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That about sums up the amount of subbing I’ve been asked to do. So far, so good. Out of the last two weeks of being a substitute only, the first week I requested one day off, and worked every other day. The reason I asked for a day off, was to go on a road trip with hubby for my birthday.

We drove up 65N on what I like to call, the flea market express. It’s the highway that leads from Conway to Branson, Missouri, and along the way, there is a flea market every 20 minutes or less. We drove as far as Botkinburg where they have the most beautiful stained glass. I keep telling Josh that if we ever build a house, we are going there first to pick out windows. Lead and leaks be damned! I LOVE stained glass!

These are two examples of the styles (and prices) of glass at Botkinburg. In the long run, it’d probably be cheaper to commission replica’s without lead. This is also why we have to pick windows first, so we’ll know what’s left over in the budget, enough for tile bathroom floors, or concrete?

This last week, I also managed to squeeze in a bit of substituting. Monday, I only worked half a day and didn’t have to be there until 11:30 so it was nice to relax for the morning. I asked for Tuesday off because my mother wanted to drive out to have lunch with the kids at their school and rather than navigate the school hallways by herself, I went with her. The kids enjoyed having lunch with both of us, and lucky for us, their lunches are spread far enough apart that it is easy to eat with one, and then the other.

Wednesday, I get a call so I head up to the school. One of the secretaries at the 9-10 building had asked for a personal day. But as it turns out, she had asked for Thursday off, not Wednesday. Oh well, I replied, if you need me later, give me a call, meanwhile I’m going shopping with my hubby. Ten minutes later, they had a teacher call in sick, but opted not to call me so I could go shopping! I had a good day off unexpectedly. We did go to a couple of stores looking for a bookcase. We came home, and I read The Shack by William P. Young, ate dinner at the in-laws and went to a Methodist Ash Wednesday service. So it was a very full day.

Thursday, I played secretary again. Yippee! That afternoon it was time for Parent-Teacher conferences. I think teachers should try something different. Like sending a note home that says “Your kid is awesome in all subjects and socially, don’t make an appointment unless YOU have questions.”  Because honestly, we go to the conferences but I always leave feeling it was a total waste of time. The only thing that was enlightening this time around is that Ethan’s teacher suggestd that he probably isn’t pushing himself in reading. But hold on for a second…is it HIS job to try to master more difficult books, or his TEACHERS job to realize he’s at a place where he’s no longer challenged? Hmm…maybe both, but I’m erring on the side of it’s the teachers job to push the student to achieve more. Some kids can push themselves, others can’t, and others don’t care.

Friday was time to pretend to be a home economics teacher of sorts. I watched the same video three times about how to make yeast bread and caramel rolls, another video about how manners matter, and another video from the early 90s where this man really liked wood and the whole class giggled at the sexual innuendos. A pretty entertaining day.

Meanwhile, on Friday, my husband had lunch with some parishoners. One of them asked Josh how I was enjoying substituting and he said that he thought I enjoyed it and would make a great teacher if I ever pursued it. The parishoner agreed and said that he had never seen a more natural teacher so if I wanted to pursue it, he’d pay for me to go through the alternative program! He said it was a way to invest in me and the hundreds of kids I would affect! Wow!

So this weekend, I have been coasting along and considering my options. I did attend the seminar last Fall on the Arkansas alternate teachers liscense program, but I had opted to only sub this year so I could really see if I thought I’d enjoy it. It’s a lot to take in. I only quit Wal-Mart two weeks ago and now I’ve got a financial backer for being a teacher?? Is it just me, or is God telling me something? What do you think? If you don’t believe in God, is Karma trying to pull me somewhere? Help!?!