Amazing women in my life

My mom's birthday was this past weekend and it got me thinking how incredibly blessed I am to have such a wonderful Mom. Not only that, I have also been influenced and mentored by many amazing, talented women. This post is for them.

My momma- the reason I am who I am.

- My mom lead me into teaching. My mom has been a substitute, teacher assistant, and is now the school secretary. I grew up going to school on workdays, punching die cuts and cutting laminated things. I saw the hard work and dedication it took to be a teacher. Today, as a teacher, I hear myself say the things my mom said growing up. That's a good thing. I hope her compassion comes out of my words as I teach, inspire, and mentor my students.

- She always believed in me. There has never been a single thing my mom (and dad of course) didn't believe I could do. In fact, sometimes they think I can do more than I think possible to begin with! That's pretty incredible. I have 2 cheerleaders who are always on my side, encouraging me to be my absolute best in whatever I do. I guess that is why I am so driven.

- My mom loved me unconditionally. As a mother should... even in my terribly awkward years... or my mean, impossible to be around me years.... in the I'm too busy and cool for mom years.... and the emotional break down my life is falling apart years... and the "Mom, I'm getting married" years. She was there to add some quiet words of wisdom that spoke louder than anything else. She loved me, despite who I was at the moment. (Reminds me of God's love for me as well, I guess that's why he gave us parents to begin with.) Thank you Momma.

Pam Moyers- the reason I teach where I teach.

- Phenomenal teaching... because ALL kids can learn. I walked into Mrs. Moyers' classroom and saw this diverse group of little people. I was intimidated at first because this was so different than any school setting I grew up in, but after 2.5 seconds, I felt like part of her family of learners. I saw this amazing thing happen in that classroom that I will never forget- it didn't matter what color these children were or if they could read or not. What mattered was that they were important, they were learning, and they Loved it. For those 7 hours a day, their world was fun, intriguing, and wonderful with Mrs. Moyers. I wanted to be THAT teacher. I still do.

- She invested in ME. Mrs. Moyers took the time to help me with my college assignments. I would go to her house and she would review things with me, help me with job applications, reflection and preparation for student teaching. She is every student teacher's dream. Without her, I might still be in my Junior year of college, not sure where to go next!

- Last, Mrs. Moyers saw in me what no one else had taken the time to see before. As an educator, she saw in me what I saw in her. She saw the drive, the motivation, my love of kids and she pushed me. She would not let me slack or settle. She made me think and act like the educator I am today. Even now, when I am less than motivated, I think about how hard that small, petite woman works and how I have to keep up with her. She inspires me, still today. Thank you, Mrs. Moyers.

Susan Durham- she gave me my voice.

- When I was 10, I started taking voice lessons in Wake Forest with Susan. I had a natural talent, but didn't know what to do with it. I liked singing, I liked performing, but knew nothing beyond that. Susan started working with me and heard the Broadway voice come out. She helped me get my audition piece, head shot, and resume' ready for North Carolina Theatre auditions. Forget small local theatre, Susan made me start with the big dogs at the age of 11! My second audition with NCT was for Annie, & I made it. I had no idea what I was doing, but Susan was there every step. She would help me prepare my show pieces, my delivery, my presence, everything. For that show, and many more to follow.

- Tough love. I will never forget one vocal competition, I wasn't feeling well. It didn't matter. "Lindsey, you sing above your sickness. You have the ability, focus on your placement, and you can do it." She was right. Singing, performing, teaching, for the most part I can perform "above my sickness." Singers get sick a lot, so this is still a norm for me. But I listen to my body and know when to push it and when to stop. The lesson I learned was to fight for what I want. Don't just sit back and watch things happen around you. If you want it, go for it.

- With Susan's guidance, I began my college journey as a vocal major, (which later turned into a music minor and Elem. Ed major.) Susan would travel with me to my auditions, she was my coach, my cheerleader, my mentor. She sang "The Lord's Prayer" at our wedding last year, which was a dream come true. That day, her voice brought me chills and her heart brought tears to my eyes. Thank you Susan.

