A Champions Finish

Last Wednesday my teacher partner Mindy and I took 11 students to the UIL State Theatrical Design contest. Every school district in the state of Texas can submit 12 students total (9 entries) to this contest. We had one student complete 2 entries which is why we only had 11 enter..

In an unheard of accomplishment (at least around here..) ALL of our entries advanced to the state round!

So, on Wednesday we traveled down to Austin for the contest. We took care of some paperwork stuff Wednesday evening and then bright an early Thursday morning the students were critiqued by the various judges. 

The judges were fantastic.. the best we have ever had. And even if our student's hadn't done well, I would say that anyway. The judges were knowledgeable and nice, but professional and tough at the same time!

After judging we had hours and hours to wait around. We could watch plays and hang out.. but we didn't get results until almost 11:30pm. That makes for an incredibly long day.

But it was WORTH IT!

We had 9 of our 11 students medal!! INCREDIBLE!  And that included TWO State CHAMPIONS!

I went and looked... Stephenville High School's Theatrical Design team is listed SIX TIMES on the state medalist sheet. Click here to see for yourself! The next closest team was listed three times.  

Yeah, we had a good night.

Here we are after the award ceremony.

And oh, yeah... coaches get medals too when you are a State Champ!

The next morning, we loaded up early and made it back to the high school ten minutes before the final bell rang for school to be out for the summer!

To commemorate the last day of school, our championships and my final day of my 30 day handstand challenge, I did a handstand at the hotel before we left.

And then on Saturday we had graduation. One of my art students (and theatrical design medalists) was the salutatorian. She even thanked me in her speech. That was really cool. Here we are before the ceremony. 

I have to say, finishing the year on such a high note is really nice. I'm pumped for next year all ready and I get all of June and July to chill. (Well, we all know that I don't chill.. but I don't have to report to school every morning!)

My plans for this summer include running, painting, cleaning house, taking 6 hours of graduate class and chilling with my girlies.

It's the little things that are the big things

My children are my daily mirror. If I want to know about life, my attitude and my habits, all I have to do is look at them, see what they are doing and what they are interested in to know what I have been busy focusing on.

So this week, I am trying to look in the mirror of their eyes more. 

But first, I have to share this.. 

I can't believe that my baby is about to complete kindergarten. 

I love her drawing of herself!

And because I know that I will blink and she will be ready to graduate from high school, I am trying to document some of her little girl moments!

I love that she loves writing stories and reading.

Moving on..

People ask why I do challenges, I do them because:

• it keeps me accountable to complete the task
• it makes me try new things
• it makes me try HARD things

And teaching my girls to complete hard things is one of my jobs as a mom.

So with this handstand challenge and healthy eating, there are days when I don't want to continue the journey. Some days I want to sit on the couch and eat potato chips. But you know what, my girls are great at reminding me to get up and get going. 

Lexi is eating salads with me and is my official handstand photographer. Kylie is working hard on handstands too. 

So even though the other night I had tons of chest congestion and a bad headache, legitimate reasons to take a day off the handstand, you know what? I did that stupid handstand. And Kylie sat there and watched me, and afterward, I felt like I had accomplished something!

Cause look at my girls.  

They will follow my lead, whichever path I take them on.

And this is last night. 

I'm getting stronger.

And relishing in a few moments with my baby girl who likes to draw butterflies on her face. 

Whew, there is something about that first full week of May

There is just something about the first full week of May each year. It's like the turn of the calendar makes everything go into warp speed.

I am trying to slow down my brain and enjoy the moments as I can.

The week started out with Maddie celebrating her 15th birthday. Like every mother, I just shook my head and wondered where these years have gone!

I continued my daily handstand challenge, and even mastered the handstand in the yard without a wall to lean on! I was so pumped.

Also this week Maddie had colorguard tryouts for next year's guard. It wasn't nerve wrecking this time as we knew what to expect, and we knew that as long as she didn't just do horribly, she would make the team.

She did, along with her best friend! 

Friday night found Doug and I out to eat with just Kylie. We haven't had many meals out with just the little one, but I have a feeling that this is a glimpse of our future.

I found it nostalgic.. Kylie loved having all of our attention.

And we finished the week with Mother's Day today. Here we are at church. 

And then we came home and Kylie did handstands with me!

 Life is busy, but oh so good.

A Handstand and a Memory

I had to share today's handstand! 

(I don't know what day it is.. I don't keep count like that..it's just another day, another handstand!)

The back story is that I feel like crud. I'm exhausted and worn out and have low morale.

But in the midst of work yuck, my students have my heart.

This afternoon after class (while running a fever no less) I went across to the dance studio so that I could do my handstand in a new place.

My advanced art students who I dearly love are also top dancers. They know about my Eat to Live quest and my handstand challenge. 

I asked one of the girls if she would take a cool picture of me.. she said sure, but then she and a couple of other girls discussed doing handstands with me!

I said let's do it. Then they pretty much backed out.

So Allison helped me into my handstand (don't want to foot plant the mirror!) and then stood back and watched as I said come on!

So she ran over (as seen in picture 2) and Shelby (another of my babies) helped her and we took a picture.

What was so funny about the process is that all the while we were laughing and playing around.. and I was upside down, the dance teacher, was watching. The other dancers tried to get her to join our handstand party by chanting her name.

She said no. She said that I had been working out! 

I have to say, my heart needed that. The dance teacher is fit and young.. and she didn't want to do a handstand.. but I was STILL doing one. :)

Yeah, in reality it was probably less than 20 seconds AND my feet were balanced on the wall, but I felt like a rock star!

So this is me. Being real with my students. Oh how these kids have my heart.

My 30 day Handstand Challenge!

As part of my challenge to get stronger, I've decided to focus on 30 days of handstands. I am going to document my efforts.  (you are welcome.)

Day 1. At home at the end of a long day. But I did it.

Day 2. In my classroom, for my high school students!

Day 3: Saturday morning, after a 6 mile run. I don't know if you can see, but I am straight up here. NOT leaning on the wall. I held it like this for at least a second or two! :)  Progress. Slow. and. Steady.

I can't wait to see what I can do after 30 days. My goal is that I will be able to stand for a minute.