School life

Well kids, it's that time again!
Time to get back to school.
I've come to the realization that I will always, always, (even though I am not a student at the moment) have that feeling of "back to school" "yayyy!"...because well, I'm a teacher. and there will always be a back to school.
I so wish I was somewhere that I could find a school picture of myself from the "first day" to show you!
Oh well.
Just picture me by our front door, blond hair, freckles, new twisty shoelaces and holding my bright shiny pencil box(complete WITH rainbows). ;)  Ready for first grade!

This year I'm gearing up to be the computer teacher again.
It's bitter sweet.
I'm sad because I feel like I didn't have a real summer due to working a lot, on and off at my part time job.
I LOVE the beach, more than almost anywhere else, but I didn't even get there this year. (Unless you count memorial weekend for like a day.)

Can summer really be over? I mean....what summer?! bahh! I barely had one. The kind I like anyway.

There's also the fact that I realllly, REALLLY want to be a real, grade level teacher. Really. That's what I WANT to do. My dream job.
It'd definitely be nice, but I guess it's not in God's plan for me just yet.
It's hard because I don't mind my computer job, (you know I LOVE the school) but it does get tough and frustrating sometimes that I'm surrounded by people doing exactly what I WISH I was doing (ahem, teaching) but just can't right now. It makes my heart sad sometimes, but this girl is just trying to be patient and not take things so seriously.
It'll happen when it happens. Right...? Right??

Esther

Today I had an interesting encounter with a woman at thatplaceIwork. 
It was kind of odd, unusual, and kind of made me laugh and smile inside.

Picture a little, old, asian woman.
She comes up to me and asks (asian accent and all)
"...You have bigger  bags than this?" *holding up a gift bag
I tell her no, we only have that one size.
"ohh.ok. You think this will fit in here?" (shows me about 4 outfits)
I say ...umm I'm not sure. I think so...maybe if you take the hangers off.
"ohh ok. So I'll put in here, no hangers..yes. ok thank you."
then...
"...you have cotton outfit? I need something with cotton."
She has 3 pieces of clothing items with her already.
She goes on:
"I need spend $100...how much for these..?"
Well...I'd say probably around $40..
"40?? ohh okay."
"...you have cotton outfit? I need something with cotton."
I show her a few things we have. And then BOOM. Somewhere between her asking about the gift bag and now, I have become her personal shopper.

(we're also pretty busy, mind you)
I try my best to help her in as cheery a manner as possible as I see the line growing with only one person ringing.

I show her a few items...she says
"Okay...uh. what size?"
I say, well we have 3m, 6m, 12m,...etc haha
"Okay, baby just born so I need 12m.."
Wasn't about to fight her on that, lady knew what she wanted.
She picked out a gray sweater with some pinks and said
"how bout this??.."
me...yep that's cute!
"okay I need pants"
I showed her to the sweat pants. We have these cute ones that look like jeans for babies and I suggested those.
She gives the pair one look and said...
.."it's for GIRL!"
...HAHA. oh gosh. I say yes, I know. I think that goes, you?
Well, she clearly wasn't liking those. She goes over the the infant boys table and pulls off some gray sweatpants...
"oh HERE! GRAY!"
In my mind I'm like...oh the irony. Then on her own she notices shes at the boys table haha.
THEN, she decides to put the sweater back.

She says she needs more than just pink...picks up a yellow outfit...
"..uhh what size.."
I suggest 12m at this point.
She looks at the outfit"...it's bright but so yellow... make look like baby have jaundice" and then her cute asian old-lady chuckle.
Puts that one back.
She tells me the people she's buying for live in Egypt.
"I don't know what colors for there...you??"
Lady I have not a clue....."no um hmm..me either"
She's picks out a purple outfit she likes....I check but NO 12m! I ask her if she wants me to check in the back. She does, so I do. Find a 12 m.
Anndddd.....many moons later. She. is. ready. to check out. Get her all set to go.
She's about to walk out and sees a pink jumper outfit on a mannequin that she hadn't seen before. I show her where it is.

She buys that too.

She was sweet. She said..."thank you so much for you help. I really appreciate. thank you. What you name? ....Kari thank you."

She walks out. I just kind of smile. ohhh she was a fun one.

5-10 minutes later.....she's back.

I'm checking someone else out and she smiles at me and stands  (with her big bug sunglasses) just smiling away.

I could not stop smiling myself for efforts to try not to laugh.

She returned the purple outfit that I went in the back to get! ha and another associate took care of that.

I learned her name was Esther.

It's the little things folks.

In a weird way Esther brought a smile to my heart today.

:)