Transition

I will never forget my first year of teaching at Varina High School.  That was the first time that the word transition became a part of my every day life.  Chris Martin, who had been a mentor to me when I was in high school, was my department chair.  He put me in the amazing position of being a 12th grade English teacher, and the COWEP teacher. He handed me a book about transition and told me I would be great.

I was overwhelmed. I was terrified.  The immense responsibility of holding the future of these young men and women in my hands was just so heavy.  I recall looking out at the sea of faces, barley 22 myself, most of them 19 and 20, and wondering how on Earth I was going I pull this off.

I remember opening the book about transition and writing my first lesson plan.  I was hooked, I loved it. I had clearly found my niche and was able to truly empower students by teaching them the basic skills they would need to find a job, or a house, by helping them find who THEY wanted to become.

Those years were magical.  I founded a partnership with the maintenance department and we painted, and raked, and cleaned.  We learned to fill out time sheets, job applications, create resumes, and perhaps most importantly, we learned to work together.

I think my favorite partnership was with Battlefield Park.  Watching my students interact with the rescue dogs was one of the best experiences of my life.  Seeing them truly learn how to work as a team, and watching them fall in love with the dogs.  I knew that the students that were with me on that job site had learned the most valuable lesson of all - compassion.   That skill, learning compassion, would be the skill to ensure that their transition into adult life would be successful.

When I left Varina, I knew that not only would I be leaving a community that I loved, but that I would also be stepping away from my role as a transition teacher.  It was hard.  I have learned a lot about myself in the past 3 years.  I fulfilled another life long wish.  I had always dreamed to work at the Academy at Virginia Randolph.  While working here I have taught with some truly amazing and talented people, and I have worked with some young people that I will never forget.  Some that have changed me forever.  

I have missed that sparkle of hope that I see in a student's eyes when I take them to a job for the first time, or when they get their first paycheck. I have missed the aspects of transition in my daily life. 

I have been offered an amazing opportunity.  I have been asked to be the Transition Teacher for the Central West Zone.  I will be working with students, and their teachers on a plan that will best meet their needs. I will be empowering young people every day, giving them the tools and resources that they need to transition to adult life. I will be a member of the Central Office Staff.  I will be working with people who I have respected and admired for years.  I am truly swept off of my feet by this opportunity.  I am honored beyond words.  

I have to admit that I am also sad, I won't have a classroom - I won't have stories of "my kids" and what shenanigans occur.  This will be a difficult transition for me, so much of who I am is wrapped up in being a teacher in the traditional sense.  The change is happening very quickly, by the end of the month I will be in my new position - and my students with a new teacher.  I began breaking the news to them today.  It has been an emotional roller coaster.

Even with the ache of saying goodbye, I am so excited to start this new adventure.  It feels like my entire career has been leading me to exactly this moment.

It has been months since my last entry.  We have been so busy!

We had an amazing summer.  We went to Kings Dominion and Overhill Lake.  We played at Romp & Roll, we snuggled and loved, and we all started new schools.

Mommy is on the Knight Train now.  As much as I wanted to work at the high school that you will both go to, it just did not work out.  Maybe I will change my mind when you all get to middle school age, but for right now I love love love my school.

You guys also started at a new school, Bundle of Joy.  You know how much I hate to change up your routines, but with Tommy starting Kindergarten next year it just had to happen.  I am thankful that we did because Tommy has a new best friend!  Parker!  I am so happy to see you playing and happy again my sweet man. 

Elayna, you have a sweet little boyfriend named Kayden.  He says that he wants to touch you :)  If you were any older than 2 that would worry me.

We just celebrated your 2nd birthday sweet bug.  It was a lovely party, we had a bouncy house and a photo booth.  I am so excited to see the pictures.

Piggy Snort

Sweet Buggy at daycare:)

Father's Day Pictures

I have to start by saying that I am such a lucky lady, you guys are perfect & beautiful & sweet.  But you already know that.  For Father's Day I had planned the tattoo for Daddy - but he didn't like it.  So I got your pictures done.  Purely selfish of me because I LOVE having your pictures done. 

These are just a few of my favorites.  I love this one because Buggy looks so mischievous, like she is weighing out the situation to figure out what she should do next.

 This one is just too cute, Nonnie made this skirt for you bugga boo, I love it!

Look at Those curls and that smile!!!

My handsome prince, I love this picture.  You are a vision, it captures your personality perfectly!

 So smart & kind, I feel like you can see it all right here in your face.

This one was just for fun, what you can't tell is that you are choke holding me.

 There were so many amazing pictures of you bug!!

The lady kept telling you to "smell" the flower, and you wouldn't so I told you to eat it!  So cute!

You asked if this one was your senior picture, I think probably because you beloved Kate is graduating this year.

Stinker!

 The lady that took the pictures was really proud of this one!  I think it looks like it should be in a magazine.

 So, since we did all those girly ones of buggy, we had to do some "manly" ones of you T Bird.  She was pulling out footballs, and baseball gloves.  I wish she had taken a picture of her own face when you said that you wanted a race car instead.  I am pretty sure it is supposed to be a prop for babies, but I think they turned out super cute.

And for the reason we were there, the Daddy Pictures.

Thank you both for being perfect. Two more days of school & then we have the whole summer in front of us.  I am so excited to share all of those adventures with you.

Cabbage Patch Kids

Mommy loves baby dolls, but I don't think there is any quicker way to bring a smile to my face than for me to see a Cabbage Patch Kid.  I love them, I have since I can remember.  We did not have much growing up.  Your grandma did the best she could, we were always happy, well fed, & clothed - but there was not enough for extras, especially not extravagant extras like a Cabbage Patch Kid.

When mommy was a little girl these dolls were EVERY little girls dream & I wanted - truly coveted one - so bad that I remember it to this day.  I finally got one when I was about 10.  After their popularity died down, and after I was considered by most to be too "old" for cabbage patch kids.  I loved them though - SO much.  They stayed on my bed for years and years. I was so happy to give them to you when you were born buggy.  Since then I have found a few more, so that now at 18 months you have mommy's two Cabbage Patch Kids from when I was little plus three more.  I just gave your sweet cousin Savannah one too.

I guess the moral of this story is that I hope that I am able to give you both the most beautiful & amazing life.  And I want to be able to give you some of the things that my mommy would have, but couldn't.

Father's Day

I am beyond excited for Father's Day this year.  I have been planning for months and months.  Your Daddy really wants a tattoo behind his ear (just like mommy b/c I am so cool).  I have been meeting and meeting with Chris, a tattoo artist at your aunt Jessika's shop - River City Tattoo.  I wanted something that would represent both of you.  So for my sweet T Bird, and my little Lana Bug we created this.

I love it, I hope your daddy does too.  I am going to give it to him early so we can work out any kinks and make sure we can get it done for Father's Day.

Orange, Red, Go

My sweet little man, your ears have been so clogged up & infected for so long that instead of hearing, "Ready, Set, Go, " you hear "Orange, Red, Go."  Your vocabulary is already exemplary, so I can only imagine how much it will grow after your surgery.

Yesterday you had your adenoids taken out & tubes put in.  Dr. Brager said that there was an excess of mucus and that the surgery should help with that.  I am so excited to see you be well again.

You did not do well with the anesthesia.  By the time they let me back there you were screaming at the nurses, "don't you touch me." Your face was beat red, and your sweet lips were blue from screaming.  I hadn't seen you like that since you were a toddler.  You broke quite a few blood vessels in your face & had to be given an extra sedative so you wouldn't pull out your IV.  It was a scary morning.