The Limbo of Life

What should we have for dinner?
Should I cut my hair?
What grade should I teach next year?

My life lately has been a constant flow of choices, like any other life I suppose.

While reading through my rather extensive Blog list. I found this little jewel on my friend, Ashley's Blog.

Ways to Improve your life in the next 100 days - click to read the full list
While, I'm a bit overwhelmed at tackling all the suggestions- there are 60.. I'm choosing 4.

1. Make it a point to learn at least one new thing each day
2. Stop complaining for the next 100 days.
3 Say “I love you” and “Have a good day” to your significant other every morning.
4. place the best possible interpretation on the actions of others and remind yourself that everyone is doing the best that they can.

Becoming a better,
Mrs. H

A&LF pt 2

If you didn't read part 1 it's here.


My mom handed me the mail. I flipped through, looking for my latest 17 Magazine. What I found was a letter from CFS. Christian Family Services is the adoption agency that my brother and I were adopted from. I have a closed adoption which means all correspondance between the adoptee/family and birthparent goes through them. They never disclosed names or locations of either party. My mom had been in corrispondance through CFS with my birthmother my entire life, sending her updates on my academics, growth and hobbies.

"Can I open this letter from CFS mom?"
"Sure hon, It's probably just the annual fund-raising letter"

I opened the envelope to find a typed letter from my social worker, Thelma.

"Hello Rumkers,
Enclosed is a letter from Elizabeth's birth mom. Please share it with her when you feel she's ready."
Thelma


SO of course, I was 'ready' right then! "MOM! Can I open it? Please?" Without seeming phased, my mom smiled and gave me permission. So there in the car, 1/4 mile from my childhood home, I 'met' my birthmom.

"Dear Elizabeth,
I would like you to know one very important thing right from the start. I LOVE YOU and have never stopped loving you since the day you were conceived. You have been in my heart, in my thoughts, and in my prayers since the day you were born. I have been looking forward to this time in our lives, for a very long time! I guess maybe I should start from the beginning and introduce myself. My name is Suzanne Elizabeth, and I am your birth mother"

..........stay tuned for part 3

Adopted and Loved Forever

Everyone who has known me for any amount of time, knows that I am adopted. It's nothing I've ever felt the need to keep secret, and for the most part it's something I'm very proud of. The older I get the more meaning it takes on. In every phase of my life, it's meant something different to me. So here's the story.

As long as I can remember, this book was read at my house.

Now, I realized cover looks extremly sterotypical, but it was the message that stuck with me. Along with reading books with adoption themes, my mom would tell the story of how our family was made. I remember asking her many nights to tell the story of our family. I took comfort in hearing how much my parents loved each other and how much they longed for and chose me. I loved how it was a fact to her that we were made to be a family.

I never struggled with why I was given up for adoption, I knew that I was given up at birth and lived with a foster family for the first three months of my life. The only thing that makes me sad today, is that I have never seen a picture of me as a tiny baby. My mom more than made up for it with my pictures later on :)

I never gave a lot of thought to my birth parents. I really only thought about being adopted when someone else brought it up, or genetics came up at school. I remember thinking it was fun at the doctor when we would tell him we didn't know my health history and he would look at my mom questioning. We would always giggle like it was a inside joke.

In the winter of my Junior year of high school (2003) my mom and I were coming home from some regular errands and we stopped to get the mail. When we pulled up to the mailbox, we had no idea that what it held would begin a whole new chapter of my life.

to be continued...

Aunt Love

I'm just sure there's nothing like Aunt love.

I know about teacher love

I know about babysitter love

I know about sister love

I know about daughter love

I know about in-law love

I know about family that's not family love

I know about friend love

I'm just sure there's nothing like Aunt love

30 what?

who says teachers get summers off?? I'm hard at work today looking over centers, literature ideas, and math manipulatives. Granted, I am doing it on my couch, with my favorite pair of sweat pants on...

Anyway, I got the numbers for next year recently and I've just been bummed. I'm going to have around 30 students starting out on my list...last year I got 4 others within the first two weeks. For budgeting reasons, the school has decided to take the four 2nd grade classes and combine them into three 3rd grade classes. This brought in so many thoughts...I need more desks, how will I teach small group, what in the world am I going to do with all of them?!?

Then I saw this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lord_yo/3610940579/

and this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/4875828636/

and then 30+ students, wasn't a big deal

Sweet Summertime

My very favorite time of year..summer

It's been crazy all ready. Crazy in a good way. I took a part time job hanging out with an 11 year old. H is probably the opposite of me, and we get along really well. She is a petite red haired, sweet, cheerleader, who goes to a private school. It's the easiest job ever, and I only go once or twice a week. So it really is part time. With H I discovered my new love of Paint Your Art Out. This was my masterpiece!

It's Ezra! Next up: Samson.

I also went to Missouri to hang with my 3 favorite 12 year olds! We had a ton of fun. Other than the occational sex and period questions that popped up, and completely caught this girl off guard.

I am also preparing to leave for a small road trip with Mandy and Lindsey! I'm pretty stoked to travel cross country with my bestie and a lifelong friend! Sorry husbands...

I'm planning on a Trip to Colorado at the end of the month to see Suzanne and Fam! It's been a year and O and L are getting SO old! It blows my mind that it's been almost 9 years since I met them!

(Sorry about so many wedding family pictures)

Anyways, that's my June! YIPPEE and no one has called me Mrs. H for two weeks!