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How do we begin?

For years I have posted blogs under different formats, hosted webpages, and tried many different outlets to share my feelings, thoughts, rants, or opinions. I have closed those pages and blogs and decided to focus on just one, Speak Teach.

Recently my wife, T, wanted to share her thoughts and expertise as well. She is a 1st grade teacher in Houston, Texas. She is at an “at-risk” school that has a high economically disadvantaged group of students. She originally stayed home with our daughters until they reached school aged. Her wisdom of early childhood and raising children is unsurpassed by anyone I have ever met.

I have spent many years in large high schools, alternative schools and in central administration dealing with at-risk high school students. The toughest students in the city. There is nothing that surprises me anymore that can take place in a high school. My gift is to be able to reach and relate to the unreachable students.

Our two girls, Becs and Bam Bam are the light of our lives. How do you raise girls in today’s culture? We struggle with this question everyday. T sees kids at a young age and how they are effected by their surroundings, lack of parental support, etc… I get to see what these little kids grow up into. It can be at times a scary sight. So… Do we lock our daughters up inside our homes reading only fairy tales and/or veggie tales until they are 35? Or do we trust in ourselves, trust in the fact that our girls will make mistakes but we will be here to catch them? Wow… This is the single most petrifying thing that I have to think about in my life. One day Becs had a conversation with me that I will never forget…

“Daddy, what are you scared of?” asked Becs

“Nothing… I am a man… I don’t get scared! HA! you think I am some sort of pansy?” I quickly replied

“You must be scared of something. Seriously, Dad?” she prompted

“Well… I am scared that I won’t raise you with the correct amount of courage, the sense to get out of the rain, the ability to read people for who they are and love them anyway, the knowledge between right and wrong, and to basically make the right decisions when tested.” I replied very proud of myself for my quick-witted response.

“Well Daddy, that didn’t answer my question. What are you scared of?” she persisted

“You and Bam Bam getting hurt.” was as simple as I could put it. Becs kept looking at me for me so I paused and thought about how I could explain it.

“You know how your heart hurts when you are sad, upset, or scared? But happy when you do something good?” I asked her “well having you and Bam Bam is like taking my heart out of my chest and have it running around the world without me protecting it. Just having it remember the things I taught it and praying it makes the right decisions.” I explained. “Some days my heart will hurt and other days my heart will be happy.”

Becs just smiled and said, “That is cool.”

That is the best way I can explain having children in this world.

This blog will follow our parenting ideas, our failures, but most of all it will follow our love for each other. We will also add the knowledge that I see so many people don’t have about raising children, teaching the youth of today, and making this world a better place one student at a time. We are not perfect. We do not pretend to be. What you have with us is an early childhood specialist and an at-risk high school administrator. Plus we have a good time everywhere we go.

Follow along, comment as much as you can. Get to know us.

Texans Shudder in the Final Seconds

Gather with friends... Eat some Chicago Chilli... (that is a bad sign). It was wonderful. Drank a few drinks and started watching the Texans v Titans.

There is so much history with these two teams. As everyone knows the Titans used to be the Oilers. Their demonic owner, Bud Adams, took the team to Nashville leaving the 4th largest city grasping and crying.

Now, they return. To top it off their q-back, Vince Young, was a Houston high school sensation. He led the University of Texas to the National Championship. We passed him up in the draft.

So.. do you feel the intesity?

Well we lost in the final seconds on a missed field goal by Kris Brown.

What more can I say? I just drove home after staying up late is a foul mood.

Self Publishing

To Self-Publish or not?

This seems like the best way to get Trena's book published. Even if we can't ever sell the copy then we can at least have it to show. "This is created by Trena" not everyone can claim that they wrote a book.

Self-publishing may be the way to go. We could actually have everything up and running for around $6,000. Then it would be up to us to sell it.

Was reading many sites that do this. Anyone know of any good sites to research? So far I have been impressed with Selfpublishing.com

The Life we lately live

Where do I start? 

I stopped paying for my photography website, C. Bowie Photography, due to the fact I was too busy.

I changed jobs a day before the teachers were set to report back to work this past August.

Becca started playing soccer again.  This puts 2 girls on the soccer field so I attend practice Tues - Thursday from 5:00 - 8:00. Plus 2 games on Saturday.

The dog throws up and still is dumber than the keyboard.

Did I mention I don't have time to take pictures?  Much less, maintain a blog.

The old blog linked to the C. Bowie Photography website it missed.  I still have hundreds of followers sending me emails.  I have to admit, I miss it. 

I have decided to just have a blog based on the life and fun my family and I experience.  I'll mix in photographs from some of the jobs I still shoot on the side, my job at work is SO different, and the fact my wife, Trena, is about to complete her 1st Children's Book!!  She is so pumped.  Visit the new blog I just help her get started.

As we go, I'll try and catch everyone up to speed.  But, first I need to find all my followers!!  HELLOOOO?