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.

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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.