Day 31: My Mom's Day

Today is my mom's birthday, as she would be 84. I miss her every single day.

Picture her:
My mom was always curled up in a chair reading a book and eating cookies. Or you can see her working in the house going from laundry to cooking a meal and cleaning it all up. She was a hard worker, but when all the work was done (probably by 10 a.m. as she had been at work since 4), she enjoyed relaxing by reading or talking (she would talk on the phone until her hand went to sleep).

Hear her:
My mom was a storyteller. I loved hearing about her growing up, and I would ask her to tell the same stories over and over. She laughed loudly and often. When Haidyn was little and my mom was alive, when they talked on the phone, my mom would just say, "Let's laugh." And she would start laughing, and so would Haidyn. They just sat and laughed on the phone for 5 minutes. When we talked between rooms growing up, we spoke loudly rather than walking to each other to have the conversation. When I called her when I was sick, she would say, "Oh poor baby. I wish I could come there and take care of you." And she meant it. She and I could talk at the same time on the phone, yet we were never lost.

Feel her:
My mom gave the best hugs. She was always warm and soft, and I sat on her lap until I was in college. Every morning, I woke up sleepy, and I sat on her lap face to face and tried to sleep a little more. She was comforting and loving and everything you wanted a mom to be.

I could go on and on about memories of my mom, but this gives you just enough to love her without ever meeting her. I am sure of it.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!

Take time today to call or see your mom in honor of mine.

Day 30: Prayer & Anxiety

God answers prayers.

I have been a witness to God answering massive prayers, where I have prayed for days and days. I can also say he has blessed me by answering tiny prayers as well.

One thing you may not know about me is that I have anxiety. This can range from worrying about something upcoming to worrying right when it is happening to worrying after it has already happened while playing it over and over in my head. I have known my whole life that I was anxious, as my stomach plays a large role in that.

I used to just get a fluttery stomach when I was very young when I worried about things. Some of the topics that could get me worked up were death, moving, change. To be completely honest, those three words still scare me some, but thanks to years of prayer about them, not as much. When I began really liking boys and dating, my stomach continued to accompany my anxiety, as I threw up on every date. Yes, I know this is peculiar and gross, but the gentlemen were always very nice about it. I just got so nervous, and we would eat dinner every time. Maybe I needed a date where I didn't eat. Nevertheless, I never threw up when dating Jason, so I married him. Now, when I worry about things, my stomach continues to feel ill at ease, but I can usually maintain it.

The only way for me to get through my anxiety and worry is to pray. I pray and talk to God all during my worrisome times, and He is there to remind me that He has got it all under control. I ask for Him to fix situations or provide peace about them. I have found the best method is to return to the person I had the conversation with and work through my thoughts (if I am worrying after a conversation or before one), or I can ask as many questions as I can think of that need to be answered, and when they are all answered, and I have validated my decision, I can let it go (this is when I am trying to make a decision).

Today, I had one of those days that included anxiety. Jason and I had decided to go look at a GMC Acadia to see if we were interested in buying it. Long story short, we had a 2009, and it fell apart and cost us a vacation. Would we put ourselves in that situation again with this newer version with good reviews?

We traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Just entering a car lot can be intimidating, but I knew we did not have to leave with a car, as we were not stuck in a situation but just looking for the future. Going through the motions, we both drove the vehicle, and there were things we liked about it. However, we did ask if we could see another vehicle similar to the Acadia. Our helpful salesperson offered the Toyota Highlander as an option. Through my research, this was one we had been considering. Again, we drove the vehicle, and it did not seem to have as many gadgets but it was bigger, cleaner, newer and in better condition. The next steps include waiting to see how the financing works out. My anxiety did not enter until we had to decide which payment type we wanted. Committing to hundreds of dollars a month and to years of this payment is when it entered. I get so frustrated that a car that costs $2,000 ends up costing $7,000 due to interest. Jason and I talked and talked, and we just weren't settled with our options. The guy returns looking for one more, and then, we can finally get on board. Meanwhile, my stomach has gone from being okay to not being okay and back and forth. I never know if I know all the questions to ask, and I question whether we should make big purchases. We lived for several years spread so thin, so even though we have more money coming in, I get nervous. Finally, after the four hours of going through the motions, we did decide to buy the Toyota Highlander.

God answers prayers. We paid no money down, and we are in a payment that we believe we can afford with guarantees to fix the car if it breaks down. We are blessed with a vehicle that our family can enjoy, and we are able to take other children to church and to activities where they can have fun. We can go on a vacation in a spacious environment. God got me through my anxiety, helped us make a solid decision, and He got us home safely (I had to drive in the dark with horrible construction in a place I have never driven - yes, more anxiety).

Thank you, God, for everything you do every day.

Day 29: Who Do You Want to Be?

Today was the day for my reflection conversation with Dr. Moeller. Usually, I leave these conversations thinking very deeply, and I walk away with a quote that I cannot get out of my head. This year, he wrote my quote down, and I moved my thinking but in a bit of a different way.

The questions he always forces me to remember are
Who are you? 
                      Who do you want to be?
                                                          Are your behaviors congruent?

Simply questions. Deep thinking.

I believe I wrote a blog post about this last year, but my mind goes to my daughter Haidyn. This year Mrs. Buford asked them to make a slide for what they want to be when they grow up. Haidyn, at that time, was dreaming of being a chef. We took her picture, and she pasted it on the slide. Through our discussion, I explained to her that I think the challenge should not be what you want to be but who you want to be when you grow up. Do you want to be the kind person that is full of compassion? Do you want to be the comic relief when others are sad? Do you want to be a listener? a collaborator? a leader? a changer?

If I think about who I want to be, one of the things I want to be is an encourager. Our world is so filled with negativity that I hope to not contribute to that bucket, but I want to fill up the positivity bucket. This can range from compliments to validation. I feel like this is one of my strengths, and I hope that I can choose congruent behaviors to represent who I want to be.

Who do you want to be?

Day 28: Childhood Playtime

After peeking at the topic for today, I would like to share random friendship stories with you today.

Thinking back to some of my childhood friends, I had some interesting things I played with my friends.

When I was really young, I played with my neighbor's grandchildren. They ran a vet office downstairs, and their house was upstairs. The Mayes family had 3 children, but Jessica was much older. I played with Veronica, who was one year older, and Danny, who was one year younger. I played He-man and She-ra with Danny. We played on the back porch, and I was always riding the tiger around and drawing my sword.

In second grade, I had a friend named Trish, and we played in the ditch at school. There were holes in the dirt, and we imagined that these tiny people lived inside the holes. In addition, we believed that rocks could talk and had feelings as well. I have no idea where this came from, but it explains my daughter Paisley's imagination a bit more.

In third grade, I sat on the hill with my friend Traci, and we hung out with boys and listened to the Dirty Dancing cassette tape. No, I had never seen the movie, but I loved the songs. I even performed "Hungry Eyes" at her birthday party that year to the parents and kids. Her birthday party was at a hotel, and we swam, had pizza, and stayed up late. So fun!

