We Have a Sofa!
Posted on: September 14, 2016
Oh friends, what AMAZING progress we are making on the Tiny Tech Cafe!
If you’ve been following our GoFundMe campaign, you know that purchasing a sofa was a huge goal of mine for our little Cafe. Flexible seating is the crux of this project and a sofa would be a perfect addition to that vision. (It would also make a great natural border for the edge of the cafe!)
For months now I’ve been eyeing up this cute little sofa at Kroger. Yes, that’s right – Kroger! Did you know you can buy furniture there?
When I finally got enough donations in the campaign to purchase the sofa, I went back to Kroger only to discover the price had been raised substantially. Whaaaaaat?? My heart sank. Here I had precisely planned for each and every purchase using these funds and now I would have to cut something out of my budget to cover the new price of the sofa.
I. Was. Devastated.
The first person I found was Kenny Williams, who greeted me with a smile. “Let’s see what’s going on with that sofa.” He and another gentleman walked with me back to the sofa, scanned it, and sure enough – the price was increased. He looked at me a bit perplexed and suggested I come back the following Wednesday (after Labor Day) to see if the price would return to its original price.
I had someone take a photo of me and Kenny right there in the moment because he gave me hope!
That Wednesday (which was exactly one week ago today), I went back to Kroger and as luck would have it, Kenny was working that day. The sofa was still available, but the price hadn’t budged an inch. It was still listed much higher than it had been all summer.
There are times in our lives when we have to make tough decisions, and this was one of them. Kenny had heard all about my Tiny Tech Cafe fund and he knew how important this sofa was to Mechanicsville Elementary. He also had the power to hold firm to the current price or bless me with the purchase price I would have paid had I bought the sofa the previous week.
Kenny honored the lower price.
Integrity.
I was so excited I purchased the sofa RIGHT THEN (you should have seen me race to the self-checkout; it was QUITE a sight!) Then I realized I had created another dilemma for myself… how was I going to get the sofa from Kroger to Mechanicsville Elementary?
I left the sofa at the store, with my name and a large SOLD sign, then put out an open request on Facebook for help:
Have I mentioned lately how much I dislike asking people for help?
Let me tell you, this Tiny Tech Cafe is teaching me quite a lesson in teamwork, relationships, and community support. I am discovering that this project is SO. MUCH. BIGGER. THAN. ME!!
When you ask for help, people answer.
I had more than half a dozen people respond to my frantic plea. The first person to comment on my post was Stephen Bahen, a former MES parent (who also worked with me at Kings Dominion a million years ago, lol.) He met me the following afternoon, right after I finished leading a professional development session for my teachers, and off we drove to Kroger, ready to pick up the sofa once and for all!
JOY!!
We entered the store and I immediately took Stephen to the sofa on display. “C’mon, Stephen! You have GOT to sit on this sofa! It’s amazing!” Well, sit we did, side-by-side, in a grocery story full of shoppers. I turned to him and started laughing at how absurd we must look – two full-grown adults just hanging out on the store furniture!
It was in that EXACT moment, I saw a dear friend of mine approaching us with her seven-month daughter in tow.
I couldn’t make up this stuff if I tried! What were the chances?
Michelle Henry was all smiles as she saw me, surely knowing why I was there because I know she’s been following these blog posts. I invited her to sit with us and then had to take a selfie simply because the whole moment was PRICELESS!
We shared some hugs and a lot of laughter, then who should come down the aisle… but the man of the hour – Kenny Williams! He knew exactly who I was and went back to the storeroom to bring out our sofa, packed neatly in a massive cardboard box.
Ladies and gentlemen! The sofa is on its way!
As we drove from Kroger to Mechanicsville Elementary, Stephen stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts and blessed me with an iced coffee. A RAK and a sofa?? This day couldn’t get any better!
We arrived at school late in the afternoon and grabbed anyone we saw to help us move the box into the laptop lab. Kate Miller, one of our very first donors, jumped in with smiles. I was delighted to have students helping us, too, since this is for them as well!
