{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
tribute to teachers
We have officially crossed from one family era to the next with preschool graduation of our youngest. No more full-time daycare. All three children in one school, on one schedule (for now...).
I am thrilled to have reached this milestone and, of course, the feeling is bittersweet. I love the toddler and preschool years and this moment ceremoniously marks the end of that stage. I will miss it so! But, I do look on to our next phase with excitement and eager heart. I truly enjoy watching my children grow in the face of new situations and I know this next phase comes with new learnings, new aches, new joys, new sorrows. For me, this is welcome!
Thinking through this change, my reflection has turned to the wonderful teachers and caregivers who have blessed our children and their early learning. I think of the criticism our educational institutions receive. I think of the governmental influences that make my stomach turn. But, then I think of Miss A, Mrs. R, Mrs. G, Mrs. S., Grandma S and all the beautiful women and men who have willingly stepped into our lives and given all they could. They shaped our children's love of learning. They encouraged their word development and language skills. They taught our littles to explore and express their emotions. They listened. They hugged. They used every ounce of energy in their bodies and minds to expand and mold the minds and hearts of our children.
There is not thanks enough for them. They - each and every one of them - have restored my faith in teachers and in our education system. They've affirmed my belief that it is the impact of a few loving individuals who make a difference in our lives.
So, I thought it would be fitting to share the many faces of teachers we have come to know. These are photos from Pie's preschool graduation and I think they express how committed and passionate our teachers are. This is a tribute to them!
Education is a precious gift. And I am thankful we've been gifted with outstanding teachers along our educational journey. We've taken the time to share this gratitude with them because we know all too well that it will be over sooner than we know...
I am thrilled to have reached this milestone and, of course, the feeling is bittersweet. I love the toddler and preschool years and this moment ceremoniously marks the end of that stage. I will miss it so! But, I do look on to our next phase with excitement and eager heart. I truly enjoy watching my children grow in the face of new situations and I know this next phase comes with new learnings, new aches, new joys, new sorrows. For me, this is welcome!
Thinking through this change, my reflection has turned to the wonderful teachers and caregivers who have blessed our children and their early learning. I think of the criticism our educational institutions receive. I think of the governmental influences that make my stomach turn. But, then I think of Miss A, Mrs. R, Mrs. G, Mrs. S., Grandma S and all the beautiful women and men who have willingly stepped into our lives and given all they could. They shaped our children's love of learning. They encouraged their word development and language skills. They taught our littles to explore and express their emotions. They listened. They hugged. They used every ounce of energy in their bodies and minds to expand and mold the minds and hearts of our children.
There is not thanks enough for them. They - each and every one of them - have restored my faith in teachers and in our education system. They've affirmed my belief that it is the impact of a few loving individuals who make a difference in our lives.
So, I thought it would be fitting to share the many faces of teachers we have come to know. These are photos from Pie's preschool graduation and I think they express how committed and passionate our teachers are. This is a tribute to them!
Education is a precious gift. And I am thankful we've been gifted with outstanding teachers along our educational journey. We've taken the time to share this gratitude with them because we know all too well that it will be over sooner than we know...
Friday, June 7, 2013
this moment
Linking with SouleMamma and many others:
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
a silly little thing
My Facebook status this morning read:
Agenda for our first day of summer break: strawberry picking, making jam, swimming.
Weather for our first day of summer break: cloudy and raining. Bummer!
So we didn't get to head into the acres of strawberry fields, stooping low to find those sweet berries, tasting a few as we go (ahem), and staining our fingers red. Maybe next time.
There was a moment where I was truly worried. I've been quietly waiting for those roadside signs, made of wood and hand-painted, that read STRAWBERRIES - 1 MILE. Two days ago my van rounded the bend and there it was - that Amish farm sign with that sweet, sweet message - the strawberries are ready!
The strawberries are ready, just as we are preparing to leave our home and travel to the much warmer air of Texas where there will be no such sweetness this time of year. There will be water, lots of it. And family and cousins, and relaxing, and swimming. But my stubborn mind was anxious to put away freezer jam before this short berry season passed us by.
I did manage to buy 4 quarts of berries this morning and was able to get jam loaded in the freezer. And, the kind lady at the farm stand assured me the berries would still be ripening when we return from our vacation.
How silly to fret over a few jars of jam. How silly to worry that we'd miss the season. Sigh!
So I'm moving from my silly, but very yummy jam, to packing, laundry, packing, and... did I say packing!
May you know the seasons and all their blessings in every ounce of your being and may you have the sense to stay rooted in this very present moment!
Agenda for our first day of summer break: strawberry picking, making jam, swimming.
Weather for our first day of summer break: cloudy and raining. Bummer!
So we didn't get to head into the acres of strawberry fields, stooping low to find those sweet berries, tasting a few as we go (ahem), and staining our fingers red. Maybe next time.
There was a moment where I was truly worried. I've been quietly waiting for those roadside signs, made of wood and hand-painted, that read STRAWBERRIES - 1 MILE. Two days ago my van rounded the bend and there it was - that Amish farm sign with that sweet, sweet message - the strawberries are ready!
I did manage to buy 4 quarts of berries this morning and was able to get jam loaded in the freezer. And, the kind lady at the farm stand assured me the berries would still be ripening when we return from our vacation.
How silly to fret over a few jars of jam. How silly to worry that we'd miss the season. Sigh!
