Power of Laughter

You seriously need to take a minute to watch this. I promise it will make you smile. 

Baby's Laugh

Special Gift

Today my class made "God's Eyes" in art today. They were made of popsicle sticks with yarn wrapped around them. I was sitting doing my work while the art teacher circulated around the room. After about 15 minutes, one of my first graders came over to me and handed me the "God's Eye" that he had just completed. He said "I made this for you Ms. Gina". These are the moments that make me feel so grateful that I am a teacher.

So Much Joy

One of my friends posted this video clip on Facebook. This little boy is so talented. I hope to live my life with half the joy he has!

Elias

The Yellow Shirt

I received this in an email message from my mom. Love can come in so many packages!

The yellow shirt had long sleeves, four extra-large pockets trimmed in black thread and snaps up the front.  It was faded from years of wear, but still in decent shape.  I found it in 1963 when I was home from college on Christmas break, rummaging through bags of clothes Mom intended to give away.. 'You're not taking that old thing, are you?' Mom said when she saw me packing the yellow shirt.  'I wore that when I was pregnant with your brother in 1954!'     'It's just the thing to wear over my clothes during art class, Mom.  Thanks!'  I slipped it into my suitcase before she could object.  The yellow shirt be came a part of my college wardrobe.  I loved it. After graduation, I wore the shirt the day I moved into my new apartment and on Saturday mornings when I cleaned.       The next year, I married.  When I became pregnant, I wore the yellow shirt during big-belly days.  I missed Mom and the rest of my family, since we were in Colorado and they were in Illinois ..  But, that shirt helped.  I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant, 25 years earlier.     That Christmas, mindful of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I patched one elbow, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom.  When Mom wrote to thank me for her 'real' gifts, she said the yellow shirt was lovely.  She never mentioned it again..     The next year, my husband, daughter and I stopped at Mom and Dad's to pick up some furniture.  Days later, when we uncrated the kitchen table, I noticed something yellow taped to its bottom.  The shirt!     And so the pattern was set.       On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt under Mom and Dad's mattress  I don't know how long it took for her to find it, but almost two years passed before I discovered it under the base of our living-room floor lamp.  The yellow shirt was just what I needed now while refinishing furniture.  The walnut stains added character.     In 1975 my husband and I divorced.  With my three children, I prepared to move back to Illinois ...  As I packed, a deep depression overtook me.  I wondered if I could make it on my own.   I wondered if I would find a job.  I paged through the Bible, looking for comfort.  In Ephesians, I read, 'So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up.'     I tried to picture myself wearing God's armor, but all I saw was the stained yellow shirt..  Slowly, it dawned on me..  Wasn't my mother's love a piece of God's armor?  My courage was renewed.       Unpacking in our new home, I knew I had to get the shirt back to Mother.  The next time I visited her, I tucked it in her bottom dresser drawer     Meanwhile, I found a good job at a radio station.  A year later I discovered the yellow shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet.     Something new had been added.  Embroidered in bright green across the breast pocket were the words 'I BELONG TO PAT.'       Not to be outdone, I got out my own embroidery materials and added an apostrophe and seven more letters. Now the shirt proudly proclaimed, 'I BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER.'  But I didn't stop there.  I zig-zagged all the frayed seams, then had a friend mail the shirt in a fancy box to Mom from Arlington , VA.      We enclosed an official looking letter from 'The Institute for the Destitute,' announcing that she was the recipient of an award for good deeds.. I would have given anything to see Mom's face when she opened the box.  But, of course, she never mentioned it..     Two years later, in 1978, I remarried.  The day of our wedding, Harold and I put our car in a friend's garage to avoid practical jokers. After the wedding, while my husband drove us to our honeymoon suite, I reached for a pillow in the car to rest my head.  It felt lumpy.  I unzipped the case and found, wrapped in wedding paper, the yellow shirt.  Inside a pocket was a note:  'Read John 14:27-29.  I love you both, Mother.'     That night I paged through the Bible in a hotel room and found the verses:  'I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives..  So don't be troubled or afraid.  Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.  If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am.. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do, you will believe in me.'       The shirt was Mother's final gift.  She had known for three months that she had terminal Lou Gehrig's disease.  Mother died the following year at age 57.     I was tempted to send the yellow shirt with her to her grave.  But I'm glad I didn't, because it is a vivid reminder of the love-filled game she and I played for 16 years.  Besides, my older daughter is in college now, majoring in art.  And every art student needs a baggy yellow shirt with big pockets.

Yes! My Honey is Home!

Tony came home from his two week work trip to Mexico yesterday. It was so nice to wake up next to him and spend the day doing our normal family stuff. Life is good!

Young At Heart

I saw this article this morning and it really made my day. I love the youthfulness in these pictures. It is a great example to me on how to live my life both now and as I grow older!

Young at Any Age

January 23rd and January 24th

Thursday:  The girls and I went to dinner with my dad and Carol tonight. It was great to spend some time with them. 

Friday: These past few days have been extremely cold. I am grateful for our pellet stove and our wood burning fireplace insert. They are one of my favorite parts of winter!

