Enough.

For months, I have watched my Facebook news feed roll and roll with the haters of Common Core. And for months, I have just scrolled on and held my tongue. Today, I have had enough. I decided that today was the day I was going to share my knowledge of the CCRS (what we in Alabama call our Common Core: College and Career Ready Standards) and how beneficial it is to our children. 
Let's start at the very beginning. I feel like I am going to be all over the place with this because I have seen so many questions that need to be answered. 

How do you know anything about the Common Core? I have been teaching elementary school for 10 years, and for the last 2 years I have been an instructional coach. I have spent numerous hours in training for the roll-out of CCRS and have been in classrooms teaching the standards with teachers and children. And the best part? I am observing children actually understanding things they never understood before. 

Who created the Common Core? The best answer I hear is President Obama. And I like to chuckle at that. Yes, he has time to sit down and make a list of standards a kindergartner needs to master by the end of the year. Please people, I mean, he is having a hard enough time rolling out that website for health insurance. I can assure you he did not make the standards used for grades K-12. A group of state leaders got together and pretty much said they wanted all kids in the US to be on the same page with learning. They took the best standards (standards your child was already learning) from different states and combined them together. They got teachers together and got their input. They also got parents together and asked them for their guidance. This is wonderful. Why? Because if I choose to pick up and move to Montana tomorrow with my family, my child does not lose an ounce of learning. She is on target for any state we enter. There can be no state "better" than another. And believe me... as someone who is in the trenches, I have seen it. Years ago, I had a student from New York City who blew my children out of the water with reading. It made me want to take a field trip to PS 111 and camp out in her old classroom. And I have also seen the problems with children coming from another state and not even close to being prepared for my classroom. We are all on the same page now. I am not sure why this gets such uproar. Why would we not want our children to learn what other children are learning? It does not "dumb us down" these standards are deep. They are rigorous. They promote higher learning. I am not seeing the problem with this! 

What about those standards?  We have always taught using standards. Just like any job, we must be accountable for what we do each day. Teachers just don't wake up in the morning, roll out of bed and say "Whoop! Today I want to teach time and money! Yes! Sounds great!" Yeah, not how it works. We spend hours planning our day around a set of standards. And for as long as I have been teaching, that's how we have done it. The standards changed a little with Common Core. Some standards got moved to other grades because it was cognitively better for the children. Some standards were thrown out or squished into 1 sentence. Any way you look at it, they are the standards we have always used to teach children. 

Yes, but I know some of those standards teach anti-American ways or about other religions! Not one standard in elementary school has us teach anti-American things. Want proof? Please go do your own research. You can visit the CCRS standards page on our Alabama State website and read through them yourself. Do we teach about other religions? I can't find anything definitive in the new elementary Social Studies or Language Arts standards. But my question back to you is this: why is learning about other religions a problem? I am Catholic. I went to Methodist school. I learned a lot about the Methodist religion. And I am still Catholic. And by learning about other religions, I am a better Catholic. I think by learning about other's beliefs it would make me appreciate my religion. I had a mother at home who instilled in me our religious beliefs so I would continue to be a strong Catholic. So many times as an adult I have had to google questions I have about Mormons or Muslims. Why? Because no one taught me what those religions think. I have to do my own research so I can be an informed adult. 

Are there teachers who don't like the Common Core? I am pretty sure there are those teachers who don't like the CCRS. Does everyone in your job love every single thing your boss asks them to do? Just curious. I have spoken to some high school teachers who don't. And I get their reasoning. I really hope they come around. High school teachers are subject specific. Common Core makes them more universal. Math teachers have reading standards built in! (Oh! Math requires you to read! For the love!) And they received more standards than before. But we are trying to work together. We have a team here in Dothan City and we try to work together from elementary to high. We want to make sure that when we have a child leave our 5th grade they are prepared for what middle school needs, and so forth. 
I can also guess that there are teachers out there who just aren't doing the CCRS correctly. Don't you have those people in your job too? Stuck in their ways and refuse to attempt to change? And what do you do? Take a picture of their work and put it on a website and claim it is what it is not? That's what's happening to my job. Prime example in this news article. This dad just happened to get pissy about a math problem that could be solved the "way" he learned to do it, and by all means, his way is easiest. Do I think the teacher should have taken off points for the test? No. He got the correct answer. But I am not that child's teacher and I didn't see the whole test and what was asked of the student. 

