Tag: college

My Best Life, March 2014: A Month of Anticipation

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Jennifer Wolfe

March was a month of anticipation; the wrap up of one ski season, the college acceptance letters, and the countdown until Cameron returns home from the ski academy. I struggled to stay in the present moment, to breathe deeply and know that everything will work out as it should. As we move into April, I feel the breath of possibilities whispering at the back of my neck. It should be an interesting month, to be sure!

My Best March:

Best Blog Reads:

I was fascinated with the idea of ‘grittiness’ this month; how do we cultivate grit in our children seems to be a hot topic for teachers and parents right now. Fittingly, Cameron’s ski academy school motto is “Grit, Grace and Courage” – what more could we ask for our kids? I loved this post from NPR titled “Does Teaching Kids To Get Gritty Help Them Get Ahead”, as well as this one from one of my favorite websites, Daily Good. Definitely worth a read.

Best Books:

I managed to get a bit of reading done this month between the anticipation of ski races and college tours in Salt Lake City. I really enjoyed What Would You Do If You Could Not Fail by Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons. These writers collected stories of courage from everyday people and put them together with quotes and ideas for the reader to really use in their lives. The theme of grit really got my interest, and made me think about why some people have the drive to persevere and others don’t.

The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger was written in the form of letters, emails, and documents, telling the story of a marriage in collapse. I wasn’t sure how I’d like this format, but it turned out that the characters were well developed and the plot surprisingly easy to follow. It made me think that teaching middle school was really a dream job compared to being a divorce lawyer!

Finally, I just finished Holly Peterson’s new novel, The Idea of Him. It really made me think about how so often in life we think we know what we want or how it will all turn out, and usually, life has a way of surprising us. Holly is a Goodreads author – if you haven’t used Goodreads yet to track your books and reading, you should start! If you already do, please friend request me! I’d love to see what you’re reading, too.

Best Quiet Place:

A long time ago, when my children were small and very demanding, I decided I needed to find a quiet place close to home where I could escape when I needed to center myself. Over the years, the path running along Putah Creek in the UC Davis Arboretum has offered me great solace and joy. One of my favorite times to visit the Arboretum is when a storm is looming – I love the quietness, the animals taking cover, and the whisper of the wind blowing through the trees.

Redwood Grove in the UC Davis Arboretum

Best Photos:

A month of endings and beginnings…nothing fancy, just the fabulous moments of anticipation and reward in March:

Lily and her beloved high school ski coach

Lily pole vaulting 11 feet, a new personal record

Lily and friends and Mikaela Shiffrin at Squaw Valley race.

Lily at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah

Sunset at Tahoe Park Beach with my boy

Spring is coming! In the UC Davis Arboretum

A rare race day together at Northstar

Best Quotes:

When I look back at my Twitter #quoteoftheday postings, there seems to be a strong theme of openness to possibility and anticipation of what is yet to come. -I didn’t necessarily realize it at the time, but looking back, that’s really what March taught me.

“Stay committed to your decisions; but stay flexible in your approach.” –Tony Robbins

“You win some, you lose some, and some get rained out, but you gotta suit up for them all.”-J. Askenberg

“Instead of bracing yourself for the perils of the unknown, embrace the joy that is here, in your present moment.”
― Michelle Cruz-Rosado

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”- Brene Brown

“It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.” -Bob Proctor

Best Moments:

High School State Ski Championships

It was a month of my girl pushing herself to the limit; finishing second place in the high school state ski championships gave her such a sense of accomplishment. And then a few weeks later, she went and did this – caution-it gets a bit loud at the end of the video! Facebook Post by Jennifer Mason Wolfe.

Wishing you great possibilities in April – and as always, thank you for supporting mamawolfe. I’d love to connect with you on Instagram and Facebook, too!

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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An Early Morning Walk

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Jennifer Wolfe

“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”

― Henry David Thoreau

The way the morning light hits it just so…

One of the luxuries of summertime is the beauty of an early morning walk, something I know I will miss as September creeps closer. Sharing these images might just let me hold onto them a little bit longer.

