Principals!

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of a principal is "the chief executive officer of an educational institution." Dictionary.com defines a principal as "the head or director of a school or, especially in England, a college", and goes on to say"a person who takes a leading part in any activity, as a play; chief actor or doer." What images are conjured up when you hear the word principal? Bad memories from being sent to "the principal's office" because you were in trouble? Good memories of a caring principal who was deeply vested in the success of his/her students? How about your interactions with the principals of your kid's schools? Any teachers out there who have worked with amazing principals? I certainly had the opportunity to work with an outstanding one during my teaching career.

In my eyes, a good principal leads the school by example. He (for my purposes, but you can substitute she throughout!) sets the tone for the building, creates a vision and purpose for his staff, and enables his staff to reach their highest potential. A good principal is not overly critical of his staff, but rather builds on their strengths and gives worthy advice for areas of improvement. A good principal makes his staff feel safe and supported...like he always has their back. A good principal shows that he cares about his students by involving himself in all aspects of the school. A good principal is in the cafeteria interacting with the kids. A good principal pops in and out of classrooms letting the kids (and teachers) know that he's aware of how things are going on an almost daily basis. A good principal doesn't just chide a child when they misbehave, but rather uses every situation as a "teachable moment". A good principal participates in school events...motivates kids by showing their "fun" side...and maybe even embarrasses himself for a good cause.

Dr. T. was that principal for me. I never felt better about myself as a teacher as when he was my leader. He was my principal, he was my mentor, he was my motivator, he was my friend. I was so lucky to work directly with and for him for 8 years. I still keep my foot in the education door through opportunities he provides. Mr. S. is that kind of principal for my daughter. He's smiling outside as his students arrive. He's in the cafeteria getting to know his students and seeing how they interact (a key to circumventing problems before they arise). He sets a positive example for his students and staff. He's the principal the kids want to see if they get in trouble because he talks them through what's going on and helps them learn from their mistakes. He even makes personal phone calls home to brag on kids. What a lucky staff to work for him.

So...as this school year draws to a close and we look forward to a few months off, I hope that principals everywhere can reflect on the impact they're having on their students and staff. It's an important job that not everyone is cut out for. Students and staff deserve a good principal. He (or she) sets the tone for everything else in the school.

Passages...

So this week has really gotten me thinking about all of the "passages" we go through in life. I remember when I was a kid...40 was old. I also thought that time passed so slowly. It took forever for holidays to come, for your next birthday to arrive, anything special really. They all took time. Now...everything moves so fast. We're always running, always doing, and time is always running out. Maybe it's because I am now 40, but I wish I could slow down time. My kids are growing up too fast, my hair is getting too gray (trust me on this), and "passages" come all too quickly.

Take for instance this beautiful kid of mine. He just turned double digits. He's about to complete the grade I taught when I taught "big kids", and he's my baby! Pretty soon, I won't have any more kids in elementary school. What a change that will bring to my life! My other beauty is going to be a teenager this year. My baby girl. The one whose first year I wasn't sure I'd survive is now only 5 short years away from college. What?!? It seems like I just got them sleeping through the night.

We're going through lots of big "passages" this year. I won't say how old my sister in law turned this year because this would be my last blog, but it was a biggie. My sweet grandma in law will be 90 in August. Talk about the passage of time. She's almost a centurion. Even though I've know her for 22 years, that's not even 1/4 of her life! I'm certain she's seen passages beyond what most can even comprehend. My little nephew will start kindergarten. It really was yesterday that I was caring for him in my home and sending home bag loads of clothes he's spit up on. Now kindergarten. We've had new jobs, retirements...you name it. We all do.

So with each passage, I guess we will remember the best, forget the rest, and watch the future unfold. I just hope to not take time for granted. As we get ready to have the kids home for summer, I want to remember that the added "messiness" and "craziness" that comes with that will be gone before we know it and we won't be able to get it back. So...here's to embracing summer, spending loads of quality time together, and just finding contentment in being together. In the blink of an eye, these amazing beings will be out on their own. I'm sure it'll leave an ache in this momma's heart. I already feel it coming. In the blink of an eye.

Stuff you see on Telegraph...

This may be one of my shortest blogs ever, but I have a serious question. Would you really sell your gold to an Easter bunny wearing a Mad Hatter hat standing on the side of the road?? Do you opt to go to the video game store that has the guy from "Halo" dancing around instead of the one clearly marked with just a sign? And as much as I appreciate the effort...do the waving oil change guys cause you to turn in there for an oil change as opposed to another shop on the road?