In fourth grade, I moved to Welch, and I became good friends with a church and school friend named Amy. I loved Amy's house because she had a playhouse in her backyard. We would play for hours in there from playing school to playing house. When she was in town, we played house at her grandma's house, and we also rode bikes. We were able to ride several blocks, which is half of our town.

Thinking about all of these memories, I played outside and used my imagination most of the time. I was not a huge doll fan, but I did play games with my dad like cards and dominos. I have always loved TV shows, but I never owned a game system. I also read a lot of books, but I did that in the car mostly. Dwelling on these few memories makes me smile. I can conclude that I still would rather use my imagination and go play outside if the temperature is right more than anything else.

I have had lots of friends in my lifetime, and I have made great memories with so many of them.

Day 27: An Instructional Coach Is . . . Busy

Being an instructional coach can be challenging sometimes. There are still moments when I think this job will end, and I will be a teacher again, like I am just on a vacation from the other. I truly love what I do as a coach, and I love the pace of the job. When you tell anyone your job title, they look at you like what is that?!. My husband says, "I teach the teachers", but I would disagree because they teach me. The way I explain it is I am over professional development, writing curriculum, and working with teachers to create the best environment for students. Yet, until you look over my calendar or hear me talk about all the things I do, you don't really see it all. Here's a peek into my daily life in a typical week.

Monday - Every other week, we meet with the junior high administration first, and then, as coaches, we meet together. In these meetings they range from dialogue on the next big ideas to working diligently planning the next event from brainstorming over Top Chef to determining the best books for professional development to planning a Title instructional coaches meeting. Some days these days are my favorite because I work with my team all day, and we have really grown to be a very close group.

Tuesday - If this were a Core Team day, then, I would be the most like a teacher these days, as I require my "withitness" on these days. These days are filled with many goals, as this year, we have been writing curriculum. We use the backwards method, as we should, begin with the assessment in mind, and then, add resources and instructional strategies to create the units. I enjoy the inclusion activities and getting to know teachers and have insight into their classrooms, which helps me find resources that the students and the teachers enjoy even more. While all this is going on, I am hoping to include opportunities for conversations on all kinds of topics from what might need changed to what is being celebrated. For the most part, these days make everyone tired, as we do so much deep thinking, but I always feel accomplished and excited at all the good things we have planned.

Wednesday - If this were a day where I would have team meetings in either of my buildings, they tend to move pretty quickly. However, just like a teacher, doing the same meeting over and over can sometimes wear on you. The new conversations in each is what I looks forward to, and I love how different they can be. I love how different pockets of people have such different personalities and still work together so well. Sometimes, I walk away from these blown away by the positive things teachers are doing.

Thursday - If this were a day where I met with teachers and had some of my programs involved, it might look like this:
7:30-9: Work on curriculum or to do list
9-10: Meet with a teacher to plan their next unit
10-11: Go with a 6th grade teacher and her class to Madge T. James for tutoring
11-1: Have Lunchdate with a Book in the library with 3 lunch groups
1-3: Answer or ask email questions, order/look up resources, plan next meetings, work on something specific for a teacher

Friday - If this were a day where I was able to travel for professional development, it would include leaving early, usually. Talking in the vehicle is something I love, as I get to know the teachers. Keeping the conversation going is one of my goals, and then, when we arrive, we get to find out new ideas and practices to implement in the classroom. Learning new things is my favorite! I even like the lunch and drive back talks because then, we focus on all the information we were taking in, and we usually make steps on how to implement it. I have one of these next Friday for social studies, and I am truly looking forward to it.

Saturday/Sunday - Sometime on the weekend, I am probably making a test, gathering resources, crunching data, sending emails, or planning meetings for the week. Very rarely does a weekend go by that I am not working some portion of it.

I hope you can see some of the things that an instructional coach does to further understand my busy life. :)

Day 26: My Husband

Husbands are interesting creatures, and mine for sure fits into that category. I met my husband at a Missouri Southern football game, and football has been a part of our lives ever since. I mean our dog's name is Oakland for crying out loud. Football is something we share, but we do not always see eye to eye on everything.

Jason and I are complete opposites on some things and so common in other ways. As for the extreme differences, the biggest one is I am extroverted, and he is introverted. This has really challenged my thinking, and to be honest, Facebook, of all things, has helped. Maybe you have seen those posts that explain how an introvert feels such as when they are with people it drains them, and that sometimes, they come across cross, rude, or uninterested. This makes a lot of sense to me with Jason because other people even in college thought he was no fun because of his facial expression or demeanor, yet when you talk to him, he is not like that at all. He is just better in small groups. Moreover, when we hang out with a group of people or meet new people, I thrive, and he asks a bazillion questions first and needs to go home early. He can get excited just like anyone else, but is takes a while to build that up with him. Many times it is hard to tell what he is thinking, and asking repeatedly is not the best method. Jason will basically tell you what he thinks when he wants to, which can be viewed good or bad. While I show every emotion all the time and will tell you what I am thinking as soon as you hint that I might need to, so we are just very different in our communication styles as well.

Other differences usually tie to how we were brought up, so that affects how we make decisions. For example, in his family, children are not the center of attention, but in my family, they are. My entire family is in the business of education, so understanding his work has been something I have to ask questions about to gain more information. Lastly, we even argue differently, which makes for an interesting discussion.

The good news is when it comes down to the necessities in life, though, we agree on God, our children, and our house. I believe over the years we have changed each other a little bit to agree more and more on these topics. The benefits of having some of the same tastes include sharing common likes in food, music, and activities (such as game playing on the weekends). Despite the differences, I do enjoy my life with Jason, and I look forward to see how we will change over the years growing together.

Day 25: Gilmore Girls

I have finally joined the masses (again), and I began watching Gilmore Girls over spring break. I had only ever tried the first episode, and it was not enough taste for me to really get my claws dug in just right. Now, I am further into Season 1, and I am loving it. Now, the only problem will be to actually not want to only watch every day all day until I can watch the Netflix new one. Here are my thoughts up to this point.

First of all, I am truly bugged that mother and daughter have the same name.

Second, Lorelai has such interesting clothing taste, but she can work it. I can totally get why she has rules about dating, but she can't even see what she is doing to herself. Is that part of the theme of this show? Side note but DO NOT ANSWER: Is she just going to end up with Luke? (Hart of Dixie--that is how that ends - so does it end the same here?)

Third, Rory is totally great, just like Lorelai says in every show so far. She reminds me of Haidyn, but I think my own daughter is a little more bold. I was predicting a Paris friendship, but will it stick? And why did I not get to see the debate? I really wanted to.

Fourthly, I love the grandpa, and unfortunately, I think I relate the most to the grandma. UGH. I do have high standards, but I am not rich. I totally understand how she is trying to reach out. Will it give me more of the back story of why they have not been in contact for 16 years?

Lastly for now, Sookie and Lane are great. Lane remind me of Cristina in Grey's, as her voice actually sounds like Cristina, but she is so much more spirited. I think Lane and Rory are good for each other, just as Sookie and Lorelai are good for one another. It is so weird that Sookie is Melissa McCarthy, going backwards is very odd.

So far, I like the show. Can you tell? Have you seen it? Do you love it? Does it end well (no, do not tell me!)?

