14 days

There are 14 days of school left. The bajillions of assessments are finally complete and the summer FEVER set in about 2 months ago. Between the tattling on their peers and class chicks alike I would like to change my name or the language I speak. "I'm sorry Miss Henderson is not taking tattling right now, please try her at a later date."  "No comprehendo. Hables Espanol?" Along with the tattling comes the end of the year projects. Trying to find the perfect keepsake for parents to remember their child's first year. This is supposed to be the most important year right? I must create, imagine, discover something amazing that will not be forgotten. Hold the door, this student is gone one week and another student the next? Where is my time going? I need them at school to create greatness. Forget vacation memories, obviously the picture your 6 year old draws is much more important that priceless memories. I'm such a selfish person, maybe I'm just jealous :-)

Let me set my delusion aside and savor the sweet summer that lies ahead. This year I will spend time at the beach, in Nashville, and possibly a cross-country road trip. I will sleep in late, a whopping 7:30 here on the farm, and live in my gym clothes. Reunited with Katelyn for the first time in two years, there's no doubt we'll wreak havoc somewhere. My days will be filled with giggles and gags with my favorite kids.My first summer since high school without class--thank you basketball, 5 major changes, and full time job during grad school equals  no major commitments.

I adore my job and my students, but we all need a break. 14 days-we. can. do. it.  Now, just don't make me think about the changes that come after this hiatus. My kinders are growing up!

I'll love you forever

Carol Dearest,
Today was Mother's Day. You have been my mom for 25 years. 25-that's a quarter of a century (WOW). I wasn't planning on coming to Roanoke today. Between end of the year kindergarten craziness, job interviews, and a 9 mile hike yesterday I just needed a day to rest. Then I realized I needed something more. I needed you.

 You have taught me uncountable things over the years. You molded me into the adult I am now with love, hard work, and LOTS of patience. Here are just a few favorite memories of you.

1) I loved when you used to let me skip school (which I hated) and come teach preschool (which I loved). Many people have told me my gift for teaching is innate. I know it comes from watching your talent over the years.

2) As much as I used to hate going to the nursing home as a family and visiting with the residents, because I was a self-centered egotistical shy kid, I am grateful for the experience now. You taught us that no matter what a person looks like, smells like, talks like, or feels like they deserve respect and love.

3) I always waited with anticipation for our dates to work the concession stand during my softball years-and there were a. lot.! Granted the fact that I was allowed to eat candy carries a lot of weight in why this is a favorite memory, I also enjoyed just spending the time with you away from the boys that ran our house. You taught me the importance of girl time.

4) This will come to a surprise to you but I cherish our shoe hunting shopping. Actually shopping in general with you has s-l-o-w-l-y become something I enjoy. Not many moms would have put up with the lack of shoes in size 13 or the 13 year old who constantly threw fits about it. Thanks for teaching me how to persevere and embrace my body the way it was made.

5) You don't remember much about your stay in Johns Hopkins. I do. It was in Baltimore Maryland that I realized you aren't going to be around forever. It was in the 5 star accommodations of the Marburg Pavilion that I finally understood that you are not as invincible as I always believed. And in that place we needed each other as a family. I sat/slept/ate/lived by your bed and across the hall for 10 days. And, then you were cleared to go home-pancreatic cancer caught by accident, early enough to not need any additional treatment. We will take scheduled scans for years, answered prayers and a new realization that God really does perform miracles over what could have been. Your unwavering faith makes mine stronger.

This Hallmark holiday brings joy and sadness to so many each year. Eventually I know it will bring a bit of sadness to my heart. That's why I needed you today and everyday. I don't want you to ever doubt your importance to your children. Thank you for showing me how to be patient, kind, spontaneous, generous, and that a little bit of rebellion doesn't hurt every now and again...wait, maybe that's what I'm teaching you.

Excerpt from Love you Forever by Robert Munsch-a childhood favorite.

There once was a mother who had a new baby and she picked it up and rocked it back and forth back and forth back and forth and sang "I'll love you forever I'll like you for always as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

Well that baby grew and grew and grew until it was 9 years old and it never wanted to come in for dinner and when it did come in sometimes it said bad words at the dinner table. Sometimes the mom would say this kid is driving me craaazy. But at nighttime when that 9 year old was asleep the mother would open up the door to his room crawl across the floor look up over the side of the bed and if that kid was really asleep she would pick him up and rock it back and forth back and forth back and forth and sing "I'll love you forever I'll like you for always as long as I'm living my baby you'll be".

...Well that teenager he grew and grew and grew until he was a grown up man. He left home and moved all the way to the other side of town. But sometimes on dark nights the mother would drive across town. When she came to her son's house she would pick him up and rock him back and forth back and forth back and forth and sing "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be".

I'll love you forever I'll like you for always as long as I'm living my mommy you'll be.

I cannot wait to sing to my children one day because of you.

I heart you,

Rebecky

Wristband Sista

Here's another trip down memory lane post. I would apologize for being so reminiscent lately, but I feel that it goes along with my life changes that are up and coming. And, it's my blog, my thoughts, deal with it.

:-) This is a post about an unlikely friend for her birthday. I say unlikely because even though we have known each other for 17 years (wayyyy back to my soccer years), our friendship didn't truly take off until high school. Then right in the best years of our lives the girl decided to go to college across the country. She gets me-my shyhyperness, millionmilesaminutescramblebrain, exceedinglyoverwhelmingandneverceasing at times energy level. I am a the clumsiest walking antithesis and the woman takes it in stride. Lora has shown me what it means to be a friend by always listening, sometimes laughing, once elbowing me in the gut, and never judging.

