Anybody seen our fish?

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. But I'm back with a funny tale. Tonight we had a great plan of cooking Salmon with an Asian glaze. The Salmon was even on sale at Harris Teeter today. We got home, and I laid out all the ingredients on the counter...except the salmon. Why, you ask? Because we lost it. Somehow in the 15 minutes between our house and the grocery store, we LOST our fish. It's not in the grocery bags. It's not in the trunk (checked...three times). It's not in the trash can, the freezer, the refrigerator, or the cabinet by mistake.

Finally, Phillip called the grocery store. No where to be found, although they graciously offered to refund our money or give us some more fish. I am perplexed...and little worried it's somewhere random, and will show it's face by stinking up the place. I guess we'll find out. Anybody seen our Salmon?

My AMAZING students

Today was an amazing day. Now, let's just be honest, I'm exhausted and have a huge headache because I didn't want to wake up early enough to dry my hair, so I wore it in a ponytail which gave me a huge headache. But, it was still an amazing day, and here's why. I have the most amazing students at JMU. Today, I got to see them start working with students at an elementary school. It's a really unique experience where two of us (faculty) train them in reading and behavior interventions and supervise them using the techniques in a school for the semester.Today was our first day in the school, finally, after a two weeks straight of snow days.

All semester, I've been so impressed by my students' dedication, enthusiasm, and academic prowess. I have walked by our classroom AFTER class and seen them practicing their reading skills. The are engaged, committed, and inquisitive in class.

Today, they showed up at the school looking so professional. Everyone was dressed to the 9s, had their materials organized, and displayed such enthusiasm for the work. Then, I got to see them interact with students. They were awesome!

I remember the process of deciding to be a special educator. I remember feeling the passion for it in my undergraduate program...feeling like I could CHANGE the world. And I see that in my students. It's funny, because everyone expects professors to inspire their students...and....well...maybe we do. But my students inspire me more than they realize. Today I felt like leaving the classroom, fighting through 3 intensive years of getting a Ph.D, moving my whole life to a new place was totally worth it. An amazing day. Cheers, to the future SPED teachers I have the privilege to work with every day.

Valentine's Date

Tonight we celebrated our 9th Valentine's Day together. I know it's a cheesy, commercialized holiday, but I still like it. We tried a new Italian restaurant...Vivace in Charlottesville. The food was okay. The desert was amazing-best part of the night. Here's a pic of our chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce. Yummmmmm.

As for the gifts, we kept it simple-$25 dollar gifts. We are trying desperately to save every penny for a house. I got Phillip (as I have for the last 9 years) a pair of V-day themed boxer shorts. This year they had snoopy on them. He loves snoopy (again, cheesy, I know). He also got a t-shirt, some candy, and a pair of sunglasses because he broke his. They are aviator glasses. I love them, they're hot! Phillip says he married me to keep him trendy. This means he hates the glasses, but he'll wear them because I love them. I speak "married", can you tell?? :) Here he is sporting the glasses.

Phillip's gift for me was awesome. He gave me "Allison's Relaxation Box". Here's a pic. He knows I've been trying to work on balance in my life, so this box was perfect. In case you can't tell, in the box was: chocolate covered raisins (my favorite candy), an "Us Weekly", two chic-flicks, and some Reeces Peanut Butter Cups. He knows it will take me forever to eat the chocolate because I try to limit sugar, so the ones he bought were "mini". No guilt, in other words.

All in all, it was just a great night to spend together. I'm so lucky to be married to my best friend, and the love my life. Love you babe! :)

Growth

It's snowing again (big surprise, right??). So, you might think it odd that I'm choosing to write about "growth" today. But, I'm not going to write about plant growth...although I wouldn't mind seeing something green on the ground right now! Nope, I'm writing about personal growth.

Recognizing you need growth is a really difficult thing. I personally am always thinking about ways to grow. Some people are terrified by change, but I find it envigorating. It has always been easier for me to think about what good things could be right around the corner, than what is happening now or in the past.

Now that I've set this up, you're probably wondering what growth I'm going to be talking about. Well...there are lots of areas of my life I want to work on. I suspect we all feel that way if we're being totally honest.

I've been thinking alot about balance lately, and this is the area of personal growth I want to commit to. So friends, family-you have to help me remember this. I am a workaholic. Everyone who knows me well knows this is true. I'm passionate about my work. I feel an urgency to make a difference in special education. After all, that's why I got this darn Ph.D. in the first place. Those things are NEVER going to change, and I don't want them to. But, a wise, and very successful professor once told me that it was equally important to manage your "energy" as it was to manage your "time". I am finding this to be very true. I'm working really hard on being productive during 8 hours a day, so that I can enjoy my downtime, spend time with my husband, and generally do things that don't require a lot of mental effort. This is something I have to work on-it doesn't come naturally to me.

