Quirks

Have you seen this blog post?
http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/12/12/quirky

She blogged her top 5 quirks back in 2011, and she has some hilarious comments.  Someone started sharing it again via Facebook.

Her post made me think about my ideas to her quirks as well as my own.

1. I found it interesting she was more interested in sleep and body temp than danger.  A child's sleep is important to me too.  I think all children need 8-10 hours of sleep each night.  I know things happen to make that possibly not happen, but it is a goal. I hadn't really thought about body temp.  Well, I don't want kids to overheat or not be warm enough, but I certainly don't panic about it like this blogger.  I am fine with children taking risks, but I don't want them to put their lives on the line or anything.

2.  Music choices are very much representative of my mood.  On Criminal Minds, I heard something about the music that makes the biggest impact on you is that which you listened to when you were 14.  Well, I listened to a lot of things at that age.  My dad was a record collector.  He would spend Friday nights at Collectors Records searching for all kinds of things from the 1920s to the present.  Well, not really the present.  More like the 1970s.  He had R&B, Rockabilly, Classic Country, and more.  He was not into Opera, Rap, or the Beatles.  (I wasn't allowed to listen to the Beatles until I bought a tape my Senior year of high school when our marching band show was Beatles' music.)  Now, I love all kinds of music.  Not Rap so much, but I love all kinds of music.  The music I listen to on my way home is very dependent on how my day went.

No matter what the song or station is, I cannot listen to it as I fall asleep.  I sing and sing and there is no going to sleep at all.  When a song comes on the radio, 9 times out of 10, I can sing the song even if I've never heard it before.  Not sure why that is, but it is.
Also, when I am very focused on work, I like to have my ear phones on listening to music. 

3.  My ears are sensitive to noise levels.  There are moments that my classroom or house can be full of sound and chaos.  The next minute, my ears go crazy, and I need all noise to stop, which is kind of weird since I hate a silent classroom.  There are times that I need to just sit in the quiet. I can't stand the radio or television being too loud either.

4.  I love to laugh, but I don't find most things funny that others do. I don't like gross humor or dirty jokes, and I cannot stand pranks or hazing.  Once, my friends toilet papered a house, but I didn't go b/c I absolutely hate cleaning up toilet paper in the yard.  Once, I was a chaperone at a birthday party where all the children were divided into groups to carry out different tasks.  My group toilet papered a house, we took pics, and then I had them clean it all up before we left.  I do not like teasing or people being mean to others either.

5. I am pretty OK with "good-byes" (except with my niece and nephew), but I am not OK with public acknowledgement, public "thank yous," or with opening gifts in front of others.  I greatly appreciate being appreciated and I do need to hear it, but I get unbelievably embarrassed.  When someone gives me a gift, I would much rather open the gift later when I'm alone and send a "thank you" card.  When someone does acknowledge me or gives me something, I tend to say "thank you" a ton of times. 

6.  I cannot stand wet bathroom floors and bath mats.  I just can't stand it.  Wet bathroom floors and bath mats truly gross me out.

7. I expect there to be at least one pitcher of tea in my refrigerator at all times.  When I come home from work or a trip, I don't want to have make a pitcher.  I want to be able to pour me a glass and relax.

8. When I get to work, I like to have a few minutes to get acclimated to my classroom or office before being bombarded with questions and needs.  It just helps me prepare for the day.  I like the time to think in the quiet and prepare.

I'm sure there are others, but that is all I have at the moment.

Birthdays--A Time to Reflect

Today is my birthday.  I won't share how old I am.  I never told my students my real age, and I don't think anyone at work knows how old I am either.  I almost have a hard time with the reality of my age, the actual number.  I just can't believe I am the age I am.

I always thought I would be in a different place or living my life slightly differently by this age.

By the time I was entering and finishing high school, I knew I was going into education.  I planned to become an elementary school teacher and continue doing that until I retired. I knew I would get my Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Well, I did earn my Bachelor's and went on to teach elementary school for 11 years, and by the end of that time, I had a Master's and Doctorate, a degree I never dreamed of getting. I have now spent five years in Curriculum and Instruction at different levels, something I never dreamed of doing, but I really enjoy. Along the way, I have met some amazing people and learned quite a lot. It will be interesting to see what I will do next. What other opportunities are there?

