Fresh Air Rejuvenates the Soul

I have been itching to get outside and the sunshine is making Spring feel that much closer. On a few of my drives to school last week, I even had to wear my sunglasses! I love my sunglasses and I feel like they've been in hiding all winter.

A few weeks ago, we had a sunny, but still chilly Sunday afternoon. Billy & Moses went for a run, and I decided to bundle Flynne up and take her for a little stroller ride. She loved every bit of it and couldn't stop oohing and ahhing over everything. It was short lived, but it sure was nice to clear our lungs!

This Saturday, March 9, we bundled up and went out again, except it was 48 degrees! Seemed like summer to us! And then on Sunday, it was over 60! Amazing! We were outside as much as possible and can't wait until warm weather is here to stay. Here's a couple pictures from our trips outside!

Just Another Day

On any given day, at school, I feel that my role is not only a teacher, but a mom, a friend, a counselor and "the f-ing teacher".

I leave the house at 7:30am as a wife to my husband and a mom to my daughter. I walk into the school building at 7:45am and my roles have changed, a little. When I decided I wanted to go back to school to be a teacher, I never thought about everything else I'd have to be too.

I was going to school to teach kids math & reading, not to talk about their issues (you forget how many issues middle schoolers have) or to hug them. I was going to school to be serious & show kids that learning is important, not sit in my classroom laughing so hard because the students are hilarious & crack me up on a daily basis. I was going to school to learn how to help students succeed, not to tell them their clothes are on backwards and how to dress correctly. I was going to school to have a job that was rewarding & boy did I get that!

These kids range from hilarious to frustrating, but what really gets me is all the extra baggage these kiddos bring to school with them, which is why I'm also a counselor and friend.

When I was in elementary & middle school, I had no idea that the classmate sitting beside me smelled because his parents didn't wash his clothes for him, or that the girl who never had her homework done was more worried about making dinner for her younger siblings, doing their laundry & putting them to bed. This is real life folks! How can one be so naive?

You mean not every one of my classmates had a mom at home who packed their lunch? Or loved them even if they were a pain-in-the-a** sometimes? They didn't have a cooked meal every night, or parents who didn't fight? Really? Their parent never asked about their grades, or helped them study spelling words?

Honestly, growing up, I never was aware of any of the struggles my fellow classmates had. It's typical as a child to assume that their home life is not abnormal, that everyone's is just like theirs.

I'm sure, that maybe one day I would discover this on my own, that life isn't always perfect & that there are children who have BIG issues going on at home. I think that being a teacher has made me experience & learn this faster than normal, or maybe not. Anyway, it's a good wake up call, and has made me appreciate my childhood even more than I already did & how I want to raise Flynne.

But, most importantly, I'm able to do what I can to help these children on a daily basis. Each student/kid is totally different and they may not share what's going on outside of school, but it means a lot when they trust you to lean on. I feel a small success when a child turns to me, or comes and gives me a big hug, or even apologizes for calling me "the f-ing teacher", because deep down, I know they trust me, care about me, and look up to me, not as just their teacher but as a friend too!

It's seeing & talking to these students where you learn that in the end, it is the small things that mean the most.

Happy Birthday Mama!

Today, I want to wish my beautiful mama a very happy birthday! I feel so blessed to have been able to celebrate 27 of my mom's birthdays with her. I try to make a point throughout the year, to let her (& my dad) know just how much I love and appreciate them, and not always save it for only their birthday, or Mother's Day or Father's Day.

I'm a believer that the ones we love should be constantly reminded of how much they mean to us on a daily basis and just how important they are in our lives. In the back of my head, I don't want there to ever be regrets, wish I would have said, hope they knew, if I had one more chance... I leave with a hug, an I love you, and never upset or mad.

Now, back to my mama. Growing up I never would have thought that my mom and I would be best friends. As a child, your mom is your mom, and that's what you see her as. But, as you grow up and thankfully mature, you may realize that she's more than just your mom, she's my sister I never had, my best friend, my daughter's "grammie", she's my confidant, she's the one who fights for me, who picks up the phone when I'm having a breakdown, or need to vent, she's the one who talks me through a rough day, or gives me advice on things you may not always want advice on. She's also the person who knows me better than anyone else on this Earth & without her I'd feel lost, but she's taught me strength that I also know I'd survive.

She's taught me to accept others, because after all, she's accepted me for all my quirks and "telling it like it is" personality. She's helped me see the brighter side of people and not to focus on the darker.

My mom is strong, caring and a hard-worker. She's showed me that you can be a working mom and that your kids will still thrive and succeed in life. And, at the end of the day, the quality of time with your children can be more important than the quantity. She's taught me that as a parent you no longer put yourself first, and that in everything, your children are number one. I feel that both my parents did this for my brother & I, and there is a part of me that feels guilty, but as a parent now, I understand why.

I can always count on my mom, for anything. I know she (& my dad) are my #1 fans and that they are always in mine & my family's corner!

I know our relationship may be rare and it may not be. I know there are lots of mothers & daughters who aren't as close as we are, who don't share the bond we do, and for our special relationship, I'm extremely grateful. I'd by lying if I said I didn't want this for Flynne & me someday. What a blessing, to be able to call my mom, my very best friend!

So, today, we celebrate mom (Grammie) and hope she has the best birthday yet! We all love you tons & are so grateful to have you as such an important part of our lives!

Happy Birthday!

"Every day's a holiday, celebrate just living"

SnOw DaY!

Two Fridays ago, we had a SNOW DAY! Our first one of the school year! What a pleasant surprise, being a teacher on a morning of a possible delay/ snow day takes me back to being a kid. How many times can I hit the refresh button on the web page to just hope my school will pop up next??? I get this adrenaline rush that doesn't go away, and in fact, it stays so long that I'm awake at 5:30 and not even tired anymore. Maybe, someday, I will figure out how to control my excitement and enjoy sleep more.

I typically get a text if school is delayed or closed around 5:45 - 6, I probably make some comment like, "yes" or "finally" or "yippee"! I then hear my husband grumble, "snow day? congratulations" in the most sarcastic, jealous tone ever! I can't help but smile! I LOVE SNOW DAYS!

Flynne & I enjoyed our snow day together to the fullest. We made rounds to my grandmas, her great-grandmas. We went to Grandma Emmons' for lunch (yummy) and then after her afternoon nap we went to Grandma Hubers.

Taking Flynne to my grandmas houses made me realize just how great of a setup we have for Flynne in our living room, and how hard it is to take her somewhere that is not baby proofed! Much much easier to have people to our house, especially when they have stuff EVERYWHERE!

I feel very blessed when I get to spend extra unexpected days with Flynne, and they only make me want to stay home more! I also feel blessed to get to visit my grandmas and let Flynne play & read with them :) "What an awesome day," that's what grandpa Emmons would have said!