Round 2010

Ding! We made through Round 2009. Bruised, bloodied and beaten, let's go back in the ring for another round.

Here's to a KO of a year!! Ding!

Therapy Tool

I would like to introduce you to my new friend. Santa delivered her a few days before Christmas, but I was good and didn't open it til Christmas afternoon. It is a more than adequate replacement for my pitiful desktop that kept spontaneously shutting down while I worked. Not only will this machine stay on, but it's fast, portable and flexible. I can type on it, write on it, drag on it and tap on it. It definitely fulfills my kinesthetic fetish.

This tool will help me attempt a huge feat: A daily blog. My dear friend and inspiration, JSG, managed to do it while working 2 jobs (many days on the road), being a wonderful wife and mother (How can we forget EJG's brain bleeds?), and fulfilling her dream as a performer. It is my hope that this blog will get me through what will be a rough year. No, I'm not being a pessimist, just a realist. This blog will be my therapy, helping me through the hurdles this year will present. I'm praying that the friends and family in my "blogger-hood" will keep inspiring me to press on, especially when things get really bumpy.

I'm sure my new toy, oops I mean tool, will help as well.

What a wonderful world....

Eight years ago, I thought I had it all: a great, new husband, a fun job, wonderfully supportive friends and family, and then......I was blessed with an angel!!

JRR came to us at a time when the world was confused, angry, sad and scared. While I was mourning the losses of 9/11, I was also questioning the world that was here to meet him. I wasn't sure what it had in store for my newborn. Would he live long enough to see peace and justice? Would he see people love and respect each other? Would he see a wonderful world?

Fast forward eight years. My little man, my little OLD man, has made an impact on his world far beyond my wildest imagination. Not only has he seen peace and justice, but he can articulate rhyme and reason behind such causes as "quiet cups" for safety in the cafeteria, anti-smoking in this day and age of "health care reform" (his words), and eating right and exercising to stay healthy. Not only has he seen love and respect for others, he has demonstrated it freely, without provocation. Serving drinks at a dinner for the homeless, getting my friend a glass of water while she suffered through a coughing spell, befriending a classmate who is known to make bad choices. Not only has he seen a wonderful world through his big brown eyes, he has made one as well. JRR's love of others and of the earth at this tender young age is beyond my comprehension. (I know when I was his age, I was busy blowing up GI Joe's with my brothers!) He can walk the walk, talk the talk and beautifully sing the song without fail!

I am proud and honored to be JRR's mom. While I don't know exactly what I did to earn such a beautiful soul, I am thankful for every minute and every day I have him. Gratitude. Isn't that what a wonderful world is all about?

JRR, thanks for making this such a wonderful world. I LOVE YOU, SNICKERDOODLE!!!

Lose For Good!!

I hope to lose enough to feed a Third World country!

Anticipation, Resolution, Maturation, (or ARMing myself for change)

The supplies selected by JOR and SRR were bought, labeled and packed since the beginning of August. MGR had his classroom set up a week before "Hell Week" (teacher work week). I've been at work since 7/29. This house is definitely ready for the school year to begin!

I think all four of us are excited and anxious: What kind of support and ideas can I give the teachers in my nine schools? Will they be accepting of engaging students w/ technology? What kind of class will MGR have? Will they cause him nights without sleep and weekends without a life? Will JOR overcome his obstacles in writing to show off what his beautiful mind is thinking? Will SRR get over the stigma that homework is bad? Will both boys be accepted in their respective peer circles and have the opportunity to continue thriving?

This anticipation signals a "New Year", thus bringing about my usual resolutions: getting healthy, staying within my points, working out more, saving money, maintaining the house, etc. However, this new job as technology integrator puts me in a position to add more:
-To recite the "Serenity Prayer" when dealing with resistant and / or controlling people.
-To avoid negativity and micromanagement.
-To tune out people who like to hear their heads roar.
-To avoid mentioning new and innovative ideas to others. "Never teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." Why bother?
-To leave work at work!
-Mommy, Wife, Employee.....in that order!!! (First two can be switched as needed.)

This year, year 22 in my teaching career, will start differently. The excitement will be there, but more for my boys than for me. This paradigm shift is due to my boys getting bigger and better and my job getting more frustrating and less important. This small fish in the big pond wants to find a way out of this stagnant swamp and into clear, rolling waters. This swim will take a little planning and a lot of growing. Keeping myself sharp physically, mentally and emotionally will help that growth. Now onto finding that path..... (and some swim lessons!) Happy New Year!!

Guilty!

Hi! My name is BJNR and I'm a slacker!!

While sitting on my deck, I ponder the fine art of doing nothing. Just for today, I am a lazy wife and mother. (That is, if you count only 2 loads of laundry being lazy.) It really isn't a bad thing. Or is it?

Society has put this enormous pressure on me to be in a constant state of doing: work out for 4 hours, take the kids to 30 places and buy them $700 worth of toys and other junk, cook a 9 course meal, wash all the linens, etc. While I can do some of these things some of the time, there are days like today when I just need to put on the brakes!

I am enjoying this downtime for the most part, but I feel that pressure gnawing at me: take the boys to the pool, clean my office, go for a run, work on my course, and so on... These little voices are making me crazy. Have I been so programmed by the 21st century that I can't relax anymore? What a horrible thought!

The mother guilt is the worst. While I dream of replicating last year's mountain excursion, finances and time were against us. Today, while many moms and dads are taking their kids out to do things, we stayed home and let the boys be....boys! They played with the neighbors, drew pictures, read books, rode bikes, ate snacks, and just let the wind take them today.

You know what? They not only survived, they had fun! They were creating games, getting exercise and using their brains. A great time was had by all!

Leave it to children to teach me yet another valuable lesson: It's OK to do nothing 'cause you end up doing something and this anything will mean everything in the long run!

Perhaps today I should declare my independence from doing......

Now, where was I? Oh yeah. My name is BJNR and I am a slacker!

Technology vs. Momology

Tomorrow, most of our technology integrator team will depart for Washington D.C. to attend the National Educational Computing Conference. I am looking forward to the experience, as I haven't been away to a professional conference since March, 2000! The conference, which lasts from Sunday to Wednesday, will feature the latest and greatest in technology education, both in pedagogy and product.

The professional in me is chomping at the bit to go, but the mommy in me is hesitant. The boys have already expressed their sadness due to my departure, especially my SRR, whose nickname "leech" has really stuck this weekend (pun intended). They both have been very clingy the past two days, saying how much they are going to miss me. While I know they'll be in great hands with Daddy, I will miss them terribly! This will be the longest I've been away from them. (My Noah's Ark trip to Chicago was only 3 days.) Hopefully, I can bring back some knowledge (and maybe some goodies) to help them get over my absence. Someday they will understand why I had to go and hopefully reap the benefits from my trip. Maybe a new Web 2.0 tool or piece of software could spark their talents. Maybe they can put Bill Gates to shame. Maybe I can retire early. Maybe I should stop the libations.....

Until next time......