Category: Blog challenge

Posted in Blog challenge, Everyday Life

Year in Review 2023

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy 2024!

I’m kicking off the new year by recapping 2023.

If you want the quick recap, here you go:

January, February, March, April, and May 2023:

Summer 2023: June, July and August:

September and October 2023:

November and December 2023:

Like any year, we had our ups and downs, but overall it was a really good one. Here’s the more in-depth recap:

January:

Hadley and friends went to their first school-wide middle school dance.

Hayden played basketball for school.

I turned 43!

February:

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl!

The kids went to the Valentine’s Day dance at school.

I sent Valentine’s Day cards to family per tradition.

Hadley had her first dance competition of the season.

March:

We started off March by losing power for 5 days.

The kids ran in an indoor track meet.

April:

We spent a few days in Greenville, SC for spring break.

We celebrated Easter.

Hayden got his braces off after almost three years.

Track season started.

Hayden met one of his goals by running under five minute (4:59) mile and qualified for state in a few events. Hadley did too in the 400 m.

Travis and I spent an afternoon at Keeneland.

May:

Travis and I kicked off May by going to Oaks.

…and watching Derby at home.

Dance competitions continued…

…including ones on Mother’s Day. I still felt celebrated and loved 🙂

The kids wrapped up 7th grade.

The kids ran in the state track meet in Louisville to wrap up the month.

June:

Hadley had her dance recital at the beginning of June, and decided to hang up her dance shoes to focus on volleyball.

Travis and I made a trip to Julep Farm for a few days.

We also celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary.

July:

Hadley went to camp.

We celebrated the 4th of July, and Hayden ran his first ever 10k.

Hadyen went to running camp, and he loved every minute.

Hadley and I spent a week in Florida, and she brought one of her friends along for the vacay.

We went to KC for a bit to see family. The kids hung out there while Travis and I went to California for a few days.

August:

Del Mar, California…one of my favorite places.

The kids hung out with some UK athletes when we got home.

Volleyball Photo Day. Tommy Quarles | UK Athletics

We celebrated a friend’s birthday in Nashville.

…and one of Hadley’s friend’s at her bat mitzvah.

We headed back to school in August…8th grade for the kids and year 22 for me.

Cross country ramped up with Hayden starting his 8th grade season, and Travis as the coach again.

September:

Hadley got back into volleyball in September.

The kids, more than the adults, attended the UK football games with friends.

Hayden won the district championship cross country meet.

October:

For fall break, we spent a week in Florida with friends.

Per tradition, we hit up the pumpkin patch.

Hayden ran in the state meet with a top 10 finish.

Hadley and friends went to the first cotillion dance of the season.

October means Keeneland with friends!

The kids were still old enough to have fun on Halloween.

November:

Club season started for running, and Hayden (and team) was off to a great start.

Hayden ran another sub five minute mile, and enjoyed being coached by his dad and his cousin.

School volleyball started for Hadley, and she loved it.

The kids turned 14!!

They had fun with their friends celebrating their birthday.

We headed to KC for Thanksgiving.

We celebrated Hadley at 8th grade night, and volleyball season wrapped up in early December.

December:

Club season continued, and Travis and Hayden traveled to Tallahassee, Florida. Hayden ran in a downpour, but achieved his first All-American status.

Hayden had one more race mid-December to cap off club cross country season.

The kids went to the second cotillion dance: Glitter and Gold Gala

Hadley started off break having so much fun with her friends eating pizza, ice skating, and having a Secret Santa exchange.

We continued Christmas traditions like baking cookies,

…sending Christmas cards,

…seeing the lights at the horse park, and…

…adding a new tradition into the mix: Operation Secret Santa.

Christmas Eve Eve we went to Louisville for Christmas with Trav’s family.

We celebrated Christmas Eve with dinner at home followed by church, and then hung out with friends for a bit.

Christmas day we were at home, and I got the sweetest gifts.

The week between Christmas and the new year was much like it is for everyone…a blur of days with a mix of lazy and productivity. Unfortunately, I was sick for a few days with a sinus infection, but at least I had the downtime.

We celebrated New Year’s Eve with friends last night.

My “focus” words for the year are: faith, forgiveness, and growth.