I am thankful, blessed, honored to have great people in my life throughout the years. Especially these three women. They have helped shape me into the woman I am today.

i'm actually ready to go back...

I admit it: I'm ready to go back.

I know that is not a cool thing for teachers to say at the end of the summer. Understand, this is my purpose. This is what I do. Don't get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed my summer short term jobs, hobbies, and vacations. Yet, 2 1/2 months later, I'm ready to get back into doign what I am called to do. I'm ready to make a difference and have an impact on young minds. *Granted, I will need to reread this in about 3 months as a reminder when all the other stuff from an unnamed school system starts to crawl under my skin! :) For now, I'll keep my smile on and my wheels turnin'!!! Here we go!

This year, I'm trying some different concepts in my classroom. In college, I learned the most valuable lesson: All phenomenal teachers borrow & steal! That's right, all good teachers you see borrow their best ideas from other teachers. I personally like to borrow, steal, and then modify. I have been exposed to some of the greatest this summer and will be stealing a lot from them. :)

The 1st teacher I'm stealing from is Rafe Esquith: "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire" He's a 5th grade teacher in inner city LA and is amazing. There are things this man does that I don't think I will ever have the time or creativity to make happen, he really does it all!!! Teachers, read this book. It will inspire you to do more.


My 2nd teacher I already stole from is Beth Newingham. She is a Scholastic spotlight teacher and has several blogs. She thinks of everything!! She is extremely organized and has a chart and graph for everything. Great emphasis on reader's workshop and assessment. These are the 2 areas I want to refine in my classroom. You can print out a lot of her resources by searching her name.

So I have taken and combined some of the things I stole to implement in my room this year. (**Disclaimer: These are not my ideas or resources! That's why they're so great! )


- Moral Development

This explains why people do what they do. This is great for kids, teenagers, adults, anyone. It makes complete sense. It is from Lawrence Kohlberg and there are 6 levels. I'm going to review this concept in depth with my kids the first week of school, then revisit it constantly. You want students to achieve "Level VI" thinking where people have a "personal code of behavior and follow it." You don't want students to do something because you said so, because it's the rule, or even to please someone else. Essentially you want to model and shape quality members of society. Ah, genius.



- A classroom economic system


Both Rafe & Beth have excellent economic systems in their rooms. I want to use Rafe's "debit" system where students earn a paycheck for completing their job in the room on a monthly basis. Beth has a great table for tallying debits each week to be kept in a notebook. Rafe has students "rent" their desks and pay rent monthly. Some students are able to save money and "purchase" their own desk, along with other students' desks and collect rent. What a great way to teach kids about home ownership? It makes sense and is incredibly practical. I'm hoping I can do justice to this system and make it work for us.







- Field trippin!


Rafe is all about elaborate field trips for many reasons. Our students take a big trip at the end of the year every year, but I've always wanted to do something different and practical, I just never knew what before. Rafe suggests inviting students to meet at the school voluntarily on a weekend and teaching them how to navigate with public transportation to nearby libraries and museums. Once there, teach them what to do and how to act respectfully. This is perfect for my students. They now have a lifelong skill and a new activity for their boring weekends.

Those are my 3 goals to put in to what I am already doing. I'm hoping they will be successful, and if not, I'll change, modify, and find something else that is productive & effective! I have a feeling the '10-'11 school year is going to be a great one!

Food, Fun, & Sun!

Ah, the sweet taste of summer. That's right... school is out!! Woo hoo! I have to admit, as much as I love my students, the summer is worth all the hard work during the other 10 months.

So far this summer, I've kept myself busy in small ways. I've had what I call "pool dates" with girlfriends I don't normally get the chance to see during the school year. It is so refreshing to relax, sit in the sun, and catch up on life with these sweet friends. I learned my lesson early in the spring to wear sunscreen and apply often! Ouch! No one likes sun poisoning!!