Day 24: God's Plan Not Coincidences

When my brother Jon was expecting his son, we were very anxious for his arrival. The plan was to name him Jake Milton, the Milton was my dad's middle name. On August 10, we got a phone call that evening that Jake was on the way, only it was too early. Way too early. Jake's due date was Thanksgiving. Yes, 4 months early. The first questions to come to my mind were: Will we still use my dad's name? What will happen to Jake? 

Picture of my brother Jon, my dad Edwin Milton, and me

Jake Milton was born on August 10. He weighed 1 lb. and 11 oz. I remember his weight better than my own children's weights. He was the size of someone's hand. Obviously, he stayed in the NICU for a long while.

In October, my dad had a stroke. We knew it was near the end. My dad did not live with me, so we visited my dad. We also traveled to Texas to meet Jake. My mom and I had to "scrub in" in order to hold him. He was still so tiny. It was incredible. That same trip was when my Dad passed away. When we found out that Jake would be okay, it was okay for my dad to leave this world. Milton continued on.

Jake finally went home close to Thanksgiving. Many other medical procedures took place, and Jake has worn glasses as long as I can remember. He grew up with some special gifts, but he is the sweetest young man ever. He loves movies, and he loves his family. We are so blessed for the Milton to continue, and we are blessed with Jake in our lives.

This is Jake his senior year, so about three years ago. He looks so dapper!

Day 23: Prayer Plan

I have a lot of people that I pray for, and many years ago, I figured out a system based on the day which people in my life that I would pray for on that day. I have not always stuck to it, but it was a good system.

Sunday - those who need Saved

Monday - Marriage (we needs lots of prayer on marriages) & Money (another thing to help with the marriage

Tuesday - Two girls (Haidyn & Paisley; I have prayed for their future spouses, their health, their anxieties, friends, school, teachers, etc.)

Wednesday - Work (I am thankful for our jobs, and I have lots of people I need to pray for at work)

Thursday - That Prayer List (I have one in my bag at all times, and we have one at church)

Friday - Family & Friends (One of my favorite things on Sisters' Weekend is to come home with a renewed prayer list for what our families need)

Saturday - Self (We all need to take time to help ourselves).

I have also done the notecard method, where you make a card for every category or person, and then, it is easier to update them. I like this method as well.

How do you organize your prayers? What do I need to put on my prayer list regarding you and your needs?

Day 22: Can I Just Eat?

All I really want is to be skinny and eat what I want. Recently, I have been trying to eat and have a healthier lifestyle. I have never truly dieted, and I battle myself all day every day just to try to eat better. I mean I literally argue with myself in my head. Don't eat that. Get up and go work out. Who cares if you eat that? Shouldn't you enjoy yourself? I am too tired. I can start tomorrow. No, start today. 21 days to make a habit. . . . 

Nothing sounds and tastes better than the crack, szzzz of a soda pop being opened, and the first drink of a Dr. Pepper, Coke, or Mt. Dew, which cannot be beat. Yet, I know those are truly pretty empty calories. I find it really interesting that when I stop drinking soda that I get extremely thirsty. I hardly drink 2 drinks normally, which is not the dr.'s recommendation at all, but when I am not drinking soda pop, I have to drink so much more.

To continue on, I love a little sweet something to wrap up my meal. I blame my mother, who put either fruit on the table or had a dessert planned for every dinner, and in every lunch she packed, dessert was included. Not to mention, breakfast in and of itself is a sweet thing between cereal, toaster strudels, chocolate chip granola bars, etc. Without this, I just sit around waiting for when I am getting a smackeral of something sweet.

Lastly, when I don't get these beloved items, I get cranky, sad, full of emotion. Food brings me lots of joy, and I reward myself with food (both of which are terrible habits). I have tried adding a bit of exercise, but I know I need to improve my length and type of exercise. I do enjoy a walk with my dog, and my favorite exercise type is like an aerobic workout with lots of movement. In the past, I have been better at keeping up with exercise.

I will press on, and I will continue searching for foods that are better for me but provide the same satisfaction. In addition, I hope to incorporate more exercise with this warmer weather. All in all, I truly want to be happy and healthy, so I am searching for the perfect balance.

Day 21: Go Wildcats!

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has begun. March Madness. This is one of my favorite sports events of the year. This began many years ago when my older brother Jon taught me to love this game. In my hometown, Welch, Oklahoma (Population 700ish), I played basketball. Maybe you read about it in my blog from last year; if not, go ahead and go back, as it is worth the read. When you took PE class, you play basketball in fifth and sixth grade. This definitely helped me know more about the sport. About this same time, my brother lived near us, and we spent a lot of time together. Therefore, since I did not live with my dad at that time (the original sports fan), my brother's remote controlling landed on basketball.

Picture it: Welch, Oklahoma, early 90s. With a one block Main Street, 5 churches, 1 grocery store, and 1 school, what else would you do there? Watching basketball with Jon meant that you cheered for the Duke Blue Devils and Mike Krzyzewski (Sha-chef-ski).  My whole family loves to get excited about sports, and loud coaching/cheering from the coach is sure to ensue. This was an exciting time to cheer for this team. On the opposite side of town, North Carolina Tar Heels were being revered by sister Toni Clarkson. Both of these siblings coached basketball, so their knowledge is much more vast than mine. Interestingly enough, in 1991 and 1992, Duke took the cake, and the following year, North Carolina won.

Then, the moment came that kept me rooting for years. 1992. Christian Laettner. 2 seconds on the clock. Duke vs. Kentucky. Laettner was for Duke. Long pass to Laettner, and he makes it! They win! NCAA Champs! This is when I fell in love with the NCAA Tournament. I have filled out brackets for years since then.

As usual, I can't just cheer for the same team as my family. No, that would be too easy. I try for a while, as I did in this case. Just like Duke, I also have tried to cheer for the Dallas Cowboys for the NFL and the Oklahoma Sooners in college football, yet the only team we could ever agree were the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan (and probably more than half the country rode that band wagon).  To stick with my own tradition, I had to find my own basketball team that fit me. Sure enough, there was a team that was blue and white and had the mascot The Wildcats, just like Welch! This team was none other than the Kentucky Wildcats, the same team that Duke beat in the moment I began cheering. Their coach at the time was Rick Pitino. I truly started following them, and during my junior year of high school and freshmen year of college, Kentucky won the championship. I was so dedicated and arrogant that I might have bragged a bit too much at school. They even decorated my car over the NCAA feud during high school. It was fun and exciting. Over the years, they have held their own pretty well. They won again in 2012. Thanks for traveling down memory (or the free throw) lane with me.

Tonight, I cheered Kentucky to victory with their first game in this year's tournament. I am sported in my jersey that I got from the Frosted Flakes box in high school, I kid you not. Go Wildcats!

Day 20: A Few of my Favorite Things

Do you have favorite clothes? Like a favorite shirt growing up or when you wear your favorite outfit, you feel really good about yourself? Or, do you have your favorite around-the-house outfit? Clothes have always meant so much to me, as I am sentimental about clothes.

When I was 4, I remember (thanks to a picture) that I wore my Wonder Woman shirt and blue shirts as often as I could. I was pretty small for age, and I remember my mom making a big deal about me still wearing size 4 at age 6.

