Lexi Loo Who!

Lexi turned two! We had a great time visiting with family at the park in the cold wind.

She is now a member of The Treehouse Kids Club. She made her first visit right away, and I was a proud auntie.

You Are My Sunshine!

You Are My Sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.

I would often sing the chorus of "You Are My Sunshine" to Buddy when he was a baby. Sometimes I would whisper it to him at 2:00 in the morning, so I would not wake the others sleeping. Once in a while I would hum it with tears in my eyes as I rocked my new son. Then there were times I would run through the lyrics in my mind to get me through a frustrating mom moment.

My mom would sing this song when I was a kid. I only know the chorus because that's all she would sing. I'm guessing that's all she knew or all she could get through. Each time she would sing it, she would cry. I would worry and wonder why she would cry about a song. As I entered my teen years, I would roll my eyes when she would cry so easily. "How embarrassing, Mom!" Now, as an adult/mother I understand fully (probably as fully as possible) the lyrics, the meaning, the emotion of this song.

Maverick is my sunshine. He will never know how much I love him. I begged each night (heck, all day, too) to not have him taken away.

He is the sunshine that proves I weathered the storm. We did it, Buddy!

My sunshine turned six years old yesterday!

I love you, Buddy.

Family Fun!

This is Lemmon family entertainment...Bobby Lemmon family anyway.

Three Boys.

I often refer to Tiny and Buddy as "Two Boys." Not often...ALWAYS. I can say it when I'm doting on them. I can say it when I'm annoyed with them. I say it several times a day. I love my Two Boys.

We played at the park yesterday. I took a picture with them and the picket that has my first son's name on it (Thanks to the awesome Pam Weatherwax.).

Three Boys!!!

Mom's Birthday!

Boops and Kibbee



Laners



Mom, Carol, Grandma, and Joyce




While I was away with Katie seeing Joan, my mom's birthday came and went. Auntie Carol was awesome and pulled together a luncheon for the Berryman ladies when I got home.

Retreat!

Just Joan and Katie Kat in Baltimore at the harbor.




Joan and I showing off our Lumberjack pride at Edgar Allen Poe's grave. We love you Z!!!




Coral reef made from yarn...crochet...Picture for you, Megan Hall! This is featured at The Museum of Natural History.




Just a small piece of The Library of Congress. WOW!!!




Dinner at Chang's. Thank you, Janie.




My sisters and I have this dream of a yearly sisters' retreat. It has only happened once.

This year for Christmas Bobby bought me a plane ticket to see Joan in Columbia, Maryland. Katie was able to go, too! Three out of four isn't too bad.

We spent a day in D.C., a day in Baltimore, and a day in Joan's apartment.

Very relaxing.

Thank you, Bob!

Missed you, Kellumbus. One day we will all be together again...We might be grandmas by then, but we'll do it for sure. Maybe Zac and Adri can come by then and push us around in our wheelchairs.

Three Cups A Day!

With the new year I decided I was going to get to the gym. During the last twenty seconds of my first time ever spin class, my foot somehow got wrapped up around the pedal, and I fractured two bones in my ankle.

While in the exam room at The Great Dr. Peare's office he asked me if I drank a lot of milk. I assured him that I do. He said, "Do you drink at least three cups a day?"

Bob jumps in, "Depends if there are Oreos in the house."

I couldn't say a word. It's all true. I'm so bad.

"My Great-Aunt Miss Arizona"

I borrowed a set of this book title today from a veteran teacher...a legendary teacher (love you, Janie). I was looking for a short read to do with my small groups. Without hesitation she handed me "My Great-Aunt Miss Arizona" and assured me they would love it.

Well, I don't know if they loved it. I was too busy loving it myself. This sweet book brought me to tears (more than once) while taking my turn to read aloud. Let me clarify, I was not tearing up. I was crying. My students were very concerned and could not understand what the emotions were all about, but these were the words that set me off:

"She hugged them when their work was good, and she hugged them when it was not."

This book captures the heart of teaching and was a tender reminder for me of why I come to work each day.

Miss Arizona taught in the mountains in a one room schoolhouse. Talk about differentiated learning! Teaching today is extremely different than it was in Miss Arizona's day, but the centerpiece of teaching is constant...The Child.

Everyone is wearing rubber bracelets with "Livestrong" or "Boobies" printed on it. Maybe, I should manufacture a rubber bracelet with "The Child" on it to constantly remind society of what truly matters and where our focus should be.


P.S. The first shipment of my bracelets would go to the government.

Bound & Determined!

A vocabulary word this week for my ELL students was "errands." As a visual for them I created a "To Do" list on the board and explained how my mom is a chronic list creator. She lives by the list, so therefore, I refuse to be a lister. There are so many things I am bound to do just like my mom/dad, and then there are things I am determined not to do like my mom/dad.


Bound To Do:
Dance while driving and sometimes brake to the beat

Read multiple books at a time

Excessive use of the word "friggin"

Say certain words and phrases while requiring a New York accent "We love ya's."

Throw my head back and laugh out loud...very loud

Integrate sarcasm in absolutely any type of situation/conversation

Be my children's biggest fan

Find humor in most things...even inappropriate things

Be the bigger person


Determined Not To Do:
Wear a housecoat

Claim there are barking spiders in public

Wear fanny packs (see picture previous post)

Collect anything

Scream at an athletic event live or on television


I think I will add more to this list, but this topic was on my mind today after chatting with two friends at work. It's so easy as a parent to beat yourself up for what you did and didn't do, and it's easy for a child (myself) to remind parents of all they did and didn't do.

I love my parents. Friggin' nutballs!

Did I just make a list?