Life and Times of the Sharp Family

There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain Then bursting forth Oh, glorious day! Up the grave he rose again And as he stands in victory Sin's curse has lost its grip on me For I am his And he is mine Bought with the precious blood of Christ Thank God I serve a Risen Savior! Lord, thank you for dying for me.  Thank you that you are powerful enough to defeat death.  Thank you for giving us hope to live.  In your name I pray, Amen.

My kids are blessed to have some truly amazing people in their lives.  Among them are their very special, very entertaining, very cool Aunt April and Uncle Brian.  We got a chance to see each other today.  The kids played in the park near their house and we all ate lunch together.  After lunch, April and Brian had planned a surprise Easter Egg Hunt just for them in the back yard. My kids freaked out, running around the yard like crazy people searching for each and every egg.  The only egg-ception (sorry, I couldn't help myself) was AJ, who would stop after each egg she found to open it and eat the contents. The sun shone on this beautiful spring day, and watching them smile, I felt truly blessed. Thank God for an Eater Egg Hunt! Lord, thank you for a fun time today with our dear friends.  Thank you for the fun and love they bring to my kids' lives.  Thank you for the beautiful day and for the chance to be together.  In your name I...

Up Calvary's mountain one dreadful morn Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn Facing for sinners, death on the cross That He might save them from endless loss Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading Blind and unheeding, dying for me "Father, forgive them," my Savior prayed Even while His lifeblood flowed fast away Praying for sinners while in such woe No one but Jesus ever loved so Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading Blind and unheeding, dying for me Oh, how I love Him, Savior and Friend How can my praises ever find end? Through years unnumbered on Heaven's shore My songs shall praise Him forevermore Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading Blind and unheeding, dying for me Thank you, Jesus, for dying for me. Lord, tha...

One of the things that I love about my iPhone is its ability to set an alarm to go off on weekdays only.  That way, you don't have the "oh-crap-I-forgot-to-turn-my-alarm-off" happening at 5:15 am on a Saturday morning. So my phone is so smart, it knows to only wake me up at 5:15 am Monday through Friday. Fortunately, I'm not going to need that feature for a little while. This morning, I manually turned off the alarm. For the next 10 glorious days of spring, it won't be needed. Thank God for my weekday alarm!  And Thank God it's turned off! Lord, thank you for a break and a chance to catch our collective breath.  Please let this break be a time of relaxation and quality togetherness.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Tonight, Colby and I both participated in professional development -- from our couch. We each took part in separate conversations about how to be better teachers through the magic of Twitter with teachers all over the world. I thought it was funny that some people who know us both noticed that we were both tweeting simultaneously: I like watching  @ colbysharp  and @ sharpsgalore  tweet concurrently. It's kind of adorable. # WhosWatchingTheKids I'm thankful that I have a husband who is both talented and motivated.  I am grateful to be married to someone who takes pride in what he does.  And I'm thankful to be sitting next to him tonight, even if it's just because we both needed a place to sit and tweet. :) Thank God for concurrent tweets! Lord, thank you for my rockstar husband and for the way he makes me want to be better.  In your name I pray, Amen.

It's so easy to get so caught up in my own little bubble, teaching my fanny off in room 301.  My students come in, I teach/facilitate/flounder/blow minds (or maybe all of these, depending on the day) for 52 minutes and then -- poof!  They disappear into the ether. I think that's why it hits me so hard when real life shows up. I have a student in my third hour class whose brother has been battling a brain tumor for a year with a poor prognosis.  She and I have talked about it many times during our 52 minute interludes.  This student (we'll call her Abbi) is a beautiful soul, full of life and enthusiasm.  She is also one of those students you just crave to be able to have in your classroom.  She might not pick up things the fastest, but she works hard until she understands concepts fully.  She is dedicated and responsible. But as the year progressed, this I could see her worry in the sag of her shoulders.  I could see her on the verge of tears...

