Teaching Sunday School

I taught preschool sunday school at Quest Community Church & loved it. I was really able to call that class my own. I remember being encouraged by the kids' growth & learning things I taught them. When I got in the children's ministry at Linworth, I wasn't sure I'd have time to teach & that position was filled. I waited for about a yr for an opening, while helping in the 1s/2s. I didn't particularly love it, but it was ok. God is so good. This position didn't open until my school decreased from full time to part time so that I have time. I'm a little rusty, but I look forward to improving & being able to call it my own class, watch the kids grow, learn, & learn with them.

Before teaching, I'd helped so I could see how the class was run & how to teach it. When preparing for my 1st time teaching today, I spent a little over an hour planning it. I only planned for the activities that I'd seen the kids do & an extra activity which involved puppetry, which the other teacher wishes she could remember to do. I looked forward to getting back into puppetry as I did that at Grace Point Community Church.

During class today, at 10:30, I saw that the parents could come anytime between then and 10:45, the latest that the service usually gets out. We were just finishing up the last activity. I thought they could play for that extra time. Well, the service ran even later, until 5 till 11, 10 extra minutes. I really didn't want the kids to play the whole time, although it wouldn't have hurt. I wanted to do something more meaningful. I also noticed it was too quiet. The kids were being kids, but there wasn't any background noise, which I need. I looked for a CD, but there wasn't 1 that only had music on it. I'll have to look for it later. That's 1 thing I used a lot at Quest. I always had the CD player on except for during the lesson & prayer. The kids are use to singing a Bible song as they pass the Bible around. The kid who has it when the song stops takes it to the teacher. I know the chorus, but not the verses. I thought my helper might know more. She didn't. We thought the kids could help. They didn't. This is a different song than is in the lesson book. It's an older 1 that another teacher taught everyone. I need to get the words to that song. During clean up time, I missed the "Everybody Clean up" song that I use to play. I played the clean up song on the only CD that I found. Neither my assistant or I knew that version. I taught the kids that when they get too noisy, I'll clap and they have to repeat it. It worked! Next, I need to implement the only-talk-when-you-have-the-ball thing. So, for next month, the next time I teach, I'm going to have to plan for some extra activities in case we have time.

I learned several days ago that just because a cat's in the room, it doesn't mean he sees all the other pets in that room. Pumpkin had been in the living room almost every time We took Oro out there. I decided to Pumpkin Oro by carrying her over to him & making her look at him. Boy, she was even more mad than Maggie! I'd also never seen Oro mad. Apparently, he hadn't seen her much. I forgot that he'd seen Maggie through the window before he came inside. I don't know how we're going to introduce him to Cuddles since she doesn't like to be picked up. Maggie goes back & forth between being ok with Oro & being mad. By ok, I mean not mad, but she doesn't like him.

I forget if I mentioned in my previous post that Oro's not neutered yet. My parents learned & taught me that if we pet Oro a lot, he'll stop his loud meowing in the middle of the night!

It's been about a month since I put the soft paws of Oro. They're starting to fall off, like they're suppose to.

I'm still getting use to how blogger works. The description for this pic is at the bottom.



Maggie is now fine w/Oro in the living room. It's only when he's in her room (my room) that she has a problem. My vet said part of Maggie's problem w/Oro might be that he's not neutered. Even though she's spayed, she might sense his hormones. My vet said she might improve when Oro's neutered. He's getting neutered Thurs. We're really looking forward to that because now, he meows very loudly at night. He was alternating rooms, but he has to stay in my parents' room at night now so that I can sleep. We think his meowing is because he needs to mate. Also, he doesn't like to be alone. When in my parents' room & their not in there, he sometimes meows even more.

We've known that he's longer than any other cat we've seen, so I measured him and compared it to Pumpkin. He's 19 inches long. She's 17 inches.

Oro on the windowsill, showing how long he is.

Maggie's progress

Yesterday, Maggie didn't hiss and her ears were erect (like they are when she's happy or in a neutral mood) when mom held Oro in the living room. She only hissed when she saw him in her room (mine). We're making progress!

