A Letter to Mom-

It's been 19 years.  Why this one affected me the way it did, I have no idea.  Maybe because it's almost a big year-20.  I guess I'm anticipating.  So, instead of mourning and being sad, I thought about the things I'd want you to know.  The things that I've learned since you went Home.  Here we go--
1.  I've learned how to be a mom.  You are still the small voice in my ear reminding me of how you did it with us girls and how to parent with grace.  The girls are beautiful and wonderful, and you would be proud of them. Your influence is apparent.
2. How to be a teacher.  I've come a long way from where I started.  I've gained loads of experience and many lives that I've helped grow, while learning myself every single day.
3. How to stand up under pressure-sometimes I'm not so hot at this, but most of the time, especially during really hard situations, I can keep a calm head and have an idea or two to work with.
4.  I've become comfortable in my own skin.  That includes learning that if you spend all of your time worrying about what people will think about you, you'll miss the really good bits.  Sometimes you don't get a second chance, especially to make a memory.
5. Lastly, I've learned how to be a helpmate and live Lutheran.  This is still something I work on daily, but it's something I strive for.  To work as a team but follow my husband in his decisions, and to incorporate the gifts God gives us through his Mercy and Grace.  It is such a gift, and you showed me every day by living it in your vocation.

Mom, I miss you terribly and I am truly grateful that I had you and Daddy in my life. You were amazing role models and I love you both. Always.

--Michelle


(written 11/6/15 & 1/17/16)

God Made dogs

Very cute.

My Lollipot

As a teacher, you need incentives.  Treats.  In a special needs room, there are lots of dietary things to consider-gluten free, non-chewy, chewy, salty, etc.  One thing my class loves are dum-dums.  I hand them out as we check behavior charts, or when there is extra amazing work going on.  The Kindergarten teacher had a lollipop tree, and my friend and I loved it.  So we made one for ourselves! Here is how mine turned out:

I think it is precious! I can't wait for my class to see it.  They will love it.  I will have to teach them not to help themselves either.  The first thing we did was paint our pots.  We used acrylic paint and then mod podge to seal it after we decorated them.

I painted mine basic black, and I cut out some flowers and dots that match my curtains and such in my classroom.  I used the mod podge to adhere them to it.  (Mod Podge is the best stuff ever.  Just Sayin'.)

We then added some of those floral rocks that you can get at the dollar store to the inside to give it some weight at the bottom.  Then it was time for the ball.  That was a dilemma.  How do we attach it?  We decided to just use good ol' hot glue.  We set the ball in the pot and made a continuous stream of glue all the way around.  Worked well!

At last, it was time to add the lollipops.  My friend bought two huge bags of them (one for each of us), and we began to put them in.  We thought we'd start at the bottom since it was a straight line to follow.  We put them right next to each other as close as we could.

Man, it took a lot of dum-dums to get that thing filled!  It took almost the entire bag to fill one-over 300 lollipops!  There were less than twenty left.  It was crazy.  Crazy cool!  They turned out even better than we thought they would.  I love the lollipot.  I can't wait to use it.

Amos and Andy

I have a wonderful family.  Since I was little, I have been surrounded by people who love me just how I am.  My aunts and uncles are very special to me.  They have always been a phone call away if I needed them, and their love is always apparent.  When I was three or four, my uncles Mike and Ron, got together one Christmas and surprised me with a Cocker Spaniel puppy.  I don't know how they did it, but they kept him quiet all weekend without me knowing he was even there!  They named him Amos.

 

Oh my goodness I loved that dog! He was my best pal.  He loved being with me and playing. 

They told me eventually they were going to get another Cocker and name him Andy, like the TV show.  I thought that was a grand idea.  The years went by, and Amos and I got older.  He loved to play with my slinky and to knock down the Lincoln Log cabins my Dad and I would build.  He just wanted to be with us.  When my dad was transferred to Oklahoma, we had to say goodbye to Amos because where we were living wouldn't take pets. That was a sad day.  From then on I've always loved Cocker Spaniels and wanted more.  We had a few others while I was growing up, but none compared to Amos.

Fast forward a few years ( I will not say how many!) to now.  A few months ago I got the idea to rescue a Cocker.  My sweet Allen said get after it, and I did.  I contacted Okie Dokie Cocker Rescue here in Oklahoma, and they had a few available.  I filled out the application, was approved, and she brought two dogs for us to choose from.  We chose one named Butchie.  I wanted to name him something meaningful and fun.  Then I remembered my uncles.  They never did get Andy.  So I did.  Here is my Andy.

Andy is a puppy mill rescue.  He is five years old and sweet as can be.  He is skittish and has a messed up tongue.  You can kinda see it in the picture above.  My vet said it was probably from licking the cage so much.  My heart broke a little when I heard that. He follows me around everywhere and loves to cuddle.  Andy is precious when he runs with those big ears!  He is getting along with the pugs pretty well.  He'll curl up with Penny and he plays with Hagrid.  It's fun watching them together.  Now we are again a family and three dogs.

The 40s

So now that I've had over a year of being forty, I have come to some conclusions.

First, I don't feel any different than I did when I was 39, or 35 for that matter.  I get a little stiff easier, that's it.  Being 40 is pretty good.  I'm just about comfortable in my skin.  The most I've ever been.

Second, life is short.  There are things that I've said I've wanted to try, and I just hadn't got around to it.  Saying you want to do it and doing it are two very different things.  Well, I've knocked out two of them.  Last year for my fortieth, I bought my dear ukulele.  I can play a few chords and pick a few notes, as long as I have the TAB for it.  Very fun, but I wish I could play it more.  That's a goal for the year.  And, I've always wanted to try archery.  Not to hunt, just to shoot at the target.  This year my sweet Husband bought me a recurve bow.  It has been fun!  I didn't have a clue how to shoot, so I've done some reading and some practicing, after I got a target.  I found that a bracer (arm guard) is a must--I had a two-inch bruise on my arm where the bowstring popped it. Ouch!! There is something graceful yet strong about pulling up a bow and launching an arrow at a high velocity.  It's very fun.  Here is my best shot today:

Third, I have a greater love for my life at home.  For a long time I loved being at home, and I loved being at school.  I just loved where I was all the time.  It's the truth!  The past few years, I still love being at school and what I do and who I work with.  I love being at home so much more.  The time with my family is so very precious, and I cherish it more everyday.

Family is the most important.