Whirling March Winds

So far my blogging in 2019 has been sub par.  I've been so busy that I have not been in a mental space to write.  It's become something that weighs on me instead of being a release.  I'm not ready to give up the blog, but I need to forgive myself for my blog failings.  Like the winds of March, I feel myself being whipped by life.

This year has required me to devote an inordinate amount of energy to constant health issues for the kids.  I have spent way too much time dealing with trips to urgent care and the ER.  It's left me a firm believer in the need for a single payer health plan.

In times of chaos, it's important to be able to step back and appreciate the quiet moments.  A sudden burst of spring weather, meant kids clamoring to play outside.

Eileen made a chalk outline of Robin.  This is him screaming, "No accessories!" as she tried to add a hat.

For St. Patrick's Day I made my first successful corned beef.  The carrots turned out divine and I was very pleased with my lemon roasted cabbage.  St. Patrick's Day was also marked by Robin being struck by the flu despite being vaccinated.  It was alarming how quickly he became so sick.

Once his fever came down, Robin.  Robin didn't let the flu stop him from dressing up for St. Patrick's day.  He may not have wanted to eat, but the flu didn't mean he couldn't look his dapper best.

Robin managed to develop a raging ear infection with a 101.8 fever the following week that resulting in him snuggling me in my classroom the last period of the day.

With so much going on, I found the best relief is snuggling a baby.  It was a win-win situation since it meant his mama got a much needed break.  I love this little boy so much (but I'm also glad I get to give him back).

It's been such a gift having my sister live nearby. Linus loves Cedric too and the feeling is mutual.  It's pretty fun that Cedric is at the face where he loves you but also kind of wants to eat you.

Life right now is a constant stream of illness and sports practices and games.  No one ever said parenthood is easy.  It's hard to reminisce about the carefree days of pre-children, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I mean, look at this face.

I'm raising kids to be amazing adults some day.  I'm playing the long game at life.  While these March winds whirl all around me, there is joy in the chaos.

Making Meaning with the Simpsons

In the education world, "making meaning" has learners working towards gaining of deeper understanding of content that goes beyond basic facts.  Learners demonstrate what they learned in a way that makes sense to them, use references and resources to support their idea.  As a teacher I try to help students make "make meaning," but sometimes you just have to let kids do it themselves.

Today while I was cooking dinner, I heard a little voice repeating to no one in particular, "Ow, quit it. Ow, quit."  Only hearing it in the background, I didn't process what was going on but simply remembered the very first Christmas episode of the Simpsons.  In this episode, Bart decides that what his mom would love for Christmas is for him to get a tattoo of the word, Mom, on his arm.  The result is spending all holiday money on laser tattoo removal.  As Bart sits on the couch, his siblings repeatedly poke his arm.  As they do so, Bart says each time, "Ow, quit it."

Back in the kitchen I'm busy with dinner.  I hear "Ow, quit it," again and sense movement by my leg.  I look down and see Robin covering his arm with a moist towel.  Beneath it was the temporary tattoo he had asked about earlier.

                              MY 5 YEAR OLD WAS MAKING MEANING OF THE SIMPSONS!

It was a proud mom moment.  On one level, Robin was demonstrating higher level thinking skills and making connections.  On an even better level, my son is awesome because he likes the Simpsons and already appreciates its humor at a young age.