I knew we would have to wait for the sofa to be put together (by my very handy husband), but for now it was cause for celebration!
Then… when I thought it couldn’t POSSIBLY get any better than this…
That night we received even more donations to our campaign! OH MY GOODNESS!!
My dear friend and oh-so-fun Zumba teacher, Vicki Williams, blessed us with a donation as did my next-door childhood friend, Rachael Rafferty. Neither gal is connected to Mechanicsville Elementary as a parent or student; they are simply friends of mine and members of the local community who want to be a part of something extraordinary! I am so humbled by their support.
Then…
I know – how could it POSSIBLY get ANY BETTER?!?!
Then… I received the largest donation of the entire campaign, from an anonymous donor, making this campaign fully funded!
HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! The joy!! The excitement! The realization that this is OUR project, OUR Tiny Tech Cafe, OUR gift back to our students and teachers! YOU ARE PART OF THE DREAM!
It was in this exact moment of exuberance that I KNEW this dream is so much bigger than me.
And then…
Yes… there’s more…
And then…
Just yesterday, one of my sweet ZTA sorority sisters whom I haven’t seen in more than two decades, almost matched that gigantic donation from the week before. Kim Carabetta literally brought me to tears with her contribution above and beyond all my wildest expectations!
You are not donating to a classroom. You are not donating to a piece of furniture. You are donating to a dream, a vision, a way to bring a little joy into other people’s lives. You are blessing us with flexible seating, yes, but you are creating a learning environment that lends itself to quality conversations, a welcoming smile, a listening ear.
You are helping us learn and grow in our knowledge of new things, whether it’s learning how to make a green screen video or stretching our minds by trying new strategies showcased in best-seller books like Teach Like a Pirate and Kids Deserve It.
Your donations are helping us in SO many ways.
And for this I say thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I am so blessed you are part of my tribe.
For more information on how you can support our ongoing needs, click here! We would love to add you to our list of supporters!
More updates to come… I can’t wait to show you what the sofa looks like SET UP IN THE CAFE!
Just to Make You Smile
Posted on: September 12, 2016
Sometimes we get so caught up in our own whirlwinds, we forget the whirlwinds of those around us. Thank goodness for Facebook and Twitter! With just a quick tap and a scroll, I can catch a glimpse of what’s happening with everyone else and realize that my issues are, in fact, just a drop in the bucket compared to someone else.
I really love using social media to stay connected with friends and family. In this fast-paced world in which we live, sometimes it’s the only lifeline I have to know when people are hurting or when there’s cause for celebration.
Today was a perfect example of the importance of being connected.
I saw this post on my Facebook feed from a gal I knew in high school (we sang together in show choir):
Oh my goodness! This is serious stuff! It’s incomprehensible to imagine someone my age, that I went to high school with, having to battle such life-changing situations.
However… There is joy in the journey! I love how my friend requested absurd balloons – how funny is THAT?! So awesome!
After work today, I stopped by the Dollar Tree and picked up a few goodies, each with a special meaning. My only purpose was to make my friends smile, so they know they mattered to me. 😊
Yep, that’s right – I bought a Princess balloon for a grown man in his 40’s who I know would rather be mud-bogging than trapped in a hospital bed with a gown that only ties in the back. Princess indeed!
I laughed all the way back to my car!
I got Mountain Dew to jump start that old heart of his with caffeine in case the surgery didn’t work. I added a box of Lifesavers as a last resort for survival. I bought a crazy-faced Pez because, well, you’re never too old to get Pez as a gift! I also bought a pack of Pez refills because NOBODY gets excited by the lemon Pez candies that come with the package. C’mon now Pez makers… Would it be too much to ask for some grape and strawberry?
Then I added two 100 Grand chocolate bars, because both my friend and her husband are worth 100 Grand to me. ❤️
The gift was received with laughter, which made me smile, too. Take time today to reach out to those around you! A quick note, a small surprise, just letting people know you care.
Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be surprised by a Princess balloon, too. ❤️
A Little Surprise
Posted on: September 11, 2016
The day after Jason delivered the bookshelf to the Tiny Tech Cafe, I arrived to see a large gift bag waiting for me. How exciting! I racked my brain trying to figure out why someone would leave me a gift (my birthday isn’t for another three weeks!)
On top of the tissue paper was a card from a fourth-grade teacher down the hall, Krista Miller. As I dug a little deeper under the tissue, I discovered a gift that made me squeal with joy – literally!
Inside the bag was a handmade throw pillow, customized with green sparkle “Joy” across the front. What a delight! (As many of you know, #joy is my #OneWord for 2016!)
I rushed down the hall to thank Krista and discovered that she had ordered it from two of our MES parents, JaNette Herndon and Jenni Mouer. This just made the pillow even MORE special! I am so appreciative of their talent and kindness!
Now I REALLY can’t wait to get the sofa put up in the lab to showcase this beautiful pillow!
Later in the week, I received an additional random act of kindness from our GT teacher, Katie Brockel. She donated a bag of sparkle ribbon and border and blessed me with more fabric and window valences for the Tiny Tech Cafe! How sweet!
I still have more posts to share about this exciting week, so check back soon! The Tiny Tech Cafe is starting to really look like a cafe!
If you would like to join in as a Tiny Tech Cafe Supporter, please click here for more information! We would love to have your support!
Cardinal Love
Posted on: September 9, 2016
This was our first official week of school and our first day on campus was filled with Cardinal love! It was such a joy to stand on the sidewalk, meeting and greeting new and returning students as they piled off the school buses, with bright smiles and eager faces.
The school mascot of Mechanicsville Elementary is a cardinal, and one of our parents, Jason Whitlock, transformed himself as the grand cardinal himself, on the sidewalk to welcome everyone back on the first day. What fun!
After the kids made their way to their classrooms, I had to sneak in and get a photo with our cardinal… because he made an amazing contribution to our Tiny Tech Cafe!
Last week, Jason’s wife, Grace, stopped me at Open House and said she wanted to bless our campaign by purchasing the bookshelf I wanted. What joy! Then, over the holiday weekend, she send me a photo as she was buying it with a note that Jason would put it together and deliver it on the first day of school. Oh my goodness – how amazing is THAT?!
The week before I had discovered a little book consignment store beside Big Lots. It caught my eye with the over-sized crate on the sidewalk and a sign saying “Free Books.” What a lovely random act of kindness! I went inside and perused a bit and found a few books I could add to the Tiny Tech Cafe. Now that we were getting a bookshelf, I could really start creating a lending library of educational books for teachers!
Sure enough, Tuesday rolled around and there was Jason, a grown man in a cardinal suit carrying a bookshelf taller than me. He brought it to the Tiny Tech Cafe and helped move it in place. I couldn’t wait to fill it up!
This REALLY got me excited because it was starting to look more and more like a cozy cafe!
As several of you know, Tuesday would have been my mother-in-law’s 69th birthday (she passed away in March of this year.) I created a little memorial area in her memory, dedicating our Tiny Tech Cafe to her. She was an MES parent almost four decades ago and in my early years as a classroom teacher she lovingly sewed fabric to make curtains, tablecloths and room dividers for my classroom. I know if she were still here with us, she would be jumping in to make our Tiny Tech Cafe a place of warmth and love.
The ceramic cardinal on top of the computer was painted by my husband’s grandmother, Vera Rapp, who at 93 years old still amazes us with her talent! Even though she lives in New York, I love that she can share in the joy of our Tiny Tech Cafe, too!
There’s a saying that when you see a cardinal, it’s a reminder of a loved one who passed away. We have lots of cardinal reminders at Mechanicsville Elementary (and in the state of Virginia, as the cardinal is our state bird.) It’s nice to know we have a cardinal watching over us in the Tiny Tech Cafe as well.
Thanks, Jason and Grace, for making my first day back with students an exceptional day!
More joy to come! Check back soon!
Making Progress
Posted on: September 4, 2016
What an amazing week for kindness!