Just wondering if I'm the only one that just doesn't get it. (Oh...and it's not just on Telegraph either.) I pondered whether I should take my taxes to the place in Arnold that has Lady Liberty waving their sign, but nah...I'll let my hubby file online again this year. Maybe he'll wear an Uncle Sam costume?!!

Happy Early Birthday T...

In a little over a week, this beautiful girl, my first and only niece, will have a birthday. As a little early "gift", I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on what this girl means to me.

T (as you know I try to maintain a level of anonymity) is obviously beautiful on the outside. But the reasons I love her lie inside of her. She has such a warm personality. She is welcoming and gracious, and becoming an amazing hostess like her mother. She is such fun to be around when our family gathers for holidays and special occasions. She's a great sister. She always looks out for her little brother, even allowing him to share her room where he felt safe when he was younger. She's such a sweet daughter. You can see how proud her mom and dad are of her anytime you're around them. She's always helping out and spending time with those she loves.

She has such a sophisticated sense of style as well. She never went through a "gawky" teenage phase. She has always known how to dress with class...never tacky or "over the top" like so many young girls these days. She makes sure her family looks good too. (I won't embarrass them by pointing out who needs help either!)

But the thing I love most about her, is that she has a faith that has helped her navigate the challenging teenage years with relative ease, and she has proved her ability to withstand difficult situations. When so many others cave under peer pressure, T stays true to her beliefs. People know she's a Christian by her life. It's her testimony. I hope that my own daughter follows her example as she grows up as well. Happy birthday sweet girl.

Love,

Your aunt

This Must Be Love...

I love my sister. For those of you who don't know us both, she's 15 years older than me, and in many ways...another mother. (Albeit not a "disciplinarian" or anything. If anything...I'd need to reign her in!) We are as different as night and day. She knows no stranger, I'm a little more cautious. She's the life of the party, I'm a bit more reserved. I love to shop, she hates it. She loves Led Zeppelin, I hate them. (I know...I know...I'm in the minority) She's old, I'm young-ish :). The list could go on and on. Despite the myriad of differences, we love each other like crazy and would always have each other's back. There is just one thing that we will NEVER EVER AGREE ON and this is it...She thinks this supposed "monkey" is cute and she loves it. See for yourself and let me know whose side you're on. This must be love...

Snow Day Fun!!

"Hey guys...let's go sledding at 1:oo." That's how the snow day started. We were to pick up 4 of my kids' friends and meet some others at a great hill nearby. So...after donning all of the layers of clothing needed for such an outing, we get into the Honda Odyssey and set out. We turn out of the driveway and start uphill and the wheels start spinning. My neighbors suggested putting in in low drive and trying again. So we did. No luck. Still stuck. We back into the driveway again. They said to try getting over into the part of the road no one had driven on and see if that helps, so I did. No luck. Still stuck. Repeat this step two more times.

So...I tell my girl to text her friends that we may not be able to get out after all, call my boy's friend and say the same, then try one final time. At this point, our mailman had rounded the corner and was heading downhill. I wanted to shout "don't do it"! There's no way that thing will ever make it out, but it was too late. He'd started downhill and guess what...already stuck. At this point, I back into the drive again and decide to go help our mailman. The neighbors and I shovel around the wheels and try to push him out. After three tries, he is at least headed uphill. He walks all of the mail around the lower cul de sac and then goes for the heave ho out of the subdivision. He lays on the gas and makes a go for it. His tail end spins out and guess what? No luck. He's stuck. However, we are able to push him halfway up the hill and out he goes.

Meanwhile, I look back to see my boy (who is VERY disappointed that we can't go sledding with his friends) trying to shovel the street. He's got a nice long stretch done. I remark to my neighbor "oh look...he's going to shovel the street so we can get out". Hmmm...he's making progress. My neighbor says he might be on to something. We join him in his efforts. We make a pretty good dent in the street just up from our driveway. My friend who had planned to have us walk to the top of the hill and pick us up calls to say she's almost here. I tell her what we've done. I urge her to wait at the neighboring subdivision to see if we can bust out of here or not. And guess what?!?...good luck!! WE MAKE IT TO THE TOP!!

