AMA: vshumway!

[shortermommy]

What is your favorite thing about motherhood?

[shortermommy]

Are you an animal person?

[aylafsu1881]

What is one of your proudest moments?

[aylafsu1881]

What is your favorite book?

[aylafsu1881]

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

[shortermommy]

Where/how did you meet your SO?

[shortermommy]

What is your favorite kind of music/band/singer?

[vshumway]

So excited for this! I'll be back after toddler bedtime to begin answering!

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 11:46:33 GMT -5 RJBrownie said:

What is the first trip you remember taking?

We didn't have s lot of money growing up, so my first "trip" wasn't until I was older elementary school. But the first vacation I remember was from my grandparents. They used to rent a house in the Adirondacks every summer. I can remember one specific house really well- I think I was 4 or 5. I remember the bunk room we all slept in and there wa a very long stair case to get down to the beach. 

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 11:47:09 GMT -5 RJBrownie said:

What is the best concert/ performance you've been to?

Definitely Dave Mathews Band at the amphitheater near my parents. They come every summer and do two nights. It's was a mudt-do if you grew up around there. I'll tag . to confirm that!

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 11:47:09 GMT -5 RJBrownie said:

What is the best concert/ performance you've been to?

Definitely Dave Mathews Band at the amphitheater near my parents. They come every summer and do two nights. It's must-do if you grew up around there. I'll tag . to confirm that!

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 11:54:01 GMT -5 RJBrownie said:

Better way to relax: wine tasting or massage?

Massage while drinking wine!

On a more regular basis- I enjoy wine. But a good, full body massage is heaven. If I had to pick just one for one day, I would pick massage. If I had to pick just one for the rest of my life, definitely wine. 

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 11:55:01 GMT -5 RJBrownie said:

What do you hope that your kids learn from you? From YH?

From me- patience and perseverance. I love DH, but if he doesn't know how to do something righ away, her gets very frustrated. 

DH- so much!  He is naturally very smart- I really hope they get his level of intelligence. I am one that has to study to know things; he just knows them. I also hope they get his ambition. I tend to get lazy quick, but if he knows something needs to be done, he makes sure it gets done. 

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 12:18:08 GMT -5 shortermommy said:

What is your favorite thing about motherhood?

Seeing my kids happy. The simple joyness of childhood is amazing and knowing that something I did made them that happy is awesome. With G, it's mostly being able to feed and comfort him at this age. With DD it's hearing her laugh and giggle. Nothing can ever be better than that sound. 

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 12:18:21 GMT -5 shortermommy said:

Are you an animal person?

Yes, to an extent. We have a dog and I have always had dogs. I love them unconditionally and they are a part of our family. But, I don't love other people's animals to be all over me; just mine. 

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 12:34:23 GMT -5 aylafsu1881 said:

What is one of your proudest moments?

This one is tough to pick just one. I'm going to pick one professionally. I work very hard at my job. I love it, but it's one of the toughest teaching positions in our school system. It is also one of the least recognized positions. I work with the lowest students that are still on diploma track. So it is impossible to get good evaluations, because the kids cannot make the same growth or get the same test scores as typically developing peers. 

Well two years ago I was given an award. It was from the local ARC center. It was for teacher of the year for our entire county (over 40 schools). They send an email to the superintendent, who sends one to all program coordinators and asks them to nominate people. I was chosen as the recipient and got to attend a wonderful awards dinner that had our county commissioners and other people at it. It was nice to get recognized and feel like people do understand the importance of the type of program I teach. 

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 12:35:21 GMT -5 aylafsu1881 said:

What is your favorite book?

I'll love you forever. My mom read it to use every night before bed. And she got copies for each of her grandchildren and wrote a note to them inside of it. it holds a lot of sentimental value for me. 

Adult book- My sisters keeper. The first Jodi Picoult book I ever read and still my favorite 

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 12:36:20 GMT -5 aylafsu1881 said:

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Another thought question to answer right now. Mostly because I've been talking about changing my career slightly. Still staying in the special education field, but looking at being a resource teacher (working for central office and helping special ed teachers at different school) or an iep facilitator. I am really interested in being a facilitator, but have been asked recently to apply for an open resource teacher position. 

So i would say being an iep facilitator. I would like to have 2 more kids (4 total) about 5 years younger than the two we have. So that would mean I would be sending my baby off to kindergarten in about 10 years!  DH and I would be celebrating 20 years together (13 married)!

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 13:07:09 GMT -5 shortermommy said:

Where/how did you meet your SO?

We met in college. He lived next door to me my sophomore year. I had met him a few times my freshman year, but didn't really know him. Then sophomore year I had gotten sick and was in the hospital/bed rest for a few weeks. He was the student tutor for my science class and we started hanging out when I needed to make up labs. It was also very convenient because he lived in the room next door. 

Funny story- when my parents moved me in that year they saw their party room (we lived in quads that were meant to be two living in each room. Instead they put 4 in one room and make the other room a big party room). My dad said to him and one of his roommates in the elevator "I jut moved my daughter in next door to you guys. Don't make me come back."  

[vshumway]

Nov 9, 2015 13:07:25 GMT -5 shortermommy said:

What is your favorite kind of music/band/singer?

I'm really boring and mostly listen to top 40. I don't know if I have a favorite band or singer. Just whatever is on the radio at that time. 

[aylafsu1881]

Nov 10, 2015 23:58:34 GMT -5 vshumway said:

Nov 9, 2015 11:47:09 GMT -5 RJBrownie said:

What is the best concert/ performance you've been to?

Definitely Dave Mathews Band at the amphitheater near my parents. They come every summer and do two nights. It's must-do if you grew up around there. I'll tag . to confirm that!

Love DMB! H and I used to go to concerts regularly before DD1.

[aylafsu1881]

Nov 11, 2015 0:17:17 GMT -5 vshumway said:

Nov 9, 2015 12:34:23 GMT -5 aylafsu1881 said:

What is one of your proudest moments?

This one is tough to pick just one. I'm going to pick one professionally. I work very hard at my job. I love it, but it's one of the toughest teaching positions in our school system. It is also one of the least recognized positions. I work with the lowest students that are still on diploma track. So it is impossible to get good evaluations, because the kids cannot make the same growth or get the same test scores as typically developing peers. 

Well two years ago I was given an award. It was from the local ARC center. It was for teacher of the year for our entire county (over 40 schools). They send an email to the superintendent, who sends one to all program coordinators and asks them to nominate people. I was chosen as the recipient and got to attend a wonderful awards dinner that had our county commissioners and other people at it. It was nice to get recognized and feel like people do understand the importance of the type of program I teach. 

Congrats on the award. That is a huge accomplishment and something to be proud of.