I received another donation to the Tiny Tech Cafe (Thanks, Heather Nunnally!) and set my sights on purchasing the “big ticket” items. Realistically, I almost have enough money to purchase the sofa and table/bar stools (which comes to $320 before taxes) and that is EXCITING! It’s really coming together! We are SO close! 🙂
Of course, my dream includes other items as well… to get enough funding to purchase a bookshelf with current education books available for checkout (any authors willing to offer one of their books?) I’m also hoping to purchase the DoInk green screen app for our 30 iPads so students can learn how to make their own green screen videos independently. (This has to be purchased directly from the Apple Volume Purchasing Plan which is why I asked for funding dollars instead of iTunes gift cards with this project.)
I have BIG DREAMS for the Tiny Tech Cafe, but for now, we will celebrate the small steps forward!
As I was helping out with Open House Thursday night, a friend of mine (who is also a PTA board member) offered to purchase the bookshelf! WHAT?!?! Yes!
Grace Whitlock, who used to teach with me at Rural Point Elementary, said she was hoping to surprise me with the gift, but then worried she wouldn’t get the right one. I gave her a tour of the cafe (what’s been set up so far) and showed her exactly where the bookshelf would go. This weekend she sent me a photo of the bookshelf and let me know that her husband, Jason, was building it for me.
What. A. Blessing!!!
The week was extremely busy as I spent most of my time helping teachers getting things set up in their classrooms or ready to use for Open House. Despite being out of the computer lab most days, I was able to set up the green screen with the Command Hooks (thanks Susan Miller!), hang the Tiny Tech Cafe canvas logo on the front door, and decorate the display board outside the lab.
(For more information on the SAMR model of instruction, click here! I’m not sure who created the Starbucks example of my poster, but the coffee correlations are attributed to Jonathan Brubaker (@mia_sarx).
I also set out my Pay-It-Forward candy dish that was lovingly made by Sarah Armentrout in celebration of my 100th Random Act of Kindness blog post several years ago.
Next week we have team meetings, so I will have limited time in the Tiny Tech Cafe, but I hope to have all “big ticket” items in place by the end of the week! The first day of school, September 6, would have been my mother-in-law’s 69th birthday (she passed away in March), so I will have a little dedication section set up in her memory.
I would love if you would consider donating to this project, or perhaps share this update with your friends. It’s so exciting to see everything starting to come together!
More to come! Thanks to all who have donated thus far! I could have never achieved this dream without your help!
When You Wish
Posted on: August 30, 2016
“What are you wishing for?”
A teacher asked me this question today and it really made me think. What AM I wishing for? What are my hopes and dreams for this Tiny Tech Cafe? Why am I putting so much effort into this space that, unlike a traditional classroom, will be shared with an entire school?
I’m wishing for joy. 🙂
See, I adore my job as a technology integrator. I love working with the teachers; I love working with the students. I love the curiosity of learning something new and I even love the struggle of trying to master something just out of reach (although, to be honest, that’s a bit more of a love-hate relationship there, lol.)
I want to learn beside people. Every single person in my school has something they can teach me, from the thirty-year veteran with two degrees to the wide-eyed kindergartener still learning his ABCs. I wish for a space that encourages learning, but in a conversational way. I desire to end the school year more connected, more vested, more committed to my school and community than I am right now.
And all these things bring me joy.
Even though I made a wish list of things I hope to purchase through this GoFundMe campaign, I took it a step further by taking photos of the items I hope to purchase. These are just a few of the things I need to make my wishes come true!
A sofa for teachers and students to use for conferences or independent work – $160 at Kroger
A table and two bar stools (only one pictured here) as a workspace for teachers or students – $160 at Big Lots
A tall bookshelf for storing resources and books that teachers can borrow – $40 at Big Lots (Yes, I know it’s particle board, but it was lots cheaper than the solid wood bookshelves!)
A little rug to put in front of the sofa to make the environment cozy for teachers and students – $15 at Big Lots
These four items are my “must haves” and together cost $375 before tax, but there’s no shipping charges (although I do need to find someone who has a truck that might want to help me transport the big items if they won’t fit in my car – any volunteers?)
