Thankful
3 days ago
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
"I Don't Need Anything, Except Some Shoes."
Those of you who have been following this blog for a while probably remember the amazing, heartwarming story last Christmas of the outpouring of generosity and love I received for the students in my class. If you don't remember, or you're a new reader, click here for the rundown of what happened last year.
I decided I wasn't going to sit back and watch my kids go through another holiday season receiving absolutely nothing. I was going to try to make a difference (it's why I do what I do, after all) and at least try to do something about it.
And it worked. Oh my gosh, it worked. That day last year in my classroom will forever go down as one of the greatest days in my life.
Well, here we are again. This year might even be more desperate than last year due to the economy and budget cuts everywhere you turn. In a nutshell: I work in a very impoverished school district. Over 95% of our kiddos qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. We have a huge homeless population and have many kids who only eat at school every day. I had been tossing around the idea of trying to organize this whole gift thing again and the thought of it was a bit exhausting. It was so much work last year (totally worth it), and I just didn't know if I had it in me again this time around.
However, two things happened that changed my mind. The first is my wonderful friend Sgt. Alex contacted me and said he and his base wants to contribute this year again to my students...but they want to make it bigger! They want to get gifts to the entire 2nd grade! When he called me and told me that, I thought if he is willing to go to all that trouble for kiddos he's never even met, then I can surely do my part as well. The second thing that changed my mind is what follows: we had our 2nd graders write some letters to Santa asking for what they would like for Christmas. If it's even possible, they are even sadder this year than they were last. Here are a few excerpts from them: (I'm not going to edit anything they say...typos and all)
"I nide food for my famli beause my dad has a boss woo doesnt want him to work anymor."
"...a penciles and an eraser because I have none."
"...two pair of shoos because my are ripet on the botom. I also need a bed because I never had one."
"...I would like some pencils because I am allmost done and I only hav the one pencil. I want a cote and a good life. It is hard."
"...I don't want nothing but my sider needs a coat."
"...a Hannah Montana doll because it is fun to play with dolls and I've always wanted one but only mi sister has a doll and when I wanted a doll mi mom said we didn't have enuf money yet for a doll."
"...I neeb food and socks becaue my socks all have holls."
"......I need some new sock and shoes because mine sock are riped back at home."
"...and I want a good book to read at my house."
"...I want to hav shoes and cluz for my sister and me."
"...I would please like to have some more frute and some glofs because I did not have some before."
"...I don't need anything but please get my teacher Mssis Corzine some books for the classroom because we ripped her books."
Now this is just a few of the replies. Imagine 110 letters...almost every single one of them is just like this. I've actually got tears in my eyes as I sit here in my nice warm house, working on my laptop, tripping over all of Maelin's toys and I can't even fathom what it would be like as a parent to not be able to afford fruit for my child. Or shoes. Or a pencil. Or socks. Or not be able to bundle them up in a coat when it's cold outside. To watch them trudge away in ripped socks, holey shoes and no coat when it's 20 degrees outside.
So again, I'm making my passionate plea to all of you: you were so incredibly generous last year and I'm hoping we can get even a fraction of that again this year. Here's the deal: We'll take anything EXCEPT cash/checks. Gift cards to Wal-Mart would be the most helpful because we could trade them in for gifts and the Wal-Mart here in Commerce City gives us tax-exempt status. We'd also love any chapter books, school supplies, etc. I will take care of making sure every child in the entire 2nd grade will get something new this Christmas.
Please send what you can to:
Alsup Elementary School
c/o Mara Corzine
7101 Birch Street
Commerce City, CO 80022
I'll need everything in the school by December 14 so I can have time to wrap and distribute. Again, thank you for caring about these kids. Anything you can send us will be greatly appreciated!! Let's show these kids that people do care about them and that they matter!!
I decided I wasn't going to sit back and watch my kids go through another holiday season receiving absolutely nothing. I was going to try to make a difference (it's why I do what I do, after all) and at least try to do something about it.
And it worked. Oh my gosh, it worked. That day last year in my classroom will forever go down as one of the greatest days in my life.
Well, here we are again. This year might even be more desperate than last year due to the economy and budget cuts everywhere you turn. In a nutshell: I work in a very impoverished school district. Over 95% of our kiddos qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. We have a huge homeless population and have many kids who only eat at school every day. I had been tossing around the idea of trying to organize this whole gift thing again and the thought of it was a bit exhausting. It was so much work last year (totally worth it), and I just didn't know if I had it in me again this time around.
However, two things happened that changed my mind. The first is my wonderful friend Sgt. Alex contacted me and said he and his base wants to contribute this year again to my students...but they want to make it bigger! They want to get gifts to the entire 2nd grade! When he called me and told me that, I thought if he is willing to go to all that trouble for kiddos he's never even met, then I can surely do my part as well. The second thing that changed my mind is what follows: we had our 2nd graders write some letters to Santa asking for what they would like for Christmas. If it's even possible, they are even sadder this year than they were last. Here are a few excerpts from them: (I'm not going to edit anything they say...typos and all)
"I nide food for my famli beause my dad has a boss woo doesnt want him to work anymor."
"...a penciles and an eraser because I have none."
"...two pair of shoos because my are ripet on the botom. I also need a bed because I never had one."
