College Bound

We're sending this girl off to college this week, and I'm still in a state of disbelief.  (For those of you not familiar with Jessica, she is my BFF Eileen's daughter, and since Eileen is like my sister, Jessica is like my niece--in every sense of the word.) It's not that there hasn't been plenty of time to prepare.  Jess graduated from Hinkley High School (with high honors, natch!) in 2014, but she chose to take advantage of the ASCENT program our district offers high school students.  (read all about this amazing opportunity here)  By taking some concurrent enrollment classes in high school and staying in Aurora for an additional year to attend the Community College of Aurora, Jess was able to complete an Associate of Arts degree in one year, without having to spend a dime.  Now she is off to UNC in Greeley, enrolling as a junior!

So yes, Jess got to stay around an extra  year, and that should have given all of us time to get used to the idea that she would be heading out.  She's capable and more than ready, but it's hard to see that when you've known her since birth.  Because when I see her, I see

this girl

always dancing, always smiling, always beautiful.

and this girl

spending Sundays in the Springs with my family and crushing on my nephew Andy!

and this one

celebrating holidays and birthdays and weddings and always having the time of her life!

and this one

rock star fundraiser, especially for the Arthritis Foundation, and superstar member of Team Thompson and Friends for all ten years that we have walked in the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis.  Jess, your generous heart and beautiful spirit made the sun shine on those snowy days and thawed even the coldest mornings--minus one awesome degrees--on those 2nd Sundays in December.  Wash Park glistened because of you.  Thank you for putting your heart and soul into this event.

and this one

loved and supported so much by her family, including her cousins, her aunts and uncles, her grandparents who cherish her presence when they visit or when she goes home to Nebraska, and her father and step father.

And most importantly, Jessica's mom, my BFF, who has raised Jess to be honest, caring, hard working, a believer, a dreamer, a risk taker, and a giver.  Thank you, Eileen, for sharing Jessica with me and for bringing this beautiful girl into our lives!

and this one

always invited, always included, and always, always loved by the entire Thompson family.   We all adore you, Jess, and are so grateful you are part of our lives!

and  of course this girl

Jewel's babysitter, protector, the only one who can get her to eat when she's being picky, and the only person (besides my mom) whom I truly feel 100% okay leaving her with.  Thank you, Jess, for loving JuJu as much as I do!

but mostly

this girl

Watching this tiny little pumpkin with this high, squeaky voice grow into a stunning young woman with so much talent and soul has been amazing.  So many memories will forever be in my heart 

like

  reading books together, with three-year-old Jess inserting her own names into the story (Cheryl Thompson, into the woods!) 

and the way you pronounced my name (Shale) all the way into your teens and even now hearing it occasionally come out in your voice 

and playing tons of board games like Wizard of Oz Trivia or Yahtzee while we drank Cokes together

 and our countless sleepovers which always included food and movies like Aquamarine and those Twilight movie marathons where I would only make it through one but you and Jewel would stay up all night watching all five

 and our pool therapy summers, always making a Sonic stop afterwards for a breakfast burrito and a Coke that always tasted like the best Coke EVER!

and all our shopping and lunch and theatre dates

and your talent for entertaining so many with your dance and your voice and your drama

and touching all our hearts.

Now it's time for you to go out and touch some more.  Just don't forget to

call your mom every day

message and FaceTime me and Jewel and Lee OFTEN

come home on weekends every now and then

study hard

be yourself

know that you are so loved.

Now,

GO CHANGE THE WORLD, JESSICA CZAPLA!

Quinn!

Meet the newest member of our Royal Family!

Quinn Audrey

Quinn Audrey Fries was born on May 5, 2015, to my niece Micki and her husband Tyler.  

Anxiously awaiting Quinn's arrival were her two big brothers, Ethan (here, here, and here) and Drake (here.)  They stayed with GG while Micki and Tyler were in the hospital, and of course they were the first to be notified of Quinn's birth.  Both of them could hardly wait to meet their new baby sister and see their mom and dad!

Going to visit, bearing gifts!

Ethan is an amazing big brother.  He knew how to spell Quinn before anyone told him--I was teasing him and pretending Quinn's name was Lynne.  He vehemently said "No.  QUINN.  with a Q"!  Micki asked him how he knew it was a Q and he said 'because it sounds like kwa--q.u.a"!

Ethan and Quinn

From the beginning, Drake has been enchanted with Quinn (Kin as he says)--especially her tiny hands.  He often asked to hold her and still does three months later,  They are going to be such good friends, I know!

Drake and Quinn

Not only does Quinn have two big brothers to love and protect her, but she also has the most incredible grandparents.  GG and Jimpa Coover were there to welcome their third grandchild and first granddaughter.

GG, Jimpa, and Quinn

Grandma and Grandpa Fries also live nearby, and they were there to welcome Quinn to the ever-growing Fries family.