Right now we have $285, so we are still in need of donations just to get the basics in the Tiny Tech Cafe.
Today one wish was fulfilled by one of our amazing MES parents – Susan Miller stopped by and dropped off Command hooks which I will use to hang the green screen as well as other frames and canvases on the walls. I am so appreciative of our parent support!
Thanks for your donation!
A special thanks also to Amy Gregory who donated to the Tiny Tech Cafe last night! She chose the “Expresso” level of sponsorship and earned a magnet in addition to having her name on our donation poster.
Won’t you consider donating too?
Every little bit helps! Whether you click here to make a donation, or share this post to spread the word, you are making a difference for the students and teachers at Mechanicsville Elementary School.
As always, I appreciate your kindness and generosity. It’s exciting to share my vision with you and include you in my joy!
Coffee, Anyone?
Posted on: August 29, 2016
During summer break, teachers have to pack up most of their classrooms and either find creative ways to store everything along the walls and on cabinets, or they have to take items home. This means the first day back is a time of hustle-and-bustle, with everyone moving things back in, unpacking, rearranging furniture, setting up.
Several teachers stopped by the lab today as I was bringing in my curtains and coffee maker, asking questions about the Tiny Tech Cafe. It was fun to share my vision with others, especially those who aren’t on Facebook and had no idea what I was trying to do!
Our principal’s presentation this morning focused on three themes for the year: Relationships, Equity, and Relevance. It made my heart so happy to know that my mission for the Tiny Tech Cafe aligned with her mission of strengthening relationships! How cool is that?
Then it was time to get nitty-gritty in the lab. Since this isn’t a traditional classroom, it’s often used as a storage space for items that won’t fit in other places. I opened my door to see dozens of computers stacked on a long table; my teacher’s desk buried under bags and boxes.
It was a little overwhelming to say the least! Thankfully, our sysop had spent time in the room before me and had the student laptops arranged on the other tables (Thanks, Brenda!)
As I started to move things around, a few more teachers stopped by to chat. Two teachers, Carrie Sutton and Jennifer Madison, both offered me easels, which was listed on my GoFundMe wish list! So awesome!
One of the first things I desperately wanted to set up was the coffee/tea station. About a month ago, I had purchased a little table stand at a yard sale and repainted it in a light mocha color with coffee swirls for added decoration. The coffee swirls matched the ones I painted on my canvas, too!
Transforming the stand from canary yellow to mocha cream.
Mixing paint colors to make coffee swirls.
The stand is ready to move!
A closer look at the detailed coffee swirls.
I couldn’t wait to set up my coffee/tea stand, but I had some major hurdles ahead of me. See, the coffee maker, which would go on this stand, had to plug into the side wall. The wall behind the table with all the computers, which was buried four rows deep.
It took nearly 4 hours to clear everything out of the way (which included me giving away that long table and my oversized teacher’s desk), but the result was totally worth it! Look how cute the space is now!
And here is my favorite coffee/tea stand, ready for service:
I AM SO EXCITED!! Who will be the first guest in the Tiny Tech Cafe?
My joy today was compounded when I checked my phone and discovered that three more donations were made to my GoFundMe account since my previous post last night. WOW! A special thank you to Lisa Lockhart, Colleen Herrera, and an anonymous donor! Your generosity has pushed this campaign to $260 which is enough to have GoFundMe add another $50 to the fund!
Oh my goodness, such JOY!!
My next steps in making the Tiny Tech Cafe a reality include purchasing a sofa and bookshelf as well as putting up my curtains and decorating the walls. If enough money is raised through this campaign, I can add more joy with a rug, a floor lamp and some current books by my favorite educational authors, which will available for teachers to borrow.
Thank you, faithful readers, for joining in to support the Tiny Tech Cafe! If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, please click here or share this post and tag a friend! I appreciate each and every one of you!
More tomorrow!
