Meet the Teacher Monday! Everything You Wanted to Know About Me and Maybe TOO Much!

Hello Friends!


Today is Meet the Teacher Monday! So here is a little bit of information about me.......

1.  I am currently starting my 19th year of teaching kindergarten! Wow! That is a lot of years! I have to say, though, that it really does not seem like 19 years. Teaching 5 year olds is just such a sweet treat and I couldn't be happier with what I do from day to day!
I also tutor after school.... Love that, too!


2.  My husband and I will be married 30 years this November! Another WOW! My time with him has been amazing and I couldn't ask for a better partner in life. He is funny and kind and gentle and everything that makes a good husband good! He puts up with my moods and he is my best friend. We met on a blind date. I actually was shown a picture of him before our date, but he went into it TOTALLY blind! I knew I wanted to marry him after our first date, but it took him awhile to realize that I was a good choice for him, too!

 This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of us....


And here is our wedding picture 30 years ago!


 This is a picture of us now.....



3.  We have a farm, but we don't live on the farm! When we were first married, my husband's father was still farming full time. I was teaching full time at a small town north of Champaign and the farm is 20 miles south of Champaign. So we made Champaign our home and didn't really think about moving to the farm once we settled in the "city". My husband commutes to the farm every day!






4.  I have 3 wonderful, grown children! My oldest son was just married this January to a beautiful young lady with whom we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! My only daughter graduated in Studio Arts and is trying to make it in the Art world in Chicago. So far nothing permanent, but she is determined and I know something will show up soon! My youngest son just finished class work at Loyola University in Chicago and he, too, is now throwing his hat into the job ring...... fingers crossed.... hope, hope!





5.   My husband and I like to travel and I feel like we have not done enough of it! The thing with me is that I LOVE the traveling once we are there, but do not really enjoy the actual traveling! What I mean by that is that I still get motion sickness (Yuck!), so the getting there is usually not fun.... BUT once we are there it is always amazing! Last  year we traveled to Rome, Italy and the year before that, we traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic. Last March, we traveled to New York City. This summer, my daughter and I traveled to San Francisco. I have quite a few places on my bucket list that I want to travel to..... Ireland, Hawaii, Paris.........

Here we are in Prague....





 New York City!
 
Rome, Italy!




 I am blessed to be able to still travel with my wonderful parents, too! Here is a picture of my beautiful Mom and me in the old Alameda, California,  Navy Base

And here is a picture of my Mom, Dad, my daughter, and my awesome sister in law in San Francisco...

My daughter and me in San Francisco


My husband has a pretty great family, too! I just don't have the pictures of them like I do my own family!

6.  If you read my blog, you know that I love to garden. This summer because of my foot surgery, I was unable to do very much which has made me feel sad. Luckily, my wonderful husband has kept the flowers alive and I have a lovely parent who has kept the school garden alive this summer. Being in my garden brings me such peace.......







7.  One flavor that I adore is vanilla! I can live without chocolate, but don't take away my vanilla! I love snickerdoodles, Dairy Queen vanilla soft serve, and Special K Vanilla Crisp cereal bars. I even love the COLOR vanilla! I also love cinnamon and coconut!! Yum!!
Dairy Queen Pina Colada Smoothie...... ARRRGGGHHH! Too delicious!!


8.  I am a children's book hoarder! I have HUNDREDS of kid's books........ I am addicted and do not know how to help myself!! Mo Willems and Lois Ehlert are two of my favorite authors, but I love them all! Here are a few pictures of my book boxes (Please ignore the mess! I am still setting up my classroom!) I have 4 times that many children's books! Many of my classroom library books are from my personal collection. But I also have special theme boxes that I only get out on special occasions..... They are my babies, and I know that I will have to go through them eventually and give some away.....



9.  I live in corn and soybean country, but love the ocean and Lake Michigan....... These are two of my favorite pictures of my son and daughter fishing in Lake Michigan......


This is my oldest son on a boat in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin....

And this is me... the ONLY way I will ride in a boat!


10.  And finally..........I have the best kindergarten team in the world to work with! I am thankful for them everyday. They are creative, fun, and willing to try anything if they think it will benefit our students! I am soooooo lucky to work with these wonderful women! Thank you Lisa and Lea!


So that's me! Make sure you link up on Blog Hoppin and share YOU!

Until next time!

Blessings,
Cindy