When I was 9, I had an awesome white tank top with bright colored scribbles on it. We moved that year, and I remember looking for it and never finding it. I was bummed about not finding this shirt for over a year.

When I was in the midst of my teens, I wore these outfits that had these awful leotard -ike bodysuits that snapped (like a onesie) and tight colored jeans with boots. I thought they were to die for, but now, I would die wearing it. I even vividly remembering watching Sister Act II, and I wanted the main character's outfit in the last dance, which featured a red bodysuit and baggy jeans.

When I was a freshman in college, I was a total prep. I wore button up shirts, sweater vests or sweaters over them with the tail out with jeans and Doc Martins. This was a style that I think I could still pull off today. I would switch the boots mostly because Docs weigh too much.

When I was a brand new teacher, I shopped quite often at New York & Company. I had a red shirt and a red, black, and white sideway striped skirt. This was a beloved outfit of mine, and if I could fit in it and still owned it, I would still be sporting it today.

Currently, my favorite outfits are probably ones that you have never seen, as they are made up of the softest shirts and pants I can find. I have this hand-me-down pair of men's gray American Eagle sweats, a hand-me-down men's gray zip up hoodie, and a light blue t-shirt featuring camel coffee from Tulsa that are three of my most beloved articles of clothing. Sometimes, I will wear them together, or feature them separately, so I can have one super soft thing with other semi-soft clothes. On the flip side, I do have some favorite outfits that I wear to go outside of my house. These outfits include colored jeans, a long enough shirt to reach my thighs, and either boots or flats. I do, also, enjoy jackets or cardigans. I am a layer-wearer, and I wear a tank top every single day all day long. This might be odd, but I know no other way.

This random clothes blog was brought to you because I am cleaning out my daughters' clothes. I have many sentimental outfits for them at each age, and I could dote on those for hours. Instead, I wanted to reveal clips of myself throughout the ages. Let me know some of your favorites as you grew up, or even today.

Day 19: Dreaming of Desserts

I love desserts. 

My top 10 favorite desserts are described below.

1. Cookies

*Chocolate Chip is my all time favorite dessert and cookie.
**Oatmeal Scotchies -- my mom made these when I was growing up, butterscotch chips in oatmeal cookies.
***Sugar cookies -- only my sister Suzi's recipe with almond extract in the recipe and the icing.

2. Brownies

*I will take these just about any way as long as they are chewy and not cakey. My go-to is the Original Supreme Box with the Hershey's syrup that you add.

3. Ice Cream

*Mint chocolate chip is my all time favorite flavor. Other flavors that I think are scrumptious include: chocolate types like brownie batter or chocolate swirl types; cherries, pecans, & cream; I can go for that Ben & Jerry's Core -salted caramel or the brownie core; cookies & cream only in a malt (they have leftover Oreo crumbles in the bottom); anything with hot fudge and/or caramel. If I were to have a mix or concrete, I enjoy Oreos or brownies mixed in. Don't forget snow ice cream; I love that too!

**Mint chocolate chip ice cream on a brownie is one combination I have on special occasions.

4. Candy Bars

Sometimes, I just go for the candy bar. I try new ones all too often. They keep adding variations, so how can I not?
Favorite candy bar is the newer blue package Snickers crisper. Oh my! Not that I love it, it is hard to find.
Besides a Snickers (including ice cream but excluding peanut butter), I like a dark Kitkat, dark Milky Way, Skor, Almond Joy, or Dove.

5. Crisp

*I don't love pie because of the crust, but I do love oatmeal. Therefore, apple, peach, or blackberry crisp would be right up my alley. I also can only do the dump cake kind. I am not a fan of cake. Oh, and please combine my #3 ice cream vanilla with this for a delectable dessert.

6. Pudding/Bread Pudding

*I would eat pudding for dessert, and I love every flavor (tapioca or chocolate is my favorite).
**Bread pudding is one of my other sister's specialties, and she makes the most delicious glazes including rum and lemon. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

7. Hello Dollies

*This is that graham cracker crust with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, nuts, and sweetened, condensed milk. Yum!

8. Truffles

*Oreo balls or cake balls, whichever are not baked, are the ones we always make at summer school.

9. Cinnamon Rolls

*Sweet Emotion makes delicious $1 cinnamon rolls. I have never made them homemade, but as long as they are gooey and covered in icing, I can dig 'em. I also like the orange kind; I grew up on this type.

10. Cheesecake

*Just like the Golden Girls, I love cheesecake. I enjoy chocolate or caramel or plain. I am not that crazy about the fruit kind.

Day 18: Is the Garage Ever Clean?

Oh my good gravy! I am worn out!!!! Garage cleaning day was a pretty big success, but there is still so much to do. The girls and I spent nearly the entire day sorting things on the driveway, and then, we had to reload the garage again. Some of our favorite things to discover in the garage are

• keepsake toys and clothes (awww. They are just so sweet). I am keeping the girls' shirts and things for a quilt for them. We also have keepsake toys bins for our future grandchildren. The girls discovered my wooden top, Jacob's ladder, and my first Barbies)
• stuffed animals (we love to sort through our collection. We really sorted this time, and I took an entire box to D.A.V.)
• the things you had been looking for (I had boxed up my living room decor, and we found it in the attic. Whew. I thought I would have to buy new).
• things you didn't know were even in existence (gold purses from my grandma or picture frames galore--like I could have a museum).

I spent part of the day trying to get rid of free stuff. Maybe, I should pay for someone to take it all away! Trying to sell things on Facebook is not my favorite thing, but trying to have a garage sale is DEFINITELY not worth it.

How do you organize and go through your items? Are you a make a mess of the mess and then, clean it all up? What are your methods for keeping the piles low? I could probably use some advice. My advice to myself is move every five years, but we sure did not do that!

I can't wait to find out some of your organizational tips, until then, I will continue to rest until tomorrow, when I need to go through all the clothes . . . .

Day 17: Green Day

To wrap up the Kansas City trip, we attempted to go mini-golfing. Get it, go to the greens! As it was St. Patrick's Day! However, it was not open. Instead we ended up at Get Air Trampoline Park. The girls loved it. Not only was there the normal, like the American Ninja Warrior course, dodgeball, basketball, and the trampoline rows, but here was also a surfing board, a tight rope, a course that ended with these awesome purple cloths where you can swing, and much more. They had a blast, and I was tired just watching!

Next, we headed to go eat, and then, we were on our way home. Narrowing the choices, we landed on the Salty Iguana. We even played "I Spy Something Green" while we waited on our food. Between cheese dip and fajitas, mmmhmm, my stomach was happy.

Finally, upon our return, we took Oakland for a walk to the park. And lark, what did we find, but a rainbow! on the pond. At the end of my rainbow is a golden family that I had a great deal of fun with throughout the weekend. I hope you and yours celebrated today by wearing green and spending time with ye loved ones.

Day 16: The Traditions Continue in Kansas city

On this particular occasion, as we recognized each of the landmarks from the other times we have traveled to Kansas City, we reminisced about all the events from previous years.