"...I would like some pencils because I am allmost done and I only hav the one pencil. I want a cote and a good life. It is hard."
"...I don't want nothing but my sider needs a coat."
"...a Hannah Montana doll because it is fun to play with dolls and I've always wanted one but only mi sister has a doll and when I wanted a doll mi mom said we didn't have enuf money yet for a doll."
"...I neeb food and socks becaue my socks all have holls."
"......I need some new sock and shoes because mine sock are riped back at home."
"...and I want a good book to read at my house."
"...I want to hav shoes and cluz for my sister and me."
"...I would please like to have some more frute and some glofs because I did not have some before."
"...I don't need anything but please get my teacher Mssis Corzine some books for the classroom because we ripped her books."
Now this is just a few of the replies. Imagine 110 letters...almost every single one of them is just like this. I've actually got tears in my eyes as I sit here in my nice warm house, working on my laptop, tripping over all of Maelin's toys and I can't even fathom what it would be like as a parent to not be able to afford fruit for my child. Or shoes. Or a pencil. Or socks. Or not be able to bundle them up in a coat when it's cold outside. To watch them trudge away in ripped socks, holey shoes and no coat when it's 20 degrees outside.
So again, I'm making my passionate plea to all of you: you were so incredibly generous last year and I'm hoping we can get even a fraction of that again this year. Here's the deal: We'll take anything EXCEPT cash/checks. Gift cards to Wal-Mart would be the most helpful because we could trade them in for gifts and the Wal-Mart here in Commerce City gives us tax-exempt status. We'd also love any chapter books, school supplies, etc. I will take care of making sure every child in the entire 2nd grade will get something new this Christmas.
Please send what you can to:
Alsup Elementary School
c/o Mara Corzine
7101 Birch Street
Commerce City, CO 80022
I'll need everything in the school by December 14 so I can have time to wrap and distribute. Again, thank you for caring about these kids. Anything you can send us will be greatly appreciated!! Let's show these kids that people do care about them and that they matter!!
Halloween 2009...Our Cranky Little Witch
Halloween has come and gone again this year...and again, Maelin was pretty sick for it. If you'll remember Halloween last year, she did not feel good for most of it but was able to rally enough to enjoy trick-or-treating like the little trooper that she is. Exactly the same thing this year. The poor little thing had come down with a double ear infection and general fever/grumpiness. It was so sad. Plus...we were hit with a pretty big snowstorm about 3 days before so it was pretty chilly.
Nonetheless...armed with Auntie Kat, Uncle Jeff, Elmo and our handmade-by-Grandma Lea-Witch-Costume, we headed out to trick-or-treat. Honestly, Mae didn't care that much about knocking on doors and getting candy. She was much more excited about being allowed to walk in the street. Naturally, we never let her do that so it was a pretty big deal for her. We knocked on exactly 2 doors before she got so feisty about the whole business, we just gave up and walked around the block. Then we got home and tried to stop Uncle from stealing all of Maelin's candy (one of the pics of this is below...she's like, "Dude..stop stealing my candy!")
The biggest thing I want to remember about Halloween is how much fun each holiday is becoming. We're slowly creating our own traditions with our little one and she's starting to understand what's going on so much better. Every day it seems she's changed a bit more, learned something new, and responds so much better to what's going on around her. She's the absolute light of my life and I'm so excited for what's next...except I wish she'd slow down the growing up just a bit.
Nonetheless...armed with Auntie Kat, Uncle Jeff, Elmo and our handmade-by-Grandma Lea-Witch-Costume, we headed out to trick-or-treat. Honestly, Mae didn't care that much about knocking on doors and getting candy. She was much more excited about being allowed to walk in the street. Naturally, we never let her do that so it was a pretty big deal for her. We knocked on exactly 2 doors before she got so feisty about the whole business, we just gave up and walked around the block. Then we got home and tried to stop Uncle from stealing all of Maelin's candy (one of the pics of this is below...she's like, "Dude..stop stealing my candy!")
The biggest thing I want to remember about Halloween is how much fun each holiday is becoming. We're slowly creating our own traditions with our little one and she's starting to understand what's going on so much better. Every day it seems she's changed a bit more, learned something new, and responds so much better to what's going on around her. She's the absolute light of my life and I'm so excited for what's next...except I wish she'd slow down the growing up just a bit.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
PTA: Not For Parents Anymore
All the research proves it and you don't have to go far to find it. I'm talking about the fact that the number one factor in whether or not kids succeed in school is the amount of parental involvement.
According to researchers Karen Smith Conway (professor of economics at the University of New Hampshire) and Andrew Houtenville (senior research associate at New Editions Consulting), parental involvement has a strong, positive effect on student achievement.
“Parental effort is consistently associated with higher levels of achievement, and the magnitude of the effect of parental effort is substantial,” Conway said. “We found that schools would need to increase per-pupil spending by more than $1,000 in order to achieve the same results that are gained with parental involvement.”
(Click here for an excellent article by the Michigan Department of Education on the research-based benefits of strong parental involvement in schools.)
So after spending thousands of dollars and over 9 years attaining my BA and MA in Education and Psychology, after spending countless hours in workshops, classes and professional development seminars, and after spending days, weeks, months, years and my heart and soul teaching kids, I found myself at my school's monthly PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) meeting tonight. I am one of the teachers delegated to be a representative and I believe strongly in the positive affects that a strong PTA can have on a community. Especially one of our social-economic status.
