My PRECIOUS Conner began Kindergarten this year, and although I knew he was ready to spread his wings a little, I cannot say I was without reservation about the whole journey. First of all, I had gone back and forth with possibly home schooling, and secondly, I was nervous about his...behavior. (My sweet, spirited, strong-willed PRECIOUS Conner!!) With me being a former student teacher and assistant teacher of the particular school that he is attending, and a district classroom teacher for 6 or so years, people were asking me if I was going to request a specific teacher. I truly do not believe that I am in a position to do so anymore, seeing as though I no longer work for the district, but even if I were, I would hesitate in choosing my child's teacher because I would feel like a puppeteer playing out "my" idea of the perfect teacher/school year for Conner. Anyway, in the days leading up to the beginning of school, I was "so" close to talking to the principal and telling her characteristics in Conner's personality so that "she" could place him in a classroom that seemed to fit his needs. Well, like a lot of things I think about...it ended right there..as a mere thought, and I never followed through with it. I just chose to say, "Okay Lord, you know Conner better than anyone and you know what kind of teacher he needs...so do it!" Pretty simple, huh??
On Meet the Teacher Morning, we met Conner's sweet teacher for the first time. My first impression of her was that she had a sweet disposition and was calm and patient, but focused. I also loved the fact that she was middle aged and had just recently moved here from Colorado..it's only her second year to teach at Conner's school. That in itself is somewhat of a subconscious prayer that I may not have voiced but was very important to me. In the small community we live in, there's a group called the "Brandonites" that bleeds into parts of the surrounding schools and churches, etc., and this particular school was once known as "Sorority Row" due to all the absolutely gorgeous, young teachers they have working there. Anyway, I kinda like the fact that she's older, more experienced and that she's new...not part of a lifelong click or mundane routine. Oh, and just throwing this out there...I LOVE this school!!!...and LOTS of the teachers in it!!...I taught there for a while and have absolutely nothing negative to say about it!! It has a very warm, welcoming, kid/family friendly environment! (..AND I even appreciate this more after being part of a K-5 school, I LOVE that there are just Kindergarten and 1st grade babies everywhere!! I'm realizing more and more how challenging it was for my previous administration to plan, organize, and maintain a K-5 school..wow, what a range!! I'm just personally thankful my own little one is part of a huge, vast sea of teachers who are trained and passionate for the younger students.) It's full of WONDERFUL teachers and staff, but I also know that Conner needed a teacher who was compatible with and for him!! Well, the LORD did JUST that!!
I will attempt to make a long story short by skimming through the first couple of weeks...they were normal, beginning days full of excitement and newness!! Conner would come home happy and tell me everything was fine, and I got bits and pieces from him from time to time. The D.O.G. Book provided daily information about what was going on and so forth, but there was nothing about behavior in it. Well, one day his sweet teacher called to say everything was going well, and that we would start seeing behavior colors coming home on his calendar. Up to this point they were still just "practicing" expectations without being held accountable for them just yet.
In his classroom color system GREEN = GO..meaning you've followed rules and are a good role model to others YELLOW = SLOW...oops! needed a few reminders RED= Whoa!! Yikes! Too many reminders/parent note BLUE= Oh NO!! physically hurt someone or property/phone call/principal, but then there's ORANGE which= I CRUSHED the kindergarten expectations and went ABOVE and BEYOND!! It's the BEST!!
