A Tribute to the Best Teacher I Ever Had

Today is a very special day in my family.  It is my mom’s birthday.  In her honor, today I am sharing a small token of my gratitude for her as my mom and my kids’ grandma.  She contributes more than she will ever know to both my career and our family.  Many of you have asked where I find the time to not only develop my classroom ideas & strategies, but also share them with the Considerate Classroom community.  The short answer: MY MOM!

My mom regularly takes the boys for an evening or long weekend so I can get caught up on everything I have overcommitted to do including school work, blog stuff, and various presentations or projects.  I am incredibly thankful to my mom for these extra opportunities for adult time. These little evenings or weekends truly rejuvenate me and keep me sane.   

My mom has always been a sounding board, especially early on in my career.  On the bad days, she would hear my cries for help, whines of helplessness, and complaints of frustration.  And on the good days, she helped celebrate the small wins and momentary successes.  My mom has always been one of my biggest supporters, loudest cheerleaders, and strongest voice of reason.  

Unfortunately for me (and probably thankfully for her), the calls are a little less frequent now because I've gotten busier. However, I still know she is only a phone call away when I'm feeling like "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"!

My mom has always been able to provide a healthy dose of perspective especially B.C. (a.k.a. Before Children).  Before I had my own little humans running around, I am pretty sure my expectations for children and their parents were unrealistic at best.  For an example of my early impractical B.C. mentality, I once actually came up with a plan for preschool homework.  Yes, that's right, homework for preschoolers!!

Long before I was a teacher, my mom taught me how to care for children.  When I was a preschooler, my mom had her very own house full of daycare children who all cried "I stay here!" when their parents came for pick up.  Later I followed her example as I filled my parent's home with my own daycare kids each summer.  "Camp Lindy" was complete with crafts, plays, and all sorts of school projects and complete household destruction each day!  Looking back, I have no idea why she sponsored my teaching aspiration so early on. 

As the loving mother of four very independent and individually unique children, my mom has been teaching my siblings & me for thirty plus years!  As I reflect on every lesson we've learned, every tear she's dried, and every bit of wisdom she's bestowed, it's clear where my passion for children came from.  I owe her a huge debt of gratitude for shaping the teacher I am today. 

Often times, it's easier for me to show my love in a project rather than words. Therefore, I wanted to share my mom's birthday gift with you all.  It is a creation inspired by the crafty Miss Karlie, our newest para, and Pinterest.  For Christmas, Karlie made my family this absolutely gorgeous plague with a few 2x4s, a cricut machine, scrapbook paper, and mod podge.  

Her creation encouraged me to make my own. I had seen a quote on Pinterest that read “Great moms get promoted to grandmas!” I took it and ran with it.  I printed the quote on scrapbook paper and then had my husband cut a 2x4 to size.  I mod podged the quote to the 2x4 after staining it with a dark color.  

Then, my husband cut four 2x4 squares to go above the quote.  I stained and mod podged them with a matching scrapbook paper. Next, I mod podged the very first hospital photo of her holding the boys and my niece.  

I made an extra block for more grandbabies in the future.  (My siblings have that job! :))  

The final project turned out perfectly. 

Mom, you are the best!  I have no idea where I would be without you.  Love You Mom!  Happy Birthday!!