A Lifetime Teaching

My mom is retiring this week after roughly 25 years of teaching in some capacity. Whether as a full time teacher or a full time substitute she has taught many children over the years, some for a couple years, some for a semester and some for just a day. But she was my teacher all the time. So in honor of my mom's retirement from education I’d like to list some of the things that she taught me, her first student.

Reading: Not only did my mom literally teach me to read at the age of 3 using a child sized chalkboard and letter magnets, but most importantly she taught me to love reading. My earliest memory of my mom is her reading to me and not picture books (which she read as well) but chapter books. I remember being about three and listening to her read the Little House on the Prairie Series, Caddie Woodlawn and Anne of Green Gables. We would sit with her on the couch, the bed, the front porch swing and even the car during road trips and listen to her read. Later she would let me read to her and never complained about my choice of books, even when it was the latest Baby Sitter Club book. There were times growing up when money was in short supply, but books were never considered a luxury, they were a necessity. Trips to the local Book Stop were common especially before any trip, even a 3.5 hour car ride to Dallas was a call for a new book. We are all to this day still avid readers and not a day goes by that I am not grateful to my mom for that.

Always buy on sale! – I love to shop, love it! Ever since I was little I’ve loved to wander stores looking at clothes and making outfits in my head and planning where I would wear them. But I have a strict rule on buying full price, unless it’s a special occasion or an item I really need, I only buy on sale and that comes from my mom. I learned very early to find the sale rack first!! Every Sunday we’d comb the papers checking out the Target ad, Mervyns ad and any other stores we frequented for clothes checking out the deals. I am even now quite adept at stalking things I want until they go on sale. For example I am today wearing a sweater I first saw at Target for $25 back in November but purchased a couple weeks ago for $6.50. Thanks to my mom I know that not having a lot of money shouldn’t keep you from looking a feeling good about what you’re wearing, just wait for it to go on sale!

Current Events: I thank my mom for my love of current events and knowing what is going on in the world around me. When I was growing up I didn’t watch cartoons while I at breakfast, I watched the news and we’d discuss any news stories I had questions on. I appreciate now that my mom didn’t hide current events from us even when it was messy and not pretty. Any major news stories were followed and discussed. One of my most vivid memories is of the Tienemann Square protests. Coverage of the happenings preempted a Wonderful World of Disney showing of Davy Crockett that I had been very excited about and planning to watch for at least a week. As we drove to church that Sunday night I sat in the front seat (as this was before children had to remain in car seats until they were like 15 or whatever the age is now) and had a deep pout going on. My mother scolded me “Amy Suzanne, I am ashamed of you, those people have no freedoms where they live, their government can kill them for voicing an opinion and they are standing up. They deserve the attention of all of us.” That really stuck with me, and I remember I did feel ashamed. I knew I was lucky to live where I did and imagined what it would be like to not be able to speak out against your government. After that I went home and watched the coverage with my mom and since then have rarely complained when major news stories have interrupted my TV schedule. Instead I take the opportunity to learn about the different places in the world and their struggles. I love geography and maps and learning about different cultures and governments and I owe that to my mom.

Vote!! – My mother and I agree on nothing political, I am pretty sure one of her darkest days was the day I told her I was a democrat and got my news from NPR and BBC America. Her viewing of Fox News is one of the contributing factors to me moving out when I did. However, she has maintained her stance that no matter what your views are, vote for them, make your voice heard. I stood in line with her at many a polling station growing up and eagerly awaited my turn to vote as well. I now vote in just about every election I’m eligible to vote in and try to stay on top of the issues and I owe that my mother. I just don’t vote the same way she does! ;)

Be polite -"What do you say?" How many times did I hear that growing up? I'm convinced at least a million times. It stuck though, I thank people more than I probably need to, never ask for anything without a please and have been told by many a credit card agent and tech support person that I am making them feel old with my yes ma'am and no ma'am.. I think people forget sometimes just how far a little politeness can get them. I swear I've had a couple credit card fees removed by just saying please. Granted I say please with a great deal of charm and possibly a tearful sounding sniffle, but a please is a please!

Respect your teacher - this one was of course a big one with my mom, trouble at school got you more trouble at home. Detention was never desirable of course but it was nothing compared to the butt whooping and grounding you were headed for when you arrived home. I was by no means a perfect student, by high school homework was done about 75% of the time and I had a penchant for zoning out but I was always respectful to my teachers. No matter how many bad things they could say about quiz grades, papers and homework completion I was never rude or disrespectful. I had one at home that would be all over me if I was!

Ain't is not a word! - Big huge is redundant and you can't end your sentences with a preposition. I break these and other grammar rules on a daily basis but always with a twinge of guilt and my mothers exasperated sigh in the back of my head.

How to drive a manual transmission - I feel that for the most part I got along okay with my mother growing up, but our biggest arguments came the summer of my 15th year when she taught me to drive on her Saturn with a manual transmission. I don't know how many times I'd stall and go off on my my mom; "You're making me nervous! I hate this car! Why can't you have an automatic transmission like normal parents?!" I'd half cry half scream as she would take a deep breath and probably remind herself that as much as she'd like to, she was not allowed to beat me. I think about that now sometimes when Isaac tries to teach me something at the gym and I have a meltdown. I bet he knows how she feels more than anyone else. Despite my tantrums and stalls I finally learned to drive and now I know I can drive anything put in front of me!

Those are of course only a few of the many things my mom taught me over the years and I'm happy that I am now old enough to appreciate it all. I'm sure she's happy to know that even though I can't keep my clothes off the floor to save my life and I would live on cheese and crackers if given the opportunity at least some of the lessons she tried to instill in me stuck! Enjoy your retirement Mom, you deserve it!!!

A recent pic of me and my mom. I don't have a scanner to upload an old photo, but take my word for it, she was young and I was adorable! :)

New Year New Plans

Happy 2010 everyone!
I have always been one for resolutions, I am a list maker by nature, but I'm not very good at actually checking items off of the list. So I have decided to give myself one resolution for the year: Finish things I start. That will hopefully cover numerous areas of my life that need improving!

So here's to 2010 and as I told Isaac last night: In 2009 we on occasion ran out of money and on even more occasions ran out of patience, but we never ran out of love!