So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, good night

I have so many mixed emotions running through me as we continue to pack up the preschool. I am elated that all of the supplies, furniture and money are going to worthy causes where caring individuals will continue to do great things. I am confident that many will benefit from our closing and that gives me great solace.

I am grateful to the school for so many things: a job that I loved, a sense of purpose and most important wonderful friendships . This year I had the amazing honor and privilege to co-teach 18 amazing kids with a great friend. Honestly, it was probably the best job I've ever had. As a stay at home mom for more than 8 years I was beginning to feel restless and unimportant. The co-op gave me such an amazing sense of purpose and focus and for that I will be eternally grateful.

This closing however is bitter sweet. Like many parents, I have poured my heart and soul into a school that I wholeheartedly believed in; first as a board member and then as a teacher. I have watched countless children benefit from a small preschool experience where their parents play an active roll in shaping their education. I know my own kids are where they are today because of it. They are bright, confident, socially engaged children ready to take on the world and all that it has to offer. While I would love to take all of the credit, I thank the Co-Op for giving my kids such a positive attitude about learning. I just wish that others would have seen how special our school was and all that it had to offer. Finally, I will miss seeing the faces of so many wonderful friends on a daily basis. It's been a great run and I will miss you all dearly.

Gluten Free Pizza

It's day number three of the Gluten Free diet and I've never felt better. I'm still amazed that I wasn't even aware of how badly I felt until I stopped eating it. I guess you just start coping when you feel awful on a daily basis. Your brain shuts down and your body just keeps on trucking along. Just thankful that my brain finally awakened and I gave this gluten free thing a try. Now I just need to discover how to make gluten free recipes that taste great too.

I've never been a big fan of gluten free baking because it usually tastes gummy and very dense. However, Alex and I have been devouring the zucchini bread I made last night. It was incredibly light and delicious. Gluten Free pizza was on the menu tonight. Thanks to the fine folks at Udi's I had a delicious (yes, delicious) gluten free pizza and didn't experience the horrendous stomach ache that usually follows.

http://udisglutenfree.com/products/6//udis_gluten_free_pizza_crust?jadid=7463590293&jk=udi's%20pizza%20crust&js=1&jmt=1_e_&jp=&jkId=8a8ae4cc2df1be9a012df22e0f970362&jt=1&jsid=22255&&gclid=CMrHzKWL66gCFUa8KgodPwduIA

Gluten Detox

What's that, you're not supposed to have a stomach ache every day. Your stomach shouldn't look like you are expecting your third child. Seriously?

It's day 2 of my gluten cleanse and I am already feeling so much better. Tons of research out there to suggest that a gluten free diet is so much better for your health and various ailments and yet still the majority of dietitians and doctors tout a high fiber, multi-grain diet. Time for this momma to stop listening to the experts and start literally listening to her gut.

School is almost out for the year so that means it's time for a little summer experimentation with total gluten free cooking. I'm totally up for the challenge and looking to recapture my health.

Today's recipe comes courtesy of gluten free goddess.

glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-bread.html

Best Feeling In The World

Today was a rough day for many reasons but mostly because of the anxiety surrounding a walkathon that I am in charge of. The stress of spearheading this type of event as well as a Third Grade Dinner (all in a two week period) is finally taking a toll on my mental health. Yet just when I felt like I couldn't take any more I stepped inside a classroom and had one of the best feel good conversations I've ever had. On the verge of a nervous breakdown, I stopped to talk to one of Alex's former teachers about the logistics of the walk and the impending rain. After we got all of the shop talk out of the way she paused for a moment and began to tell me what a terrific son I have and what a wonderful experience it has been to teach him. She said that all the teachers want to know where he is and what he is doing in 10 years because they know he will go very far in life. While the kind words meant a lot I think it was the way her face lit up when she spoke about Alex that touched my heart the most.

Picture Imperfect

Some families send out Photo Cards at Christmas. With the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and baking I figure picture taking is just one more task on my lengthy to do list that I could do without. Every year I justify to myself and others that I don't bother sending photo cards at Christmas because it's just too stressful. Why not save myself the hassle and send cards out on one of my favorite holidays, St. Patrick's Day. What I fail to remember is just how stressful the St. Patrick's Day photo sessions can be. The kids are tired of being cooped up all winter and can't sit still long enough to take a quick photo. The session usually ends with my husband and I yelling at the kids and proclaiming "well, that one is good enough, I just can't take it any more". Here are some of the photos that didn't make the cut.

Broken

My heart aches right now over the loss of a seven-year old girl in our school district whom I've never met before. It aches for my friends who have children in the same school, as I'm sure each day will bring more questions than answers. I can't imagine trying to explain to my own children the how or the why of something so tragic and yet they will have to endure this countless times over the coming days and weeks.

My heart breaks for the teacher who will have to stare at an empty chair in her classroom for the rest of the year and can only imagine what could have been. I grieve for the little girl's fellow classmates who are too young to comprehend the finality of death and will undoubtedly keep asking when she will return.

I am sad for my favorite school nurse who has mothered my own children in the past when they were sick like they were her own. I can only imagine the sick feeling she has inside as she contemplates what else she could have done last Thursday when she sent the child home sick. To which we all would reply "nothing".

But most of all my heart aches for her parents whom I can only imagine feel broken right now. For the love of a child is the most powerful kind of love you will ever experience. It is unconditional, everlasting and pure. Once you have it you can't imagine your life without it.

" I have a dream today"

Today I took the time to make sure my kids knew why they had the day off from school. To make certain that they didn't think it was a teacher work day or snow day but the celebration of the life and legacy of a great American.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that even at a young age they both were very well informed about Martin Luther King Jr. I read them a story about his life and we shared one of my favorite quotes "Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase". Only fourteen words but such a powerful message.