We have a couple more days of break which we greatly appreciate. And… we’ve started 2024 off with a bedroom refresh for Hadley, so that’s been a fun focus this past week.

I hope you have had a great holiday season.

Last year, I participated in WordPress’ Bloganuary which means I hope to post all 31 days in January. There have been days this past year where it’s been harder to find time to write, but I do feel like January tends to be a slower month, so I’m up to the challenge!

Happy 2024…may it be the best year yet!

Posted in Blog challenge, Friday Favorites

2023 Blogging Recap and Fave Posts

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Wow, this week seemed to fly by. After Christmas on Monday, I spent a couple of days sick with a sinus infection. I’m feeling better now and was a bit more productive yesterday.

Of course, I have to wrap up the year with one more Friday Favorites link up with Andrea (and Erika), but today I’m sharing some of my favorite posts that I wrote this year.

A few stats from the year:

  • Posts: 240
  • Total words: 165,006
  • Average words per post: 690
  • Best day: Friday; Best hour: 8 am
  • Most popular day: March 14 with 928 views

I started this blog as a hobby in August of 2019. I’m always blown away that people read my posts.

Some all time stats include:

  • Views: 332.5k
  • Visitors: 90.9k
  • Post published: 945
  • Countries: Readers in 93 countries have read at least one of my posts. That will never not blow my mind.

While some big time bloggers have my annual views in a day, it’s just been fun to see this blog grow year to year.

I love when readers take the time to “like” or comment on a post. I really appreciate and enjoy interacting with my SM&ST readers.

Favorite posts from 2023:

Last year, I shared my 10 favorites posts. This year, I kept a running list throughout the year of posts I really enjoyed writing and sharing.

I ended up with a list of 20, and here they are in the order that I wrote them.

1.

I loved starting the year participating in WordPress’ Bloganuary (and I think I might do this again this year!)

Two January Bloganuary topics were ones I enjoyed writing.

Books that Changed My Life

2.

Bloganuary: Birthday Cakes…all the cakes I made the kids when they were little and our favorite birthday cakes now.

3.

Tuesday Talk: Slang…keeping up with the cool kids!

4.

Thursday Thoughts: Kids…and the stages of parenting kids when they were little and now as teens.

5.

Let’s Look: Fave Amazon Finds (close to 1,000 views)

6.

Puppy Love - A post all about the dogs I’ve loved in my life.

7.

Greenville, SC trip recap. We loved visiting this town for spring break.

8.

Workout Diaries all about my workouts in April.

9.

All about Oaks and Derby…a favorite tradition in May!

10.

Camp packing list . Since Hadley has gone to camp quite a few summers, this was a fun post of ideas of how she preps for camp.

11.

Not Just a Mom: How We Became Moms Not only did I love writing this post, I enjoyed reading all the other bloggers’ posts who linked up with us.

12.

A travel recap with the 50 states list. This was a blog post that I thought would be a quick one to write. Boy was I wrong! I really enjoyed this trip down memory lane through and all the states I’ve visited through the years.

13.

Hadley’s Hair Tutorial – heatless curls. Hadley showed us step by step how she uses the heatless curlers for her hair.

14.

Friday Favorites/Summer Recap in August. I love a good recap. We had a busy but different summer in 2023.

15.

TV Tuesday: Childhood TV Shows. This was a blast from the past. Also, recently, I’ve found Who’s the Boss? on Hulu, and I’ve loved watching those episodes.

16.

After a week at the beach, I shared a Fall Break Recap. We had fun in the sun with our friends.

17.

Tuesday Talk – All about the Holidays . I loved writing this post and thinking about how we celebrate holidays through the year.

18.

Right before Thanksgiving, I wrote a Thanksgiving Fun post about activities, recipe, tablescapes and more.

19.

I shared all about the Shutterfly ornaments that I ordered with the kids’ Christmas and Santa pics through the years. It was a fun trip down memory lane.

20.

I also had fun with the ABC’s series – summer, fall, winter.

Bonus:

I loved our trip to Julep Farm, and that trip recap is filled with so many pretty pictures and details about that beautiful property and surrounding areas.

Weekly Recap:

A week of recaps…and one more favorite post that I write every year is when I share the books I read and my top 5 favorites…

Christmas Recap + Memes
2023 Books

I have one more “recap” to go! Come back on Monday when I take a look back on 2023 as we kickoff 2024.

