Going Grey?

Unless you're my mom who's over 60 and has never had to worry about coloring grey hair...she has none (okay maybe like three strands that you can't even see!)...you're probably like the rest of us unlucky people who are either going or are completely grey!

I'm in my early 40's, and I never thought I would have to worry about this....

Chalk Talk - Do You Mean "Finished"?

I'm learning a lot from my six year old son.

And for the past several days, I've been interrupted, many times, with just these words...

Weekend Getaway

A few weeks ago our friends asked us to go away with them on a weekend trip to Chattanooga, and we said yes!

So over the long weekend we took in some of this city's most notable attractions.  We visited Ruby Falls and did a ropes course and some zip lining.  We took a ride on the Incline Railway, stopped at the aquarium, went to Rock City where we overlooked Lover's Leap and saw seven states. And if that wasn't enough...we ended our third day at the children's museum. We did a lot in three days!

Chattanooga is a kid friendly city and great for families looking for a quick getaway in just under two hours from nearby Atlanta. Here are more photos if you'd like to see...

Tip #5 - Plant a Seed

Now that we're well on our way into the fourth week of school, it's time to plant some seeds.  Not literally.  But metaphorically speaking.

Which brings me to tip #5 from a so-called veteran teacher.  Inspire your students...

Strong Families Have Vision

I meditated this morning for 10 minutes. It's something I haven't done in a long time. It was good to clear my head, as there are so many thoughts running through my mind.

Does this happen to you? Do all the things you "have to do" plus all the things going on around you, keep you awake at night? I just wish I could shut off my thoughts.

And then I've also been reflecting on the sermon I heard last night...

Selflessness is the Key to Family Strong

I love my church.

It truly makes me a better person, and trust me, I've come a long way.  It teaches me how to navigate through life and be a better wife, mother, teacher, a better me.

The current series at my church is called Family Strong and it's just that...focusing on the things that make a family strong.

Would You Travel Alone?

I've eaten alone. Gone to the movies alone. I've even ran the world's largest 10K in the world...alone. But this I have never done.

So. Would you? Travel alone?

And I don't just mean getting on a plane alone and then meeting friends or family at your destination. I mean getting on a plane solo, traveling to a new state or some exotic new country...by yourself...and spending the remainder of that trip by yourself?

Could you do it? Would you?

On Drinking

A friend, who I'm just getting to know, asked me a question today.  It's interesting because her question is one I'm always curious to ask new friends.  Especially my Christian ones...

Turning Six

Buddy Roller turned six yesterday.  We didn't plan on having a party for him because I don't believe kids need a party every year.  I do think that birthdays, however, should be a special day.  So after discussing it with The Hubs, we decided to throw a last minute celebration together.  Like three days before!

There were no formal invitations.  Just word of mouth the evening of by knocking on the doors of Roller's friends in our neighborhood, and I did invite two of his favorite buddies via text.  There was no fuss. No frills.  Just pizza, cake, drinks and a few munchies. But there was flag football (The Hubs' idea) since Roller has shown a growing interest in football lately (really not to my approval), some little guys running around with swords, some dancing to Whip and Nae Nae, a little bit of electronics, board games and some six year old fun.

Lessons learned. Birthday celebrations can be stress free and easy to plan. And. Flag football is so much fun. We are definitely going to be playing more of that in the future...

Tip #4 - Get to Know Your Students

I’m now well into my second week of the school year with my students. It’s been an exciting and thrilling time for me. Students are still learning, and still practicing their routines and procedures, and since they're 6th graders, I suspect we'll be practicing well into next week as well. 

Now that we have our routines, almost underway, it's time to do something really important and that brings me to tip #4 from a so-called "veteran teacher"...