About Me
You know I work in education, and have a passion for all things Ed Tech. What else is there to know? I live at a boarding school with my family, I really like podcasts, both making them and listening to them, I help run a board game group., and while I’m not really a stage mom, I am a theater mom.
Boarding School
Not only do I teach at Madeira, but I also live there. That’s because Madeira is a boarding school. My family and I live in a small house near the center of campus. My husband Blake is a photographer, and my daughter Elizabeth is in 9th grade at the local public high school. I still can’t believe that I have a high school age child.
So, what is it like to live at the place that you work? Working and living at a boarding school means that I work in a dorm one night a week and one weekend a month, plus I provide activities for the students at other times during the month. I eat breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner in a dining hall. I get to invite my students over for movie nights and dinner too. So, it can be really fun. It’s also a very beautiful place to live. Our campus is in McLean, Virginia, along the Potomac and next to Great Falls Park. We have a sprawling campus with horses and nature trails. There are always places to explore.
Podcasts
I love podcasts. This on-demand-digital audio is one of my favorite forms of entertainment, especially when I’m in the car. I like them so much that I created a studio for audio recording at my school. I don’t have as much time as I would like to listen, and I like so many shows that I have a long back log of shows, but the one show that I wait for every week is the West Wing Weekly. I am a huge West Wing geek and this podcast totally speaks to my inner Fan Girl. Thanks to a good friend of mine, I got to watch a live recording of the show when they were here in DC. Here are some pictures showing my frustration at being so close to the hosts but not actually getting to have my picture taken. Oh well, maybe next time. In the meantime, you should check out the show; it’s a lot of fun.
The Madeira Audio Recording Studio
My look of frustration as I was so close to Hrishi that I could touch him, but I couldn't get my picture taken. I did however take photos for several other people. Maybe he thought I was the official photographer for the event. Better Luck next time!
I got almost as close to Josh as I was to Hrishi. I was not as frustrated, just happy to be there.
Board Games
Over the past few years, boards games have been making a resurgence in popularity. I’m not talking about Sorry and Monopoly, but modern board games. My husband is a huge fan, so last year he started the NOVA Board Game Group and I help him run it. He does weekly meet ups, but as a family we also work with the local public libraries in Arlington and sometimes in Fairfax to help development community engagement and promote face-to-face, device-free communication. We are at the Cherrydale and Central Library branches in Arlington. Check out the event schedule on the library website and think about joining us. We have a great time. So, what is my favorite game? There are so many to choose but I love Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders, Splendor, Azul, Reef, and my favorite card game is a ridiculously fun game called Happy Salmon.
Theatre Mom
My daughter is a theater kid. It’s not just that she likes theater - she loves it. A past heater director said once that, to my daughter, “theater is life,” and she was right. She likes to watch, work behind the scenes, and even be on stage. When she’s not performing, preparing to perform, or managing a show, she is listening to shows, studying them, talking about them, and making me listen and learn about them. She can tell you anything there is to know about any show no matter how obscure. So, how I do I fit in to all of this. Well, I do love theater. I’m not a performer, but I still love it. I especially love watching her in action and helping to promote her love for this art. I spend a lot of time painting and building sets and generally just helping wherever I can. You can see her in Action this spring working on the Saxon Stage Production of Mama Mia.
Elizabeth as The Genie in Aladdin | Photo by Blake Tippens
Elizabeth as Clopin in Hunchback of Notre Dame | Photo by Blake Tippens
Elizabeth working as the Assistant Stage Manager for Biloxi Blues | Photo by Blake Tippens
Here I am working the Concession table for Biloxi Blues | Photo by Blake Tippens