A Lifetime of Love

So I shared in my last post that I went back to paid teaching 2 years ago. I am teaching 4K at a local preschool and LOVE it! I wasn't sure what to expect with that age group, but I teach academics along with social and behavioral skills and it is a perfect match for me. I applied for a grant last November to fund a project I wanted to implement in my classroom. I want an indoor tower garden that grows plants hydroponically so we, as a class, can grow our own fruits and veggies. There are so many learning opportunities in this project including nutrition, biology, literacy, and communication skills, among others. Each of these learning opportunities imbed academic, social, and behavioral skills and definitely fits into the overall goal of my classroom environment. I am thrilled to say my project was fully funded, and hopefully by the end of March we will have everything in place and can at least explore the science behind the way it works. We will not be planting anything this

It has been almost 3 years since my youngest was born, and about that same time, my life drastically changed. My older children at the time were 14, 12, 10, 8, and 7. My oldest was finally old enough and responsible enough to babysit. Now, to be clear, I didn't leave all of the children with him, but it was nice to be able to run errands and not have to take EVERYONE. That little fact was seriously life-changing. Additionally, my older children had acquired more responsibility at home in terms of life skills: they did (still do!) their own laundry, keep up with their rooms, can prepare full meals, and a host of other skills 100% independently. It took so long to get to that point, though, and the time between me being 100% responsible to them being fully responsible was the hard part. Like seriously, if you read back through my previous posts, you will see the struggles I openly shared as a mom and wife. Life ain't easy! And that brings us to now. 2020. My oldest i

Wow. It feels so weird to be writing again. It has literally been YEARS since I typed a blog post. Like, I've had 2 more kids since the last time I wrote anything. So why am I writing now? Well, several reasons. First, at the urging of a friend (thanks Vanessa!), I thought it was time. I went through a tough season of life where finding time to blog just wasn't possible. And not blogging isn't what made that season tough, to be clear. Rather, it was just impossible with the demands of my family. 9 kids in 14 years. Let that sink in. Second, I think when people are truthful about their experiences, it makes them more relatable. I have shared openly about my struggles as a mom and wife pretty much from day one of starting this blog. Having so many children in such a short time span, I definitely understand the fears and frustrations that come with mothering. The times when sleep deprivation and potty training and wanting later curfews all blend together. I.get.it. Thi