A Dedication to the Best Man I Have Ever Known

Over a month ago, a day in my life happened that has changed me forever. For 26 years, I have always looked up to my father, the dad who was goofy, a sports fan, dedicated in everything he did, but most of all a family guy. I thought I would have him around to walk me down the aisle, to be the grandfather who would be more energetic at times with his grandkids then his parents would be, and to see both of his daughters settle into careers and family lives that he would be so proud of. But sadly on May 7, 2012, there was a different plan set in place for him. My dad lost his long battle with cancer just two days after seeing me receive my Master's Degree from the University of Connecticut. Never would I have imagined that a weekend I was looking forward to for so long would turn into a weekend I would never forget for other reasons. I knew that he has struggled with his treatment and that the last 6 months had been rough, but each day I had talked to him going up to that weekend, I felt that we had reached a better side, a side that would have him around for another family beach vacation, another birthday, another Christmas, another Father's day...

For a month I have known I wanted to write about my Dad, but every time I sat down to write it I just could not figure out what I wanted to say or remember. He meant so much to many people, but to me he was everything. I always was a Daddy's little girl. From the first kicks of a soccer ball, to the first place finishes at swim meets, my Dad was always my biggest fan. No matter what I got myself into, he wanted to learn about it and see me compete or participate. He loves hearing about my sports career, since he was such a huge athlete when he was younger. When I joined rowing in college, he had seen it but I don't think he really understood everything about it. When he first came up to see me at UConn my freshman year, and he got to visit the boat house it was so nice to see how he just really wanted to learn about this new part of my life. That is how he was about everything. He only got to see 2 of my rowing regattas but the two he saw he loved. He always talked about going back to the Dad Vails about how much fun he had there. Even though rowing is not the most exciting sport to watch, a quick 7 minute race that you can't even see us the whole time, he was truly happy to be able to be there cheering me on. He loved hearing about training for my races, my new love in tennis, and how everything was going. He was so proud of all the sports and accomplishments I had.

Other then my sports, my Dad loved hearing about my friends and wanted to know how they were. There was no conversation where my Dad would not ask, "How is Rich doing? How is work? How is his family?" or even when I was in college he always asked about roommates or teammates. He always wanted to know how Zukis was or Heath (Gates) was. He took an interest in them because when he wasn't with me in CT, he wanted to know who I was being able to turn to. My Dad was like that though, he cared about so many people above himself. He took an interest in their lives and also wanted to check up and make sure that they were doing well. When friends had troubles in their lives, or family situations, he would always want to check in to see if things were better. He might get confused with names here and there but he always knew who he wanted to talk about or ask about. Those small tokens about my family made him truly amazing. He was there for so many more then just my mom, sister, Molly, Kirby, and me.

Growing up with my father was a blessing. When we were younger, he worked 2nd shift so he was able to spend time with us in the day before we went to school. As we got older, he was working further away and also in the evenings or nights which was tough but he was always available on the weekends for the soccer tournaments or swim meets. Having two very active daughters did not make their lives easy by us always being away from home but he was by our sides giving us little pep talks before races or meets and being our biggest fans. My Dad played video games with us, and sometimes even beat us, and even though he might lose he would always be there to joke with or talk about the game. I loved being able to sit down and play Mario Golf with my Dad and just for hours sit there and share something with him that we both enjoyed and we had such happiness doing it. I never saw my Dad really upset, other then when his own father passed away. My father was always happy, he loved his family, he did love his job, and he loved everything he had. It was such a blessing to have in my life.

My Dad has taught me so many things. He taught me how important it is to care for my car especially. My Dad was a mechanic through and through. He did his job outside of work, and was Mr Fix It at our house. I don't think I remember my Dad ever calling "the man" to do something for us, he always wanted to do it himself. He took care of all the cars in our family so well that I mean we never really paid for oil changes or maintenance until I was away from home. He loved his Honda's and he has me hooked too. My Dad was a great cook, he loved manning the grill or making lunch that we would come back to after a long morning at a swim meet or morning at church. I did not start right away, but now I have that same appreciation for cooking. He taught us to be frugal and not settle for just buying something to have it but make sure it has worth and it was a deal. We did not get a lot of stuff in our house when we were younger until it was on sale, and I see now being an adult how important savings really is. He always taught me the appreciate for laughing and just being true to people and everything in your life. He never said a bad word about someone and really had no enemies. It is hard to imagine that in todays world, but he was someone everyone liked in any way they knew him or interacted with him.

Each day I think of you Dad. You are with me, I know that. You are watching me as I search for my new teaching job, you are there when I cook a new meal that you would enjoy, you will be there each week when I watch the Panthers hoping that they show them the chicken. It won't be the same having you to talk about when the Big Dance comes around but I know you will be picking your bracket up there in heaven and seeing if you can beat me this year. I will always think of you when I see Dirty Dude on TV for commercials or racing and always enjoy being able to go back to some of your favorite restaurants. Every time I go to Dairy Queen, I know you will want to get your twist cone or even a hot fudge sundae if it is a good day.

