Big Embraces

Over the years I have learned to love baking more and more. That is, of course, when I have the time! Even then it is often rushed. This makes it a little hard when my kids walk in the kitchen and say, “oh you’re baking? Can I help?” If you have ever been in this situation you know the moment I am talking about. At first I want to say, “No, I don’t have time”, but then I try to remind myself that there will come a time when they will no longer want to hang out in the kitchen with mom or possibly help with much at all. So, I say yes. If they want to help, they help. This has always been my feeling when it comes to anything I am doing that they are interested in, and I feel it has helped them become more comfortable in the kitchen. When I was little my mom read a lot, and because of this I would also pick up a book and read. I think about this same thing when the kids are in the kitchen with me. It is where they often see me and they want to be a part of it too. Lately my two year old has taken to pulling up his little step stool literally anytime I walk up to the kitchen counter. I love interacting with him as he becomes more and more independent (even if he is two and drives my crazy at times). learn to let go With all of this being said, it does not make the hustle and bustle of a kitchen task with kids any easier. It has just become one of those times I have to teach myself to let go. Let go of the todo list Let go of the thought of a clean kitchen Let go of a perfectly blended recipe Let go of the fear of spilled ingredients Let go of the idea of being in a hurry The list could go on and on, and to be honest, I am not great at letting go. But I’m trying. As they get older it gets a little easier. For example, when we did our Christmas baking this past year I was pretty much just a facilitator. My job was melting chocolate, getting utensils, and overseeing tasks, but everything else they pretty much took over. embrace their independence Therefore, when we had a muffin exchange amongst some of their friends I thought it would be a great time to practice this scary thought of turning over my kitchen to a 10 and 7 year old. It must also be said that was timing of this party was during a super busy season where free hours were very hard to come by. However, we made it work. I told the girls I would help them find and read a recipe, but they were going to do all the work. It was late in the evening, and I sat at the counter reading the recipe while they prepared their muffins. They were so cute often repeating things I have told them over and over, or remembering things I have taught them like how to scoop and level off ingredients. embrace the lack of time… There is never going to enough time for everything. I am going to say that again so I really hear it… There is never going to be enough time. As a mom of three with two jobs outside of the house I have to come to this realization (and I know I am…
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As an Ohio teacher in the winter, I am used to those mornings where I stare at my phone willing it to ring. The mornings where I know it was supposed to snow, and I’ve already gotten my hopes up. I scan my emails, check the website, and finally there’s a notification! SNOW DAY! But then it sinks in… how will I entertain my own children? I mean I don’t exactly write lesson plans for these days and I try not to let them veg in front of the TV for the entire day. I thought there may be more like me and want to share an activity that had my girls pleasantly occupied for hours. Art Show and Auction They decided to create an art show and auction. This specific day they were at their grandparents with their cousins and were hanging out in the heated garage. They pulled out their art kits and an origami book and got to work. Some drawings were made on their own while some they collaborated on. Once they felt they had enough pieces they chose how to display them. They chose to hang theirs on the garage door and side of the refrigerator. After this, they got to work promptly on creating tickets. Their tickets were handmade but read “under 5 can get in with a hug, and over 5 can get in with a piece of candy.” VIEWING Let me tell you, after being granted entrance with a single M&M I was amazed at the results of their hard work. The ages of the children ranged from 7-10, and their creations were beautiful. I enjoyed hearing their stories about who created what, and how hard they worked. While leaving the art show I was told my ticket would allow me free entrance to the auction later. AUCTION TIME During the auction I was able to purchase any piece I wanted for the price of any food item. I brought two baby carrots in with me, but my two-year-old ate them before I chose my artwork. I had to return to the kitchen and retrieve some bell peppers before “purchasing” two creations (one from each of my daughters.)

Between being a teacher and a mom there are many days I make it to the evening and wonder when I’m possibly supposed to take care of myself. I’m sure I am not the only woman in the world who takes care of everyone else throughout every day. In today’s world the term “self-care” is becoming a very popular phrase. However, if you’re anything like me you probably think that’s just something people on Instagram and TikTok actually have time for. Let Them play. I try really hard to try and live a lifestyle where I am not constantly orchestrating play and activities for my students or children. The time we just stay out of it are the times when real discoveries tend to happen. After feeling very spent, especially throughout the holiday season, I decided to come up with a list of my go to activities I know my children can enjoy on their own. I hope this helps bring a little quiet to your days. Take a moment to blow dry your hair or drink another cup of coffee, and rest assured you kiddos are entertaining themselves.

