“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.” – Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) These words from Henry Van Dyke are a positive reminder to me that life is filled with opportunities. In every moment that we experience life … Continue reading
Posted in March 2012 …
Mother Nature Had A Trick Up Her Sleeve
The Question of the Day (writing prompt) for the second graders yesterday was, “What surprise might a farmer find if he or she planted seeds?”. Some children, after considering the question, remembered Jack and his giant beanstalk. Well, that WAS a surprise to Jack. Other students came up with other creative ways to answer the … Continue reading
Happy Birthday, Edward James!
Twenty-six years ago, this little peanut came into the world. Edward James arrived earlier than expected and was a tiny 4 lbs., 3 oz. Eddie is my first nephew (four nephews and four nieces, combined, followed) and today is his birthday, so I am thinking about him and wishing him a Happy 26th! I am … Continue reading
To Thayer, Joey, and Baby, With Love
Our family has good news to share and a happy event to anticipate: my husband’s second eldest daughter, Thayer, and her husband Joey, will soon be welcoming their first-born child into the world! Although his April due date is fast approaching, this little boy (what will his name be, I wonder??) has been inspiring his … Continue reading
Not Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
On Friday I visited a wax museum. I saw Christopher Columbus and Helen Keller, Michael Jackson and Princess Diana, to name a few famous figures. And they were anything but rigid. Or waxy, for that matter. In fact, the figures in this wax museum were so lifelike, they would have put Madame Tussaud to shame. … Continue reading
“The Best Day Ever”: The Simple Pleasure of Kites
Yesterday we had a special guest at school. Mr. Cliff Quinn, or Kite Man (as he told the children to call him), came to share his enthusiasm for building and flying kites. He spoke with the second graders about how he had been interested in kite-making since the 1990s, (which must have seemed like a … Continue reading
About #827
If you are following my blog, you received an email yesterday about a post titled “#827”, and you may have wondered, “What the heck is that about?”. So I thought I would let you know what happened. I was trying to put Flag Counter on my blog, but apparently it was inserted into a new … Continue reading
“Do you know you are my favorite?”
When my daughter and a few of the “older” cousins in our family were very young, I liked to tell each one, “You are my favorite.” For example, to my daughter I would say, “Do you know that you are my favorite daughter?” She would moan, “But Mom, I’m your only daughter!” Well that didn’t … Continue reading
Bedtime and Balloons
Sometimes life is so busy. There’s work, there’s play, there’s challenge, there’s stimulation. The body gets tired and the mind gets worn out. In fact, the mind gets a better work out than the body, at least in my case. And by the time my husband says it’s bedtime, my body just wants to stay … Continue reading
Gratitude and Happiness in a Tea Bag
Gratitude and happiness are expressed in many ways. To me, they were revealed in a tea bag: a small, thoughtful gift to say, “thank you”. I work with second graders in a public elementary school. While I am a certified elementary education teacher, I am currently employed as a special education paraprofessional (assistant) and I … Continue reading
Simple Pleasures 