LOL #4

A rather pompous English professor once told me that good writers don't write about their dogs.  Now, I am in no way proclaiming that I am a writer of any merit, but I am saying that I think this professor's statement is bunk.  How could these comical canines not be the subject of many great tales?

This week's LOL photo subject is my Old English Sheepdog Georgia, named after the state where our family began homemaking.  She makes me laugh quite often but yesterday, I pulled into the driveway after a crazy work day.  Everyone was home and G-dawg was outside - her favorite place to be.  She greeted me at the driver side door with her wiggly, waggling, tailless behind but couldn't contain her excitement in just a wiggle.  After a quick pet, she started racing around the front yard - to the right, back to me, to the left, back to me, full circle, back to me , and then began all over again!  How cool is that?  I had someone so excited that I was home that she just couldn't contain it and had to run out the excitement!  I just stood there laughing out loud at her hilarious sprint. 

Georgia is quite the canine - way too smart. Here are just a few of her shenanigans that have brought on the sound of laughter, mostly by those with whom we have shared the stories:

Did you know there is an animal poison control?  Yes, there is.  You can call them if your dog eats a canister of wood putty.

Our children are 14, 11, and 8 and we added baby locks to cabinets and drawers 2 years ago when Georgia arrived - didn't know dogs could open those things!

Ever have a dog waiting in the driver's seat of the car for you?  How did she get in that Suburban?  Open window maybe?

I never knew a roll of toilet paper could be so entertaining!  Not once, not twice, not three times...

Houdini is what we should have named her. Containment = challenge to her.

Regardless, those wiggly greetings, those loyal eyes, that undivided attention she gives make me smile, on my face and in my heart.

Don't Blink

Tis the season for ending one phase of life and looking toward the next.  Two times each year I struggle to hold back both joyous and heart-tugging tears - the last day of school and the first day of school.

Oh how I love the last day of school and the thought of spending all summer hanging out at home with my kiddos, but with it comes the realization that they have completed yet another year of growing up and away from me. 

The first day of school is also oh so exciting for me.  The preparation of school supplies - new notebooks (love a fresh new notebook!), new clothes, new lunchbox... the energy of that morning is thrilling.  I've always loved school so it makes perfect sense to me to look forward to that very first day of a fresh new year.  Yet, now, as I snap those first day of school pics of my three, I'm holding back tears as they're holding up their fingers to indicate their new grades in school.

I had one of those brick-meeting-head pivotal moments tonight in the car traveling back home from my sweet little one's ballet performance.  I'm driving; my nutter butter's in the back singing to the radio; my older daughter is in front with me controlling the radio.  She stops at a song on one of her favorite country radio stations.  The title? "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney.  Brick meets head!  If you aren't familiar with it, google the lyrics.  At that moment I had the profound realization that I am soon to be entering an entirely new phase of mommyhood.  Upon completion of this school year, I will now be the mom of a high schooler, a middle schooler, and an elementary schooler.  Ouch, those bricks hurt. 

So, with my wide-open, non-blinking eyes, I look toward new experiences and remind myself to savor each and every single solitary one -

every ballet performance, award's ceremony, school dance, soccer game, LAX game, dinner around the table, vacation, day at the pool, conversation in the car, goodnight hug and kiss...

LOL #3

 The time was the summer of 1993.  The place was my apartment in Georgia.  My neighbors living in the apartment next door to mine were a nice elderly couple.  I remember the gentleman being particularly kind and thoughtful to his wife who suffered from various health issues.  I was inside my apartment waiting for my boyfriend to come pick me up.  Can't really remember where we were going, no place special really, just hanging out.

Doorbell rings; I answer; boyfriend is standing on the stoop with a big bouquet of flowers!  Wow!  I'm thrilled - flowers.  I really didn't think he was the flower type! (I mean I'm really not either - not out-of-the-ground flowers anyway.) But he thought enough about me to bring me flowers.  What girl wouldn't be excited?  I ooohed, I ahhhed, I swooned - well, maybe not swooned; but regardless, I really made over the fact that he brought me flowers. 

His honest nature must have been cringing because it didn't take him long to tell me, "Well, I didn't really buy them." 

I say, "Oh, okay." 

"Well," he says, "your neighbor gave them to me." 

With a perplexed expression, I'm sure, I state, "My neighbor?"

"Yeah, he was headed to the dumpster with them and saw me.  So he told me they still looked pretty good, why not give them to you!"

Yes, used flowers that were headed for the dumpster.  That's what he gave me.

Flash forward to 2012.  This summer, 18 years later,  I'm still married to that "charming" man.  Yes, I married the man that gave me used flowers.  Sure do love that honest guy!

Today, I was walking down a sidestreet of town.  I passed by a city trash can with, you guessed it, discarded flowers sticking out of the top.  Oh, it made me laugh out loud!  I did an about face, walked back to my car, and grabbed my camera. 

Fringe Benefits

The World Dictionary by Collins defines fringe benefit (noun) as an incidental or additional advantage.  I would most definitely describe the latter part of my weekend as a fringe benefit! 

My oldest played in an incredibly large soccer tournament this weekend.  One that was touted as bringing over 2 million dollars into the local economy of a seaside town in which the tournament was hosted.  In her many years of soccer play, I have attended numerous tournaments and can't even begin to imagine hour many hours I have clocked watching her games.  While my competive spirit does enjoy watching her play (well except maybe in that 12 degree season opener this year - still thawing out from that one),  the enjoyment of traveling to soccer field after soccer field sometimes waxes and wanes. 

That being said, after the tournament play was finished this weekend, we headed the family bus down the road to the beach - my fringe benefit of soccer for the season!