I was exhausted: I've worked all day and Maelin has been having a hard time lately. There's been extra drama we've all been dealing with and she's been going through a "Mommy Stage" lately. Sandra literally had to yank her off of me this morning so I could get to work on time. She was grabbing my neck and screaming, "Momma...Momma...don't leave you!" and sobbing hysterically. Needless to say, I cried all the way to work.
But I digress. So there I was at the PTA meeting with 2 other teachers, the principal, the school secretary and the assistant principal. We have been advertising this meeting for weeks: it's on the school marquee sign, it's in the monthly and weekly newsletters, we put stickers on each kid on the day of the meeting to remind the parents and we send home PTA brochures in English and in Spanish at least 3 times a year inviting everyone and anyone to please come join us.
We have a school population of about 595. Guess how many parents were at the PTA tonight?
Three. There were 3 parents there. The President, the Secretary and the Treasurer. That's it folks. Not a single parent came besides the officers. Not a one.
Oh, there's many reasons for this. Lots of our parents work 2, 3, or even 4 jobs. We offer free baby-sitting so the parents know they could bring the kids and we'll watch them for you, so that's not the issue. Some parents don't have transportation to get there...but our school is smack-dab in the middle of a ton of houses where I know for a fact our kiddos live, so it's not that far of a walk. We also provide translation services so if a Spanish-speaking parent wanted to come, everything would be translated.
So what's the problem? I wish I knew.
It's really hard to get behind the government's push to create better schools, hire better teachers, raise test scores when I KNOW that if we could just get the darn parents to support their child and the school, our scores would skyrocket! There's nothing I can do about that...except to continue to provide food for the PTA meetings.
And then bring all the uneaten leftovers to the teacher's lounge for lunch the next day because even though we hoped and hoped that at least a couple of parents will show up...the teachers are the only ones there. That's right. We care about your child's education. We're there till 8pm even if you're not. We will continue to hope that maybe one day...all that food will be eaten.
According to researchers Karen Smith Conway (professor of economics at the University of New Hampshire) and Andrew Houtenville (senior research associate at New Editions Consulting), parental involvement has a strong, positive effect on student achievement.
“Parental effort is consistently associated with higher levels of achievement, and the magnitude of the effect of parental effort is substantial,” Conway said. “We found that schools would need to increase per-pupil spending by more than $1,000 in order to achieve the same results that are gained with parental involvement.”
(Click here for an excellent article by the Michigan Department of Education on the research-based benefits of strong parental involvement in schools.)
So after spending thousands of dollars and over 9 years attaining my BA and MA in Education and Psychology, after spending countless hours in workshops, classes and professional development seminars, and after spending days, weeks, months, years and my heart and soul teaching kids, I found myself at my school's monthly PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) meeting tonight. I am one of the teachers delegated to be a representative and I believe strongly in the positive affects that a strong PTA can have on a community. Especially one of our social-economic status.
I was exhausted: I've worked all day and Maelin has been having a hard time lately. There's been extra drama we've all been dealing with and she's been going through a "Mommy Stage" lately. Sandra literally had to yank her off of me this morning so I could get to work on time. She was grabbing my neck and screaming, "Momma...Momma...don't leave you!" and sobbing hysterically. Needless to say, I cried all the way to work.
But I digress. So there I was at the PTA meeting with 2 other teachers, the principal, the school secretary and the assistant principal. We have been advertising this meeting for weeks: it's on the school marquee sign, it's in the monthly and weekly newsletters, we put stickers on each kid on the day of the meeting to remind the parents and we send home PTA brochures in English and in Spanish at least 3 times a year inviting everyone and anyone to please come join us.
We have a school population of about 595. Guess how many parents were at the PTA tonight?
Three. There were 3 parents there. The President, the Secretary and the Treasurer. That's it folks. Not a single parent came besides the officers. Not a one.
Oh, there's many reasons for this. Lots of our parents work 2, 3, or even 4 jobs. We offer free baby-sitting so the parents know they could bring the kids and we'll watch them for you, so that's not the issue. Some parents don't have transportation to get there...but our school is smack-dab in the middle of a ton of houses where I know for a fact our kiddos live, so it's not that far of a walk. We also provide translation services so if a Spanish-speaking parent wanted to come, everything would be translated.
So what's the problem? I wish I knew.
It's really hard to get behind the government's push to create better schools, hire better teachers, raise test scores when I KNOW that if we could just get the darn parents to support their child and the school, our scores would skyrocket! There's nothing I can do about that...except to continue to provide food for the PTA meetings.
And then bring all the uneaten leftovers to the teacher's lounge for lunch the next day because even though we hoped and hoped that at least a couple of parents will show up...the teachers are the only ones there. That's right. We care about your child's education. We're there till 8pm even if you're not. We will continue to hope that maybe one day...all that food will be eaten.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Pumpkin Patch 2009
Our annual trip to the Cottonwood Farms in Boulder was last weekend...just before the big snowstorm hit. If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll remember we've taken Maelin to this pumpkin patch every year since she was a baby and we all love it. It's quickly becoming a favorite Halloween tradition.
