365 Days of Gratitude

I read somewhere online today about a photographer that took a picture of something she was grateful for each day for 365 days. The reason behind her idea was to spend more time being grateful and less time worrying and being stressed.  I think this is a fabulous idea so I'm going to attempt it here on my blog. So day 1....I am grateful for views like this.

The Best and the Toughest Part of My Job

The best part of my job can also be the toughest part of my job.....and that is how much I care about my students. I don't know if every teacher experiences the same feeling, if it's unique to a few of us, or even if it's unique to our small school. I see it in other teachers that I work with. In fact, today I saw it in all of us. For me, it's so easy to begin to care about their lives. I see them every day for 9 months. They tell me their stories. They share their worries. They tell me when they aren't feeling well and I find band-aids and ice packs. They share what they did over the weekend. I help them solve arguments with their friends. I help build confidence in their academic achievements, even if that means earning a 'C' instead of a 'D'. I become part of their lives. So caring about them comes naturally. Today I felt so many emotions for one of my old students. He was in my class two years ago and is now a 5th grader. I knew when he was in my class that he was a great kid with really great parents. In fact, every teacher that ever had him in their class has said the same thing. Today, I watched him do what no 5th grader should ever have to do.....he gave his father's eulogy. As soon as I heard his voice the tears began to flow freely. I cried because I knew the great relationship he had with his dad. I cried because I wished I could do something to ease his pain and yet what could stop that kind of hurt? I also cried because I was proud of him. He stood up in front of probably more than 100 people and spoke with such bravery, poise, and grace. I can't even tell his story without the tears beginning to well up in my eyes and yet he stood there in front of all of us and spoke with conviction. He mentioned a few things that he would miss about his dad but only after mentioning that he would miss everything about him. He told us the things his dad had taught him like how to shake hands and look people in the eye. His last statement was the promise that he would keep his dad's memory alive. I know he will keep that promise forever. I know this because his dad taught him at such a young age how to be a great young man. When people interact with him in the future they will see a product of a dad and a mom that spent time making memories and teaching life lessons. And so for today, the best part of my job, the caring and sharing in their lives, became the toughest part. It has been emotional for all of the teachers at our school. We all care about this student and his family. And yet, all of us love what we do. We will be there on Tuesday to welcome him back to school. We will be there in April when it's his day's birthday to help him get through the day. We'll continue to pray for him. We'll be there at his 5th grade graduation to help him celebrate his accomplishment. We'll do all of this because caring about students..... that is the best part of our job.

Goodbye 2012

I thought I would end 2012 with a post of gratitude. This is by no means a list of everything that I am thankful for but just a few. 1. I am thankful for my marriage. I am married to a hard working, funny, handsome and generous man. He is an excellent provider for our family, he is supportive, he is a great father and most importantly...he makes me laugh and smile everyday. I am very blessed to be married to someone who loves me completely and unconditionally. 2. I am thankful for my first born son, Seth. He is funny like his dad. He has a big heart and tries to maintain a tough exterior. He has a heart for homeless people and often offers up his own money (and mine) to them. It is a joy to watch him grow into a young man. He loves his daddy and wants to be just like him and he loves to cuddle with his mommy. He has taught me generosity. 3. For my little Evan. He is a sweetheart. He loves to take care of babies and little kids. He loves school and learning. He can create something amazing out of simple everyday household items. He's my only son without blue eyes but with hazel eyes like me. He is never in a hurry and can't understand why you should ever be. He has taught me to stop and smell the roses. 4. I am thankful for my Levi. That boy has a smile that can light up a room. He was born with a smile and it rarely leaves his face. He can talk to complete strangers like they've been friends his whole life....he just loves people that much. He has taught me to be more joyful. 5. For my baby boy, Kaiaphas. He is my last little baby boy. He completes us. He has a great smile like Levi. He is a ball full of energy and already keeps me on my toes. He was the toughest baby to get to sleep. We have had many middle of the night chats but he has taught me to be more appreciative of things like his smile at night that has been saved only for me. 6. I am thankful for my parents. The have been married for 40 years and have not only taught me with words and advice but also by example that marriage is forever. One of my greatest childhood memories is walking into a room and seeing my parents dancing. Sometimes music was playing and sometimes it was not but what I saw each time is that no matter what my parents were dealing with they loved each other. They loved each other enough to stay connected despite both of them working full time, raising two kids, and dealing with whatever life brought them. I am blessed. Tonight I count my blessings and resolve to continue to do so throughout 2013.

