There is only one Mary Vie

My adorable, precious, perfect grandma passed away yesterday. I wish I could put into words what I feel for her, but words fail me in this regard. Over the years I've thought long and hard about our relationship and what has made it so special. I have to say that it was all her, she had so many admirable characteristics. If I could attain half of her personality I'd be a lucky girl. She had the gift of making me feel like I was "it" I was the one, the most important person to her. What's amazing is that all of her grandchildren felt this way, along with her nieces, nephews, sons, friends, neighbors, the list goes on and on. She instilled in me a confidence I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. She made me feel like I could do anything I wanted, become anything I wanted, the world was at my fingertips. I loved going to visit her because she built me up, she told me that I was beautiful, smart, kind, and loving. I'm not talking once a year she sent me a letter about all my admirable qualities, it was every time I talked to her. She was constantly telling me how great I was, I felt on top of the world around her. Not to mention she was hysterical. She was loving and entertaining, a real firecracker. She would say the most hilarious things with the straightest face. I'm sure she offended the non sense of humor folk around Beaver on a daily basis. Sometimes I couldn't believe the stuff that came out of her mouth. For instance, she referred to Santa as the 'old bastard.' She loved to laugh, and what a great laugh she had.  It was airy, coming from the chest, a real hearty laugh. I have countless memories with her, I could talk for weeks about the magical childhood she provided me, my siblings, and cousins. Anything was possible in my grandparent's presence.

I am really going to try to keep her legacy alive. I'm sad my children won't know her, I'm sad Nick didn't know her in her right mind. I hope my stories will be enough. Luckily, my dad is a lot like her so he can be her stand in. I hope to carry her name well, it's a lot to live up to. I'm going to miss her, like I've never missed anyone before

Just a little gal from Beaver, she sure made an impact on a lot of people.
I'm so lucky to call her mine.

"Goodbye my LOVE!"

The sunsets have been unbelievable lately. Am I right?

Well summer is officially over. I'm never ready for summer to end. I have 10 weeks off in the summertime, and it goes by so fast.  10 weeks sounds like a long time, right? Well you wouldn't believe how fast it goes. Greedy  greedy, that's what I am! MORE SUMMER MORE SUMMER. The good news is, I'm crazy about the Fall season so that makes the transition a little bit easier. I even bought a mens cardigan from H&M yesterday and have lived in it ever since, despite the current 80 degree weather. I'm ready to bake, watch You've Got Mail, and sleep with the windows open. This rainy weekend has opened my arms up to Fall, farewell SUMMER!

On a grandmotherly note get a load of this. In the summertime when I have a little more free time I try to visit my grandma every week. She is the best of everybody. This whole blog could be devoted just to her, she has so much personality and spunk. I'm  head over heels crazy about her. The last time I visited her we were talking about Nick, she was full of questions as usual.  She asked if we were getting married in the temple and if Nick was a Mormon. I assured her that we were and that he was. Then I told her that he was from Texas and she said, "Are you telling me that Mormons have made it all the way to Texas?!" I was just about ready to tell her that the church is international now but I didn't want her head to blow off her body. She is perfect, and I'm so proud to be her namesake. There is never a dull moment with her around.

Here's to a new school year and an exciting Fall!

Stretch & Pull

See me, ready to own my soon to be wifehood.

I feel like life is full of ebbs and flows. I've had a good life and I feel like most of it has been flowing and enjoyable. Overtime I've grown and matured, but most of the time it has been so slow that I don't notice it. Occasionally the growing is more consolidated and painful. Experiences happen and it forces you to stretch and grown at a quick pace.

Naturally as my life has changed and I've advanced in my schooling and ventured out on my own it has been uncomfortable and scary. Stretching and pulling is inevitable in these circumstances but it's fairly short lived.  Other times tragedy strikes and it can take years to overcome and feel like you've grown and accepted what has unexpectedly ripped your heart from your chest. That dig your heels in stretch and pull is the worst kind. So difficult to wrap your head around why, and searching for the lesson to be learned and how to handle pain and heartbreak.

As I've dated Nick and we've gotten engaged I've had to stretch and grow and it has been painful and uncomfortable. I was really good at being single, like the best of everybody at being single. I knew that I needed to make a change if I wanted to have a family and progress into a less selfish way of life and I'm so glad I've endured the stretching and pulling over the last year and a half. I'm actually really looking forward to these next few years of growth and progression. I'm going to kill this wife and motherhood business. I'm ready. Bring on a new round of ebbs and flows, this girl is waiting with open arms.

