The Gift of Time!

Time is such a strange thing. It whizzes by or drags on and on and on. No matter what it is hard to measure.

Today, time was a gift. I had three uninterrupted hours in my classroom. Three whole hours! I sifted through piles, assessed math pages (they do understand equivalent fractions), wrote decent lesson plans and prepared materials for them, and filed away things from units long past. As I looked around my room, I felt at peace.


As a classroom teacher, my day is dictated by time and schedules. Lately, I haven't felt like I have had enough time to go deep with my students. The extracurricular events and programs have been winning lately. It has made me teach thin and it hasn't felt right. Finally last week, I had a week on ZERO interruptions. We wrote, we read, we explored the Solar System, and we manipulated math concepts. It was fantastic.


What is the solution? How do we provide the instruction we know is best in a schedule that we don't always control? Time is a gift and we need to ensure our students receive this precious gift so they can learn to the best of their abilities and style.

Panic!

An email was sent. Leave your laptop and iPad at school so we can reset the wireless codes.

What?!
No!
I use my laptop nightly. It is my life line to my school materials and email and blog and Facebook and everything.


Could I still take it and play dumb? I contemplated this option, but then I wouldn't have wireless capabilities to teach with.
Maybe I could reset the codes? With my luck, I would crash the system.
I suppose I could be without my laptop.
I guess nothing is pressing at the moment.


I believe I will be okay...

Kindle

I love my Kindle.


I received a Kindle for Christmas a few years ago. I was hesitant and reluctant to embrace ebooks. The paper, dog ears, cover art were going to be a thing of the past for me; I wasn't ready.


Slowly, I read one then another then another. Conversion happened. I couldn't stop. The swish of a finger and a new page appears. I love my Kindle.


With my professional books, I don't use my Kindle. I need to write in those, dog ear important pages as well as put sticky notes throughout the book. It is what works for me.


Also, I have a hard time buying ebooks. I have my library card number memorized. The system works great; I put books on hold then I get an email from the library and I can check it out.


Through the Kindle, I have discovered new genres and authors. Some days I went looking for new books and other days they found me.


I love my Kindle.

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.

Staying Present!

“Yesterday is gone.  Tomorrow has not yet come.
We have only today.  Let us begin.”
―Mother Teresa

Why is it so hard to be in the moment? 

Most of my life I feel like I have been looking ahead...when I was younger it was the next birthday or starting 4th grade or going to high school then college.


As an adult, I try to slow down. Focus on the moment. On Monday morning as I start my run, I play my schedule, my children's and even my husband's through my brain like a movie.  I think about Nordic for Liam, hockey for Sully, hockey for my husband, book club for me, banquet for Sully, counseling appointment for Liam...that only takes me through Tuesday night. I am not even thinking about homework or my planning needs. Whew!

Keeping the schedules straight, helps me stay sane. My new promise to myself is to be present even in the chaos of life.

Today as I finished my run, I took a moment to look at the stars. They were brilliant. I took a mental picture to remember the clarity of constellations we are fortunate to have in the mountains because I wonder what the stars will be like in Panama.

As I was folding laundry, I stopped to play a game of Tenzies with Liam when he asked.

I sat and enjoyed my first sips of coffee without checking email, making lunches, feeding animals,unloading the dishwasher or any other chore that i could have done at 5:15 a.m.


I am starting with small moments. Hopefully that creates many more.
How do you stay in the moment?

Baker's Dozen!

Every Sunday after church, my family would go to Old Dutch Bakery to pick up a 13 doughnuts. I don't remember the ritual of what child (there were 7 of us) was allowed to go in to help with the selection. I am even amazed that we got a selection; wouldn't it have been easier if they just bought a baker's dozen of glazed or long johns or sprinkles.


Ritual and traditions no matter how large or small are a huge part of my memories of my childhood. Growing up in a large family, I have to imagine it was hard for my parents to make each one of us feel special/loved/noticed on a regular basis. Life was busy with an age range of 13 years between the oldest and youngest as well as having a child with special needs in the middle.


I wish I could ask my mom how she did it. As I reflect back, I think it was the little things such as doughnuts, bedtime rituals, frequent trips to the library, and a constant sense of stability. In a time where kids have and expect so much, I try to keep it simple. It's hard. My husband and I have created new rituals and traditions by tweaking how we grew up. Hopefully our children will think fondly of the simple things we do as a family and when they are adults, they create their rituals.

Ski Day

It was such a beautiful day in the Rockies, words could not do it justice. A typical ski day with my family is my slice of life.

Perfect day!

I love a bargain for clothes...unfortunately, color options are limited. By chance, we all ended up in blue!

Taking in the views.

I didn't go this way!

Just in case.

Heading down.

First family ski day in a long time...hockey season is over for my oldest!