Here Comes The Sun, Little Darlin'

As many of you know, I work as a speech therapist for a public special education, early childhood center in Maryland. I've been working at my job for, going on, 8 years now. At 18-years-old, I made the decision to become a speech-language pathologist, and, 11 years later I've never strayed from the thought that I would and could love my chosen profession.

In the last few months however, I've been dissatisfied. It has nothing at all to do with who I work with but who I work for. As the years have gone on, I've noticed a disturbing thing. My therapy and they way I provide it is no longer dictated by the IEP but by lawyers. I've begun to feel like a pawn in a legal game and it has stressed me out to no end. Because we live in such a litigious world with smart, savvy parents I collect data and provide paperwork to prevent the county from going to due process. Add to that, I have ungrateful parents and un-willing to learn teachers and my happiness for my job had dwindled. Dwindled to the point I was considering quitting; that is until....

I stepped into a teacher's classroom the other day and my student, Laneah, said "hi." She is a student with a severe form of Cerebral Palsy which has left her in a wheelchair and with a trache tube to breathe for her. Still, she is smart. So incredibly smart, above age level with testing. She tries her hardest to communicate with words too. So, on this day her nurse said they'd gone to Build-A-Bear for her birthday and she made a bear. Nurse Sandra asked me to guess the bear's new name. She told me then, Laneah had named her bear "Ms. Jen."

That simple story reminded me that 1) I do my job for one purpose-to better the lives of my students, and 2) that no matter what I make a difference. That all educators can make a difference.

I will hold this story close to my heart for many years and I'll pull it out on days when I am sad or discouraged and remember that a 4-year-old taught a 30-year-old a valuable lesson, that life is grand!

Canned Heat

I had the pleasure of accompanying my co-worker, Kim, to the Capitals' home opener! Flippin' Sweet!

Capitals vs. Blackhawks. Verizon Center, Washington, DC.

Watching Mike Green on the glass for warm-ups.

New Goal-tender, Jose Theodore You can't spell Champs without C-A-P-S

Ovechkin on the ice for warm-ups Raising the Southeast Division Championship Banner!

Bring the Fury!
Ridiculously awesome passes!

Kim and I on the glass!

Hangin' Tough!

The Weekend in Photos:
Nikkie and Gina, on the Way to NKOTB!
Gina, Nik, and me Me and my sweet NKOTB satchel
Stage!

iI heart Joey McIntire!

Colby O'donis

Hangin' Tough with NKOTB!!!!!

Queenstown Nik, Sarah, me

Sorry Fujifilm, I'm a Kodak kinda girl.

It's like "Where's Waldo?"

Behind the scenes at the National Zoo

Edward the Emu! (bonus if you know the book!)

Monkey see, monkey do

What are you looking at? VoGUE! Strike a pose!

Ferocious Kitty!

Flying Mimi (gotta go back a way in these posts!)

Home on the Green Line.

"Dancing Nancies"

I really do enjoy the time when Summer slowly slips into Autumn. The way the air cools and the crisp smell of wet leaves and dew. This beginning month of Fall really is my favorite time of year. A couple of weeks ago, Julie helped me plant mums in the pots left by my landlord and the now adorn our front steps. Those lovely bursts of yellow and purple further add to the charm that Fall seems to bring. I can't wait to carve pumpkins and enjoy the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon. It gets to be a bit magical to me. But enough waxing poetic about the season....

I'd like to take the opportunity to mention that I got to celebrate my birthday for even longer with a great day had a couple of weeks ago with the ever fantastic Shannon and her beautiful baby Sara. We went to lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon look at the sweetest little girl clothes! I can't believe that almost 30 years have gone by and we are still friends. Even though we are both in different places and following different paths, we can come together and pick up where we left off. I don't get to talk to her as often as we used to when living near each other but I know, if I pick up the phone and dial, I'll get her friendly voice and an ear listening. Truly blessed, I am....but enough about you all, what about me.....!?

I'm so excited for this weekend. Nikkie is coming into town to do a little shopping, a little sight-seeing, and we're taking in a show. Not just any show, mind you, but the concert of all concerts! We are going to see the New Kids on The Block!! I never had the opportunity as a teenager in the 90s so I jumped at the opportunity to see them now. Nikkie, Gina, Jamie, and Christie amd I will all be heading to the Verizon Center to scream like the teenager girls we once were. Christie even has her vintage (I mean original!) NKOTB pins that I will proudly display on my jacket lapel! I'm going to try and take pictures and keep you posted on my weekend excursions! But for now, I'm just "Hangin' Tough!"