the tub story

I thought I would take a moment to explain, since the title for this blog is a little unusual.
It all started many years ago...well, maybe not many, but a lot of years ago....there was a smallish kindergarten girl, with permed hair and a love for her kindergarten teacher. This is her story;

Mrs. K was wonderful. Her classroom was bright, she always wore a kind smile, she played the green piano, she knew what to do when someone threw up.....but most of all she had lots of books. She had lots of books AND a reading tub! Somewhere in her career she had stumbled upon an old fashioned bathtub that she painted with wild and vibrant flowers and filled with cushions. 
This is the exact spot where I got hooked. Hooked on reading that is. By the end of that year, I knew I had found my calling. I was to teach. Mrs. K fostered a love for reading, learning and dragging others along for the journey. I owe my calling and abilities to God alone, but I believe firmly that He used Mrs. K to point me in the right direction.

(this was not drawn by me, but by another of Mrs. K's students, she sent me a student-made book when I got my first teaching job, there was an entire page filled with similar drawings)

Well, that little girl grew up, although it was difficult to wait SO many years to fulfill the dream of having her own classroom. To keep the spark alive, she quietly hunted for her very own reading tub, for almost 15 years! Each time she found one it was either too expensive, missing pieces or in possession of questionable fungi.
Finally as her third year of teaching began... she found it! For $50 at a garage sale just a few miles from her school. With much help from strangers and friends, it made the journey to Room 217. Now painted turquoise blue with golden feet, it serves as a cozy reading spot for emerging readers everyday!

Thank you Mrs. K!