Tiny Tech Cafe
Posted on: August 28, 2016
Wow – where did summer go? With a blink of an eye, my summer fun with family is shifting into another season of school. Although I took a hiatus from blogging (lots of traveling with no laptop), my days were overflowing with kindness – given and received.
Now I’m embarking on another type of kindness and I’ll admit, it’s making me feel REALLY uncomfortable. As many of you know, I’m a technology integrator which means I help students, teachers, and administrators incorporate technology in their own learning processes. It’s an exciting job because technology is always changing, but it’s also a challenging job because… well, technology is always changing!
In my school’s computer lab, I have a desk in the back corner and for years (eight years, in fact!) I’ve always told people, “No, this isn’t my room – I just have this corner I work in.” But my corner isn’t really ideal for working with teachers OR students. If someone wants to collaborate with me, they are stuck pulling up a chair on the edge of my desk or, even worse, we have to scrunch up in between students who are seated at the tables with laptops.
My vision is to create a space that is open and inviting, comfortable seating and welcoming to everyone, kind’ve like the feeling you get when you walk into a Starbucks. I even have a name for this new area – Tiny Tech Cafe. I created a logo this summer, designing it digitally then painting it on canvas.
I didn’t want to get sued by Starbucks, so I made everything my own except for the green circles.
Which brings me to the uncomfortable part.
I have the space, I just don’t have the stuff.
The things I would love to have in my computer lab are actually pretty mundane. A tall bookshelf with some current educational books available for teachers to borrow. A few round tables and chairs. A sofa to sit on and collaborate.
Then my brain gets excited about the possibilities. I could have an area where I offer teachers coffee or tea! I could have another area where I can put up a green screen for students to create virtual reality photos and videos! I could have an area rug and a floor lamp, too!
Calm. Your. Self. Down.
All good things come with a cost and this is no exception. I spent most of my summer scrounging yard sales and online forums for low-cost items and I found some, but not enough to make my dream a reality. I saw an online post about GoFundMe and how they would donate $50 for every teacher’s campaign that reached $250 in donations before the middle of September.
So… I did something I’ve never done before.
I asked people to help furnish our computer lab.
You know that old adage, “It’s better to give than receive?” I will say that it’s 100 times EASIER to give than receive. Oh, how I hate asking people for help (even when there’s no money attached to it!)
But you know what? When you ask for help, people step up to do just that. They help.
So far I’ve had 7 people donate money to my Tiny Tech Cafe campaign. I even had one of my school’s parents offer to buy some Command hooks for me so I could hang all the pictures and canvases I purchased over the summer. Oh, I am so blessed!
I still have quite a ways to go to earn enough money to get the things I need, but I wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU to those who have made a donation. You have truly warmed my heart and your kindness and generosity will be felt by all students and staff at Mechanicsville Elementary!
I would love for you to join in on the fun, too, and be a contributor to our Tiny Tech Cafe! Would you consider donating to our campaign or sharing this post? When they say “It takes a village”, it’s so true! In the coming days I will post updates (with pictures!) so you can see how I transform my boring little corner into something spectacular!
I hope you find simple and small ways to bless others with kindness. For me, I am blessed to have you as a faithful reader as we kick off a brand-new school year!
Trial Run
Posted on: July 22, 2016
“Let’s make this!”
I looked up from the sink filled with dirty dishes, soap suds swishing warm water across my fingers, to see my six-year-old pointing at the laptop screen.
“Be there in a sec,” I replied, pulling my dripping hands from the water, drying them on a faded kitchen towel.
“Mommy, it’s perfect! We can have an Angry Birds birthday party! Here’s the cake I wanna make!” I peered over his shoulder to see a basic sheet cake covered in green frosting with miniature Angry Birds figures scattered around a fallen wooden structure. The words “Happy Birthday” were piped in colored frosting to the left.
He was so excited, his small body fell into the computer desk as he leaned closer to the image shown. “I’m ok,” he quickly alerted, “Let’s make this today!”
It’s July.
His birthday isn’t until September.
I don’t make cakes.
No, seriously. I don’t make cakes.