Oro likes a toy

Last night, Maggie was able to be in my room. Oro was in my parents' room. Maggie was back to her normal self, not desperately wanting out of my room. She thoroughly enjoyed being able to go in & out of my room & has enjoyed it today.

She still smells him.




She smells him. Her tail's up. She's mad.

She's starting to smell him on the yarn. He played w/it 1st. I'm not sure if she's wagging her tail b/c she's playing or b/c she's mad.



As much as Maggie hates Oro, she has something in common w/him. the only toy they both like is yarn.


He stole the yarn from me.

So he prefers it to be dangled.


I don't think he knows to chase it.









He likes it!

I'm not sure why blogger rotated these. When I downloaded them, they were vertical. Last night, I introduced Oro to a new toy, the good, old fashioned yarn! The yarn in these pix is the color of the carpet, so it's hard to see. Here, he's checking it out, not sure what it is.

Middle of wk 2 of Oro being in the house

I'm writing often because if I don't, I'll forget what I want to write by the time I get to it. A couple nights ago, dad said that when Polly was in my parents' room w/Oro, Polly laid next to the side of the bed, nose facing the corner. Oro laid next to the other side of the bed, also, nose facing the same corner that Polly's nose was facing. They stayed that way for a while.

We tried having Oro in my parents room for 2 nights/days at a time. That didn't work. Pumpkin wanted in the room and got upset. We're back to every other day/night.

For the past couple of days, mom's been holding Oro in the living room while I hold Maggie so she'll face him for 5 mins. 1/2 the time when I look and call for her when I just want to give her attention, she doesn't come. I looked for her more today and found her under our chair in the living room with the skirt. I think since she doesn't know when Oro will be out, she hides from him under there!

I introduced Oro to the brush for his fur. He's not a fan.

Week 2 of Oro being in the house

The 2nd week of Oro being in the house started Fri. Mom or dad have been holding him in the living room for at least 5 min a day while I hold Maggie. It seems like she's going to be the last thing preventing Oro from being able to roam the house. The other pets don't mind when he's in the living room. I talked to my vet yesterday about Oro & Maggie. He reminded me to not give Oro any privileges that another cat is use to having. Even though, I've been trying to spend as much time as possible with Maggie while Oro was in my room, she wasn't able to be in my room whenever she wanted & wasn't able to sleep with me or sit on my lap while I study. My parents & I decided to put Oro in their room every other day/night. That way, Maggie & Pumpkin (mom's cat) can adjust to having a new cat in their rooms while having access to the rooms 1/2 the time. We put Oro in my parents' room. Pumpkin stayed on the dresser while Oro was on the bed. This was ok for a little bit. Pumpkin didn't like it, but didn't start hissing for a bit. I think this was Pumpkin's 1st time hissing at Oro/his smell. When Polly, our dog, went in the room, she jumped on the bed, as usual, & was surprised to see Oro there, but she adjusted. It didn't bother her much. Pumpkin has to stay out of the room while Oro's in there unless my parents are in their with them to help them adjust. I had to clean my room (replace bed clothes, vacuum, & mop the wood floor to get rid of any ear mites that might still be alive) before putting Maggie in there. I closed the door with Maggie in my room while I put new bed clothes on the bed. Usually, that's Maggie's favorite. She loves playing with the sheets when I replace them. All she wanted was to get out of the room. She stayed at the door, meowing. I had to carry her around the room. She hissed at Oro's smell. I don't think she slept with me last night, but this morning, she came in. We're now back to her coming in my room & laying on my bed asking for attention & giving it while I study. I held Oro in my parents room, then held Maggie. She hissed at his smell on me. My vet reminded me that it can take cats up to a month to adjust to a new pet in the house. We're going to have to continue to alternate days/nights with Oro being in my parents' & my room. We knew Maggie would be the hardest to adjust. Our other cat, Cuddles, doesn't care about Oro.

By the way, Oro likes closets. Also, to test his smartness, when my friend, Lisa, came over. I had her say his name. He perked up. Now, we know he knows his name!