Puddles!

Big ones and little ones.

Yesterday was all about little puddles. When the rain slowed down to a light mist we introduced Madalyn to late summer puddles. There was instant chemistry :-) She quite enjoyed the marching in water and did so for quite a while. Eventually she included sand :-)

Today was about big puddles - and road blocks :-) It was my first day of work.

I'm about to be a prn (less than part-time) counselor at Christian Farms Tree House - a residential treatment center located basically 8 minutes behind my house. I'll be working Saturdays for 8 hours and then one or two mornings a week for 4 hours at a stretch. Details are pending.

So today basically looked nothing like my future work days will look. First of all, I got about 4 minutes out on my way before I hit a road block due to flooding and had to return home and do a new google map in order to arrive. 30 minutes late. I previewed the dvd that I'll show on family days and then I read through some of the discussion information I'll present in groups. I sort of cleaned out my desk... the two most disturbing discoveries were a condom (packaged) and a random pill. I hope the counselor before me wasn't ruffy-ing his clients and then having protected sex with them. I would have to report that to the licensing board, definitely.

Then I ran home during my lunch hour to get a sweater so I wouldn't freeze to death before I read myself into boredom. I stopped to check on Leslie's dogs first and (at least thought) I had locked myself in the backyard with Willie and Ranger (who are doing well, by the way). I then bravely climbed/squeezed over/through the back gate, praying that I hadn't locked the front door behind me. I'm pretty sure I did and that God unlocked it for me. This saved me a long walk home to my house in the rain.

Upon arriving to my house to get a sweater, I spilled hot coffee all over myself and had to change.

My afternoon consisted of a workout in the rec gym. That's right. The incredibly young -looking German grandmother and lcdc showing me around decided that the residents need more structure on Saturday. So she made them turn off their movie and finish dying their hair to go with the gym with her. So, in my work clothes, I made heroic efforts on gym machines I have never seen before and somewhat embarrassing errors on prehistoric weight lifting devices. I fully expect to feel paralyzed for the next day or two.

When I'm in charge on Saturdays I'll probably just let the residents watch their movies :-)

But really, I was excited by the curriculum I read through and encouraged when I met the residents (and not just because they're so in shape). There's just no doubt in my mind that the Lord has led me to this place to do some counseling and that Madalyn will be better for having her mommy follow God's call on her life (even if it means I'm not with her 23 hours out of every day). It's going to be good :-)