Thank You's

One of my favorite Robowrangler traditions is that at the end of every season all the students write Thank You cards to all the mentors. Today after school I was cleaning out my old desk becasue I got a new one and I found my bag of them. I sat and read through them again and it was exactly the pick me up I needed. I've been in a funk since school started and I think this will get me out of it. People sometimes ask me why I'm a teacher, or why I spend so much time doing this for the Robotics team. Well this is why:
You are by far of all the people I have encountered throughout my lifetime the one that I feel has affected me the most. You have taught me that nothing should stop you from reaching your goals, and that no disadvantage is insurmountable in any situation. You have taught me many a life lesson, and so much more. I have learned from just watching how you deal with some of the toughest situations I have ever seen someone in that you can always succeed. You have showen me that though life is tough you are never truly beat unless you allow yourself to be. Though this isn't typical of a teenage boy to notice I know that you are one of the strongest women that most anyone will encounter throughout their lifetime. I have nothing but the upmost love and respect for you, you have truly changed me for the better.



I know that only oceans, novels, and the universe are supposed to be epic, but you fall into that category!




I can hardly put into word how thankful I am for all you do for us. You deal with the political school logistics, making sure we all eat, work alongside us, make sure we are OK and so many more things I could write forever. You've inspired me to work harder and never give up, no matter the odds. Thanks for being my big Wrangler. (:-p Simbot reference)




I honestly don't know hot to start this. The more I think about it, the harder it is. I love our talks during academic advisory, girl's day, and I know that I can talk to you about anything. We help each other through the difficult times, and laugh it off after we've managed not to kill anyone. I am going to miss our talks next year, but I won't be too far and I can always stop by to make sure that no one is in danger of getting stabbed :-p You've become a big sister to me, and I can't wait for all the fun times ahead. You're the best, and I love you.




I want to thank you for everything. Every time I have a question you always listen and do the best you can to answer even when you are busy. You stick up for me when I get left out and always make me feel welcome. I love when you see me in the hall sometimes you scream out my name and tell me you missed me. You are a fantastic teacher and have made my time on the team a great joy.




Nothing I could ever say, nor could any words I write down on this paper ever convey just how grateful I am to have you as a teacher, coach, mentor, and friend. You have done so much for this team and we appreciate all the time and effort you've spent to ensure that Team 148 is always at our best. I've grown quite close to you , and I don't know how I am going to handle graduating and moving away from all you people I've come to know and love.




In case there was any doubt, I KNOW I have the best students in the world. I would go to the ends of the earth for them. And I want to thank them for being the best they can be every day and being my Robowrangler family. They help me just as much as I help them.

Saying "See you later"

Last week I went back to New York to visit my family. We went and spent the weekend in upstate New York, in the Adirondacks, in a town called Port Henry. It is really fun to go here because we stay in the house that my great grandparents purchased when they came from Poland to the United States. It has been in our family for close to 100 years. While we have done some significant renovations to it over the years it still has to charm of an old house. It was one of the most complete family gatherings we've had in years. It was me, my mom, my grandma, my sister and her boyfriend, my Uncle Monk, my cousin Hannah and her husband Dave and children Hudson and Elis, my cousin Irene and her husband Nate, and my Aunt Mo and Uncle Dwight. My grandma is battling cancer (successfully!) and so it was wonderful to see her with my own eyes and be able to talk with her face to face. Another reason I made this unplanned visit was because Hannah and her family are moving to Nepal for 2.5 years.

 The whole gang

 Grandma, Granddaughters, and Great Granddaughters

4 generations of Vickner women

I have to say selfishly it is really hard to understand when people make decisions like this. At times I felt like they were ripping themselves and their children away from us and I just couldn't understand why this seemed like something that was a good choice for them. Although I have to admit I was excited when the location was changed to Nepal from Kenya. I think they could sense this feeling from some of the family and so while we were in Port Henry they gave us a "presentation" of why they were making this decision. While some of their reasons I heard, but still don't quite understand there was one thing they said that really got me. At one point Dave said we want to do this now because a lot of people say they want to help others and go into the world to provide better health care but not a lot of people actually do it. We don't want to be those people that talk about helping others, but never do.
I guess I really understood this because I have been trying to do things and be proactive about what I want to do with my life instead of just sitting on my butt waiting for things to happen to me. Although I am sad to see them go, and there were very tearful hugs I am excited for them to gain the experiences that this trip will give them. Bottom line is I love them very very much, and I just want to support them 100% if this is what they want. I will pray for their safety everyday.

 Hudson and Elis as Ben and Jerry

Hudson and I as Ben and Jerry

Cousins Peace, Love and Ice Cream (with Hudson doing crazy cow :-p)