Summer zinnias in northern California

I’m one of those people that walks around with a camera in my hand…I’ve found it helps me pay attention to those small moments in life.

Rainy morning in northern California

Even when it’s raining…which rarely happens in the summer where I live!

Lavender in Oakland, California

One glorious summer morning my son and I headed off to spend the day with my aunt and uncle. Cameron wanted photography lessons, so my Uncle Paul took us to the Oakland Cemetery-it was a crystal clear day with gorgeous views, but I kept my camera on the little things.

Stargazer lilies in my garden

Sometimes I don’t make it out of my own backyard…but that’s sometimes ok.

Arboretum trees in northern California

When I do go out, the university arboretum is one of my favorite walks. There’s always something interesting to see there.

Tahoe sunrise

I love it here. I love it in the snow, I love it in the rain, and I love it in the glow of the sunrise.

Tahoe City bike trail to Squaw Valley

This summer I even loved it on an early morning bike ride from Tahoe City to Squaw Valley and back! Not as easy to take photos without falling off my bike, though.

Arbor in Healdsburg, California

Whenever I travel, I try to find some small place to photograph. This was right outside our hotel room.

Dia de los muertos store in Healdsburg, California

This wasn’t actually taken on an early morning walk, but I was walking…I’m infatuated with dia de los muertos decorations, and this store was full of them!

View of Nicaragua from the air

This morning I spent in the air, so technically this qualifies as an early morning photo! Most of our mornings in Nicaragua were early, but spent in the back of a pick-up truck driving to the work site.

flower of Nicaragua

I love this image I took in Granada, Nicaragua. The beauty of the flower against the harshness of the stone wall exemplifies the absolute disparities that exist in this lush and beautiful country.

Hollyhock in my garden

Back in the seclusion of my own garden, I found my hollyhocks still holding on. These old-fashioned flowers are stubborn; they keep shooting out and blooming until I pull them up and gently gather their seeds to scatter again next year.

Arboretum bridge and beauty in Davis, California

Back at home, back to my special place to walk.

Majestic Mt. Shasta, California

My daughter shot this out the passenger side window while I was cruising down I-5 one early morning. It took dozens of shots, but it was worth it. It’s rare to see Mt. Shasta not covered in clouds. Maybe someday I’ll walk its peak.

Flowers of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon

My daughter was very patient with me on our college tours. She knew that when she turned to me and I wasn’t there, all she had to do was look for the nearest flowerbed and she’d find me.

University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington

We’d had a very long drive before this walk…but as I got out of the car, I couldn’t help but be a bit awed by the beauty of this campus. As we continued to walk around the university of campus, I wasn’t disappointed.

Meadowlark and coffee in Medford, Oregon

Ok, I’ll admit it. There was no early morning walk this day. I had just woken up after driving 550 miles the day before, and all I wanted to do was savor my dear friend Dawn Wink’s first published novel, Meadowlark, while sipping my coffee.

It’s not always about the walk. Sometimes we can find our small moments right next to us, inside. A blessing for the whole day, indeed.

Many of these photos were posted on my Instagram account – I’d love to connect with you there, too.

Jennifer Wolfe

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College Tours of Oregon and Washington: Visiting So. Oregon, Willamette, Lewis and Clark, Western Washington, Puget Sound and U of O

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Jennifer Wolfe

I know many people look towards their child’s college years with a frightening mix of sheer terror and nervousness that as parents, we might not have done everything we can to prepare them to fly out of our nest into the world. I’m right with you. This summer I could no longer put off the inevitable, and decided to face that which scares me: the college tour. A week prior to our departure we quickly went online and scheduled campus tours, admissions meetings, interviews, and appointments to meet track coaches at six universities in Oregon and Washington.

With a tight schedule, a few hotel reservations and a love of adventure, we set off for our first stop: Ashland, Oregon.

Fueled by Dutch Bros

We certainly saw some majestic scenery along the way!

Mt. Shasta, California

It was refreshing to see Shasta without being in the middle of a snowstorm….

Lithia Park, Ashland, Oregon

One of the goals of this trip was to see not only the university campuses, but to also get a feel for what the communities are like: location, location, location. Ashland’s Lithia Park is a mile off campus, and looks like a great place to hang out.

