An Open Letter to my Students

 Good morning, Friends...

I fell asleep and woke up thinking about you. Here is what I want you to know:

Being a teacher is hard, and until you have done it you truly don't understand just how hard it is. We plan engaging lessons for students who are in different places with different interests and different motivations. We keep them safe physically and emotionally. We teach them how to be human--kind and empathetic and hopefully wise. We prepare them for a world beyond our classrooms that they can't even imagine yet. We make a million decisions every day, and we carry the weight of those with us. It's a heavy load.

There is also a lot of light. We also get to see those lightbulb moments. We see kids finally understand a concept. We celebrate every accomplishment with them, and we know when something is an accomplishment and when kids are just phoning it in. We push them to be their best without breaking them. We free spirits and tame egos. You can't see it yet, but you will eventually see them live out their dreams and you know deep in your very being that you are part of that story. They don't always come back and tell you, but you remember.

It's all heavy now because you aren't at the light yet. But I have the absolute honor of being at the light. I'm there with you in the heavy, but I am also seeing your lightbulb moments. I have seen you move from students to teachers this semester. I have witnessed your tears when you realize that you regret a decision, and that's how I know you are good teachers. You know the real gravity of our work. I have witnessed the changes in lessons because you know  your kids and you know what moves to make so they get it. You are so close to living out your dreams, and I will be right there celebrating your every accomplishment.

Friends, the Universe chose a crazy time to make you teachers. Believe me when I say even we veterans are struggling this year. The load is heavier, but the reward is also so much greater. The light is coming.

We can do hard things one next right thing at a time, and you are not alone.

Onward,

Dr. B.

Observation

This is parent observation week at the dance studio! While I am very, very glad I don't need to attend every class (12 hours is a lot of watching), it is fun to get to sit in on a class, especially during Halloween week. Last night, the high schoolers were Power Rangers:

And we sat in on Issa's modern class:

It was so fun to watch her do this style since I've never gotten to see it! They ended class by building a combo together. Stephanie did a phrase, and then each dancer added to it, kind of like the going on a bear hunt game. It was amazing to watch them make choices and create something together.

The other bonus was we got to be observers for Nana:

 She was finishing her tap class as Issa was beginning! She is really a good tapper, so it was fun to watch them do the Time Warp.

I'm so very, very grateful for this new studio where we are all finding so much joy and growth.

A Pre-Halloween Costume

I am still loving my adult ballet class! I almost didn't go last night, though, because I got the flu shot and my arm felt like it might fall off. But...it is Halloween costume week, and Issa was way too excited about that for me to not go. I broke out last year's costume:

Suzy Snowflake picked up her favorite unicorn:

It was so fun to dance in the ribbon tutu! Another friend came as Eeyore, and Ms. Stephanie was a dragon. It was pretty great! It was a fun way to kick off Halloween week, and I'm awfully glad I went.
 

Happy Birthday, Husband!

Yesterday was this guy's birthday:

I have zero pictures of the day, but we take that one at DPAC on Saturday night.

I am a big believer in big birthdays--the bigger the better. Brad is the opposite. All he wanted was a quiet day. He requested sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast and wings for dinner. That was it. No cake. No candles. No fuss.

It almost did me in, but we obliged. He said it was just the day he wanted.

I guess that pretty much sums us up. He is the yin to my yang, and I am so very, very grateful he was born.

 

A Good Mess

Yesterday, I was able to sneak away to the pottery studio for a bit. I'm usually very methodical, working on one project at a time. But yesterday, I was not:

 I was slab rolling and hand building and glazing and making a glorious mess, and it was wonderful. It was a lovely reminder that sometimes messes are good things.

So Sweet

It is definitely feeling like fall around here! The temperatures are dropping, and we are all feeling a little extra snuggly, especially these babies:

They spend a lot of time curled up together on the tower, and they have started bathing each other, which is just the sweetest. We have never had cats that truly love each other, and we are sure enjoying these two.
 

Pumpkins with Goats!

My new favorite Halloween tradition is carving pumpkins with goats. We were supposed to go Saturday afternoon, but the forecast wasn't looking great. I called Saturday morning and moved the tickets to yesterday evening, which was great because it poured during our original spot!