This was a good segway into the math strategies portion of this post. 

I have always been a "math hater." There is an article circulating right now that uses that term and I like it. I was always a "literacy lover" and still am. But math never came easy for me. Fractions, elapsed time, division; all these things made my skin crawl, and as soon as someone put a word problem in front of me, I had a mini panic attack and immediately knew I would get the answer wrong. 
                         Until I started learning the Common Core.
Now, I am a mathematician. I have never been able to call myself that before. I understand math. I get the "why" behind a certain skills. How did I come to this amazing knowledge? By learning how CCRS teaches math. Listen to this... we all don't learn the same way. How many parents have sat around the dinner table with other parents and discussed how your child's teacher only taught one way? How your child is a visual learner or an auditory learner? 
CCRS teaches strategies. You can sit around all day and tell me that when I subtract I need to "borrow" a number, and "carry" another, but that makes absolutely no sense to me. Why are we carrying? Who and what are we borrowing from? CCRS strategies show children what numbers are and why you can't take a big number from a smaller number. It is teaching your child to think. Oh the horror! Pull them out of school! 
Let me give you an example. This year, I spent time in a first grade classroom. I taught a strategy called "mental math" first thing every morning. I would pose a problem, give the children some "think time" and then ask them to share out their strategy and answer. They couldn't share without their strategy. I wanted to watch them talk it out. No paper, no pencil, just me and their friends. We all listened and respected each other. I wrote down what they said. We had been doing this for about a month and I was seeing dramatic test result increases and tons of motivation and class discourse. I posed the problem 8+7 to them and asked them to think of a strategy (we had previously been learning strategies for addition, so they had a few in their brain). Each child let me know when they were ready and I would write down exactly what they said. And then came little cutie who blew me away: "Mrs. B, this is what I did: I made that 8 a 10. I did that by taking 2  from the 7 and giving it to 8. That means that the 7 is now a 5. So now, I have 10 plus 5 and that equals 15." HOLY MOLY. Did I expect that? No! And I jumped up and down and hollered and then explained it again in teacher way for everyone else. Could she have counted on her fingers? Yes. Could she have memorized 8+7? Yes. Is there a problem with that? No. But do I know that  she understands number concepts? YES! So going back to that article with the engineer dad and his "you could have solved this is 5 seconds by doing it this way" do you see what I am getting at? Math has to make sense for children and if we teach them multiple strategies for a problem it will help them do just that. Your child might like to borrow and carry. Then great! If they understand "why" they need to borrow and carry, then let them use that strategy. If they need to make a number line or use a ten frame, then let them do it that way. Eventually a child will wean themselves off a strategy with multiple steps and find ways to make it easier. But at least they are thinking and understanding. 
I use math many times as an example when helping others understand CCRS. This is an area most of us struggle in. But reading standards are just as important. We are teaching children to "close read" where they take passages of text and really dig deep. We teach them about vocabulary and words that are used in every day language and words that we would use for certain jobs. We teach strategies for reading and writing, and people, they are working. One of the components I love is the increase of non-fiction text. 

My child is struggling for the first time! I get it. These standards make it harder right now. Hold tight, believe in your child, support your child's teacher, and give it a minute. We are taking children who could just "look in the back of the book" for the answers, and making them thinkers. Being a thinker isn't easy. They have expected us to give them the answer at the end so often they only want to please us as teachers and parents. Let them think and most of all, let them try. 

I can't do my child's homework with them. Aaah yes...this one I hear a lot. Instead of trying to do your child's homework with them, have your child teach you. Let your child show you some of the strategies they are learning. Do you only read TO your child? Or do you let your child read to YOU? It's the same with math. Let them show you. Don't be so quick to show them our old way of doing math. If they still can't get it, write their teacher a note. Ask for some tips. Ask for the strategies they are learning in class. But don't give up. This is not going to happen over night! It has taken me a year to learn all the ways one can work a problem. Help your child find the one that works for them and show you and explain it to you. You'll be surprised at what your child can teach you! 