Mustache Talks...

I have a dude who I'm getting married to in October. He's the best of everybody and my very own redhead for all of eternity. I'm honored to call him mine because he's everything I could ever need or want in a dude. It has taken us 1.5 years to get to this point, and I will take all the credit for that! I'm a real slow mover, like the slowest! He told me he never worries about me cheating on him because it would TAKE me sooo long to get comfortable enough to kiss someone else. Plus I have a real battle axe of a conscience. I don't open up easily, you know, I'm one of those people.

Probably about a year or so ago, Nick would want to talk about serious stuff and I would stiffen all up and get weird. I hate serious talks. I'm a card writer so I rarely say my feelings out loud. I'd much rather write them down. It was this constant battle between the two of us. After the 2nd or 3rd talk I suggested that we come up with some sort of sign that signified the talk was serious. Instead of saying "we need to talk about something," which I cringe at, he could hold up the sign and I'd know right away. Enter the mustache. There is a story behind the mustache but I won't get into it. I'm just here to say that this simple pointer finger placed right below the nose has made our conversations so much more bearable. It adds some much needed humor to some non-humorous conversations. You can't not smile when someone is talking with a mustache finger held up to their face, it's genius and perfect. I've told a few people about this weird solution and they are hysterical. It may sound ridiculous, but man it sure works for this duo. Give it a whirl, and tell me you're not in love with it.

One night we were in Dallas (where Nick is from) and tiny Nick had something real important he needed to talk to me about. 

Mazel!

P.E.

I teach 2nd grade, which means I teach all subjects. My school doesn't have specialty teachers so the four 2nd grade teachers divide up music, P.E., art, and geography. I have taught P.E. the past few years, mostly because I'm 20 years younger than the other teachers I teach with. I've learned over the course of time that doing P.E. WITH the kids makes all the difference. I remember as a kid being annoyed that gymnastics teachers or P.E. teachers were telling me to do some really hard stuff when I knew they couldn't do it. The kids can't give me grief about what we're doing if I'm doing it too. We're all in this together people!

We used to play dodgeball a lot. I LOVE dodgeball, it's a serious workout and it's legitimately fun. When was the last time you played a good game of dodgeball? If it wasn't yesterday, it has been too long! Well dodgeball was banned from our school a year or so ago, which is a crying shame. "It teaches kids to throw stuff at each other... blah blah blah." Since dodgeball has been banned, we've been playing a lot of kickball, which is almost a comparable alternative.

It has been interesting to teach 100 different kids every week because you really get to see who has played sports and who hasn't played sports. It is VERY obvious which kids have been on teams or played different sports with family members on a regular basis. There are a wide range of coordination levels depending on their experience, which can make it difficult to teach. After a few weeks of teaching P.E. I started noticing that the athletic kids were getting really cocky. Nothing bugs me more than a big ego. I knew I had to nip this in the bud. I decided not to go easy on the kids.  I used to drop a ball on purpose or overthrow occasionally, not anymore, those days are gone. When I started playing my best I noticed that the kids started treating me differently. They had this new found respect for me, plus the big heads started deflating, BONUS!  The kids get me out, I get them out it has worked really well for us. After a long day of teaching nothing makes me feel better than tagging the kid who has been on my nerves all day and saying, "you're out!"

*I'd also like to send a formal cyberspace farewell to my tiny bunny Bernie. I gave her away to someone who could take better care of her in the summer than I can. Sometimes I really miss her, but I don't miss her sharp nails or her teeth except when she would eat cupcake wrappers then I miss her tiny teeth. Farewell Bernadette Rose you were a cute bunny with a hell of a lot of personality and spunk! (She actually had 2 ears, the above picture is misleading).

Hey Moms...

I heard something today that I don't think I've ever thought about before, "you don't have to have children to be a mother." Today being Mother's Day, I've thought about all the women in my life that have made an impact on me or been a motherly figure at some point and there are a lot of women outside of my own mother who fill this description.  This is interesting to me, mostly because I myself am not technically a mother. As a teacher I feel like a mom a lot! I'm tying shoes, helping kids learn to read, teaching about sharing, helping to resolve disagreements, etc... From what I can tell, these are things that mothers do too. Some of these kids see me more than their own mothers. That is kind of heartbreaking but one of the reasons I wanted to be a teacher was because I wanted to have a fulfilling career, one where I felt like I was making a difference. Without a doubt, in my job I feel like I'm making a difference everyday, and a lot of that has to do with being a positive mother like figure to these wild little homies.