Until then…Happy New Year!

Posted in Blog challenge

Blog Challenge Part 15

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

It’s been minute since I’ve worked on my Blog Challenge.

I left off with Post 14 back in July.

Today, I’m covering topics #29, #30 and 31 to wrap up this challenge.

29. Bucket List

I’m soooo lame! I can’t really think of anything, and I don’t plan on ever jumping out of an airplane or climbing Mt. Everest!

Even for being a home body, I do have travel on my list. I went to Europe when I was in high school, and I’d love to go there again.

When I was younger, I always said my dream was to be on Wheel of Fortune. I’m pretty good at that game. I guess if I ever get on that show, it will be with Ryan Seacrest as the host!

I have a tattoo on my foot, and I’ve always wanted one on my wrist. We’ll see!

I’d love to see the Golden Girls house!

My brother has been and sent me this pic! Jealous!

30. Favorite Comfort Food

Mac and cheese is for sure the best comfort food for me. I remember as a kid requesting mac and cheese as my birthday dinner. I love a homemade mac and cheese. This is one of my favorite recipes.

Soups and Mexican food are also up there on the list.

31. Weird Quirk of Mine

Oh…where to start?!?! haha

Three popped into my mind pretty immediately.

I’m superstitious about the number 13. I’ve shared that before, but I am. Even little things like the tv or car radio volume…I never have it on 13!

Also, I have a habit of playing with my hair. It’s not even a nervous thing, just something I do. I’ve tried to be cognizant of it, and not do it so much because my hair is thin and short enough!

I’d say my most weird quirk is I use my first two fingers and thumb to play with fabric like my pillow or a shirt. I don’t even know how to explain this but I guess it’s kind of soothing. When I was a kid, I sucked my thumb and held a blanket and did this with the blanket. Now if I’m sitting and thinking or I guess nervous, I do it as well.

Like I said, my list of quirks could go on and on…and on!

Do you have any “weird” quirks?

Anyway, this little “Blog Challenge” was fun. I enjoyed the topics, and there were definitely some I wouldn’t have thought to write about.

Thanks for following along.

Posted in Blog challenge

Blog Challenge Part 14

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Wow! This week is flying by.

Yesterday good day with a mix of errands, pool time, and picking Hadley up from camp (the bus brought her to Lexington) really late last night.

It’s been about a month since my last Blog Challenge post. Today, I’m picking up where I left off in post #13…

Today, I’m covering topics #27 and #28

27. What make me feel better, always…

Quiet time. It’s nice to have quiet time to start my day, or a few minutes on the front porch reading a book if I’m feeling tired or overwhelmed.

A cup of coffee. I probably drink too much coffee, but it always makes the morning better.

Having all my people under one roof. This summer is not what I expected it to be. We’re always busy, but usually in the summer we have more downtime than we’ve been having. The kids have been gone a bit, and there’s still more of that to come. It’s nice when we are all home together. I worry less when we’re all home, of course.

A good workout. I’m not “Ms. Physically Fit,” and sometimes I wish I could see the physical achievements of working out pretty consistently at least 4 days a week like I do. That being said, if I’m in a bad mood or feeling extra tired, a workout always makes me feel better. You never regret getting a workout in.

A hug from Travis or the kids. I get grief from some for not being overly affectionate, but I do love a good hug from Trav or the kids especially if I’ve had a bad day or am feeling overwhelmed.

28. Last time I cried…

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a bit more of a crier…especially if I am feeling overwhelmed or tired.

I also have a “soft spot” for some of the kids’ milestones and achievements. Sometimes, those bring a tear to my eye.

I’ve cried at the end of a good book. I also, apparently, sometimes cry when watching a movie…Hayden, Travis, and I watched A Man Called Otto on Sunday night. I knew what it was about…I’d even started the book it’s based on a couple of years ago, but stopped midway. I remember thinking the book moved slowly, and I just couldn’t get into it. Well, I really enjoyed the movie…we all did…but I teared up midway through and really cried at the end. I had to excuse myself to get myself together. Then, I went to bed. 😆

So, the last time I cried was Sunday at the end of a movie!

Honestly, both of these topics can kind of go together…sometimes something that makes me feel better is a good cry.

