Pat on the Back for Pat Pat

One of the most active people I know is my grandma whom we refer to as Pat Pat. She has a certain spunk and outlook on life that has you excited to keep looking forward.

She gave Girl, Same some things that she has accomplished in her lifetime and we are so proud to put a focus on her!

Here are just a FEW things that she wanted to share.

1.     She had 3 kids, 3 successful children. And raising them wasn’t easy either! With my grandfather in the Air Force he was away a lot of times being a hero to the United States. He even didn’t meet my mother until months after she was born!

2.     With my grandfather in the Air Force meant moving a lot….15 times…and she made each household fit into new and various homes.

3.     Just managing a home all by yourself is a feat in itself…on top of raising 3 kids and the stress of having your spouse on active duty.

4.     She proved herself in a man’s world and she did a damn good job at it!

5.     Fun fact, Pat Pat was my tennis coach before I tried out for the tennis team in high school. Tennis was her sport, even teaching private lessons and having her own tennis court in her backyard!

6.     One of Pat Pat’s favorite hobbies is to dance with her dogs for fun and competitively. It brings such great joy to her and to the places her team visits to put on shows. She’s proud of the fact that she made a Bouvier, a dog that isn’t known to dance, to do free style dancing earning a high score of 18.50

7.     She taught a terrier not to bark!

8.     If you go to my parent’s house, you will see my grandma’s artwork in some of their rooms. She has impressively mastered the art of free form watercolor along with knitting, sewing, quilting, decorating (especially Christmas trees) and countless other creative skills

9.     What is she up to now?

a.     Mastering a computer/tablet and other electronics!

b.     Cleaning out a basement from her move 2 years ago!

Give it up for Pat Pat. Her stories are always fun to hear and her being proud of all of her accomplishments are such a classic girl, same moments

Grosh's Tots

Megan Grosh is a super woman PreK teacher, who also kicks booty and inspires her Beachbody clients. Today, she’s sharing what she’s learned from teaching tiny tots.

1. Things my students pay attention to...

“Ms Megan I love your pony tail...” Thanks second day of dry shampoo does wonders post workout...

“Ms Megan I love your nails...” Thanks what did I just ask you to do?- student blankly stares...

“Ms Megan you have a boo boo on your nose...” No, it’s a pimple, but glad you noticed. 😳

Things my student’s don’t pay attention to…

Anything Academic Related.

Like, I cannot make this stuff up!!! #truelifeinprek #noticeeverything 

2. When it’s only Tuesday and you have already run out of PATIENCE....or so they thought!

I hear all the time “oooh you work with 3 & 4 year olds you must be so PATIENT.” Actually, I’m not patient at all, I’m just UNDERSTANDING.

I’m UNDERSTANDING that they CRAVE movement, so I make sure a moving activity is followed by a sitting activity, even if it’s only for a brief moment.

I’m UNDERSTANDING that they need help EXPRESSING their feelings & right now in development may not be able to tell me WHY they are upset.

I’m UNDERSTANDING that this may be the only time of the day some students feel safe, know when they are being fed, and know what to expect next, so I will always let them decide when they want to let go of a hug.

So yeah, I’ve heard my name x182645 times today, been interrupted during my lessons to hear something completely off topic, and may have touched something on the counter that was most definitely not soap...but my heart is full of love and understanding for every single one of my students.

This is the time of year where you are no longer strangers or even friends, they become your family.

So if you are a teacher just trying to make it through the end of the week, know the work you do is WORTH DOING, even if some days seem impossible!

And if you know where I can buy some PATIENCE let me know! 🤪

3. Pinterest Picture Perfect…LOL

When I first found out my assistant and I were THE CHOSEN ONES to be moved to a new elementary school I became so excited to start all new decor. I had been following so many insta teacher bloggers and their classrooms looked like legit #goals, like it seemed like a fairytale dream how neat and clean they were. I WANTED A CLASSROOM LIKE THAT!

So I naturally went to Pinterest and started stalking all these teacher bloggers on insta to figure out what I wanted my new classroom to look like! Thank goodness for my side biz, because it literally paid for ALL the stuff. From the bulletin board decor from Amazon. The endless trips to Target for my “Fill A Bucket” bulletin board decor and so much more. I am also beyond thankful for my amazing assistant who was right on board with my decor style and purchasing things with her own money to create an inviting environment for our kiddos.

