The Whirlwind...and A Shout Out

OK, not a literal whirlwind, although as I sit here, it is definitely quite gusty outside right now!  So who knows!  But it describes how I have been feeling lately.  I missed three days of work last week because of major lower back pain.  Last Wednesday, I woke up about 2 a.m. with terrible pain in the lower back.  It hurt to sit, stand, walk, or lie down...it just plain hurt!  I thought, as I'm sure many of you would have too, that maybe I can at least make it half a day at school.  I got up and was brushing my teeth, when I broke out in a cold sweat and felt light headed and sick to my stomach.  Hmmm....so maybe I shouldn't try to make it in...OK, I give.  I texted our secretary and told her I wouldn't be coming in to school.  I still had to take Bella out and make sure mom got up to go to the bathroom.  I tried laying down or sitting in different positions to see if that would help, but it didn't.  I called my doctor as soon as I thought the office would be open.  The earliest appointment was for 3 in the afternoon.  I took it, at least I had one.  I still made breakfast for mom and myself and took care of Bella.  I managed the rest of the day sitting in the recliner with a heating pad on my back, pressing into it, as that helped it not to kill as much.  I got to the doctor's and said she thought it was probably a badly pulled muscle, gave me some medication, and told me to come back in a couple days if the meds didn't help.  I left to go get the meds and went home.  I took my first dose not long after I got home and was pretty much knocked out...dizzy and drowsy.  I rested with the heating pad.....took more medicine...went to bed.....woke up feeling dizzy and drowsy, but a little better.  I knew I couldn't drive 25-30 min. on the highway to school feeling this way, plus my back was still hurting some.  So, again I texted the secretary to tell her I wasn't coming in.  Friday I woke up the same way and again didn't want to chance it.
Sunday came, I felt much better and headed off to church.  Then, I got the wonderful news that I won the amazing giveaway that Meg over at Teaching in the First State had, a gift certificate to the TpT store!  That made my day, obviously!  Monday, of course, was a day off.  So, I got more rest to be ready for school on Tuesday.  I couldn't wait to see my kids.  Monday night I got a text from the secretary to ask if I would sub for the kindergarten teacher....wha..????  So..... I said I would?!?!?  Really??  Tuesday, I woke up to about 2-3 inches of snow on the ground, the first snow since October!  We had a 90 min. delay, but there was still kindergarten.  Too bad most of the kindergarten didn't seem to know that.  I got to school to only have one student in K4 and K5.  Don't worry there are normally only 6, but one little girl is all I had.  We had an interesting time with a shorter day, trying to cover some things, but not too much so her teacher wouldn't have to find other things for her to do the next day when all the kids would be back.  The day went by quickly, but this little girl kept me going with her boundless energy.  After she left, I went back to my classroom to set up for my kids for Wednesday.  I put Franky the Friendly Letter man up on the board and some math problems. 

I was ready for my kiddos.  That night I got a text to take K4-K5 again today!  Of course I said I would, but I am missing my kids!  It's now been a week since I have had them. :-(  But I am willing to help out.

So now for the shout-out.  To all of you amazing, miraculous, wonderful kindergarten teachers, bless you...bless you...BLESS YOU!!!  I had 5 little students in K4-K5 today, but to keep my K4 focused on what they were doing as I helped the K5, or to keep the K5 from having play time with their desk nametags, while I worked with K4 was quite the interesting fete.  It's funny how this class is set up, the 3 K4 kids are all girls and the 3 K5 kids are all boys.  We started the day with pledges, had restroom  break, K5 drew and colored triangle boats, while K4 had time to play with the play dough, K4 were learning to print the letter t, s, l, and h, while the K5 boys were practicing their names in cursive, we had a Bible lesson, they had snack.  I was thinking, wow we have done a lot of work, it must be almost time for them to go home, which is 11:45.  I looked at the clock and nearly choked as I saw that it was only about 10 o'clock.  Wha???  Wow, it is definitely a different world down there.  A high energy world.  After snack was recess time, then it was time for numbers, phonics came next, restroom again.  The girls colored a mini book on the five senses while the boys worked on a Math page.  We did reading circles and then it finally was time for home.  Phew!  They were very good, and finished their work, but it's just a whole different world.  It was a fun day, the kids were adorable, I love seeing them walk down the hallway, and wave and smile really big.  But boy, teaching them seemed to take a bit more energy than I had.  We did have lots of fun and I think they learned some things, at least I hope so!  I know I definitely did.  So to all of you Kinders out there, you have a special gift!  It's pretty amazing what you do all day everyday!  I enjoyed my little time with them, but I hope to be in my third grade classroom tomorrow...missing them!
OK, one more thing, if you're even still awake enough to read this far down. haha  But, I was trying to figure this out on my own and haven't figured it out yet.  So, if someone could please help me learn how to make a cute button for my blog, please!!  I would love to have a cute button for people to grab, and would rather have a cute button, than my face on my links to the linky parties.   Thank you in advance!