What something that makes you feel better?

I hope you are having a great week.

Posted in Blog challenge

Blog Challenge Part 13

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Who knew when I started this “Blog Challenge” six months ago, I’d still be trucking along? Well, I’m almost to the end of the topics, so I’m going to keep going. I’m picking up where I left off….

Today, I’m going to cover topics #25 and #26.

25. Best Physical Features

Well, this is a tough one…I always laugh at my girl Heather McMahan’s line “thick neck thin ankles.” I have pretty good ankles…actually, from the knees down I’m doing alright. I know we’re probably our own worst critic, and I have my insecurities. I am trying to embrace getting older and fighting gravity where I can.

I’m almost finished with phrase 2 of my Invisalign…maybe in the next year I can say my best physical feature is my smile. 🙂

26. Five Favorite Blogs

Well, I don’t know if I can limit to five…I’ve shared before but the blog that “started it all” with my blog reading was Bev’s blog years ago! Then I stumbled upon Shay’s blog, and then started reading Erika and Andrea’s blogs too.

I wrote a post in April 2020 about favorite blogs, and then the Not Just a Mom crew wrote about favorite bloggers in January 2022 and I added more to the list.

I read the NJAM blogs…

I also love reading Jennifer’s blog too! (She just shared her newly designed blog, and I love it.)

Like I say with almost every post about other blogs, I never want to forget one or leave someone out. I know the time, effort, and heart that goes in to sharing in this space.

Reading blogs while enjoying a cup of coffee is my favorite way to start my day. There are some blogs I read daily and others that I catch up on the weekend…There’s no real rhyme or reason…mostly just when I have time to read. I could spend an hour a day reading my favorite bloggers…and I wish I could commit to that. I really do feel the sense of community with all the others bloggers out there…both big and small.

What are some of your favorite blogs to read? If you haven’t read many, I highly suggest the bloggers I’ve shared through the years.

Posted in Blog challenge, Me

Blog Challenge Part 12

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday. Yesterday, felt like a Monday all day, so I’m really glad that today is actually Thursday.

Well…another week, another Blog Challenge post.

I left off on Part 11.…

…and today I’m going to write about topic 24…

24. A difficult time in my life

I know I’ve had a really great life. I’m lucky to think of only a few times in my life that were difficult for an extended amount of time, and they really do pale in comparison to what others have gone through.

With some of these blog challenge topics, I just go with what pops in my mind first and write about those ideas.

Here are a few difficult times that came to mind…

When we moved…

When we moved, I was in the 8th grade. To my parents’ credit, they were trying to give my brother and me a better life in a great school district and bigger house in a wonderful neighborhood. Well, try telling that to my thirteen year old self.

Also to my parents’ credit, since we’d only moved about twenty minutes away, they let me finish out the year at my previous middle school when really I could have started my new school in March of my 7th grade year.

Middle school years are just weird anyway…and then I was a new girl in a new school missing my friends.

I “rebelled” in a sense and refused to play volleyball or run track like I did my 7th grade year. I just decided to not come out of my room and just be miserable…and probably made them miserable too.

My brother was only in 5th grade, and made the transition to a new school better than I did. I kind of think boys have an easier time anyway….and he was younger.

By 9th grade, I settled in, branched out, and made friends. I think freshman year helped because it was a fresh start and many ninth graders were coming from a couple of schools.

That being said, being the “new girl” did stick with me through the years. To this day, I pay close attention and try not to let anyone, whether it’s my friend group or a student, feel left out. Due to a hectic season of life, we don’t have people over like we used to, but it’s always hard for me to know when to stop on the invite list. Again, I don’t want anyone feeling left out. Also, even as an adult, sometimes I still feel left out, and I’m sure it’s not intentional on anyone’s part. At least I don’t think so. Ok, I will stop spiraling now. 😆

Anyway, it all turned out for the best, and I had a great high school experience, made great friends, and learned a thing or two about starting over. I’d say those lessons helped me when I moved to Kentucky as an adult after living in Missouri my entire life.

Starting a family…

We struggled to start a family. I’ll probably talk a bit more about this more in June’s Not Just a Mom post, but…it took a couple of years, many doctors’ visits, medicine and more to have Hayden and Hadley. I kept it all really private because that’s just how I am. I didn’t want anyone to worry about me. It was a lonely time though.