So...off to pick up the friends. We honk with excitement as we pull into the sledding area. Our friends are all there and having fun. The kids jump in. There's free falling, spin-a-renas, crazy crashes and collisions. There's racing, and snow boarding, and faces covered in snow. There's laughing, there's screaming, there's giggling with glee. Eventually they tire of sledding and find a giant mountain of snow prime for igloo making. This igloo had "apartments" and sun roofs by the time they were done. It was like a penthouse igloo. No kid was ready to leave when we said time to go, but alas...us parents can't take the cold quite like the kids. We headed to Bread Co. for some hot cocoa and cookies. Many of the kids are still here playing. The girls recreating "Bon Qui Qui" skits and the boys playing video games. Music to my ears. I love these days.

How Much Does Your Better Half Notice???

So this took place a long time ago, but it's a funny story to share none the less. I was newly married. My best friend was sharing a home with "The totally wrong guy" (hereafter referred to as "Dud" for short.) My husband, "Devo" for anonymity sake and I were to meet BFF and Dud for dinner one evening. BFF and I had been talking about what we were going to wear, and I mentioned that Devo wouldn't notice anyway so it really didn't matter. She said that Dud (for all his faults) would notice...because he always paid attention to appearances.

Now lets digress for a minute here. Lest you think I'm just going to be another wife using a blog to air all of her dirty laundry...let me say that Devo is the best thing (outside of our two kids) that's ever happened to me. He's the ultimate provider, involved father, keeper of secrets, trusted advisor, loving spouse, and devoted family man. I couldn't ask for anyone better to share this life with. He makes me laugh, he makes me proud, he drives me crazy, and he treats me right. In so many ways...he is detail oriented...his job, attention to finances, attention to football stats, heck...anything that truly interests him. But he is definitely NOT interested nor even really concerned with what I wear. Don't get me wrong, he definitely has opinions like "don't just wear plain t-shirts" or "I like your hair long", but really paying attention...let's just say he doesn't.

To some that may seem to be a dream. Theoretically I guess you could say I'm lucky. I could probably buy an entirely new wardrobe and he wouldn't notice. I could sneak in new shoes every week and he wouldn't even bat an eye. But, the flip side of that is that I could walk out of this house looking like a complete moron and he wouldn't say a word. In fact...it happened years ago, but I'll get to that in a moment.

Now my BFF, as I mentioned, was living with Dud. Dud was loud, obnoxious, rude, and condescending, but for all these faults I guess he had some endearing qualities that I was never privy to. Apparently one of these attributes was paying attention to how BFF looked. I guess he was complimentary. I hope so anyway. But BFF and I made a little wager to compare if Dud and Devo were really who we were describing. This particular night, we set up a little experiment. We might have even wagered a little money on it.

So...this is how it was to go. I was going to wear a casual knit top (yeah...probably one of the aforementioned tees) with jean shorts. But...instead of tennis shoes or sandals, I wore my white satin wedding heels. BFF was going to dress up a bit more. She wore a shirt and mini skirt. But...instead of pairing her outfit with heels, she was going to wear her basketball high tops from high school.

This is how it went down. I walked out of the bedroom of our apartment in my casual get up and fancy shoes. I made quite the show of strutting around the apartment gathering up my purse, my plastic bag holding my real shoes, etc. Devo said nothing. We left our apartment on the second floor, walked across all of the wooden planks to the stairwell with my heels catching in every other slat, and still nothing. Walked noisily along the concrete to the car. Nothing. Got in the car, crossed my legs, and waved my foot around. Still nothing. Drove 20 minutes to BFF and Dud's place. Never a word. As we pulled into the driveway and parked, I finally turned to Devo and said "Are you really going to let me go out in public like this?" He said "what...the shoes?" "I was kind of wondering why you were wearing those", he said.

We go on up to BFF's door. Dud answered. We go in and there's BFF in her mini skirt with very appropriate shoes on. I questioned why she didn't wear the high tops. She replied that she hadn't even walked out the bedroom door and Dud had already said "Why are you wearing those shoes with that outfit?" It was true. We really knew our men. Thankfully, if that's the only complaint I have with Devo, that's relatively minor (and can even be nice as I mentioned before). Just think...I could wear sweats to Tony's and Devo wouldn't care (though Tony's would!). And really...I find great comfort in the fact that Devo loves me for who I am. Not for what I wear or how I dress. He's happy to be with me no matter what kind of hair day I'm having, whether my outfit's too tight, or whether it's completely out of style. That's a pretty good thing for me to notice about him too. I'm a pretty lucky gal.

Oh...and on a final note. BFF did finally leave Dud and marry the other greatest guy on the planet. I think we're both pretty lucky, and I notice that we've been BFF's for over half our lives. Did I ever tell you how that friendship started? Maybe next blog!