I attempted the MasterCleanse last week, for those of you who haven't heard of it, it is a lemonade with filtered water, squeezed lemons, and gradeB maple syrup that you drink throughout the day. Hard core cleansers drink only this concoction, along with some teas that I was scared to try! I started it and it surprisingly gives you energy and makes you feel full! I started eating small meals with it instead of solely doing the cleanse. I now try to drink the lemonade to replace one meal a day now and do smaller meals for the rest. It has actually made me rethink the importance I place on food. We think we need so much food to feel full- not true! I have cut down the amount of food I eat and it has made a big difference. So my love/hate relationship with food is actually improving because of the lemonade! Who knew! :)

Speaking of food, I found my new summer treat... the pinkberry type frozen yogurt places are popping up everywhere in Charlotte lately. YoForia in SouthPark is the big one, then my friend Anna introduced me to TastyYo in NoDa... heaven in a cup! I love fat free, sugar free anything that doesn't taste like cardboard. This stuff is fabulous! It makes for a fun outing in the summer and guilt free treats always work for me!

My favorite: Vanilla, ferrero rocha froyo with chocolate chips, graham cracker bits, granola, and strawberries... yumm!!

We have a busy, fun summer ahead! I'm looking forward to the fun memories with family and friends. More updates to come!

Off we go to Charleston!

This past weekend, the hubs and I got out of the Queen City and headed to Chuck Town! What a beautiful city. We had briefly passed through once before, so it was fun to see and do Charleston things. I wanted to give a few highlights. We stayed at the Palmer's Pinckney Inn, an adorable pink house off Pinckney St, a block away from the Market off Meeting St. I would highly recommend this B&B, except parking was tiiiiight! We barely made it out. Next time, we might park across the street.

Food? Of course we can't go anywhere without wining & dining! Friday night, we went to Poogen's Porch, which was fabulous. A little pricey, but worth every penny. We learned Poogan was actually a dog's name who the restaurant is named after, pretty cool. I had scallops & grits, and we ate fried alligator!!! It really does taste like chicken. Who knew! A first for me. Eek.

Saturday night, thanks to our tour guide, we went to Fuel, a fun patio atmosphere with caribbean/ mexican food. Very affordable, Fish tacos were awesome. We did the touristy food on the along the way, of course, Toast for breakfast & Hyman's for lunch.


Walk it out: I was surprised at how pedestrian friendly this city is! From our B&B, we were able to walk just about anywhere in the downtown district. We didn't move our car the whole visit. Saturday, we walked without a destination- my new favorite thing to do. We literally grabbed a city map and off we went! We made it to the Battery and walked along the waterway. Beautiful homes, historical markers everywhere (gag me haha), and people from all walks of life everywhere. What a great way to enjoy a beautiful spring day in an awesome city.

Make time! We've made it a point to budget in and schedule in occassional vacations just for us. We see the benefit in getting away from the normal routine and just spending time together. I must say these are the weekends you work for. It makes the long work weeks completely worth it. I want to fast forward and retire so I can just travel and eat good food with my husband! haha. We're a loooong way from there!

We can check Charleston off the list! We will definitely be back!

Endorsements and Plugs- Spring 2010!

Welcome Spring!!

I am so glad for many Spring things right now:

Spring Break starts tomorrow! A big perk of teaching!
Spring weather, which has been more like summer lately
Spring fever- which I have had since February
Spring white- only after Easter, of course
Spring closet- next week I get to switch my closet again
Spring colors- I love pastels and anything bright! Bring on the blues, yellows, and purples!

A few things I'm endorsing this Spring: Check em out!

Thirty One purses-

I love these bags for so many reasons.

*They have a Christian foundation- based on Proverbs 31.

*I have a great teacher bag that is incredibly sturdy and cute.

*They monogram anything! Love!

*& of course they are affordable and a lot less than many of my purses I've collected over the years.

*Next on my list: a new lunch box and a cute pool bag!

(photo credits: Thirty-One Gifts)

Stella & Dot Jewelry

A friend of mine from college sells this jewelry line.

I love their beaded necklaces and colorful rings!

Stella & Dot has those cute jewelry accessories you see around but never know where to find them! I'm excited to add a few basics to my spring wardrobe.

I am hosting a trunk show on April 27th. I'm looking forward to seeing their products! If you are interested in coming, let me know!

