The Show Must Go On

The email arrives late Wednesday night. 

 

"I wanted to let you know that our son has been throwing up since this evening. I am not sure what is going on but if he doesn't feel better tomorrow he will have to stay home. I know they have their big Play tomorrow.  I am so sorry but I hope you understand. It is going to be a long night for us."

 

Poor guy.  Bad enough to come down with a stomach bug, but even worse to have to miss our class play.  Luckily, he doesn't have a singing part.  I'm sure I can find a volunteer to read his lines for him.

 

Thursday morning's email brings more bad news.  Another sick student.  Then another.  By 9:00 am I am starting to sweat and I'm pretty sure my deodorant has completely stopped working.

 

A violent stomach virus is sweeping through my classroom on the day of the play.  We have 6 students absent.

 

Normally I greet my students at the door with a handshake and a smile.  Thursday, I greet them with a tub of Clorox wipes.  "Desks and chairs, desks and chairs," I repeat.  "Wipe down everything--door handles, surfaces, pencils, keyboards..."

 

I explain the situation to the students.  Hands shoot up around the room, "I could say the Naturalist's lines because I'm already on the stage."

 

"I could be the Ox and then run and change..."

 

My students amaze me.  We've had very little time to practice due to all our snow days.  We literally lost half our rehearsal time due to closures and delays.   In two short weeks, they learned lines, cues, songs and instrument parts.  Now, they are willing to do whatever it takes not to disappoint their waiting audience.  All the volunteers refuse to go on stage with a script.  They quickly memorize new material and head out for costume changes. 

 

The lights go down.  The play begins.  And it is wonderful!  If you were here, you never would know that there were six cast members absent.  Congratulations to my amazing third grade class.  You pulled together and said, "The show must go on."  And so it did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skiing

Remember the old American Express commercials?  Cost of new snow pants? $60, Cost of new ski jacket? $150, cost of ski goggles? $20…Seeing Jack and Katherine ski for the first time through a blizzard in negative temperatures?  Priceless.

We left for Vermont on January 1, kicking off the new year with a family adventure.  None of us had ever been to Vermont before, and our skiing experience ranges from slim to none.  Mostly none.

We made it!

Vermont is just like I pictured it—rolling snow-covered farmland dotted with cows, white painted churches with tall steeples and winding roads.

Thursday was our first day skiing.  It also happened to be a day of record lows and a blizzard that dumped 10 inches of snow on us.  Luckily, the kids had never been skiing before so they didn’t realize that these were not the ideal conditions—they didn’t know any better! 

 Bundled up and ready to go!



There were a few bumps in the first day.  We missed lunch because we totally misjudged how much time it takes to get fitted for our gear, get it all on and carry our skis to the mountain.  FYI: it takes a really long time.  Especially if you are inexperienced. 

It's a blizzard out here!

Our first lesson was difficult.  When you are learning how to ski, the instructor has to go over a lot of important information.  We learned how to put our skis on, how to take them off, how to get up when we fall, how to stop, how to walk up a hill sideways….basically he covered everything except actually skiing.  So there was a lot of standing around in the frigid storm and, oh by the way, did I mention that we were hungry?

Don't make me go back outside, Mom!

After that first lesson, Katherine swore off skiing for eternity and decided that walking home to Virginia would be better than getting back in those ski boots.  Luckily, a large hot chocolate with extra whipped cream convinced her to stay.  Paul was also feeling frustrated—it is not easy to learn how to ski in your 50s.  You are well aware of the dangers of skiing and your own limitations—not the ideal combination.  Still, he persevered and suited up for another go-around.

Mom, my hair is frozen.

Our second time out was much better.  Now that we had covered the basics, we got to practice skiing!  By the end of the day, the kids were confident enough to take the lift up without us and ski down together.  It was still freezing, but we had hand and toe warmers and were bundled up from head to toe.  

Overall, it was a good trip.  As you can see, by the end, we were all smiling...but that could be because we had just taken the skis off!