This year was actually more fun than past years because Maelin is such a busy little girl now. She didn't stand still for more than two seconds and had so much fun pulling the wagon and running through the hay maze with Uncle Jeff and Boppy. She tried to get her own pumpkin (it was just a bit too heavy for her so Daddy found one that was just the right size), tried to eat it, waved at everyone, patted the animals, played with the kittens, mooed at the cow, played in the dirt, yelled and screamed and had a fabulous time.
Gosh she's fun. We are so lucky to have her. Here are a few pics from our day. Enjoy!
This year was actually more fun than past years because Maelin is such a busy little girl now. She didn't stand still for more than two seconds and had so much fun pulling the wagon and running through the hay maze with Uncle Jeff and Boppy. She tried to get her own pumpkin (it was just a bit too heavy for her so Daddy found one that was just the right size), tried to eat it, waved at everyone, patted the animals, played with the kittens, mooed at the cow, played in the dirt, yelled and screamed and had a fabulous time.
Gosh she's fun. We are so lucky to have her. Here are a few pics from our day. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
North Pole Daredevil
I'm officially terrified. My daughter is a daredevil. At 2 years old, she's more gutsy than even I am. She's totally into thrills, living on the edge, pushing the limits, etc.
I knew this a while ago of course, but since she's only 36 inches tall, it's hard to actually test out my daredevil theory. However, in light of recent events, I have no choice but to admit the truth:
Maelin is going to grow up to be an acrobat, a rock-climber, a snowboarder, a gymnast, a scuba-diver...anything that will give me a heart attack and will give her a bit of a thrill.
I first noticed this tendency when she was about 9 months old. We lived near a park that had a merry-go-round (not many parks have them anymore) and I would put my baby in the middle of it and slowly spin it around. She'd laugh and laugh so I'd make it go a bit faster. Even more laughing. Then I'd really just spin the heck out of it and she would be in hysterics. Okay, I thought. So the child enjoys spinning. Not much wrong with that.
Last spring when I took her to Disneyland, we went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Now that ride is in total darkness at times and has two pretty good drops. She was 22 months old and I took her on it expecting her to like it but also be a bit freaked out. Nope. The girl LOVED it. She loved the dark, she loved the drops, she loved all of it. Giggled and giggled and kept yelling "More!"
Over the summer, I would take her swimming and would hang out with her in the shallow end of the pool. Oh, she did alright down there for a while but when she saw the big kids jumping in the deep end, she made a beeline right for where they were and what they were doing. It was crazy: I'd stand in the water and she would just run right into the pool: it wouldn't have mattered if I was standing there ready to catch her or not. She LOVED the feeling of falling and had no fear whatsoever.
So this past weekend, we decided to take her to the North Pole. It's over an hour away so we loaded up the car very early on a Saturday and headed down. It was a beautiful fall day and as the park is in the mountains, we knew it was going to be a bit colder up there. Papa Dan, Auntie Heather, Ryan, Cole and Auntie Kat came along too. I was very excited to see how Maelin liked the rides. I had a feeling she might just love the fast ones, but you never know the mood a 2 year old is going to be in...
The child is insane. She LOVED the fast rides: the faster the better. Even when older kids were crying and begging for the ride to stop (which was actually pretty sad), Maelin was laughing and squealing and yelling and couldn't have been happier. At one point, I had ridden the Sea Dragon ride 2 times with her (while she was laughing the entire time), and I was about ready to lose my lunch. There was no way I could ride it again. As it was coming to a stop, she totally started crying and sobbing: she didn't want to get off! Bless Auntie Kat's iron stomach because she rode it two more times with Maelin: even putting their hands up in while they were way up high.
It was finally time to get her off the darn ride and I had to pull her off of it sobbing and yelling, "No no no no!" Then as soon as I got her calmed down, she ran right back to the gate of the ride and stared up at it wistfully. It was the funniest thing.
So every time I toss her high in the air, or give her a huge push on the swing set, I know what I'm setting up my little girl for. She's going to be a thrill-seeker.
Big sigh.
I knew this a while ago of course, but since she's only 36 inches tall, it's hard to actually test out my daredevil theory. However, in light of recent events, I have no choice but to admit the truth:
Maelin is going to grow up to be an acrobat, a rock-climber, a snowboarder, a gymnast, a scuba-diver...anything that will give me a heart attack and will give her a bit of a thrill.
I first noticed this tendency when she was about 9 months old. We lived near a park that had a merry-go-round (not many parks have them anymore) and I would put my baby in the middle of it and slowly spin it around. She'd laugh and laugh so I'd make it go a bit faster. Even more laughing. Then I'd really just spin the heck out of it and she would be in hysterics. Okay, I thought. So the child enjoys spinning. Not much wrong with that.
Last spring when I took her to Disneyland, we went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Now that ride is in total darkness at times and has two pretty good drops. She was 22 months old and I took her on it expecting her to like it but also be a bit freaked out. Nope. The girl LOVED it. She loved the dark, she loved the drops, she loved all of it. Giggled and giggled and kept yelling "More!"
Over the summer, I would take her swimming and would hang out with her in the shallow end of the pool. Oh, she did alright down there for a while but when she saw the big kids jumping in the deep end, she made a beeline right for where they were and what they were doing. It was crazy: I'd stand in the water and she would just run right into the pool: it wouldn't have mattered if I was standing there ready to catch her or not. She LOVED the feeling of falling and had no fear whatsoever.
