Teacher Gift

I worried. I searched. I fretted over what to get Reid's 1st grade teacher as an end of the year gift. This woman, Mrs. Todd, is unbelievable. She. Is. Amazing. She was exactly the kind of teacher Reid needed and the exact kind of teacher I hoped he would have. Firm, loving, pushes the children to reach every bit of their potential, truly a master teacher. So, yes, I stressed over what to give her. It would need to be the perfect gift because she is the perfect teacher. Then, it hit me. I came up with the plan and bought the supplies, but then Reid executed it from start to finish.

We started off with a clay pot and Reid painted "Thank you for helping me grow" on it.



He then let his artistic skills flow with a sun, rolling hills and big blue sky.

Add a lily and the gift is almost complete.

The last touch was a hand written note to include. It reads, "Thank you for being my teacher. I wish I could stay with you in first grade. But, I know that I must go on to second grade. I love you."

What more could a teacher want, but than to have such an impact on a child's life, they wish they could remain their teacher? Yeah, she is that good.

An Anniversary Shoutout

Happy Anniversary to my brother and sister in law! They have had 7 years of wedded bliss...not to mention they made me an aunt!

Have a wonderful anniversary Jason and Kim - and we wish you many more!

To my mom...

Before I was a Mom
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom,
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was Mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words of lullabies.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on
Pooped on
Spit on
Chewed on
Peed on
Or pinched by tiny fingers

Before I was a Mom
I had complete control of:
My thoughts
My body
And my mind.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child
So that doctors could do tests
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
When I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
Could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
Could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay
I had never known the warmth
The joy
The love
The heartache
The wonder
Or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Author Unknown

This says it all...I never knew exactly what all my mom endured until I became a mom myself. The heartache, the worried nights, the pure excitement over a good report card, the yearning for a simple kiss and loving someone so much that you feel like your heart could explode.

Thank you mom for everything, but most importantly for showing me exactly what kind of mom I wanted to be...

I love you - Happy Mother's Day!