I know I haven't hit every problem people have with the Common Core, but I hope I started some positive conversation. Please feel free to comment with any other questions and I will make sure to answer you. 
Please, as in all things, become informed about what our children are learning. Do your own research on the standards. (Meaning, don't read the biased Fox news articles, actually look at our standards pages) Don't bash something you are not working in daily, or because Suzy's mom hates it. Ask someone who does it daily. 
I am frustrated too. I don't like someone bashing something I love to do and something I am watching work for our kids. I went to college for a reason and continue to educate myself with professional development and my own research so I can be the best teacher and instructional coach I can be. 
At the end of the day, it is all about our children. I will advocate for them until I no longer have a voice. 
We should all strive to push our children and advocate for their learning. I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite people, Dr. Bice, our State Superintendent: 

"Incorporating the Common Core Standards into our already highly regarded content standards brings a new level of rigor and perceptual understanding to teaching and learning.” 

Dr. Tommy Bice, Alabama Superintendent of Education

News

So... Instead of trying to give the many, many reasons why I haven't blogged in 9 months, why I have unpublished posts in my post box, I will tell you the best reason why I have been absent----

Sweet little Levi will make his appearance in April! 

We were shocked and surprised to find out we were having a boy. I felt for sure it was a girl again.

Lucy has named him "George" after my daddy, and that is many times what we call him. She is very excited to be a big sister to a boy baby! 

This has been a trying pregnancy. Lots of morning sickness in the first trimester. I am finally feeling better. Still very tired, but overall, doing well. 

If you can please excuse the mess of clothes behind me in the mirror, this is me today. I sang at a wedding and it took me a few outfits to find one that fit! 

We are half-way there... only 19 more weeks till we meet our sweet one. 

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the page is blank. 5 months is a long time. i let my little blog fall to the wayside of life. i could tell you i didn't really miss blogging until a day last week when i went back and looked. looked at all the memories on here. and i was sad. sad i haven't captured a spunky 3 year old and all her glory. so here i am staring at a blank blog screen (now covered with these word of backtracking) and i don't know where to start. well..starting where i left off might be a good place.

I started my new job. It was and is not what I thought it was going to be. I was going to change the world! Make teachers fall in love with my amazing and funny personality and my ever expanding wealth of knowledge. That did not happen. not for all, just for some. and I took it really hard. really hard. Doctor visits full of stomach ulcers, late night prayers, and daytime trips to the bathroom to cry. That was how my new job began. slowly, it has changed. I am doing better and the amount of children who I have fallen in love with is larger than I could have imagined. That's the best part. working with 350 students who all know your name and want hugs and ask when it is their room's turn for Mrs. Burns to visit. I like that part.

In all of that drama, I was still a momma and wife. Lucy has changed so much and is growing so much before my eyes. She will be 4 in July and I sometimes can't believe I have a little girl on my hands. She is now sleeping in a very large full sized bed. She doesn't need my help anymore to do little things like put on her shoes, brush her teeth, go to the bathroom. She's independent and working hard. She is taking gymnastics on Monday nights and loves it. She tells funny stories, and remembers every single thing you say to her. She is mastering the skills on her report card with flying colors. I am impressed with her knowledge and quick thinking skills!

So much more I want to say about her. Gonna have to make a list of all the funny things she has said. I want to be blogging more and remembering these special and precious times I have with her!

♥nikki

Busy days.

Hello! It has been a very long few weeks in our household. First of all, summer came to a screeching halt with the start of school. We spent 2 weeks in our classrooms without children doing cleaning and professional development. It was long, but fun. Then in the midst of all that, I interviewed for a job as a reading coach at another school. It was a long-shot, but it is something that I have always wanted to do. I love teaching teachers how to be better teachers. Well, I got the job! That meant I had to prepare to leave the school I had come to call my family and home to move across town to another school. I was emotional and a pure basket case. Then I realize that until they hired someone for my current job, I could not leave my position. So back to my classroom I head, getting things ready for a wonderful group of 2nd graders. I have been very distant and stressed, trying to get my head around being a teacher for the next 2 weeks and thinking of the new job. I am still not "officially" at my new job, but will start next week sometime. I am excited, nervous.... and well, overwhelmed. I love teaching and I am dang good at it. Leaving the classroom scares me and excites me all at the same time.

