"Anytime you feel danger or fear, then instantly I will appear"

I'm Every Woman by Whitney Houston

Hi Reader,

Last week I returned to my old workplace to proctor the EOGs. These are the "End of Grade" state exams in North Carolina. These tests are long and really challenging.

I'm going to be honest with you- I HATE STATE TESTING

And I know a lot of you do too. It's really hard to see our littles get so stressed about the test. I get stressed just thinking about them. I popped off about the awful pressure here.

I was lucky enough to be placed in a classroom with 3 former kindergartners of mine. Their faces lit up when I walked in. And mine did too- because I'm so damn proud of them.

Last time I saw these kids they were so little, they whined about chip bags being too hard to open, they couldn't read the notes I sent home, multiplication was a cool math trick for big kids.

And now here they were, one of them almost cresting 5 feet, giving me big hugs for good luck. And as I stood in silence for 2 hours, they sat and read...and read...and read! I couldn't believe it.

Kids are capable of INCREDIBLE THINGS. If you just give them the chance they will amaze you.

Their teacher's pep talk was surprisingly short. Before the test she simply said, "I've taught you everything that's on this test. You know what you're doing. You can do this."

She didn't coddle them. She didn't seem nervous. She sincerely gave them the words they needed to hear. Words they could repeat to themselves. I wasn't even taking the test and I felt a new confidence.

I am prone to using too many words. Watching this teacher wrap all her encouragement into a few short sentences impacted me. Maybe it doesn't need to be so floral. Maybe less is more, so the one listening can take it in.

So my reader, what are the words your kiddos need to hear today? Can you put it into a few short sentences? Can you give them the confidence they need? Do they know they can do hard things?

Respond to this email to share what your little needs encouraging for. 💕

What's New?

📚 Story time: Last Friday I was the story time reader at Betty by Moxie Mercantile Boutique. We brought out the bells and sang songs. If you're local to Charlotte, they do this every Friday at 9:30am. I'll be back June 27!

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Things I Love

🎂 9 Summer Reading Programs: Check out 9 summer reading programs so your child can earn free pizza, cake, books and more!

👖 Comfy Jeans: I've been trying the baggy / wide leg jean trend and finally found a pair that fit me right! So many pairs were way too baggy. Of course the pair I finally found is Good American and right now they are 30% off. Sale ends today.

🥰 Great Movie: I saw Lilo and Stitch in theaters last night. I'm generally skeptical of the live action Disney movies, but this one was awesome. It's a tear jerker, but I also laughed out loud several times. I think kids and adults of all ages would appreciate this movie. Don't forget- AMC theaters have discounted tickets on Tuesdays!

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