InstaKings...

Our week got off to a super start with a Super Bowl viewing party at the Munsons. Josh and Cindy thought it would be fun to add an "educational" component with some "math". Each person got to pick 10 squares and Emmy went home the big winner. Who would have thought that putting your name straight down the last column would pay off ? She landed on "8" for the Falcons and while they didn't end up winning - she did! 

I got some carpool help on Monday with Landry. We were meeting an alternate location so it just made sense to grab her first. She helped me "drive" into the parking lot and was just so happy. Reminded me of sitting in my dad's lap as we "drove" around the neighborhood. I seem to have less room between myself and the steering wheel than he did. Could it be that his legs are about 15 inches longer than mine? 

My TWENTY year high school reunion is this summer. I am clearly doing my best to keep expectations low for everyone. 

We've been having some pretty awesome Texas winter weather around here so a picnic on Tuesday was the perfect treat between dance classes. Also we may have to change Taco Tuesday to Tortellini Tuesday. Our favorite recipe: Bertolli tortellini, pesto, and pepperoni. 

Radley and I are about mid-way through book 6 of Harry Potter. Homework and soccer have slowed down our progress compared to the holidays but we are loving it. This book involves a lot of umm.... kissing.... and this is Radley's face every.single.time. it's mentioned. 

I mean. How cute is this stage?

On Wednesday we got to celebrate these two newlyweds. Lydell joined our staff this fall and she got married on MLK day! This is Kenneth and none of us knew his name because she only calls him "honey" so he is stuck with us calling him "honey" too. :) 

Our staff helped kick off Black History Month with a t-shirt campaign lead by one of our student committees. With each tshirt distributed, people are given a fact about black history so that we have a way to communicate and create dialogue. Black history month began as "Negro History Week" in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, educator and publisher. It became a month-long celebration in 1976 and the month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. 

Texas decided to be cool again on Thursday so I grabbed my favorite tunic from Gap (maternity). Y'all. I will never ever ever ever ever get rid of this tunic. I love it so much. And it's perfect with my new favorite scarf. Plus there is so much room in there now without that belly and giant boobs. 

We brought a special treat to two special Aggies later that night. More on that soon.... 

Later that night we made a trip around the world at the kids school. I can't even begin to tell you how fun this was! I'm gonna try in a later post though!

I dropped Radley off at a birthday party on Friday afternoon - they were in for some treats, laser tag and a movie. They were all so dang cute and excited until Kristen asked me to snap a pic of everyone. It was if none of them have ever taken a photo. I mean, look at Radley - who is that kid?!?! 

HAHAHA

Ryan made it home early on Friday and took these two on a date. They headed to Freebirds, the toy store and then grabbed Radley before ending with froyo. That meant I was on my own for 2.5 hours of a quiet house. I dined on grilled cheese, caught up on This is Us and started The Good Place. The best Friday night ever. :)

Radley had a soccer tournament this weekend and in between games we did a lot of dishwasher shopping. Well, looking... we didn't actually purchase one. I brought dishes with me to see how they would stack. Y'all - I don't really like any of the options. 

Radley did a pretty amazing job selling the products to everyone via Snapchat - that kid keeps me laughing. They all voted that we should forego the dishwasher and buy a lawnmower. 

We ended Saturday with church and an impromptu dinner at our friends, the Prochazkas. I love that I can text Jen at 6 and say, "What are y'all doing for dinner" and her reply is "I'm at the HEB - want to come over?" Ummmm... yes. We ran home for a quick change and hadn't told the kids where we were going. Radley said, "We're going to the Prochazka's aren't we?" I asked him how he knew... "you always bring wine over there."

HAHAHA

They were also pretty excited because we generally stay up late. We left by 10 since he had another game and Emmy had Sunday school. This is how they looked after the 6 minute ride home. 

By Sunday afternoon we all needed some down time. The weather has the kids ready for summer so they decided to empty all of their piggy banks and take an inventory on their "summer fun money". They have decided that they want to buy a lakehouse this year. I think they need approximately 1372 more piggy banks. 

We ended the weekend with a milestone - this girl came home from playing soccer with Ryan and said, "MOM! I TIED MY SHOES!" And then she showed me!! 

And that's us in an instant!

To my best-friend, the teacher...

