Happily and Unexpectedly Homeschooling
The month when these old mountains spill their colors like secrets they can’t keep.
But the haints down in the hollers bellow, keeping me from sleep.
It’s the month that gently cradled me, my first breath soft and new
And the same one that took my momma’s when her time on earth was through.
And in this season of secret-spillin’, I see he’s come back around.
Grief’s here, unwelcomed, all unfurled; a grey patchwork on the ground.
Continue reading “October”Click the link below for my newest blog post because I’ve somehow messed this up, & I’m too technologically challenged to fix it 🙂
Because the Big C is a Real B, Y’all
Hope you enjoy ❤
“Mommy, when they cut your boobies off, will they give you new rainbow ones?”
I recalled my three year old’s words as I stared out the hospital window with labored breath. The pings and beeps of the machines monitoring my body sang their hideous chorus, and I wondered how long a person could stay sane in a place like this without any loved ones to distract them. Not very, I decided.
I glanced down at my broken body. No freakin’ rainbows to be seen.
For as long as I live and breathe, the following memory will be recalled with the dream-like-fluidity and precision detail that only a trauma can create in one’s mind.
“Do you have any questions? Mrs. Woodward?”
I stared at the radiologist’s face. Did he have a wife? Kids? What was his first name? I mean, I really feel like we should be on first name basis to even have this conversation.
His face half hidden, my eyes frantically searched his for more. I needed MORE.
I heard my own quaking voice respond, “Well…I guess… my only question is…how sure ARE you that it’s cancer?”
He breathed in slowly, intentionally. I knew his answer before he spoke.
Continue reading “Cancery Booby-Doos”“We read with our children because it gives both them and us an education of the heart and mind. Of intellect and empathy. We read together and learn because stories teach us how to love.” – Sarah Mackenzie, The Read Aloud Family
I am of the strong opinion that one can never own too many leggings, eat too many fruit snacks, or read too many books. Now, I suppose the majority of experts probably wouldn’t agree with my first two proclamations, but I’m willing to bet not a single one would disagree with the latter.
If I had to come up with the most important lesson I have learned from all my years of studying education, teaching children, AND parenting combined, it would be this:
Continue reading “Just One More Page, Mama”I had a friend recently say to me, “You know how much I love my kids, right? So why do I so desperately want to wave the white flag, lock myself in the bathroom, and eat an entire jar of Nutella? I’ve only been stuck here with them for two days! And I actually did eat all the Nutella. Help me not want to eat the Nutella, Summer.”
I hear you, sister friend. And I think I can help. I’ve been that mom. I am still sometimes that mom. I don’t think God or any person on Earth expects you to be fully engaged and joyful about every second of raising your children. It’s messy, laborious, and often thankless work. And not to mention that those tiny people are so stinkin’ LOUD.
Continue reading “All of the Nutella: A Guide to Actually Enjoying Days at Home with Little Ones”First thing’s first. BREATHE. Do it again with some extra deep breathing yoga flair. And hear me loud and clear when I tell you that your children are resilient. If you did nothing else but read to them for the next few weeks, they would be just fine. You are not going to mess them up. You are not going to let them down. Your house may be a little (or a lot) messy, and you may need to adjust your expectations for “home-cooked meals”, but everyone is going to be just fine. Okie dokie, artichokie?
The five tips I am sharing with you today aren’t going to bring the magic (that’ll come later). These suggestions are adjustments or implementations that may aid you in finding your footing with this whole thing. So here we go. But first…one more deep breath.
Continue reading “"Omelets are for Sundays, son." Homeschooling Tips to get you started.”2023 has arrived, and my newsfeed is currently congested with dieting ads, fitness plans, intention-setting, and all the typical resolution chatter. Meanwhile, I’m over here shaking my head and making a big ole X with both arms.
Now, this may be an unpopular opinion, but January just doesn’t feel like the most organic time to burst full steam ahead. All this goal crushing feels more like soul crushing to me.
And maybe I’m alone in feeling like it’s all a little too aggressive, but hear me out.
Continue reading “Bleed Schmeed”Last week, on November 2, 2022, I celebrated my first Cancerversary. One full year of life since finishing the trifecta of mastectomy, chemo, and radiation.
If you’re new here and unfamiliar with the story of how my cancery booby-doos tried to kill me, please explore the other posts on my blog. There you will learn how a baseline mammogram (and a fellow warrior’s insistence) saved my life. You can be asymptomatic, without a family history, under 40 years old, and STILL find your breast cancer through a preventive screening that many doctors say is unnecessary until 40 (an age I wouldn’t have seen). You will also learn about the changes I’ve made after better understanding how young-ish folks like myself can end up with environmental cancers.
Nervous energy coursed through my body as I stepped onto the elevator. I was heading to my first radiation treatment.
“Does your shirt say, ‘I Got This’?” a voice from the back corner inquired. She was small and thin, and her steel gray hair was chopped into a no-nonsense bob.
“Yes, it was a gift,” I replied.
“You’ve got this, even if it sucks…right?”
“And boy does it ever,” I chuckled, “But yep. I’ve got it.”
“Haha, me too, honey.”
Hours later, I stepped back onto that same elevator.
“I rode with you this morning. You’ve changed shirts,” the familiar voice said.
“Oh hi there!” I said, turning around to meet her gaze, “Yes, I went for a walk earlier and worked up a sweat. It’s so dang hot here.”
“Yes, it is. Well, this is the last time I’ll have to come here.”
Not picking up on any kind of pensive tone and being unable to fully read her face that was half-hidden by a mask, I replied, “Oh yay! Congratulations! Good for you!”
Silence.
“Well actually…not so good for me.”
I typically title my blog posts after I’ve begun writing, but I knew what I would name this one before I ever typed a word. And I can’t stop laughing at the actual perfection. I mean we ARE talking about scary skincare (among other things) here today, but don’t worry… nobody is “getting the hose.”
If you’re Gen Z or whomever it is that comes after us elder millennials, you may not be familiar with Silence of the Lambs. And in that case, you’ll just have to excuse me because the mere idea of peppering this post with Lecter-isms is bringing me a substantial amount of joy. These days, my friends, I jump on that joy train at every opportunity.
Continue reading “It Puts the Lotion on its Skin”Hello dearest students. Thank you for returning to Part II of the lesson I never dreamed I’d be teaching. I have entitled this portion of our learning:
“Having Environmental Breast Cancer at Age 36 is Absolute Poopidy-Poo-Poo-Garbage, and I Recommend You Avoid It At All Costs.”
Okay, maybe not my most cleverly titled lesson plan, but you get the gist.
Continue reading “Welcome to Crunchy Town”I believe you can learn something from ANYTHING.
Well, except maybe from Tiger King. All of our brains need a good wash down after bingeing that hot mess.
But actually, I take that back. In an alternate universe where that train-wreck of a show is child-friendly, even Tiger King could be an excellent jumping off point for a unit study.
Continue reading “Yes, Even Tiger King”
Fierce Little Learners