Stories from a preschool teacher

 My cute class this year dressed up for pj day

petting zoo day

showing off our cowboy boots after our rodeo parade

I know its not very often I tell stories from work on here, but this year has had some real highlights that I have to document because they are just too good.  The kind you retell at dinner, text to coworkers, or laugh about long after the school year ends. It’s unpredictable, unfiltered, and often unintentionally hilarious. 

    First up: petting zoo day. If you’ve ever hosted a petting zoo at a preschool, you already know it’s equal parts magical and chaotic. This year, the star of the show was a very pregnant mama goat carrying twins. The kids were fascinated, especially when they realized they could actually feel the babies moving. Which, of course, one of my students who is obsessed with babies asked the question every teacher dreads: “How do the babies get out of the mommy’s tummy?” My eyes grew big and I looked at my teacher partner like what do I say? Every teacher within earshot froze. I chose deflection. “Why don’t you ask the farmer?” 😅 and this was a farmer farmer, probably in his mid 30's, wearing overalls and missing a tooth or two. Thankfully, he was a seasoned professional in answering tiny humans’ stepped in and said "very gently". I mean just the best response. Afterward, the rest of us exchanged relieved looks while he laughed and said, “I’ve done this a lot.” 

    Next up the time we had an unexpected classroom guest a very bold, very animated lizard right outside our window during pickup time. As the kids waited for their parents, this lizard decided to put on a full performance: puffing up his neck, bobbing around, completely unbothered by his audience of wide-eyed preschoolers pressed against the glass. Honestly, it was perfect timing. Pickup can be a restless stretch for little ones, but that lizard? Instant entertainment. My co-worker wondered if we could hire him to come back! Then one of the dads walked up to pick up his daughter when Dean (who is too smart for his own good) proudly announced, “The lizard is looking for a lady lizard.” Without missing a beat, the dad smiled and said, “did he just say what I think he did?  Well… he ain’t wrong.” Cue the teachers trying very hard to keep it together. 😂  ❤️

    Last but definitely the most memorable, the one that made me want to write this post.  The cream of the crop of preschool stories.  The one that will go down in infamy for me. The infamous “white cocaine” incident. 😅 

Ok ok hold on because this is a good one. I have a student with a food allergy, I always text her mom ahead of time with the ingredients we’ll be using for our monthly cooking activity. It’s a simple step that helps keep everyone safe and informed. One of the ingredients that day was white chocolate.  Except autocorrect had other plans. Instead of “white chocolate,” my phone confidently changed it to “white cocaine.” 😳💀 how did chocolate get changed to cocaine and why my phone thought that was ok, I will never know. But yes… I hit send before my eyes registered the word change. The second I realized what happened, pure panic set in. I was frantically tapping “unsend, unsend, UNSEND!” like my life depended on it. Eventually, it disappeared but let’s be honest, once something like that is sent, the emotional damage is already done. 🤦🏼‍♀️ 

Fast forward to cooking day. We always do our activity at the end of the day right before pickup. When that mom arrived, I immediately confessed and explained the situation. Thankfully, she burst out laughing and admitted she did see the message before I unsent it. She was actually about to respond when it disappeared. At this point, another mom nearby overheard the story, and we were all laughing so hard we could barely hold it together. And then somehow… it got even better. Her daughter walked out of the classroom with white chocolate all over her nose from licking the plate clean. Without missing a beat, her mom looked at her and said, “Oh… was she sniffing the white powder?” 😆💀 We absolutely lost it. But honestly, moments like that are exactly what make preschool unforgettable. 

Paintball

    While Brad was off in Tucson, I figured it was the perfect chance to do something fun (and a little out of the ordinary) with the boys so we went paintballing.

    Our first game was capture the flag, and it was me and the boys versus another family. The second the game started, I took off running and grabbed the flag right away. Totally caught the other team off guard they were still getting into positions and didn’t expect it to happen that fast. After that, though, they were ready. I got hit a few times, and they came back to win the second round. But we weren’t done—we rallied and took the third game, winning best out of three.

    As we were walking off the field, the referee laughed and told me I had “no fear” because I just kept going for the flag no matter how many times I got hit. Honestly… not wrong.

    After a quick break, we headed to another field with a bigger group. This time we split up Carson and Logan on one team, Tanner and me on the other. The objective was to get inside this abandoned structure and tap a PVC pipe to switch it to your team’s color. Sounds simple, except no one really wanted to go inside it was tight, chaotic, and basically made you an easy target.

