though," which I read about on the Velvet Ashes blog early last week and which I'll be writing more about later on here. ...once I find the words to write :) 

I'm currently recommending the book, Auschwitz Lullaby, by Mario Escobar. I read it last month and I'm still thinking about it. It was actually based on a true story, which I typically prefer in books. It broke my heart multiple times and was so intense, I had to put it down a time or two, as well. But it was still such a good read. And I would most definitely recommend it.

And since it's my blog and I can, I thought I'd share a few more...

I'm currently enjoying knowing there's only 2 1/2 more weeks left until Spring Break. Y'all, I love my students. I love my job. But oh my word, am I ready for a (long) break with no alarm clocks, no real plans, just working at my own pace and relaxing as much as possible. My brain needs the break. It so does.

I'm currently working hard to keep germs at bay. I already used Clorox wipes to clean my tables/desks/chairs every afternoon anyway. But now, I do it even more so. Ah, Corona Virus... Please stay away :)

I'm currently thinking ahead to next month. It feels so weird to think that my dad will have been dead 5 years on the 19th of April. How is that even possible? Some days it seems like just yesterday. And I find myself struggling to even catch my breath at the thought of him being gone. Grief has no timeline. It's hard stuff, y'all.

I'm currently reading through the book of Habakkuk during my morning quiet time. It's been a good reminder of God's faithfulness. And I'm taking my time, reading through it slowly, as I soak in all God has for me at this time.

  So what about you?

What are your currently up to?