All of the emotions come baring down on me and then my little baby girl starts PreK at the same time. Talk about emotional! But, she loves her "new school" and she enjoys her teacher and learning and all the wonderful things that come with school. I am so blessed we have found a home for her during the day. I love hearing her talk about her friends and teacher. It just warms my heart. I am so happy with her new school.

So, here are some pictures of our life in the last 2 weeks! : )

Lucy and her bestie Foster at dinner. She was offering him a cherry. He didn't want it obviously! We love that little golfer! 

 

Girl baby in her big girl uniform on her 3rd day of school. She was upset she had a hangnail. But dang, she looks so cute!

 

Her happy smile at Open House. This makes me so proud. And those dimples!

 

 

First day of school! And a fun pose. Love this munchkin!

 

Celebrating TaTa's birthday. Yes, I dressed her in Alabama gear just for him!

 

Her first dentist appointment. She loved this. We practiced for weeks and talked hundreds of times about the importance of teeth and why "sugarbugs" are so bad for us!

 

 

I am so blessed to have had a wonderful summer. I enjoyed every minute of it. Now I am in panic mode as I settle into my new job and new environment. I am so happy the Lord has given me such a peace about Lucy's education for now. We will cross another bridge when she is ready for Kindergarten. As for now, she can rock it at private school!

She is growing up before my eyes. Some of her favorite words right now are "comfortable and serious." She cracks me up with the things she says.

The other night I told her to thank Jesus for living in her heart. She said "Jesus doesn't live in my heart, He lives on the wall!" (Meaning her crucifix on the wall!)

Then we had to discuss how Jesus does live in our hearts because He loves us so much!

The next day, she asked me if Jesus lived in my heart under my black shirt! How funny the mind of a child!

 

I'll try to update more as things settle down. Praying for peace and an easy transition for my new career choice. Praying also for my new staff that they will be open to me. And really, praying for my old staff as they manage life without me! Who's going to DJ all the pep rallies, teach Zumba at field day, run all the technology in the school, keep up with the safety plan, and make the faculty meetings more fun?? :) I know they will do just fine without me!

 

Thank you Lord for blessings in abundance!

Pictures in our house linky!

Today I am linking up with Kelly over at her blog for a SUYL topic of how you display your photos in your house. I love pictures. I am almost a bit obsessed with how many pictures we have up of ourselves (vain? I don't know!) I just know looking back at pictures of our lives brings back such good memories! Sometimes I get so sad when I think of all the times when I was in high school or college that I don't have pictures to remember them by! No facebook back then...just those old disposable cameras! ha! Now it is so easy to take a picture with your IPhone and it will travel all over the Internet (scary!) or to any of your friends in an instant. What will my child have when she's in college? So exciting!

Anyway, I digress! Here is a little peek into how I display some of our favorite pictures!

This is the wall when you walk into our house. I have an amazing photographer friend who took all these pictures for us. I love the look of the different colored frames. I was given our last name picture as a gift and I love the way it looks with these frames!

Most of our pictures are housed on shelves. Our entertainment center is full of pictures. Some are Lucy as a little baby and you can see the picture under the "y"...it's a picture of Scott and I on one of our first dates! I love how young and tan (and skinny!) we both look. Brings back such butterfly-in-your-stomach memories! (We usually don't have a birthday banner up...I had just made that for her birthday and have not taken it down yet! Same for the cards! )

Finally, this is an area of my living room I love. The picture of Lucy between us, looking up at us...melts my heart. I love how different it is in the fact you cannot see our faces. I have got some strange remarks on this picture, but it just captures her love for us. It really is all about her!

I also love the picture of she and I laughing. It shows how we are in our daily life! I just completed the picture with the bird and I am madly in love with it. I like to think I'm a painter! Ha!

It says: "Your love, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies."

One of my favorite verses and favorite Third Day songs!

Well, that's about it! I hope you enjoyed peeking into my house and seeing how I show off our pictures!

Thanks for stopping by!

I've got to get back to the Olympics now! Super pumped after watching the opening ceremonies. How about you??

The last bit of summer...

Summer break is coming to a close for me. I'm sad, but ready to jump into my new position in second grade. We have been busy. Besides have a birthday for Lucy, we did some traveling and now I'm back up at school every day getting ready for the new year.

