sharing the stairs – Page 2 – because life has ups and downs…

Christmas Reimagined

I don't know about you, but Christmas in 2020 isn't going to be like our typical Christmas. We have a big, beautiful, blended family with adult kids who live far…

Mirror- Our New Favorite Workout

Our family is active. We like to get a good sweat going every day. We run races- well, we did run races before the pandemic put a halt to those…

What If…We Make People Feel Special

19 Dec 202019 Dec 2020

For as long as I can remember, my dad chose a special 🎅Christmas gift just for me. He bought something that I had not circled in the Sears Wish Book.…

What If…Manners Mattered?

12 Dec 202012 Dec 2020

Angelina and I stopped by a shop to pick up her new prescription 👓eyeglasses after school the other day. The sign at the 🚪door listed the necessary COVID protocols. It…

New ETSY Site

My son has many talents. One of them is graphic design. Since he was laid off from his job in the theatre industry during the pandemic, he took the opportunity…

What If…We’re Surprised

4 Dec 20205 Dec 2020

My husband doesn't typically read my 📝writings before publishing. He doesn't even ask about the topics. Although I sometimes want feedback while I'm working on a project, Ken prefers to…

What If…We’re Grateful Every Day

28 Nov 202028 Nov 2020

November is the month that brings the whole idea of being 😍grateful out of the shadows and into the light. Thanksgiving is a big reason for that, of course. Having…

How About a New Book?

28 Nov 202028 Nov 2020

Hello there, friends! It's that time of year! Time to pick the perfect presents- and Small Business Saturday! If you're searching for unique gifts for those special people in your…

What If…Our Positivity is Authentic

21 Nov 202021 Nov 2020

I belong to a Facebook group of educators across Missouri who share tips, tricks, 🎉celebrations, and 😵frustrations of teaching during a pandemic. There was a post the other day that…

What If…We Remember the Lessons of 2020?

14 Nov 202014 Nov 2020

We were sitting in a faculty meeting a few days ago. Faculty meetings look a lot different this year. When we had faculty meetings in previous years, the whole gang…

What If…We’re Patient

7 Nov 20207 Nov 2020

William Langland wrote the first-ever recording of the phrase, "Patience is a virtue" sometime between 1360 and 1387. A Greek proverb says, "One ⏳minute of patience, ten ⏳years of peace."…

What If…We Listen to the Kids

30 Oct 202031 Oct 2020

I have been hearing folks talk about COVID-fatigue. 😐Even though I feel like I've adapted to this new abnormal, I get it. I'm 😴exhausted from just trying to keep up…

What If…We Remember Grace

23 Oct 202024 Oct 2020

A former student messaged me the other day. 😊She wanted to say thanks to this old teacher. She didn't thank me for teaching her how to use context clues when…

What If…Practice Introspection

17 Oct 202017 Oct 2020

I was 👟running on the trail when I started to smell smoke. It's not uncommon to smell smoke from a barbecue or the smell of a woodpile 🔥burning. It wasn't…

What If…Remember Our Mindset

10 Oct 202011 Oct 2020

I woke up the other day thinking it was Friday. 🎉For folks who work those Monday through Friday weeks, you know what I'm talking about. It feels good😍 to wake…

What If…We Lift Each Other

3 Oct 20203 Oct 2020

We spend a lot of ⏰time on the sidelines at volleyball games. It's a lot of fun to watch the teamwork, the awesome 🔥kills, those 💥aces, a few shots that…

What If…We Find Calm

26 Sep 202027 Sep 2020

I've noticed that I feel 🌅calm, and that sounds a little crazy to me, given this 👻insane year. 2020 hasn't been what any of us would have expected. There is…

What If…We follow the Example of RBG

19 Sep 202020 Sep 2020

The 🌎world lost a great one this week with the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 💔The United States lost an important Supreme Court Justice. 💔Women lost a champion. 💔Fighters for…

What I…We Don’t Try to Race Time

12 Sep 202012 Sep 2020

"Time waits for no one." -Folklore (dated as far back as 1225) Have you ever noticed that every single 🛑stoplight is red when you're in a hurry? What about those…

Follow My Classroom Blog

7 Sep 20206 Sep 2020

Hey there, friends! The new school year is underway- and it is much different than any other school year! We wear masks unless we're seated. Desks are spread throughout an…