(photo credit: Stella & Dot)



Spray Sun!

After starting in high school, I have finally stopped going to the tanning bed. I decided to be a grown up and not continue to increase my risk for skin cancer. However, when the warm weather came, I was dying to wear skirts and dresses, but did not want to be reveal my blinding pasty legs! I've tried many a fake tanner in my life, but this one actually works!

My friend told me about this spray and I am hooked! It is inexpensive and totally works! It's called Giesee "Ultra Dark Self Tanning Aerosol Spray"at Folica.com. It's only $16 plus shipping. Worth every penny!

Of course, I am greatly anticipating my neighborhood pool to open any day now for some real sun! :) Until then, I'll spray away!

Gratitude

A marriage story: One not so pretty Sunday in the fall, Sam and I came home from church in the cold rain. We ran from the car to the front door and fumbled for the house keys. Sam pats his pockets, turns to the car, pats them again, and oooohhhh noooo. He left the car/house keys in the car. Oh yes, with the car locked. I gave him the evil glare and then turned to the silent treatment. There we stood, side by side, under the over hang, staring at the car and the rain.... I stuck with my silent treatment glare tactic for about 5 more minutes. Then I started reasoning through this situation. #1, it is okay. We would soon call AAA and be inside our house in no time. #2, does it really matter? I had nothing to do with my day and really had all the time in the world that afternoon. #3, these were the moments I had always wanted to share with my husband. #4, I was grateful to have a husband, a house, and a car to begin with! Instantly, my attitude changed. I looked at Sam and busted out in laughter. We both started laughing, embraced the humor in the situation, and within an hour we were inside the house.



Gratitude changes your life. My 4:8 Principle book proved this to me this week. I finally got to the end. I was taking the slow route since I've enjoyed it so much! ha. The last chapter gives you 40 ways to increase your gratitude, therefore maximizing your potential for joy. Here are a few that stuck with me:

• Journal your blessings for 3 minutes right after you wake up in the morning
• Make a list of what you expect to be grateful for 10 years from now
• Leave mini thank you notes around the house or workplace to thank others for the small and big things they do
• Make a list of 7 people who have taught you important life lessons... then thank them
• Praise God for the aspects of your life that are working well right now
• Make a list of mistakes you are fortunate not to have made
• Recall the bestchoices you've made as an adult
• Write a brief note of encouragement to someone who would never expect it from you

These things especially stuck out to me. I consider myself a pretty positive person, but I realized how much more I could be doing to increase my gratitude. Right away, I thought of people, circumstances, life lessons I am so grateful for! Things I ignore day to day and may go unnoticed. I started this morning by making a list of things that are going well in my life right now. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects, my attention and focus was on the positive! Imagine that! What if our world, our culture, our news focused on positive things instead of negative. Our lives would be incredibly different. My challenge for you and myself is to be intentionally grateful. Not just saying thank you, but really sensing what gratitude looks like, sounds like, feels like on a daily basis. Try it and pass it on. :)

National Board Nos and Puppy Woes

Bogey is a big 6 months and is now in the eat everything in sight stage. Her toys of choice? all wood, furtniture, socks, paper, anything!! She tries to nibble on our hands and feet, more so than when she was younger. We are getting frustrated and trying to be good dog owners to correct her behavior. I looked up some trouble shooting for her problems, here's what I found:

1. Limit her freedom with crate training- check, been crate training

since the day she came home.

2. Show her what to chew by giving her toys that are only hers- plenty of toys, check.

3. Positive reinforcement by praising puppy when she grabs her own toys- all the time, yes.

4. Negative reinforcement by saying loud noises when she starts chewing things that are not hers- been there, done that. We tried the "No!" "Ehh!" "uh huh!" even the "Schhh!" from Dog Whisperer...

Why, thank you Aboutdogs. com, you were no help at all! Here is my favorite quote from this article: "There's no cure for the teething stage, and it can last from age five months to over one year (or longer) yikes!!, but you can minimize the damage done. Be vigilant, remember my favorite mantra "This too, shall pass" , and start collecting chew toys."

Seriously, I feel like we've tried every trick in the book. I know she is a puppy and they go through stages, but this one is literally eating us out of house and home! Suggestions are welcome, we're getting desperate!


Bogey actually picked up a rough draft of one of my National Board entries this morning and carried it around the living room, like haha I have all your hard work in my mouth! Ah, Bogey you can have it, I'm tired of looking at it myself! Of course, I took it from her and continued to edit away...

If you are working on National Boards, you feel my pain. If you know a teacher who is working on their boards, a few words of advice:

- No, it is not "just a paper." It is 4 papers, all at least 15 pages in length with very specific requirements.

- What's so stressful about it? As teachers, we give 100% to our students and our jobs every day. Add, national boards to the mix, and now you have another investment which requires 100% of your effort and time, see the problem? I do not have 200%!

- We are given about 10 pages of questions and assessment pieces for each entry that needs to be specifically addressed in a certain way in these series of writing entries.

- Half the battle is figuring out what in the world they are asking to begin with!

- The written entries are due the last day of March... which frees you up slightly for the rest of the year, but thennnn...

- Then comes the test... again, 6 entries of a written exam about very specific areas of teaching... Let's just say I'm saving the test studying for after my written entries are done. ughhhh.


I'm trying to stay positive and keep working. This is almost the end and I cannot wait to have my life back. I'm sure my husband can't wait to his wife back too! Friends of mine, for the next month, please be nice to me. Even if I'm not nice back. :) For now, I'll just keep this in mind: "This too, shall pass"... thanks aboutdogs.com for the advice.

Bogey story of the month:

Dixie was so generous to let Bogey have this great chew toy ball with holes in it for treats. Bogey loved it and became her toy of choice. One day, I couldn't find the ball. I thought it got shoved under the bed or the couch or pushed behind something. I searched everywhere and assumed it would show up. It showed up alright! Turns out, Bogey ATE the entire ball!!! It was about 6 inches in diameter. This is a good size ball and a tough supposedly chew resistant material! Yeah right! Let's just say, we're still seeing evidence of that red ball. Yuck! (**Disclaimer: at first ,we were worried about her health, but read that you take them to the vet only if you don't see it come back out. So, if this ever happens to you, if you don't see it, check with the vet.)

Latest endorsements:

NetFlix: thanks to some friends, we were given 2 months free of Netflix and are now hooked. We have our own subscription now. It's a inexpensive monthly fee for 1 movie at a time. Sam and I like having a movie to hold on to for date nights or just to see different movies we wouldn't normally be exposed to. Whoever invented RedBox and NetFlix are my heroes and I'm sure are putting Hollywood Video & Blockbuster out of business one cheap DVD at a time.

Jillian Michaels work out DVDs: I found one for about $6 on Amazon. She literally kicks my butt and is just as tough as she is on Biggest Loser. I love my zumba class, but can't make it every week. I just got it in the mail last week and I like being challenged with her circuit strength training.

The Bachelor: Okay, I personally think Jake the pilot is not the brightest light bulb in the box, but gosh it's entertaining television! This season is so far fetched that it is truly an escape from reality. Some of these girls seem very decent and I am confused as to why they find the need to display their desperation on public tv, going to great lengths to get the attention of one semi loser guy! Oh, if only they believed in God's plan for their life. I really like Tenley for Jake. She seems equally dorky and quirky... I read the spoiler, that's all I have to say, more on that later in the season. :)

The 4:8 Principle: Great book... I've told so many people about this book lately and I'm not one to push a self help book. It's based on Phillipians 4:8 and how to live a JOY filled life! Who doesn't want more JOY in their life??? I even paid a huge library fine for keeping this book over due... oops! It has radically changed the way I perceive other people and my own thinking. I now defend and protect my joy and refuse to let anyone else take it from me!

Francesca's Collection: I love this store. I'm finally into the winter dresses and leggings... I know I'm a little behind the trend, it takes me awhile to branch out. Thanks to my friend LT, I am in love with this low budget boutique. We have 2 in Charlotte and I know there's one in Gboro. Worth the visit if you want something trendy and cute for not a lot!

