Focus

 We are nearly 3/4 of the way through the school year, and it is the time of year when sometimes you see big growth in children's progress... and when you're also really tired of the little annoyances that you've tried to look past all year (some from students, some from colleagues, some from superiors, some from graduate school, some from your own children, and some from your spouse).  It's basically a perfect storm of time bombs and land mines that you are trying both to avoid letting someone trip your detonator, and you are trying to avoid being the one to trip someone else's detonator.  It has never been my favorite time of year, and life in Rangely is no exception.

That said, I read this yesterday and its a really good reminder that I'm trying to focus on during this coming week.

And Just Like That...

 And just like that... our first semester in Rangely is complete.

We've moved twice.  We've completed our work.  We've hosted a Christmas party... we just want to breathe a minute and enjoy the season with our family.  (Just one last grad assignment, which is almost done and I'm officially done with work).

What a wonderful semester we've had!

A lot to Accomplish

 There's a lot to accomplish this week before Christmas vacation.

Our Brains

 I teach some really awesome kiddos and they each are so perfectly unique.  I teach one little boy in a small group twice a day for some help with reading and help with math.  He really likes to be correct, so when he's working on learning a new skill, he has a tendency to get really frustrated.  This means that in addition to the work we do on reading and math, we also work on some behavior outbursts.

He's been doing better and better as the school year has progressed, and really seems to thrive on routine.

All that said, yesterday he and another boy worked really hard for me on some math concepts.  He also had to go back and look at a couple of problems a second time to make some corrections -- and he did so happily without any behavioral issues.

As he and the other student were leaving I thanked them both for working so hard for me.

The student looked at me and said, "Thank you for helping our brains get bigger."

That is one of those rare feel-good teaching moments I am going to hang on to for many years.

Good Reminder

 Hubby shared this on facebook a few days ago, and it is a really good reminder because it is just not at all my nature to value the relationship over the product... but with children I need to.  Not only the children I teach but my own children.

The Rule

 The last time I worked full time was the year Tracey was a baby.  Even then, my days began at 5:00am and I was off at 1:00pm -- so it was a 40 hour week, but I got my afternoons and evenings with my baby.

Fast-forward 7 years and I am not only working full time, but I am filling two teaching positions -- one should be full-time by itself and the other should be half-to 3/4 time by itself.  My plate is very full.

I'm contracted to a full-time position, but this job could easily take 60+ hours of my life... and of course, I want to do it well.

But I'm also the mother of 6, and I get off work at 4:00pm, and my children are headed to bed at 7:00.  I get three precious hours to welcome them home from school, connect with them about how their day was, feed them dinner, help them with homework, get them baths, and ready for bed with a bedtime story.  The evenings are even more full when you add sporting events, school events, and Hubby's evening school responsibilities.

If I do not devote my attention to my children between the hours of 4:00-7:00, the time is gone.  Not only is the time gone, but everyone has a rough night, a poor night's sleep, and it carries over into a rough morning.

Sometimes there will be a work event or meeting that requires my after-school attention, but the RULE has to be that I am with my kids from 4:00-7:00 and taking care of them and their needs, and it will be the rare EXCEPTION that takes me away from that.

A Break

 This has not been our average summer.  We had already made the decision to stay in Rifle for the summer to allow our kids to do several sessions of swim lessons, and sports teams, and we knew both sets of grand parents were ... but we did NOT know at the time that our summer would be FULL of painting our house, staging our house, putting our house on the market, showing our house, all while packing all our belongings and Hubby beginning a new job 100 miles away.  Then we took our house off the market and PACKED UP EVERYTHING and found a home in Rangely and closed on it 2 weeks after it hit the market.

And we moved into our new home three days before I start my new job.

Can I just say it?

Starting the school year (even with a new job... which is NOT going to be easy) will be a nice break from the summer of NOT taking a break.

