Sunday, January 19, 2014

Happy Angel Day, Amadi Ekundayo!



Happy Angel Day, Amadi Ekundayo! Here is a video I recorded a month after sending my sweet angel to heaven. 

Amadi's Ascension: Part One










We love you and we are patiently awaiting your return....
Sending hugs and kisses to you on your angel day!

This is Zuri and Amadi's Umi....follow my chronicles!!!


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

My year in Review…2013 heartbreaks and break throughs!


January 2013
Going into January 2013 I was just finding out that I was pregnant…I posted this picture on facebook/Instagram on Dec. 31st after my appointment at the Birth Center. My pregnancy was confimed….I was 10 weeks when this family picture was taken!


Sadly, two weeks later I found out that I had lost my baby at 12 weeks 5 days in utero…I named my angel, Amadi Ekundayo which means “rejoice, because sorrow brings joy”
I posted this message on January 18, 2013…


February 2013
I had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate my husband’s 31st Earthday. This was part of his Earthday photoshoot.



 
 

March 2013
I co-hosted my first Seuss Week at my school with these lovely ladies….




March 2013
I finally got up the strength and courage to bury my angel, Amadi Ekundayo!





April 2013
I passed my Reading Specialist Praxis exam….194/200....6 points away from a perfect score!


May 2013
My beloved Verve Danz Ensemble Prep & Senior Company perform at their first company showcase!





June 2013
My first group of students that I ever taught…my lovely 3rd graders graduated from 8th grade. My niece (not pictured) also graduated with this group of students….Songhai, I will love you forever and ever! You changed my life! Hoping that high school is treating you right and that you are on the path to success!





June 2013
Verve celebrates year 6 with a phenomenal performance!


My babygirl backstage at the recital...



July 2013
I celebrate my 34th Earthday…..34 years young…say what!!





August/September 2013
I begin my job as the first Reading Specialist at my school….New position means new classroom!





My first day of school pic…



September 2013
I celebrate 4 years of marriage to my hubs! Had to remind him who he married….LOL








October 2013
I celebrated my daughter’s 4th Earthday with an amazing “Under the Sea” themed party!



October 2013
My sisters and I cohosted a PINK PARTY to celebrate 1 year post-chemo with my mother…she’s a SURVIVOR!
PINK PARTY ON DECK!






December 2013
Happy Holidays!





It’s been a year of many ups and downs, but I am grateful for the experiences. I know that each experience is what makes me the woman I am today!

2014
I am open to receiving all of the blessings that each new day brings in this new year...
...continuing life as a wife, mother of two (one living angel and one heavenly angel), a Reading Specialist, dance director, a daughter, a sister, and a friend….

Happy New Year!

This is Zuri and Amadi's Umi....follow my chronicles in 2014!!!


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Umi's Upcoming Events


As you can see, the next three months of my life are chock full of events! I know I can't be the only one out there with one event after the other....What are some of your upcoming events?

This is Zuri and Amadi's Umi....follow my chronicles!!!

Sunday, March 31, 2013

I Gave Birth to an Angel



In Loving Memory of our Sweet Angel Baby
Amadi Ekundayo Green

Conceived                                                 Born into Heaven                                Due Date
October 2012                                            January 19, 2013                                 July 29, 2013

 

On Saturday, January 19, 2013 at ~9:15 p.m., at 12 weeks and 5 days pregnant, I gave birth to an angel. It was one of the hardest and most beautiful things that I ever did in my life.  With the love, support, and encouragement from the midwives at The Birth Center, my husband, family, and village, I had a natural miscarriage at home.

I am writing about this today, because I am finally physically letting go of my angel with a memorial/burial service.
Today, I celebrate Amadi's Ascension.

In the very near future, I hope to post a series of vlogs of Amadi's story.  Below I have included the letter that will be buried with Amadi and also sent to the heavens via a white balloon.
 ************************************************************************************************************



To my Sweet Angel,

I want to begin by explaining your name. Amadi means “Rejoice” and Ekundayo means “Sorrow brings joy”. When a name is called, it is like a chant to and for the person.   A name is supposed to be a reminder of one’s Divine purpose.  Your name was hand selected so that you could bring about joy and hope.  In the midst of all of our sorrow, you have brought so much joy into our hearts and our home. 

For 5 weeks and 5 days, you grew and thrived within me without me knowing.  I wish I would have known, so that I could have had those moments with you.  But alas, I did not.  Instead, I choose to embrace the joy in knowing that I carried you for 12 weeks and 5 days within my womb. I know that it was no coincidence that the day you were born into heaven that Zuri, Baba, and I were cuddled on the bed as I awaited your arrival.  It was not the arrival that I had hoped for, but it was just as magical and spiritual as the day that I gave birth to our living angel aka your big sister, Zuri. 

We chose to remember your life on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013.  The spiritual energy seems fitting for such an occasion for on this day it is believed that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead and ascended into heaven.  So, we chose to acknowledge your ascension into the spiritual realm on this day as well.