Paddington Station, Ashland, Oregon

Ashland, Oregon is known for its Shakespeare Festival, but for me, the dozens of restaurants, coffee shops, and cute boutiques like Paddington Station would be reason enough to live here!

Southern Oregon University

Our first official campus visit was to Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. It’s a public school of about 6,000 students.

Southern Oregon University

We even stopped by on the way home to check out the track – wouldn’t you love working out if you had this view?

Southern Oregon University track

Day two took us north to Salem, Oregon to visit Willamette University.

Willamette University in Salem, Oregon

Willamette is a small private liberal arts college located in the capitol city of Oregon. The campus houses about 2,000 students.

Willamette University

They have a grove of trees on campus that is supposed to form a star shape in the sky…I can almost see it.

Willamette University

The capitol is right across the street – great for internships.

Willamette University

A river runs right through the small campus – it covers approximately one square block.

Willamette flowers

I started thinking maybe one criteria she should use is how beautiful the flowers are on each campus.

Willamette University flowers

Willamette University

She was a bit nervous in her admissions interview…and then had a good meeting with the track coach.

Next stop: Portland, Oregon for Lewis and Clark University. We were a bit intimidated by the formality of the admissions building!

Lewis and Clark University in Portland, Oregon

Lewis and Clark is another small, liberal arts college. She wanted to visit Lewis and Clark due to the proximity to one of her favorite places: Mt. Hood.

The best part of Lewis and Clark University – Mt. Hood far in the distance.

I’m not sure she could really concentrate with this view every day – of course, it rains a lot there…

Lewis and Clark University campus

This campus was hilly and green; the tour guide says it is on park land. It felt like we were in the redwoods.

Learning to Snapchat

I learned on this trip that smart phones are a critical part of a teenager’s social life…so I bought her a lemonade and made her teach me how to Snapchat. I don’t really see the appeal – I found it frustrating to learn!

The next morning we drove up to Tacoma, Washington to see the University of Puget Sound.

University of Puget Sound

Like many of the schools we visited, UPS is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It’s slightly bigger than the Oregon liberal arts colleges we visited – around 2,900 students.

University of Puget Sound

The campus was beautiful and green…they say it mists here-not hard rain. It reminded us a lot of Stanford, just a smaller scale.

Their flowers were gorgeous, too!

University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington

By the time she interviewed, here, she was a pro. She loved the campus, the people, and the track program. Pole vaulting in the rain will take some getting used to!

University of Puget Sound

University of Puget Sound view of Tacoma

A fast exit from UPS put us on the road to Bellingham, Washington – very close to the Canadian border. Lots of miles, but we’re still smiling!

Western Washington University

Western Washington is a public university with approximately 15,000 students. The campus is nestled right next to a forest. It rained.

Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington

It actually never stopped raining the whole time we were in Bellingham…in August. Noted.

Bellingham, Washington

Our next road trip day was the one we were sort of dreading – over 500 miles to drive before 1:00 to make it to the University of Oregon in Eugene.

In case you’re wondering, we smiled when we saw this bike because it had a ski strap attached to the frame…made her feel right at home.

Friendly Hall at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon

What else can I say about U of O? Everyone was nice and friendly here!

University of Oregon flowers

The flowers were pretty, too. Oh – and they have a pretty nice track.

University of Oregon track

We spent our last night visiting family in Grants Pass, Oregon. Southern Oregon is simply beautiful.

Outside Circle J in Grants Pass, Oregon

I have to say that after our 1,800 mile college tour, not only was I glad to be home, but also we both felt a little less terrified about the college experience. I think she’s actually ready to fill out some applications, and even write the essays. She’s got a lot to consider: location, weather, food, community, flowers, ski teams, track teams, family, mascot, school colors…and cute tour guides. That’s what matters when choosing a college, right?

grateful to be home

Jennifer Wolfe

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What You Grow To Be

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Jennifer Wolfe

“It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.”

~J.K. Rowling

Visiting the track at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon.

