Tag: mamawolfe

Spread Sunshine All Over The Place…

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

One nice part of spending the weekends in the mountains is escaping the winter valley fog. As I drive up the hill and the greyness disappears behind me I feel my spirits lifting. Seeing the sunrise over the Sierras makes up for any early morning grumblies I might have.

I think that must be one reason why Michael Ann from The Big GreenBowl awarded me the Sunshine Award! Michael Ann is one of the best baking bloggers out there-everything she creates and blogs about is super yummy and easy to make – I just made her Buttery Almond Crunch recipe this week!

Here are the rules for accepting this award:

1. Thank the person who gave this award and write a post about it.

2. Answer the following questions below.

3. Pass the award to fabulous bloggers, link their blogs and let them know you awarded them.

Favorite color?

Black. I wear it every day, usually with other neutrals and the occasional leopard print for pizzazz. Some people think black feels depressing-not me. It makes me feel like me.

Favorite animal?

If I have to be around animals-within touching distance-it would be a dog. I like them hairy, soft and just the right size for my lap. Not those kind of dogs that fit in a purse-they have to be big enough to take on a walk.

Favorite number?

16. The best elementary classroom I ever had, my favorite president, but not my favorite year to be alive. John Lennon died on my 16^th birthday-that is all I remember about it.

Favorite drink?

Strong French roast coffee with a good dollop of real half and half. Several cups get me going every morning.

Facebook or Twitter?

When I can figure out the new formats, it’s Facebook. I’m constantly amazed how this application has reconnected me with old friends, helped me make new ones, and lets me talk to people around the world.

Your passion?

Mothering. Every morning when I kiss my children awake I am awed that they are in my life. I have never before felt so much love, humbleness, laughter, pain, and joy.

Giving or getting presents?

Giving, especially those that I’ve been planning for a long time. I love thinking of something a person would never buy for themselves, something that will bring a little beauty or happiness to their lives.

Favorite day?

The day that ends with a smile on my face. The day that my child hugged me. The day that someone said thank you for helping me. The day that I learned something about myself. The day that I kissed my children goodnight.

Favorite flower?

Tuberose. They are hard to grow, overpoweringly fragrant, and grow straight and tall on their own.

I am happy to pass along the Sunshine Awards to the following blogs-be sure to visit them and see why they make me smile!

Scribblesaurus

Catharsis

Forkednighties

Adventures in Alyssaland

Thinking In My Head

Perspective Parenting

Mommy LaDy Club
The Organic Blonde

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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Prom Night At Our Place

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Jennifer Wolfe

I am definitely not a person who is into cliques. As a result, I’ve never been much of a joiner of clubs, groups, or anything that labels. I even resisted junior proms and senior balls as a teen. I don’t think at 16 I was thinking that I was being ‘true to my authentic self’; I just knew that something didn’t feel right, and prom wasn’t the place for me to be.

As a middle school teacher and survivor of the teenage years I know the damage kids can do to each other by labeling, stereotyping and making exclusive groups. As a mom, however, I was really pleased to be nominated as the “cool” place to hang out and prepare for the junior prom. As it turns out, kids in our town don’t need to have a date in order to go to the prom-what progress since my high school days! As a result, I had ten sophomore girls arriving to my house in waves to primp, polish and prepare for the first big dance of their young lives.

With iPod speakers blaring the young ladies began to polish toes and fingers in anticipation of the slightly tippy, strappy sandals most would be wearing, despite the 30 degree weather outside. It was an amazing sight to see that their texting ability wasn’t slowed down a bit by wet paint on their fingertips!

Next, the hair. Straight locks are out this season-with coordinated teamwork worthy of a football playbook, one after the other the girls strategized the curling process to result in Taylor Swift-worthy tumbling tresses.

Then, the food. In-n-Out was the request-what girl doesn’t need a big burger and fries before dancing the night away, right? Washing it down with sparkling cider served in my great grandfather’s tiny crystal wine glasses surely added class to the menu!

Dresses? Can anyone say micro-mini? Sheesh…these girls tugged and pulled to ensure no accidental wardrobe malfunctions! Some of the dresses were very, ahem, sophisticated.