It started on the soccer field but grew on the basketball court. If you know about me you probably know about my basketball journey through college. If you know me you probably know about my basketball journey before college. There are multiple people who shared the task of getting me through those delicate years. Lora took on the task in 10th grade at a team sleepover. She didn't know what she was getting herself into, but I know now that she doesn't regret it!

Junior year-we had some pretty AWESOME captains that year. Reagan and Pedro's First Annual Sausage Patty Fest. On the to bring list: karaoke, games, video camera, sleeping bags, Nemo if you can find it, practice clothes and playbook (shooting practice was at 5:37 am), laps/legs, and shiny rolls.

Got lots of shots off before the sun came up this week. Had breakout games as individuals and a team, playing in college became a true goal, and Lora's senior corruption year began courtesy of your's truly. Skipping open gyms, pregame slurpees, Chinese fire drills-you know, true rebellion.

My left-handed right wingman

All good things must come to an end. True friends are hard to find and impossible to forget.

I guess it's okay you left me for Utah. Now you can take me on fun adventures!

Great Salt Lake

I caught up with Lora this afternoon. Towards the end of our lengthy conversation she asked if she could send me a link with a message she had heard. This message contained a story that reminded her of me. I read it this afternoon and was blessed. Once again my friend shines wisdom on areas I have concern in. A quote from the article that displays my friend better that I can:
"The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket (although she has a pretty rockin' husband and is going to be a mama in June!!!); they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy."
Thank you for being one of the hardest working people I know. Thank you for being an uplifting voice to me. Thank you for always constantly forever pointing out positives. Thank you for being my friend. Most importantly thank you for being you!

  Feliz Cumpleanos a ti, feliz cumpleanos a ti, feliz cumpleanos querida Lora, feliz compleanos a ti! 

Your very own BFG

I am going to be honest, this is how I've felt recently. Most of the time I'm accepting of my glorious stature, but sometimes I feel cramped, befuddled, frustrated, fat, just plain outta place. So here is my raving about being too large for the common folk. You get to hear it one time, then I will be silent.

You are thinking "But, you aren't that tall." You are correct I'm not that gargantuan compared to other men although the percentage of men who are taller than me is less that 3.2%, but here's the thing-I. AM. NOT. A. MAN. How many WOMEN do you know that have a 36" inseam? It would be really nice to buy a pair of pants in a store. Who wear size 13 shoes? Yes, you read that right 1 ten and 3 ones put together. Oh those super cute fashionista shoes I just saw my friend wearing? Once, just once I would like to copy her and go grab myself a pair. Also, just because you are tall doesn't mean you are BIG. My bare shoulders from straps falling down in the summer can attest to that. I could continue with my clothing woes, but you don't want to read my neverendinglist of non-feminine/too expensive/wahwahwah blubbering. My mother never put up with it-forcing me to travel to stores 5 hours from home to find clothes or ordering half the inventory from a potential catalog just to return the unfit merchandise, so you shouldn't have to listen for that long either.
Speaking of the mom in my life the 5' 4" superstar always has made sure I "embraced my height" even when I spat back venom of her having no idea what it was like to stand out in a crowd. Oh, wait. She's that little person beside the man who's 6' 10". She has an idea of what it is like to stand out and her personality loves it. I have grown (*pun*) to accept being taller than most of the population. I know 1oneuno girl who is taller than I am. I have strangers ask me how tall I am, what it's like, how tall are my parents, do I play volleyball yada yada I could go on. This doesn't bother me. I like talking to people, but sometimes when I go out in public with my family it would be nice to not have eyes on us 94% of the time. I can see you posing behind my brother while your friend takes a picture with her smartphone. What would you do if I walked up to you and snapped a picture?
Then come the sports questions. Because I am tall I must not only be obsessed with sports, but I must also possess a natural talent that other's don't have. I have mixed emotions about how my parents handled my sports upbringing. Mixed emotions that will be discussed at a later date. I can say that I am happy with where I am at this point in my life and that things happen for a reason. As cliche as that sounds it is true. Had I been raised differently I probably wouldn't be making a difference in countless lives between molding 5 year old brains and reigning in 19 year old ball players.
I stand out as a leader. I'm a gracefully clumsy goofball. I'm a practical joker who's not good at sneaking around so I use my leader status to use other people to orchestrate my ideas--jessieowens, laceyeaster, katelyndavis. I'm unique. I've learned to love it.
But, when I make a comment about standing out don't come back with the "I know how you feel" unless you are part of the 0.7% that sets me apart.

Rant=over.
And if you don't understand the BFG acronym look it up and then read the book!

Being an Eagle

Today,I asked my basketball team to write what it meant to be "an eagle". I don't like to ask things of other people that I'm not willing to do myself so here is a picture walk of the college career that is so dear to my heart.
Pregame huddles, line-ups, and shenanigans :

2 of my favorite fellow tricksters and our short list: snowball fights, hiding under coach's desk, throwing slime, tp and forks in a certain yard, and the infamous vegas prank.

NCAA Tournaments

Team pictures wherever we went (New York x2, Maine, Atlanta, Hawaii, Vegas, and errewhere in VA)

Tradition of winning.

"It's weird...you know the end of something great is coming, but you want to hold on, just for one more second...even when it prolongs the pain"

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."--Orson Wells

 Being an Eagle is having an understanding that to every end is a new beginning. An understanding that I share unbreakable bond with few. And, when you've been there...you've invested the time, worked through the pain, know how the system works, you yearn for others to have a better 4 years than you did. Even if those years were the best in your life so far. You want them to know what to worry about and what to leave alone. You want need them to carry on old traditions and want them to create new.  There is always better. Don't settle for anything less. Control your destiny, but always remember your past.