 

 

12 Highlights of Christmas

Today I'm packing up Christmas.  So long, nutcrackers.  Goodbye, ornaments.  See ya next year, snowmen.  Good riddance, Sid Vicious!  Before we dive into 2014, here are some memories of this Christmas:                     1. Baking with my children.  This year, Katherine and I made peanut brittle together and I taught Jack how to bake bread.  It was fun to spend some quality time with the kids and see them take pride in making gifts for others.      2. Reading.  Between wrapping, baking and shopping, I did find some time to sit by the fire and enjoy a novel!  My next grad class starts in a few weeks so I'm cramming in as much reading for pleasure as I can.           3. Christmas Eve with the Bealles.  Over the river and through the woods to Maryland we go.  We loved visiting with Dad and Carolyn's fun family and enjoying Carolyn's delicious cooking!         

4. Vacuuming.  This is not probably a highlight on most people's lists.  This year, we named our Christmas Tree "Sid Vicious."  With needles are sharp enough to draw blood, (trust me, I did the lights) he is fighting captivity by shedding about a million needles on my living room carpet daily.  I find the whole thing quite amusing, but Paul, who picked out the tree, said we are not allowed to laugh about good ol' Sid until at least next year. 

5. Christmas Morning.  I love sitting in the living room early in the morning before anyone else is awake.  I appreciate my twinkling lights in the quiet, peaceful, dark morning.                   

6. Presents!  Katherine gave me a peg game that she made in shop class.  Jack chose new hand towels for the bathroom that are the perfect color.  Paul surprised me (that is hard to do) with tickets to see a comedy show next month.  These are the gifts I love--thoughtful, heartfelt, creative.  These are the people I love.

7. Celebrating with the Kellys.  Cranberry pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, citrus salad, cookies...mmmm.  We dusted off the china and crystal for Christmas dinner with the gang.      8. Running.  OK, too many cookies.  Also, in a moment of weakness, I was talked into signing up for a half marathon in March.  The training has officially begun!  9.  Sleeping.  Because I can, that's why. I don't even want to think about setting the alarm for 5 am again.  Not yet!

10. Annual Kelly Adventure.  Harold and Shirley are such good sports.  This year we went to see the National Christmas tree and checked out the train exhibit at the US Botanic Garden.  Can you tell which picture is the real Capitol building and which one is constructed from plants?                                         11. Movies.  A family movie that appeals to all four of us is a rare treat.  We all enjoyed The Secret Life of Walter Mitty this year in the comfort of the cushy reclining chairs of the theater.    

 12. My birthday!  I am so happy to be able to start my 43rd year with Kristin and family!  Dinner, games, laughs and cake.  I made a wish and blew out my candles but the truth is, it's already come true. 

 

 

Hope your Christmas was filled

with

 friends, family and fond memories

too.

 





Cousins

This fall we had a fun visit with the cousins.  It was during the government shutdown, so instead of visiting museums in DC, the kids had fun with general mayhem down in the basement.

 

Meanwhile Blossom "helped" Jack with his homework...

 

No fancy plans--just good company, general silliness and lots of ice cream...

 

and of course, plenty of cousin cuteness...

 

 

just the way we like it.  Come back soon!

 

 

Happy Crying

I spent today crying.  Happy, sad, cathartic...a whole week's worth of craziness released in sobs and sniffles.

To catch you up on my week, on Sunday I found out I had lice.  I found this out when a bug fell out of my head.  I teach in an elementary school, so it is probably a small miracle that this was my first (and hopefully last?) bout with the little critters.  I spent most of Sunday afternoon sitting on my toilet with my hair sealed in lice-killing shampoo beneath my shower cap. 

Monday I spent the day sitting at my desk talking to parents.  I don't mind parent-teacher conferences, but they are emotionally draining.  I know, from the parent's perspective, it is important to feel my children are in the right hands.  So, I have to be "on" all day, answering questions, calming anxious feelings, explaining a quarter's worth of progress in 20 short minutes per family multiplied by 22 families. 

Tuesday I had a dentist appointment.  Yes, those of you who know me know that dentists are one of my anxiety triggers.  Luckily, I have a wonderful hygienist named Diane who is very soothing and helpful.  Unfortunately, when I showed up on Tuesday, Diane was not there.  I ended up having a panic attack with a different hygienist (who, I will say, was also wonderful and did not make me feel like a total freak when I burst into tears at the mention of "panoramic x-ray."  I'm pretty sure they put a note in my permanent record, though, and will give Diane a raise when she gets back.)