This all sounds really easy, but it's hard to realize that you can't be everything to EVERYONE. I'm happy to report that I have some projects that are off the ground and running. I'm finding my "legs" as a professor. Finding my "voice"...well, that will come later, according to my sweet former advisor who I talked with on the phone the other day.

So, my goal is to focus on my keeping my body and mind healthy, my marriage healthy, and making a better effort at keeping in touch with my close friends who I miss and love so dearly. I'm working on making space in my life to breathe. And this is going to mean saying no sometimes. It means giving myself a break, and (for once) actually believing I AM good enough at something.

Don't worry, people. I'm still dreaming big. You can't change a person's soul. :) But I'm just going to try giving myself credit for the little steps I take in the right direction. Here's a quote for thought:

"The strongest principle of growth lies in the human choice". ~ George Elliot

Is it spring yet?

We have had an INSANE amount of snow this winter. Many of you know I interviewed for a position in Wisconsin last winter...well, it feels like we ARE in WI!!!

This is our fourth significant snow fall this winter. Here are the totals for Fishersville, VA for the winter:

December Snowfall 1: 8 inches

December Snowfall 2: 30 inches

February Snowfall 1: 8 inches

February Snowfall 2: 36 inches

Total inches: 82 inches...also known as 6.8 feet.

This southern girl is really ready for the spring. I thought VA WAS the south?? I know this is a fact that is highly contested....

Lately, I find myself imagining laying in a field of sunflowers...wearing flipflops...sipping iced tea (sweet of course) on an outside patio...laying on a beach. The temp this morning was 1 degree. Here are some pics of our latest snowfall. Remember, I'm approximately 5'4.

My Newest Hobby

It seems like every year about this time I add something new to my exercise routine. Last year it was running. I had apprehension, but I ended up getting totally hooked on the endorphins. This year, I'm trying out swimming. Tonight we went for the first time and it was awesome! Phillip was a swimmer in high school, and of course he is good at athletics, so he tried to teach me how to flip. I already know how to swim, but the flipping kind of scared me. It turns out I'm not really that good at it. Every time I tried I ended up facing sideways. About halfway through him explaining it and showing me how to do it, I said "I think this is an advanced skill. I'm just going to swim laps for now." Ha! So, I'm just not ready for the flipping yet. But, I did swim 12 laps (we both did) which is almost half a mile in the pool at our gym. That might not sound like much, but I'm REALLY tired now!

I think I'm going to get hooked on swimming. I feel so relaxed. It's a great stress reliever...I think water has natural healing powers. And hopefully I'll figure out the flip eventually. I'm thinking about signing up for the "mini" triathlon at our gym. Is that totally nuts??? And yes, I wore a swim cap AND goggles. You just have to. Your hair will get in the way. At some point, I just stopped caring about being cool. I listen to NPR, wear swim caps, and the list just doesn't end. Here's an embarrassing pic of me trying out my new gear (Swimsuit pic NOT included!). Again, I'm fully embracing that I am not cool.

The Impact of Poverty

I usually post things about our lives-what's going on at work, at home, a fun recipe, pictures of an event. But today, I'm pondering something a little more serious.

I haven't been able to see much coverage of the earthquake in Hati this week because I had several 12 hour days. I've listened to some coverage on NPR, but this morning I saw the first images while watching a 20/20 report on it that I recorded last night on my DVR. What really struck me while watching it was how poverty makes any desperate situation MUCH worse.

Think about this-a few years ago a similar size earthquake hit the bay area of California. Approximately 65 people died. In Hati, the death toll is estimated between 100,000 and 140,000. What is the difference, then? Well, because of poverty, the structures like roads and buildings were already in poor condition, therefore making the impact of the earthquake catastrophic. The medical care is subpar, so people who were injured didn't fare as well as they would in an industrialized country such as our own.

I'm sure you've all heard about these things. But what really struck me was the common chord that binds this situation with so many others I've seen-which is poverty.

In one of my courses this fall, I asked students a question on their weekly study guide: "True or False. Which is the predictor of disability-race or poverty.". Most of the students at JMU are caucasian from upper middle class or wealthy families. So, this question perplexed them. I even had one student come to my office and say, "I don't understand this question.". I was BLOWN away by this. Of course, the answer is poverty. When you control for race, poverty is the largest predictor of an individual being identified with a disability. The fact that my students didn't know this highlights the happy ignorance most of us exist in.

Many of you know I've been working really intensively with one school in Virginia that needs a lot of help. At this school, 65% of the students qualify for free lunch, and guess what? About that same percentage are reading below grade level. Drive about 20 minutes north and you'll find a school in the same district with NO students who receive free and reduced lunch, and only about 2% of their students are reading below grade level.



Poverty is the common variable that binds all of these situations together. It is humbling and eye opening to me. It makes me appreciate what little I have, even at a time when I have begrudged selling our house at a loss in a recession and effectively starting all over again. I am a wealthy woman compared to the situations I have painted in this post. It leaves me with a strong sense of gratitude, and a willingness to understand, research, and serve populations that are impacted by poverty.