Sitting in my garden tonight, watching the sun set, with my dog on my lap. An evening of reflection and gratitude after 1,800 miles driven over six days, visiting colleges from Ashland, Oregon to Bellingham, Washington. I’m so thankful we were able to spend this time together, just us two. From the day she was born, I’ve watched over her as she attempted all her ‘firsts’, soaring through life with grace. This time, I’m watching differently.

This time, I observed my first born take it all in, her blue eyes scanning the campuses for reflections of herself, searching for that connection that would whisper to her, Yes, you belong here. This is where you will grow.

As the sun sets on her high school career, another life-episode calls to her, nudging her closer to the woman she is destined to be and farther from where she was born. I can see it in her eyes- the twinkle of slight recognition as she returns home tonight just a little different than when she left. She is no longer the child she was days ago-now,she is reaching for the light when before, just as she reached out, she shivered.

It doesn’t matter what she was born to be…she is creating, choosing, forming herself every day. The decision is hers. This time, right now, I’ll sit back, support her, nurture her, and marvel as she grows and blooms into something spectacular.

Jennifer Wolfe

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She’s Only 17, But The Decision Is Hers

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Jennifer Wolfe

“Last night I dreamt I was returning
            and my heart called out to you
            to please accept me as you’ll find me
            Me kealoha ku’u home o Kahalu’u.”

-from “Ku’u Home O Kahalu’u,” a popular contemporary Hawaiian song written by Jerry Santos

Lily at 5, preparing for kindergarten

She’s feeling a bit anxious now. The summer before senior year, and the glow is slowly fading. School is no longer in the rear view mirror, and as September days inch closer and closer, she knows she doesn’t have much longer.

She’s only 17, but it’s time to think of leaving home.

Watching the college application process from the passenger seat feels a little bit like those first few days of elementary school, not knowing if we made the right choices, or if she would make it through the day by herself. We always knew she was independent, not terribly shy, and was an eager learner. But something about dropping her off on those first few days left me twisted up in knots. I couldn’t wait for her to come home.

Kind of how I feel right now.

When it was time for kindergarten registration, we chose where she went to school. She had no idea that her entire day would be taught in Spanish, nor that any other school was different. It was just what we thought was best, so she went. Things went well. She learned, she made friends, she laughed, and at the end of the day, she was happy to be home.

Now that it’s time for college choices, it’s really up to her.

She’s only 17, but it’s her time to decide where she wants to go next.

I sense her anxiety. It’s palpable as we click around websites and look at campus after campus. So much to take in, making the decision that much more complicated. Intense. Insurmountable.

She hasn’t really changed that much since kindergarten-she’s still independent, social, and eager to learn. But something about the thought of dropping her off at college takes my breath away. I want to scoop her into my arms, make the choice for her, make the fears go away. I want to know that no matter what, she can come home at the end of the day and it will be OK.

But I can’t – she’s really 17.

Seventeen years spent nurturing her every interest, protecting her, creating a home for her to sink into when she needs it – has it all led up to this? GPAs, test scores, extra-curriculars…I can’t help but cringe at the extraordinary complexity of the decision, and wonder if it has to be this way. Can’t she just plug it all into some sort of app, and the perfect place will spit out at her on her computer screen, guaranteed to be her happy place?

Lily at 17, preparing for college

So we’ll make a list, do our research, and hop in the car to tour schools clear up to the Canadian border. We’ll walk the campus, take notes, and soak in what it feels like. She’ll try to imagine herself there, alone, independent, social, and eager to learn. Things will go well.

She’s only 17, but the decision has to be hers.

I’ll try to imagine myself next year, alone, missing her, but proud that she made her choice. And I’ll be there, next year, back at home, dreaming of when she returns.

Because she’s only 17.

No decision is forever. She can always come home.

This post was inspired by the novel This Is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila, a collection of short stories that shares a view of Hawaiians few tourists ever experience. Join From Left to Write on August 8 as we discuss This Is Paradise. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

Jennifer Wolfe

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My Best March:

Best Blog Reads:

Best Books:

Best Quiet Place:

Best Photos:

Best Quotes:

Best Moments:

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