I was very anxious to start receiving the color codes each day. His first week of colors were green, green, green, yellow, BLUE!!...yes, blue! The worst. Around 9:30am that Friday, his teacher called to inform me what had happened, and I could hear my PRECIOUS Conner Man crying uncontrollably in the background. (It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it) Mrs. R. was sooo sweet and calm (my first impressions were dead on!!)...and handled everything so well. I talked to Conner on the phone about everything, though I myself had a deep pit in my stomach, lump in my throat, and uncontrollable tears flooding down. He wanted me to pick him up from school...bless his heart. I would never, ever start that kind of escape for him. So I talked to him a bit, and reminded him that though we cannot go back and make changes in the decisions he had previously made, he could make the right choices from this point on. (long story short again) His teacher and I had two lengthy, awesome conversations and a few e-mails throughout the day...I poured my heart out to her and vowed to work with her and be on her side 100% of the way. You see at this point I had not even told her I was a former teacher (though my cover had already been blown since so many of the teachers knew me...hahaha!! She said she had already been told.)...I on the other hand was enjoying being a secret undercover agent!! Hahaha!! No, but really though, I was hesitant in telling her I was a teacher to prevent any stereotypical assumptions or possible insecurities...though I am fully aware that there's NO reason to have any! :) I also thoroughly enjoyed surprising Conner's teachers by sending extra school supplies along with post-its and pencil erasers, and such that were not on the supply list!! Hahaha!! I knew and still know what makes US teachers SMILE!! (I mean...best classroom parent ever!?! Ha!!) Anyway, I chose to be upfront and honest about my former "teaching" hat when Mrs. R. and I had a heart to heart because I wanted her to know that I knew all too well how important it was to have the "parent" on your side. I also explained that I knew a broad range of behaviors when it came to children, and I was well aware that my very own little boy could be quite the handful!! So many parents today, think or lead you to believe that they think their child is perfect...well, not me, I love PRECIOUS Conner enough to never allow him to think he's perfect or pretend he is! In my heart of hearts I expected and was braced for this to be a long journey of Conner having to learn how to meet the expectations of a Kindergartner and was about as low and humbled as you could possibly be about it all. I quickly entered the "hands thrown up in surrender" stage as to how to even go about dealing with it. The next day, which was a Saturday, was by far the worst battle that I have ever had with our PRECIOUS Conner!! It seemed all day he was pushing his limits and testing me to see if I meant what I said and if I would follow through with it and then he would throw raging fits. It was a battle of the wills, yes, but I have no doubt that it was a spiritual battle and that the enemy was trying to kill, steal, and destroy along the way. Well, Conner put up a tough, long, drawn-out fight to where we were both exhausted (physically and emotionally) by lunchtime. At one point, when I had sent him to his room, I heard him crying, I peeked my head in his room and saw him curled up in a ball, saying, "Lord I can't do it...I can't do it...help me." I said, "You're right Conner, but HE can and will help you." I told him that I was gonna put SK down for a nap, and that I would be right back to talk with him. Conner was beyond exhausted and completely desperate for answers...he was so open to hearing the TRUTH about this life!! I started from the very beginning with Adam and Eve...then progressed to Jesus coming as the only fit, worthy sacrifice for our sins...mine and David's included. We talked for a long time and then I prayed over him. It was a such an anointed and APPOINTED opportunity that God allowed us to have!! He ended up taking a nap after that...and when he woke up, he walked up to me and said I really am sorry momma. So sweet. We talked some more and prayed some more...and I have been more diligent in depending on the Holy Spirit's lead/guidance in this situation.
Well, we progressed though the weekend, and I was soooo nervous about him going back to school...I didn't want the previous Friday's emotions to come flooding back...well, he ended up having a GREEN!!...and I was estatic!! Then the next day he received an ORANGE, another ORANGE, then we were out of school due to hurricane Issac, but then concluded the week with an...ORANGE!!!!!! We went a little CRAZY in the Crenshaw house!! I have an ORANGE dance..that I will ONLY do in the privacy of my home, and we celebrated by going bowling as a family...where we ALL five dressed in ORANGE!!! I'll post pictures!! WOW!!! WOW!! Wow!! God is SO good!! For last week's 4-day week, Conner ended up with: Orange, Green, Orange, Green!! And then today, another ORANGE!! Mrs. R. called me tonight to brag on Conner and confirm that he was truly earning all his oranges!! She doesn't give them out lightly!! She explained what a different child he's been and how kind, helpful, and PRECIOUS he is!! He's been a leader (he's a natural born one!!) and an example in class...he's also smart as a whip, so because he's been such a focused listener/learner, he has been SOAKING up so much just within the last few weeks!! Every day he learns new words, letter sound combos, and phrases...CUTE ones too!! Ones that I want to remember if and when I ever go back to teaching! I could not be more pleased and satisfied!! Mrs. R. also said that he prays all the time and that it's so sweet...she said that today he couldn't get his lunchbox zipped, so he asked her to help. She was busy doing something but told him that she would come and help him as soon as she was done. Well, he later walked up to her and said, "Guess who helped me with my lunchbox?" She asked, "Who?"...thinking another child helped him. His response, "God helped me." Tears flood my eyes right now as I type this...I'm so completely overjoyed and thankful that the LORD intervened in this situation and did far above and beyond (like ORANGE worthy...haha!!) all of my expectations!!! It's midnight as I wrap this up...and though it's hard to believe I could go deeper and more detailed about all this. (And anyone who managed to somehow read up to this point is saying...Nooooo!!) Ha!! I'll sum it up to say, that we are still day-by-day praying for Conner...as well as Cayden, and Sarah Kate that they will learn and grow to love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, and minds, and that David and I walk closer to that goal as well and that we listen and look for the Holy Spirit's lead as we RAISE our PRECIOUS children!!!! Thank you JESUS!! You are GOOD, so, SO GOOD!!!! It's ALL because of YOU!!