After we had the kids and tried for a third, it took even more doctors’ visits and even stronger medicine to get pregnant again. Then, I had a miscarriage which was obviously difficult. Truly, after that, when I look back on my infertility struggles, the time (and the years following) after the miscarriage was the hardest.

I was never able to get pregnant again, and eventually I had to move on. The cost, physical discomfort, mood swings, along with having two little kids got to be too much for me to rationalize continuing on that journey. I felt like I was letting go of a dream which was sad for me. I’m a type A goal setter who usually achieves what I set my mind to …so it was hard feeling like a failure.

I realize I wasn’t a failure, but I think most who go through what I did know that feeling.

It’s hard not to have a happy ending after a traumatic loss like that. Sometimes that kind of grief is hard to shake even after all of these years.

Job transition…

When I left my former school to move to my current one, it was a difficult decision. I was really close with my department and had great friends there. I knew it was best for my family for me to work closer to home and in the same district as my kids, but I guess that decision did impact some friendships.

Then, that first year in my new school was really hard. It was year 15 for me, but I was in a new building that was double the size of my former one. There were times I truly felt like I’d made a mistake. It was the hardest year of my educational career, and I even thought about quitting. That being said, the next year was one of my best in my teaching career, so I’m glad that I stuck with it. Plus, the years following led me to my current interventionist position, and I’m definitely grateful for that.

This was kind of a “heavier” blog post…sorry! That being said, this is another reason why I’ve enjoyed my “self-imposed” blog challenge…It’s pushed me to write about things maybe I wouldn’t have otherwise?

Tomorrow, I will have a more light-hearted Friday Favorites post.

Posted in Blog challenge

Blog Challenge Part 11

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!


Another week, another Blog Challenge post!

I left off with Part 10….

…and today I’m goin to share about topics 21, 22, and 23.

21. Something I miss

The first thing that popped in my mind was that I miss when the kids were little. As they have gotten older, I appreciate what the next phase brings. Right now, they are pretty independent, but with that comes a sense of worry, expectations and guidance. 

I miss having little ones to rock to sleep, sit on my lap to read a book, hold my hand when crossing the street, and smiling when they see me pick them up from school. 

My grandparents – Of course, I always miss loved ones who are no longer here, but I tend to think of them more often now as I get older. I feel very grateful to still have my Gma, and that the kids have shared life with her as well.

22. 10 Favorite Songs

I’m not the best with songs. Truly – I never know the names of artists or song titles. That’s never been my strength. I do love to listen to music in the car. I can certainly appreciate 80’s and 90’s songs, but it’s usually country that I have on the radio.

Right now, we love American Idol. I even vote for the contestants using the app! 

That being said, you know how when you hear a song, it “takes you back” to a time…that does happen for me. I will hear a song and think about high school or college…or a breakup, or some other moment in time. 

Some of my favorite music memories include: 

My first concert was Billy Joel– I think I was in 7th grade, but he was married to Christie Brinkley and she was in the helicopter crash around the time of the concert. The concert was postponed until the following year. I went with a friend and her parents, and it was a great time. 

Travis is a music guy. Where I tend to stay in the “country lane,” he loves quite a few artists, and he has certainly introduced me to musicians I wouldn’t have known otherwise. The first concert we went to was David Gray in St. Louis, and it was so good.

For my birthday one year, we went to Nashville. I knew we were going to Ryman Auditorium, but I didn’t know we were seeing Eric Church. He was just getting started, and it was before he was so well-known. He only played a few songs (there were other performers), but we loved it. 

We finally got to see Chris Stapleton last spring. He was supposed to come to Kroger Field in 2020, but that got postponed….it was postponed again in 2021. Last April, he finally came to Lexington. Sheryl Crowe and Willie Nelson opened for him. It was all worth the wait. The weather was amazing that night, we went with friends, saw so many people we knew, and just had a great time. His voice is amazing. I hope to see him again.

I went to the  NKOTB concert with friends this summer. Talk about “blast from the past.” We loved every minute. 