Grandma and Grandpa Fries with Quinn and E

Grams got to meet Quinn when she was three weeks old!  She immediately nestled into Grams' safe, loving arms.  Two months later, she was nestled in again <3

Grams and Quinn

Quinn is surrounded by so much love.  Indeed, she got to meet the entire Thompson family, all 31 of us, at Kyle and Ashlie's May wedding.  Everyone wanted to hold three-week old Quinn, and hold her we did.  She got passed around more than a Nebraska football!  It was beautiful.

Quinn with Great Aunt Kerri, Cousin Aunts Ana and Amy, and Great Great Aunt Donna!

Of course, a girl must have her BFFs. Quinn is off to a great start with two of the most ah-dorable little pumpkins, Hailey and Lucy.  Hailey is Micki's friend Brooke's baby girl, and they are just one month apart in age.  They're already going through the handholding phase!  Lucy is Quinn's 2nd cousin.  They are going to be best of friends, just like Micki and Jill, despite what this picture might suggest!

Hailey and Lucy with Quinn

I'm still smiling cheek-to-cheek smiles from my two visits with Quinn (Quinnerina as I call her, much to Ethan's horror).  I met her for the first time when she was three weeks old at the same spot I met her brother Drake two years earlier--Old Chicago in Kearney, Nebraska.    I absolutely could not wait until the next day when everyone would arrive in Lincoln, and so I made a small pit stop in Kearney on my way.  I'm so glad I did.  Because three-week-old Quinn was so  . . .

alert--looking around at everyone!

but also

sleepy--such a good baby!

delicate--little baby hands and slim fingers!

but also

strong--she was already holding her head up!

tiny--nothing like a newborn!

but also

big--a nine-pound baby!

girlie--around all those boys!

but mostly

beautiful--melt-your-heart beautiful with dark hair and dark blue eyes!

When I saw her two months later, she hadn't changed.  Oh sure, she had grown.  And she was smiling--lots of smiles!  But Quinn was still strong and girlie and so

beautiful.

It's fun to imagine what lies ahead for Quinn.  Will she be . . .

a gymnast like her mom?

a brainiac like her GG?

a jock like her dad and uncle and brothers?

a teacher like so many of her family members?

Wherever her path leads her, I'll be watching and cheering her on, along with 30 other Thompsons!

(here are some of my favorite pictures of Quinn so far)

Quinn photographed by her Aunt Sarah

click here for Sarah Hadenfeldt Photography webpage

Newborn Quinn with her mermaid and other photos by her mama 

All smiles!

3 months!

It's a Gatsby ThingLink

What do you do when your 11th grade students seem to be stuck as writers?  Oh sure, they can write that five-paragraph essay alright--they've only been doing that since 6th grade.  They know they need that all-important intro with a thesis statement.  They know they need at least three claims, and they need to support those claims with evidence.  They know they need to wrap everything up with a succinct conclusion.  Yes, they've got that.  

Why is it, then, that I sigh--heavily--when I see a stack of essays staring at me from my desk, demanding attention?  Why do I find a million other things to do until they just can't be avoided a second longer?  They're not going to be horrible.  In fact, some of them will be amazing, but most of them will be okay.  And it's that okay that keeps me from them.

I knew I needed to do something about these okay essays as 4th quarter came around.  I realized that while spending almost the entire year trying to perfect the literary essay,  an essential piece of my students got lost--their voice, and I wanted them to get that back.

Enter my sister, to the rescue!

Peg is a Teaching and Learning Coordinator specializing in technology for ESU10, an educational service unit for a large portion of schools in Nebraska. (follow her here and here).  Her passion for education is infectious, and I love learning from her.  I was lamenting--okay whining--about the essays awaiting me on a Sunday afternoon as I put them off even more with a sister FaceTime call.  We got into a discussion about how to make writing more authentic, about how my students can write okay essays, and about how much I miss hearing their voice when they write about literature, and it is there that she introduced me to ThingLink.  

After hearing Peg talk about ThingLink and viewing several of her creations, I realized that this could be the mode for my students to get their voices back.  Instead of writing an essay, I gave them a bigger challenge.  Their task was to create a ThingLink that contained all the components of a literary essay by linking words, pictures, videos, creations, music, etc.  

I created my own Gatsby ThingLink to use as a model to share my process with my students.  I explained how my title was the thesis statement and all the links became the other parts of the essay.  I showed them which link would logically be my introduction (a Tellagami with me reading a short intro I had written).  I showed them how I supported my thesis with pictures and webpages and videos and word clouds.  Finally, I showed my grand finale conclusion, an iMovie I created to sum up all the links I had used.  And they applauded!  I had tears.

view my Gatsby ThingLink

 Fitzgerald and Romeo

Then we got to work.  I gave them the project description and a planning sheet to get them started . . .

I was thrilled with the final projects!  Instead of handing in essays, my students shared their Gatsby ThingLinks on the Promethean Board.  We all applauded.  I had tears again.  Their work was not okay--it was amazing.  See for yourself--here is a sampling of my juniors' Gatsby ThingLinks.

