open letters

I would like to begin a series of "open letters" to things or people or organizations I would like to pick a bone with or tell them something funny. I'll try to post one every day until I get it all off my chest. These are things I might say if I didn't have a censor!


Dear Strawberry Newtons,
I love you. With a deep love. And I love you so much I sit down to just eat 3 of you and I look down and have eaten 8. You are that delicious. So delicious I try to hide them from my child so she will not love them. I finally checked the package yesterday to see how many calories I am shoveling down my throat and I was sad to see that for every 2 I gain 100 calories. Does this stop me? No. And when I pass by your lovely yellow packaging in the Publix I know I am in for such a tasty sensation I cannot say no. Do you have some kind of Newton's Anonymous? I would be the one waiting in the room with a cup of coffee trying not to think of how badly I would like a Strawberry Newton. This is all.
With love,
Nikki

23 months

Lucy Clare....You are 23 months old today. Where has time gone? This time 2 years ago I was horribly swollen, visibly pregnant and so miserable. Summer heat was awful and I couldn't even wear flip-flops (shout out to Beebs who pushed me in a wheelchair at the Kohls!) I was so excited to meet you and get to know you and I constantly wondered what kind of child you would grow to be. How amazed I am at you every day. You are funny and sweet and such a smart child (and I don't just say that because I am a teacher!) You make each day such a joy. You can count to 5, spell your name after I give you the "L" and you "think" you can read books. We love to watch you play with your toys and I love to watch how you copy things I do on a daily basis.

You are a great sleeper. We have an awesome bedtime routine that you know so well. You love to play in the tub, get your "oshen" (lotion) and your "pop" (powder) to brush your hair and then brush your teeth, to say good night to Elmo and "doors" (Dora), read your three books (usually Oliva, Goodnight Moon, and an Easter story) then crawl into bed with "monk" (monkey) and your "pas" (paci). You love to say your goodnight prayers, and we pray for everyone we know!

You really crack me up with all the thing you say "Awesome" "Good job" "High five" are things we hear constantly. You also talk about your "TaTa" (my dad) a lot. I swear I hear his name 50000000 times a day.

Your favorite foods are tomatoes and black olives. Strange, but I think you could eat your weight in them. You also love your fish, blueberries, bananas, and cheese (preferably swiss).

I have so enjoyed my summer time with you. We've been sleeping late, enjoying swimming lessons, and all our time with daddy. I love that when I play on my computer you find your laptop and sit with me. I love that you will play your music keyboard non-stop and sing into the microphone. I joke that when you are older we will be the next "Judds" and travel the world with our fabulous singing duo!

I can remember first bringing you home and being so nervous at what I was going to do with you. You are the light of my life and the joy in my heart. I am blessed, humbled, honored, and overjoyed to be your mother. I love how much you love Gigi (my mom) and Sissy (my sister) and want to call them and talk to them, and love when we go over to visit or eat supper with them.

In one more month I will have a 2 year old. 2 of the most amazing and powerful years of my life have gone by and I hope that I have cherished each day with you.

My prayer for you is that you will always live a happy and fulfilling life. That you will put God first and seek His wisdom and guidance. That you will seek His voice. My life's goal is that you will love the Lord with all your heart. You are precious child of God and I hope that I can always be an inspiration to that testimony. I love you, my sweet Lucy Clare. With a love that knows no bounds. Always. Forever. Since the moment I knew you were formed, since the moment I held you in my arms. You will always be my baby, my first born, the joy of my life. The song I had always prayed for, the musical masterpiece that played in my heart. Your daddy's princess and mommy's helper. I love you.

swimming the summer away!