I hope that I can be half the person you are as I go on. I hope that my kids love me as much as I know Colleen and I have and always will love you. I know that on my first day as a teacher you will be there watching me. When I walk down the aisle you will be by my side even if it is only in spirit. I know I should not shed tears everyday for you but when you were such an amazing man, it is hard not to. Mom, Molly, Colleen, and I will always love you and miss you. I know you and Kirby are up there playing ball now like you used to. You are with your parents and Tracy and just getting to watch all of us live on in your legacy. You have made me SOOO much of who I am. You will be a part of me for the rest of my life. I love you so much Dad, and I hope I continue to make you proud. I hope that if I have battles in my life I hope to challenge them with such amazing strength as you did for the last two years. I will cherish all 26 years I shared with you. I wish I would have had 26 more but the memories I have I will never trade in.

Thank you Dad for everything you taught me. I know there was more you wish you could have taught me but I am always learning and I will continue to look for your guidance. I am glad that we got to share your last weekend here together and that you got to finally meet some very important people in my life.

I love you Dad........ always your sweetheart

You were always so proud of your girls

Always a family guy

And the Dog was now always front and center

You always were a joking goofy "zanny" Dad

 The best parents a girl could have ever asked for

You sure did love your snakes, not always sure why

I will always remember this weekend

Interviews

Interview season is upon us, and from the first couple I have been on, I have learned a decent amount.

1. You can not prepare for everything they ask you.
Depending on who is interviewing you and what their position is, each person in the committee could ask you so many different questions. My first interview was with just a science coordinator. I thought that would be the easiest one because we had so much common interest, well little did I know that has turned out to be my hardest interview. He was very specific in little details as aspects of science teaching that I was not prepared to answer. It was a very laid back interview but at the same time, I couldn't help but think that all my preparations for that interview did not really help me out too much.

2. Demo lessons help the interview flow.
I have now given a demo lesson at a school before having an interview and I think it was the best way for the process to work. They were able to see a little bit more about me, other then a cover letter and resume before asking me all of these questions. It felt more like a conversation than an interview. I enjoyed it  because I could use a tangible example that related to what they saw in my lesson that I think helped them understand more of what I was saying and how I would approach my own classroom.

3. It isn't as nerve wracking as I thought
Between student teaching, defending your master's thesis and other things, interviews are pretty small on the radar of things that I should get really worried about. Yes they make a big deal in the scheme of things but at the same time, you just have to be yourself. If you don't know how to be yourself after this many years of life then I don't think you should be trying to be a teacher.

4. 30 minutes goes by FAST
Interviews I always thought would drag but when you start talking about things you are passionate about or experiences you had, time can go really fast. Once about 3 or 4 questions are done, it seems like 30 minutes are getting close depending on how detailed your questions are. Seems crazy that talking in school seemed so long to speak for 30 minutes but now it can go by like that. Just make sure to use those 30 minutes to your advantage and get everything in you wanted to say.

In all, interviews now that I have some under my belt are not feeling that bad and I mean I can only do so much. I show them who I am and who I want to be as a teacher, the rest is up to them.

We will see how it all plays out :)

Trip Home

It always feels good to go home, no matter how short the trip is. My sister and I got home in early June for my mom's birthday. There has been many years since the both of us were home for her birthday and we made sure she had a good time.

First we got to go to a wedding for a family friend's son out on a lake in North Carolina. It was a great day for an outdoor wedding, even a little on the cool side for early June but in all it was very lovely. The brides dress had a shade of blue in it which was different but very elegant too. My mom enjoyed catching up with friends that have been with the family before my sister and I were even born. Even though it was more of an all the day hang out type of wedding, after lunch was served we decided that we would enjoy some more family time at home. Had to get back to Molly of course :)

Here are some photos from the wedding...

For my Mom's birthday we actually had her favorite... well a family favorite.. La Caretta. There isn't a trip to NC that doesn't include Mexican. But in any circumstance, it was tasty! 

The next day we took Molly to go hiking up at Hanging Rock State Park. It was a place my parents had been to but my mom said she had never taken us. It was a great day for a hike and the trail we took was not very crowded so Molly could roam freely. There was lovely scenic views and also some interesting terrain. In all, we had a great time, got a good workout, and got to then come home and enjoy a lovely home cooked family dinner. 

It was a short weekend but at the same time, my mom said it was one of the best birthdays she has ever had. I am glad we could make your day special Mom :)

Running No Matter How Warm

So even though training was not exactly what I had wanted for my most recent half marathon, I said I will still run it and see how I do.

Rich and I had decided we wanted to run it together, to give us both motivation to push through. The weather that Sunday morning in Rhode Island was pushing mid 80's so not the weather had practiced in.

By mile 4, after pushing 7:45 miles, things were getting difficult and we decided to split up to benefit us both for our runs.

