Mr. Man Bun

After 4 weeks of Stay Home to Stay Safe, there are many thoughts going through my mind.  Every once in a while I have very profound thoughts about this time of social distancing being a reset for the world and a recharge for my burned out mind and soul.  But, most of the time it is business as usual in my New Normal of teaching online from home while my 3 Goofballs kids try to navigate their own way trough this new style of education.  It is an endless cycle of cooking, washing dishes, laundry piles, figuring out how to turn on my computer, fumbling my way through posting assignments and binge watching as many shows as time will allow.

Some moments of distraction have come in the form of UPS deliveries.  Almost every afternoon the UPS truck is in our neighborhood. Who gets all of these deliveries I can't help but wonder? What is in those packages?

Thanks to a couple of very thoughtful friends we recently had some UPS deliveries of our own and wow! Bella and I were very surprised by not only the gifts, but the UPS driver.  He is SO cute!!

Bella and I have many differences.  She is much quieter, calmer and more organized. She enjoys cooking and baking and cleaning.  All of the things I cannot stand to have to do.

 But, one thing we can agree on, despite out 30 year age difference, is that it takes a certain type of man to look hot with a man bun.  And our UPS driver wears it well.

He has been a highlight of the quarantine.  He arrives on our street like clockwork and diverts our attention for a few minutes just by walking down the road. We never get tired of saying to ourselves, "Well helloooo Mr. Man Bun."  I also love changing  up lyrics to old songs and singing it loud and off key, "Mr. Man Bun dream me a dream make him the cutest that I've ever seen!"

My sons cannot stand it. They think we are awful.  But, Bella, the dog and I wait at the window with no shame!

Sometimes when I am stressed out from hearing an overwhelming COVID news report or reading an article that is too intense with too many death tolls, I find my mind wandering. Sometimes, it's too much to think about. So I let my mind drift. Sometimes I think about the goggle marks on Trump's face and I wonder...how does he get that orange color? Does he have his own tanning bed? Where does he keep it?

To reign myself back in to more pleasant thoughts, I think of Mr. Man Bun.  Sometimes I wonder, why does it have to be called a Man Bun? Why can't it just be a man with a bun?

Ahhh, then I get back to reality and teaching and cleaning and dishes and taking pictures of my dog, and using ridiculous snap chat filters.

THAT Moment

There is a moment every year that a teacher waits for. THAT moment when a class just gets it. Everything comes together and the teacher thinks to themselves, THIS is why I teach.  Well, I was very fortunate that THAT moment arrived just before Coronavirus precautions shut school down. 

Two weeks before that last day together, I had started reading a book to the class.  It was the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamilio. My most favorite children’s chapter book ever. 

I was worried because it was reading assessment time. They were taking DRA tests and i-ready tests. Was I teaching enough? Were they learning enough?  What else should I be doing to teach them better? I was stressed.

I love reading and I love books and I love characters and so I took out my book and decided to introduce them to Edward. 

From the very first page they were hooked. I saw them leaning in closer even though there were no pictures to look at. They wanted to get closer to the story. 

They were alert, hanging on every word. Picturing the story in their minds. We took notes and wrote  predictions and each day I left off at a cliffhanger moment. They HAD to wait until the next day to find out what happens next. I made a BIG deal about having to read it together - no sneak peeking ahead. I put the book in my purse for recess so no one would be tempted to look at the ending. 

The suspense built.  

 On  March 9th I felt like school would close soon, so I knew we HAD to get through the end of Edward.  The kids wanted more and more of the story.

Thursday It felt like closing would be inevitable and we still had 4 chapters left.  16 pages! 

We decided as a class to finish it.  We sat together for 45 minutes! We read and read.  And as I approached the very last paragraph I looked around at the smiling, eager faces of my students. I knew what was coming. I had read the end 4 years in a row.  I can not ever read that last page without tears. As we got to the end, I read and wept and the students cheered and clapped!! We were SO loud that Ms. Tangredi came running across the hall to see if we were ok. She was worried when she saw my tears and mascara running all over my face. But students assured her we were fine! We were just happy for Edward!   

And I knew.  It was THAT moment. My students go IT!! They were so invested in that book, in that character. Edward had become a part of us.  Part of the 2nd grade experience. No test score can measure it. No reading level could accurately portray it. It’s something you can’t teach, you can’t quantify, you can’t force.  It has to be awakened inside of oneself. 

I do not know what the future holds, if we will go back to school this year. If we will be in a classroom together again. But, I do know my school kids are going to be ok.  They get it! They are critical thinkers and lifelong learners.

They are amazing! I am so proud of them! I will cherish THAT moment as I plan online lesson for them and picture them reading as we continue with our New Normal.

Cup of Perspective

I spent last New Year's Eve with someone that didn't want me there.  I've heard how you ring in the New Year can be telling. And it was.  Lesson learned.  So this year, I made a better choice and decided to celebrate the New Year with the ones that love me most...my kiddos! We had visits from one of my very good friends and my mom throughout the day. Then we made appetizers and drank sparkling cider and played board games.  The Game of Life brought out the best and worst in each of us. We argued and laughed our way into the New Year together. It was perfect!

I sat here on the first day of 2020 and I sipped my blueberry coffee. The taste brought me back to the first time I had that flavor 7 years ago as Oz and I sat in a divorce lawyer's office.  We were paying her by the hour to listen to us argue.  It would have been cheaper to stay home and fight for free, but neither of us could figure out the paperwork on our own, so there we were.

Reflecting, I realize how much I have grown since that time. I used to wear my grandfather's rosary beads around my neck and spray myself with sage before trying to mediate with Oz. I wasn't great at controlling my temper.  I was short sighted and didn't handle the unknown very well.

Having had some years of practice, I am navigating life and adulthood much better now.   Adulting took some getting used to. But, it hasn't been so bad. Thankfully Oz has stayed one of my closest friends over the years and his warm-hearted wife is a very effective mediator when needed.

Luckily, despite the learning curve I went through,  the kids are turning out to be pretty good people.  According to Luccio, "Life is the best right now!"  I have to say I agree and that's thanks to good friends, supportive family and these Goofball kids that are the greatest part of my life.

Happy New Year!