Sweet baby, I miss you with every fiber of my being.  I know that you entered my life for a deeper purpose, and I will continue to seek that purpose until all is made clear.  Your existence shall not be in vain.

Even though I never had the opportunity to hold you in my arms, please know that I hold you in my heart for all of eternity.

With an overabundance of love,

Umi

PS-Please make your way back to us at the divinely appointed and anointed time! I have included a picture so that you may remember from which family you came.






 
Thanksgiving 2012                                                        

In this picture, I was about 4 weeks pregnant with you, my sweet angel!

 

 
Sending a Team Green kiss to heaven just for you!
***************************************************************************************************

Sending out positive vibes and healing energy to any other Angel Mamas or Babas who may be reading this blog.  

I find comfort in knowing that I was picked to add energy to the spiritual world....Yes, I gave birth to an Angel!

This is Zuri and Amadi's Umi....follow my chronicles!!!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Getting back into the swing of it...




Ok...so I totally suck as a blogger. I have a new goal for blogging, but fear if I write it down that I won't do it.  Funny how my brain works like that.  Anyway, I'm back for now and that's all that matters....right?

Now that we have that squared away, I HAVE at least been using more blog-free time to focus on becoming a better educator.  There is so much going on in my classroom that I don't even know where to begin...hmmm...how about with the most recent events.

Well, last week we began working on inferences.  I had a week's worth of inference activities planned and then Hurricane Sandy aka Sandra Dee huffed and puffed and blew her way into town.  She shut us down for two days, which left me with only two days to teach this wonderful topic! We ended our week going to the UniverSoul Circus....yipppee!

Anywho,  I used the lovely pinterest to search for fun activities.  I found lots, but couldn't use them all (good thing we cycle through our literacy anchors).  I started with a discussion about Schema and how it works.  We then filled in our own Schema Brain Maps.



It was a perfect activity in my opinion since this was the closest we were going to get to some ghoulish Halloween craft.  What's more Halloween than writing on a brain on Halloween day?  

I then used an activity found as this site:

CLICK HERE



 My little birdies got a real kick out of seeing what I carry in my handbag and making inferences of about me.  My two favorites were:
1) I infer that Sis. K has a wallet full of makeup, because she wants to be cute.
2) I infer that Sis. K has deodorant in her bag, because she doesn't want her armpit to ball like onions!

So true my children....LOL!


For Day two of inferences, I found another pinterest board of pictures/photographs that were used for making inferences.  I selected one photo and modeled how to write in a complete sentence using the sentence starter "I infer that..." to make an inference based on the details of each photo. I posted pics at each group and gave them different colored sticky notes.  Each group had to make an inference about the picture and write it down on their sticky note. They spent about 3-5 min at each photo and rotated when the timer went off.  This activity took ~20 min to complete with 5 photographs. 


We read all of the inferences aloud at the end and got some good laughs in the process.  I think it really hit home and both activities served as great introductions to how good readers use this skill.  This week, we will begin applying this to text.  Wish us luck!

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things (even if I am writing this blog post while I am under the weather and should be finishing my lesson plan...oh well, gotta move when motivation strikes)!

Monday, January 16, 2012

My plate is full...

As I even write this one short post, I'm already hyperventilating about the other things on my to-do list that are being neglected in the name of procrastinating blogging.  I find blogging to be much like trying to write in my journal or scrapbook the ton of photos of my family...ummm...it ain't working out.

I recently posted a facebook status about letting this blog go and received some very good advice to keep it.  So, I guess I'll listen.  However, this busy Umi seems to have gotten busier since I first posted.  I've come to the conclusion that this blog is a hit or miss kind of thing for now.  For those who are even slightly interested in hearing about my busy life, here's the breakdown:

Monday-Fridays: Teacher by day with 26 third graders currently being prepped for the PSSA (state testing)...can you sense my joy?
Tuesdays & Wednesdays: Graduate student two nights a week from 5-8pm...I catch public transportation home so I arrive home around 9ish.
Thursdays: Forced myself to do a little for me in the new year and I now Zumba on Thursday nights for an hour...yaaaaaaaay...my gut kanga-pouch is still here so I need to do a little more, but for now that's all I can spare.
Fridays: Prep for Saturday dance after work...
Saturdays:  I'm officially the director of my beloved dance program with an enrollment of 75+ dancers ranging from ages 2-16 years old and a staff of 5 amazingly talented women...we are celebrating 5 years of dance this year....wooo-hoooo!!!!!
Sundays & Mondays is prep day for my work week and grad classes...

Oh and did I mention that my husband and I just bought a house and are trying to move by the end of the month....

....and somewhere in there I have to try to spend time with my super amazing 2 year old and my adoring husband....

DID I MENTION THAT MY PLATE WAS FULL?

I've come the conclusion that there will be no real play time until my semester is over in April...I'm looking forward to blooming with the flowers in spring....
Until then, I'll post when I can or when the inspiration hits me....

On a positive note: My plate could be empty, right? Right!

This is Zuri's Umi...follow my chronicles!!!