The boys arrived next. Surprisingly there were a few ‘dates’-the sophomore boys seemed to wait until the last minute to ask the girls. Were they building up courage, or hoping that their last minute plea would be desperately accepted? Maybe they were just traditionalists trying to do prom the old fashioned way. Regardless, there didn’t seem to be any problem with only four of the ten girls having escorts-aside from the fact that none of the girls really knew how to act or entertain them while they waited. Standing awkwardly in their new suits, squeaky shoes and fresh haircuts, the boys waited patiently in the living room for the ladies, while mamawolfe acted as a human buffer between them and the hallway to the bedroom.

Finally, the photos. With flashbulbs that would challenge any paparazzi, the girls dazzled in a variety of photo combinations. Yes, there were the awkward groupings of those with dates, those who had been friends since elementary school, the whole group, and the shoes to show off the pedicures.

After all the memories were captured and we all piled in cars to drive to the high school, one of the girls commented, “Wow, you must feel really popular, mamawolfe, to have everyone want to hang out at your house tonight. It’s the place to be!”

Her comment stopped me cold. Popular? Not the word my adult brain would use. Special? Definitely. Recognized? For sure. Thrilled? Absolutely.

For me, this year’s prom night was so much more than all the pageantry. Sure, watching my little girl transform into a young woman before my eyes was beautiful. Feeling the excitement, the anticipation, and the energy was contagious. But what prom night really taught me this year is that belonging happens in many different ways. The girls learned that they don’t need to be joined (literally or figuratively) with a boy to have fun. The boys realized that if they ask, they have hope. And now I know that I don’t really need to join anything to be important in my daughter’s life – by being myself she and her friends feel comfortable. Actions speak louder than words. My house really is the place to be.

What more could a mom ask for?

Jennifer Wolfe

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And the winner is….mamawolfe!

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Jennifer Wolfe

Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like you just can’t get it right? Yesterday was one of those days- I was running late for work, my coffee spilled all over the papers I was supposed to be grading, I forgot my lunch, I ran out of handouts for one class, my kids needed to be driven all over town and back again, the dinner was less than Rachel Ray would whip up, and my children would NOT go to sleep! Days like this just make me feel overwhelmed, unsuccessful and OLD. They make me wonder how I can keep up with work, mothering, and life in general.

And have you ever noticed that sometimes on days like this, something happens to let a crack of light in? It could be an authentic smile from a stranger, or someone letting you go before them in the grocery store checkout line, or your partner surprising you with a clean kitchen when you return home. At the very least, your dog might be happy to see you after a long day!

Today, my ray of hope came in the form of a blogging award. My friend and fellow blogger Michael Ann from Thinking In My Head passed along the Kreativ Blogger award to mamawolfe today just in the nick of time! I love being a blogger. The blogging world is an amazingly supportive community rich with wonderful, talented, funny, compassionate writers.

The rules for accepting this award are to share a few things about yourself, and then to pass the award along to ten other blogs. So if your day has been less than stellar, sit back, relax, and let some sunshine into your life!

Seven Things About Me:

1. I loved college. It was the hardest yet most rewarding job I’ve ever had. I wish I had not been so eager to start teaching and had worked towards a masters. Who knows-maybe that will be my next challenge!

2. I just received a federal grant from the Department of Education to be a part of the Teachers of Global Classrooms program. It involves 8 weeks of coursework on global education, two trips to Washington D.C. for seminars, and two weeks in a foreign country! I’m super excited!

3. I love teaching middle school, and don’t love teaching elementary school. I don’t like kids tugging on me all day, but I do like the unexpectedness of 12-15 year olds!

4. I love baseball. When I was a kid I played ‘Bobby Sox’-oh, so NOT a PC term! I was a pretty solid catcher, and not a bad hitter, either.

5. My favorite color is black. Yep. Black IS a color. I wear black nearly every day-at least some part of my outfit. My second favorite is leopard. I’m not sure that’s a color according to Crayola, but I love it just the same.

6. I adore the ocean. Actually, more being near the ocean. I don’t actually like to be IN the ocean-I get horribly seasick, and am not a very good swimmer. I prefer cold beaches to warm-not a fan of sunbathing!

7. I have been known to dance like nobody’s watching. Actually, that’s probably a very good thing. I’m not quite ready for ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, but I’m getting close!

And now, to pay it forward, please spend a moment to visit my nominees for the Kreativ Blogger Award!

Misadventures in Motherhood
Driftwood Ramblings

The Dust Bunny Chronicles
A Rural Journal
My Inner Chick
Adventures in Alyssaland
Real Army of Moms