jenc
Jen was born and raised in Overland Park. After going to Indiana University for college, then living in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, she grew exhausted of circling for a parking spot and headed back home to be near family. She and her husband Matt are parents to a 10 year-old boy and a 8 year-old girl. Jen teaches kindergarten and her husband teaches high school, so they wonder how they’ll relate to their kids during the middle school years. She spends her free time cheering on the Chiefs, Royals, and Hoosiers, hanging out with family, laughing with her teacher friends, and fostering a love/hate relationship with boxing. She also loves traveling, Target, coffee, wine, sunflowers and all things pop culture.
Staycation Alert: What’s New at LEGOLAND and SEA LIFE
Spring break is right around the corner. If you are staying in town and looking for some fun activities to get everyone out of the house, look no further than SEA LIFE and LEGOLAND...
I Want to be a Mom of the 80s
We’ve all seen those blog posts, the ones about knowing you were a child of the 80s (or the 70s…ahem…). They wax poetic about cartoons only being on TV a few hours on Saturday...
What it Means to be a Chiefs Fan
“Folks, the Chiefs are in the AFC championship game.” This text was near the end of a thread between my dad, my brother (who lives in Canada), and myself. We’d developed this routine of...
The Balancing Act: Homework and Activities
Monday afternoons in our family look like this:
3:30 p.m.– I attend my staff meeting, work up at school
5 p.m.– pick up kids from after-school care, drop off W at Tae Kwon Do
...
It’s Not Whether You Win or Lose… Or Is It?
I was born and raised in Johnson County. Growing up, my weekends were filled with recreation soccer games in the fall, my brother’s basketball games in the winter, and softball and baseball in the...
Be Nice, Work Hard, Take Care of Each Other
I have been a teacher at my school since it opened in 2003 (yikes!). Our principal has been there since we opened as well. For as long as I can remember, he’s been ending...
Is Anyone Listening to Me?
This is painful for me to admit, but here it goes: my kids don’t listen to me.
There. I said it. I am completely embarrassed about this too. It’s not that I think I’m a...
There’s a New Gadget in Town
So here’s what happened…I was relaxing around the pool with friends while on vacation in Tucson. Grown-ups only. Minimal distractions. Piles of books we’ve been dying to read. Adult beverages. One of my friends...
Summer Goals
The countdown is on! 7 ½ days! That’s it! And no…I’m not referring to the upcoming Royal Wedding (although I’m counting down to that too, and my DVR is already set). The paper chain...
Cruisin’ with Mickey
Last summer, my parents took my family on a Disney Cruise. My kids were at great ages for Disney – 6 and 8, and my parents wanted to do Disney with the kids…without having...
Giddyup! It’s Time for Kindergarten Roundup!
If you’ve listened closely throughout March, you may have heard the slight whimpering of moms mixed with the nervous excitement of kids. And no, I’m not talking about everyone’s feelings about spring break. I’m...
A Love Letter to My Books
To my beloved books on my nightstand,
I have not forgotten you. I know it doesn't seem like it, what with the layer of dust blanketing your covers. When I gave you the place of...
The Santa Strategy
I have been going out of town for Christmas since I can remember. Every other year, my mom’s side of the family celebrates Christmas together. For many years, that meant gathering at my grandparents’...
That is My Dream! A Picture Book of Langston Hughes’s “Dream Variation”
I LOVE reading children’s books! This is a good thing since I teach kindergarten and easily read at least 2-3 books a day to my students. I get (a little too) excited when the...
Living with an IEP
October 2014. This was when my son was officially diagnosed with anxiety and ADHD. That diagnosis was devastating for me. I couldn’t believe my sweet baby had so much turmoil swirling around in his...