Lucy and I have been taking swimming lessons at our local rec center. We love it now. Day 1 was awful. There could not have been a longer thirty minutes of my life. She screamed in my ear and tried to flash my goodies to all the other mommas. We got home that night to tell Daddy all about our day and Lucy looked at him at told him "I cry" when he asked her about lessons. So we practiced in the bathtub and on the living room floor until I felt we were ready to take on Day 2. We talked and laughed and cheered the whole way (and I called in reinforcement from Gigi) and day 2 went great! She loved it and is a little swimmer now! She still hates the board ("No! No board, mom!") but she likes to jump off the side and go under the water. She really loves floating on her back. I am so glad we decided to do this! That's been the extent of our summer. We have been taking long naps and eating ice cream sandwiches and cuddling on the couch. When I go to get on the computer, she gets her laptop and sits next to me. She's a mess!

180

180 days of.....

sweat, tears, laughter. Of working hard, holding pencils, reading, reading, reading. Of math problems and timed drills and laughter. Of dancing, and singing and laughter. Of losing my patience, of crying with hurt hearts in sweet children. Of parent-teacher conferences, and late nights on the computer. Of faculty meetings, and friends. Of sanitizer and tissue. Of small group tables, promethean boards, white boards and markers. Of sweet, loving children who want to hold my hand. Of interesting lunch combinations. Of walk-throughs and grade-levels. Of knowing that someone just learned something for the first time. Of laughter, learning and social graces. Of lunch manners and hallway manners and notebooks and treasure boxes. Of hard work, praise, and jokes. Carpet time and table time. Of "tub" time and centers. Of silly words and silly stories. Of doing my passion and following His plan. Of joy, pain, and love.

180 of the best days of my life.

All leading up to

73 days of summer freedom.

Another day in paradise....

Rolling off of last week's post, today was a day to make sure I wrote down for the records. The day started normal enough, the kids are really ready to be done with school, but it is imperative that I keep them on a schedule and preferably the schedule that we have had for the last 175 days. So like all days, they came in the door, greeted me, unpacked their backpacks and began writing in their journal. Today's journal writing was "If I could go anywhere on vacation I would go _______." They were to complete and write their other four sentences. I hear them talking among themselves...

Kid 1: "I would go to the beach. Mrs. B, does this mean ANYWHERE? Like we are millionaires?"

Me: "Yes, pretend like you have all the money in the world."

Kid 1: "Good. I will go to Chuck-E-Cheese."

Kid 2: "She said anywhere. You can go there anytime. What about Texas?"

Me: "Yes, Texas would be a good place."

Kid 3: "How do you spell Hollywood?"

This goes on for about 30 minutes, with a bathroom break and a pencil sharpening time. After they finish their journal for this week, they are allowed to draw with markers or do a learning puzzle. Conversation number two begins here:

D: "Mrs. B, do you have grandmas and grandpas or are they all dead?"

Me: "Nope, they are all dead."

D: "oh no.no. my, my, my." (shaking head back and forth)

I am thinking he was drawing me a picture of my grandparents. He was visibly upset that I had no grandparents!

And finally....after we completed our Memorial Day project we went to the Promethean Board to watch a video before computer lab. I had been using my laptop to work so I had to move it back to the board and hook it back up. As I was walking, I dropped the battery of the laptop on my pinky toe. I lost my breath and almost threw up! My kids were very worried as to why I quit breathing and was grabbing my stomach, so they all hopped off their square to look at my toe. When I was finally able to speak again I told them that it hurt so bad that I had almost thrown up.

Me: "Heavens! I broke my pinkie toe! And it's bleeding everywhere. I almost threw up it hurt so bad!"

A: (please say this in your head like she talks. She lives with her 90 year old grandmother so she talks just like an old lady. You know, all shaky and southern. I love this girl.)

"Oh, gracious. Mrs. B almost threw up, right here on the carpet. I am so glad she didn't vomit. We woulda have had to search for us a sub to keep us."

Really. I laughed the pain away. She was worried I was going home and we would have to search for a sub! I have laughed all day about that comment!

And... I really did break or injure my pinky toe! It's been such a pain today!

Hope we made you smile!

