I am the wife to my awesome husband Jake who is a reading teacher and coach. I have two little ones; my daughter "Lil" is nearly 4 and "O" is 1 1/2. Up until this year I was a working mom as I taught 1st grade at a public school (where Cynthia was my teammate). Prior to that I taught kindergarten for 7 years in both public and private schools. I have my Masters degree in early childhood education and am passionate about teaching kids (all things kid related actually). Teaching has been a calling of mine since 5th grade when I volunteered in a Kindergarten classroom, and once I had my own kids I knew I was meant to be with them full time. It took me three years after having kids to make my way home and it was a big transition for our family. We really had to trust in The Lord to take that first leap. Now I'm free to teach my children all the things I've learned over the years and to continue learning with them.
Cynthia and I worked together for years, at times on the same team, and at points Cynthia served as a teacher to the teachers (curriculum specialist) so I was able to learn from her as she visited my classroom and provided me with feedback.
Due to some special circumstances, Cynthia and I both decided it was time for a career change. I became a stay at home mom and Cynthia became a full time nanny.
For the first 8 months in our new roles we continued to share ideas but wanted even more collaboration. She kept telling me to start a blog to share my ideas. . . Since Cynthia is an incredible teacher of both children and adults and a true expert in the field, I knew we had to team up. Cynthia and I have very different instincts when it comes to teaching, so I learn a ton from her approach. Also since I'm a mommy and she's a nanny we see things through different lenses. We started this blog as a way to share ideas and give different perspectives on daily life with little ones. I really hope everyone who has little ones in their lives can find a few inspirations here.
Proverbs 22:6Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Cynthia (Nanny):
I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. I am currently serving as a full time Nanny to a wonderful family with 2 year old twin girls who have stolen my heart. I don't have any children yet, but have devoted most of my life to learning about and caring for children. I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was just 5 years old. I LOVED my kindergarten teacher and she remained a huge influence in my life as I worked to gain my teaching degree, as did several more of the teachers I was blessed to have. I graduated with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialty in Early Childhood Education. I went on to teach at a public school for nearly 10 years. I have taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades for 6 years and was a Campus Curriculum Specialist for three years. I absolutely enjoyed my time in the classroom and learned very valuable lessons outside of the classroom helping teachers grow.
I met Arielle through our mutual friends while teaching at the same school. I was lucky enough to get to know her better, learn from her, and eventually teach alongside her in 1st grade. Now I can say I have gained a lifelong friend in her.
"To teach is to touch a life forever."-Unknown
Last year I decided that I needed a change in my career and decided to look into using my knowledge and experience to become a Nanny. Arielle, who was also looking for a change in careers at this time, played a huge role in supporting and encouraging me to make the transition. It has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am loving this new experience and thank God everyday for this huge blessing in my life.
As we began our new chapters as Stay at Home Mom and Full time Nanny, we stayed in contact sharing our ideas about our lessons and just touching base with what was going on in our lives. There were so many times that Arielle gave me such good ideas that I insisted she write a blog. Her ideas were great and I knew our other friends with young children could benefit from them also. One day as we were talking about an activity we did with the kids, I randomly said, "we should start our own blog!" Then, she ran with the idea and began setting up the site! By the next morning we were already planning and began documenting our days with the little ones.
We knew that this would be a great way to start archiving our experiences while sharing it with others as well. Before starting this blog, I had many friends contact me about what strategies to use with their own children after seeing some of the pictures I would post about the day with the twins. Flatteringly enough, I have friends who have signed their kids up on the invisible waiting list at my non-existent learning academy! That is the ultimate compliment! I hope that you will find some inspiration from our blog and experiences to enhance the lives of your own little ones!
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