I really dread coming back to school after a sub has been in my room.  So, I was fully expecting that today would be terrible. Great attitude, right? I had gone into school yesterday, however, to do some cleaning up and create a plan of attack for this Monday-of-the-week-before-spring-break-after-being-gone-two-days-in-a-row. And today, I executed that plan. You can read all about the plan here , in my new blog which will serve as a way for me to reflect on my own teaching practices and share my ups and down with other educators. I felt like I was kicking butt and taking names.  I was teaching my little fanny off and the kids were responding.  It was great to be among my students again, doing what I love to do. It was a good day.  And good days are always something to be thankful for. Thank God for a good day! Lord, thank you for an unexpectedly good day at school.  Thank you for the success you allowed me to experience in my classroom.  Hel...

I got my new MacBook Pro case in the mail yesterday and managed to get it all situated on my laptop today. I love it because 1) I no longer have to worry (as much) about dropping it, banging it against the wall, or something equally as stupid that would break the screen or put a dent in the body. 2) It came with a silicone keyboard-cover that makes it only marginally annoying to type, but prevents the grease on my fingers from transferring to the black keys.  I was really starting to get a complex about how greasy I was. 3) It's pretty.  It's this nice teal or Robin egg's blue that I just love. Thank God for my new MacBook case! Lord, thank you for simple things that bring us joy, like aesthetically pleasing laptop covers.  Thank you for my new laptop case and for the protection it provides.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Tonight I got to attend the Big 10 Gymnastics Championships at the Jenison Field House on the campus of Michigan State University.  I went with my close friend and judging colleague, Courtney.  We had a great time laughing and catching up on the way to the meet and were wowed by the talent of the girls competing at Jenison.  Afterward, we went to dinner at one of my favorite places -- Chipotle -- then met up with another close friend and judging mate, Angie.  We had a drink at Darb's Tavern and Eatery in Mason.  We watched basketball, talked gymnastics, told stories, and laughed. I am so grateful to be able to spend some time with some of my favorite people.  It was refreshing, invigorating, and flat out fun. Thank God for the Big 10 Championships! Lord, thank you for a chance to hang out with friends tonight.  Thank you for the fun I had and for the amazing people you've placed in my life.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I really hate riding in elevators. So much so, in fact, that I will do nearly anything to avoid riding them -- which normally means going up more flights of stairs than any normal person would care to. It's worth it not to have to ride on one of those death traps. But I couldn't get around that this week.  Our hotel was at the Renaissance Center, and the only way to reach the lobby from street level or our room from the lobby was to ride the elevators. A couple of times riding up to our room, I thought I was near either passing out or having a full-fledged panic attack when our elevator became increasingly full to the point where I was wedged in a corner, head against the wall and eyes closed. Tonight I am thankful that at least for the relatively near future, I will not be required to ride in any elevators.  I know that probably sounds crazy to you, but it's a huge relief. Thank God I won't have to ride more elevators for a while! Lord, thank you for the ...

Had an exhausting day learning and presenting at MACUL. I am so thankful that everything went well today. Lord, thank you for helping me have a great day learning and sharing today at MACUL.

My husband has long been a Twitter user.  He's become quite a phenomenon in that world. Tonight I dipped my toes in the proverbial Twitter water.  I joined a chat with other educators across the world on Standards-Based Grading--something I am very passionate about.  In fact, I am speaking on Standards-Based Grading and how it has transformed my classroom at the MACUL conference tomorrow in Detroit. I am so thankful that I took a chance and tried this chat tonight.  It allowed me to connect with other teachers and administrators who share my enthusiasm for a shift in grading practices.  It re-affirmed the things that I am already doing in my classroom.  And it pumped me up for my presentation tomorrow. I am also grateful for my husband, who introduced me to this tool and encouraged me to give it a shot. Thank God for my first Tweetchat! Lord, thank you for a powerful conversation I was able to have with other enthusiastic, positive teachers. ...

