From Teacher to Mom: From Teacher BACK to Mom!

I'M BLOGGING AGAIN!!!

Good morning Happy Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve 2024 morning

Guys the Christmases of staying awake until 4am doing Santa duties are in Christmas past now.

Carmen's and Emmett's vtech watches... Carmen's Cinderella bike.... her dolls... polly pockets... hello kitty.... barbies.... Emmett's new bike.... the Christmas all he wanted was Diesel 10 and Troublesome Trucks.... John's batman bike...hotwheels... the time it was 65 degrees on Christmas and they got to ride their new green machine, the big wheels.... the years of magformers, play kitchen, marble runs.

2012

2012..the green machine and Cinderella bike

Look at these kids in 2010

Emmett and Carmen being 16 and 17 is unreal to me.... how did it go so fast....

Now dating and working and graduating and becoming more and more independent each day. The years change and my tears change to tears of pride and joy...

But Johnnnnnn, he's still 4 right? Haha he's right behind them! He will turn 13 in May right before his big brother and sister graduate....he and I are both watching the slow letting go in our own way.

Parenting is NOTHING like I ever dreamed up in my head.... in fact I don't know how much I ever thought about actual parenting.... we never really are prepared I don't think.

While lying on the stretcher and backboard at the hospital after my car accident back in 99, the first thing the doctor said to me was.... the good news is, you'll be able to bear children. (Broken hips and 4 other broken bones, a concussion and lacerated spleen that landed me in ICU for several days)

I've always thought back to that college girl laying there broken and confused and scared.... it was a life altering turning point for me... I mean... how am I going to have children??? I'm in college, I'm in a complicated relationship with the guy who was with me in the car what is he even talking about??

Little did I know I would reflect on that for so many years and be so grateful to be alive and to become a mother.... and now to watch my children grow to adulthood

Having lost my own mother suddenly at 19, I can't help but reflect on the short time I knew her and the 3 decades of my life that followed that were full of things I wish I could share with her in person.

This Christmas I focus on the future.... what's next for me and how I can be more present to my family

SPEAKING OF WHAT'S NEXT....I resigned from my 6th grade history teaching position before Thanksgiving and my last day was December 19th.

I am still in shock that I actually MADE the decision, but I'm ready to share about it! My family is changing so much and I've been so overwhelmed these past FIVE YEARS being a full time working mom while George is still away during the week. We've been through a lot the past 5 years and me working outside of the home has made a positive difference in many ways.

This message above broke my heart in two. It was so sweet and I love my students so much. These are just 2 of the gifts from 2 very special students. I never would have left my students (all 85 of them!) midyear unless it was very important to do so. I told them ALL, as much as I love them all, my family comes first.

Truthfully, though, I needed to make the change.

I am TRULY on TOP of my career, however, so let it be known! I mastered the art of middle school. I really did. I conquered a fear and a struggle that I never thought I'd face....the 6th grader.

And here we are.

I read a book about classroom management all last summer and then implemented my new program and it was a resounding success. I am so proud of that, and so proud of my students that I will take that memory of these past few months with me forever. My students truly proved to me this year that the middle school classroom can be safe, respectful and on TASK. There can be laughter, kindness, happiness and respect there!

I am particularly proud of and am going to miss my weekly karaoke dance parties with my students. It has been a labor of love, I'll tell ya. Classroom management is hard on a normal day, imagine disco lights, karaoke and dancing for 25 whole minutes after lunch...then going right into 4th period. Phew! These last few months of karaoke have been truly what I pictured it to be. Audience members clapping for nervous kids taking to the microphone and stepping outside their comfort zones, no one touching each other, APPROPRIATE songs being played an celebrated. All the kids singing!

In my long career, I had NEVER taught middle school! I faced struggles as an educator that I never knew existed. I taught content that I never taught before. I moved classrooms 4 of the 5 years I taught for Waynesboro City. (PreK for 2 and half years and grade 6 for 2 and a half years) All while homeschooling my children, going through covid, enrolling them in public school (Emmett and Carmen as 11th graders, John 6th) then withdrawing John from public school and enrolling him in private school. Then withdrawing John from private school and homeschooling him again (September 2024). (I am happy to chat about these experiences if you want to reach out.)

I can't thank my colleagues and administrators ENOUGH for being so supportive and so understanding through this transition.

But back to the topic... I DID make the change.

So what's next? I put my career on hold to come back to my family. That's what I DID!! John will continue to do online classes/homeschool in 2025 so I will be home to support him with that. It is hard to believe we have lived in our home for 20 years this January 1. I will be cleaning out and organizing our home to possibly rent it while we POSSIBLY move to Richmond to be with George.

There are many scenarios that can play out, but the first thing was just making the decision. I am sitting with that for a few weeks as I rest up and process next steps. I can say that Tutoring from the Heart is back in business in January so please contact me for tutoring and please spread the word! AND if you would like some amazing hair, skin, wellness care, I AM STILL YOUR PERSONAL CONSULTANT for all that goodness!

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SO, whatever crazy awkward confusing stage of life you find yourself in this Christmas, I hope you embrace every second of the beauty it really holds and I hope it's blessed and joyful for you!