Kai's First Christmas Present

Middle of the Night Thoughts

It's 1am and I've been awake now for almost 45 minutes. In my arms lies a sleeping baby. I'm sure this seems normal to some people and although it has become the new normal in our tribe it has not always been so. Before Kaiaphas arrived my experience with babies waking in the middle of the night lasted only until those babies were 8 weeks old. Most people don't believe me when I say that but it's true. Seth, Evan and Levi all slept through the night by the time they were 8 weeks old. When Kaiaphas came along the term "normal" became to mean something else. This got me thinking....how long does it take until something new becomes the normal thing? And normal really is a relative term, isn't it? What I consider normal in my life may be completely out of the ordinary for others. Things change and what is new sometimes turns into what is normal. But there is one thing that is absolute and doesn't change and that is God's love. Thankfully some things never change.

Baseball Season

We have been super busy the since the end of April that I have hardly had time to sit down and write. We started Seth and Evan in baseball at Calas Park. Seth plays for The Warriors and Evan plays for the Lil Dodgers. Both of those teams are coached by Ron! That's right....my crazy husband took on the coaching responsibilities for 2 teams. In case you don't realize what this means I will tell you what our schedule looks like. Monday and Wednesday are practices for the Lil Dodgers. Tuesdays and Thursdays are practices for the Warriors. Occasionally the Warriors have a week day game. The Lil Dodgers generally have their games on Saturdays. Often times we have both teams playing on Saturdays. Thankfully, the times for both teams have never overlapped! The one thing that strikes me is the difference in the atmosphere at the games. When Evan's team plays it is strictly for fun. The parents want their kids to do well but if they make a mistake and let the ball pass them it's not really a big deal. Score is not even kept for the games. Now, the atmosphere for Seth's team is 100% different. It is much more intense. These kids are getting prepared for 2A baseball which is much more intense than the 1A team they are currently playing on. Score is definitely kept as are stats on all the players. Even the practices are different. Practices for Evan's team involve fun games which help them build their baseball skills. Practices for Seth's team involves repetition of skills they already have and fine tuning them. This has been a great season for us. Both of the boys are steadily improving. I am very proud of them because they are learning to love the game. Seth definitely has a lot of heart and is the most vocal player on the team. When he's on the field he encourages the team, talks to them by telling them where the play is, how many outs there are, etc. Evan loves baseball so much that now he wants to watch the Dodger games on TV. They have both made new friends and Ron and I have also. I am certainly pleased with our experience this season even if it means we're constantly on the go. The positives that we are all experiencing far outweigh any negatives we might encounter. In fact, it's been such a good experience we're already considering summer ball!

Kaiaphas to the Doctor

Yesterday Kaiaphas had his two month well baby check. His appointment was at 4:00pm so right when school ended I went and picked up Seth, Evan and Levi, rushed over to pick up Kaiaphas, headed to the house to drop Seth off with Ron and then was on my way to Kaiser. We made it to the doctor on time! Once we arrived Levi and Evan had to use the restroom (of course) and while we were in there I could hear the nurse calling for us. The funny thing is that she didn't bother trying to say Kaiaphas' name. She just called out our last name! Kaiaphas did a great job while the nurse took all of the usual measurements like height and weight. He did fabulous while the doctor examined him and he even smiled at her. And then....the nurse returned to give him immunization shots. While he has no idea what is in store for him, his brothers do! I warned Evan and Levi ahead of time that Kai would be getting shots and that he would probably cry. Sure enough, the loudest set of lungs award goes to Kaiaphas! As soon as she stuck him he screamed. It's terrible to watch and his tears were like knives into this mama's heart. I know that it needs to be done but it's heartbreaking to watch him scream and cry. I looked into the mirror at Evan and Levi. Both of them were sitting in the chairs with their hands over their ears! I don't blame them. Kaiaphas is growing great. He is in the 50th percentile for weight and 40th percentile for height. He is perfect just like my other 3 angels!