Wow! It has been a long time!!

I must admit, I have really been neglecting this blog. For those of you who are bored and check this blog often, I am sorry. It has been pretty crazy around the Farris household lately. As most of you know, I have started back to work. I am teaching kindergarten in a half-day program at a Presbyterian church in Jackson. I have 13 children in my class and an assistant on MWF. We have gotten off to a great start!! I am really enjoying it. All that said, I must appologize for the lack of pictures!! Here is a brief update:

Spencer is able to go to school with me and his class is right next door to mine. He LOVES it!!! When he wakes up in the morning, the first thing he asks is, "I go to school today?"!! Yes, he even asks this on Saturday and Sunday. (Monday being a holiday really threw him for a loop.) His favorite part of the day seems to be playground time. The school has a really great playground and has sand areas. He likes the sand area the best and plays with a dump truck everyday it seems. Mark asked him if he ever shared his dump truck with his friends. Spencer looked at him like he was from another planet and said, "Nope!". At least he is honest.

Cole and Molly are off to a running start with first and third grades. I had parent orientation last week. I was able to go and listen to each of their teachers talk about the way things are done in their classrooms and what to expect as a parent. I was very impressed. Mark and I have been praying for Cole to get a teacher that he can really connect with. He has had a rough time with school...his kindergarten teacher demanded that EVERYTHING (and I mean everything) be colored which is hard for a little boy who didn't like to color, we moved half way through his first grade year and weren't all that pleased with his new teacher, his second grade teacher was great academically, but was lacking on the personal touches and was out from Thanksgiving to SpringBreak with a baby. I was so pleased with Mrs. Butterfield the night of parent orientation that I was almost moved to tears!! I think she is just what Cole needs. She is such a blessing and school has only just begun!!! Molly was very lucky in that she had a GREAT teacher last year in kindergarten. She really turned Molly onto learning and school. Thankfully, that tradition continues with Molly's first grade teacher. From what I gather, Mrs. Iupe is the first grade teacher to have!! Our principal did a beautiful job placing my children this year!!!

Our church has been the home for a nursing home from Lousiana since Saturday. They came to our church as they evacuated New Orleans for hurricane Gustav. This arrangement was set up soon after Katrina, so they had cots, linens, and towels stored at our downtown campus. These were moved to our campus and set up on Saturday morning for the evacuees to arrive Saturday night. They are still at our church with plans to leave on Friday. Mark has been at the church since they have been there with the exception of the hours at night that he comes home to sleep. The church brought a full staff to care for the patients, but members of the church have been there to act as a host and aid where needed.

Keep checking the blog. I will update it soon with some pictures of the kids.