I have traveled through Europe three times.  Three experiences I never imagined I would have. I can't wait to do it again when my niece and nephew are old enough to enjoy and appreciate the experience.

When I didn't find "Mr. Right" in high school, I just knew I would find him in college.  I dreamed of marrying after college and starting my family within the following 5-8 years.  Well, that never happened.  As you know by my posts, I am still very much single and childless, something I never imagined I would be at this age.

As I turn another year older, I reflect on the person I have become.  Am I who God created me to be?  Am I leading the life God planned for me?  Have I veered off His path to follow my own? Am I doing what He wanted me to do?  Am I in the right job/location?  Have I missed my chance at finding "Mr. Right"?  Will I ever have children?  What is God's plan for me in the coming year?

I am grateful to have another birthday, to have the family I do, to have had the opportunities I have had, and for the friends that listen to me and lift me up when needed. Even though this last year has been very difficult, I am still a very blessed person.

I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for this next year.  I pray it if filled with more joy than pain, amazing experiences, and lots of time spent with family and friends.

Caring for an Aging Parent

Have you cared for an aging parent? How did you handle it?  What did you do?  What got you through?

I realized last week that while Mom was in rehab for 6 weeks recovering from her broken leg, I was more at ease, less stressed.  People were keeping an eye on her sugar, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and more.  Her medical needs/complications were being monitored. She had three meals a day that she surprisingly liked. She could rest as much as you wanted, get involved in whatever she wanted, and could get out when I was there in the evenings and on weekends if she wanted. She went to therapy, talked to everyone, and we were comfortable with everyone there.

Since coming home, I have worried more, and my stress level has gone up.  She doesn't sleep well at night.  She has worked to make sure she isn't napping all day, but it doesn't seem to matter how active she is or how much she naps. When she moves any distance at all, she is out of breath, and it takes a little while for her breathing to return to normal. Each morning when I leave, I am relieved to hear her snoring or moaning.  I know she is alive.

I have a terrible fear that I am going to wake up one morning, and she will have passed away.  While it would be comforting to know she went in her sleep, it is still the thought.  I worry when I don't get a text or email from her during the day.

Taking care of an aging parent is not something people thing about until it happens.  My suggestion to all children out there . . . think about it before it happens.  Talk to your parents about what they want for long term care, what their desires are, and more. Figure out a plan if possible. Find a support system for yourself and your parent(s).

Cleaning Out and Recalling Memories

My mom and I have begun the process of cleaning out my maternal grandparents' house. As we are learning with others who lived through the Depression, Granny saved everything.  She wasn't like those folks you see on Hoarders, but she kept things that most today would trash, recycle, or shred.  Toward the end, Granny fell into this habit more than ever.  She had to keep every newspaper clipping that mentioned anything that her kids, grand-kids, or great grand-kids might have participated in at one time--Scouts, sports, school.  No matter if this clipping had to do with the actual thing the kids were in, if it just mentioned the overall sport or organization, she kept it. She also kept every letter/envelope she got from any organization or business with which she did business.  Every bank, AARP, Medicare, etc., letter, envelope, and more.  Yes, there are some of those documents you keep, but some are just information or mailers.  She kept the envelopes and dated them as to when she received them. If these companies wanted a history of their mail, we could produce it for them.

Once time, many, many years ago, their taxes were audited.  From that time forth, she kept every paid check, letter involving anything pertaining to their business or a bank, and more. Because there is so much paper and documentation, we decided to start there.  We are removing anything with account numbers, bank business, etc. We had to sort the paperwork into the keep, shred, and recycle piles. 

When you have documents like this, you can learn things you didn't know.  I thought my grandfather always worked for the same concrete construction company.  I didn't know he worked anywhere else.  Well, I found that he worked for a different concrete construction company before working for the one he was with for decades.

I knew my grandparents helped others when needed--loaning money, helping pay for funerals, etc.  That is the kind of people there were.  The kind of person I like to think I have become. If you needed anything, they would help.  Well, looking through the papers, I saw that they helped someone filing for bankruptcy, sold people their own family cemetery plots, and more.

Granny kept a napkin from every important event she attended.  We found napkins from 4 family weddings.  I'm sure there will be more as we go.  One was my great aunt and uncle's, one was my parents', and two were cousins'.

