We've had a wonderful Christmas--time off with the family, not stressing over the job. There are too many "bests" to list this year, but the best thing for our family has been my leaving academia. We are off on a grand new adventure and so far things are looking very bright. We have made so many new friends and really feel like we're a part of Homestead instead of just living in it. The kids are thriving, and Colby and I are very involved in our new church, Speedway Community.
All the grandparents are coming in for the New Year (and a second family Christmas). Our thoughts are with Colby's nephew Drake, a two-time cancer survivor, and Colby's grandfather, who been in the hospital three times since Thanksgiving.
Life takes strange turns and twists, and sometimes it's just best to take advantage of the new opportunities rather than shying away from them. This year has literally turned on its head for us, for me, but it's been a fantastic family experience. And I am especially grateful for the four other families who have become forever linked in the Atala experience: the Howarths, the Morgans, the Scheffs, and the Valles. We are also so very thankful to the other families and friends who joined us on this "fantastic voyage" from its inception.
Happy New Year and don't forget to Spread Your Wings!
26 December 2010
17 December 2010
I love my life
Can't really say more than that. I'll post an update about the last two crazy weeks in another day or so. But right now I'm listening to Livya sing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer while she's in the shower. Too cute! Another moment I would have missed if I'd been commuting 2 hours a day.
Have an awesome Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you may be celebrating this time of year. We are in major planning for the 7th annual Burns-Leider Pig (and Turkey) Roast on January 1st. Hope you all can make it. We had 117 folks last year, and I'd like to break 200 this year!
Spread your wings!
Have an awesome Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you may be celebrating this time of year. We are in major planning for the 7th annual Burns-Leider Pig (and Turkey) Roast on January 1st. Hope you all can make it. We had 117 folks last year, and I'd like to break 200 this year!
Spread your wings!
03 December 2010
December!
I can't believe how time flies. We made it back from an awesome Thanksgiving in Texas with all of Colby's family. Now Christmas is only three weeks away! School is buzzing with Hanukkah decorations and food, Christmas preparations, giant snowflakes to fill and hang, and so much more. The kids are singing at Losner Park next Friday, our Atala Winter Production is the Thursday after that, and then the last day of school is Friday, December 17.
So different than years' past when I had to work through our holiday break, Spring break, and all summer. 2011 is going to be fantastic! My family is setting up the tree this weekend and decorating everything like crazy. Can't wait to get started on the 7th Annual Burns-Leider Pig Roast! More on that later.
Spread your wings!
So different than years' past when I had to work through our holiday break, Spring break, and all summer. 2011 is going to be fantastic! My family is setting up the tree this weekend and decorating everything like crazy. Can't wait to get started on the 7th Annual Burns-Leider Pig Roast! More on that later.
Spread your wings!
23 November 2010
Thanksgiving
Earlier this week Cheryl Morgan and I took nine 3rd and 4th graders to visit the Homestead Soup Kitchen. The President of that organization, Mrs. Juanita Smith, is one of the most important figures in recent Homestead history. Our students were able to meet her for a second time (she visited Atala last week) and actually see how the whole operation works. Liam, who has loved to cook with me since he was in preschool, is now interested in cooking in a facility like for a job down the road. I love his attitude--he just wants to help people. Being around the kitchen and cooking/baking/eating means a lot to him and now he wants to share it with others.
The last two days I have had the great pleasure of making butter with every single child at Atala Montessori School. Livya was so excited this morning (about the butter and our trip) that she could barely contain herself and kept jumping in with all the answers to my questions. We had a blast--jumped around, talked about fat globules, and generally caused a lot of noise for a great cause. Every student successfully made butter in partnership with at least two other students. Awesome!
Today we left school at 1 pm to drive 20 hours to get to Texas for Thanksgiving. We made it I-90, around the bend of Lake City, and will drive the rest of the trip tomorrow. It's an especially important Thanksgiving in that my nephew, Drake, is battling cancer for the second in his short 14-year-old life. He's had a tough road, but has an amazing ability to see the good in nearly everything. Our kids are very excited to see their cousins (all of them!), even if it is for only about 8 hours.
Despite all the chaos the last few weeks, I feel very blessed in so very many ways. A very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Count your blessings and take nothing for granted. Life can change on a dime.
Spread your wings!
The last two days I have had the great pleasure of making butter with every single child at Atala Montessori School. Livya was so excited this morning (about the butter and our trip) that she could barely contain herself and kept jumping in with all the answers to my questions. We had a blast--jumped around, talked about fat globules, and generally caused a lot of noise for a great cause. Every student successfully made butter in partnership with at least two other students. Awesome!
Today we left school at 1 pm to drive 20 hours to get to Texas for Thanksgiving. We made it I-90, around the bend of Lake City, and will drive the rest of the trip tomorrow. It's an especially important Thanksgiving in that my nephew, Drake, is battling cancer for the second in his short 14-year-old life. He's had a tough road, but has an amazing ability to see the good in nearly everything. Our kids are very excited to see their cousins (all of them!), even if it is for only about 8 hours.
Despite all the chaos the last few weeks, I feel very blessed in so very many ways. A very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Count your blessings and take nothing for granted. Life can change on a dime.
