My mom, the teaching legend, retires

My mom celebrated both her birthday and her retirement after 37 years of teaching on Friday.  A few weeks before her last day of school, they threw a retirement party for her.  The kids and I met my dad, my uncle and grandma, and tons of teachers, administrators, and even some family friends to celebrate her wonderful teaching legacy.

My mom has taught bilingual kids in elementary school for more years than I've been alive.  I subbed for a month or two between graduating and starting my first job, and I remember one half-day in particular subbing first graders was the most challenging four hours of my working life!  I'm so thankful there are wonderful teachers out there like my mom - who clearly aren't in it for the money, but because it's a calling.  They invest in their students' lives, care so much about their education and their well-being, mentor younger teachers, and are remembered by their students generations later.  And as a teacher's kid, I'm also grateful for the holidays and summers I had with my mom at home with us!

Maya and Collin . . . and Maya in particular . . . stole a lot of attention at the retirement party, which I think was just what my mom preferred.   

One of teachers at my mom's school spoke so kindly about my mom's incredible impact in her years of teaching and read Proverbs 31 about her.  It was one of many times I was tearing up, so I have no idea how my mom kept it together!

Lucky for me, I had a cute distraction around my legs playing peek-a-boo with my grandma during the sappy tribute!

The school put on a skit, rewriting words to Fiddler on the Roof and other Broadway songs, with teachers acting as my mom working out, eating cottage cheese and peaches, traveling, etc.  

Then we watched a slide show, where some of my mom's students held up one word adjectives.  Collin sat on Brownie's lap so he could read the sweet words the kids used to describe my mom.

It was getting a little emotional in the room until a girl's sign said "harmless" and lightened the mood.

Collin "helped" my mom open gifts, resulting in none of the cards being placed back with the presents, which made it super fun for my mom when writing thank you notes.   

 Maya wasn't sure why everyone kept clapping, but she joined along, excited to use one of her few tricks!

Both of these guys are excited for my mom's retirement!  My dad has been nagging her to retire for the last few years, this year relentlessly.  And Collin can't wait to see a lot of my mom in his last year before elementary school!

And all four generations were delighted to be a part of the party and are thrilled we'll get to spend even more time together in the fall.  Children's Museum, here we come!

After the party at school, we headed to my parents' for dinner and a little driveway fun with neighbors.  My mom and her granddaughter.  While Maya looks a lot like Collin, I think my mom may be a close second in her resemblance, and Maya thanks her for the recessive blue-eyed genes!  

Maya is babbling, "Hey guys, don't leave me behind, I want to hunt for lizards too, and then I want a turn firing the rocket."

This girl is a dog LOVER.  She loves ours but gets so excited when she sees other people's dogs - like Dash next door!

 First snail in hand -

The girls get a turn with the rocket -

I went inside to spend time with my grandma, and when I went back out a few minutes later to call them in for dinner, both of my kids were soaking wet.  It's not an afternoon at the grandparents' house without a squirt gun fight.  

I'm not sure there could be a more smitten grandfather!

What a perfect time of life.  My kids are at such a fun age, and now I get to spend more of my four days off work with my best friend and mom - and probably her best friend and mom!  What joy!  Happy retirement, Mom.  We can't wait to see more and more of you this year!