So I'm moving from my silly, but very yummy jam, to packing, laundry, packing, and... did I say packing!
May you know the seasons and all their blessings in every ounce of your being and may you have the sense to stay rooted in this very present moment!
Friday, May 31, 2013
this moment {my first bike}
Linking with SouleMamma and many others:
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Welcoming the sun and warm weather!
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Welcoming the sun and warm weather!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
affirmation: a balancing act
You may know that this has been a time of transition for me. I elected to change positions earlier this semester and knew that the energy required would impact my way of being in every part of my life. And, so it has.
Papa Bear and I have had to rethink dinner, homework and weeknight activities. We've had to rethink church and religious education commitments. We've adjusted for nighttime meetings and weekend events on campus. We've had to be intentional with the time we do have together. I've taken days off to be home when the kids have no school. I'm working to adapt my summer schedule to be home earlier as well. It's a balancing act, to be sure.
Some things had to go. If I was to spend my time and energy on my own professional development, this "me time" in this space had to take a back seat. I offer that not as excuse, not because I feel guilty, but because it simply had to be. Perhaps I've learned through this transition something different than many transitions before. I CANNOT have it all!
After many wonderful evenings with students and a whirlwind of new activities, student leaders, and events, along came an affirmation. One that I needed in a moment of sheer exhaustion. Students honored the balance I've attempted to achieve. They honored me in front of the world (or at least our little world of campus). In a silent attempt to honor the greatness of all people who make our academic community work, they celebrated me, and my motherhood, and my professional life, and the balance that holds all three together.
I like to pride myself on my ability to succeed and persist based on my own internal motivation to do so. But, I have to be honest. Knowing others see what I've hoped to BE is a wonderful feeling, one for which I am truly grateful.
Papa Bear and I have had to rethink dinner, homework and weeknight activities. We've had to rethink church and religious education commitments. We've adjusted for nighttime meetings and weekend events on campus. We've had to be intentional with the time we do have together. I've taken days off to be home when the kids have no school. I'm working to adapt my summer schedule to be home earlier as well. It's a balancing act, to be sure.
Some things had to go. If I was to spend my time and energy on my own professional development, this "me time" in this space had to take a back seat. I offer that not as excuse, not because I feel guilty, but because it simply had to be. Perhaps I've learned through this transition something different than many transitions before. I CANNOT have it all!
After many wonderful evenings with students and a whirlwind of new activities, student leaders, and events, along came an affirmation. One that I needed in a moment of sheer exhaustion. Students honored the balance I've attempted to achieve. They honored me in front of the world (or at least our little world of campus). In a silent attempt to honor the greatness of all people who make our academic community work, they celebrated me, and my motherhood, and my professional life, and the balance that holds all three together.
I like to pride myself on my ability to succeed and persist based on my own internal motivation to do so. But, I have to be honest. Knowing others see what I've hoped to BE is a wonderful feeling, one for which I am truly grateful.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
a cold spell
(No, I'm not writing of my absence in this space that could be aptly named with the same title as this post.)
A low of 32 degrees. . . .a freeze warning. . . .followed by a frost warning for the next two nights. . . .
Yep, it's a cold spell. Exactly one week after some documented "last possible frost dates" in our zone. Hmph!
And, exactly one week after we introduced all of the starter plants to their new habitat. Hmph x2!
So, we donned our winter coats and headed out to protect those little plants. It was quite a sight to see our garden space look as though we had tucked our plants in for the night. Of course, this effort required a little creativity, a little ingenuity, making useful the many rocks we've been picking out of our soil one-by-one, finding new uses for tent anchors, buckets, empty pots.
Funny how this simple act of nurture offered such a parallel example for much of life. We are not in control. We can sow seeds, we can water, we can provide food, but we cannot offer sun and warmth or protect completely from cold. We can hope and have faith, but in the end, Mother Nature will do as she must.
We can only respond in openness to all she gifts us.
And, yes, this cold spell will bring with it benefits that we cannot see or understand. Yes, this cold spell will force us inside to snuggle with our children. Yes, this cold spell will cause us to slow, if only for a moment. And these precious moments are gift enough for me to exert the necessary effort to protect those vulnerable plants and rest in the knowledge that life will go on.
A low of 32 degrees. . . .a freeze warning. . . .followed by a frost warning for the next two nights. . . .
Yep, it's a cold spell. Exactly one week after some documented "last possible frost dates" in our zone. Hmph!
And, exactly one week after we introduced all of the starter plants to their new habitat. Hmph x2!
So, we donned our winter coats and headed out to protect those little plants. It was quite a sight to see our garden space look as though we had tucked our plants in for the night. Of course, this effort required a little creativity, a little ingenuity, making useful the many rocks we've been picking out of our soil one-by-one, finding new uses for tent anchors, buckets, empty pots.
Funny how this simple act of nurture offered such a parallel example for much of life. We are not in control. We can sow seeds, we can water, we can provide food, but we cannot offer sun and warmth or protect completely from cold. We can hope and have faith, but in the end, Mother Nature will do as she must.
We can only respond in openness to all she gifts us.
And, yes, this cold spell will bring with it benefits that we cannot see or understand. Yes, this cold spell will force us inside to snuggle with our children. Yes, this cold spell will cause us to slow, if only for a moment. And these precious moments are gift enough for me to exert the necessary effort to protect those vulnerable plants and rest in the knowledge that life will go on.
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