We bagged Granny's clothes to donate.  She said she had already gone through my grandfather's things when he passed away in 1995, but she didn't.  We knew she didn't, but we didn't argue.  We are donating his things too.  Looking at their clothes, some from the 60s and 70s, it reminded me of that hit song, Thrift Shop by Macklemore.  Some folks will be in heaven when their clothes make it to their next destination.

Four things kind of hit me yesterday.
1.  We found a box in a closet with my name on it for Christmas.  It was filled with ornaments.  She had bought an ornament a year throughout my childhood and put them all in a box.  She dated each one. She would have given me the box at my wedding shower, like she did my brother and cousins.  Now, I will just store it until I get married or decide to use them to decorate my own tree. I will not have that moment when Granny presents the box to me.

2. We found another box of crafts and crocheting I had done one summer when staying with them.  I can pick-up the crafts and finish them.  No problem.  However, I have no idea how to crochet.  The needles and yarn are just as I left them. I will not have Granny here to show me how to do it again.

3. We found another box with my name on it along with "Quilt."  Granny had made a Sunbonnet Sue quilt top several years ago. Each block had Sunbonnet Sue doing a different activity.  She didn't know how or couldn't finish it by quilting it, so I brought the box home.  Now I will try to find someone to finish my quilt. She won't be here to see it finished.

4. We found two baby blankets and a sweater that matched one of the blankets that Granny knitted or crocheted. I realized, if I have children, Granny won't be there to give me these items or to spoil the baby as only she could.

I'm sure there will be more moments like these, and that is to be expected.

Here are my questions for all of you . . .
Have you had to clean out a loved one's house?  What did you do with all the "stuff"? 

Ten Years Ago Today

Today marks the 10th Anniversary of my father's passing.  My mom and brother were by his side as he took his last breath.  That night, I was in one of my first two Doctoral classes. (He was so excited to have a "Doctor" in the family.) When class ended, because I was having issues with my contacts, which were fogging up, I drove down the street to my aunt and uncle's place.  I took care of my contacts and then had my Uncle drive my aunt and I to the hospital.  By the time we got there, he was gone.

Had my uncle driven faster, it seemed like we were creeping down the highway, or had I not had issues with my contacts, I might have been there in time. I could have not gone to class, but I found that whole week that I needed routine in order to keep it together.  I went to work, taught my students, went to class, did my work . . . everything had to stay the same in order for me to maintain control. Mom wanted me to make my own decision, so she sort of let me know what was happening, but she never said, "Get over here, now" or anything like that.

The last time I saw my dad, it was like I knew, so I said my "good-byes" then.  I don't regret not being there at that very moment he breathed his last.  I hope my mother and brother don't hold it against me or are not mad in some way because I wasn't there like they were.  Maybe it was selfish of me to handle the whole situation the way I did, but I had to do what I needed to do for me, so I thought. (Weird, how this is one of the absolute few times I did what I felt I needed to do for me.)

The Wednesday of Spring Break in 2003, he had a headache, and it didn't go away.  He didn't seek medical attention until Friday.  When he did, the doctors transported him to a larger hospital. At this point, he had some therapy, but he really had no signs of a stroke, not like you think of . . . no use of left side, difficulty speaking, etc.  He was in ICU, but everything seemed pretty good for a stroke.  On Sunday evening, we took turns visiting with him, talking, etc.  We got permission for my nephew, 19 months, to go inside to visit.  Just after my brother walked about of the room carrying my nephew, a vision I still see clearly, my father had a stronger stroke, from which he didn't' recover. We had to make a decision whether or not we wanted the doctors to go in and clear his arteries in his neck.  I think I believed that he would recover or have a better chance of recovery if we chose to do the procedure.  We did choose to do it, so they wheeled him into surgery.  The last time I visited, he was not aware of his surroundings.  He really wasn't there.  He constantly would pick up his arm as to look as his watch, but since there was no watch, he would look at the clock on the wall.  Over and over and over and over and over, he did this.  After a few days, we had to decide what to do next.  Do we leave him on the machines and hope he gets better or do we choose to turn the machines off?  The doctors couldn't give us an hopeful solutions. We knew my father wouldn't want to live like that, so we made the decision to turn off the machines.

