Mother's Day 2014

I am not spending this Mother's Day with my mom, but I wish I was. Instead I have spent hours stuffing 47 goody bags for my students. I broke a sweat more than once getting it all finished. Now I have to figure out the best way to get them all to school and up the stairs to my classroom. And they aren't light -- I really stuffed those suckers!!

For future reference: I used white paper lunch sacks and had my students decorate them. Most of them created acrostic poems using their first names on the front and then drew/colored the rest however they liked. Each student is getting Cheetos, pretzels, a kool-aid drink pouch, a granola bar, 2-3 pieces of candy, 1-2 pencils with an eraser, 1-2 bouncy balls, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, stickers, a glow bracelet, tattoos, a toothbrush, and travel size toothpaste. They all got additional random prizes that I've accumulated over the last two years and wanted to get rid of. Every bag also has that student's sticker book (my reward system for the year) and a summer speech/language program to use for practice over the break. One student even has some flashcards stuck in there. I sealed them shut with printed labels telling them to have a fantastic summer and that I've enjoyed spending time with them this year. I love them, love how they turned out, and hope my students and their parents love them as well. And to think, it all started with one student declaring that he did not have a toothbrush at home.

And now for some Mother's Day business:

This is the only place you will find this. I won't post it on FB or Instagram or anywhere else. But here, on my very own personal blog, I will post it. Everyone thinks their mom is the best and I'm not going to try to prove that mine is better than anyone else's, but Mom, you are the perfect mother to me. Your voice echoes in my head often with bits of advice or wisdom that carry me through my days. The list of inside jokes and movie quotes that have embedded themselves in our vernacular is unending and updated often. It is the language of our family and something I cherish. Interacting with others was never my forte (and still isn't, truly), but you taught me how and when I need some extra courage to say/do what I need to, I channel my inner you. You are the first person I want to share everything with (which drive Brian crazy) and you always always say exactly what I want/need to hear. You cheer every success and build me back up after every failure. You have welcomed me on many summer vacations -- including one in a couple months -- and have opened your house to me whenever necessary (aka whenever Brian deploys). We share a love for Parenthood and Friday Night Lights, our favorite Friday nights are spent at Shotwell Stadium watching Cooper play football, and we generally hate most people. We love love love cats (see above picture for proof) and can usually find a soft spot for dogs, too. I burn while you tan and I have Dad's blue eyes instead of yours, but I think I have your hair and I know I have your love for books (have you seen my bookcase lately -- geez!). Just, ya know, thanks for everything...for being you...for being MY mom. I'm glad I'm yours cause I wouldn't be me if it had been anyone else (obviously). See you soon! :)