Passing by the Convention Center, this is where we came shortly after the butterfly garden trip to see Disney's Sophia and Jake and the Neverland Pirates Show. WOW! What an extravagant song and dance that was! We all truly enjoyed it!

The next section of Independence is where we see the Corner Cafe, where we turn to our hotel. Yet even as the cars lined the street, we have never eaten there. If you go down to the car wash and hang a right, you will be on your way to wind around to some of our favorite locations to walk around and shop. Who doesn't love a Bass Pro and a Mardel's? One glorious location to "lure" men in while the latter is the perfect place for a "faithful and educated" woman.

Below you will find some random photos as we shopped all over the store.

If you proceed around that corner, you will find out favorite park where the girls have played for years on our Kansas City weekend getaways. Here are a couple of pictures from then to now at the park on the same rock as before.

Finally, if you cross the road, the World Market is a fine establishment for wandering around to pick up an odd gift, or for Paisley, a new fan (I mean, seriously, every time we have ever been there, she buys a fan). This picture is our first set of fans.

On that side of the highway is another favorite spot, Barnes & Noble. This particular place has a stage where the girls have performed for years. From singing to dancing to mini-skits, we have seen it all. We almost never leave empty handed. This year I purchased 2 Easter books, 2 young adult literature books, a Minecraft book, and a game we have been dreaming of Ticket to Ride: Rails and Sails.

All in all, no matter what we do in Kansas City, the best part is that we are together. I did not even attempt to add the Kansas City Zoo pictures, as we have been there twice as well. Not to mention, Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun are two locations we frequent as well. Going through all these pictures really warmed my heart. I love when you find a place that feels like home. I can't wait to find out where else we might locate that will be one of our "traditions".

Day 15: Coming Home to Kansas City

When Haidyn and Paisley were 5 and 2, our family traveled to Kansas City. We were going to visit the Butterfly Garden. I remember vividly that I was telling Jason the directions, and we ended up on a dirt road.

In Kansas City. He said something to the effect that if we end up in somebody's backyard, and they have named it a butterfly garden . . . . Thankfully, the dirt road led to a wonderful location with flowers, a woman dressed as a butterfly, butterflies in several tents and locations, a gift shop, an activity room, etc. It was glorious! Except for one pesky thing, Haidyn was afraid of the butterflies!

 

She would not touch one single butterfly or even go inside the tents to look at them. By the end of the journey, we painted flower pots and bought some beautiful butterfly wings for Haidyn and Paisley to enjoy for years, and we still have them today.



During this particular trip, we stayed at the Drury Inn and Suites in Independence. Since then, we have stayed there many times, and today as we traveled there again, it felt like we were coming home.

(One of my all time favorite pictures of the stay-at-home dad look)

Independence has become a place where we like to view it as home, especially the Drury Inn and Suites. From one of our first visits to this year's visit, check out how the girls have grown!

To be continued . . . 

Day 14: Disappointment . . . and Excitement

Disappointment is a feeling that nobody likes to have, yet we all seem to suffer from it in a response to both large and small things. Disappointment can vary from a not even knowing you were holding on to a little hope to hoping with all your heart, and then, it doesn't happen. Personally, I have found that it is true that you never want to disappoint your parents, and in my case, I don't want to disappoint my siblings, my friends, my colleagues, my husband and children. I even still have intrinsic motivation to please my parents, and they are no longer living. In a spiritual nature, I also don't want to let down God, and I do that daily. In addition, I have high expectations for myself, and I don't want to disappoint that either.

That takes me to my next point: high expectations. My point values are pretty high, and I have had to adjust them to make relationships work, which in turn burns me up. Lowering my standards and expectations to fit someone just really hacks me off. Yet, I know if I care about the person and realize that their best is not my expectation of best, then, I might as well lower my hopes. Many times lowering my expectations brings about immediate disappointment.

This topic tonight came from several disappointing things from today. I woke up this morning to a dream about celebrating my first anniversary with Jason, and my mom was there. I had this Vivitar camera (which is a real camera, and it would not need to be wound like a throw away camera, yet I had to do that), and I tried to take a picture of my mom. I could not because it was out of film, but I thought in my head I can't take a picture of my mom because she is an angel. Pretty disappointing to not get a picture of her, and then, to wake up, and I can't see her anymore is even more disappointing. This is the I had no hopes of the situation, yet I was still disappointed.

Next, my daughter Haidyn has had her mind set on something she wanted, and she found out she was not selected. She was broken, crying and hurting. Not only was it disappointing for her, but as a mother, it was disappointing for me. I felt her feelings, and she was blaming herself, which she shouldn't have. This disappointment is felt very deeply, like a double dose of it.

Life may bring lots of disappointments, but along with that, it brings excitement. In this same day, I was able to see my good friend and past student Emily Roderique and her seventh grade students have a wonderful turnout for the passion projects, and I even made the news (again, excitement for something you did not even consider happening). Not to mention, I was excited my favorite pair of socks were clean, which is something I expect, and it was delightful. Finally, tomorrow afternoon we get to travel to Kansas City for a weekend to kick off spring break. This is something we have been looking forward to a long time, as we had a getaway planned in February, but Paisley got the flu. Therefore, this is the building of excitement, and instead of a let down, it is going to be a gear up!

True excitement is one of very favorite feelings. I remember having some major excitement in the beginning days of knowing and dating Jason, and then, again, waiting excitedly for both of my daughters to arrive. Lastly, I am super excited to spend a weekend with those people that have sparked my excitement for so long!

May you make your way through the puddles of disappointment and have more rainbows of excitement instead!

Day 13: Birthstone Love

My birthstone is the pearl. I have never really liked pearls, and even though my dad's mom (whom I never met) was Ada Pearl, it had no impact on my feelings. I did love the white cat next door where I grew up, and it was named Pearl. We shared ice cream cones pretty often. For a thanks-for-being-in-my-wedding gifts, I received strands of fake pearls. Fortunately, my mom bought me a necklace when I was younger with one real pearl on a silver chain. I treasured this gift. Now, I believe I would like black pearls, but I have no jewelry with this stone.

Another birthstone of June is the alexandrite. I never got a class ring, but I did have some type of jewelry with this type of stone. This gem is pretty fascinating as it is green in the sunlight and red in the lamplight. Ironically, red and green are two of my favorite colors, while yellow is my third. Maybe I will find out even more about this exciting color-changing stone.

Finally, my daughter's birthstones are in my mother's ring. Haidyn, born in October, was blessed with the tourmaline, this gemstone can be nearly any color. The one in my ring is pink. I had wished that Haidyn would not be born in September for the sapphire, since we knew she was a girl. Interestingly enough, her favorite color is blue, so she may be bummed. Paisley's birthstone is a ruby for July. I am probably one of those few people who love pink and red together, but on this ring, it indicates that I am definitely a girl mom. In addition to their stones, their names are engraved on my ring as well.  This is one of my prized possessions.

All in all, I may not have a diamond or a shiny emerald, but I may have grown fond of my own birthstones along with my daughters. 

March 12: Associations

Have you ever played that association game where someone says a topic, and it reminds you of something that ties to something else that then, gets you started on a story, and pretty soon, you are 5 stories away from the beginning one you started?