So this past weekend, we decided to take her to the North Pole. It's over an hour away so we loaded up the car very early on a Saturday and headed down. It was a beautiful fall day and as the park is in the mountains, we knew it was going to be a bit colder up there. Papa Dan, Auntie Heather, Ryan, Cole and Auntie Kat came along too. I was very excited to see how Maelin liked the rides. I had a feeling she might just love the fast ones, but you never know the mood a 2 year old is going to be in...
The child is insane. She LOVED the fast rides: the faster the better. Even when older kids were crying and begging for the ride to stop (which was actually pretty sad), Maelin was laughing and squealing and yelling and couldn't have been happier. At one point, I had ridden the Sea Dragon ride 2 times with her (while she was laughing the entire time), and I was about ready to lose my lunch. There was no way I could ride it again. As it was coming to a stop, she totally started crying and sobbing: she didn't want to get off! Bless Auntie Kat's iron stomach because she rode it two more times with Maelin: even putting their hands up in while they were way up high.
It was finally time to get her off the darn ride and I had to pull her off of it sobbing and yelling, "No no no no!" Then as soon as I got her calmed down, she ran right back to the gate of the ride and stared up at it wistfully. It was the funniest thing.
So every time I toss her high in the air, or give her a huge push on the swing set, I know what I'm setting up my little girl for. She's going to be a thrill-seeker.
Big sigh.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
More Family!!
My mom lives in MN now and although we miss having her here, she's been really good at coming out to CO to visit whenever she can. She usually comes for 3 day weekends and we love having her.
However, we had to give up our usual visit from her this fall. She is about 60ish now and not in the best health although she is a real trooper. She has never had any family to speak of. In fact, the entire time we were growing up, we never met a brother or aunt or anyone. Her mom and younger brother had died when she was young (her brother died of polio and her mom died when she was 16) and she was estranged from her father. She had another older brother out there somewhere that she had lost track of over the years and had no idea how to go about finding him...so she never did.
We just accepted the fact that mom was alone in the world. My dad's family "adopted" her, so-to-speak, and they still consider her part of their family even though my mom and dad have been divorced for years.
Fast forward to last April. My mom was out visiting for Maelin's 2nd birthday and we had some friends over. Mom wanted me to show her Facebook and what it can do. So I pulled up my page and showed her pictures of all my friends and family on there and showed her how neat it was to be able to find all these people from the past that I had no idea how to find previously. She thought it was pretty cool. Then we asked her, "Mom, isn't there someone you'd like to find? Maybe someone from high school or from when you lived in Chicago?"
She was quiet for a few minutes and then said with a very hopeful smile, "I'd love to find my brother Mike. He's older than I am so I don't think he'd be on Spacebook or FaceSpace, or whatever, but let's try him." So she gave me his first and last name and viola! He popped right up!
I showed his profile picture to my mom. She was completely silent. I asked her if she thought that was him. She said she didn't know...it had been almost 40 years since she'd seen him so she wasn't sure. I told her I'd send him a "are you who we think you are?" note and just see. The worst that would happen would be he would ignore us, right? Oh, but my family is quite drama-filled. It wasn't that easy. Mom was worried that we had found him and he'd ignore us and then she'd lose her family all over again. She was very nervous when I wrote the note and hit the "send" button...
Turns out, we shouldn't have worried. It WAS my uncle Mike that we had found on Facebook that night and he answered my note quickly and seemed excited that we had found him. We had family we knew nothing about! We were all very excited and my brother, sister and I quickly "friended" him and started catching up with each other.
My mom and my uncle have been slowly getting to know each other again. 40 years is a lot of ground to cover especially when everyone is so busy. They email and talk on Skype and call but they really wanted to see each other. I wanted to meet him and his wife Linda too. I think family is one of the most important things in the world and I am so excited to find out we have more!
So last weekend, we made the jaunt out to meet our family. It was a bit surreal because here are in essence, total strangers but it wasn't like that at all. I felt immediately comfortable and at home with them. The "blood is thicker than water" adage is very true. My mom was so happy and excited to finally have some of her family back after being alone for so long and we all had a great time. We ate too much, drank a bit, watched some football and just got to know each other. It was a lovely weekend.
This is the reason my mom won't be coming out to visit us this fall. We'll see her for Christmas. However, instead of feeling a loss that she won't be able to play with Maelin in the leaves, I'm feeling more contented about my mom than I have in years. She finally has some family. That's worth so much more than any words could say.
Here are a few pics of my mom, my Aunt Linda, my Uncle Mike and I. We had such a nice time with them (and with their doggies!) and I can't wait to see them again soon.
However, we had to give up our usual visit from her this fall. She is about 60ish now and not in the best health although she is a real trooper. She has never had any family to speak of. In fact, the entire time we were growing up, we never met a brother or aunt or anyone. Her mom and younger brother had died when she was young (her brother died of polio and her mom died when she was 16) and she was estranged from her father. She had another older brother out there somewhere that she had lost track of over the years and had no idea how to go about finding him...so she never did.
