Ten on Tuesday: 10 things I did in 2015 that made me proud

Proud of myself? Proud of others? Maybe I'll do proud in general...

1. Watched Brooklyn go to high school. She continues to be the bravest. She's on the swim team and she played tennis already this fall.

2. Watched London be a seahorse in The Little Mermaid down at the Ivory Theater. She got the details on how to try out all by herself. Then she picked a song and tried out and got herself a part. Rehearsals all autumn long and then there she was on stage. It was a proud moment.

3. I helped hire my partner teacher. My principal trusted me enough to have me sit in on the interview and then weigh in on the decision.

4. Niles graduating from kindergarten. It's not a great big thing but I was proud that I was able to send him to Sacred Heart Villa and be a part of that little community.

5. Passing my high school math certification test in November. I say this tentatively because I don't have the official result yet but the preliminary result was PASS.

6. Running in a 5K. I did that. All by myself I trained and ran a 5K.

7. In the spring, my 8th graders wrote letters to teachers who had influenced or been special to them. The letters I got are things I should frame.

8. When my 6th grader, Joe, handed me that book, just stuck his hand out and said, "here." And it was about a student who has a teacher who sees her for the first time. This is my year of "I see you" with my 6th graders. And I know they know.

9. I spent a whole week with my brother and we didn't fight once.

10. I submitted something and I decided to try something. I said no and I said yes. I said hello and goodbye and I forgave and surprised. I don't know where these will lead in the end but I'm proud of myself for these slight adjustments to the norm.