As an illustration, here we go.

Today is my nephew Brayden's birthday. Brayden loves dinosaurs. His teacher is so creative that she let him present on dinosaurs in her class for an entire lesson, and he did so well.

I love dinosaurs as well. In fact, in sixth grade, I broke up with my boyfriend for the guy who liked dinosaurs. He had bought something dinosaur-related at the book fair, where I bought some weirdo car stickers.

I remember liking a CCC, Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. This was one of the cars on my car stickers from the Book Fair (I love the Book Fair still to this day). I used it as my top car choice for the game MASH. I know you've played it. I taught it to my own children, and when I taught, I let the students play for one lesson to help with problem/solution and life choices.

Another great paper game at that time was the fortune teller, where you asked questions and gave responses, which is totally related to the Magic 8 ball. Will I ever make sense in this blog? "Very doubtful," the 8 ball replies.

These toys and games made decisions seem easy, as there were tons of choices, and with one fell swoop of a cross-out on MASH, an opened corner on the fortune teller, or a flipped over 8 ball, one could determine his/her life's paths. Ahhh, if it were just this easy.

How did I do? Birthdays to the Magic 8 Ball and life's paths. Pretty interesting how with each year, we usually evaluate how we are doing on life's paths. So, is everything truly related somehow?

Where does your mind take you in the association game?

Day 11: Games We Love (Right Now)

The Top 5 Games at the Sears House (as of right now)

1. Ticket to Ride -- This is an epic adventure where you are provided with 3 route cards to start and 4 train cards of various colors. Determine which way you will go across America and draw colored train cards to make your colored trains connect. Varieties include other locations in the world, and we are hoping to get Rails and Sails one day, so we can board boats as well. Challenge at our house is who will get the longest train? We play this game at least once a week.

2. Trash --Paisley learned about this game at her Nutcracker practice. Deal out 10 cards face down for everyone, and then, Draw one card and place it in the corresponding spot, and continue playing until you cannot. Goal: 

A 2 3 4 5 

6 7 8 9 10

Jacks do nothing, while Queens trade with a partner. Finally, Kings are wild. The girls and I usually play this game, and I am not sure if we have ever made it to the end.

3. Three Marker Challenge--Make copies for everyone of the same picture. Sometimes, we draw our own. With your eyes closed, draw one marker at a time until you have 3. Color the picture with those colors, and vote for a winner. Most people really hate to get brown or gray, but with enough creativity, you can even win with those colors!

4. The Question Game --This dinnertime fun is when you ask a question, and everyone has to answer it. Inevitably, Jason always asks, "If you were stranded on an island, what . . . ?" Paisley usually has us plan a birthday party or a sport. Haidyn, ultimately, has us plan a restaurant. I just ask some crazy question. All in all, we have fun while we play dinner. 

5. Easter Disney Matching--This game dates back to when the girls were little, when we used to leave the matching cards up because it was IMPOSSIBLE to remember them otherwise. This set has some favorite characters in it from Winnie the Pooh and Piglet to Lightning McQueen and Phineas and Ferb. It has been fun to rekindle our spirits with this matching game leading up to Easter. 

If you ask again next week, I am sure we will have swapped out another game for one of these. We have a game closet, and the girls have their own game shelf. Jason and I are both from families who play lots of games. I can blog about the games we play at Jason's parents another day. Until then, have fun trying out one of our favorites at your house!

Day 10: Food Blabber

I have read several folks' blogs about food, and after the suggestion today for "what's in your lunchbox?", I thought it would be the perfect day to "dish" on food. In addition, I have tried very hard to not think about food all day long, as I may seriously need to rethink my food lifestyle if I plan on slimming down before my 40th birthday, which is approaching quickly.

Once upon a time, I had a mom who could cook. My mom thrived in the kitchen, as she loved to feed large, hungry crowds. Some of my all time favorite mom meals were fried chicken, roast, and boiled dinner. Boiled dinner is ham, onions, potatoes, and cabbage, and the best part is the broth leftover to put on your potatoes, which my mom called "pot liquor". Mmm. Mmm. Good. Recently, I was discussing this with my daughter Paisley, and I reflected, my mom was not the best at making desserts. On special occasions, I did enjoy her strawberry pound cake (the only cake I truly like) and her chocolate fudge. To tie to today's topic, my mom packed my lunch through junior college. I kid you not. She could pack a mean lunch with either soup or leftovers (if there was a microwave), or a sandwich, chips, and enough extras that you had enough to feed you and your friend. This truly was a conversation piece in college, as we gathered to eat lunch at one friend's house every day.

Now a days, I am the one who cooks most of the time, and I do pretty well. I can make all your basics from spaghetti and tacos to roast and pork chops. My fried chicken does not compare to my mother's, but I also do not know how to cut one up. Jason and I have found that if you name the new dish, it is more likely to last longer such as Aylott Chicken (which we had tonight, named after the girl who gave us the recipe), or Pizza Pasta (a creation I made up years ago. Plain and simple, mostacolli, Prego, pepperoni, and mozzerella cheese). Opposite of my mother, I can make better desserts, as my cookies usually turn out pretty delectable, yet I have never made a pie. Maybe I need to branch out more. However, my lunches today are pretty sad. I do bring more than I could ever eat, just in case, but I have never found that exact right, healthy lunch that I can eat day in and day out every day. My daughter Haidyn, until this year, has eaten a turkey lunchable every day of school her entire career pretty much. She dabbled a bit in other varieties, but she always comes back. I yearn to find that item or rotation, as I watch those Sunday meal prep Facebook posts, I am a bit jealous. I have not been motivated enough to join in, but maybe some day. Mine can vary from leftovers to a bag of rice, from salad (which I truly do not like) and tuna to just a bunch of junk food just throw in last minute. Nevertheless, I can get by with my own food, but it sounds like I need to spice up my life in this area if I want to be in my own daughters' blogs about food in the future.

Day 9: Laundry

LAUNDRY

Loads and loads--I think it's A LOT!

All piled on the floor

Unmatched socks bearing stripes, turtles, even polka dots.

Never-ending; always folding

Do you think it complete?
                                            I think not.

Rows and rows of hangered clothes; stacks of folded too--

Yes, it is laundry day. Should I wash or just buy new?

Day 8: Projects, Trifolds, and Pinterest: Oh My!

I've got projects on my mind. Every weekend, I dream up a million projects I should do to my house, and every weekend, I fail to do those projects. For school, I have projects, and today, at school, I helped with projects. One of the seventh grade teachers had her students focus on passion projects this semester. This included making a nonfiction piece of text with text features and a trifold board to display the information. The topics ranged from gardening to military and from Mars 2020 to calligraphy. The students have worked hard, but I wanted to add so much to some of those trifolds. These projects remind me of my science fair projects in Oklahoma. I can still remember the rubber cement smell we used to attach everything to the trifold board. In fact, not only do I want to take over the seventh graders' projects but my own daughter's independent project trifold. I've thought that maybe I just need to buy myself a trifold board and really spice it up. What would my passion project be these days?

