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The First Grade Parade

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The First Grade Parade
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Latest on Instagram

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Making this month a December to remember....or maybe just giving my foot a rest because heels + middle age hurts. A lot 😂🙈🌲🌲🌲

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Not a creature was stirring, not even a...wait. Nope. They’re up. It was a short-lived two minutes, but the silence was 🙌🏼
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#christmasdecor #christmastime🎄 #christmasvibes #farmhousechristmas #christmasmantle #teachersofig #teachergram #teacherbloggers #momsofinstagram #momproblems

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Thankful. Grateful. And 10 pounds heavier 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

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A lot has changed in 10 years. Beside the obvious, 2009 Cara isn’t the same person as the 2019 version.
In 2009 —> I just had a baby & spent the first six months as a new mom of 2 under two, pinned down under the weight of post-partum depression. I smiled & acted like nothing was wrong, but behind closed doors I cried all the time. I was resentful & impatient. It was so hard for me to get out of bed every morning & while I knew in my heart had SO much to be happy about, I was just sad.
I overcommitted to people I didn’t want to disappoint & killed myself trying to please everyone because I’d rather have been miserable than think someone didn’t like me. I carried around guilt like jt was my 3rd child & lived in a state of constant self-doubt & uncertainty. I was restless & unsettled.
BUT, it was in the mess & the muck that I grew closer to my maker. Even though I always knew Jesus, I finally started to see the hand of God in EVERYTHING because when you’re at the very bottom, the only place you have to look is up. And WITH Him, I realized who God had created me to be. WITH Him, I knew I couldn’t fail.
The 2019 version of myself loves who I was in 2009. All the junk I had to deal with brought me closer to Him & I couldn’t be who I am today without His hand in everything I do. 2009 Cara is a constant reminder of what it means to give grace. She reminds me that everyone deserves a second chance & I shouldn’t spend a single second of my time judging anyone for who they were yesterday. Each day brings opportunities for change & everyone deserves a second chance. She reminds me to throw around patience & empathy like confetti because even the people with the biggest smiles don’t always feel the happiest inside. 2009 Cara reminds me to be true to who I am, always, even it means disappointing other people. She reminds me that it’s perfectly okay if everyone doesn’t like me…especially if validation comes at the cost of my peace.
2019 Cara is, in every sense of the word, FREE. And even though I’m not trying to live in the past, I need to remember to revisit my memories of her so I never forget how far I’ve come.

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👋🏼 Hey there! Just in case you don’t know me, I’m Cara and I’m MORE than a teacher.
I’d love to take a second to disrupt the narrative suggesting that teachers here on the ‘gram should only be using this space for professional growth.
Now don’t get me wrong. IG is such a great place to learn. Truly. It’s the perfect spot for moving outside of your echo chamber and being challenged to see the world through a broader lens by people with different experiences and mindsets than you. It’s a great place to pick up hacks and tricks to make your classroom function more smoothly. And I think we can all agree that it’s one of our most frequently visited scroll spots for new & exciting ideas.
But it’s not the only place and you’re MORE than just a teacher. It’s okay to “turn it off” when you walk outside the four walls of your classroom. It’s okay to do real people things and disengage from who you are as a professional. In fact, you should!
Somehow we’ve fallen prey to the idea that, to be a GOOD teacher, we MUST consume all things related to education all the time. Somewhere along the way we’ve been fed the lie that it’s the only way we can be taken seriously as an educator...otherwise what?! We’re just “playing around”?! We’re bad teachers?
I don’t get it🤷🏻‍♀️
I’m a multi-faceted human being with likes and interests that extend far beyond the classroom and just for giggles, I’m going to assume you are, too. Scrolling through Instagram solely for the purpose of being entertained doesn’t negate the great things happening inside your classroom nor does it make you a sorry excuse for a teacher. It does, however, make you human and I’m here for it 🙌🏼
You can be a fantastic educator with perfect pedagogy and still mindlessly scroll
your way through the ‘gram collecting dinner ideas, fashion inspiration, and beauty tips without it negatively affecting who you are as a teacher. Don’t believe for one second that your social media habits dictate your ability to be an effective teacher. You’re human and it’s more than okay to act like it 🙌🏼

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We’re officially Christmas ready with the exception of our family tree (the only thing we wait to put up and decorate until after Thanksgiving). I know that pre-turkey day decorating isn’t everybody’s jam, but I’m so glad it’s all done so that I can enjoy the break with my family without all that mess looming over me! Here’s a little corner in our bedroom that will more than likely stay lit until January 56th. I might be ahead of the game when it comes to holiday decorating, but I’m slow as Christmas (read: lazy) when it comes to taking it all down 🤷🏻‍♀️🤣.

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📣 ATTENTION MOMS 📣 Just in case you haven’t been told this today, YOU’RE DOING A GREAT JOB 🙌🏼 I know you think you’re screwing it all up; screwing them up. You might even be wishing you could be more like “that” mom. The one whose posts are filled with pictures of amazing lunches she’s made for her kids & perfectly planned birthday parties that grace the home page of Pinterest. No hate on that mom. I personally want to be her friend & would love an ounce of her motivation. But “that” mom? Well she’s got “stuff” just like you. Behind every smiling moment captured on film, there are about 50 that didn’t make the cut. Perfect moms don’t exist. I threw out any hopes of being a “perfect” mom the day my firstborn came into the world.

I didn’t breastfeed either of my boys.
I sleep trained them using the cry it out method.
I let them sleep in my bed.
I slept in theirs.
I’ve spanked.
I’ve screamed.
I feed them Lunchables and probably too many GMOs & red dye.
I’ve played on my phone while they’ve played at the park.
I’ve sentenced them to undeserved moments of my impatience.
I’ve been a short order cook.
I’ve sent them to bed without dinner.

The list of my shortcomings in the parenting department are truly never ending. But you don’t see that on the highlight reel of my life because those aren’t the moments I want to freeze in time. And when I look back through old photos of my childhood, I don’t see any of those moments either, but I know they happened because my mom isn’t shy to remind us of them whenever she gets a chance 😜

I might not do all the things the way society tells me I should & I definitely don’t live up to the standard of “perfect mom” to which everyone thinks I should ascribe. But I know that I love them BIG & they know I love them big, too. And despite all my shortcomings, these boys are turning into some pretty amazing little men. They’re empathetic & kind. Compassionate & forgiving. And man...they love Jesus something fierce.

I let them eat too much crap & play too many video games, but they’re kind & thoughtful, they love big, & they’re good humans. I guess I haven’t screwed them up too badly...yet.
And neither have you♥️ Keep it up.

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I hate it when that happens, but Mondays can be great, too! Own this Monday like you’re its boss 🙌🏼💪🏼

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