Last night was kind of the crowning glory for me. A moment in time when I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. And to be sure. I have had my fair share of awkward moments. Moments when my truly funny life has imitated fiction. Watch me in action for about five …
When my son was little, I lost natural hair color over stressing about his day at school. I don’t know if his initial school experience was typical or not, as he is my only boy, and I merely have his one experience to go on. But, I am starting to think it might be. Although …
My baby turned six today. Happy birthday, M.A. You bundle of energy, you ball of fire. You, my own little spitfire. I love you to the moon and back. Who would’ve ever thought we would get this far, intact. Intact being the key word here, and don’t think I don’t mean it. Intact, with most …
I am home today. Which is to say, I am not at work. Which is to say, I feel like a slacker. So. When one is home, as I myself have now discovered. There are a few things that sometimes occur. Sometimes large brown security trucks arrive unannounced in your driveway, with the unspoken expectation …
I am steering the van towards after-school destination numero deux in project “My Life as a Chauffer.” A tired Kindergartener rides solo in the backseat, a motley assortment of Foodland bags/backpacks/other odds and ends ride shotgun in the passenger side. And all the while, Veggie Tales blares in the background. One male character says to …
It’s little recess. I have maybe nine minutes to run to the washroom, grab a glass of water in the staff kitchen, and check my mailbox in the office. En route, I duck into an adjacent classroom to mine to make a quick phone call to a parent. The call is regarding a preference her …
Me: “Students, what are mammals?” Students: “They’re those animals on the movie Madagascar.” ****************** Me:(after a not so quiet, Quiet Time) “Students, do you know the meaning of the word “still” ? Female Student (using a very loud voice): “NO!!!!!! I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS????!!!” No, dear. I don’t reckon you do. And… …
Solitude. Not loneliness of which I speak. Not isolation, nor seclusion. Neither separation, segregation, emptiness. Rather. The peaceful equilibrium without. That quiet moment spent. In prayer. In supplication, meditation, reflection. In contemplative thought. Tranquil moments that restore the soul within. Returning the body to its truest nature, a relaxed state of being. Reinstating the mind …
Made my evening trek into the school tonight. 9:00 p.m. Kids are safely tucked into their beds, dark load of laundry is in process, house is tidy and relatively clean… therefore it is time to lesson plan! I think my van could drive the well-worn path there and back on auto-pilot, if need be. When …
Little voices, tiny hands. Baby hair still wisps, framing round faces. Wide-eyed. They move, and squirm, roll and tumble. And I try to quiet them, but they are alive with energy. Full of life. We read on the blue rug, I’ll Love You Forever. As I begin to form words on the tongue, I can …
When tragedy strikes, we want answers. The finite being inside demands to know. Why? Why did this happen? What went wrong? Who is to blame? We want to know where to point the finger. Do we point fingers at government for lack of meaningful action and other verbose double-speak? Do we blame political structures which …
We sit, huddled tightly together in the cramped space of a corner. The blinds are darkly drawn, the door is shut. Locked. Little bodies press in close together to the wall. I place my body as a barrier along the tips of their tiny feet, all the while smiling into anxious children’s eyes and modelling …