10 years. A lot happens in ten years.  A lot happens when you lose a loved one. We've added my niece, had many trying times, watched my niece and nephew grow into the amazing young people they are, lost my grandmother, changed jobs, and more.  Life changes in 10 years.  Life changes when you lose a loved one.

I know there are things I have done in the last 10 years that have made my father smile down on me.  There have been times that I have really wished he were here so I could ask him about a song, a play in a sporting event, who someone was, why something was the way it was. I wonder what life would have been like these last 10 years if he had not had a stroke. 

I wish my niece and nephew had gotten to know him.  It is funny. My nephew was 19 months old when my dad passed away, but my nephew still remembers things about him and what they did together.  I try to tell my niece about him since she never met him.  Whenever I can, I tell them things he did or said and how proud he is of them.

My dad's birthday was Halloween. When I was little, we would have cake and ice cream before going Trick-or-Treating.  For several years, I would get cookies or cupcakes, and my niece, nephew, and I would go to his gravesite and talk to him, tell stories, and celebrate his birthday. I miss doing that with them.

10 years. 10 years is a long time. 10 years is also a very short time.

The House That Built Me

This month marks the 40th Anniversary of my parents moving into my house.  My parents had been married for 7.5 years when they drove 20-30 minutes east looking for a community where their future children would not be bussed to school.

My dad was driving and my mom fell asleep, which she often did when not driving.  He drove onto the street where my brother and I were raised and stopped to look at a few houses at the north end of the street.  My mom fell in love with the second house, but someone had already purchased it.  The salesperson explained that there was another house almost exactly like it a few lots down.  It wasn't quite ready, but if she wanted it, she could pick the colors, flooring, etc. Anyone who knows my mom knows that isn't something that interests her or that she feels comfortable doing, so she told the company just to pick what they thought would look nice.  Of course, being the 1970s, they chose avocado green, harvest gold, and a rose color, colors found in all the other houses on the street, and wood paneling in the living room. The house was finished, and they moved in at some point in March 1973, probably the week of Spring Break.

Over 40 years, we have done some work.  No, no more avocado green, harvest gold, and rose. I finally convinced Mom to let me paint the paneling a year or two ago.  It is now a creamy, beachy sand color.  It brightens up the whole room.

For some, it is just a house--a building that has protected us from heat and storms. For me, it is so much more.

• My dad taught me about so many genres of music and instilled a deep love of music from the 40s and 50s through his record collection and playing the music in the playroom so loud you could hear it all over the house and outside. You could tell his mood when you drove into the driveway because you could hear the music.
• The kitchen table, which is still in the same spot, holds memories of family meals and discussions, my brother and I completing homework year after year, and Mom and I grading paper upon paper.
• The garage was turned into a play room for my brother and me when I was about 3 and then later a sitting/entertainment room for my dad.  A man cave by today's standards. When my brother and sister-in-law moved in, it became their bedroom.  
• The formal living and dining rooms have been just that or my brother and sister-in-law's bedroom, a playroom for my niece, my bedroom when everyone was living in the house, a sewing room, and now an office and library. 
• My brother and I had various Birthday parties inside and outside of the house. Later, we threw my niece and nephew's parties there too.
• We caught the bus to school right in front of our house.  Funny, since they didn't want us bussed.  Oh, the things I learned on the bus and the friends I made.
• My dad coached my brother's baseball and soccer teams on the back acre, where we had the fields laid out, bases placed, and goals set.
• My dad, brother, neighborhood kids, and I played touch football in the front yard.
• Our original neighbors helped plant a pecan tree with me when I was about 4 and then another one when my brother was around 4.  Both are growing beautifully today, reminders of the sweet neighbors who were like an additional set of grandparents. I could go on and on with the memories of our original next door neighbors and the neighbors who still live down the street.
• My mom and I built the deck to our above ground swimming pool when I was younger, and my brother and I spent many hours in that pool and playing in the backyard. The pool doesn't still exist, but the memories do. Mom and I also moved the fence back about 10 feet one summer.
• I played with Little People, dolls, cars, and imaginary friends in my room, and as a teenager, I talked on the phone for hours with my friends.
• We celebrated my parents' 25th Anniversary and Mom's 60th Birthday in the formal living room. 
• I still refer to my brother's bedroom as his bedroom even after it has been an office, my nephew's bedroom, and now a room for both my niece and nephew when they visit. 
• My nephew, Mom, and I helped my uncle redo the floor in the shed out back.
• My mom and I mourned my dad's passing here. The family gathered at our house after the funeral.
• My niece and nephew's prints are near the back porch in cement stepping stones.
• As toddlers, my niece and nephew would run to the door as I entered it each afternoon with open arms shouting, "Auntie!" Oh, how my heart melted.  They sure knew how to brighten up a long, hard day.
• My niece and nephew had the opportunity to make memories in this house too for 9 and 10.5 years.
• We learned to drive in our driveway and on our street. 
• There are so many more memories I could mention.

