A PLACE IN THE PUZZLE

THIRTY DAYS OF THANKS AND GIVING DAY 24: A PLACE IN THE PUZZLE Do you fit in? Good God no! I do not fit in! I'm physically super sized, socially sloppy, and clumsier than Ursula’s butt in a bump-n-jump.  I love the little school district I work for. I’m “the” sub for the 8th-12th grade …

SOAKING SCISSORS

THIRTY DAYS OF THANKS AND GIVING. DAY 3: SOAKING SCISSORS Yesterday, I was still in the Art Class pits of plaster. I tried relentlessly and failed miserably to keep the classroom from looking like some kind of Narnia snow dusted dungeon. The students had transitioned from forming their artwork to covering it in the plaster …

ZOOM IN ON A GRIN

This is how I’ve seen his face for the past three weeks: a screen between us. But today I saw THIS! A smile. A genuine, eye-sparkling, teeth showing, leaning in smile! You know what he was smiling at? Not another YouTube video. Not a win on a video game. Not even a friend’s message on …

MYSTERY VICTORY

I'm in a very bad mood because things didn't go exactly, EXACTLY, the way I wanted them to go today.  I'm not generally an angry person at all. If you've known me for more than a couple of weeks then you've likely taken a jab at me or joined me in a laugh at my …

FAMILY, FRIENDS, FAITH

(Our peanut allergy research journey. December 2nd) Today was a big day...BIG. I looked forward to this day for months. Our last updose. The target was 300mg of peanut powder; the equivalent of one peanut. With no reaction to today's dose, we would officially be in "maintenance". We would continue to dose 300mg indefinitely to …

PICK ME UP PIE

Yesterday I had a pretty good meltdown that wasn’t pretty at all. It was an ugly cry in the teacher’s lounge. Does anyone else’s face turn purple when they ugly cry? The only people at work that can tell when I’m upset are my friends. Students are used to me looking scary. It’s a substitute …

SIGNS OF VICTORY

Towns across America, large and small, have a certain electricity in the air during football season. I work at a small school district in a small town. Friday Night Lights begins when the first bell rings on Friday morning. Our players walk the halls in their jerseys. The Cheerleaders gather in the library to make …

MY PARKA

I'm just a little giddy to finally be an official Friday Night Lights mom. It was the last game in the regular season. Ninth grade players joined the big guys… stood out there with that senior high team in a showdown with our fiercest rivals. And we took the win! Warriors are headed to the …

ROLL TRIBE

(Our peanut allergy research journey. May 20) ROLL TRIBE. His story is about so much more than peanut allergy and our escape from it. He's a Warrior. And there's a story about that. My husband and I are Warriors, too. We graduated together, married and had children, but he and I didn't get married until …