My Very Own Stalker

Before you go and get nervous for me, know that this post's title is sort of joke between me and my friend Kathy S. She is a self-professed stalker. It was one of the first things I knew about her. I'm sure you want to know more....read on....


I started this blog several years ago as a part of a summer class I was taking. Everyone in the class set up a blog and we read lots of children's literature and then summarized them on the blog. When that class was over I sort of forgot about the blog. A long time later, I was either talking to a friend that is a fellow blogger (LT) or I was reading her facebook page and she mentioned that she blogged. I read some of the stuff that she wrote and I thought it was so funny. I then thought that I'd give blogging another chance, and three years later, here we are.


Over the years, I think I have found my voice in my blog writing. I encounter people every once in awhile that read it, and I always feel good when they tell me that they follow it. In the beginning though, I didn't have a large following and I can't even begin to tell you what I wrote about. Most days, I don't give it a second thought. And then I met Kathy.


In the summer of 2008, I received my class list of students I would teach that fall. I think I look forward to finding out who's on my list just as much as students look forward to finding out who their teacher is. I try to make students and their families feel as comfortable as possible, so I contact them early. I make my phone calls and then I send a letter. I can remember talking to Kathy. She spoke fast. Really fast. She mentioned a little about her son and asked if she could send me some more information to me in the mail. Boy, did she ever. I have to say that the info she sent was helpful. I knew from the beginning that she was a dedicated parent. We made contact again, and she requested that she come to my room and help. I gave her a regular time and day and she's been faithful.


Sometime around open house last year, Kathy admitted to me that she had been "stalking" me. Apparently, she Googles her children's teachers to get more information. I don't blame her. Having information that can help your child is important. She admitted to me that after she Googled me, she found my blog. I immediately searched through my mind to remember what I had written about. I think she found it interesting. At least she told me she did. :-)


So, fast forward to now. I looped up a grade so I am teaching the same group of kids this year that I taught last year. It has its advantages and disadvantages. Fortunately, it has more advantages. So a bonus to my looping was that Kathy spent another year working in my room for me. It's gotten to the point where I have a hard time doing stuff if she doesn't show for whatever reason. (I think that in one and half years, she's only missed two or three Thursdays...all with a good reason.)


Kathy and her husband have been very generous to me. They own a couple of businesses in town and have taken care of me and my class. There's nothing that I need (or want) that she hasn't come through for me. There's no way I could ever repay her kindness and generosity. And if it couldn't get any better, I've gotten to know her much better and she's become one of my dearest friends. We have lots of things in common and I totally get her personality.


She is a HUGE MSU football fan. When she found out that I had never been to a college football game, she quickly fixed that and invited me to a game. She spent time explaining the rules to football and as long as I cheered for MSU and didn't even hint that they'd lose, we were okay. Kathy is very loyal....not just to her Bulldogs, but also to friends. Kathy is also slightly on the OCD side of things. This is one of the things I love about her. She knows who she is and how she has to have things in order to function. She likes to be in control of things....she always drives when we go somewhere. I get such a kick out of that. And of course, I'm happy to let her drive. (I don't like to drive.)


She is a very special person and I'm so glad that I've gotten to know her. She still reads my blog, and was quick to tell me that I "forgot" to include her in the shout outs. I explained that the shout outs on my blog were a result of a facebook status I had written. She felt sort of left out that she wasn't represented, so I told her I'd devote one whole post to her. And since she's my stalker, why shouldn't I? I mean, I have to give her (and the public) something interesting to read......

I love you Kathy! Thanks for being such a great friend!