Samoas

In 1976, the Samoa was added to the repertoire of Girl Scout Cookies. They joined the "shortbreads" , "peanut butter sandwiches", and the "thin mint".


I love Samoas. I have a sweet tooth. A serious one.


Do you know Samoas can talk? They call my name from the cupboard. Honestly. The voice gets louder and louder until I finally walk over and rescue them from the box. Only to pop one in my mouth. Okay, misery loves company so I usually eat two.


I thought I dodged the Samoa bullet this year. I avoided any Girl Scouts like a plague. They couldn't find me after school. I made my self scarce when they were making their rounds. I turned my head if a table was set up to sell cookies or I avoided any eye contact with any little girl with a vest on.


My greatest friend who lives in Minnesota (far, far away from Colorado) has a Girl Scout in her house. How could sweet Erika inflict any damage to my mission of avoiding Samoas? Well, last week in the mail, we received a Girl Scout bomb...way bigger than a bullet. It was a package filled with 5 boxes of Thin Mints & 5 boxes of Samoas! My boys whopped and hollered over my groans. Ugh, how was I going to live with those cookies in my house.


Well, I don't have to live with them for much longer. Only 2 boxes of Samoas remain.

Morning Runs.

Three to four mornings a week, I wake up early to run. It took some time to make my early morning jaunts feel normal, but now I can't imagine not being a morning runner. Don't get me wrong. I look forward to Wednesdays. I rarely run on Wednesday mornings.

Here are the keys to my "success".
1. Training partner. Knowing that my friend will be waiting for me at the corner gets me out of bed on the coldest of mornings. I don't want to let her down.
2. Coffee machine with a timer. Just a wee cup before I run.
3. Clothes pile. I organize my running clothes the night before. When the alarm goes off, I scoop up my gear and head to the bathroom to change.
4. Goal. I pick a race to run every few months that requires me to train; a race keeps me motivated.
5. Sanity. Without running, I would go crazy. It keeps me balanced and helps me deal with stress.
6. Joy. Running makes me happy!
7. Inspiration. Many of my best ideas for teaching come to me when I am running (or in the shower).
8. Energy. On the days I run, I feel better throughout the day.

Some days I return a bit frosty.



Running has been my sport/passion for years. Some people I know pick an early morning class, go for a walk, a DVD, or even a bike ride. Find your thing. Give it a try. Make a realistic plan that fits in your schedule (morning, noon, or night) and stick with it for a month. Create that habit. Cut yourself some slack if it doesn't go the way you want immediately. Patience. You are worth the effort.

Worth it.

I am fortunate to teach in a small community. Overall, I have a good idea where and how my students will end up living their life. It is amazing to see them blossom into adults. Making good choices and bad ones. Finding love, happiness, and joy in their lives.


Two years ago, I changed grade levels. In my class, I have 4th graders who used to be 1st graders with me. It is fantastic to see their growth from budding students to independent learners.


Most teachers will have that student. The one who challenges you in ways that you didn't realize you were being challenged. G is my student. As a 1st grader, he would not write. He would shut down verbally. His imagination was like no other. Then some days, he would engage and shine in areas.


He was tested and it was determined that he was highly intelligent so we began to support him with our gifted and talented teacher. The next two years were turbulent in his life and more was discovered in his social and emotional development. He was also staffed on an IEP.


When G returned to me classroom as a 4th grader, he was my first experience with a twice exceptional student. Meeting G's needs meant more than challenging him in math and helping him as a writer. It was providing a place where he felt safe. It has taken a team to help G. I have the support on the G&T teacher, SPED teacher, our counselor, a mentor from the community, his parents, and now his friends.  As his mom put in one of our mid-year check-ins, "it is so nice to have G talk about friends...that are real"! 


When I look back on my career and I think of my Minnesota students from the early 90s then my Colorado students of the past 22 years. I am surprised how many faces pop into my head.  G will always be on that list. Everyday I hope I can reach him. I hope I am providing him with the tools to be successful in life. The one thing I do know is that I did create a community where he found friends. For that fact alone, all the hard work was worth it!

Just Do It!

A few decades ago, Nike told us to Just Do It! The simple phrase was applied to all areas of life--athletics, relationships, decisions (wise & unwise), jobs, extreme sports...anything!


Too many times in my life, the "what ifs" would affect my decision. The uncertainty would weigh me down. I played it safe most of the time.


Over time, I have worried less. Maybe I learned that life is full of uncertainties and we can't always know or control the outcome.


One thing I know, life is short. This past fall, my high school coach and mentor died suddenly from a stroke. I was fortunate to spend an afternoon with him a few months before where he talked about his family, job, plans for retirement, and his love of life! At 59, his life ended with many dreams unfulfilled.


It has been a dream to live abroad since I was 20 something. So for the past few years, my family and I have been toying with the idea. With my coach in mind, I knew this was the time---Just Do It!


In five months, we pack our bags to Panama. A place we never have been. Talk about uncertainty!