What I Learned in August 2014

This month has been long and tiring, but it is so good to be home here in Central Asia.  We are settled back into our home but still getting use to the routine of going to school everyday.  It has been a lot of hard work getting back into the swing of things, but we have also had some fun.  See above, my DH is making pizzas for all the teachers at the school where I teach.  It was a fun evening of being outdoors, ignoring the school prep that still needed to be done, and eating lots of pizza.  So here is what I learned this month and in some cases relearned this month.  


1. God Gives as Well as Takes Away
Due to where we live, we are pretty restricted on what we can do.  For example, I can’t just go walking down the street.  So basically I spend most of my time at home or at school.  When we came back in August, I was so blessed to see the refuge of my backyard.  It is truly a gift from a God.  It is a space not only for our family to find rest and refreshment but for others to come and enjoy as well.  

2. I am not ready to let go…
I work with a great staff of teachers at my school.  Since I was in the states for most of last year, I am just now getting to know most of them.  The trouble is that I am not ready to let them in.  I am half in denial/half grieving for friends that are not coming back.  Right now I don’t have the energy to invest in new relationships but hopefully this month I will make more progress.  PS: Denying goodbyes does not make them easier.  It just delays the inevitable.


3. God knows what I can handle
For the past few years, I have taught four classes instead of the full time load of five.  It has been a good fit for me and my family.  Right before school started, I ended up with 5 classes.  I was okay with this development but knew it would be a lot of work.  By God’s grace, one of the classes didn’t make.  So now I only have 4.  They are Consumer Math, AP Calculus, Algebra II and Algebra I.  After only three days of school, I was exhausted and still am on my second day of the weekend. Hopefully I will get my energy level up to where it needs to be to go strong all week.


4. m is monter in french which means slope or incline.
In math, we have a formula y=mx+b where m stands for the slope of the line.  I always wondered why they used m.  I understood that using an s could make it look like a 5 but why m?  This summer, I learned this fun tidbit of information.  So now, even if you can’t help your high school student with their math, you can at least tell them you know what m stand for.  


5. Sometimes a series bets Better.
I have been reading a series called Maggie Hope Mysteries by Susan Elia MacNeal. I didn’t care for the third book but decided to read the fourth book anyways especially  since my library had it.  The fourth book was much better.  I also learned some fun history facts about WWII.


6. I like Bishop.
Our family just finished watching last year’s season of NCIS.  I really enjoyed the addition of Ellie Bishop who is an analyst on loan from another agency.  It was a smart move to not make her anything like Ziva who left the show.  I like Ellie’s fashion, quirkiness, and ability to eat a lot.   We are looking forward to this being one of the shows we will watch this year.  


7. It is important to find ways to refresh so you don’t burn out.
As I said before, this month has been long, hard, and tiring.  Our family is finding ways to take time out from everything.  Sometimes that means being total bums on a weekend morning with a nice breakfast.  Other times it is going to bed early and reading a good book.  Worship music, swinging on our swing, and having others over are also ways that have helped relieve stress and restore us for another day.  Blogging also helps me refresh since it gives me an outlet to share and process.  Feel free to share in the comments ways you deal with stress and not getting burned out. 


8. I have two high schoolers!!
Big D is in 9th grade this year and looks so grown up.  I am thankful for God’s provision in his schedule.  He has classes he enjoys and not many classes with some of the boys who have picked on him in the past.  I am thinking Mythology or World History will be his favourite.  W is a Senior.  She has a schedule that will keep her busy.  Even though she has AP Calculus with her mom, I think her favourite class will be Anatomy and Physiology.  I don’t mind since that was one of my favourites in high school and college.  


Once again, I am linking up with Emily at Chatting at the Sky and others in what they learned in August.  What did you learn this month?