Mrs. Moore's Musings

I freaking love baseball!  I love watching it on television (which almost never happens until the World Series, and then it is so late I become not very nice), listening to it on the radio (yep, if you pass me in my car and I am animatedly discussing something with no one, you know what's going on), but the very best of all is being there.  I love walking up to the ball park and seeing all the people in their sports attire. I love the food in the ballpark--the Crackerjacks and the Kettle Corn and those almonds covered in sugar are my favorites. I love that it is in spring so you are never sure what the weather will be. I love that perfect green and brown of the field.  I love that in baseball there is time for the fans and friends to wander in between innings, or discuss with their neighbor something either about the game or something totally random--and this is acceptable and expected behavior.  But, mostly I love the game.  I love that at any moment; someone ...

Beautiful Spring Day with these two amazing people! It is Easter Sunday.  I am blessed.  I have really thought about what to write about today.  It was a great week.  My students and I worked on their final Huck Finn projects, which ended up being hilarious, beautiful, and profound, just as Twain would have wanted.  I got to spend a little bit of quality time with my son, which is something I treasure more and more each passing moment.  I laughed with my daughter and one of her dear friends over ice cream as the days continue to amaze me with their beauty.  I do, indeed, cherish all these things, but that is not what has been on my mind as I have seen so many beautiful posts about the sacrifice and redemptive promises of Easter. As a human being, I label myself with many titles, mom, wife, teacher, daughter, sister, and friend.  I have failed at all of these things.  I am an extraordinarily flawed human being.  I have made so ...

My dad, my son and I after one of his first treatments  I want to start off with a huge thank you to everyone who took a second (some of you much longer) to pray for my dad (or offer your thoughts and wishes) over the last four months.  Some of you, I know, prayed for my mom and our family as well.  On Tuesday, April 8th we learned that my dad is 100% cancer free.  I will never forget reading that text, sitting by my dear friend, holding up the phone, and smiling with tears in my eyes.  I was not doing something that I loved (I was away from my students in a meeting), and I was having a kind of difficult day.  In fact, I had told my husband before I left how much I was dreading the day.  But, the  moment my phone buzzed, everything shifted.  The text was two sentences long, sent to my sister and I: "Best news ever! Dad is 100% cancer free!"  That is all it took, to change my entire day.  From the moment I got that text, all the ...

This is the first week back from Spring Break.  It was a short break, only three days because of snow day make-up.  Then, we had CAP Conferences (these are conferences with our students and their parents to prepare their schedule for next year) two nights this week until 7:30.  Then, we had more CAP conferences on Saturday (to make up ANOTHER snow day) from 7:30-3:15.  This is the equivalent of working a seven day week.  First of all, I really do love CAP Conferences.  I learn a lot about my students and their future plans and I get to meet their parents, which is almost always great!  However, I am tired.  Like go to bed at 9:30 tired.  Maybe that's why it hit me so hard that my seniors only have 20 days of school left this year.  I am extra emotional this year.  It probably doesn't help that my favorite senior of all time is among this group (my son).  Just typing this sentence made my eyes fill up with tears--seriously!...

This was kind of a big week for us.  It was Spring Break!  It was only three days long because of all the snow (which I don't ever like, but I am at peace with now).  My son got a new job--it is kind of a big deal because it is his first real official, punch a time clock, follow a schedule kind of job.  I am very proud of him!  My daughter also passed her driving permit test, which was super exciting because this might not have been her first try, (heck, it might not have been her second try), but what really matters is it was her SUCCESSFUL try!  Holy macaroni my girl will be driving!  I cannot make any comments about what type of driver she will be because I myself am not the most skilled at this particular task.  Therefore, her father will guide her in this arena and I will worry and pray and listen to them both recount whatever countless adventures I am certain lay ahead of us. Olivia and her permit! Monday morning my mom sent me a text...

My "favorite" Easter decoration It is Easter candy season in my house.  I have the only Easter decoration I own, a bowl with a chick face on it, out with Easter candy filling it up (at least it is filled for about three minutes, and then it begins its rapid decent.)  I usually purchase the mixed bag of Hershey's chocolates to put in my phenomenal holiday spirited decor (the bag with the peanut butter cups, mini-candy bars and kisses.)  The kisses are always the last to go around here.  The other candy is easy to unwrap, and seems to offer a greater pay-off, if we are talking sheer chocolate/sweet ratio.  The kisses look small and do require a tiny bit more work.  But, I love the kisses.  As far as sheer chocolate, they really have a bigger pay off if you can get past the obvious "size" issue (I know, some people are obsessed with size, and if that's your thing, I won't judge).  Hershey's has tried to overcome this obstacle by offering unw...

I am a good teacher.  I am not even close to the greatest teacher in my building, but I am okay with that.  When I first started teaching I dreamed of being the greatest teacher, and I still do, but I have a long way to go.  I guess that is one of the things I love about teaching.  Every day, after each hour, I sit and think about how I could be better--a myriad of ways, usually--and I start getting excited about making things better.  This realization, admitting I am not flawless and I don't know exactly what will work all the time, was painful to admit, especially as a new teacher, but it was my students who helped me get here. When I first started teaching, in my first classroom (the same room I am in now) five years ago, I had a plan.  I would know my stuff, I would manage my classroom, we would get the job done, and everyone would go home educated and happy.  There would be no need for excessive emotionalism or connection, we were going to be an...