I am who I am for many reasons, but I would not be near the person I am had I not lived in this house on this street in this town.  I love my house.  I love my street.  I would raise a family here.

Miranda Lambert's The House That Built Me spoke so deeply to me as I heard it daily for about a year.

"The House That Built Me"

I know they say you cant go home again.
I just had to come back one last time.
Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam.
But these handprints on the front steps are mine.
And up those stairs, in that little back bedroom
is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar.
And I bet you didn't know under that live oak
my favorite dog is buried in the yard.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself
if I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years.
From 'Better Homes and Garden' magazines.
Plans were drawn, concrete poured,
and nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama's dream.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could walk around I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me. 



I don't know if you have a place that holds memories like this.  Many people might, but they tend to move on and start memories in a new place.  That hasn't happened for me, not yet.  So for now . . . I will live on in my house with so many memories and look forward to making more.

Here's to 40 more years!

Quotes

I love quotes!  When working with teachers or groups of people, I try to find a quote that fits with our focus.  I have also chosen quotes throughout my life as my mantra to help me get through each situation.

I love how Criminal Minds uses quotes in each episode. This last week, Dr. Spencer Reid said the closing quote:  "Sometimes the hardest part isn't letting go but rather learning to start over" by Nicole Sobon.

This hit home with me.  Everything I am going through, processing, feeling . . .

Do you use quotes?  Do you have a favorite?

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas has had me thinking, remembering, and feeling grateful.
I have been blessed to wake up in the same house every Christmas morning since birth. For some, that may seem weird. To me, it is wonderful.

Most of my life, we spent Christmas Eve with my mom's side of the family at Granny and Grandpa's house.  We enjoyed sandwiches, chips/dips, and pie before opening presents.  I remember when my brother, cousins, and I were the little ones who just couldn't wait to open presents.  I have been blessed to enjoy the same traditions with my niece, nephew, and little cousins.  They were just like us, lying under the tree wishing and hoping it was time. My great aunt and uncle would come over to be with us too.  I don't know when this tradition started, but it seems that we always did it.  It continued until about 5-10 years ago when had to do it the weekend before with my cousins b/c they wouldn't be here. Now, if we get together on Christmas Eve, which we always do with Granny at least, you never really know who will be there or for how long, but we still try to keep this tradition going as long as Granny is with us.

From birth until upper elementary school or middle school, we would open presents at home on Christmas morning before walking next door to have breakfast and open gifts with my neighbors and another family we were very close to for much of my life. We continued this tradition for one year after my neighbors moved to a neighboring town, and then we stopped.

We would come back home to choose a new outfit to wear and then head to Granny and Grandpa's for Christmas lunch. At some point, probably after my grandfather passed away, we moved lunch to my house.  We would have as many as 16 or more enjoying lunch and conversation.

After my brother got married and had children, we continued our traditions, but we would start Christmas morning at their house for the kids to open presents.  They would come back to our house to open presents with us and then stay the rest of the day for lunch and dinner.

As we were entering this holiday season, I had no idea what we would do for Christmas.  My brother and sister-in-law moved 5 hours away.  My mom has all but moved in with Granny to take care of her.  This was going to be my first Christmas waking up on Christmas morning alone. My first Christmas morning without my niece and nephew. Mom decided she was going to be with the kids no matter what, so she was going to drive the 5 hours to be with them on Christmas Day.  She said Granny and I could go with her or stay home.  Well, I was a little worried about Granny riding 5 hours down and then 5 hours back all in one day, so I was willing to stay home, but it was what Mom wanted.  I had gotten my mind set for this and ready for a different kind of Christmas.  It really didn't matter where we were as long as we were together.  Right? Well, God had different plans.