Transcription Error

 When my phone receives a voicemail, I can listen to the voicemail, or I can read the transcription of the voicemail.  It is sometimes nice when I'm in a setting when I can't put the phone to my ear and listen to the message, but I can glance at my phone and see the typed gist of the message.

That said, of course the phone sometimes has errors in the transcriptions.

So, when my friend posted this on facebook last night, I laughed out loud because I could imagine this happening and portraying a very different message than the one intended.

He's Ready

 He's ready to start earning his keep around the house by working from home like Mama does...

Please Mute Yourself

 This Youtube video of a teacher's online zoom call made me laugh out loud...

Prioritizing Students

 Teachers are stressed right now, and justifiably so.  Teachers are rolling up their sleeves and doing what needs to be done... but everything is different.

I have heard many teachers say the same thing this year -- "I feel like a first year teacher."  Others have said, "I feel like I am being set up to fail."

I could go into all kinds of particulars as to why the teachers are stressed.  I could tell first hand situations that demonstrate why the teachers feel set up to fail.  I could relay the laundry list of everything that is different from last year to this year.  None of that will help anyone (including me) feel more prepared for the first week of school... so I'm going to tell you something else.

Yesterday, Tracey received a hand-written postcard from her new first-grade teacher.

With ALL the things this teacher is learning, planning, arranging, and organizing for the start of the year, she took the time to write a lovely note to Tracey.  This teacher recognized that back-to-school looks differently this year, and she has not had the chance to welcome students to back-to-school nights, or orientation events.  Of all the demands upon her time, she values personally welcoming her students to school before the first day in an effort to make them as comfortable as possible to be in her class for the first day of school.

This is the nature of teachers -- they will prioritize the students above everything else.  Above the stress, above the changes, above the policy and protocols... good teachers, true teachers are going to welcome students back for a fantastic year -- and they are going to get creative, because teachers are creative people.

Here is the best part -- Tracey was able to read almost the entire postcard message independently.

In every sense, she is ready for first grade!

Here's The News

 In an effort to keep everyone in the loop so to speak, here are some updates on changes in our lives at the moment.

And without going into the very long stories of how they all transpired, just allow me to say, Hubby and I spent much of the Spring and the ENTIRE Summer wondering and praying about what this fall would look like for our family.

We even thought we had made some decisions a few times, and then something else would come to light or another factor would present itself and he and I would come back to the discussion table, and the PRO/CON lists and consider other options.

As of today... here is the news.

Hubby will be teaching 5th grade this coming year at a school very near our home.

  Tracey will be attending 1st grade at the same school.

Our Twins will be attending half day preschool at the same school.

Lee Lee and Hunter will be home with me full time.

I will be working part-time providing distance learning services to my students.

While with the turmoil and uncertainty of the world right now, I don't know that I can say we are thrilled or overjoyed with the plan... I can say given ALL the factors, and the uncertainty of COVID, Hubby and I feel about as good as we possibly could given the information we have.

Tracey and the twins are INCREDIBLY excited to be attending the same school, the school where Daddy teaches, AND a school so close to our house.

Maybe you remember, all our children have been attending school an hour away from where we live.  We loved their years at those schools and we still strongly value the Montessori education they were receiving... times have changed, and now other priorities have become factors and everyone will be switching schools.

Hubby has taught elementary school before but is has been a number of years, so this year will look different for all of us, but we know God has opened these doors for a reason, and we really are thrilled with the school they all will be.

We also feel, perhaps foolishly, like we are limiting our exposure with COVID a little by having everyone in the same building and my providing distance instruction.  Last year, Hubby was in one district an hour away, Tracey was in one school an hour away, the twins and Lee Lee were in another school an hour away, I was serving students across three districts, and Hunter was looked after by a friend of ours about 20 minutes away.

Even though Hubby, Tracey, Howard, and Caroline will still have some exposure to peers and colleagues and the germs they carry, it will be on a much smaller scale than we were exposed last school year.

Thank you for your prayers as we all prepare for these changes and prepare for a safe and healthy year.