I thought last year was perfect, but pumpkins with goats at 5 is a different kid of wonderful. The chickens were starting to roost in the trees:

The cows were ready for dinner snacks:

And the light was perfect! The pumpkins were particularly huge this year:

And the goats were ready for us! This little guy wanted to ride in our cart:

Nana was the first to feed the goats right from her scoop:

And the baby was very thrilled to be fed by Issa:

These two became "our goats." They stayed on our table the whole time, although other goats came to visit. Once they were full, they were happy to just stay and snuggle:

I made this cute guy:

Issa went for ironic: tiny face on a huge pumpkin:

Evan went for geometric:

Nana stayed traditional:

And Dad made a skull in a heart tattoo. You can't see it, but it even has the arrows on each side:

I thought we could just take this guy home since he's in our cart, but I was vetoed:

And look at those sleeping babies:

We had so much fun, and I am already looking forward to next year!

 

She's Back!

This week has been a blur as we return to life in a dance studio:

 Issa is back at the studio until 9 on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and she is so happy. She is also so tired. We all are. We are relearning how to eat dinner at five and stay up late while she showers and settles. We will find the new rhythm, and it is so worth it to see her back in the studio.

The Arts

I've never considered myself an artist; my sister got all of that talent in our family. But...I have always loved the arts, and during the pandemic I found myself more drawn to them. As we are beginning to emerge, I am finding new ways to enjoy them and lean into them as a relief for the stress that is whatever this era is.

I'm still making time to go to the pottery studio. Last week, I picked up the finished incense burner I made for Issa:

I went ahead and scheduled studio time through December. Centering clay centers me, and there is value in making space for that.

Thursday night, we grabbed our vaccine cards and went back to DPAC for the first time:

While I have loved watching amazing theatre broadcast right into my home, it was so good to be back in the theatre and watching actors live on stage. Since we have two seasons of shows in one, we have tickets about twice a month, and I'm not complaining!

Last night, I also went back to the barre for the first time since I was 17. I'm taking a pure ballet class. No recital, just the barre and the marley and a lot of joy.

I'm listening to more music than NPR, and I'm so appreciate of all the artists that make all of this possible for me. I think I'll just keep leaning in...

 

A Trip to the Highlands...

Parts of the Appalachians were settled by people from Scotland, largely because it looked so much like their homeland. This weekend, we went up to Grayson Highlands, and we now fully understand what they mean. Every fall, we take a weekend in the mountains, and I think we might have found the place we will keep returning to this year.

We stayed at a beautiful little cabin just outside the state park, and I knew I was in love when I saw the little pumpkin waiting for us:

It was an absolutely spotless cabin nestled right on the edge of the part. There was just enough space for the four of us; Evan loved his bunkbed room:

And we all loved the big back porch:

We actually picked the kids up early from school, stopped for lunch, and began a new tradition of stopping at a book shop on the way. Issa picked up some new reading material, Evan picked up a building set for the cabin, and we picked up a new board game for the evenings. We spent Friday settling in and just enjoying the cabin.

Saturday, we ate breakfast on the porch before we headed into the state park. Issa is the cutest hiker ever:

She danced her way through the park and literally over the rocks:

But the highlight of Grayson Highlands are the wild ponies, and the kids were thrilled to spot the first two:

They were introduced to the park to try to keep some of the brush clear, and now they just wander:

This mama and baby were the first two we spotted. They began about twenty yards from us, but slowly worked their way over:

We really think the little guy was only a day old. He still had some gunk on his back and was adorably wobbly:

We found another grouping on our way down the trail. Once pony ran right down the hill and nearly bumped into me! They are still very wild, but they come pretty close! We were some happy hikers:

After the hike, we stopped by the General Store. It's a stamp on the Appalachian Trail, and we just wanted to see it. It will forever be the oddest store I've even been in. Nary a fruit or vegetable could be found, but they had canned escargot, good wine, and SPAM--all on the same shelf. They had milk and juice but no bread. Naan and tandoori seasoning they had aplenty, though. They also had a whole assortment of old tractor parts and a gluten-free baking section. It was wild.

We spent the rest of Saturday enjoying our cabin. The backyard was Grayson Highlands, and this creek provided lots of fun: 

Everyone but Issa went down as some point:

Sunday, we were all sad to leave:

But grateful for some time away to just enjoy nature and each other:

 

First Lesson

Monday night, Issa had her first solo lesson in the new studio. On the way there, a rainbow looked like it ended right at the studio:

She was actually the very first lesson in the new space, and she and Stephanie were very excited about that:

As you can tell:

Watching these two dance together:

Well...it's simply magic:

They are doing some collaborative choreography, and the way Stephanie is pouring into my girl, well, words will never be enough. Seeing her back on marley doing what she loves was such a gift, and I'm so excited to see what this year brings.