Cranio-sacral Therapy

My dear friend, Betsey, is a cranio-sacral therapist (among other things!). Brooke and I individually had a session with her tonight and I feel so at peace. During the session, I felt negative energy being drained right out of the top of my head and at the end, I felt a huge wave of love go in my head through my body. The message I received was "Think of what makes YOU truly happy and do it everyday!" So full of gratitude for her friendship and this healing tonight.

The Cousins

I love that these energetic, fun loving, unique kids are a part of my family!

Sunday and Monday's post

Sunday, January 19th: Here is a senior project that a friend of a friend's daughter did this past December. It is called "A Reason to Live" and it is one of the most touching videos I have seen....for the content as well as the creativity, insight, and courage of the young woman who coordinated it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDKgTXLSF_0

Monday, January 20th:  So very grateful to be heading to lunch with a dear friend and her children today. Ten years ago, our lives were so very different. Now, she is married and we both have children and are working in separate places, but we have still made it a point to keep in touch and share the journey. 

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday's posts

Thursday, January 16th: Tonight Maya played in her indoor soccer game. The previous week, she was taken out at the very end of the game. She was upset about it because she knew it was because she wasn't playing her best. Tonight, she made the decision to give it her all and she played so amazingly. She was not afraid of the ball or of any of the other players. She played assertively and even got a penalty call for pushing off (not that I condone aggressiveness, but I do love how she was allowing herself to get fully into it). I am so proud of her for changing her thinking about the situation and being brave enough to fully commit.

Friday, January 17th: My former Montessori training classmate sent me this video of his school performing a sign language version of "I Want to See You Be Brave". I love the message of Montessori philosophy and also the message of speaking up for what you believe in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysl3htaAaKM&feature=em-share_video_user

Saturday, January 18th: Our class hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration today. I did the presentation involving a brown egg and a white egg and talked about the connection between those and Martin Luther King's strong belief that even though we look different on the outside, we are the same on the inside and should be treated equally. After my class read a book called "Happy Birthday Martin Luther King", the children shared their dreams for making this world a better place. I loved that they talked about spending time with family and friends, taking care of each other, stopping global warming, taking care of the animals, and simply just spreading love. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Amazing Speakers at Hay House Radio

This week the speakers on Hay House Radio are offering free audio workshops and videos. I have loved listening to these wise and uplifting words on topics such as health, assertiveness, joy, success, and relationships. 

Game Night

I LOVE playing games with my girls. Tonight we played Apples to Apples and Sorry. Thumbs up night!

My New Book

Assertiveness for Earth Angels: How to Be Loving Instead of "Too Nice"

Loving it so far!!

Beautiful Hike

Today I went on a beautiful hike at Swallow Falls Park in Deep Creek, MD. The trails were a bit icy but the snow was lightly falling. I enjoyed both the scenery and the conversation with my girlfriends. I love the grounding that nature brings to me and the reminder that following the wisdom of nature is the only way to live.

Girls Weekend

This weekend I traveled to Deep Creek, MD to have a girls getaway with 10 other women. I love that I have a group of friends who are honest, caring, supportive, fun loving, and creative. I also loved the amazing cooking, incredible massage, and deep conversations. 

Two Hours Late

So very grateful for the gift of two hours late this morning. Maya had a soccer game until about 9:30pm last night and they didn't get into bed until about 10pm. The slow morning this morning was so very needed!

Big Bang Theory

So, it is always nice to end my day with some humor. I love the show "Big Bang Theory". It always makes me laugh!

Talking About Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today in a discussion with my students about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, one seven year old boy said "To think that people who are not white would ever have to give up their seat on a bus is just NOT RIGHT!" He was dumbfounded. I love that he found no reason to think anything different. 

From the Mouth of Babes

Today I mediated a conflict between three children. I love that in our school we have the time to go through this process with the children. A little girl who had been feeling hurt expressed herself while the other two children listened and then she made a request of them. They agreed to the request. 

One of the other children also made a request and all of them even made suggestions as to what to do if, for some reason, one of them didn't hold true to their word. In the end, they all hugged each other and went back in the classroom to work on a project together. 

Wow, I wish to see the day when adults handle things with as much grace and courage as these children.

Great article written by a modern dad

I Have a Dream.....from the mouth of a modern dad

Positive News

I just found this website when looking for some good news! It has lots of stories of heroic acts and people spreading love. 

Positive News

Crab Soup!!

I LOVE that my husband made a huge pot of crab soup...complete with tons of crabmeat and bacon!!

Science and Math

Yesterday my girls asked me if they could work with their science kit. We had fun doing some experiments with color, growing crystals, and seeing what happens to an egg placed in vinegar. Later in the day while coming over to me while I was working, they asked if I could write them down some math problems that they could try. YAY!!! My girls not only LOVE to read, they also love to do science and math. Hmm....maybe being their teacher for a few years really has paid off!

You Got My Back

Heard some challenging news today. I am so grateful that I have more than a few people in my life to whom I can talk and who I know have my back no matter what. 

Thumbs Up to 2014

Looking forward to easy lessons and much joy in 2014! Thumbs up baby!

The Strauss Family

So grateful to be a part of the Strauss Family. Here is a picture of Maya and Brooke with their cousin Liam. Three peas in a pod.