Community Values

Today was a busy day. And it's not over yet!

It was the start of the fall swim season with a meet 30 minutes away. This pool is one I enjoy because they have a front "lawn" where my girls can run around while we wait for my oldest daughter's next event. It was rather chilly today, so we ended up moving inside the building. Still space to move, but not as much as we like to use. I got to have a great conversation with a mom friend who I have not been able to talk with in a while. Her kids swim on the same team as my daughter and I really appreciate her perspective on things. 

We came home for lunch, naps and getting ready to go to events #2 and #3. Event number 2 was the Homecoming Fall Festival and 5k at my high school. Each year this event gets better and better. More booths, more kids coming out, more teachers/administrators participating and (most importantly, I think) more alumni coming out! My swim team sold "This is Sparta" yard signs to raise money for going to state and lots of students and alumni friends came out and participated! (photos by the 3 year old!!)

Event number 3 was Annie running in the Zombie 5k. My cousin Greg is a runner and offered to help her train for the St. Jude Half Marathon in December. When she said she wanted to run in today's race, I knew I wouldn't be able to but she asked Greg and he seemed delighted to do it. They had a great time and she finished well! Beating her PR by 1mibute and smashing her goal time today by 5! 

A photo finish for sure!!

In the midst of all of this, we realized I forgot to buy Brauts for dinner tonite! So instead it was grilled cheeseBLTs and fries. Trust me when I say, they were amazing! 

It was great to sit around the table with my whole family and hear everyone talk about their experiences with everyone today. 

Tonite, I'm heading back to my school to serve my time as a dance chaperone. In hoping not to be there too late, but I'm excited for the dance to have returned! 

What's the point of all this? Community. 

We all want our kids to feel safe. We typically want them to ha e fun, make friends and enjoy life. But through it all we want them to grow in a community that is strong, diverse and encouraged and nurtured them to develop into their best self. Today's event have several different communities, but ones that I'm grateful to be a part of. Communities I'm proud to see my children be a part of. Today I watched my students play with my children and my students were all having a great time sharing great experiences. It may be one of the greatest gifts of being a teacher and a mom. I'm proud to support both of these communities. 

What are you proud of in your communities? How are you helping to nurture positive experiences for your kids? 

Such is life

Last nite a friend texted me that Robin Williams had passed away. I was sad, but I thought, "such is life". He reminded so many of us to smile. I grew up with so many of his movies; Patch Adams, Dead Poets Society, Alladin, What Dream May Come and so many others. He helped so many and yet struggled with his own demons so muc that he apparently took his own life. This is not a, "such is life" moment. 

Then, today at school we had a student bring a gun on campus and make it through homeroom and a couple classes before administration found out. 

However, a student reported it to administration, who took the tip serious; followed protocol, took the student and gun into custody and the day continued like normal without anyone knowing until around 2:10 when 7th period teachers began giving out letters to take home and our phone call system sent a message to our school community.

According to the news media; such is life. 

But not at my school. My school has an incredible pride; Spartan Pride. It starts with small kids in kindergarten and it goes all the way up into the high schoolers and for many continues years after graduation. Such IS our life. 

Spartan pride means taking pride in all things Spartan. Our nerds, jocks, pretty girls and guys, band members, Pom squad, cheerleaders, robotics programmers, soccer etc are all valued in their own way and the really awesome part is that many of our students are more than one of these things and soo many more. 

My daughter is in middle school and is just learning what it means to be a Spartan. 

And a Tiger. 

Her swim team is the Tigers. Last nite I talked about our team to new and prospective members. I was supposed to (nicely and politely) tell our families that on top of spending tons of time at the pool for practice, paying meet fees and monthly dues, volunteering at meets and paying for "extra" goggles and caps that they were also supposed to help fundraise for the team too! (Truly, such is life!) I did tell them, but I told them why it was so important. 

Tiger pride. 

That sweet girl who hugged her mama at a swim meet a few weeks ago is now in the same group as my sweet girl. And tonite she was EXCITEDLY welcomed by the "big girls". Call it Spartan pride, call it Tiger pride, call it good sportsmanship. 

These girls make me remember what I'm doing. I'm teaching my kids. I'm teaching your kids. I'm hoping to teach and remind them why it is so important to be kind and considerate ambassadors. I help them know and share that there are people to reach out to. My daughter is becoming one of those people. I am one of those people. Such is my life. 

And I'm damn proud of it.