Operation Closet is officially finished!

We got the closet doors at IKEA. They are fabric panels on a thingy that they slide across. We got that instead of a conventional door because I didn't want to risk one of her nubbins getting caught in it. They cost $72 (all parts and I included the cost of the stickers). I put stickers on the doors and hot glued them to stay put.

Friends

As a high school teacher, I encounter a lot of "friend" drama with my kids. I always try to explain to them that they shouldn't sweat it because they hardly ever remain friends with people from high school because people grow and change.

Today I got to thinking about my friends and what they mean to me and my life.

Tammy - my surrogate mom. She is my grounding. The one that pulls me back down to earth and plays the devils advocate for me. I love her and will miss seeing her everyday. My Martha Stewart. She is the friend that I rely on most.

Jada - my comic relief. She is a paradox; full of bravado and gusto with a splash of love and charm. A fellow English teacher, and former Panther, I could sell some of her stories and make a huge payday! She is my shopping buddy and the one that understands how I feel the most.

Danielle - My oldest pal. Known her since tenth grade. We've had our ups and our downs. We've been there for each other in the worst of times of our lives. She helps me remember my past and where I come from.

Megan - Another Panther :) She is my cheerleader and Mickey Mouse club leader. She is the sweetest woman I know; her heart is huge and I can always count on her to be the same, a constant. The farthest away, yes, but so close in my heart.

Jhen - I miss her. Also a Panther. My eccentric SAHM. She is the one that always remembers my birthday and will leave me a message out of the blue just saying hi. I admire her spunk and her willingness to be nuts.

Sherry - My grandma, of sorts. Saint Sherry. G-d couldn't have made a nicer person if he tried to. I'll miss her next year as we both embark on our new journeys. Only Sherry truly loved me for all that makes me "me". I wish that I had half of the soul she does.

Janine - my mentor. My bud. Always thinking that exact same thing as me in meetings. Always there to tell me that I a. ROCK! or b. need some work. My own personal advice columnist. A great mother, a great professional, and a great friend. She is what I aspire to be.

And Dave - my hubby and my BFF. I love him and I hate him...all being normal. I cannot imagine what I'd do without him to say things like, "Let me caution you..." or "You are not ____________. You are beautiful"

Quote

"If God wanted us all to be the same, He'd have given us all braces on our legs."
- Mama Gump

It makes me smile.

New Gracyn Pics

#1: Gracyn and I on Sunday before our road trip to IKEA

#2: Check out her Teva sandals! Too cute.

#3: On July 3rd lookin' all rotten!

#4: On July 3rd in her top that Jada made her and rockin' her sparkly silver flops and bootleg jeans.

Am I biased, or is she too cute?!

My baby is one today - UPDATED 7/16

Weight: 17 lbs 8 oz
Height: 29"

Overall, doing great. She is slightly anemic so she has to take a vitamin with iron in it once a day.

Fabulous mall finds!

#1 - a Nemo charm for my Pandora bracelet

#2 - This purse! And, it was $100 less!

Home.

I have professional development this week with my new school. It is going fabulously. I am so happy I made the move. I knew I would be, but this week has truly affirmed that I made the right decision. I am back home one might say.

I am on the ground level of some great things. Things that, we are hopeful, will change the face of urban education. I really feel like urban education is my niche...where I belong. Don't get me wrong, I love, and already miss, my old kids. One time, when I was melting down at work because of work adult drama, a colleague of mine said something that I truly believe now. She said, "Teachers touch lives and maybe you have done all of the work you were supposed to do here and you need to go touch other lives some place else." Not only was it fitting because I left with the kids I started with, but it is fitting because it means that I have a great purpose.

So here (lifts proverbial wine glass) is to touching the lives of new kids while maintaining a positive influence on those that I have already.

Why do we celebrate mediocrity?

In the movie The Incredibles, they talk a lot about celebrating mediocrity and the frivolous celebration of nothing. Why do we do that? Celebrate nothing and make being average (synonym of mediocre) a great thing? What does that make less than average? If a C- is good, then a D- is fine and an F is what?

This is all coming in to my mind because I am starting my new job (kind-of; I have PD this week) tomorrow and I am excited. I know the people I am going to be under and they are the counter opposite of those that I used to work for. I can't wait to be appreciated for the hard work that I do and to be valued for my 110%.

And, I look at my daughter and I think about how she'll be perceived by others if this is the way that we, as society, judge things. I think she is above average on most things. But, does her birth defect make others view her as more or less of a person, as having more or less capabilities/possibility?

Who knows the answer to that, but I do know this. at the end of the day C's are not okay if you could've gotten a B and using this rationale and, applying it to the two life circumstances above, doing less of a job because no one cares is wrong and having one hand isn't an excuse to not try an cure cancer. So, in conclusion, I vow to be the teacher I was born to be and to hell with those that celebrate the mediocrity and I vow that Gracyn will not allow her disability to hinder her from doing something that she sets her heart out to do.

Gracie pics from my week off

I have been off for two days with my beautiful baby girl. We have slept in, had lunch with daddy, eaten pizza, watched movies, had McDonald's happy meals, wrestled, danced, and jumped on the bed (I hold her and bounce her up and down; she effin' loves it!) and, of course, shopped!

Below are some pics from the last two days. In the top two, she is rockin' her first night gown (god love Walmart!). The bottom two were taken while we were watching Tinkerbell. She was snacking on Fruity Cheerios.

I love my baby.

Sexy Momma

My sexy little momma. Check out her sparkly, silver gladiator flip-flops. Look out little fellas!