After all the tireless hours of finally being complete with my classroom environment I’ve learned that students actually don’t care about your nice bulletin boards or the amount of money you spent on a carpet. I literally had a student say the other day...remember they are 3 & 4...”That board just doesn’t do anything for me.” He was talking about my #squad bulletin board that showed famous children’s book illustrations. Ya know like Corduroy, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Max from Where the Wild Things Are, Pigeon from the Pigeon series books, and The Cat in the Hat to name a few 🤦🏽‍♀️.

Students actually care about a happy teacher who makes learning fun and engaging. So nothing against you if you have a Pinterest classroom, I also need my environment to look nice to function and be a happy teacher, but for my 3 & 4 year olds it apparently doesn’t do anything for them. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Have a story or Girl, Same moment you’d like to share? Let us know! We’d love to have you!

That Work-Life Struggle, though

First up in our Hell Yes, Women’s History Month guest series is Alyssa Kurtz, a jackie-of-all-trades who can plan the heck out of any event! Fun fact: Alyssa is Hope’s wedding planner and semi-colleague!

I’ve always had multiple jobs. Of course, my first and foremost job was considered school and the second were the extracurricular activities that went with school (sports, band, private music lessons, Pep Club, Student Council, etc.). In that sense, my first actual paying job was more like a third gig.

I remember being driven home from school or activities one day and saying to my mom, “Wow, I feel like I’m flame-juggling, spinning plates and standing on a ball all at once. This is all a balancing act,” which was responded with a, “Welcome to the Real World, kid.”

College quickly exacerbated my circus routine and I was often overly stressed and vulnerable to anxiety attacks. It took me some time, but I developed healthy routines to deal with it- regularly cleaning my apartment, sitting down to paint my nails weekly, and getting enough sleep. These three simple things were items that I had control over, despite the deadlines, expectations, and frustrating group projects that I couldn’t control.

Fast forward four years later. I still hadn’t kicked my high-functioning, hyper-busy lifestyle; I have a full-time job, active volunteer commitments, played in recreational sport leagues, had a committed and regular workout regime AND started a wedding planning side hustle. 

The wedding planning had always been a passion of mine and I love helping to make someone’s special day so memorable and easy. However, I had begun to over exert myself. I said yes to too many things, eventually becoming super sick with prescribed exhaustion which took me out of commission for a bit. One particular event (not a wedding, thankfully) kept falling apart that was outside of my control and was especially difficult on me.

The weekend before this event, I planned a fun trip away in Philadelphia with my boyfriend to see a concert. However, the anxiety started to creep up of the things I could not control. Vendors kept backing out, the weather was not cooperating, decisions couldn’t be made, anything and everything was just not working out. There were so many times I just wanted to call it quits and hit the ‘Cancel’ button. I felt like I failed even before I actually could.

I cut our weekend short not being able to focus on enjoying our time in Philly. We returned home and I soon found myself lying naked on the floor, unable to move, cry, speak, or even think clearly. This was my breaking point and the most real and dark attack I’d ever experienced.

Eventually, I got up, made shit happen, and all worked out. It took a solid week to get out of that funk, but I had the support of my family, friends and boyfriend. I understand that not everyone has those resources or as quick of a bounce back. 

Through my stresses from school, work, and side hustle, it’s an ongoing lesson in how to keep that balancing act up. I’m still not perfect and to this day, I still say “yes” to too many things. However, I’m returning back to my lessons learned and my own routines to keep myself steady and sane. 

Here’s to you hoping you all find your own balance and know that it’s okay to fall off the balancing ball sometimes.

As Hope’s wedding planner, Alyssa helped her (literally zipped her into it) find THE dress. And talked her through many body image meltdowns.

And when you do, know you have a community of beautiful, strong, independent women to say, “girl, same.”

Alyssa works full time in Development for Benchmark Construction and started her own wedding planning business, Miss Lyss Planning in February 2019. When she’s not working, she can be found in the essie section of Target, on an adventurous vacation, or exploring the downtowns of Lancaster and York. Or making Hope run at full speed in 109 degrees to Wegmans to get more wine because Fete, Betch!