Saving and it feels so good!

We officially have snow in Matthews! Bogey didn't know what to think about it this morning. She didn't like getting her paws wet. I'll let her play in it later. I'm enjoying my coffee and hulu inside for now. :)

Like everyone else during these troublesome economic times, we're making a huge effort to save money where we can right now. We're adapting the concepts from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Univ. I had a friend ask me for some financial advice the other day, I said to look into Dave Ramsey's philosophy! We're still just getting started in it, but it makes sense! We're getting out of debt, spending to a zero balance in hopes to be able to give back in the end!

Some ways we're cutting back:

Making lunch- Sam likes his Bagel Bin in Huntersville every now and then as a treat, but I usually have a lunch made for him to cut back on lunch expenses. Obviously, as a teacher, I make my lunch in my black and pink polka dot lunch box every day! & it's a healthier choice!

Coupons!- Thanks to my resourceful Mom, she got me into coupon clipping. We get the Fri, Sat, Sun paper (the only option for the Charlotte Observer) just for the coupons! It's $10 a month and we get it back in savings! I love Harris Teeter, especially the BOGO specials. & they always double coupons under $1.00. I love triple coupon day, (waiting for one any day now!) My general rule is if I don't have a coupon or if it's not on special, I won't buy it. Of course, there are exceptions, but it's good to keep in mind. I've been saving $20-40 each trip!! Wow!




Farmer's Market- I love the Hillbilly Produce Market off Independence. It's literally a mile from our house and I can't get enough of it! We get whatever fruit/ veggies are in season from the market. It's cheaper, locally grown, and better for you! Why not? I usually get a week's worth of produce for $20. Easy.

Closet shopping- This is a new strategy I'm trying for my shopoholic tendencies! I've realized I have a lot of respect for some of my friends who can use what they have and make it cute! I realized I have years of clothes already in my closet that I can layer, mix up in a different way and it's like you have new clothes all over again! My goal is get a few wardrobe essentials for the season and then use what I have to combine with it. It forces me to use what I have instead of wanting more!

Cash!- We take out an alloted amount of cash each for spending money 2 times a month. I've found that I am more conservative with cash than with my debit card. I want to save that cash. It is a visual reminder of how much spending money I have. It works, try it!

Almost 6 months married

We're trying our hand at blogging. Be patient with us! It's been a busy 6 months in our lives. After our beautiful wedding in August, I started my 4th year of teaching, we adopted a crazy lab mix named Bogey and Sam started a new job in December. It's been an adventure, but we've enjoyed every moment together.

A few things we've learned along the way:

Bogey actually likes the "bitter apple" spray that is intended to stop dogs from chewing. ???

Baseball season stops in October and begins in October....

Edy's slow churned Fudge Tracks is always on the diet

Cooking takes practice. a l o t o f p r a c t i c e . . .

We both run late... no matter where we go, no matter when we intend to leave the house, we are late. Give us a 10 min grace period when expecting us to be somewhere.

A puppy has satisfied any desire for baby Nelson... no worries!

We both rarely stay awake for a full movie, regardless of the time or day of the week.

Jeans are considered a "need" and purses and flats and black yoga pants for that matter!

I make lunches at 6:00 the previous night. I like to be prepared.

It's awfully cold at 5 am when bogey wants to go outside.

You know you're a true salesman when you say this in your sleep: "All I can give you is 10% off" haha

Now for the marriage stuff we've learned:

Constantly invite God into our day, work, and marriage.

You before Me. best marriage advice ever.

Give up your need to be right.

Outserve your mate daily.

Little notes can make a day.

"It's your turn to take out the dog." "No, it's yours." I have a feeling this doesn't change with kids.

Sports and facebook take up way too much of our quality time. We're working on that...

My husband is the most patient, serving, loving man I have ever met.

We fall in love with each every day.

We have both been amazed at the way our Lord has worked in our marriage and made this the best 6 months we could imagine. It has its ups and downs, but that is part of the ride of life. We hope to share a little part of our life as we start our family in twenty ten: the laughter, the tears and everywhere in between. Enjoy!!