Defacing School Property...And Proud of It

This year I am working part time as the assistant director over the elementary school at my children's charter school. Nine years ago I walked away from BYU with my master's degree in administration and swore I would never touch it again. My internship had been a lesson in discouragement and frustration for me. Administration seemed to be everything I hated about public education without all the wonder and joy I loved about it. As an administrator, you don't always see what is going right. Instead, you problem solve, put out fires, and deal with everything going wrong. No school is exempt. It is the nature of the beast and I was easily able to accept that this was one of the cons of this profession and if I ever wanted to be an administrator, this was the reality.


And so I chose to never do it again.


Until this summer. Really...never say never.


I LOVE my children's school. I LOVE the teachers & instructors at this school. They are remarkable men and women and I feel blessed to the core to have them as my children's teachers. Each of them that have taught my kids have had a significant and meaningful impact on them...not just academically, but emotionally and socially. My kids are smart and capable and love school...a true credit to these individuals and the way they execute their craft. So when the director approached me about this opportunity, I promptly told him no. And then no again. Then I said yes, worked for a day, and told him no again. And then I said yes...because I love these educators and felt that if I truly had any ability to support, love and nurture them, then I would give what I had.


But the rat race has begun. You would be shocked at what the children in our society endure. I don't care where you live...I live in "happy valley" and have seen more horrific things here than I thought possible. School started at the end of August and I have already suspended a student, dealt with severe bullying issues, sexual abuse cases, and called the Department of Family and Child Services way more than I'm comfortable with. And I don't live in the inner city. I work at a school in a very middle class community. I work at a CHARTER school! (Sorry if this destroys anyone's image of the charter schools being for a "certain" type of student.)


Today I spent the day dealing with parents and children that were very difficult and I am so tired...not just physically but emotionally. Towards the end of the day, I walked into one of our 1st grade classrooms and asked the teacher to show me something positive and happy. And she promptly showed me a beautiful project that she had done with her first graders that involved some rather complex cutting and gluing and she was so proud that her little kids had been able to handle this "advanced" assignment. And then her instructor told me how she had taken the girls to the bathroom that afternoon and how they had taken so, so long in the bathroom, that she finally went in to see what the problem was. She discovered the girls all huddling in the middle of bathroom taking turns using 3 of the available 6 stalls. When she asked what the problem was with the other stalls, the girls told her that one had a broken lock, one was haunted by vampires, and one had a dirty word written on the wall. The instructor went in to see what this dirty word was and discovered that someone had etched the word "hell" into the metal wall. She gently explained to the first graders that someone had tried to leave them a friendly message but must have been in a big hurry and forgotten the "O" at the end of the word. She commented to me that it was a shame that vampires, broken locks, and dirty words were creating such havoc in the bathroom. And right then I knew what I had to do. I could solve this problem...I could handle this. I could totally handle this!! I told the 2 teachers to hold on for a second and I would be right back. I walked into the bathroom, strolled into the last stall, locked the stall door, looked around for security cameras, took out my office key and carved a big ole' "O" at the end of HELL. And just like that, hell became hello and suddenly the world seemed right again. And tomorrow the stall that is hunted by vampires is going to be decked out, every inch of it, with Disney princess stickers. Ha! Take that vampires.


And sometimes it just takes a simple "O" to turn hell into something much more friendly and happy. Carving into a metal bathroom stall and seeing cows glued to green construction paper made me happy and solved a simple problem. I felt like I could go just a little bit farther.


And never underestimate the power of wonderful friends and a really good laugh.


And so I will go to bed tonight and sleep really long and wake up tomorrow and go back to school. Something keeps taking me back. And when I get really discouraged and overwhelmed, I'll go sit in that bathroom stall in the downstairs bathroom for a little while and let the princesses and my big "O" take away the frustration.


If you need a place to take a break and regroup, let me know. I think I've created the perfect place.

Math Test

What happens when one VERY talented, fun, creative, savvy niece shows up at the family reunion?

Lots of FUN!

Uber-talented niece + lots of fun cousins= MOVIE MAGIC (Go ahead...click on the link and be entertained by all the lovelies I get to be an aunt to...)

Thanks Kimberly for....

• Catching the essence of what I love about all these amazing people
• Entertaining them for an ENTIRE afternoon while I swung in a hammock and read a book
• Letting them participate in something that made them feel like they were celebrities
• Being the coolest "oldest" cousin on the PLANET!!!!

Babies in Kindergarten

My Baby went to Kindergarten last week.

Not this baby. This is the "fake" baby that my daughter set out the night before when I told her to go lay out her clothes. Can we just take a moment to applaude creative, interesting kids? They make life a constant stream of adventures and surprises...around every corner. We did have to leave the tiara at home though...school rules....they don't match the uniform.

Ruffle socks? Check.

Cute, sturdy, Gymboree mary janes? Check.

Matching blue and white hair ribbons? Check.

Daughter who is so excited to start kindergarten that I was afraid she would spontaneously implode at any moment this summer? Check.

Finding her cubby...and admiring her teacher. She has waited long, long years to be in the "fancy" teacher's class. All her fancy dreams are coming true...look at the woman's shoes! I love this fancy teacher.

Do you remember the sheer exhiliration of having your own desk and pencil box with shiny new supplies?

She wasted no time and went right to work. On the way home that afternoon, she announced that the person who was supposed to sit next to her didn't come to school so she did their papers too! That is one lucky kid who sits next to the girl that will gladly do your work for you if you happen to be absent!

My friend and I stood in the back and cried some mom tears as we both watched our "babies" start kindergarten.

And I really did sob some tears...but not for the reason you think.

HB is the youngest in our little clan. And she has a mom who has been WAY too involved at the school. HB helped me set up a library. She has helped me volunteer in two kindergarten and first grade classrooms, one second grade classroom, and one third grade classroom. She has helped with class parties, enrichment activities, reading stories out loud to classes, and teaching art. She came with me when I was the parent volunteer coordinator. She has logged some serious volunteer hours at this school. She has been patient, supportive and excited.

But now it is HER turn.

Her turn to sit in the desk and open the new pencil box.

Her turn to be the student at the parties and enrichment activities.

Her turn to have mom come to her class and read books out loud.

It is finally her turn.

And I cried because I have never felt more joy in seeing one of my children so happy and content. HB loves to learn and read and count and play and be with friends and have recess. School makes her SO happy...and so it has not been hard to see her go.

Plus I have a new job at the elementary school and my office is just outside her kindergarten classroom door. That certainly helps.

My two boys also started school...and I'm positive we took some pictures...and I'm positive I will find them...someday.

For now, they are all happy and content. They have AMAZING teachers and instructors. They are learning music and Spanish and art. I work in the same school so I can look through the little windows on the door and see their little heads bent over their desks and blow them kisses.

I can also see when their name is on the board and leave them threatening little "mom" notes on post-it notes on their desks.

And so, ready or not, we have stepped into a new phase of life. All 3 kids are in school. I have gone back to work part-time. Life moves forward and just like my children, surprises me at what is around every new corner. Just the way it should be.