I love, love, love the beach.  The wildlife, the sound, the sand, the people watching, the tide, the dunes, the boats, the vegetation, the squeals of my kiddos in the cold May water... love it all!  The double fringe was carrying my camera and my zoom lens along!  So many things to photograph at the beach, and yes, even a soccer ball!

LOL #2

Grins, giggles and gasps were plentiful yesterday afternoon on the lawn of the elementary school where I get to introduce children to the world of books and what we can learn from them.

This week's LOL photo is of a sweet little kindergarten girl who was mesmerized into stillness while she sat up close and personal to a real-live butterfly! It soooo made me smile to watch her!  So, what's the story?  The kindergartners, their teachers, and I have been waiting for wings (and OBTW, also a fabulous children's book)!

About three weeks ago, our butterfly kit arrived.  Students helped placed their minuscule larvae into a little plastic cup, complete with food, and began watching them grow.  In the library, we began to explore and research the world of butterflies.  We continued to wait patiently, because a butterfly is patient (another great book as well), and saw each form her chrysalis and then finally watched them emerge as beautiful Painted Ladies!

Yesterday was Release Day - and oh, so cool!  I couldn't resist taking my camera to school for the big day and so glad I did.

 

Little Things Matter

Once upon a time a little girl stood in her basement classroom teaching her heart out with old school books, a metal-framed chalkboard, a wooden school desk complete with carvings in the top, and her imaginary students.   She read books aloud, gave spelling tests to friends she could convince to play the student role, graded papers, lectured, and even redirected the ill-behaved and misguided imaginary souls.  Years went by, interests changed, and career opportunities were explored. However, once she caught that teaching bug, she never could shake it.  That little girl has now spent way more years of her life in a school as either a student or a teacher than she has out of a school. 

Every good teacher lives with constant questions in his or her mind. 

"Am I really doing the best job I can do?"

"Am I making any difference in this crazy school?"

"Do they even know that I'm trying to help?"

I could go on and on.  Reflection is constant in my business.  I'm always second guessing how I've handled a situation or the words that I've spoken, the choices I've made, the reponses I've given. 

As the school year gets closer toward its end, these question arise on a more frequent basis.  This week has been one of those weeks.  Friday was the icing on the cake and it wasn't even lunch time yet. But at 10:35, one of my sweet little second grade ESOL kiddos walked into the library for his media time and handed me the small note pictured above.  The size no more than 3 inches x 3 inches, but oh so much bigger!  Let's just say I am holding back tears as I now write and as I replay the exchange in my head.

Little things most definitely matter!

LOL #1

No, these guys are not prehistoric creatures of some kind.  They are bullfrog tadpoles and they made me absolutely laugh out loud today.  

Having received inspiration and the idea from another photography blog that I follow, The CoffeeShop Blog, I have decided to try and make a weekly post of photographs that make me laugh, smile, grin, giggle...  You get the idea.

This week's LOL photo subjects are four bullfrog tadpoles - recent additions to my Libraryland Farm (yes, I said "farm," that will have to wait for another post).  My second graders are researching frogs so what better way to research than to see them up close and personal! 

In the process of cleaning the frog tank today, I dumped the not-so-little lads into a bowl for safe keeping.  They were a hoot! (That's Southern for way-too-funny.) From looking at these photos one would never know that they were splashing like crazy in their little holding tank.  All of their shenanigans made me think I was going to be picking up the slimy guys off the carpet!  Thankfully, they behaved long enough for me the clean their domain and get them back into their home safe and sound.

Let's talk photography.  Since I don't typically carry my DSLR to work everyday, these shots were taken with my trusty pocket cam - AKA iPhone 4.  Not super high quality work, but also not too bad for a phone cam.  I love the reflection of the four froggy fellows in the above shot. 

Hmm... I just wonder what this guy is thinking??? 

 

All I Ever Needed to Know, I Learned from the Game

competition: 1. a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize 2. an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another (compliments of Merriam-Webster)

Game, battle, rivalry, struggle, duel, combat, grapple, challenge, contest...  Regardless of the name, we all have a little bit in us - the desire to win.  Some, of course, are by nature more competitive than others.  Yours truly would fit into that category.  I must say that I do enjoy a good game or challenge.

If I were punching the mom time-clock in the area of sports, I would have accumulated around nine hours (not including travel time) this week just watching my three kiddos on the field.  While I'm not so crazy about all the time involved in the to and fro, I greatly enjoy watching them compete.  What I enjoy even more though is seeing them learn life lessons through the sports that they play.   Here's what I see them learning:

1. Commitment - signing up to play means signing up to finish.
2. Teamwork - it's not all about us, working together is better for the whole and as a result, better for the individual.
3. Life isn't always fair - can I get an AMEN! Regardless, fair play isn't optional.
4. Sportsmanship - it isn't always easy, but it is always expected.
5. Respect - the coach, the players, and even the refs.
6. Patience - with the coach, the players, and especially with the refs.
7. Self-control - even when circumstances encourage the opposite.
8. Give 100% - from whistle to whistle. 
9. Perseverance - stick to it, eventually good results will arrive.
10. Winning isn't everything - but boy, it sure does feel good, especially when numbers 1-9 have been tough lessons.  

Looking at my list, it puts me in mind of a list that came out years ago called "All I Ever Needed to Know, I Learned from Kindergarten."  I guess the same could be said for sports.  What life lesson listed above couldn't easily be applied to the workplace or the home?

Since I spend so much time on the fields, it has naturally become an area to work on my photography.  My equipment won't help me win any sports photography awards, but I do have fun capturing images of my kiddos in the game.