After telling my brother and sister-in-law about my great uncle's passing, they decided to come home to visit and go to the funeral.  After the services, they headed to Oklahoma to be with her family while they celebrated over the weekend. They are supposed to come home for Christmas Eve and wake up to celebrate with us on Christmas morning.  We don't have to make Granny travel 10 hours in one day. My niece, nephew, and I get to wake up in the home we know. God is wonderful!  I know there will come a day that I may live somewhere else, and a day that I may not even get to see my niece and nephew on Christmas Day, but this Christmas is not that time, and I am oh, so very blessed and grateful!

I was so excited when they drove in the driveway on Friday night!


Another tradition we have in our family is the Advent Calendar, which Granny made when I was tiny, each piece handmade and sequined, involves hanging the ornaments on the tree. I am so glad the kids were here to get it caught up to date.  The first 7 were hung by a set of Girl Scout sisters at our December meeting. I just left it alone the rest of the month.



I can't wait for them to get home tonight for Christmas Eve! I am so blessed.

Mom, Granny, and I got together for sandwiches, chips, and dips for lunch with my aunt and cousin yesterday.  I truly enjoyed that time.

My life has changed dramatically in the last 10 months, but God knows what I need, so He provides as only He can.  Thank you, Lord, for sending Jesus to be born in a manage all those years ago, and thank you for all you do for my family and me!
 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Reflections of an Educator

Since hearing about the terrible tragedy that took place in the elementary school in Connecticut on December 14th, I have had various thoughts.

-I can't begin to imagine what the parents, who lost children, are feeling.  I pray for the parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts/uncles, friends, and family of these children.

-I pray for the surviving children and educators.  How do you walk back into the school knowing what you know and experienced?

-I pray for the first responders and others who worked this tragedy.

-The teachers and administrators were so heroic.  The principal and school psychologist were killed as they lunged at the shooter to try and overpower him and get the weapons away from him. A first grade teacher was killed while to hide her students wherever she could within the classroom.  Another first grade teacher barricaded herself and her students in the bathroom, and she did all she could to keep them calm.  The Librarian or Librarian Aide, along with a few other adults, barricaded a class of 4th graders and themselves in a storage area, and they gave them crayons and paper to keep them calm.  The Music teacher protected his/her students by keeping them quiet and hidden.  The gym teachers moved the children to an office and kept them quiet/safe. The stories of the teachers in the building go on and on. Teachers on conference periods did what they could to get to their students who were in electives at the time. The custodian ran throughout the building warning everyone.  What amazing people!


-What would I do if it had been my child?


-What would I have done in that situation? My thoughts on this in a bit.


These thoughts led me to the following thoughts.

On Tuesday and again on Thursday, I had a conversation with different teachers about how the general public view educators/education.  It started when a teacher said that someone she knows was making fun of/being mean about the fact that we get 2 weeks off at Christmas, a week off in the spring, 3 months off for summer, a week at Thanksgiving, and various other days throughout the year.  I just had to give her something to say in return next time.

We don't get a whole week at Thanksgiving, but that isn't my point.  We do not get paid for all those days off.  We get paid for 187 days.  Our paychecks may be spread over the 12 months, but we only get paid for 187 of work.  BUT . . . we work far more than 187 days a year. The majority of teachers, good teachers, work 24/7 August through the beginning/middle of June.  Teachers take home papers to grade.  They can't go to sleep at night for thinking/worrying about at least one student or a situation or what/how they are going to teach the next day/week. If they go to sleep, they may dream about a child/family or wake up to think/worry about at least one student or a situation or what/how they are going to teach the next day/week. Many evenings include school duties or programs, professional development, planning, grading, and more.  Summers include professional development or preparation for the next year.  Teaching/Education is not a 187 day a year from 7:30-3:00 or 8:0-4:00 job. It is so much more than that.


I have read Facebook post after Facebook post praising teachers or wanting to thank teachers for what they do.  Sadly, maybe this horrific event will remind the public what exactly educators do on a daily basis.