We just accepted the fact that mom was alone in the world. My dad's family "adopted" her, so-to-speak, and they still consider her part of their family even though my mom and dad have been divorced for years.
Fast forward to last April. My mom was out visiting for Maelin's 2nd birthday and we had some friends over. Mom wanted me to show her Facebook and what it can do. So I pulled up my page and showed her pictures of all my friends and family on there and showed her how neat it was to be able to find all these people from the past that I had no idea how to find previously. She thought it was pretty cool. Then we asked her, "Mom, isn't there someone you'd like to find? Maybe someone from high school or from when you lived in Chicago?"
She was quiet for a few minutes and then said with a very hopeful smile, "I'd love to find my brother Mike. He's older than I am so I don't think he'd be on Spacebook or FaceSpace, or whatever, but let's try him." So she gave me his first and last name and viola! He popped right up!
I showed his profile picture to my mom. She was completely silent. I asked her if she thought that was him. She said she didn't know...it had been almost 40 years since she'd seen him so she wasn't sure. I told her I'd send him a "are you who we think you are?" note and just see. The worst that would happen would be he would ignore us, right? Oh, but my family is quite drama-filled. It wasn't that easy. Mom was worried that we had found him and he'd ignore us and then she'd lose her family all over again. She was very nervous when I wrote the note and hit the "send" button...
Turns out, we shouldn't have worried. It WAS my uncle Mike that we had found on Facebook that night and he answered my note quickly and seemed excited that we had found him. We had family we knew nothing about! We were all very excited and my brother, sister and I quickly "friended" him and started catching up with each other.
My mom and my uncle have been slowly getting to know each other again. 40 years is a lot of ground to cover especially when everyone is so busy. They email and talk on Skype and call but they really wanted to see each other. I wanted to meet him and his wife Linda too. I think family is one of the most important things in the world and I am so excited to find out we have more!
So last weekend, we made the jaunt out to meet our family. It was a bit surreal because here are in essence, total strangers but it wasn't like that at all. I felt immediately comfortable and at home with them. The "blood is thicker than water" adage is very true. My mom was so happy and excited to finally have some of her family back after being alone for so long and we all had a great time. We ate too much, drank a bit, watched some football and just got to know each other. It was a lovely weekend.
This is the reason my mom won't be coming out to visit us this fall. We'll see her for Christmas. However, instead of feeling a loss that she won't be able to play with Maelin in the leaves, I'm feeling more contented about my mom than I have in years. She finally has some family. That's worth so much more than any words could say.
Here are a few pics of my mom, my Aunt Linda, my Uncle Mike and I. We had such a nice time with them (and with their doggies!) and I can't wait to see them again soon.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
A New Family Member????
I should be writing report cards now as they are due on Friday and I haven't even started them yet...
but this story couldn't wait. I went to pick up Maelin today from Sandra's house and as usual, they were in the backyard playing. They live in a pretty impoverished neighborhood so you tend to see all sorts of interesting things when you go over there. I've gotten pretty used to the stray animals running around, the weird cars, the loud music, etc. Anyway, Sandra's son (who's 8) was playing with an adorable gray kitten in the backyard and Maelin was squealing with laughter watching him.
I asked Sandra who's kitten that was and between my poor Spanish, her English (which she's getting pretty good at!) and her son helping us, I found out that this kitten has been coming around for about a week and they have no idea who it belongs to. I mentioned that I was worried about leaving it because it's supposed to get pretty cold tonight and snow and they said that worried them too so they were going to set up a crate under their trampoline for it to help keep it warm.
If you've read any of my previous posts, you KNOW I just can't leave an animal when I think it may not be safe and I have an opportunity to do something to help. So I swooped that little kitty up and told Sandra I would take it home and to keep an eye out for posters or whatever till we decide what to do with it. Maelin couldn't believe her luck that the kitty was coming in the car with us!
That kitty is the sweetest darn thing you've ever seen. On our way home on the noisy highway, you'd imagine the cat would be freaking out and meowing and scratching and losing it. Nope. That kitten got in the backseat right onto Maelin's lap (much to her delight!) and promptly fell asleep for the entire 30 minute car drive home. Here's a couple pictures of Kitty with MaeMae. She was thrilled!
We've set Kitty up in our spare bedroom for now. He gobbled down some food and water and has been sleeping most of the night. Uncle Jeff has decided after a 30 minute visit that he just might like another kitty himself. Aunt Kat isn't so sure but admits this cat is pretty darn sweet. Kevin was very apprehensive when I called him from the road and told him the "Guess what?" story but he even admits that the kitty is pretty adorable and may just consent to keep him. He even told Jeff, "You may have to fight me for him." hee hee.
I'm not sure where Kitty is going. We're going to put up a sign and post him on craigslist and see what happens. For now, Maelin is excited that she has a new friend that loves her and makes her laugh. I'm happy because I was able to do something small to make the world a bit better. The Kitty is happy because he's sleeping on a nice bed and has food and isn't shivering in the snow tonight...
and oh, Maelin wants to name him "Gato." Her other suggestion was "Food." (Kat and I think if we keep him, we'll name him "Cullen" after...of course!)
but this story couldn't wait. I went to pick up Maelin today from Sandra's house and as usual, they were in the backyard playing. They live in a pretty impoverished neighborhood so you tend to see all sorts of interesting things when you go over there. I've gotten pretty used to the stray animals running around, the weird cars, the loud music, etc. Anyway, Sandra's son (who's 8) was playing with an adorable gray kitten in the backyard and Maelin was squealing with laughter watching him.