    Naturally, I kept going in anyway. Every time I tried, Carson seemed to be right there waiting to take me out one shot in particular (to my hand!) I definitely remember came from him. At one point, though, Carson must’ve gotten hit and had to head back to reset, and that was my chance. I made it in and switched the pipe to our team.

    I honestly don’t even remember who won that round, but it didn’t matter it was so much fun. The next day, though? A different story. I was covered in bruises, and a couple of them were pretty gnarly. Totally worth it.

    It ended up being such a fun, different way to spend time with the boys—and one I don’t think any of us will forget anytime soon.

Target shooting to get rid of the last few paintballs

 

While Brad’s away…

While Brad was off having the adventure of a lifetime in Malaysia for three weeks, things were… a little less exciting on the home front.  The kids were off with friends or at camp most days, and I realized pretty quickly how much I craved even the smallest bit of attention from them. (Just notice me, children!) They were definitely living their best summer lives.

One nice thing for me was an old coworker who came to visit with her daughter, she’s moved away, so it was nice to catch up with her. We had brunch at Little Hen and then spent the day wandering the area, catching up and enjoying a girls day.

Tanner was busy with SAC camp (strength and conditioning) at the high school every morning—except the week he went to orchestra camp. He wasn’t exactly thrilled I signed him up, but admitted it was better than expected. He liked the music and said it was both fun and more challenging than what he’s used to. And exciting news—he found out he made the Sinfonia orchestra for next year (the same one Carson was in for 8th grade)! 🎻

Logan and I got in a little one-on-one time too. We went on a mother-son date to try Korean corn dogs—something he’s been begging to do—and they did not disappoint. 🧀🌭💥

And because I was so bored, listening to true crime podcasts wasn’t enough so I tackled a few home projects while Brad was away: organized the space under the stairs with a new shoe and sports rack, had the front door re-stained, and started a new quilt.

Pool time with friends!

So, not quite the same as tropical beaches, temples, or durian fruit escapades—but we made it through. And we’re very happy to have Brad back home. ❤️

 

10 years cancer free

 

April 9, 2025 marks 10 years cancer free. A milestone that fills me with deep gratitude—and yet, this year, it’s incredibly hard to feel celebratory.

I still go for my yearly checkups at MD Anderson, but now I'm in their survivorship program where I don't have to do as invasive testing, just some blood work, x-rays, and ultrasound.  And instead of meeting with my oncologist I meet with the nurse over the program. 

I often think back to that time with deep gratitude and a bit of disbelief. I had just turned 30 and was in the thick of motherhood, raising a kindergartener, a 3-year-old, and nursing a 9-month-old. Life didn’t slow down when cancer showed up. Two surgeries, 30 lymph nodes removed, one round of radiation, a month with a drainage bag, two months of physical therapy, and four months of treatment—it was a season of survival in every sense.

I don’t take a single day for granted. Just feeling incredibly thankful.  Especially thankful for the advances in modern medicine.  It gave me ten years of life. Ten years of motherhood, holidays, milestones, laughter, and ordinary moments I’ll never take for granted.

And yet this year… my heart is heavy.

Just weeks ago, we lost our sweet Olivia due to complications from cancer. And suddenly this “10-year survivor” milestone feels bittersweet. I know what a gift it is to reach this point, but I also know not everyone gets that chance. It’s hard to reconcile both truths at once.

So today, I hold space for both joy and grief. I honor the fight in me, and I honor the memory of Olivia and every brave soul whose story ended too soon.

This is for her. For all of them. For the fighters, the survivors, and the ones we carry in our hearts forever.

40 & Fabulous

I turned 40 and honestly… it was probably the best birthday I’ve ever had. Brad completely spoiled me—he started the day with a surprise yard sign and a homemade breakfast, then took the day off from work since it was a Monday, so we could go out to lunch and do some birthday shopping together.

The kids were so sweet and thoughtful, they each picked out a gift just for me. Logan got me perfume, Tanner chose bath bombs and a candle hilariously (and accurately) named “It smells like you’re not in your 30s anymore,” and Carson gave me a digital picture frame (which I love and have already filled with memories). Brad gave me the most beautiful aquamarine earrings (my birthstone) and the birthday card from all four of them had the kindest messages that honestly made me tear up.

Here's the cool card the kids got me:

My sister door dashed me cookies!

We finished the day with dinner and a key lime pie, and I felt so full—in every way.

And the fun isn’t over yet… Brad and I are heading to Sedona next weekend to keep the celebration going. I’m so excited!

Here’s to 40 and fabulous!  Feeling loved, grateful, and excited for what’s ahead!

Lost and Found

I lost the diamond from my wedding ring.