Lucy had her 3 year old checkup today. Here's what I learned:

1. Lucy is in the 70th percentile for weight (at 33 pounds.)

2. She is in the 25th percentile for height. (I'm hoping this does not mean she will be short and squatty!...and really, I have never had to spell the word "squatty." Did I spell it right? ha!)

3. Night terrors happen about 2 hours after sleep. Nightmares happen from about 2 am on. So, this means we are having night terrors. Screaming and crying for a few minutes. Then telling me monkeys or bugs are in her room. And for the record, neither of those things are really there!

4. She's smart, but I already knew that!

 

Here are some pictures from our month:

Lucy's birthday banner. (thinking I might need to dust that star way up there now!)

Learning to write. Here is her number 5 and 6. She did great!

New pajamas. Rockstar hair and a rockstar stance. a.mess!

The Toy Story entry table. I changed it more before the party but I never even took pictures at the party!

New pose and new sparkle shirt from godmomma Beebs.

Baseball game with mom and dad!

Sitting in the stands...

Swimming at Gigi's house!

Lots and lots of birthday ice cream! I mean, a girls got to get her calcium from somewhere, right?

Ready to start a new year, and ready for Lucy to start preschool! Can't wait. Soak up the rest of summer, friends!

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i have just totally messed up all my posts. So this is a test!

Birthday baby

My sweet girl will be three years old on Monday. Three years of my life that I would not change for anything. Three years of love that I did not know my heart needed or could even be prepared for. She has brought so much joy to my life. Keith Urban has a song called "Without You" and my favorite verse says this:

"Along comes a baby girl

And suddenly my little world

Just got a whole lot bigger, yes it did

And people that I barely knew

They love me cause I'm part of you"

This could not be more true. Lucy Clare, I have said this many time before on my blog, but dear, you are the musical masterpiece my heart had been singing long before I knew the tune. And the music you bring into our lives now....how precious you are. You fit into this world and bring such a light to others and to us, that is indescribable. I prayed so many different (and still do!) prayers for you, and it is so amazing to watch God work in your life. To see little things you do and wonder if that will be your calling, already just at this young age! 

To brag on your singing ability already, your quick wit, quiet humor, your ease at picking up new tasks.. I know you are smart, but dang, you amaze me sometimes! I just laugh and pray that while you get some of my left brain creativity, that for the love, you get your daddy's quick math skills and directional knowledge! (I also really hope you get your daddy's legs!) You are funny and so dramatic. (her momma's child for real!)

So, three years ago I was waiting every so not patiently for you to make your arrival. I was fat, swollen, and miserable. And then you came along and rocked our world in such a good way.

And now, when I ask you if you'd like to have a baby at our house, a brother or sister, your reply is always "No, I'd like a puppy." ha! (which neither is happening anytime soon, people! The baby or the dog!)

You have us wrapped, little thing. Thanking God for the past 3 years, and praying for many, many more with you. My little "bootsie" and daddy's "sugar plum." May you always know the love we have for you. That so many people have for you. Thank you, baby, for teaching me about a love I didn't know, could only have wished for, and for helping me to be a better person, a better teacher, a better everything.

Happy almost birthday.

I love you to the moon and back.

Loving on "monk-a-licious"

Birthday desert at Mexican Connection!

Learning how to fold washcloths. "Fold it, smooth it, fold it again!"

Beach time with my girl. Love that face!

Happy birthday present. A new pet fish named "Nemo." I love her face there. Every day she runs into the kitchen and checks him, talks to him, takes pictures of him. Happiness in the fishbowl!

The Future....

With the Olympics on its way, I sit and wonder what my sweet child will be doing in the future. Will she make it on an Olympic team? I surely don't have a clue, but from these pictures, she will make an excellent swimmer or cheerleader!

She's already got the most wonderful cheerleader stance. All I see here is "Ready? Ok! 1, 2, 3, 4!"

Summer loving...

Oh, summer! How I love this time of year. Sleeping in, pool time, and tons of family time. This is how we have been spending our summer so far--- 

I started taking Lucy's picture before we left the house everyday to send to her daddy, my mom, and her Godmomma B. I have created a monster. We can't even step out into the garage now without a photo shoot. She has come up with some amazing poses and totally cracks me up. The above photo is by far the best one and she makes me laugh with that "toe pop" and her hand on her hip. Notice her Toy Story lunchbox? We don't go anywhere without some sort of Toy Story toy in her hand. We are a little obsessed around our house. I do look at that picture and think to myself that I have a little sorority girl on my hands!