I asked Sandra who's kitten that was and between my poor Spanish, her English (which she's getting pretty good at!) and her son helping us, I found out that this kitten has been coming around for about a week and they have no idea who it belongs to. I mentioned that I was worried about leaving it because it's supposed to get pretty cold tonight and snow and they said that worried them too so they were going to set up a crate under their trampoline for it to help keep it warm.
If you've read any of my previous posts, you KNOW I just can't leave an animal when I think it may not be safe and I have an opportunity to do something to help. So I swooped that little kitty up and told Sandra I would take it home and to keep an eye out for posters or whatever till we decide what to do with it. Maelin couldn't believe her luck that the kitty was coming in the car with us!
That kitty is the sweetest darn thing you've ever seen. On our way home on the noisy highway, you'd imagine the cat would be freaking out and meowing and scratching and losing it. Nope. That kitten got in the backseat right onto Maelin's lap (much to her delight!) and promptly fell asleep for the entire 30 minute car drive home. Here's a couple pictures of Kitty with MaeMae. She was thrilled!
We've set Kitty up in our spare bedroom for now. He gobbled down some food and water and has been sleeping most of the night. Uncle Jeff has decided after a 30 minute visit that he just might like another kitty himself. Aunt Kat isn't so sure but admits this cat is pretty darn sweet. Kevin was very apprehensive when I called him from the road and told him the "Guess what?" story but he even admits that the kitty is pretty adorable and may just consent to keep him. He even told Jeff, "You may have to fight me for him." hee hee.
I'm not sure where Kitty is going. We're going to put up a sign and post him on craigslist and see what happens. For now, Maelin is excited that she has a new friend that loves her and makes her laugh. I'm happy because I was able to do something small to make the world a bit better. The Kitty is happy because he's sleeping on a nice bed and has food and isn't shivering in the snow tonight...
and oh, Maelin wants to name him "Gato." Her other suggestion was "Food." (Kat and I think if we keep him, we'll name him "Cullen" after...of course!)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
School Answering Machine Message
This is the funniest thing I've come across in a long time so I had to post it here for all of you. Make sure your sound is on!
Australian School answering machine message
This is the message that the Maroochydore High School, Queensland, Australia, staff voted unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine. This is the actual answering machine message for the school. This came about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children's absence.
Click Here
Australian School answering machine message
This is the message that the Maroochydore High School, Queensland, Australia, staff voted unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine. This is the actual answering machine message for the school. This came about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children's absence.
Click Here
Monday, September 28, 2009
When is Enough...Enough?
Confusing title, I know. But hear me out...
I have a hard time knowing when enough is enough. My friends will tell you that they have had to resort to kicking me or giving me a swift hit when I'm talking about something that I'm passionate about but it's either not the time or the place to mention it.
I try really hard. I do. However...
When something is going on that I know as a professional, a mom or just a good human being isn't right, I have a really hard time staying quiet about it if I feel there's a chance I can control the outcome. I've been thinking about why this is...why do I have such a need to help the underdog, save the world, make a difference, not just be quiet when it's politically correct to do so, not play the game, etc.? I think it's because no one did it for me when I was young.
We grew up in a very loving family but like all families, we had our problems. Many of our friends and other family members knew what was going on but NO ONE said anything to help us out. No one did anything to help. As children, my brother, sisters and I were left on our own to forge some sort of normalcy and routine to our dysfunctional existence. I remember feeling alone. I remember feeling abandoned. I remember wondering why this was up to us to fix when there were so many grownups around who knew what was happening but no one seemed to care enough to step in and do anything to help us.
So now I've got a bee in my bonnet. When I feel that is happening to another child (it's usually a kid but my siblings and I have been known to have an unnatural reaction to animals in trouble as well), I have a very hard time staying quiet about it. I do not want to be the adult that a child depended on and I was too busy or didn't want to get involved or thought it wasn't any of my business to help them out. So sometimes I get too noisy about what I think is right for the kid. I also get too noisy to the wrong people.
So when is enough...enough? When do I take a step back and ask myself if saving these kids from (what's screaming at my professional self) a bad education or an unfair situation that I may or may not have the power to do something about? Is it worth putting my job at risk? Is it worth losing money over? Is it worth my personal sanity? Is it worth my sleep at night? My mental health? These are questions that I know the answers to but are pretty scary to admit.
So I'm trying hard to remember that I can't save the world. I can't save every child from a bad home life. I can't make every kid in my class have the education that I think they deserve because I'm fighting their own demons, the restrictions and expectations of the school district and a million other factors. However...
I can be their voice. I can be the voice that no one ever was for my siblings and I. Maybe when one child grows up, they will be able to look back and say that not every adult in their life was quiet. Maybe they'll remember someone talking for them and trying to help. Maybe they'll feel less alone, less abandoned.
So that would be enough.
I have a hard time knowing when enough is enough. My friends will tell you that they have had to resort to kicking me or giving me a swift hit when I'm talking about something that I'm passionate about but it's either not the time or the place to mention it.
I try really hard. I do. However...
