A Bicycle Built for Three

Yesterday our city experienced a severe storm; it has yet to be called a tornado, but winds were incredibly strong.  I was in my classroom planning when the sirens went off; moments later we got the call to move to our designated shelter location.  The energy was different as both students and teachers could tell this wasn't just a drill.  We ended up sitting in a small hallway together for nearly an hour as warnings popped up on phones, then changed, then got pushed back.  A few students got upset, and some enjoyed the adventure of missing class.  We did our best to keep everyone calm and entertained, including playing 20 Questions and Guess the Animal.  Our lights went out a few times but never for long, and our emergency lights always came through as needed.  Finally, stiff and sore, we managed to get ourselves back to class and to some semblance of schedule.  After that hour spent with students I realized I focused all of my mental energy on t...

It has been a big week for Team Little Man. For one, he competed in his first gymnastics meet.  We have no illusions of future greatness; he loves going to the gym, but his athletic pursuits are sometimes overshadowed by his social connections.  The meet was packed with families and friends wanting to see their favorite gymnast succeed; it was sometimes hard to find a spot without getting in someone else's way.  At the end Little Man was Little Man -- both in his moves and in his desire to know what everyone else was doing.  In a group of four he solidly brought up the rear (although he ended up third in the all-around thanks to a tie for first).  He was thrilled with his new trophy, proudly displaying it in the air and constantly exclaiming, "I won!"  We were so glad he bravely stepped on the floor and enjoyed the experience without any pressure. He also spent his first night in his new big boy bed, an early birthday present from Husband and me.  We c...