I have taken up running at night and Lucy thinks that every time I put on my tennis shoes that she needs to get dressed too and go with me. She calls it our "Mousersize" time. We have our running shorts and wild tennis shoes on. Surprisingly, she is a great runner and she keeps up. Tonight she got tired and I ended up carrying her on my back and running the rest of the way home like that. Bonus workout for me tonight! She also makes me stop at stop signs and do jumping jacks with her! We dance, walk, and when she's ready, we run. I know the neighbors must enjoy seeing us come around! (She also calls those workout shorts she wears her "party rock" shorts. They look just like the pants the guy from LMFAO wears. And yes, Party Rock is one of her favorite songs to run to!) 

Here is another one of Lucy's best poses. It reminds me of a little dancer move. And of course, we have on our Toy Story shirt!

I got away for a weekend for an all girls weekend. We headed down to PC for a nice weekend of beach time, dancing, and all out fun. I love these girls and am blessed they are a part of my life. Every mom needs a great group of friends... and I have that is these girls. My bunco group turned best friends. I love that.

Another pose! My little hip-hop girl. This time we are carrying the new dolphin she got when she went to Gulf World with her daddy!

Another day of posing. We were heading to a pool party and guess who had to come??? Ol' Woody!

We have also been spending each afternoon enjoying our mini-pool in the backyard. I work on my tan and she burns off a ton of energy in the pool and water hose. She's a mess and I love it!

We are experiencing the "Terrible Threes" already. Temper tantrums to the max. They are not funny at the time, but so funny when I sit down to think about them.

She is out of daycare for the summer and we are spending a lot of time together. I love this. I love that I am able to spend the summers with her and seeing each part of her funny, sassy, loud attitude.

Her birthday is next month and we are already planning an amazing...wait for it...yes, you guessed it!

Toy Story party! She is so excited and can't wait for it.

Happy Summer, friends!

A wedding weekend

This weekend we headed down to Mobile for a wedding of a dear friend. I love weddings and I love friends, so this was a perfect combination. I have known sweet Anne for most of her life and I have enjoyed watching her grow up. She had a wonderful party and Catholic wedding and I was honored that they invited us to join in on the festivities. I am dumping my Iphone with our pictures of this fun weekend.

Anne and Josh's first dance. It was a Foo Fighters song played by members of the bridal party. I loved it. I loved the flash mob at the end!

Sweet Lucy has figured out how to take her own pictures with my Iphone. I literally have to clear out 100 pictures a day. I adore this picture of her sweet face. She is beautiful.

My parents at the reception. I love them. I am so blessed that I can say they have been married for 34 years. That is a blessing. I am so proud of the love they share and the example they are to us!

So....Lucy got this pet Pony at Build-a-Bear. I was dancing and having fun at the reception. I have in Lucy's big hairbow and am busting a move with the Pony. Good times!

This would be Lucy at the Bear store brushing her new Pony with the "paintbrush." We carry that Pony with us everywhere we go.

Totsie and Lucy playing a little game of checkers. Notice her Toy Story shoes? The girl is obsessed with Toy Story.

They even had a slushie machine at the reception. Lucy's favorite color is blue so she loves this picture. She's a mess!

And lastly, can't live without this sweet man. God sent him right to me! I love my husband!

I am so glad we were able to go to Anne's wedding. We made some fun memories and I pray they have a long and fulfilling marriage!

I am super excited that I only have 7 more days of school before summer break. It is very bittersweet because I love this class and I am sad to see them go. They have pushed me in my teaching. We don't have many big plans for this summer and for that I am grateful. Just one teacher conference and some beach trips. I am super excited we will be going back to Disney this year in the fall and I also have a special 2 year old who will be turning 3 in July. Where is time going? She is getting so big so fast. You can probably guess what kind of party she will be having.. Toy Story. She is so excited about it and tells us all the time her birthday is "July 16." Looking forward to a fun filled summer with friends and maybe a Zumba class or two!

I am mother, hear me roar!

