My Supports

My Husband:  He is without a doubt one of my biggest supports.  He is always there when I need him.  He does all of the laundry and most of the house cleaning (yay!!!), and is a huge help with our son.  My husband is a teacher also, it is very nice to have someone who understands my passion, and frustration at times, for teaching.  He is my best friend and I am blessed to have him in my life.

My family:  I am so very lucky to have such a wonderful, supportive family.  They have been there for everything I have needed, even though I am thousands of miles away from them.  We are all very close and I cannot imagine my life without them. My son is my life and keeps a smile on my face everyday.  I am a very lucky mommy. :)

                                                                  My son and my niece.

My Career:  I absolutely adore being a teacher!  There is nothing else I can see myself doing.  I love going to work everyday (even though it is hard to leave my son).  Teaching supports the sense of purpose in me.


My husband and I would like to move back to Michigan eventually and with that comes the very real possibility that we may not find teaching jobs.  If teaching was taken out of my life I would turn to my husband and family for support.  I would have to find something else to do for work in order to provide for my family while actively looking for teaching jobs.   

All of these supports have made me into the person I am today.  I am lucky to have such a strong support system and do not take anything for granted. 

My Connections to Play

Two Quotes About Play:

Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.

Diane Ackerman

 

Play fosters belonging and encourages cooperation.  

Stuart Brown, MD

 

Essential Play Items for my Younger Self:

I loved My Little Pony when I was younger!  I would spend so much time combing and braiding their hair.  I remember the little carrying case I had for them that had ponies all over it.

 This is a Cabbage Path Kid Pet.  I loved my Cabbage Patch Kids and when I got this pet as a Christmas present, I instantly fell in love.  I carried him with me everywhere. 

My brother and I each had our own tape recorder like this.  We would play with these for hours!  We would record our own radio stations and play them back for our parents.

I was very lucky that my parents realized and valued the importance of play.  They would build forts with us and help us turn boxes into houses.  They watched as we would perform songs and plays that we made up.  I had many cousins around that were my age and when we got together we would climb trees and invent games.  Play was such a wonderful part of my childhood.

Play is very different now from when I was little, especially outdoor play.  My brother and I would be outside in the backyard or in the park across from our house all day.  My mom would come outside with us at times but for the most part we were out by ourselves and did not have to worry about being safe. We also did not have video games.  When we were inside playing, it was with blocks, dolls, cars, or things we found around the house.

Even as an adult, I still love to play and color with my nieces or my students.  I am blessed to have a job where play is an everyday occurrence.