The Luckiest No Matter What!

2021 is almost over. I will remember this year as the one where my kids were in virtual school about as much as they were in person. I went back into the classroom in 2021. It was the year I pulled myself out of the breakdown I had towards the end of 2020. 2021 was when I did a ton of work on myself, said goodbye to my parent's cottage in Canada and our beloved Primrose the Cat. I saw Saint Augustine, Florida more than I ever had and explored the wilderness of Virginia. I visited our nation's capital. Josh, my three biggest boys, and I got vaccinated and witnessed so much change with the pandemic and also so much stay the same. Finally, I watched #hundtboysx4 learn, grow, and change a lot in 2021.  2021 was also the year I picked the best #oneword I ever could: small . I could feel that it was a winner way back in January, but I didn't know how much that word was exactly what I needed to focus on. Here are some of the awesome things that small little word has done for me t...

I'm sitting at the desk in my classroom... it's 4:43pm. My students have left and I am alone here, preparing for tomorrow, reflecting on today. Teachers are always looking forward and looking back. It's the little dance we do on a daily basis- did they get what I was trying to teach today? Do I need to give more time tomorrow? How does my storyline of yesterday help me know how to move forward today? There is always so much on the mind of a teacher as they take care of minds and hearts simultaneously all day long. But, as I sit here in my thoughts, I cannot shake the school shooting at Oxford that happened yesterday. 'Teaching the Days After' Teaching on the days after is a term so many educators use when you have to scrap what you planned because another big event has happened that you need to make space for in your classroom community. There have been way too many 'Teaching the Days After' kind of days in the last several years. Students need to process th...

The school year has begun. This particular year has, yet again, brought quite a few changes into our house. Last year, we were heading into our basement school to start online learning. Carter was starting kindergarten. This year, I have three boys in school full time. After not having that for over a year, it's been a B.I.G. adjustment. Preston is starting daycare. We've never done that before. I'm back to work- still teaching part time, but going in five days a week instead of two. How's it all been going, you ask? Everything has been A LOT. A lot of feelings, worries, nervousness, and work. Daycare and Back to School for P Preston's transition to daycare has been very difficult. He's refusing to eat there, isn't sleeping much, and has had epic cry sessions and breakdowns at drop off. I have walked away from him grabbing for me and crying. It doesn't help that the daycare is next to my school. I have exactly one minute to pull myself together before ne...

Have you ever booked at last-minuteish adventure?! Because Josh and I are both planners, we rarely do this. Way back in the winter, we began to think about our summer. Usually, we spend a lot of it at my parent's cottage in Canada on Lake Huron; it's my most favorite place in the entire world. However, with Covid, the border has been closed and has remained closed. It was important to us to have a trip planned somewhere in the summer just in case we were not able to go to Canada this summer. It was clear based on how little inventory there was that a lot of people were adventuring this summer, which makes complete sense. After a lot of research (of course), we had landed on a stay in Northern North Carolina by the ocean in August and were so excited about it! After making the decision to go back to classroom, I realized this trip was going to back up to when my school was starting and that made me a bit queasy. Could I really enjoy this trip to North Carolina with a new school ...

About a week ago, we lost our sweet kitty, Primrose. We had her almost ten years. During that time, she did a lot of things a typical cat would do. She chased lasers, made special noises when she saw other animals, slept in sunspots, shed all over furniture and people's clothing, meowed when any meat was in the kitchen, and tried to escape a few times. Prim also used to sleep in our bed between Josh and I under the covers and spent endless hours cuddling and snuggling.  As she got older, she also acted as a typical old lady cat might. She would pee on our beds if we ever left the door open, began to be picky about the food she ate, and had a few places that were her favorite to lay down and snooze. There was so much about her that was typical of a nice, friendly, family cat. But there is so much more to her story that makes her special. That nicknamed her Primrose: the healer.  How We Got Prim Family Photo: December 2011 The story of how I got the honor to take care of this wo...

Dear Nolan, HAPPY EIGHTH BIRTHDAY!!!! I hope eight is so great. Meanwhile I’m sitting here trying to figure out how in the world anyone that I’ve birthed is eight years old. That’s a really old kid! When I wrote your seven-year-old letter last year, I had so many thoughts about the Coronavirus Pandemic and how crazy everything was then. How resilient you’ve had to be, how many things change all the time, how much you’ve had to roll with the punches. Here I am, thinking about your last year having many of the same feelings… SHEESH.  In the last year, you’ve had no school at all, online school last spring, a very different online school this fall and winter, one in person schedule, and now a second this spring so far. Adaptability is hard for me. Adaptability is hard for you. Sometimes I seriously think someone took out my brain, cloned it, and put it into you. You don’t like not knowing things, you don’t like not understanding things. There is a lot not to know right now, a lot not ...

Dear Judah, HAPPY EIGHTH BIRTHDAY! At Nolan’s soccer game today, I saw a family with twin boys that are two. It brought everything back to me, picturing you and Nolan that little, having you start to have big feelings and want to communicate, and being so mobile. You and Nolan always darted in opposite directions and I would have to try and chase both of you. Now you’re eight, which feels so old. Wow.  2nd grade, despite its difficulties with the pandemic, has been a big year for you. Your confidence in reading is continuing to go up and up and up. You are sharing your voice and your opinions in school becoming quite the participator. I love that. You have more strategies and tools and problem-solving ideas than I think anyone I’ve ever met. It’s so cool to watch you or listen to you as you work. We are still working on having some sense of urgency sometime during school work and keeping your focus on your task at hand. You will always do everything in your own time, my sweet boy, ...

Dear Carter, HAPPY SIXTH BIRTHDAY, BING! You’ve been very excited to turn six and are always looking to the next things you can do when you get bigger. Meanwhile, I am trying to just slow down time because every time I look at you I see a very, very rolly and smiley baby.  You are almost done with the strangest kindergarten year ever. In a way, this pandemic has actually given you such a gift for kindergarten. Whether online or in person, you’ve never had to go to a full day of school. I think that’s pretty great for a 5 year old! It’s given us more time to be together. This has all been challenging, also, because you’ve not had a typical school experience yet. There is a lot for you to learn at how to “do” school: raising your hand, taking your time on work, only talking at appropriate times, etc. So far, though, you’ve been a friend to all, a hard worker, and someone everyone can count on to move discussions forward.  This year, I’ve watched you become a reader… and I seriou...

Dear Preston, HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY!!! My last baby is three! The other day, at Great Grandma Hundt’s funeral, I saw a few of Daddy’s cousins with baby bellies and it was so strange to me that I’m done with having a brand new baby in the house. You are it. What a beautiful ending to the baby stage, though, as you have been a radiant light; bringing more joy wherever it is that you are. This last year you learned to truly speak, jump incredibly well on the trampoline, go down slides, swing, dig in the sand, have books that you can read by heart, sing all kinds of songs, say prayers, and confirm for Daddy and I that we created no shy or quiet children. Hearing you find your voice and seeing you learn of things you love has been an awesome part of your two-year-old life!  You are certainly finding your own way and doing things your own way too. S ometimes you’ll eat anything like sushi or soup or all kinds of salads. Other times you don’t feel like eating a banana anymore after you wer...