This Week

Okay... here's the thing about this week.

The first week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week.

Teacher Appreciation Week is awesome.  It really it.

It is when parents and students the PTOs all over the country express appreciation for the work the schools and teachers have done for the past eight months.  Usually great breaksfast and lunches are provided for teachers all week along with thoughtful gifts from some students.

I'll be very honest, as a teacher who circulates between 5-10 schools, sometimes more, I don't usually get many of the gifts of Teacher Appreciation Week... but I do usually have one school that sort of adopts me each year and I feel comfortable enough to grab a plate of lunch one of the days during the week.

Teacher Appreciation Week is Fun.

During Teacher Appreciation Week, the teachers are usually helping kids put finishing touches on Mother's Day Presents.

Teachers spend Teacher Appreciation Week, making sure that Mothers will feel appreciation on Mother's Day.

Mothers spend the week before Mother's Day making sure that they express appreciation to their child's school and teachers.

It is a busy week... but in the end, everyone feels appreciated and happy with a dash of Spring.

Well...

Here's the thing about this year.

The teacher still are working like crazy... but the parents are organizing schooling at home too.  So the parents are feeling grateful for the teachers... but they don't have time to express appreciation -- plus, they can't contribute to a teacher's lunch at the school anyways.

This week, teachers aren't able to help kids with presents or events headed up to Mother's Day because no one is in school... so Mother's Day is looking a little grim this weekend.

Don't get me wrong, we're appreciating teachers... but from afar.

And I guess kids are appreciating mothers... but without the help from their teacher's about how to express it.

I'll be honest... this week is a little grim.

Back to Work

I returned to work this week, which is both hard and nice.  It's nice to get back to my routine and back to teaching... it's hard to be away from my little Hunter.

The best part of being back so far was when one of my students told me she made me a name plate for my office.  She said that every teacher in the school had their name on their office door, but my name was missing.  So she created a name badge for my office.

That was pretty awesome.

 

Go Gray in May Brain Tumor Awareness Speech

May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month

The Plans

I make a lot of plans for our family.  I make plans for the season, for the month, for the week, and for the day.  Sometimes our plan is to stay home and relax... but there is still a plan for the day.  I know what time I'm expecting the kids to wake up -- I plan what time I'm awakening so I can plan what I want to get done before they wake.  I like to think our house runs as smoothly as it does because of my plans.

Well, we had a plan for this weekend.  We had a great plan.

I was supposed to go to Denver for a two-day professional development workshop Friday and Saturday.  I was supposed to leave Thursday afternoon and get back Satuday evening.

The kids didn't have school on Friday due to conferences, but we had a baby-sitter booked and Hubby planned to come back mid-day and take everyone to Carbondale for soccer practice, lunch, and to play in the park with the sitter while he attended conferences.

He was excited to take everyone to breakfast Saturday and then come home for a lazy day at home with Daddy until Mama got home around bedtime.

Oh the beautiful plans.

I should have known that the plans were in trouble when we kept all four kids home on Thursday due to vomiting.  Lee Lee had thrown up Wednesday evening, and Caroline woke us up during the night on Thursday.  Tracey was over the stomach bug she had over Easter... but was coughing to beat the band.  So we made the call to keep everyone home on Thursday.

By the time I was supposed to leave for Denver Thursday afternoon, both twins were vomiting every 30 minutes or so and Lee Lee was having an upset tummy with some very messy diapers.  I just thought if the twins could get over the actual vomiting, they would be exhausted and wanting to sleep and cuddle, and Chris could handle everything while I was gone.  This is an annual conference and some years I cannot attend -- this year I could.

I left our house around 7pm and arrived at my hotel around 10:00pm.

Up at 5:00am, I checked on the cameras to see how everyone's night went... and it was awful.  Both twins were up multiple times the entire night vomit.  And, I could see on the nursery camera that Lee Lee was awake and crying (probably from a messy diaper) and Hubby wasn't waking up to check on her.   I had to call our house phone to wake up Chris.