It’s finally Christmas Break Today is my first official day off school/work for the holiday season, and I spent the morning at the grocery with a two year the day before a snowstorm! I am thankful to have two whole days to prep, but I have so much to do that I feel a little bit lost. Not to mention many of my mom friends not only have most of their to-do list complete, but they have also taken their kids to a light display, a visit to Santa, and probably a ride on the polar express. But parenthood is not about comparing (is what I tell myself over and over). I am actually a little amazed every year by the things I do accomplish in these fleeting moments, however, I can’t help but feel a little guilty. Am I Alone? I am sure all moms question themselves. Am I good enough? Am I giving them those core memories that will stay with them for their entire lives? Am I giving them the holiday experience they deserve. Please tell me I am not alone. The last week of my life has been a whirlwind! If you are a teacher, you know exactly what I am talking about. The final days of school before a break is not for the faint of heart. There is the carry-in I had to bake for, the caroling field trip, the countless festive lesson plans, the teacher gifts I have to prepare for my own children, and the million other little things that get us to this point. It definitely feels like a sprint to the finish, except I’m not finished. I’m simply starting another race. But does it really have to be like this? Let’s Break the Cycle… Between getting home at 8 PM last night and getting up at 5 AM this morning for spin class and swim practice I spent about an hour scrolling the internet looking for “Holiday events in the area” to take my kids to. Wait, didn’t I just say I had a million things to do? Didn’t I just say I wanted it to be different? This is the cycle that we need to get ourselves out of! So after an hour searching for more things to keep us busy, I realized I don’t even think that is what my children want. Sometimes they are just as stretched as me, and what I want is to slow down. I think that is what they want too. Therefore, as I finished my grocery list and went to bed, I decided to give myself, and my family, a lot of grace for Christmas. Since my girls woke up this morning, they have made forts, helped me make Chex mix, created some sharpie art, sorted through their old toys, and played dress up. I am hoping that just as much as Christmas lights they will remember these slow days. Therefore, after reading about numerous Holiday activities to do with kids, I decided to create my own list. 7 things for a relaxing yet memorable holiday with kids: Let’s Make a Deal… I will try my hardest to slow down if you do too. Let’s get rid of the guilt. At the end of the day our kids absolutely do not care how many “things” we do. If I say this over and over to myself enough it will sink in eventually. As mom’s there is a load on our plate, but I am trying my hardest to not let guilt be one of those things. My goal for this year is…
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Sometimes it is hard to find activities to help the older elementary students get into the holiday spirit.  First of all, they are maturing and may no longer be interested in a lot of the activities they used to, and it’s sometimes hard finding new things they have not already completed in previous years.  I am also opposed to the worksheets that are given to students as a “holiday activity” but it’s actually just a normal worksheet with candy canes across the top. This brings me to my Christmas reading activities I did with my upper elementary (4th and 5th) grades this year.  My classroom focuses largely on creative, as well as critical thinking and these activities definitely did just that! This class is so incredibly creative, and they had a great time singing them for the class when they were finished! Students are given the last sentence of a story, and they are challenged with writing the story leading up to that specific ending.  One the last day before Christmas break, I made hot chocolate in a crockpot and the students got a treat while they listened to their classmates read their stories by the “fire” (or YouTube fireplace). Darian Dauchan has great poetry videos on youtube, and my students always love him! In this video he has them write erasure poems, but instead of using the poem he suggested I had the students use “The Night Before Christmas”. On this link students have 10 options of Christmas read alouds to use (they must listen to at least 4).  You can use my list or come up with any read alouds you like (or even have the students choose their own). Next, they will use this paper to review their most and least favorite stories, as well as create a 4-way Venn diagram with the stories they chose.  I had to really talk about what “defend your answer” means, because I had many students try to turn in response like, “This story was the best because it was funny”.  That is a singular statement, and not a defense so it made for a great teachable moment.  I also, again, allowed them to work alone or with a partner.

Another holiday season is upon us.  As a full-time working mom this season of life brings so many joys and challenges all at once.  I love Christmas and all of the festive flair, but at the end of the day I only have so much in my cup to pour out.  Somewhere between making sure my students make the best memories the week before break and making sure my own children create beautiful memories at home I usually end up almost losing my mind.  However, oddly enough, I know I wouldn’t be able to do the holidays any other way.  So, as I sit here wrapping up the last full week of school before winter break, I remind myself to breathe, and embrace the goodness that comes from this time of year. You know the holiday goodness I’m talking about… Hallmark Christmas movies while drinking hot chocolate by the fire… Haha just kidding (kind of).  I mean the spirit of Christmas where people think of others before themselves and spend time making memories as a family (even if you are the one who has to orchestrate, plan, and prepare said activities), listen to Christmas music, and hopefully remember all of the great holiday memories from your childhood. It’s always my goal as someone who comes and goes from students’ lives year after year to help them find enjoyment in all seasons of life no matter what we may be going through. Therefore, this time of year, for me, always brings some fun, festive classroom chaos, and in case you are interested I’d like to share. (Here is a link to a copy of the lyrics with blanks to fill in). My students wrote a song called “Snowy the elf”, however they also came up with the idea of using a gingerbread man next time. When they were finished filling in the song we sang it together, and they created some illustrations of Snowy in his setting. 2. Compare and contrast two different Holiday stories – Venn Diagram These two stories have quite a bit in common, so it was great practice for the students to work on finding differences. 3. Holiday Acrostic poems -have the students choose a holiday word and make an acrostic poem out of it.  You can premake some of these if you choose.  Some of the words we used in class were:  You can adjust this activity to fit just about any grade level **Extension: 1. play “Words Within Words” and have them see how many new words they can find within one of the words (i.e. – Gingerbread: read, bed, bad, ring, etc.) 2. Create a holiday sentence using the acrostic words (i.e. – The reindeer hid under the tree eating the gingerbread). 4. Silly Holiday Skits: Using holiday roll and write stories the students created skits with groups of 3-5. I gave them 15 minutes to create their skit and gather or make any props, and then they had 5 minutes to present.  These were so fun and hilarious! You could also extend this in so many ways by adding in peer review sheets or performing the skits a second time with a challenge (i.e. – someone is blindfolded, or you have to hop on one foot). I know that while holiday activities are a lot of fun, they also take a whole lot of planning! I hope that these activities help something else embrace the season a little more.