Best-friend -

I love you for lots of reasons.

I love you because you sucked your thumb until 2nd grade.
I love you because all of my best memories include you.
I love you because you love my family.
I love you because you ARE family.
I love you because you brought DP to all the parties in HS while the rest of us were drinking Fuzzy Navels.
I love you because you are kind and generous.
I love you because you giggle at the same dumb things I do.

I could go on and on and on. I could never stop writing all the things that make me so thankful to have you as my best-friend. But today, I want to focus on one thing.

I love you because you are a teacher.

You always have been.

You taught me how to believe in myself when I thought I needed a boy to prove my worth.
You taught me to speak gently when I wanted to scream.
You taught me to clap in church.

And you have taught countless others one million different things.

You've always been a teacher. A gifted, giving, thoughtful, loving, compassionate, teacher.

And I am so grateful for you.

I'll never forget your first classroom. We spent hours brainstorming ideas on how you wanted to set everything up - perfecting every detail as if you were creating a space for your first-born child, when really, you were preparing for 24 "first kids". That reading loft was amazing. The picket fence shelves and rocking chair that I wanted you to have. The rugs and decor - I remember everything so vividly as you prepared for those first kids.

The first kids you taught to read.
The first kids you helped discover science.
The first kids you taught math.

Those stories stuck with me. The sweet kids. The smart kids. The silly kids.

But the hard kids. The hard kids you don't get enough credit for. The kids that weren't fed at home, so they came to school angry. The kids society would tell us to dismiss or give up on because they were hopeless. The kids that had hard beginnings.

The one student with cancer. We cried over that child. That child that you loved and nurtured. The child you held and prayed over. The child that you made sure was as normal as one can be.

You loved those kids. Each and every one of them.

You still do.

I know, because I hear you talk about them to this day. Your first class that has now graduated high school. The pride you reveal in telling their stories.

So, best-friend. Thank you.

Thank you for taking care of our future.
Thank you for being a light.
Thank you for showing other educators the way.
Thank you for every wiped nose and mended knee.
Thank you for caring not just about how well these children do on a test but what kind of people they will be for society.
Thank you for answering my questions as a first-time parent with a first-time school-aged kid.
Thank you for your extended hours.
Thank you for your personal investment (time, talent and treasure).

You are important.
You are building our future.
You are changing lives.
You are building bridges.
You are underpaid and overworked.

Yet you never complain. Because you are committed to your work. You are called to serve. And I am ever-so-grateful for you.

Yours is an uphill battle but you are equipped with weapons beyond compare. The gift of patience. The gift of understanding. The gift of compassion. The gift of love.

My life would not be the same without teachers like you.

Fight the good fight. Your voice will carry far beyond the years you spend in those hallowed halls. Children will become teenagers who become adults who will quote you. They will think of you. They will want to make you proud.

Because you aren't just their teacher for a year.

You are a teacher for life.

Sunday Sweetness...

 We made it to our church for the first time in a month and the message couldn't have been better. 

Father reminded us that Christians are made in the mundane of life. 

The every day. Those insignificant blips on the radar. When you let a stranger get in front of you in traffic. When you pass on listening in on the office gossip.

When you, potentially, don't start the office gossip. 

Maybe when you love your sister even though she can't sneeze without blowing snot every where.

How do we spread the word every day? As we left church and headed to the grocery store I kept thinking about how I was living in the mundane. Was I doing my best to be the "salt of the earth?" And wouldn't you know, I got my chance? As we were leaving I noticed the giant truck parked next to us - so close that the only reason Landry was able to get in the car was because we have sliding doors. As I was finished loading the car, this truck driver appeared and I really wanted to make a snarky comment.

But I didn't. I got in the car and waited for the employee gathering all the carts in the parking lot behind me so I could back up. And wouldn't you know that when he was finished trucker boy decided that he should go before me and almost hit me. 

Y'all.

I did not want to be the salt of the earth.

I wasn't really caring about being a Christian in the mundane.

I really really wanted to give him a piece of my mind in the form of some well placed SAT words.

But I didn't. I smiled. I waved. And I went on with the mundane.

Because as Emmy taught me last week, they are always watching what we do and so is He.  We went home, unloaded the car and snapped some pics because nothing brightens up a gloomy morning like some Sunday Sweetness.