a personal day (literally)

today I did not go to work at First Baptist. last night I celebrated two of my best friend's birthdays, so we stayed out and about late and stayed in a hotel. it was so fun!

I got home around 11:00 this morning. after dropping my dad's car off at the fixer-upper place, we came back home and I saw my bed. my glorious, lovely, welcoming bed. I looked at dad, looked at my bed, and then said..."yeahhh, I'm gonna lay down for a little bit." this time last summer this would be a risky action to take. when I was having harder "down" days I could nap the day away and then not be able to sleep and the whole cycle would start all over again the next day. but today, I laid in bed, watched "Crazy, Stupid Love" and caught up on the social medias.

this time spent by myself (and Monster for a little bit) just made me realize/remember how many introvert tendencies I have. after a night of being out with a large group, talking and meeting new people, my heart and soul was ready for some quiet time. I needed to recharge!

I had an appointment with my therapist later in the afternoon. before I went, I got out of bed and cleaned my room and bathroom. talk about some pre-therapy therapy! I love putting things away, organizing - it gives me the feeling (a fleeting feeling - ha!) that I have a handle of my life.

when you are a survivor of a traumatic experience like rape, the things in life that allow you to have complete control are things that you love. when I have say in what I'm doing, when I'm doing something, and HOW I'm doing something I flourish. life in The After is so strange, but finding moments like today when I found a piece of control that was productive makes me feel less like a crazy person.

of course a trip to the dog park with Monster is always a great end to a good day. the weather was just perfect, there were tons of dogs, and I met a guy! his name is Austin, he's super sweet, funny, and 4 years old :) I got him to take a picture with me (his mom took one of us, too!) but I won't share just for their privacy. we talked about all the different kinds of dogs, the weather, and school - he was quite the charmer!

I hope your Tuesday was a good day. if not? take a deep breath - tomorrow is almost here (it's late!) and that means you get to start fresh. we need that.

I love y'all,
H

I work with kids // a lot.

hi dear ones,

ummmm it's July? when did that happen? (on the 1st, I know har har)

summer, as usual, is flying by.

I'm now working 3 jobs so it's been difficult to take the time to sit down and write words and post pictures.

so I'll talk at you and show you some pictures, sound good?

Job #1 - Mother's Day Out @ First Baptist in Blue Springs
Title - Teacher, Miss Hannah, "hey lady!"
Responsibilities - keep children alive, keep children out of trouble, teach them things, open juice boxes and Lunchables, love them, teach bathroom etiquette, etc.
Remarks - I am in love with 15 little four year olds. On the days that we have 10, I love them even more ;) I have learned so much from teaching these little ones. We have our challenging, long days but we also have sweet, happy days. the moments during the day that make me want to pull my hair out are forgotten when I hear, "I love you!" I'm learning about patience, love, and the importance of fun. each kiddo is so special to me.
Photos:

Job #2 - Gymboree Play & Music in Lee's Summit

Position - Teacher

Title - Miss Hannah, "hey lady!" 

Responsibilities - keep children alive, keep adults slightly entertained, sing and dance, talk really loudly, say things like, "let's not put our tongue on the slides, please", etc.

Remarks - I teach a lvl 6 (28-36 months) and a lvl 1 (0-6 months) on Thursday nights. I've done some subbing and birthday parties lately as well! My lvl 6 class has about 6-7 kiddos in it every week...we have lots of fun. The parents and I have gotten to know each other well - it's really nice to go to work and be able to enjoy the company. They also laugh at my jokes? so that's nice :)

I love these kiddos just as much as Mother's Day Out ones! It's so fun to see them growing and learning as they come each week. I like being a part of their lives!

Shameless plug - if you're interested in doing classes our website is here. 

Job #3- Nannying in Greenwood

Position - Nanny

Title - Hannah, mom (on accident)

Responsibilities - keep children alive, feed children, entertain children, change diapers, watch Disney Junior, play outside, etc.

Remarks - this past week was my first week to be with Kendan who is 6, and Camren who is almost 1. Kendan was one of my mom's students when she taught preschool last year. She told his parents that I was available to babysit and I did that about 5 times. They needed some help watching the baby and Kendan during the day on Monday and Friday so their mom can work and they asked me to do it for this summer! The first week went really well. We've played washers, had fun in the sprinkler, and played board games. Kendan is smart, funny, and really a good helper. Camren is a sweet and happy baby. She's been so fun and I'm just learning so much about how to love on and care for these kids! 

sassy girl

tricks!

so those are my days as of late. lots of children, all the time. 

I love how much I'm learning.

I also love that I'm being shown that this is what I'm supposed to be doing.

that validation and peace of mind is something I've needed so desperately. 

I love y'all so much! 

xoxo,

H

OH! Monster.