Hmmm. I am passionate about God and my family. I do love books and music. However, just as my very last science fair project was about different learning styles in education, I think school/education/learning is where I am still the most passionate. I truly cannot get enough of school supplies, planning lessons, helping students learn. Designing my board would be my favorite thing to do. Would I go elementary with the 4 basic colors, pencils, and apples or would I go with the Pinterest-worthy decor with a bright color scheme, fringe, pennants, stickers, OH MY! I think I would go with this. I can picture it now. What topic in education should I research to inform others about?

Comment below a topic that we should know more about in education.

Project Mary Should Make a Trifold continues . . . .

Day 7: Tonight's Blog Features Guest Paisley Emmalyn

The Top 10 Things to Know About Paisley Sears

My daughter Paisley wanted to be featured in tonight's blog. She came up with most of this herself, but I asked a few questions to help her complete the Top 10 about Paisley Emmalyn Sears.

1. Special dates in Paisley's life are July 21, her birthday, and June 28, when she was baptized. She always likes to attend the Precious Moments lighting for Christmas and the holidays Easter and Christmas.

2. Her family, friends, and toys are important to her. She says this includes cousins, grandparents, and aunts and uncles.

3. Her TV show interests are 90s shows, best friend shows, and on YouTube, she watches SWTAD, Sis vs. Bro, and Dude Perfect.

4. Paisley loves to play babies and Barbies. Her imagination, according to her, is "out of this world".

5. Dance is her life. She has taken lyrical, tap, jazz, ballet, and hiphop.

6. One of her best friends is her stuffed rabbit Bella from Build-a-Bear. Paisley has many good friends at school, church, and dance.

7. Her favorite food is pasta. Her two favorite animals are sloths and monkeys.

8. When I grow up, I want to be a special education teacher or a model.

9. Paisley is very good at school, but she is not as great at home. She has never clipped down before, but she can throw a tantrum at home.

10. Her favorite books are Humphrey tiny tales, and her favorite colors are purple, orange, gold, light blue, and silver. 

She is definitely one of a kind! I just adore her!

Day 6: My Rapper Name May Need to be Exclamatory

I taught sophomore English, Communication Arts II (CA II) for 15 years at Webb City High School. In those years, one of my top priorities was teaching students how to write a solid essay complete with a spicy title (I am well known for this term), varied transitions (another strong point of mine), and correct commas. Early in my career, I taught an ACT English class, and I did not have the best methods for instructing that class that soon in my teaching. However, when I tutored later for ACT, I was much more effective. One tutoring session involved the comma rule dealing with essential and non-essential phrases. This young boy with blond curls on top needed a way to remember that if you put commas around the phrase, it cut it out of the sentence. That was one way to "check your work" like math, but in English class. On that afternoon, the ditty "Commas Cut It Out" was born. Imagine me playing a guitar and banging my head, singing "'Commas Cut It Out' I said. "Commas Cut It Out."

Flash forward to about four years ago, I decided to create an entire rap that covered all the comma rules. Then, no matter where they were, they could carry the comma rules with them. You may check it out here.

Comma Ditty 

We left off a couple of rules and tried to add them in my last year, but it just didn't have the same rhythm. I truly enjoyed making this, and I realize now that I have changed levels, that there is a business for this kind of thing. I think it is called Flocabulary. Who knew my dream of wanting to write advertising jingles would come in handy in teaching?

Punctuation and language standards are still high on my mind as tomorrow, we will determine which Standard English rules fit at sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. The Missouri Language Standards decided to leave our language standards, so we are developing our own. I can't wait to find new ways in the future to incorporate music into our language curriculum. 

P.S. I can drop a beat on conjunctions as well. For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so . . . .

P.P.S. My favorite Halloween at WCHS was when the entire English department all wore punctuation t-shirts. I was an exclamation point! I know you are shocked.

All in all, "using commas makes your writing better." Word to your English teacher.

Day 5: The Story of Oakland

Picture It: Summertime, Father's Day Weekend. A family enters Petland to play with some puppies. One particular puppy they decide to pet is a black cocker spaniel. The family had wanted a cocker spaniel for a while, but they had 2 black labs at home named Skye and Diamond who were aged.

Furthermore, the family wanted to care for those backyard girls as long as they could. Just one month prior, Diamond had her last day, and Skye had preceded her the summer before. The family had grieved. Skye was 13 when she passed, and Diamond was 14. The owner continued to look at the back door and would go and try to feed Diamond, but there was no dog out the back door anymore.

Returning to the current time and place, Petland Summer 2019. Those eyes. We left, as the price of that puppy was unimaginable. Those eyes. I could not get them out of my mind. My family had made up their mind that she was ours. I decided to post on Facebook very casually, "Has anyone ever purchased a dog through Petland?" And the page BLEW up! Puppy mills, adopt don't pay, save the ones at the Humane Society, etc. I had to take the page down, and on Sunday when Jason said, "I don't know what is taking so long. Go get the dog." I knew no matter what I thought that we were getting a dog. It helped that Petland continued to drop the price and work with us on financing to make it something we could afford. We were getting a dog. And not just any dog, but an INSIDE dog that was 3 months old, and I was supposed to train her.

Those eyes. I still love those eyes, behind all those black curls. We named her Oakland, as my husband is a Raiders fan. It fits her, and we have given her many nicknames. Oaken, Oakey-Pokey, Oakey-Poke, etc. We have our good days and our bad days. Overall, she is potty trained, and she resides in our kitchen still far too often. Basically, because she is very good at fetching lots of things she still shouldn't. Oakland loves her chew toy keys and lying on the couch. Hilariously, she has many traits of a rabbit from bouncing around the couch and eating carrots, potatoes, and lettuce. She is one lovable pup, and Buh Buh BUH BAH!!! Today, is her FIRST BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRHDAY, OAKLAND!

Day 4: Houses: Take Them or Leave Them

My House Is Your House is a wonderful invitation to sharing your home with your friends and family; however, in this day and age, we don't seem to have time for others and rarely invite others to our homes. When I think about my weekend plans, what I really want is for someone to come over Saturday night and have dinner and play games or for a large group of my family to join us for Sunday dinner after church (but leave in time for me to get a nap. haha). The questions that run through my mind at the thought of just planning an event like this include:

• who do I invite?
• who actually has time to come?
• when they get here, what are they going to think about my house? (more on this later)
• how much do I have to clean in order for them to not judge me?
• what do we eat? who has allergies? what if my kids won't eat that?
• what are some conversations topic for this set of people?

I could go on AND ON, but maybe we all worry about this. I look around my house, and I make mental lists of everything I need to go through, clean out, spruce up, redo, etc. Does everyone do this? Would it matter if we lived in a brand new house with brand new things or would the bare walls and the not yet decorated corners bother me there as well? Then, I begin to think about the ideas that I can't take it with me when I go, so why am I worrying about all of this? Material possessions are not supposed to run my life, but the people in it should be where I concern my time with. So if that is the case, how bad can I let my house go if nobody really ever visits, and I can't have the perfect house. However, you are supposed to take pride in what you have, so how much time do I spend on fixing my house? My family deserves a great place to live, and my daughters deserve a place where they can feel proud to bring their friends. Maybe in the end, a smile, a warm welcome, a couch, a place to rest your head, and a warm meal is all we need. Maybe that is what makes a house a home. 