The course was a good half marathon course, with not much repeating miles and a good amount of shade (great for this race) and flat areas. After the first 6 miles of splits ever mile, I went the next 6 without knowing where I was in the course.

As my cross country training kicked in, I just focused on reaching the next person in front of me, and passing them and just continuing to slowly pull people in.

When we got to the final push, a nice head wind met me and I actually said to the runner next to me, who had been running next to me the last 2.5 miles, that I was not a huge fan of this. As I approached the last straightaway, I was hoping to be under 1 hour 40 minutes, and right as I could see the clock it hit 1 hour 40 minutes.

Oh well, I still finished with a personal best and a time of 1:41:10, 30 seconds better then my last half. I was 4th in my division and 8th overall for women, so not a bad showing. Rich finished under 2 hours but not near his goal.... Hartford Half here we come.

Here are some good before and after race photos. Gotta love what the sun does to you on a long race!

 Before

 Before

 And after :)

We did it :)

Thanking Mom

This has been a crazy month but I wanted to try to get in as much as I can.

Mother's Day is the time when we all realize how truly special our relationships with our mothers are. Not only would I have probably gone back to school to be a teacher, but had enough faith in myself to reach for my goals. Each person has a different type of relationship with their mom, but that is what makes all of feel we have "the best mom ever."
My mother is far away from me in distance but very close in my heart. I think about her everyday and think about what she has taught me throughout my life. I wish I was distance wise closer to her, but her relationship has strengthened me to be able to be up in Connecticut further from my family knowing that they truly love me and care for me no matter what happens.
My mom has been with me my whole life, and I know she will continue to be. This year I was able to make her a special Mother's Day Brunch and just show her hopefully that she has impacted me in more ways then she will ever know.

I love you mom!

Graduation

In 2008, when I participated in graduation... I thought there was no way I would go back to school. I was ready for a new career, a new lifestyle, and I thought I had spent enough time in a classroom. Little did I know that in 3 years I would be back in the classroom and 4 years later I would be back in Gampel Pavilion receiving another degree.

Getting my Masters was different.. I had more on the line, I had gone back to school for myself and not just because everyone goes to college or higher education. I wanted to change my career, and pretty much my track for the rest of my life. It was special in terms of I really figured out what I wanted to do with my life and how I wanted to actually be in a classroom for the rest of my life :)

As I sat around some of my best friends that I have met, and looked up at my family there, I realized that education is something that everyone has to pursue themselves, and cannot always be pushed upon you. As I embark on a career as an educator myself, I have fully realized that one person can only push students so far, there has to be that drive in them to explore and learn on their own. And when that is found then there can be true knowledge learned.

It was hard to give up what I had to go back to school, but my advice to anyone thinking about it, if you are driven and you know it is what you want, do not let anything get in your way. Your time is short and you should take advantage of any opportunity you have.

Now to my classmates, the future of Educators and anyone else graduating this May... take this new step of your life in stride. Understand that things might not always go the way you planned, but we all will get to where we want to be as long as you stay focused and driven. Conrgats on your accomplishments, to me I hope to see my name outside a middle school classroom come August. We will see where the summer takes me :)

Wonderful Friends

Over the last 11 months I have learned a lot about myself, education, and the pursuit of a perfect lesson plan (still not sure they are out there). But one thing I have learned, is that friends really do make so many crazy times that much better.

This post is dedicated to my lovely TCPCG Group 1 loves out there, representing in 2012. The 16 of you have been everything I have needed to get me through this program. Supporting mothers, mentors, crucial criticizers, comedians, entertainment, and a friendly familiar face each and everyday. Everyday when I pulled into the parking lot and walked upstairs to the 4th floor of the library, I knew that no matter what I was feeling prior to that moment that things would get better. From the inside jokes, the silly nicknames, the funny drama that continues, and the lovely working lunches... we shared very special times. 

I have always had good friends, and I love each of them dearly,  but to share this type of experience with people who really got to know me and I trusted was even more special. I did not have to worry about making a fool of myself in front of you, or bombing a lesson. We grew together and that is what made our bond even more special. When you go through a program that is as rigorous and time consuming as this was, you have to have those friends and classmates that make it worth doing, that give you the extra push to put in that little bit more extra effort you did not think you had. 

As we finished up our last bits of this program today, I really got to see the growth of everyone and the real love we have for each other. Listening to each other as now professionals and educators, instead of just these new faces in an unfamiliar place. We congratulated each other on a great job, complimented designs, and aww'ed at amazing work. I knew we all had it in us, it just was getting polished for awhile.

Thank you TCPCG Group 1 for really showing me that everything is always better when you have a friend to go through it with. I would never take back any of our days over the last 11 months, and know we will have more to come. We will continue to hang out this summer, share stories of first days of school, and even collaborate in schools together (HOPEFULLY!!).

Congrats TCPCG Group 1, we did it! 16 of my best friends, the future educators of the world! Now let's celebrate! (Well until we celebrate each time one of us finds a job!!!!)