I had two surprises from Travis for our wedding. I let him choose the honeymoon location (as long as it had a beach), and he surprised me with our wedding song. I will never forget hearing “Someone Like You.” While it had sweet meaning behind it and the lyrics are wonderful too, I gave him a hard time about it because of the movie…and his his love for Ashley Judd. Haha    

23. Pet Peeves

You’ll have to come back to the blog on Monday. Pet Peeves is the topic for Monday’s Not Just a Mom post.

Well, I’m making my way through this blog challenge. I guess I still have a few posts left!

See you tomorrow for Friday Favorites.

Posted in Blog challenge, Me

Blog Challenge Part 10

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I’m continuing with my *never ending* Blog Challenge today. I really have enjoyed looking at different topics!

I left off covering topic #18, and today I’m writing about #19 and #20.

19. My worst habits

Well, I’m a worrier by nature. I do think I’ve gotten better at worrying less as I’ve gotten older. That being said, now I think I worry about “bigger” things rather than “smaller” things. I guess with age you do learn not to “sweat the small stuff,” but I sure do worry about other bigger things…Also, how can you have kids and not worry?

Also, I am type A in most aspects of my life, but I can procrastinate on things that I don’t want to do…and it’s usually small things like put away a stack of papers, pack a suitcase, or tidy up my closet.

Lastly, I play with my hair a lot. It’s a nervous habit that turned into just a bad habit!

20. Where I want to be in 10 years…

Retired. 😆

Seriously.

I’m finishing up year 21 in education, and I really don’t see myself going past year thirty. The “practical” part of me even likes the “math” of it…At the end of my 30th year, the kids will be 22 and graduating college (assuming it takes them four years). So, we can all check off big milestones.

I’ve loved my time in education, and it’s been the perfect job for me. I’ve learned so much, met so many great people, taught so many great students, accomplished so much professionally and more.

Could I get to that 30th year and decide to go one more because it will make my pension better? Yes…and I just might. Our retirement system has changed a bit. It used to be 52 years old and thirty years gave you a pretty optimal pension, but now I think it’s 55 (or a combo of age + years if you started teaching later). I know more and more people who are retiring at 27 years which is when you can start getting a pretty good pension. I have a few years in Missouri, so my thirty years would be 27 if I retire then.

But, for me, 30 is the goal. Then, I will be ready to do whatever I want…whenever I want!

I was just talking about the first day of school with some students. Even in August of 2020 when we started the school year virtually, I still went to school and sat in my classroom. I’ve had a first day of school in a classroom for over 40 years! I didn’t want to end the streak.

I’m not sure what I will do when I retire, but it would be nice to have more free time and do what I want. I sure hope Travis and I have raised good, productive kids who are ready for their own bright future, so we can enjoy ours (but be there for them whenever/however they need us to be). I’ve always dreamed of spending the month of February somewhere warm, travel a bit more, not be in a rush to drink my coffee in the morning, and more. I think I would be open to subbing. I honestly didn’t think that would be the case, but the money is good, and of course you can pick and choose where you go and whose classroom you sub in. After my mom retired, she worked at the public library. That sounds like something I’d enjoy as well. We’ll see.

I still have eight years go to, but I’m proud of myself for sticking with education even during some really tough years. I’ve earned two Master’s degrees, had various classroom jobs, held leadership positions, and more. I help provide for our family, and have modeled for my kids what it’s like to have a career and balance home life as well. It’s been the best decision for our family. Plus, I get the extra time at home with the kids on breaks and in the summer.

I know students sure have changed my life for the better, and I hope many can say the same about their time in my classroom.

Year 1 to year 21 sure escalated quickly!

I hope your week is off to a great start. It’s been a busy one for us, but I hope to be back with two more posts this week.

Posted in Blog challenge

Blog Challenge Part 9

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday.

Today, I’m picking up where I left off in my blog writing challenge…

…and talking about topic 18.

18. What am I afraid of?

Well, I’m not a huge fan of spiders or things that slither! Also, I can’t say that I love heights. I wasn’t always afraid of heights; that’s something that’s developed as I’ve gotten older.

That being said, when I saw this prompt, my first thought was losing someone I love unexpectedly or something happening to my kids.