 

  

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the world today! I had a wonderful weekend. Of course, I can't celebrate this day without first thanking my mother. She is an amazing mother and friend. I am so honored to be her child. I even love it that I have taken a second place to my own child in her life! She was and is definitely what I want to be in a mother. She was the mean momma when she needed to be and a ear to listen when I was crying about whatever boyfriend broke up with me and whatever girl I was fighting with had done me wrong. She gave good advice and let me make my own decisions but always led me in the right direction. She fostered my love for Jesus and helped me along my Catholic faith. I am so glad God chose her to be my mother. And now I am even more pleased that we are friends.

 (but Lord knows, she still can scare the mess out of me...don't cross Barbara!)

I love you, momma!

And now I am mother to a fancy, hilarious 2 year old. She is the light of my life and I don't know how I lived life without her (or Max and Ruby and the Fresh Beat Band.) I love hearing her say "I love you so much, momma" and I love her sweet singing voice and her laugh and the wild things she says....

Like asking me when my stomach hurt one day if I had "skid marks in my underwear."

(and for the record, the answer is NO!)

I love when she gives me big hugs and when, even when she only wants her daddy, she will still come right to me for a kiss.

I love her dramatic personality and how sometimes she just needs "a cold rag for her head" and how when she takes a bath the water has to be "warmyhot." And how she needs a "soft blanket" and right now with a tiny cut on her leg she needs a "soft bandaid to make it better."

I love hearing Farmer in the Dell sung by her sweet voice. I love how she thinks any time we go to church that mommy will be in the choir. "You sing in choir mommy? I sit with GigiTata?"

I also love how daddy has nothing in this house. It's "mommy's bed, mommy's house and mommy's car." (Poor Scott, he only gets his truck and his "tractor")

I love how I can reason with her and talk her through any situation. Until she points her finger at me. Then we are done.

She is smart, funny, lovable.... and she's mine.

I hope that I can raise her right. I hope that I can help her make good decisions.

 That in life, she will come to me, like I do with my own mother.

I said it before and I'll say it again.

Thank you, Lord.

And I can't be a mother without my husband. While he might drive me crazy on a daily basis (and throw my new belt away.) I still love him and am so happy I found him in that bar years ago. He is kind to me and an incredible daddy to Lucy. I am blessed.

They showered me with gifts and cards today and woke me up with kisses. Yesterday, he even let me sleep in till 10 am! Yes. Amazing!

I had specifically asked for a scale. Yes, the kind you stand on to see your weight. And I promised I wouldn't get mad. I need a scale. I've been trying to shed poundage. (and lots of it) so I needed a scale. He always gets the best gadgets, and he didn't fail me today! But my big surprise was a new pair of running shoes! I had mentioned I loved these shoes after seeing them on a commerical, but I knew I would never buy them for myself because I only wear white tennis shoes. But these were calling my name! And that was all I thought of it. Was so excited to get that Nike box this morning! And when I went for my "run" (really... I look like a fat kid running for the birthday cake.) they were amazing! I felt like a real runner tonight! It's wild what a pair of good shoes can do for you!

So, thank you Momma. Thank you Scott.

And special thanks also to Scott's momma for birthing such a wonderful man.

I am blessed.

Thank you, Lord!

Happy Easter!

May your heart be full this Easter day! He is alive and for that we are redeemed and have everlasting life! Alleluia!

Sweet girl growing...

Sometimes I look at Lucy and cannot believe how big she is. How much personality she has and how smart she is. She loves puzzles. She doesn't love just the hard wooden puzzles, but regular big puzzles. And she can do them. I also love puzzles, but she is really good at them. We recently had character dag at school and Lucy dressed up as a brown bear from the book "Me and my Mom" her favorite book. She was so cute and loved when I painted her nose and put blush on her cheeks! She is just so funny and full of life! I love it! Here are some pics of her shining personality!

1. Make-up time at Gigi's house.

2.Pouty lips. She's got them down!

3. Brown bear, brown bear!

4 New raincoat, umbrella, and boots from Gigi.

5. Rock and Roll hot stuff!

6. Enjoying her BK icecream at our school fundraiser.

7. Waiting for Daddy to try on new clothes. We had our own photo shoot!

She is a mess. Can't imagine how I've lived my life not knowing this precious girl.

One of the funniest things she does now is when you ask her how old she is she will tell you she is 3. She knows we told her we will take her back to Disney when she is 4, so she is trying to hurry up and get back!