When I make my first million....

I always like to brag to my friends that one day I'm going to make my first million dollars teaching. But really, one day, when I get a recording contract, I will make a kids c.d and I will really make a million teaching kids. I need to get on that.pronto. In this post, as the summer break tempts me with only 8 days of work left, I wanted to tell you if I did ever write a book, these would be the different chapters....All the things college did not ever tell me that would come out of my mouth or that I would hear in a day.

1. You did not just lose your tooth. That's a piece of meat from lunch.
2. Yes. White girls wash their hair every day.
3. No. I cannot tell you how to spell "eyes" that is the spelling word you are writing.
4. Everyone passes gas. Even me. I just choose not to do it where you can smell it.
5. Get the spray. Someone passed gas again.
6. No, mummies are not like zombies.
7. Yes, Lucy's last name is the same as mine.
8. Why do I get to get a coke from the machine? Because I have a degree.
9. I would rather you not lick the plate to get the mashed potatoes.
10. No, I will not tell you where I live.
11. Mrs. B'.... You could be a mommy beauty queen! (Said like "booty" queen. I totally laughed for days)
12. Oh my gosh, when you put your hair out of the ponytail, you look like Mariah Carey! (personal favorite!)
13. It doesn't really help if the glass falls out of your glasses. Take them off.
14. Mrs. B, are you are momma in God's way? (I hear this all the time. I really like this. I get called Momma, Grandma or Auntie all day anyway!)



Oh my, the things I hear in a day. I'll try to remember to do this more often. I know I will like to look back, after my first million, while I'm sitting on the beach with my cold adult spirit drink laughing at my sweet children. How blessed I am to be their teacher! But hey.... Bring on the summer! :)

Ramblings....

I am blessed. Just earlier tonight as I walked through the house, picking up here and there and putting some clothes away, I was praying silent prayers. I was thanking the most High for blessing me with such a wonderful and loving family, thanking Him for one more precious day with my loves and enjoying a silent house for just a few moments. I also prayed the Blood of Christ on our house and our loved ones. Someone told me recently how powerful those words were and I just wanted to affirm them. How beyond measure is the Blood of Christ, how He laid His precious life down for me. How He thought of us as he hung on Calvary's tree. I am blessed to be loved by such a beautiful Savior. Isn't this a joyous thought? Thank you, my Blessed Redeemer!

My 2nd Mother's Day was very low-key and sweet. Scott and Lucy woke me up (yes, I have a husband who let's me sleep in. This was a discussion we had long before children. I ♥ my sleep.) with a kiss and a card. Lucy was so excited to help me open my card! It was a super cute Mickey Mouse Clubhouse card from them both, signed in her sweet handwriting (with Daddy's help!) and a note at the bottom telling me how excited they both are about our trip to Disney we have planned for September. They also got me a massage gift card which I cannot wait to use when school gets out! A day of relaxation...ahh! I have no pictures of this day, but I can say that having the two of them in my life is such a joy. I am so pleased that God bestowed on me the chance to be a mother to such a wonderful little girl! She amazes me every day.

Summer is approaching quickly and I already have a booked up summer! With 2 teacher conferences, a 2nd birthday party to plan, swimming lessons, and tons of days spent at the pool, and sleeping, we are a busy bunch this summer. Plus we plan on hanging out with Lucy's friend Foster and his way-cool momma Jolie a lot this summer. I am blessed to have good friends to share the summer with. And really, don't ya'll think I picked the right profession for a reason?

I will be sad to leave my class this year. They have truly been one of my favorite classes to teach. All of them mesh so well together and are always so eager to learn. Even when they drive me crazy with their tattle-tales and their.....let's just be honest, smelly toots, I love them anyway! They have come so far this year, and I am pleased to know I had a small hand in this!

Thank you Lord forYour love and Your Son, forgiveness and blessings. You are the song in my heart and the air that I breathe. May I always praise You.