Spread your wings!
09 November 2010
A New Era
I have finally moved on...FIU cut off my email account. Ah well, I'll survive on Gmail (personal contact) and Squirrelmail (Atala contact).
And by the way, my next book is going to be a collaborative effort with the students at Atala--Jokes for Kids (need a better name, but I bet Sonya can help with that...). That will be an awesome Summer project!
Spread your wings!
06 November 2010
My Crazy Awesome Life
My posts are getting further and further apart. It's been up and down the last three weeks. We're on a roll now. So much has happened with Atala. Kids are loving it, parents are loving it, staff is loving it. We had our first big fundraiser on October 29. In 2.5 hours we made over $1600! All of this money will go to scholarships and playground equipment. Couldn't have done it without help from everyone at Atala. I think that's why we're all having so much fun and are seeing such quick success. There's no one person "in charge." We all work together, listen to one another, and pull for a common goal--the children.
So much is so very, very positive. We had a rainy, but fun picture day this past week. Colby says the is good luck--we had rain at our Grand Opening, rain at the Chili Cook-Off, and now rain on Picture Day. Oh well...at least the grass will stay greener a bit longer. This month we'll have Thanksgiving celebrations and then we're practically at the end of the year!
On a strange and weird note, we have had a number of "visitors" to come see us. Apparently there are people out there who are questioning our existence and calling everyone and anyone in authority who might listen. It's turning out to be the Boy (or Girl) Who Cried Wolf as everyone of these "visitors" leaves our campus with great praise and a handshake. There may always be someone/something trying to keep you down. But if you're doing what's right, you'll eventually win. Keep moving forward with conviction and ignore the negative energy. It's not worth a second thought.
Going on six months away from FIU. At this point I rarely think about academic life until one of my friends sends me something so outrageous I can't resist actually reading the story or looking at the picture and laughing. It's amazing to me how silly academics can be. Do you realize in the past weeks I read a story in the Chronicle of Higher Education (the journal that all serious academic administrators read religiously every week) on how 2 Ivy League Colleges "outed" undergraduate seniors who refused to donate money to their senior fund? The colleges (supposedly the cream of the crop) actually tried to shame these students into giving money to the college by publishing their name and stating that they wouldn't give!
Looking forward to a great trip to Texas for Thanksgiving! We'll drive right after school is out and hit Texas the day before turkey day. Then we'll drive home on Saturday straight through as far as we can go. Whirlwind at best, but it will be nice to spend more time with Colby's family. Hope you all are planning an awesome Thanksgiving, too!
Spread your wings!
So much is so very, very positive. We had a rainy, but fun picture day this past week. Colby says the is good luck--we had rain at our Grand Opening, rain at the Chili Cook-Off, and now rain on Picture Day. Oh well...at least the grass will stay greener a bit longer. This month we'll have Thanksgiving celebrations and then we're practically at the end of the year!
On a strange and weird note, we have had a number of "visitors" to come see us. Apparently there are people out there who are questioning our existence and calling everyone and anyone in authority who might listen. It's turning out to be the Boy (or Girl) Who Cried Wolf as everyone of these "visitors" leaves our campus with great praise and a handshake. There may always be someone/something trying to keep you down. But if you're doing what's right, you'll eventually win. Keep moving forward with conviction and ignore the negative energy. It's not worth a second thought.
Going on six months away from FIU. At this point I rarely think about academic life until one of my friends sends me something so outrageous I can't resist actually reading the story or looking at the picture and laughing. It's amazing to me how silly academics can be. Do you realize in the past weeks I read a story in the Chronicle of Higher Education (the journal that all serious academic administrators read religiously every week) on how 2 Ivy League Colleges "outed" undergraduate seniors who refused to donate money to their senior fund? The colleges (supposedly the cream of the crop) actually tried to shame these students into giving money to the college by publishing their name and stating that they wouldn't give!
Looking forward to a great trip to Texas for Thanksgiving! We'll drive right after school is out and hit Texas the day before turkey day. Then we'll drive home on Saturday straight through as far as we can go. Whirlwind at best, but it will be nice to spend more time with Colby's family. Hope you all are planning an awesome Thanksgiving, too!
Spread your wings!
14 October 2010
Worth repeating
So it's kind of a cop-out to repost something I wrote on Facebook on my blog, but this one is really funny and points out how awesome it is that I can around to laugh and joke with my kids a lot more this year than I have the last four years:
Livya: We should get a little pig.
Me: With all the animals we have, why do we need a pig?
Livya: Because pigs make bacon!
Liam and me: (total silence followed by hysterical laughter)
Me: Livya, pigs don't *make* bacon, they *are* bacon!
Livya: (realizing what I just said) No! That's so sad and gross!
Spread your wings!
Livya: We should get a little pig.
Me: With all the animals we have, why do we need a pig?
Livya: Because pigs make bacon!
Liam and me: (total silence followed by hysterical laughter)
Me: Livya, pigs don't *make* bacon, they *are* bacon!
Livya: (realizing what I just said) No! That's so sad and gross!
Spread your wings!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)