When we got home from school this afternoon, the kids and I broke out a bag of baby carrots. I gave them some ranch to dip their carrots in, and we had a big ol' time sitting around the kitchen breakfast nook talking about our collective days at school.  So, yeah...the carrot poking fight. About that.  It all started when AJ took her little slimy carrot and poked me in the arm with it. It was such a gross sensation, like getting a wet willy on your arm.  So, being the mature adult that I am, I poked her back with my carrot.  Soon, we were all poking each other with baby carrots and giggling. We shrieked in delight as we chased each other through the house, wielding baby carrots like swords and shouting "En Garde!"  It was so silly and random, but mostly fun and refreshing to be able to laugh with my kids after a rather hard and horrible day. Thank God for our carrot poking fight! Lord, thank you for the emotional lift my kids gave me tonight. ...

Today as I was riding my bike, AJ came into the room and offered me a water bottle.  She said, "Here you go, momma!" with a big ol' grin on her little elfish face.  "Drink yo watter!" she exclaimed as she handed the bottle to me, then turned and walked out of the room. It was really cute, and pretty funny, especially since (1) Colby wasn't home to help her get the bottle and (2) it was empty. But, I'm thankful and flattered that my little one was thinking of me! Thank God for my own tiny water station!  I might not have been any more hydrated after, but it is the thought that counts, right? Lord, thank you for my sweet girl who does kind and funny things.  Thank you for her heart and for allowing me to be her mom.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Colby and I got to go out for a quick bite to eat this evening.  We chose The Olive Garden, only because I happened to have not one, but two gift cards that were burning a hole in my pocket.  We both enjoy the unlimited soup, salad, and bread sticks that The Olive Garden offers.  When our waitress ended up being a touch slow on the refills, our first response was to be a bit annoyed.  We were, after all, very hungry.  But then, as we got to talking between "rounds", we would laugh and talk.  I realized that I was happy our waitress was less than efficient.  It gave me a chance to really connect with my husband.  Without the forced interlude, I would have spent the entire meal with my face in my soup or salad bowl. I am thankful for my mother-in-law, who offered to watch the kids so we could go out.  And, I am grateful for a gentle reminder to value my time with my husband over food.  It was a delightful time laughing with him tonight. ...

Today, I ran the 4th annual "Goodbye, Yeti!" 5K race in beautiful Parma, Michigan.  The Yeti series of runs ("Hello" in the fall and "Goodbye" in the spring) are put on by the Western Runners Club, which is an auxiliary of the Western Cross-Country and Track and Field teams.  I have run the race every year but one, when I was as large as a whale with AJ.  I had to chuckle, because I wore a tank top and short in last year's race.  Today, I needed my Gore-Tex shoes to contend with the slippery ice/snow/slush, my Northface coat, and my hat and gloves. But, enough about that. I crossed the finish line in NINETEEN MINUTES AND THIRTY-TWO SECONDS! WOOT WOOT! I haven't run a sub-20 5K since I was a junior in high school, and to be honest, I never thought that I would again.  But, since I have been training pretty hard this winter, I had a tickle in the back of my brain that maybe, just maybe, I would be able to break 20 today if I ran my fanny off. ...

Today I found out that I am going to have a nephew in roughly 5 months!  I am so excited for my brother and Laura. But I am even more excited to meet this little guy! Thank God for my nephew! Lord, thank you for a strong, healthy new baby boy.  Thank you for the joy that he has already brought to his mom and dad.  Please be with him and he grows over the next few months and help him to arrive here safely.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Since March is Reading Month, I decided to take a few minutes out of class today to read to my students.  Reverting to a state reminiscent of elementary school, I sat at the front of the room and turned the pages of Press Here  by Herve Tullet (one of my own kids' favorites). At first, my students seemed more surprised than anything else, but as I walked around the room and asked them to perform the silly tasks, such as tapping dots and clapping, most of them seemed to really get into it, smiling and laughing. It was a great break from the normal class routine, and I enjoyed connecting with my students in this unexpected way. Thank God for reading to the class! Lord, thank you for the chance to do something fun with my students today.  Thank you for a good book and for the chance to share it with my students.  In your name I pray, Amen.

