Here We Go Again...

Yesterday everything was going great. The kids were back in school, I was happily straightening and doing laundry, DH came home early from work and took down the tree and I got to stitch for a blissful 30 minutes in the car while waiting for the kids. That is when it ended so to speak.

DD came out of school happy as a clam. Sister Diane (our principal) taught her class as her teacher wasn't in. Sister Margaret (who is a hoot) taught them Irish dancing in music, she had some homework but she was happy. She mentioned there was a note in her school bag that all the kids got. Okay, I figure I will read it when I get home. I go around to the front of the school to get DS. He is late coming out so I open the letter. It is a letter from her teacher and there is another letter from the principal. For personal reasons, her teacher is not coming back. What?!?!? My heart sank. The letter went on to say that we should tell our children and she will be in later in the week to say goodbye. The letter from the principal stated that the teacher is a wonderful teacher but had to make the difficult decision to leave for personal reasons. In the interim she hired a substitute who is a wonderful teacher. She will. not just hire anyone so it may take time and we should be patient. This came totally out of the blue. DS came out and got in the car and was quiet. Oh oh, now what??? I think to myself. I have tears in my eyes as I go home. I get in the door and send DD upstairs to change out of her uniform. DS stops me in the kitchen and tells me that Ms. D (his teacher) told the class that Ms. S (M's teacher) had to leave and wouldn't be coming back. DS was upset all day for his sister. I manage to tell DH and his look mirrored mine. Gosh, here we just got settled and everything was moving along smoothly for the first time in months. I composed myself and went upstairs and told DD. She just stood there and then the tears started. She cried for almost an hour. She loved Ms. S and was doing so well and now, well, I don't know and won't know for awhile. DH and I comforted DD and talked to her about how she was new and now she isn't and she has to help welcome the new teacher. We told her that it would be okay (when in our minds we don't know). We told her that she has to keep doing as great as she is because Ms. S would want it that way. For the first time ever, DD struggled getting her homework done. It wasn't much but her mind was not on the work. I helped her to get it finished and then she went and played with DH for awhile. He played My Little Pony Castle with her. He's a great guy and while playing dolls isn't his thing, he will do anything for DD and DS. She seemed okay by dinner so I figure I am not going to say anymore. After dinner, I went to get the kids ready for baths and then bed and saw her talking to DS. Here he was comforting her. He has been there before but it was different. His 4th grade teacher was pregnant and we knew she would be leaving in February of that year to have her baby. But in M's eyes she connected to what DS was saying. The rest of the evening was okay and they were in bed by 9:30. Me too. I was exhausted from the shock of what happened after school. This morning when I got them up, I saw M had colored a picture and ripped it out of her coloring book. It said "Welcome to 2nd Grade". Here she colored a picture some time last night for the new teacher. We put it in her homework folder and she plans on giving it to the new teacher. So maybe things will be okay for her after all. I made them both a special lunch and sent them on their way. Now I wait. I have a knot in my stomach because I can't wait to get DD and hear how her day went with the substitute teacher.

I love M's teacher and she loved the children so much. Something must have occurred in her family during the holidays. I know she lives with her mom and maybe something happened to her mother and she needs to care for her. She never talked about brothers and sisters so maybe she is an only child (like me) and needs to take care of her mother or someone. I know in my heart that Ms. S never would have left in the middle of the year especially a year where the children are making two sacraments (Reconciliation and First Holy Communion). So I will keep her and her family in my prayers and thoughts. I will also pray that Sister Diane makes the best choice for a new teacher to teach my child and the others in M's class. They are a great group of kids.

Now for the next few hours, I will wait. I will do my best to get my laundry done and other household chores done to make my day go quicker. I will make sure I stitch some this afternoon too. For once, I can't wait til 3:10 PM rolls around so that I can see how DD's day went. I sure hope she is having a good day. At least she has gym today so I know of one plus in her day.

I will post an update as soon as I hear how DD did today.