Everyone has that person in their life who they will always hold nearest and dearest to their heart no matter what. For me that is my grandma. She is no longer with us, but I think about her every single day. So many of the traditions I hold with my family are because of her, and so many of my values were formed from her impact on my life. I don’t really remember exactly when we got so close. When I was little, she lived about 30 minutes away and my most visible memories are going to her house on holidays and running crazy with my cousins. As I got older my grandma was the one who was best at comforting me when I was sad, or even when I was just being an emotional teenager. She just always seemed to understand and make me feel like life would be ok. In my later teenage years, I visited her a lot more, and my favorite thing was getting to know her better. I loved hearing her stories of growing up, and living life in another time. One day we discovered that we both had a love for spinach dip and looked up a recipe to make it from scratch. From that point on I think she made it every time I came over. In the year 2008 I graduated from college and was trying to find out what I was going to do next with my life. During this time my grandpa passed away, and without even thinking I went home from the hospital that night with my grandma and didn’t leave for an entire year (one month after I got married). I cannot even begin to explain that year, but I know that the memories I made will never be forgotten. As I grew into adulthood Grandma continued to be my biggest cheerleader, and every time I was with her, she made me feel like I was the best mom and was doing a good job. That is the kind of person she was. At some point (I don’t remember the exact year) I started going over there before Christmas to help her clean her house and of course make candy. This became a long-standing tradition until her last year with us. We would spend hours making countless buckeyes, chocolate covered pretzels and nuts, and then when that was finished, she would start throwing in anything else she had that would be good in chocolate (graham crackers, marshmallows, etc.). Eventually through the years we were joined by my daughter Alex, and one year even baby Hazel. Now, and every year since then, my daughters and I continue the candy making tradition. Each year they become more and more helpful too. This year I felt like all I was doing was melting more chocolate for them. This year we made buckeyes, chocolate pretzels, marshmallows (the girl’s favorite), nut clusters, graham crackers, and Oreo peppermint bark. Another thing that we added to the traditions years ago was making caramels. My husband grandma was known for her caramels, and with her recipe we continue to keep that tradition alive as well. I know that Grandma is looking down on me and my family with love, and this tradition keeps her alive in all of our hearts. I think about and miss her almost every day, but I am so glad that I made so many memories with her that she is still everywhere I look. I know that my kids and I will continue this tradition year after year and maybe someday…
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We can be embraced, and we can embrace. My children and students remind me of this every single day. I have a 10 year old who cherishes physical touch, a six year old who is one of the most loving humans I know, and a two year old whose favorite thing is to give “big squeezes”! On top of that I see over a hundred students a week so embraces are almost in constant supply. But why does it even matter? Does it really make a difference? There have been numerous proven studies with supporting evidence on why this “social support” as its being called is so important.  Hugging is actually linked not only to making you feel happier, but lowering stress, boosting your immunity, lowering blood pressure, and helping release tension. STRESS REDUCTION It has long been known that big embraces can actually lower stress and make you feel happier. You may have even experienced this yourself, and no, it is not just in your head.  The reason behind this is because hugging increases the level of oxytocin in our blood. Oxytocin is a hormone known to cause a “bonding” or “caring” response in people. It can then also cause a reduction in blood pressure and stress hormones.  Physically, hugs also naturally relax your muscles and release tension in your neck and shoulders. LIFTS YOUR MOOD Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and acts as a hormone in your blood system. Serotonin impacts every part of you including your emotions and motor skills. It helps with sleeping, healing, digestion, and can even regulate anxiety. When your serotonin levels are low, you are more likely to experience feelings of depression and loneliness. Hugging can increase the production of serotonin in the brain, helping to boost your mood. IMMUNITY BOOST The Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity, and Disease in the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University has conducted studies on specific benefits of hugging. In one study they looked at how “social support” impacts your immunity and recovery. Participants were exposed to a common cold virus and were then monitored for signs of illness. The study found that those who were hugged more often also experienced less-severe signs of illness. They also found that touch deactivates the part of the brain that responds to threats, and this causes your cardiovascular system to experience less stress.  To be honest I am not always in a hugging mood, but when one of my children or students asks for a hug I am not going to deny their little hearts a big squeeze.  Let’s face it, most days I need it more than they do.