Since I first brought her home, Been surprised by the intensity of my love. I didn’t know I could love that deeply. When she was little and would get hurt, Been surprised by the sickness in the pit of my stomach. Now she is living on her own, Been surprised by the sense of well-being since she is home visiting. I didn’t know there’d be a little worry in the back of my mind No matter where she is or where I am, I am conscious of her in my subconscious. Been surprised it is there for her all the time. I wonder what new lessons about love I will have Been surprised by what I learned from this creature, my daughter. I didn’t know if I would love my boys the same way. They are so different and a unit–twins. Been surprised that I love them every bit as much–but each love is different. It was the newness of the eldest child that first taught me about love. My learning now comes from daily practice of carrying them with me in my...
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I first tried this side dish at a little restaurant in Albuquerque in the late 80’s. I am not sure whether it is a regional dish or if it was unique to this restaurant, but I experimented and came up with my own version. It’s a summer favorite in my family, served with beans and a main dish like tacos or enchiladas, or with potatoes and a green salad. We receive weekly delivery of an organic food box from a local farm and, with the exception of the green chile, we usually have most of these ingredients in our weekly box. I’m a bit of a chile fanatic, so I bring back a stash of Frozen Green Chile from New Mexico when I return from a trip south. For those who are less likely to travel internationally for their chile consumption, “Old El Paso” brand canned green chile is fairly easy to find in the Mexican foods section of any Canadian or US grocery store, and works well in this delicious dish. For those who prefer their food cranked down on spicy scale, use mild green chiles. If it is still a bit spicy for your taste, add sour cream and extra cheese. 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves crushed 1/2 medium onion chopped 3 zucchinis 1 cup corn 1/2 cup fresh roasted chopped green chiles (Anaheim peppers) or 2-3 small cans chopped green chile 3/4 cup cheddar cheese (optional) Salt to taste In a skillet, heat olive oil to medium. Sauté onion and garlic until clear. Add zucchini. Cook until the zucchini is firm but cooked through. Add corn and green chiles. Salt to taste. Top with cheddar cheese and allow it to melt in the pan....
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When my 4-year old twins, Emerson and Xander, were in kindergarten I got to visit their classroom. I noticed how many of the challenges we see in leadership teams have roots early on in the kindergarten classroom. I have to say, my children’s teacher was brilliant. I watched her blend great facilitation, inquiry, and relationship skills while keeping the interest of 17 busy 4 year olds for an hour. I saw her demonstrate great leadership skills herself, but I also saw her teaching leadership skills—something I work hard to teach leaders to do. Here’s what I saw: She has a busy classroom and sets it up in such a way that the children are rarely in trouble. She doesn’t keep them sitting too long or chastise them for talking. She creates time in the schedule for them to talk to each other—she believes in their relationships with each other. She fits the learning into their natural flow. She doesn’t keep herself at the center of their learning—she creates opportunities for them to learn in a variety of ways—she strategizes how they can learn from a variety of people. One of these opportunities is the third graders who come in to read to the kindergarteners once a week—they have a buddy system and they love it. This is teaching two skills: mentoring and helping others, and learning from others. She had another staff member come in and work with the children around the topic of responsibility. There was a book reading and a heated discussion led by the staff member, and I saw the teacher talking about responsibility during the time the kids got their coats and boots off and hung them up, and again when a child spilled a tub of small toys and they all helped pick them up. During circle time, I watched this teacher do 3 things that blew me away: the first was an inquiry session with my son Emerson. She asked him to figure out which of the children was...
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I don’t know about you but I feel an impending doom as we go back to school. I loved having my kids with me this summer. They are just so happy. I feel like we got into a groove when we were traveling and it was good for them. Since we got home, we have let them watch too much TV and be on their ipods way too much, but I want them to feel ready to do something interesting. We have been doing some good snuggling, too. We have been asking them how they are feeling and I am surprised how few words they have to talk about how they are feeling. Boys are so interesting that way. They will be in the same class this year which is different. They haven’t been in the same class since Junior Kindergarten. They have a myriad of after school activities, too. Also, Mel is teaching this fall. It is definitely going to be very busy. I look forward to the routine and I also feel the pressure of my life coming back. I have enjoyed taking a break this summer. I feel like we really did slow down and do life on our own terms. It was slower, it was more recreational. As we layer back the real life intensity, I feel like I am donning a cloak that doesn’t entirely fit. I am wearing it because I believe it is good for my family. They are faster paced than I am and although I can keep up most of the time, I know I get very fatigued from our fast-paced lifestyle. This summer the pace has been slower and one of my own...
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