So if you yourself are not a mother, think about the people in your life who look up to you or come to you for help: nieces, nephews, coworkers, siblings, friends, etc...  In some way you are a mother to someone. Today is your day to celebrate, with or without your own children!
Now I don't feel so guilty and pathetic for buying myself a Hobo wallet for mother's day a couple years ago! Thanks Mom for telling me I'm a mother too, and insisting that I get the fudge passed out in church today, it was delicious!

Teaching...

Oh kids...

I've been teaching school for 6 years now! Go me! A real career woman for six full years, and this coming from a girl who after student teaching thought, "I can't do this, this is such hard work for meager pay, count me out!" Here I am a real life success story, my professors would be so proud!

I have learned a TON in my six years of teaching including a billion things about parenting without actually being a parent. I feel like I'm going to be a real kick-a parent because of all this time I've put in with these rat finks. Here is a run down of what I've learned:

1. Prioritize what's most important. Your kids wearing the latest trends is adorable and I appreciate a cute outfit trust me, but if you're not helping your kid with any homework and instead spend what should be homework time picking out clothes for the next day your priorities suck.

2. Routine is important. I'm a girl who likes a schedule so this has always been true for me, but as a teacher I really notice when kids stay up late.  I've had many a student fall asleep at their desk because they had a late night. Bedtime I know is a hassle, but it sure pays off the next day if they get decent sleep.

3. Watch your mouth!  You wouldn't believe the stuff I hear from 7 and 8 year olds these days. The other day I heard one say the F-word, the full f bomb right to my face...WHAT!!!? I also hear some weird stories about all sorts of random family drama that I'm sure parents would die if they knew their child was repeating it to me. Kids believe anything and then they repeat it, so look around to see who is listening before you say something you might regret!

4. Supporting the teacher can make all the difference in your child's education. It takes some serious two way communication to ensure success in students every year. If the teacher asks you to fill out a reading calendar every month, do it! If you complain to your kid about reading and doing homework everyday, it will rub off on them and they won't want to do it. Be an example and show your child how important education is for their future.

5. Don't whine about trivial things. You wouldn't believe the phone calls and e-mails I've gotten over the years about dumb irrelevant things. "My child saw something another child did in another class and we're wondering why your class didn't get to do it." "My child wants to sit next to a girl instead of a boy." "My child came home crying because so and so stepped on her foot." Blah blah the list goes on and on. Your kids have to learn that life isn't always fair and sometimes you sit by people you don't like and sometimes people step on your toes, move on!

6. Gifts and positive feedback can do wonders for a teacher's slowly dwindling patience level. The past two years I've had the world's best room mom. Seriously, she was the room mom of all room moms! Teacher appreciation week was the best week of the year, because I was showered with gifts and praise. I have never felt more appreciated in my whole life! It really boosted my spirits and helped me make it through the school year with a great attitude and some serious patience all the way into June. Teachers don't get recognized very often. I love getting notes from my students about what a great teacher I am, but from the parents it means so much! One year I had a parent cry at parent teacher conferences because she had seen such a change in her son from 1st grade, it made my year!

7. Be involved in what is going on in the classroom. I mean, don't go overboard with this, nothing is worse than a helicopter parent who is constantly coming in to talk to me, but offering to volunteer once a week helps a lot! My weekly parent volunteers are irreplaceable, they cut my prep time down and offer one on one help that my students don't always get from me.  I have them correct papers, work with kids who are struggling with certain concepts, read one on one with students, etc... The kids love seeing their parent come in and so do I!

8. Get kids to school everyday!  I have had attendance problems with one or two students every year. Kids are honest and they will tell me, "I wasn't sick Miss C., my mom just didn't want to bring me to school." When kids miss school they miss important things, some of which can't be made up. It is a big hassle to keep track of all the missing work these attendance problem kids accumulate, and they will have a much deeper knowledge of the concept if they are in school to learn it. If your kid is sick definitely keep them home, but a healthy kid should be at school.

9. Don't slack off in the Summer. Kids drop between 2-5 reading levels in the summer because they don't read. Keep reading and working on math concepts throughout the summer, it will make such a big difference in the Fall when they start school again.


There you have it! I'm sure I'm missing something but I'm done typing for the night, so that will have to do. One day I will read this list when I actually have school age children and maybe I will think, "I really had no clue what I was talking about."  For now these nine things seem like good things to know and remember.

Here's to 23 more days of the school year! Mazel Tov!