At 3 pm, I got a reminder on my phone simply saying "Green Jello" and I had to smile. It was there to make sure that I followed through on making Breslin's snack for his "Green Party" tomorrow.  I am so thankful to be able to do "mom" things like make lime Jello for a kindergarten St. Patrick's Day Party! Thank God for green Jello! Lord, thank you for my kindergartner and for all the fun silly things I get to do because I am his mom.  Please help him to have a fun day at his green party tomorrow.  In your name I pray, Amen.

The last couple of nights Breslin has read to us from the book The Cat on the Mat is Flat. It has been a joy to hear him read with rich expression, and to hear him laugh his little head off throughout the book. Lord, thank you for blessing me with an amazing son, and for making him so so happy. In Your name I pray, Amen.

Today was the first day since last Monday that I have been in my classroom teaching chemistry.  You see, last week was an especially weird week with ACT/MME testing.  On Tuesday, only the juniors attended school to take the ACT test.  I was a proctor which meant I did nothing for the entire test session besides stare at students and count cinder blocks. On Wednesday, the juniors took tests in the morning, which meant more proctoring and cinder-block counting.  In the afternoon, I was out of the classroom in order to schedule students into their bi-quarterly Power Play sessions. On Thursday, I did exactly the same thing I did on Wednesday. On Friday, I took a personal day to judge the state gymnastics team finals. So, after being away from real teaching, most of my students, and my classroom for a solid week, it felt good to be back at it today.  I missed talking about chemistry and I missed interacting with (most of) my students.  Thank God I'm ...

I was taking a nap today when I was woken up by a very sweet and soft kiss on my forehead.  I looked up to see my Dharia Lou looking down at me with a smile on her face.  If you have to be woken up, by someone or something, I'm pretty sure this has to be the best way to do it.  If it's not, I'm not sure what is. The forehead kiss has a special significance to me.  The first time Colby ever kissed me, it was on the forehead, not the lips, but it carried more weight, somehow.  It was almost like I knew right then that we would be together always.  With it began our epic adventure that has brought us to where we are today. Because of the meaning forehead kisses have for me, I was extra thankful to get one from my daughter today--even if it also meant having to get up out of my warm, comfy bed. Thank God for a forehead kiss! Lord, thank you for my sweet girl and for the nice way she woke me up today.  Thank you for my family, and for the story that...

I judged the state individual gymnastics finals today.  We walked in the gym at 9:45 am. We walked out of the gym at 8 pm. It was a long day of judging vault.  And while yesterday I was thankful to be judging vault, today I'm thinking I might be okay with not seeing another one for a good long while.   There were points in the day where I seriously thought that I might not make it home tonight.  I'm thankful to say that I am finally home, curled up in jammies in my own bed.  I made it.  Now, I'm looking forward to a good night's rest and a day spent with my kids tomorrow. Thank God for my bed! Lord, thank you for helping me make it all the way through the day and home safely.  Help me to have a good rest tonight and enjoy the rest of my weekend with my family tomorrow.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Tonight I judged the state gymnastics meet. It was a huge honor to be there, judging the teams who strove all season to be a part of the state final team competition. I was assigned to vault, which is definitely the event that I feel the least confident at, but as the evening progressed, I started to relax and have fun. We saw some fantastic vaults from some of the best gymnasts in the state. By the end, even though it had been a long meet and an even longer day, I was sad to see it come to an end. I am truly grateful to have been a part of an amazingly great, solid judging panel and for the opportunity to do it all over again tomorrow. Thank God for (a lot of) vault! Lord, thank you for the chance to be here today and for the honor of judging the state gymnastics meet. Thank you for the group I judged with today and for the fun we had at today's meet. In your name I pray, Amen.