That's when I made the call... I needed to be home.

I like to think I keep a pretty good finger on the pulse of how our home is running, and I think I know what Hubby is capable of handling in my absence.

This was a two-parent situation.

I emailed the event organizer, took a shower, grabbed continental breakfast with a few colleagues also staying at the same hotel for the conference, checked out and headed home.

I walked through the door at 11:00am with jello, applesauce, bananas, ginger ale, and bread and Hubby was shocked... and then incredibly grateful.

I was gone a total of sixteen hours, six of which were spent on the road.

He was even more grateful when both twins and Lee Lee were vomiting again within 30 minutes of my getting home.

So... new plans for the weekend, which include lots of baths, lots of cuddles, lots of laundry. 

I felt so guilty for taking a spot in the conference registration... but this is the reality of being a working mother, and living away from family.  The truth is our family comes first, especially with our children as young as they are, and I needed to be at home.

Plans change.

 

One Month...

One Month from today will be a big day...

One month from today will be the culmination of something I began working on last January... something that literally started with one door being closed in my face and God opening a window for this idea.

This idea started in my head and has been my baby throughout the process.  I have one other teacher assisting me... but this is event is the culmination of my hard work and investment.

Here are the details:

I have a new student this year in 6th grade at a local middle school who is blind due to a brain tumor she has been fighting since she was 3 years old.  She is such an inspiration. 

Working with this student was my first exposure to the challenges of someone living with a brain tumor and from our working together this year came this idea for a Brain Tumor Awareness Event for our community.  We want my student to know there are other people in the valley suffering from brain tumors, and no one is alone in their fight.

We are partnering with some local schools creating a Brain Tumor Awareness Week during the week leading up to the race to really increase awareness in this area, especially with this studen's peers.

The event is a 1K Emoji Fun Run on Saturday May 11 at 10:00am in Silt.  We are partnering with the Silt Police Department and their annual Bike Safety Rodeo.  The race starts at one Park and ends at another Park where the Silt PD Bike Rodeo will be happening at the same time.  "Come for the Race!  Stay for the Rodeo!"

Race participants are encouraged to dress to support someone fighting a brain tumor... or dress like an emoji!

If participants register before April 18, they are guaranteed a race t-shirt.

We are hoping for a great family and youth turnout, so youth prices are available for kids ages 5-18.

All the proceeds go to the National Brain Tumor Society.

We have received monetary and in-kind donations from organizations up and down the valley and we have been thrilled by the community response thus far.

The race registration is available here:

https://gograyinmay1kemojifunrun.itsyourrace.com/event.aspx?id=12006

Stay Tuned

I have something really big in the works that involves this picture...

So for now, I'm just going to say,

"Stay Tuned!" 

 

Childbirth on TV

Last night I started teaching a new session of Natural Childbirth for Couples, which is something I love to do.  I so enjoy teaching couples about childbirth and helping them connect and work as a team as they head into a huge event like childbirth and parenting.

All that to say, there is a video I love to show in the first class to help couples laugh... but also realize how many of their assumptions about childbirth might be a little off.

Enjoy:

Funny Montage

These days, I'm trying to do it all, and have a positive attitude... and I fail miserably day after day.

If ever I don't blog on a given day... it is probably that I just collapsed into bed... which I do most days, but probably on that day, the twins were especially hard to get to sleep.  When they go to bed before 10pm, I usually take the time to blog... if one or both is still awake at 10pm or later, the blog may not happen that day.

All that to say, in addition to responsibilities at home, and my joy with students who are blind and visually impaired, I also teach Child Development at our local college.

This week's lecture is on childbirth and newborns, which I think is awesome, because I also teach The Bradley Method of natural childbirth, so the subject of childbirth and newborns is a favorite topic of mine.

Here is a video I'm going to show in class this week, which I think is pretty funny.  Enjoy: