5.16.20-5.25.20

Loud Humility

I've been praying for humility for years.  My entire life I've often been the one who's a little too loud, and had "chatty" written on my report card more times than my parents cared to count. Forever I blamed it on my astrological sign (Leo- spotlight hog), and later on shifted it to the enneagram (a seven, it’s great!!!), but succumbed to the fact that this was just part of who I am. To combat the loudness, I pray for humility.

But recently I read something about how being humble doesn't mean being quiet. I literally read that sentence over and over. The relief I felt in knowing I didn't have to shrink down and be someone I wasn't in order to be humble was mind-blowing. This author talked about the true aspect of humility is caring for others. Really listening when others talk, and lifting others up when they need it. AND I CAN DO ALL THAT AT ANY VOLUME!!

When I started getting my writing published I floundered with humility the most. It's hard to put yourself out there and want your words shared without seeming egotistical and self-promoting. In addition to self-deprecating honesty I often find gratitude the most humbling of all.

The Twin Cities is overwhelmed with anger, hate, and fear right now. So I am pulling on the many blessings that humble me right now...
I’m humbled by my coworkers.

A fellow teacher whose mom is in fragile hospice, yet he sends lines of positivity to every student and makes division videos from his dog, the coworker who endears the students wearing heavy metal wigs and the one who lets her patient nature shine through her writing videos.

Another teacher who meets with certain kids daily who are struggling and adapts lessons because they can't handle the emotional side of all this.

I’m humbled by discussing race with my almost-middle-schooler, her freckled hands twist dandelions into a crown as she asks if we can pray.

I’m humbled by my four year old walking soundlessly on gravel as a deer stretches it’s long neck to leaves above the cabin driveway.

The stillness of the lake as we navigate this time and our place within it.

And I vow to be humble, but I will not be quiet.

YouTube + thinning shears = one happy detangled girl

Movie night at the cabin!

Who knew how fun mulch could be

Family wrastlin'

A strange new species

After a tough day and lots of fighting, I find them both here. 

Bike rides!

Birthday yard hangouts for friends

So proud of this girl's science poster- all her!

Playing arctic animals with ice!

Five morels in the yard!!

Secret family recipes 

A framer with the cabin in the background

Excellent boat drivers!

Love this

5.9.20-5.15.20

It's 8:00 pm and I'm nestled under the covers surrounded by piles of picture books, Auggie clutching his bowl of rainbow goldfish and plastic straw cup of milk (Not too much, Lord help us, can we be done with Pull-Ups Yet??)

Auggie giggles profusely when I read the nonsense words in The Book With No Pictures, then meander into a sly lesson in acceptance told in the sing-song sway of Dr. Seuss and The Sneeches. I nuzzle his freshly washed hair as Charly sidles up to my other side, hair up in a towel, eager to tear through another dystopian tween novel series.

And who would be the wiser that it had been an utter crap show all day. 

And today was a doozy. Let me tell you, having a masters degree in education and close to 20 years teaching under my belt means absolutely nothing in the face of bored kids dead-set on taking out the day's frustrations on each other. I'm grasping at rules and time outs like this is my first parenting rodeo, and truth be told- it's not pretty. 

But books, man. They are magic. One thing I had no idea how much I would miss about teaching in person is reading aloud. It used to be I came home, so tired of talking from a day of teaching that I could scarcely stand the sound of my own voice. These days, I'm giving bedtime my best material. There are voices, sound effects, snuggles and giggles.... and its healing for us. 

The other morning I sat down at the table to start my distance teaching for the day. Before I jumped in, I impulsively tapped Instagram. The first thing that popped up was a quote from Roald Dahl in the book Matilda. The quote was about books being comforting and hopeful. Being the fully-admitted book nerd that I am, I teared up a little, and thought- this is exactly what we need. So I will continue to ask my students incessantly what they are reading. Scott and I will continue to be parents who model books in our hands. And I will forever treasure that sweet smell of fresh shampoo, and the feel of a favorite page between my fingers; the balm for even the roughest of days. 

King of the mulch pile!

Sweet girl didn't even have to be asked to help!

Driveway coffee chats with high school girls

Ice cream sundaes and movie night

Mother's Day cookie decorating...

...amazing kit from Kelly's Confectionary Creations

The first of (Lord help me) many boys golf days (RIP Scott's beard...)

Playing "Cross"

Books in a tent even!

If you look close, you'll see the guy is at his desk on his computer. Sign of our times. 

My life. Daily. Send me strength...

5.2.20-5.8.20

Lessons from Ferris Bueller 

Well, I've officially hit rock-bottom for parenting. Either that, or I didn't need that last glass of rose'. But I giggled pretty hard (with myself) over all the parallels I can draw from my favorite movie of the 80's...

I didn't hit you. I lightly slapped you. 

Ladies and gentlemen... we are officially bored. We have been bored before, but this is next level. My children are seven years apart in age. SEVEN YEARS. And they hit each other and full-body tackle, and someone always ends up crying. And that someone is always eleven years old. I can't help but feel like the drama, the feeling of "poking the bear in the zoo" as we call it, until he fires back is better than feeling the nothing. I had an online prompt with my 4th graders today asking, "How are you?" You know what the top answer was? ...I'm bored. Yep. Loud and clear. 

The good old days of network censoring

My parents loved recording movies on network TV with the VCR. My younger sister and I were introduced to a vast variety of movies above the age-appropriate level for our chronological age. So when Ferris referenced a lump of coal in Cameron's...(ah-hem), fist, rather than another body part... It's not far off from Muppet Babies, right? Consequently, the memories of this movie are innocently tainted. Thinking Ferris Bueller's Day Off would be hilarious to show Charly the other night, I realize now the language in a 1986-caliber "PG-13" are not quite 5th grade suitable.

Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?

I'll admit, Google Meet meetings with my class were cute for the first few weeks. Look at us! Thumbs up if you have a question, kids! Fast forward to May 7th, and I've got three ceiling shots, four screen pictures "off" and more kids spacing out than I can count. Now granted, they showed up for the meeting, and I know some fellow teachers are struggling with that alone. But as I watched that poor teacher at Ferris Bueller's high school repeatedly answer his own questions (anyone? anyone?) as he stood, lecture-style at the chalk board, it reminded me that this is our chance to change it up! Like it or not, we cannot go back to teachers leading note-taking while students sit neatly in desk rows. It's time to rethink and reimagine. When school returns it needs to be a hybrid of learning from your bunk bed and the old style. And it needs to be better. But for real, that one kid needs to start putting a shirt on in virtual calls. 

Danke Schoen... thank you for,  all the joy and pain

Boy does that lyric sum it up. The other morning, as I was reading my favorite devotional- it talked about prayers of thankfulness; for the joyful and the hard. The pain means we are learning, we are growing. Despite boredom, disengagement, frustration... this has to be teaching us! As a wise friend messaged me the other night, we are meant to experience this, to lean in. After all...

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it. 

Minnesota River exploring at The Landing in Shakopee

Shenanigans galore "attending" St. John's fundraiser!

A visit from Mimi and Papa in their cool car = Auggie's day made. 

Thank goodness for great neighbors! 

Drive-by party for Charly's friend, Millie!

...complete with virtual cupcake decorating

Daily adventures with Daddy

Yeah, buddy... that's not how AirPods work...

Charly took out braids and looked like Merida from the movie Brave

Chalk painting! They had fun for at least 2 1/2 minutes!!!

Sweeney Peeps-this is the new construction "doorway" to the back parking lot. 

Doesn't even look like Sweeney

Uncle Mike, there might be some added "enhancements" on your trailer when it's returned. 

4.25-5.1.20

Blurred Lines

The other day I heard this song in the car and pondered how relevant the title is to our situation right now. (Not so much the REST of the song, if you've heard it. Let's just stick with the title.) Here's what I mean...

Going to Students' Houses
In the 18 years I've been teaching, I've only been to students' houses a handful of times. Now, between dropping off books, and birthday treats and cards, I've taken a nice tour of Shakopee. I know who has a great backyard for making forts, and who lives on a gravel country road. A basketball hoop in the backyard served as an identifying beacon for a basketball fanatic student, and I see why another sometimes walks home from school because it is so close. I used to feel that line so rigidly- that school is strictly AT SCHOOL, and home is home. But at a time where I miss my students dearly, I don't hesitate to drive over and deliver books.

Throughout all this distance learning, I got a new student.  How bizarre that I've never met her, yet she's thrown together on Google Meet chats with kids who have been together all year. So today I drove over to her house. I stood at the bottom of her front steps and gave her books and giggled. I got to see how long her hair is and the way she smiles. Was it strange to meet her for the first time this way? You bet... but these are strange times.

Where Should I Stand?
Every family has a different philosophy right now. Some kids are inside, no contact with others. Some can play outside, but far apart. Some aren't changing much,  just sticking around more. It seems that no one knows the exact answer. There are so many variations and circumstances to consider. I know "six feet"  is our guide... but isn't the exact line really each person's comfort right now?

Between Spring and Summer
I keep telling my class when we chat, "You guys! You get to actually see spring happen." A normal year, we are inside all day, and maybe see glimpses of spring after school. But right now, we get a front row seat. My class tells me which babies are hatching in their yard and Auggie tells me when the trees and flowers bloom around us. We get to experience the blurred line between spring and summer; which in Minnesota means mostly cold with an occasional day in between that gives us summer temps hope.

And summer sounds good right now, doesn't it? I know you want it.     ->

Swimming turtles in the sun=  Auggie's day made

MN River bottoms hike

There's that snark. 

"The lagoon"

This might be our Christmas card...act surprised 

Hello Long Lake.  We've missed you.

Snuggled. 

"Smell my feet!"

One of those summer glimpses...wash the car!

Playing Math BINGO.  Charly the "teacher"

Boom. Mancala/The Button Game

Concentration and leaf rubbings

Charly's teacher. May baskets and science supplies and love. 

Social distance hug

When you're playing with a fire truck and one drives by? Mind blown.

St. John's Fundraiser drink boxes. So excited to drink them all, oops, I mean deliver them!

"Meet the Teacher" drive by!

Charly's third time babysitting. I come home and he's shirtless but with a helmet.
Sounds about right.