9 AM: It was so surreal this morning, walking to school with the 2nd-graders. Because they were all in plainclothes instead of uniforms, due to their field trip today. They look 100% different in regular outfits, like cool little dudes ready to take on the world not school inmates, ready to sit in one place all day. And I was getting more greetings than usual from them--they're all in a happy mood. I hope they have a lovely time today.
Yesterday, I heard something wonderful. KBR told me that she had to get the Vice Principal to sign my renewal contract and that he had to write comments on it. She said he wrote so many serious compliments, basically a glowing review. She said she also thought I deserved a raise. That really blessed my heart--it buoys me up so much to hear that the VP would say such kind things.
Felt someone tap my shoulder as I was walking down the hall today, and it was Seongwonnie. I don't see him nearly as much lately, though he used to be my little much-protected baby. He has grown, so he's not as beaten-upon as he used to be. And he and Inha and Yeongchang are busy raising the little rabbits outside, so there's that to keep him occupied.
I went into the special needs room with him and the only other person in there was Dohyun, who has cerebral palsy. He was sitting at a table by himself looking lonely, so I sat with him while Seongwon played the piano for me.
Dohyun let me write on his worksheet, where I taught him words like "bird" and "gloves" to match the pictures on his paper. He spoke to me all in Korean, and I could understand most of it. He keeps repeating that he's Korean and I'm American, because I said that to him when we first met and he wants to show me that he remembers what I said.
As I was writing, we bent his head until his nose was touching my hand. Then he said my hand smelled like makeup/perfume (there's a dual word for it). He told me that he has an English lesson on Saturdays and that he knows the English word for "head" and for "hand". I taught him the word for "finger". He told me I was beautiful. Then he told me his class number and I asked if he knew Hyungkeun and Seungsu, two of my afterschool boys who are in that room. My friend O-Teacher came in and was thrilled that Dohyun had been trying to communicate so much.
I've still been running every day. The last four days, I've just gone out and jogged the entire river-path down and back, which is usually over 50 minutes. Yes, I can't go very fast, but I can run for almost a solid hour with no stops. I'm just in awe of what God's allowed me to do. I had no idea I could achieve anything like it.
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10 AM Just called my mother to make sure she was okay--because of the tornadoes.
How did I know about the tornadoes at home? Because Minjoon told me.
I don't follow news, local, national, or international, so I only know big events when they trickle onto social media or when someone informs me. So when Minjoon bounded into my office and very seriously informed me that there had been a tornado in Alabama and that he had seen it on the internet news--I was shocked and worried. I remember the 2011 tornadoes very well. Everyone does.
But I called my mommy and she and the kids and Grandma are fine. That set me at ease. There's still a storm watch going on, but the bad bits are over I believe.
Never would have thought I'd be finding out news about home from one of my boys.
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