Category Archives: growth

The face of determination

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Monkey Man heads to kindergarten in the fall, a year behind his sister and his chronological mates.  It was a decision that seemed right given his physical challenges.  In some ways, though, it does seems strange to hold him back … Continue reading →

Posted in children, expectations, experience, family, growth | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Reflection on one year of yoga

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Just about a year ago, I attended my first yoga class.  I did not really know what to expect, but as a long time runner and cyclist, felt like I could handle whatever challenge was thrown at me.  I did … Continue reading →

Posted in community, connection, experience, growth, transformation | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Trying on jerky pants — or what it’s like to be a 7th grade teacher in February

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

On my way to class the other day, I passed a few colleagues on hallway duty in the break between lunch and the start of classes.  One colleague was waving her arms like a traffic cop, desperately attempting to quell … Continue reading →

Posted in education, growth, lessons | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Shake it off, and get right back on the bike

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

One of the new buzz words in education is “resilience,” and even though this notion of helping students build inner strength to deal with the obstacles, failures, and disappointments of life seems like a good idea, I wonder why it … Continue reading →

Posted in biking, children, class, coaching, education, experience, growth, teaching | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

When you’re fifteen

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl’s favorite music is Taylor Swift’s Fearless album.  She got the CD for Christmas, and we’ve been listening to it in my car endlessly.  One of Gorilla Girl’s favorite songs on the album is a song called, “Fifteen” about … Continue reading →

Posted in experience, growth, identity, nostalgia, stories | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Imperfect mothers

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

A friend commented the other day that her mom was not necessarily the best mother — in the context of the details of her mother’s decline from age and illness.  My friend has had time to connect, make peace, and … Continue reading →

Posted in family, growth, motherhood, patience | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Patience

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl corrects my of my behavior almost as much as I remind her of our expectations for her behavior. I suppose if she continues to reprimand me, it could become a point of contention — my own parents would … Continue reading →

Posted in community, expectations, family, growth, lessons, motherhood, patience | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Tooth fairy

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl lost her first tooth.  This physical signal of her development took me a bit by surprise. Though I was a little worried that Gorilla Girl lost her tooth too soon, our dentist assured me that even though she … Continue reading →

Posted in experience, fairy tales, family, growth, lessons, motherhood | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Reading, writing, and arithmetic

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl and Monkey Man spent the summer without any scheduled activities — no summer school, day camp, lessons, or classes.  Our summer was about as  unstructured as they come, and we needed it.  So, I have been surprised at … Continue reading →

Posted in education, family, growth, language, lessons, motherhood | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Holland, Michigan: beaching, biking, and melting (down)

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Now that August is here and our thoughts are turning to the inevitable return to school and work, I am hitting my summer stride, finally. Who knew it would take so long? Maybe the mini-vacation to Holland, Michigan helped in … Continue reading →

Posted in beer, biking, collecting, family, food, growth, lessons, motherhood, summer, tantrums, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments