Our son is obsessed with geography. Looking back, I think it started with a road trip between Nebraska and Missouri the summer before he entered kindergarten. He was contained in a car seat for seven straight hours, but thanks to a few road maps and a U.S. atlas he was as happy as tourist with a shiny new Canon. He spent the entire drive quizzing … Continue reading Part 2: Or Not To Bee
Spelling bees are shockingly intense events. I’ve been organizing them at my school for the past few years, and my heart simultaneously breaks for the kids who are eliminated and pounds with anticipation for those who volley through the final, tongue-twisting rounds. I serve as the pronouncer for our school bees, but I can still see the parents in the audience, nervously clenching their hands … Continue reading Part 1: To Bee
I adore Maggie’s teachers. They are a team of professionals with high expectations of not only themselves, but also the students and families in their classrooms. They have strong opinions about public education and literacy, some of them unconventional but all of them in alignment with my beliefs. Thanks to them, many inquisitive little minds absolutely love coming to school each and every day. Oh, … Continue reading Whoops!
Overall, I am a pretty confident person. I know I’m a good teacher and librarian. I’m confident in my relationships with family and friends. I also have several random skills that make me proud: my ability to type 90 words per minute, my knack for reading Harry Potter with a divine British accent, and my wickedly delicious jambalaya. Cocky, I can be. But get me … Continue reading Filling Our Own Shoes
My lack of sewing skills is well-documented, but for some masochistic reason I just keep trying. Before winter break, Maggie came home from school with soaking wet legs thanks to the blown out knees in her snow pants. Look at these little tears: how hard could it be to stitch them closed? Of course I procrastinated through our entire two week break, actually making her … Continue reading Why I Love 6-Year-Olds
Here’s the recap of New Year’s Eve 2012: My 6-year-old daughter made it to midnight. My 41-year-old husband did not. As for my 8 year-old-son… I’m not really sure. He spent the evening at an Alaska Ace’s hockey game followed by a sleepover, and apparently the boys were up far later than the parents. From all accounts they made it well past midnight. So here … Continue reading Cheers to 2013!
Of all the Christmas books and stories and legends, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is my absolute favorite. It’s a joy to read aloud, with its brilliant combination of silly Suessical lyrics and a serious sentiment that is impossible to miss: Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means … Continue reading Christmas Hangover
Every year our family embarks upon an old-fashioned quest for the perfect Christmas tree. We gear up and trudge through the woods, often hiking for miles in deep snow before we find a healthy spruce tree to adorn our living room throughout the holiday season. Anyone who has seen Southcentral Alaska’s forests understands that this tradition makes for great memories, but hideous trees. Actually, the … Continue reading Tree Day 2012
Snorkeling was a new experience for many of us on Maui. I have a healthy respect of the unknown creatures that lurk beneath the sea, not to mention the giant sea turtles that rolled in the waves right outside our lanai. Despite these fears, I vowed not to go home again without at least trying to snorkel. My first attempt was solo: big mistake. I … Continue reading Gettin’ Our Snorkel On
There was absolutely nothing traditional about our family Thanksgiving in Maui, and we were all just fine with that. While many folks spent the day wiping their floury brows in an overheated kitchen, we spent the afternoon dusting sand from our legs in the warm sunshine on the beach. We made sand creatures instead of desserts and played in the ocean instead of watching football. … Continue reading Maui & Mahalo
Profoundly Ordinary 