When something is going on that I know as a professional, a mom or just a good human being isn't right, I have a really hard time staying quiet about it if I feel there's a chance I can control the outcome. I've been thinking about why this is...why do I have such a need to help the underdog, save the world, make a difference, not just be quiet when it's politically correct to do so, not play the game, etc.? I think it's because no one did it for me when I was young.
We grew up in a very loving family but like all families, we had our problems. Many of our friends and other family members knew what was going on but NO ONE said anything to help us out. No one did anything to help. As children, my brother, sisters and I were left on our own to forge some sort of normalcy and routine to our dysfunctional existence. I remember feeling alone. I remember feeling abandoned. I remember wondering why this was up to us to fix when there were so many grownups around who knew what was happening but no one seemed to care enough to step in and do anything to help us.
So now I've got a bee in my bonnet. When I feel that is happening to another child (it's usually a kid but my siblings and I have been known to have an unnatural reaction to animals in trouble as well), I have a very hard time staying quiet about it. I do not want to be the adult that a child depended on and I was too busy or didn't want to get involved or thought it wasn't any of my business to help them out. So sometimes I get too noisy about what I think is right for the kid. I also get too noisy to the wrong people.
So when is enough...enough? When do I take a step back and ask myself if saving these kids from (what's screaming at my professional self) a bad education or an unfair situation that I may or may not have the power to do something about? Is it worth putting my job at risk? Is it worth losing money over? Is it worth my personal sanity? Is it worth my sleep at night? My mental health? These are questions that I know the answers to but are pretty scary to admit.
So I'm trying hard to remember that I can't save the world. I can't save every child from a bad home life. I can't make every kid in my class have the education that I think they deserve because I'm fighting their own demons, the restrictions and expectations of the school district and a million other factors. However...
I can be their voice. I can be the voice that no one ever was for my siblings and I. Maybe when one child grows up, they will be able to look back and say that not every adult in their life was quiet. Maybe they'll remember someone talking for them and trying to help. Maybe they'll feel less alone, less abandoned.
So that would be enough.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
They Grow Up So Fast...
Sigh. Big sigh. I'm still trying to adjust to the beginning of this school year so I haven't had much time to blog lately. It seems like I'm always 2-3 days behind at work. With 28 kiddos, I'm constantly trying to keep with with grading, lesson plans, recording and gathering data, and hundreds of other tasks that keep me in motion from the minute I step foot into school till the second I leave.
One of the blessings of being that busy at work is I rarely have time to think too much about Maelin and how much I'm missing her while I'm gone. She's been having a great time at daycare: she has a few new friends there now. Baby Carson is the 8 month old son of a colleague at work and there are other random little people that come and go that Maelin totally adores.
I pulled out the video camera tonight to capture some of Maelin's antics while we were playing. It hit me just what a big girl she is. She isn't a baby any longer. She's totally potty-trained now. We were able to do that about a month ago and it took her a total of 4 days to get it...with only 1 accident. She's pretty consistent now and only has an accident once a week or so. She knows how to spell her name. She can sing all of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "ABC's", "When You Wish Upon a Star", amongst other songs. She can do a very wobbly somersault. She told me yesterday that she wanted a "Baby Carson at Mae-Mae's house." (hmmmmmm...to that one). She's learning how to write her name and she recognizes it when she sees it in print. She was eating and LOVING hot sauce with her chips at the Mexican restaurant the other night. She has her favorite books memorized, can count to 50, paints pictures, knows all the sounds the letters make...I could go on and on.
Our little girl (I have to accept the fact that I no longer have a baby girl) is almost 2 1/2 years old already. How did that happen? She's so big and wonderful and is the absolute light of my life. She has gotten big so quickly and although I'm loving every single minute with her, I'm also trying to be as present as possible during it because of how very fast this is flying by.
Our little one is growing so fast...blink and you miss it.
One of the blessings of being that busy at work is I rarely have time to think too much about Maelin and how much I'm missing her while I'm gone. She's been having a great time at daycare: she has a few new friends there now. Baby Carson is the 8 month old son of a colleague at work and there are other random little people that come and go that Maelin totally adores.
I pulled out the video camera tonight to capture some of Maelin's antics while we were playing. It hit me just what a big girl she is. She isn't a baby any longer. She's totally potty-trained now. We were able to do that about a month ago and it took her a total of 4 days to get it...with only 1 accident. She's pretty consistent now and only has an accident once a week or so. She knows how to spell her name. She can sing all of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "ABC's", "When You Wish Upon a Star", amongst other songs. She can do a very wobbly somersault. She told me yesterday that she wanted a "Baby Carson at Mae-Mae's house." (hmmmmmm...to that one). She's learning how to write her name and she recognizes it when she sees it in print. She was eating and LOVING hot sauce with her chips at the Mexican restaurant the other night. She has her favorite books memorized, can count to 50, paints pictures, knows all the sounds the letters make...I could go on and on.
Our little girl (I have to accept the fact that I no longer have a baby girl) is almost 2 1/2 years old already. How did that happen? She's so big and wonderful and is the absolute light of my life. She has gotten big so quickly and although I'm loving every single minute with her, I'm also trying to be as present as possible during it because of how very fast this is flying by.
Our little one is growing so fast...blink and you miss it.
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