Furthermore, if you want to join us for dinner, my house is your house. Come on over! Just don't tell me what to fix about my house! 

Day 3: A Name by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet

One of my favorite essays that I had my high school students write was an informative paper on how they got their name. The middle body paragraphs were about first, middle, and last names, including an interview with their parents, research on their meaning, and other stories of interest.

For Namesake Day, I would love to share with your the story of my name.

My parents chose some interesting names for their children, and my dad did most of the naming. For instance, my sister Toni has the actual name of Ruby Antoinette. I mean, what?!

When I was about 4 or 5, I asked my dad where he got my first name, Mary. My dad Edwin Milton Spencer gave me multiple answers. Besides Jesus' mother Mary, you are named after an old girlfriend I had and a cow. Wow, Dad, thanks! I have never been a fan of the name Mary, as I believe it to be plain when you say it and write it.

I am not sure where Elizabeth came from, but it is also another Biblical name, working well with Mary. The two mothers with an amazing job of raising John the Baptist (Elizabeth) and Jesus (Mary). I cannot imagine that pressure. In today's social media, we worry about Pinterest-worthy birthdays and cell phone usage and everything that comes with that, but Mary had to worry about raising God's son. I preferred this name to Mary, but I did not ever change and go by it. My mom would call me Mary Elizabeth when I was very young. My mom had wanted my middle name to be Iola (and I am glad that didn't work out), but even better was that she wanted to name me Sammy Ann Spencer (and call me Sassy). I might be Sassy, but that name doesn't fit me either.

As you probably discovered, my maiden name is Spencer. That name was probably my favorite of the three. Yes, tracing back we would be traced to the Princess Diana Spencer clan of England. I told my friends that in fourth grade, and they said I was lying. My mom was fascinated with the royal family, and I do enjoy them as well. I wanted to keep this name going, but my husband's last name Sears does not sound the greatest with Spencer. If my child had any speech issues, (ironically, Paisley did), Spencer Sears is a name too difficult to say. Therefore, I did not keep that name going, but maybe my children will.

The most interesting thing about having the name Sears is that EVERYONE asks how to spell it. I had the surname Spencer for 25 years, and there are two spellings of it. However, now that I have the name Sears, a name I thought to be pretty common, I must spell it? Do I say it weird? Are we in era where they ask to spell everything due to the 1,000 spellings just for Brittany/Brittni/Brittney, etc.? No matter the reason, I will continue to say that my name is Mary Sears, like the store.

Day 2: Post-it Notes & TV Shows

I admit it. I am a binge-watcher of excellent dramatic television shows. I have several shows that will be a part of my life forever, and here is a little about why I love them.

1. Army Wives--This show was my very first binge watch. Ironically, I was pregnant at the time, and in the very first episode a pregnancy brings all these friends together. The character that I hold onto the most out of this series is Roland (played by Sterling Brown), the husband of an army woman who is friends with the other army wives. Roland is dedicated to everything and everyone he comes in contact with, and I was so close with this show, one time I even prayed for the character Denise. This was my weekly cry fest for a very long time.

2. Hart of Dixie--I definitely enjoyed the Southern setting with a woman named Lemon and alligators running around. This love quest story of Zoey Hart and her journey to find herself is one of my all-time favorites.

3. When Calls the Heart--I enjoy this series, again, due to the setting, which is in about the 1920s in the North. Between the one-room schoolhouse, and the love story of Elizabeth and Jack, one cannot go wrong watching this show. Heartbreak strikes often, but with God present, I love that this show grows my life lessons as well.

4. This Is Us--Everyone started watching this and could not stop. It helped tremendously that Sterling Brown returns to me as Randall, and I still have him as my favorite. The first episode of this series is breathtakingly amazing. The way that they intertwine the present, past, and future with these siblings is a woven masterpiece.

In at least two of my all time favorite drama shows, post-it notes are used in amazing ways. 

4. Grey's Anatomy--I started Grey's in my last full year of teaching. During my late night viewing time (10 p.m. to whenever I fall asleep), in one year, I caught up. These past two years, I have had to suffer with the rest of you in a week-to-week basis. I have started watching this series again, and I am in Season 8. I did not think I could replace it, until recently.

Whether you know or not, post-it notes are used in a magical way in this show. The post-it note wedding is a testament to Meredith and Derek Shepherd. They were dedicated even through a 3 x 3 piece of paper, which was framed and placed in their bedroom.

Alex and Jo are my favorite couple in Grey's, as I think Alex has grown the most throughout the series.

5. A Million Little Things--This brand new series takes every current social issue and puts them all in one friend group. You can't help but cheer for the characters and the tiny joys they experience through all the tragedy. I binge watched this show . . . um, . . . this week.

My favorite couple in this year are Gary and Maggie. Maggie is battling cancer, and Gary has already battled cancer. In an emotional invitation, Maggie uses a post-it note to write "I'M IN." I will not spoil what she is agreeing to, as you definitely need to watch this show.

********************************************************************************

No matter what series you watch, watching this TV fiction, helps me cope with my own life. I love falling in love with the characters, and the excitement and adrenaline of each surgery, fire, breakup, or next tragedy keeps me watching on the edge of my seat. I reflect on my own life and how I relate, can grow, and change to make the most of my journey in this life.

Day 1: Slice of Life -- Encouragement

In this business, encouragement, reward, and praise are words we, as adults, rarely focus on for one another, yet those are the same words that if triggered, motivate us, get our engines revved, and keep us going. I have found that when complimenting adults, sometimes the other person is almost even taken aback, or because I sometimes have the incorrect tone, the person thinks I am being sarcastic (when I am not). Why is it hard for us to hear positive comments?

I have a colleague who pours out compliments in random times in texts or in person. Every time she shares something with me, my chest is a bit raised, and it becomes the highlight of my day. How can we create this for everyone every day? What if we were someone's token bucket filler? 

At the beginning of the school year, we are trying to build relationships with students and colleagues, and kindness is in abundance. By November, the gratitude journals and thankfulness messages are strewn throughout the holiday season, yet when the New Year hits and the cold weather, we seem to freeze up. Work piles increase, stress escalates, and smiles diminish. Complaints and discouragement echo throughout our days. How can we rise above this and continue to press on? 

I know a few techniques I have used to help me stay positive.

• Put things in perspective. Is this as bad as what someone else may be going through? Will it truly matter in 10 years?
• Bite my tongue. When others start in with negativity, do I have to join in?
• Compliment or serve others. When I feel my lowest, I try to do something nice for someone else.
• Spill my guts and move on. Sometimes, I word vomit to a close friend, and then, I do not let it keep me down.
• Remember that every day is a new day. How can I start my new day and keep it better than the day before?

Lastly, you matter. You are awesome. You are unique and specially designed. You have talents, gifts, and flaws, and they make up the amazing entity of you! You have a purpose, and I hope you have discovered how to put it to good use. If nobody has told you in a while, we like having you around. You are loved.

P.S. I hope you find someone to encourage today. He/she would probably really appreciate it.