This prompt is timely given the tragic event in Louisville on Monday. This sad news hits so close to home for us. I honestly don’t know how to really process the anxiety I’ve felt the past couple of weeks. First, the Covenant School and now this. As a mom, it’s been hard for me to let my kids out of my sight. As a teacher, I’ve felt on “high alert” the past couple of weeks. Just a year ago, we ended the school year reeling from the aftermath of Uvalde. It’s really hard to believe this is the world we live in.

Trav’s family knows what it’s like to unexpectedly and tragically lose his dad, and I pray events like these will never happen again. We need more than prayers though. We need voices to be heard, and we need change.

While we’ve had beautiful weather this week and the sun has been shining, the world feels pretty dark right now.

I know this post is serious, and while I hope my little corner of the internet is a happy place, I never want my blog posts to feel out of touch with reality.

Posted in Blog challenge

Blog Challenge Part 8

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday. I hope your week is off to a great start.

I’m picking up where I left off with my blog challenge…

…and tackling topics 16 and 17.

16. Dream Job

I know teaching might not be a “dream” job to some…but it is what I always wanted to do. My mom was a middle school Language Arts teacher. I always “played” school with my Barbies. I remember helping my mom grade spelling tests and thinking I was so cool. I always had good English teachers, and really never thought twice about being anything besides a teacher. Also, it’s a wonderful profession for raising a family. I’m home with the kids on snow days, on breaks and in the summer. While I have definitely had some difficult years, I really do think this is what I was meant to do.

Obviously, my dream job would be to hit the lottery…and never work again…haha

That being said, if I really had to start over, I would love an at home editing type job. I think it would be fun to read and edit content written for publication. I always wished I could be an author. I guess this blog takes the place of that dream just a little bit. When my mom retired, she worked at the public library. I could definitely see myself doing that a couple days a week when I retire (in less than 10 years!)

That being said, if I didn’t have to work, and could just volunteer, I would spend my time in schools…probably elementary just to help out wherever needed. I’ve never been able to do that since I’ve spent over twenty years with high schoolers. I think it would be fun to help teachers whether it’s make copies, help with testing or reading groups, serve lunch, go on field trips, and more. I would also volunteer at the Humane Society and hang out with dogs all day. Is holding NICU babies still a thing? I would hold a baby all day long if I could.

What’s your dream job?

17. Favorite Childhood Book

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love reading. I’ve shared before that both of my parents were (and are) readers. That habit was modeled for me often and from a very young age.

I loved the Madeline book when I was little. I even had two dolls. I got the second one because the first one I carried around so much it was dirty…and I think was missing an eye.

See…I really loved my Madeline doll.

Other reading memories:

In elementary school, some of the first books I remember listening to my teachers read to the class were Island of the Blue Dolphins in the 3rd grade and Z for Zachariah in the 4th grade. Dear Mr. Henshaw is one of the first books I remember checking out from school library. I also loved Ramona and Amelia Bedelia books; they are perfect for young readers.

I loved the Babysitter Club series. Loved it. I remember buying the books whenever a new one was published.

In middle school, we read Where the Red Fern Grows in 7th grade and The Outsiders in 8th grade and enjoyed them so much.

In high school, my 9th grade English teacher assigned The Great Gatsby to read over winter break, and I didn’t enjoy it. Then, I read it again in college, and I absolutely loved it. (I also made note that when I became a teacher to never assign a book for students to read over a break) 😉

In college, one of my favorite classes was all about young adult books. Every week, we were assigned a book to read, and then we created lesson plans for the books. We read: The Outsiders, The Giver, Chocolate Wars, The Great Gatsby, The Call of the Wild and more.

My first year teaching, my 9th graders read To Kill a Mockingbird. I had never read it which is pretty surprising to me looking back since it’s such a classic (9th grade) book. I had to read it to prep for the unit, and I loved it. Freshman still read this book although many teachers have started using the graphic novel. Of course, I prefer the original, but I will say the graphic novel does do it justice and holds the kids’ attention.

Guess who is a “bad” English teacher and doesn’t love teaching Shakespeare? This girl! Also, I haven’t read a single Harry Potter book, but I distinctly remember the 2004-05 school year, and I had so many students who loved those books. Obviously, they are still popular, but so students who never loved reading really loved those books. Hayden has read the first few, and he really enjoyed them.

I’m very grateful that I have a love of reading. Whether I became an English teacher or not, I think I would still be an avid reader.

What was your favorite childhood book?