Today was the third and final day of ACT/MME testing for the juniors across the state of Michigan.  For the past three days, I have been sitting with the class of 2014 whose last names start in E through H.  I have distributed and collected answer documents, test booklets, number 2 pencils, and Kleenex. These kids are fried.  After three long days, they had that dazed look about them as they milled around the room after testing.  We were told to hold them in the testing rooms until the beginning of their fourth hour classes.  At first, they just sort of stood and sat around.  Then, someone had the idea to play the classic elementary game, Heads Up, Seven Up.  You had to have played it once in your life, I'm guessing.  You know, it's the one where everyone puts their head down and their thumbs up on their desk.  Then seven people go around the room and push thumbs down.  Then, those who had their thumbs pushed down have to try to guess ...

Today I was just exhausted at school all day.  I could barely keep my eyes open and, driving home, I prayed that I would just stay awake. When my husband walked through the door, I greeted him by laying on the couch with my eyes closed and my mouth hanging open.  He suggested I go up to bed and get some rest. I did just that.  I took a big fat nap and I feel so much better. Thank God for a big fat nap! Lord, thank you for an opportunity to get some rest today.  Thank you for my understanding husband and for some time in the afternoon to get caught up on some sleep.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Tonight, my husband agreed to be my proxy at little kids' soccer practice.  I had felt terrible throughout the day and my right leg has been mysteriously bruised and swollen since I woke up this morning.   The thought of chasing/coaching a huge group of 4-6 year olds after a full day at school sounded awful. My husband took Breslin and Dharia, and even volunteered to help my dad run the second session with the older kids. I sat at home on the couch with AJ with my feet up and relaxed. I am so thankful that my loving husband was willing to do this for me.  It made my evening much less painful and I believe that tomorrow will be better because of the chance to relax and be off of my feet.  Thank God for my proxy! Lord, thank you for Colby and all the ways he takes good care of me.  Thank you for his selflessness tonight.  In your name I pray, Amen.

There is this song by Maroon 5 called "Daylight" that I really dig.  This morning on my way to school, it was stuck in my head.  I was glad, because I love the song and I'm just fine with having it on repeat in my internal stereo system, but I had to chuckle when I figured out why. After months of driving to school in the dark, this morning, I saw the sun rising as I made my way east towards Parma.  Most mornings feel as cold, as bleak, and as dark as the middle of the night.  In my foggy, sleepy haze, I careen down Erie Road, fighting the blackness. But not today.  The morning sun has returned to my life. And it made me happy.  And feel like singing.  Thank God for daylight! Lord, thank you for telling the sun to rise each day.  Thank you for telling it to rise a little bit earlier today.  Thank you for good music that is a soundtrack to my life.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Today, I became a part of the summer crew for the company 3 Disciplines out of Grand Blanc, Michigan.  3 Disciplines puts on events, mostly triathlons, throughout Michigan and this summer I will be a member of the team organizing and executing those events.  I am pumped to learn more about how triathlons work behind the scenes and to have the opportunity to make some extra money doing pursuing something that I have grown to love.  I know it will be a lot of work, but I believe it will be an exciting and fulfilling new adventure for me. Tonight I am thankful that this quality company with high standards wants me to join them this summer. Thank God for the 3D crew! Lord, thank you for presenting me with a way to make some extra money doing something I enjoy this summer.  Please help me and guide me on this new adventure.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Today I judged regional gymnastics meet at Troy Athens High School. It brought back a lot of great memories from when I was a high school gymnast competing at regionals. Lord, thank you for allowing me to reflect back on some pretty amazing times in my life. In Your name I pray, Amen.

I know this isn't the best picture, but it gets the idea across. Tonight, since Breslin is staying at Grandma Kathy's, the girls wanted to have a "slumber party" in his bed.  They each passed out, one on a side, within minutes of the "party" starting.  It was so cute to see them each curled up on their own end of their big brother's bed.  I am so grateful for the friendship that is budding between them and for the fierce love they share for their older brother.  I am thankful, too, that they went to bed quickly and easily and are getting a much-needed full night's sleep. Thank God the girls are in Breslin's bed! Lord, thank you for the bond my daughters share.  Thank you for the fun they had tonight and for the rest they are getting.   In your name I pray, Amen.