I came home from work, looked down at my hand, and my heart dropped. The diamond was just… gone. The setting looked like it had snapped off. That ring has been on my finger for 20 years. My finger is literally molded to that ring. I was heartbroken.

I went straight back to work, retracing my steps. I scoured the parking lot, swept every corner of my classroom, and even dug through the trash—except for the one garbage can filled with melted ice cream from our Valentine’s Day party. I left feeling so defeated and sure it was lost forever.

Even though there was a small part of me that thought it could be fun to pick out a new ring, I just felt sad. I mean that is the ring that Brad asked me to be his wife with.

Then three weeks later Brad stepped on something in our bedroom carpet. He looked down, picked it up, turned to me and said, “Hold out your hand.” I had no idea what he was about to do… and then he dropped the diamond into my palm.

I was completely shocked. After all that searching, it had been right under our feet, stuck in the carpet of our bedroom the whole time. Our cleaning crew had even come that day, but it must have been so perfectly wedged in that even the vacuum didn't pick it up.

I’m still in disbelief and so incredibly grateful. Now I just need to get it repaired!

Lost February 13

Found March 6

Running 🏃‍♀️

Just a few days after returning from Utah following the heartbreaking loss of our sweet Olivia, Brad and I laced up our shoes and ran the Rodeo Run 10k, sponsored by his company to kick off the Houston Rodeo season. We’ve done this race a couple times before the race winds through downtown Houston and ends at a park for a post race party,  Conoco Philips has their own private tent for employees and family filled with tacos, drinks, and much-needed smiles. 

It felt good to do something together, even in the midst of heavy hearts.

Then just two weeks later, it was time for my annual Blue Bell Fun Run with my girlfriends—our fifth year running as The Moo-llenial Moms (yes, a pun after a Blue Bell ice cream flavor!). We decided to tackle the half marathon again. Honestly, after Olivia’s passing, I wasn’t feeling strong—physically or mentally. My stamina had taken a hit, and my heart just wasn’t in it at first. But I showed up, and I’m proud of that. I know how important it is to keep moving, especially when life feels heavy.

This year’s course wasn’t quite as pretty—hardly any bluebonnets in bloom, unlike the last time when the fields were absolutely bursting with color. But finishing felt like a victory in itself. And of course, getting Blue Bell ice cream at the end is always a sweet reward. My time wasn’t a personal best, but it was strong, and more importantly, it was enough.

Month of Music

What. A. Night. 🎸 Concert #5 of the season might just go down as the best one yet! Jodie and I had an absolute blast seeing MXPX with The Ataris opening—and wow, did they deliver. The Ataris crushed it and honestly left me wanting more. One of the best openers I’ve ever seen. They brought so much energy and nostalgia, setting the perfect tone for the night.

Then MXPX took the stage and it was game on. We were jamming out to all the high school anthems, screaming “Responsibility, what’s that?” at the top of our lungs like it was 2001 all over again. Total highlight? Watching the band throw their guitars across the stage to each other mid-set like it was no big deal. CRAZY. But the best part, the absolute cherry on top, was getting to meet the band afterward! I’ve never had that kind of opportunity before, and it was unforgettable. When it was our turn, I told them how awesome the guitar toss was, and the lead singer told me he liked my hair. 💁‍♀️ Major win.

And as if that wasn’t enough music magic for one week—Carson and I scored last-minute tickets from a friend to see the Houston Symphony perform Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban live alongside the movie. Hearing that score come to life gave us goosebumps. So grateful we got to go—and even more grateful for the handsome date by my side. 🪄✨

 

Mother Son Time

This month was full of special moments with my boys, and I’m grateful for the time we got to spend together.

I had the chance to go on a field trip with Tanner to the Houston Symphony. Let’s just say, riding a school bus packed with teenage boys was… memorable. The smell was something else, and Tanner made it clear he was way too cool to sit with Mom.  He mostly tried to pretend I wasn’t there, but that’s teenagers for you right? Once we arrived, the experience was fantastic. The Houston Symphony did an amazing job teaching the students about music and performing for them. The highlight was definitely when they played Jurassic Park, goosebumps!

Logan and I had our own fun night out at the Shafer Elementary Mother-Son Luau. We grabbed dinner beforehand, then headed to the school for lei-making, bounce houses, and lots of laughs. I loved getting one-on-one time with him and just being silly together.

Another proud moment came on Veterans Day. Logan and his Scout group were asked to participate in the school’s flag ceremony. It was such an honor to watch him take part in something so meaningful. The 5th grade choir sang patriotic songs in tribute to the veterans (family members of the kids at school) and it was a powerful reminder of the importance of service and community.

Grateful for the chance to show up for these little (and big) moments. 💙