My children know I adore themed celebrations. There’s something about the planning of decorations and activities that reminds me of the perfect childhood I never had. And while I don’t bake cakes, I feel compelled to create these timeless memories for my family.
“Mommy! Listen to me! We gonna make this today!” He jumped down from the computer chair and stood in front of me, hands on his hips, his sweet smile replaced with a showdown glare. “TO-DAY!”
I could hear the strains of “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” playing in my mind with Clint Eastwood’s swagger reflected in my son’s stance. He was determined to be the last man standing. There was no way I was coming out of this showdown unscathed.
I knew this was a losing battle. He may only be six, but he’s sixteen with persistence.
It’s July.
His birthday isn’t until September.
Why can’t we bake a cake just for fun?
My dirty dishes would have to wait. It was time to make memories. “It’s a trial run,” he shrieked with glee, “Let’s do this!”
Sometimes as parents we need to surprise our children with random acts of kindness. I don’t bake cakes. In fact, in the 17 years I’ve been a mom, I have never once made a birthday cake for any of my three children. I always buy their premade cakes from grocery stores or have them custom-created by friends, with no guilt whatsoever.
But today was different. Today I became a cake baker for my son.
We went to the grocery store and purchased cake mix, frosting, food coloring, and eggs. Returning home, I searched for a hand mixer as he gathered items from his Angry Birds game to decorate the top.
He cracked the eggs. He mixed the batter. He even helped me change the frosting from white to green.
After the cake was baked and cooled, with icing spread from left to right, he meticulously placed the Angry Birds items on top using the picture he found on the internet as his guide.
“Mommy, can you write the words, but let me write my name?”
And with that, his trial run birthday cake was complete!
That’s when it hit me.
This wasn’t about the birthday cake.
It was about the process.
It was about quality time.
It was about taking the time to make memories and validating my son’s purpose in the moment.
And that, my friends, is priceless.
Be blessed with kindness as you look for ways to shine your light in small and simple ways. For Gae Polisner, Cindy Ashburn, and Andrea Kish, I wish you the happiest of birthdays today!
Perfect Play
Posted on: July 16, 2016
Last night as the summer sun swept across the horizon fading from the day, my son begged to go to the playground. “Let’s go, Mommy!” The smile stretched across his six-year-old face as I listed all the local playgrounds we could visit. “Pick whichever one you want and we will go!”
He pondered his options, then chose the last one on the list. It was the farthest from our home, but “has the most awesomest rock wall.” Who could resist that?
When we arrived, the playground was busy, but not mobbed. There were a few parents idling around, several teenagers walking the path, and a handful of children running and playing.
Not a single person here shared our skin color.
He ran towards the rock wall before I could even close my car door. “Take a picture of me, Mommy!” His small feet scampered up to the top and there he stood, so proud of his accomplishment.
Another boy joined him at the crest and they spent the next hour playing together. There were no formal introductions, no hesitation, just two boys happy to play with each other.
They ran through the jungle gym and slid down the slide, waiting for each other at the bottom to do it all again. Their make-believe banter echoed across the metal monkey bars as they celebrated their mission of evading dangerous crocodiles below. “Follow me!” they chanted as they zig-zagged through the park, their small bodies darting from one end to the other.
I helped the boys into the swings, their small legs too short to touch the ground, then gave them both five pushes (“and one for good luck!”) Then I sat on a bench to watch the boys swing higher and higher in the sky.
As I scanned the playground area, I saw trash scattered across the grass. Keeping an eye on the boys, I walked over and picked up the discarded plates, napkins, and plastic drink pouches, placing them inside the dumpster where they belonged. (Yes, I was struck by the irony of the trash so close to the dumpster with the “Please Don’t Litter” sign attached. My best guess is the trash was in the large box on the dumpster and had blown out from the wind.)
As night began to fall, we wrapped up our playtime with one last spin on the tire swing. “Mommy! I made a best friend today!” my little guy exclaimed as his giggles rang across the meadow.
Yes, you did, sweet boy.
Yes, you did.
This is how the world should be.
celebrate kindness 