We are with the children more waking hours than their parents.  We are their teachers, counselors, nurses, secretaries, care-givers, confidants, and so, so much more. We teach them far more than reading, writing, and arithmetic.  We teach them right from wrong, how to get along with others, public speaking, to care about others, manners, patience, prepare them to survive in the real world, and more.


Almost any educator you meet will tell you that the children assigned to his/her care for those 187 days become "our" children.  We become possessive of them, want what is best for them, and care very deeply for them. We really care for them for the rest of their/our lives.  Once a child passes through my class, I wonder what they become, where they go to college, and how they and their families are. For no particular reason, a name or face pops in my head, and I begin remembering that child and then wondering about him/her.


The children are our children, and we will do whatever it takes to protect them.  We don't pick and choose or put ourselves first.  Our first priority is the safety and education of the children the parents send to use everyday.


I have had the privilege to work with 1000s of children throughout my career. I have made mistakes, been the person parents curse, learned from my mistakes, stepped out of the box, and grown, both as an educator and human. The one thing that hasn't changed . . . I would do whatever it takes to protect the students in my care or within my vicinity. No, that isn't part of the job description, but it is who I am and who educators are.


This deep feeling of compassion may not be understood by the general public, both other educators completely get it.  Thank you, fellow educators, for all you do for the children of America and elsewhere.

This was shared on Facebook via The Farmer's Guesthouse and a few Pastors, including mine.
“To parents who aren’t educators, this may be hard to understand. Five days a week, we teach your kids. Joke with your kids. Console your kids. Praise your kids. Question your kids. Beat our heads up against a wall about your kids. Gush over your kids. Laugh with your kids. Worry about your kids. Keep an eye on your kids. Learn about your kids. Invest in your kids. Protect your kids. Love your kids. We would all take a bullet for your kids. It’s nowhere in our job description. It isn’t covered in the employee handbook. It isn’t cited on our contracts. But we would all do it. So, yes—please hug your kids tonight—really, really tight. But on Monday, if you see your kids’ teacher, hug them too.”

A Little More About Me

Do you hear or read something and think it would make a great topic about which to blog?  I have been able to watch The Talk this summer, and there have been several topics that I have opinions about, but when I get to my computer, I completely forget what I wanted to say.  So . . . I found a website that lists the Top 10 Challenge.  At the moment, I don't want to spend a day on each topic and list 10 things for each.  Instead, I will list one thing for each topic.  I'll come back to it every now and again to share a little more.

Fact about yourself: I earned my Doctorate in Education with a focus on Supervision, Curriculum, & Instruction.  Also, I'm an "it depends" kind of person.  When making decisions or having to make choices, I normally say, "It depends," because depending on all the details, my answer my vary.

Favorite . . . 

movie: Sweet Home, Alabama came to mind first, but I know there must be something else

TV show: Army Wives (right now with all the reruns of other series)

baby name for boys: Zane

baby name for girls: Jayne (middle name)

food: spaghetti and meat sauce with mushrooms and meatballs

drink: sweet tea (since it is summertime)

dessert: chocolate shake with hot fudge and Oreos

book series: The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

novel: I need to keep thinking on this one.

actor: I don't watch shows/movies for a particular person, & no one is coming to mind today.

actress: See the "actor" answer.

band or singer: Reba

fictional character: I'm not sure about this one.

song at the moment: We Are Young

sport or hobby: being crafty

game: Bejeweled Blitz on my iPad (individual) or anything my niece & nephew want to play (multiple players)

Thing you . . .

wanted to be when you “grew up”: a teacher

can’t leave the house without: Other than keys?  cell phone

do when you’re bored: email friends

love about yourself: that I'm a life-long learner

wish you could change about yourself: my weight/unattractiveness

Other . . .

Thing on your bucket list: Take my niece & nephew on a European vacation when they are old enough to enjoy it.

Celebrity crush: no one

Website you visit often: Facebook

Physical characteristic you look for in a partner: 

Personality trait you look for in a partner: honesty & compassion (right behind Christian)

Regret: Not having a family of my own; I regret my kids not knowing my mother & grandmother.

Wish: I could find "Mr. Right."

Place you want to visit: the northeast with my niece & nephew