By Wednesday I was feeling pretty run down and started feeling downright awful.  I knew I was going to have to call in sick when I lost my voice.  Pretty much essential for teaching.

Whew, so you are all caught up.  Today is Thursday and I did, indeed, call in sick.  I spent the morning in bed reading Wonder and drinking hot tea.  It was such a good book and I won't spoil it for you but I spent the last quarter of the book crying my eyes out. 

The thing is, I didn't feel sad all day.  The crying was more an appreciation for my life--my beautiful, wonderful, crazy, imperfect life--and all the wonderful people who love me.  In the book Wonder, one of the characters plays Emily in Thorton Wilder's play "Our Town." In one of the final scenes, she says,  "Good-by to clocks ticking and Mama's sunflowers.  And food and coffee.  And new-ironed dresses and hot baths...and sleeping and waking up.  Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you!"

That's the way I'm feeling today.  Life is complicated and messy and, yes, sometimes difficult.  But it is also too wonderful for anybody to realize.  That's what makes it so amazing.

Congratulations, You Bought A Horse

My friend Alison just bought a horse.  I checked the Hallmark section for the "Congratulations, You Bought a Horse!" cards but I think they were out.  Alison invited me to the barn to meet the newest member of her family.

Meeting Blackjack for the first time.  Can I live here too?

 

You may be wondering how one goes about buying a horse.  Alison began by taking riding lessons.  After a while, she decided to lease one of the horses at the barn and then she fell in love.  She began riding several times a week, as well as working at the barn and volunteering with a therapeutic riding instructor.  Then, she got the sad news that her barn was closing.

 

What would happen to all the horses?  What would happen to Blackjack?  Alison learned that the horses would all be put up for auction.  And that's when the idea began to take shape in her mind.  Maybe, just maybe, she could buy the horse!

 

Here's where the story gets good.  Because, you see, we all have these --call them what you want-- crazy ideas? goals? dreams?  Too often, I think we let our doubts or our fears overtake our thoughts.  We talk ourselves out of our plans before we try them out.  We want to wait until we have more information, more money, more time...

 

 

Alison worked through her plan.  She had Blackjack vetted.  She found him a new home.  And then, she bought herself a horse.  Congratulations on the newest member of your family.  You had a dream.  Then, you made your dream come true.

What Does the Fox Say?

One year, when I taught kindergarten, I had a boy in my class who was a bit quirky, shall we say.   He was short and a little chunky.  His parents always seemed to buy his clothes a few sizes too big, maybe hoping they would last longer as he grew into them.  The result was that he often looked like he was wearing a dress when his t-shirt fell past his knees.

In kindergarten "M" loved two things: Legos and singing.  In first grade, his teacher used to use singing as a reward:  Perform well academically and I'll let you perform with an audience.  M was on a behavior plan that included singing for teachers as his reward.

Fast forward three years and the boy is now in third grade next door to my class.  This morning's windy, rainy weather broke into a beautiful day and we all tumbled out of the trailers onto the playground.  The teachers sat, as usual, on the bench in the middle of the field to keep watch over their flocks.  That's when Lizzie brought M over.

"Guys-- M has a song for you."  she says.

We turn our full attention to M.  As if on a stage, he begins to sing:

Dog goes woof
Cat goes meow
Bird goes tweet
and mouse goes squeak

Cow goes moo
Frog goes croak
and the elephant goes toot

Ducks say quack
and fish go blub
and the seal goes ow ow ow ow ow

But there;s one sound
That no one knows
What does the fox say?

 

At this point he begins to dance all around the bench, all the teachers clapping and cheering as he is singing at the top of his lungs:

 

Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!
Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!
Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

 

He pauses back in front of us, more animated than I've ever seen him and belts out:

What the fox say?

It was hilarious yet heartwarming at the same time. The song stayed in my head the rest of the afternoon.  I bet the infectious tune stayed with M as well.   Every time I thought of it, I smiled.  I think he did too.  Does this have anything to do with standardized testing or curriculum?  No.  But moments like these are what make teaching worthwhile.