Melyna's

Gatsby and His Riches

Stephanie's

Characters

Sherlock's

Gatsby's New York

Yovanna's

Eyes

Gabby's

Money

Pedro's

Obsession

This Gatsby ThingLink project was successful because my students were intrinsically motivated.  They

found a new solution to an old problem

became passionate about their work

became curious with their topics

discovered creative ways to make their point

used time management strategies for the process

worked together in a trusting environment

shared their projects

and most importantly

they got their voices back!

The Miracle Project

I love when everything comes together in a teaching unit--the lessons, the engagement, the by-in, the transfer of knowledge.  Although my intention is for every unit to be perfect, sometimes my confidence at the beginning isn't that strong.

When I decided to add the writings of the Transcendentalists to a World Literature unit, I was thrilled.  I hadn't touched Transcendentalism since I left Nebraska 22 years ago, not because I didn't want to but because it simply wasn't on any district curriculum I was presented.  As I scanned the planning guide for 12th grade English for 2nd quarter, a window of opportunity presented itself, allowing me to introduce some of the writings of these great writers to my soon-to-be high school graduates.  

I must admit I was a bit skeptical.  As I said, It had been almost a quarter of a century since I last taught Emerson or Thoreau.  But the spark had been ignited, and I began to plan and gather ideas.  I started with baby steps, and then one reading/discussion just led to more ideas and ultimately the entire unit just came together and everything fell into place.  Kind of like

A MIRACLE

And speaking of miracles, I am still glowing over the final project for my Transcendental unit, which I call The Miracle Project.  The entire time I was working on it, I couldn't help think of my fabulous friend Kari, who shares so beautifully her own miracles in her blog. (read it HERE!)  And so I decided to "gift" her this project.  

Here is the letter I wrote to her to introduce the project.  It's my way of sharing it with you, too!

And, here are some links to a few completed Miracle Projects :) 

Ajla!

Ashley!

Carlos!

Lucille!

Silvia!

and my own demo, with slides purposefully left without pictures or completely blank in order to show my own drafting process for this project

Ms. Thompson

This Miracle Project really was the perfect way to end the first semester for my seniors.  I hope you can take something away from it, too!

Lucy Mae

I was beginning to wonder if this day would ever come, but I finally got to meet Lucy Mae Rischling, our new Royal Baby (more Royal Babies here).  Her early arrival, the uncooperative weather, and some annoying hip pain delayed our first meeting, but the four-month wait was worth every frustrating hitch that got in the way.

So happy to meet you, Lucy!

Lucy, my 2nd great niece and the 5th member of "the next generation," was born on November 7, 2014, to my niece Jill and her husband Todd, their first baby.

Jill Emily, Todd, and Lucy Mae

The beginning of Lucy's life has been sprinkled with miracles and kisses from angels above, beginning with 

her early arrival

Born six weeks early and weighing in at 3 pounds, 8 ounces, Lucy amazed us all with her strength and tenacity. We knew that she would most likely arrive before her December 16th due date, but I don't think any of us were prepared for November 7th.  We were hoping for maybe her Grandpa Mark's November 23rd birthday or her cousin Micki's November 26th birthday, especially since Drake was born on Jill's birthday.  Only one date was written in the stars, though, and that has everything to do with

her name

Lucy Mae's middle name is also her great grandma's (my mom) middle name.  Jill Emily also shares the name of her great grandma, my Grandma Emily.  It just so happens that Grandma Emily's birthday is November 7.  December 16?  November 23?  November 26?  They never stood a chance--Lucy was destined to be born on November 7th!

and if that's not enough

A few weeks after Lucy was born, my Uncle Larry sent me an email with copies of my grandparents' baptismal certificates.  He had been going through boxes when he came across them and thought Mom and I would want copies.  I had been feeling my grandparents' presence strongly the whole month of November, especially Grandma Emily's, and so this email made me smile so much.  As I read the names and dates and places, I felt such a sense of warmth, almost like a hug.  I poured over these certificates several times, and as I looked for the name of Grandma's godparents, a name stood out bold and bright.  Grandma's godmother?  LUCY.  Jill and Todd certainly didn't know this when they chose this name.  Even my mom didn't know, but she did recognize that Lucy Dolezal was Grandma's aunt.  

What's in a name?  For Lucy Mae . . . the beauty and strength of generations of women surrounding her.  Always.

Grandma Emily's baptismal certificate

Lucy will always be surrounded by so much love.  She has amazing parents who also have amazing parents and are the absolute greatest grandparents.   She has great grandparents and lots of aunts and uncles and cousins and cousin cousins and great aunts and great uncles and friends and friends of friends who already have fallen in love with her.

We all love Lucy!

Lucy is already growing so fast.  From that tiny three pound girl who got lost in her car seat, she shows her strong-willed personality in so many ways.

The many faces of Lucy Mae

We'll all be watching her on her journey, surrounded by her angels, as she scatters sparkles and starlight and miracles along her path.