realteachermom

photo source: carolineasmussen.com

It seems like forever since I’ve had time to sit down and write-so much has happened since my last post. It seems appropriate now, as the year is winding down, to reflect on the past months and also, to resolve not to leave my readers hanging for so long!

So here it is, the top five things that have happened since we last spoke, in chronological order:

1. We got a dog! A ten month old, full boxer “puppy” named Mia. I say that in quotes because she is a big, 57 lb baby. It became my husband’s obsession mission, towards the end of the summer, to become a dog owner. He registered with every boxer rescue in the area, and after a long process of applications, interviews, and waiting, we finally got our dog. It has been a great experience learning to become a “dog person.” We do have a cat, a leopard gecko, some fish, and two part-time hamsters (school pets), so having another animal does complicate things, but she has proven to be such a good dog and a great addition to our family. The girls absolutely adore her, and she is fiercely protective of them.

Spoiled much?

2. A little storm named Sandy blew into our area. We were fortunate to weather the storm unscathed, but so many of our friends and family were (and continue to be) impacted by this storm. Homes, businesses, cars, and belongings of so many people were literally swallowed up by the ocean that night. Power was out for days, even weeks in some areas. Places where I spent my childhood and teen years are now completely gone. Countless horror stories were told and retold in the early days after the storm, and our lives were put on hold for that first week afterwards. It was very difficult going back to work and school and all of our routines after such an upheaval, but we all managed as best we could, one day at a time. The one good thing to come of such a disaster was to see the way people reached out to help one another. If nothing else, we learned to appreciate each other and put the important things in life into perspective.

3. I turned 40!

Now here is another thing I survived relatively unscathed! My husband had great intentions of planning a surprise party, but Sandy had other plans. Regardless, I spent my birthday with loved ones, feeling loved. I always thought turning 40 would be depressing, but actually I am really happy with life and feel blessed in so many ways. Not to mention that my brother and sisters got me this sweet new laptop that I am using right now, John got me an iPhone 5, and I am now thoroughly technologically geeked out!

4. An unspeakable tragedy occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, that, as a teacher and mother of a six year old, hit me especially hard. My heart felt like it just couldn’t handle it, and I shed many tears for those innocent souls. I don’t know what the answer is, or if there even is an answer. But I do know that teachers all across America had the same conversation at school that Monday, that we replayed scenarios in our heads, while parents hugged their children tighter and we once again moved on, with heavy hearts and minds.

5. Finally, the holidays arrived. We followed traditions, visited family, ate and drank merrily, spoiled our children and counted our blessings once again.

The new year awaits, stretched out like a blank canvas, full of promise and potential. The idea of the “new year” has always been exciting to me. A fresh start, a clean slate, a chance to break old habits and start new ones.

I now leave you with some poetic musings:

 The Year

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That’s not been said a thousand times?

The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.

We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.

We hug the world until it stings,
We curse it then and sigh for wings.

We live, we love, we woo, we wed,
We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead.

We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that’s the burden of the year.
~Silvana