National Boards

It is official! I am an official National Board Certified Teacher!!! I found out this morning at school and I am elated. I don't think I've jumped around and screamed like that since I was a small child.

Today I went to the hospital after two of my basketball teams played their second games. Our "new" team tied (though the scoreboard indicated they won - I won't tell them any differently because they don't know up from down and dribbling from traveling). My "old" team won again. I feel sorry for their opponents. It is demoralizing to play girls who have the potential to beat you by fifty points.

This is the first time I've seen Deontae since they took out his trach. He's talking normally, verbally expressing his wants and needs. He looks like himself again. The place where the hole was (that the brain tube was in) is healing. The stitches in the other side of his head are out. His arms are no longer restrained. He is fully aware as to what is going on around him.

As some of you know, I was seriously considering taking D.J. into my home until Deontae comes home in about four months or so. I prayed a lot that whatever was best for D.J. would happen. As it turns out, D.J. is doing better with the situation in and out of school, so he will not be living with me for now.

Tony Hall is going to start some treatments on Monday, I believe. I have prayed for he and his family about a thousand times in the past week and a half. I have a peace about the whole situation that is unreal. I KNOW he will be okay. I was nervous before his surgery last week and quite emotional, but the more I pray, the more I am confident he will pull through unscathed (save the traumatic experience itself).

Jennifer Curry and I were eating dinner this week and talked about the spiritual guide Tony's been for us both for more than a decade. We both concurred that we could have very possible been unfaithful Christians right now if it weren't for his influence. I know he is needed here to make an impact for the kingdom. This ordeal he is dealing with right now will be a way to improve the faith of many once he is better. Keep he and his family, and Detra, Deontae, Leighton, D.J., Demicia, and Desha (their oldest sister that lives on the south side) in your prayers.

Study Break

I find myself sitting here with the seconds, minutes, hours and days ticking away before the most ominous academic week in my life. With three major tests and a paper coming up next week, I'm drowning in academia. I find myself puttering along on the internet trying to contrive things I "need" to do to avoid one more second of studying in this heavy laden test preparation week. In fact, that is precisely why I am concocting a blog entry at this moment. I cannot possibly think about Albert Ellis one more second without throwing up my one-too-many Nutty Bars.

While I thoroughly enjoy the subject matter I have chosen to pursue at the graduate level, I am struggling with having to put every spare second into being studious enough to study for the looming exams. I sure better get an "A" on these suckers for all the effort I've put in.

Here's some food for thought. My good friend Blake, also known as Harry Potter, pointed out to me that I seem to have trends in my romantic interests and/or potential romantic interests. As I have laid to rest the Matthew era (four in a row is plenty for that name, I'd say), I've started a new trend. I would love to share with you what the new trend is in a more private context if you care to know. This one is even a bit comical considering my personality. I will be glad to share with you this new adventure in email form if your curiosity gets the best of you.

I guess this means the dating sabbatical is over.

Updates

I went to see Deontae in his new room on Friday - he is now out of ICU. When I got to the hospital his speech pathologists were working with him. I was blessed to be the first non-medical staff person to hear him speak. When he said my name I got teary-eyed to say the least. I then got to feed him some dinner which he chewed and swallowed himself. He didn't keep that meal down, but he's kept every meal down since then. He is very agitated by the restraints on his arm (that prevent him from pulling out his trachial tube). He wants to just get up and leave and he doesn't know why he's in the hospital. His short term memory hasn't been working very well when I've asked him questions, so please pray that his short term memory is or at least will be okay.

The younger kids are having a hard time dealing with this, especially D.J. He is really acting out at school. Pray that he can adjust and that the staff at his new school will be patient with him, taking into consideration the emotional state he is surely in right now. I'm also discussing the possibility of D.J. transferring to Western Village and staying with me during the week with Detra. Pray about that for me please, because I need to get my ducks in a row if I'm going to be able to swing that. I know that would be beneficial for him, so if Detra agrees to it, I need to make it work some how.

Tony did not receive a good report after Thursday's procedure. They're going to try some aggressive chemo and radiation treatments now. He was supposed to be able to go home Friday, but now they're saying either tomorrow or Tuesday. Pray that the Lord will intervene in this situation. We need His help!