"The most important family value of all is time with your family."-Tom Perez Tonight was perfection--after a long week a much needed moment to pause and enjoy the best life has to offer. Jaxon volunteered to make dinner--grilled ham and cheese. As he was finishing cooking, Daddy walked in with my favorite beer and some beautiful flowers. As we finished dinner, the boys asked if we could play a few games. Clue, Risk, and pure joy. A woman can't ask for anything more.
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"Friends are family we choose for ourselves."-Edna Buchanan When Kirsten walked into my life 10 years ago, little did I know that I was finding my sister from another mister or my little lime to my mamacita. Today as I watched her marry her best friend, I was SO grateful that I got to see her. She radiated joy and happiness and I can't wait to see where her new adventure leads. I was honored to share a toast during the open mic and share with her and Lynn how much they mean to us. It was humbling and beautiful and I am so grateful I had the chance to share.
And oh boy, did we dance, and dance and dance. My favorite thing! “Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.”-Yogi Barra A perfect night for family fun. The ball park, a chilli dog, a cold beer, and my favorite guys. We had fun watching the Rockies go through the batting order in an inning. We laughed at Jaxon eating enough sugar for a small nation. We sang walk up songs, played would you rather, and simply enjoyed one another’s company. A perfect night of family fun.
"It's a great day for hockey." -"Badger" Bob Johnson Hockey is my Husband Luke's FAVORITE past time. He has spent the last sever weeks counting down the days until the season started. Then, magic struck. His sister-in-law Julie was able to get free tickets to section 126 for the first preseason game where the Avalanche took on the Las Vegas Golden Nights. And for a brief moment, all the stress and business of life took a backseat to smiling and cheering and laughter. Luke found a smile and we enjoyed a grown up night out with his family. A small treat in a big busy life to be savored!
"God's Blessing go far beyond anything we could ever dream." -Unknown Tonight we celebrated my friend Kip's fortieth birthday. Kip and I met during the first day of college orientation (21 years go by awfully fast!). We went to the Colorado Rockies Beer fest and I got to enjoy all of my favorite things--beer, a green chili dog, good friends, and time with Luke. It was a joyful way to connect with friends and to celebrate life! I thought that when 40 approached it would be scary or depressing. But instead, I am learning that it I am so grateful that we live a blessed life and get to fill our time with people and things we love. It is amazing!
"That man is rich whose pleasures are the cheapest." -Henry David Thoreau It has been a week. The first full week of school always brings with it the reality that work of my heart requires patience, perseverance, and plenty of coffee. The excitement of the first week filled with new clothes, new supplies, and seeing friends is quickly replaced with the tiredness of waking up earlier, the realization that last year's academic challenges are still there, and the truth that education is a complex series of decisions that come at lighting speed. This year, a traditionally challenging week, was amplified when I woke up Thursday morning to the horrific news that a former student had passed away at the delicate age of 19. Words cannot express the feelings that come with such tragedy--why? how? why again? Oh, and did I mention sore feet? Oh, how they ache by the end of the day.
So, this Saturday morning, I woke up before the rest of the house. I decided that some self care was in order and I simply took an hour to fill my soul. A hot cup of vanilla cinnamon coffee, a new issue of Bella grace, and the flowers that Luke brought home to me last week, my dear sweet Layla curled up at my feet. Simple pleasures, quiet time, and peace. These will not take away the pain of loss, the stress of starting or the worries of the world, but for a brief moment, they filled my heart with joy and now I am ready to face the world again with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. A fresh start. This year school feels like a new beginning as we are poised to start out the school year in our brand new building. Organization and materials management have always been HUGE struggles for me, so I signed up to take the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek to lean how to make my classroom more efficient. And after 4 days of unpacking, organizing, and preparing, my classroom is beautiful. When I walk in the door, my heart begins to smile and I feel a calm, easy feeling. It is beautiful, new, and full of potential--just like every day of our life! And that is a feeling to be cherished.
"There are great slender models, great tall models, Amazonian models, great busty models-my point is models of all shapes and sizes, age, ethnic backgrounds should be embraced and celebrated." -Erin O'Conner If you had asked me just a few years ago to go to a photo shoot, I would have laughed at you. I'm a plus size girl and always a little self conscious about having my photo taken. But I pushed through those thoughts on Friday when I saw a candidate for the state senate put out a call for teachers to participate in a photoshoot for election materials. I decided last spring that it is important to get more engaged in politics especially around education. So I said I could help. This morning I took a bunch of pictures with cute kids and candidates to help them prepare to take back the senate in November. And you know what? it was fun! I am a model! (Curves and fuzzy hair and all!)
"I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in the real world. I just didn't know how to connect with people there. I was afraid for all my life, right up until the day I knew my life was ending. And that was when I realized that...as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also...the only place that...you can get a decent meal. Because, reality...is real." -Halliday, Ready Player One There are SO many thing that I should have done this morning--finished cooking freezer meals, cleaned the house, paid bills, etc. But when Blake asked me if I wanted to watch a movie with him, I said yes. Because, it mattered. Spending time with these boys being present and sharing time is what it is all about. We rented "Ready Player One", made some popcorn, and ate some pizza. We laughed at all of the Easter eggs (and at Jaxon dancing!). My heart is full, my house is messy, and guess what--it was a real moment.
"In order to create an engaging learning experience, the role of instructor is optional, but the role of the learner is essential." -Bernard Bull Online classes have been really hard for me to transition to. I tend to be a social learner, so the thought of interacting only with instructors via a computer seemed like too much of a shift for me. But this week, I have learned, that I can be successful.
As part of the Ed Tech Institute I am participating in, I have taken three different courses this week and learned a lot. The best part--I can turn my music on and enjoy while I go at my own speed. Now I wonder how to incorporate this in a meaningful way in my classroom. The success this week was enough to tip the scale for me to apply to the Tufts Online Teacher Engineering Education Program. I am excited to learn more about teaching engineering and can't wait to see how online learning can open up the world! |
AuthorAlmost 40 and tired of the treadmill, I am going to LIVE each day as a new adventure while finishing todo items on my life list. Mom, wife, teacher, geek! Archives
May 2020
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