summer [the beginning]

This summer the mister and I were blessed with five weeks of travel, family, and friends. We made it to and/or through 23 states in that time and had uncountable adventures. From New Mexico to Maine and back again, the only thing that would have made it better was more time, more hours in a day, and perhaps a few more naps (so that we could have adventured harder!). 

We began our journey on June 22, leaving home a little later than usual so that we could get Blake's for breakfast on our way out of town. We drove through the panhandle of Texas, which has the best rest stops I have ever been to, and into Oklahoma. We visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial which was unlike any other memorials that we have visited in the past. The biggest difference is that this was the first memorial that we have visited that was built to remember something that has happened in our lifetime. We may have been young at the time, but we could both recall, at the very least, media coverage of the bombing. It was a rather humbling way to begin the summer. At the same time it was inspiring to see how the community responded and how they continue to respond through events such as the Memorial Marathon each year.

We come here to remember
those who were killed, those who survived
and those changed forever.
May all who leave here know the impact of violence.
May this memorial offer comfort, strength,
peace, hope and serenity.

1 of 163 in the field of chairs

gates of time

memorial fence

children's area

After our time at the memorial we went to meet up with a host through couchsurfing. Unfortunately the timing of our meet up did not work out and so we pulled up a parking space at a nearby shopping center for the night. The good thing about sleeping in the car is that you get moving rather quickly in the mornings. There is no packing to do and therefore you can simply wake up and drive.

And drive we did, on to more adventures. Stay tuned for the details!

reality

Just before Valentine's Day I welcomed a new student to my classroom. While it may have caused a disruption to the class, we were working together to teach the rules and expectations that are the norm in my classroom. Then, he was gone for a week. I was told to wait. There was no notification from the family, so the standard is to wait for ten days before the district withdraws a student as a result of absences.

Then he came back. Once again, there was a disruption in my classroom. We started from scratch, working together to teach the rules and expectations for the classroom. Then, today he was withdrawn from our school because of the district requirement for official notes (such as a doctor's note or a printed obituary) to excuse absences. Our principal would not excuse absences without a note and the family was upset, so they took him out of our school altogether.

Unfortunately this is the reality for some children. They lack the consistency that is needed to learn the rules and expectations that come with being a part of a community. They jump from place to place, not on their own accord, and not necessarily because of family choices. We live in a world where children become the victims of policies that adults and politicians make. While there are rules in place to protect both children and adults, sometimes people fall through the cracks because of them.

Once again, I find myself in a position where I do not know what will come for this child and it breaks my heart. He is a very intelligent boy and has a lot of potential, I can only hope for the best and that the wind starts to blow in his favor so that he doesn't need to fight against so many obstacles at such a young age.

namaste

Today, just two weeks after entering my classroom, my lovely little girl from Nepal and her family came into school to say farewell to our class. We are sad to see her go, but I am glad that her father found a job. Unfortunately it is in Albuquerque. But, I suppose this is the way things work in education, and in life in general. People enter our lives and then they leave, we can only be thankful for the time that we get to spend together.

heartbreak

I am writing today shortly after the cries and screams of one of my students have subsided. Unfortunately, not all of the students that teachers work with come from happy families. Today, one of my students was taken to live with her father after a custody hearing came to a close. I support whatever the court deems to be in the best interest of the child, but my heart breaks knowing that her home life has just been turned upside down. My heart breaks from losing a student that has become a part of my kindergarten classroom community.