Amazing Moments

When I was a young girl in Council Bluffs Owning one car was considered the norm. Staying at Grandma's for a week in the summer was vacation. Watching Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins and an enormous bowl of stove popped popcorn was the highlight of Sunday nights. When I was a young girl in Council Bluffs A box fan was my air conditioner. Playing kick the can until the street lights came on was a typical summer night. A lucky day was having enough money to get a treat from the ding ding man. When I was a young girl in Council Bluffs Swinging on the swing set was my favorite way to enjoy a summer morning Hide and seek in the cemetery with the black angel was terrifying. A quarter for a game of Pac Man would last an entire grocery trip. My days were happy, my family was great, and my worries were small. 

I drove down the winding gravel road toward the white two story farmhouse to pick up Stevie for the day and bring him over to my house.   This car ride would be an adventure in itself.  You see, Stevie has  his share of struggles in life with the cross he bears: autism.   This morning,  he willingly climbed into the front seat of my van,  then turned his body to face the window and away we went. We drove from his house to my house and he began to point out tornado sirens along the way.   As we passed the sirens perched on the top of wooden poles, he began to talk excitedly about the type of siren it was, how sirens are made, how it works, and even who manufactures the siren.   Every time we drew close, he would launch into another energetic talk about tornado sirens. I have to be honest, up until this point, I had never noticed the sirens before, nor had a burning desire to become a siren expert.   Why did I want to keep listen...

“Devices down,” Matt shouts.       “I said DD (devices down) everyone!”   Sounding like he was about to melt down, I headed into the kitchen.     “What’s going on everyone?” I asked observing all the bent heads.   “We are playing Clue, but everyone is texting,” ten year old Matt complained.   “It’s like playing a game all by myself.”   Whether they are aware or not, they are sending him the silent message that playing Clue with him is not as engaging as what is going on in their network.   He is quickly annoyed that they are so tuned out , so much they must be prompted when their turn rolls around.   They are drawn into their virtual world to the exclusion of the real live people sitting next to them in the same room.   Being checked out can happen without a device too!   Kids are great judges of people who are present in the present moment and those who are not.   They can spot those who are just go...

There is no day like a snow day!  You are never too old to be excited for snow days!   When you are happy, people around you feel happier.   Nothing is more comforting than to hear your mom’s voice , especially when you're s ick. Look forward to something.   You can't be grateful and grumpy at the same time.  Be GRATEFUL! People are put in your path for a reason. Relationships are as important as air.  Soak up the people you are with when you are with them.  If you wait until people are sick, old, and tired you miss the memories. Give someone a 10 second hug every day! Money is not worth worrying about.  You can focus on it, stress out about it, or just let go! You get good at what you spend time with.  Think about how you spend your minutes. Family time must be protected like gold. Fret not! It is what it is.  Just roll with it. A homemade card says it all. Sunrise and sunsets are amazing.  Take time to enjoy them...

I sit.  I look at things. I don’t really engage in any reading.  I wait.  One minute, two minutes, then I hear “Mom, can you take a look at my math?” And so it begins, the school night homework. Three backpacks today held a novel with several chapters to read, lots of math, vocabulary worksheets, a science project, and a new song to learn on the recorder.   “We better get that math started,” I said.  “We will get this done in no time.” WE Being an educator and a mom, I get to see both sides of the homework issue. In the teacher’s lounge, I hear daily about kids not completing homework.  Teachers are baffled. Why don’t kids do their work? Why don’t they get this homework done.  Why don't’ they care if they get a detention.   So what happens when students get stumped? For many kids, an Algebra class can feel like AP Calculus and be as confusing as trying to read Arabic.  If no one is readily available to help, it is easy t...