The education of the educator

Baby story #2

2011-08-08T13:52:00.001-04:00

My sister has recently started blogging again, prompting me to do the same. Unlike her, I am going to travel back a few months, and tell the story of baby girl #2.....

Aliza's little sister was quite kind, she actually gave me a full week off after I stopped working, unlike Aliza, who arrived the night that I stopped work. I went to bed Sunday night June 5th, giving baby girl firm instructions to stay inside one more day because I had an interview for a new job scheduled Monday morning and my regular doctors were not on call that weekend.

You guessed it- baby girl had other plans. I woke up at 10:54 to my water breaking- just like Aliza's birth. This time I was an old pro and I knew what was happening. I woke Russ up, called my parents and my in laws and grabbed the hospital bag that had been packed for quite some time. We headed to the hospital, accidentally taking the longer route and arriving after my mother and sister. Along the way I emailed the people I was to interview with, explaining why I wouldn't be there. Contractions were intense and fairly close together, but I assumed I had a few more hours to go and spent some time debating whether or not I wanted the epidural this time around. The doctor arrived to examine me and he was surprised to discover that I was already fully dilated and ready to go. I admit, I didn't believe him at first, wondering how I could possibly be fully dilated already. But it turns out I was and she was ready to arrive.....once again, no epidural for me. I believe at this point I turned to Russ and told him that if my pregnancy hadn't been so difficult, I would have lots of babies because my labor is so ridiculously fast--although since I was in the midst of contractions I have since told him he couldn't hold me to that statement. Luckily it didn't take long-- a few pushes, a nurse asking if I wanted to feel her head and my response "no, I just want her out!", a few more pushes and she arrived, our second little miracle.

Emma Rose

Born June 6th, 12:59 (yes, a mere two hours and five minutes after my water broke)

6 lbs 13 ounces

20 inches long

Introducing......

2010-11-27T07:46:00.003-05:00

Baby Sherman #2Due to arrive June 21st.....

We are all very excited--although, admittedly, I am more tired and nauseous at this point. Aliza is very sweet about the baby already- telling us things like "mommy has a baby in her belly, and when the baby comes out, I'm going to change its diaper and put medicine on it to make it feel better." She also loves to give my belly kisses.
I'm ten and a half weeks in and doing better than I was last week. It was a particularly rough patch with a bad case of hyperemesis (that's a fancy way of saying I was throwing up a lot). Now I'm on two different anti nausea medicines which leave me slightly nauseous but managing to keep food in.
More posts to follow of my ever expanding belly....and of course, in ten weeks or so, an announcement of the baby's gender!

240 hours or 3 months...whichever comes first

2010-09-28T22:06:00.005-04:00

In just three short months I will be done with a journey that I began three years ago. It started one summer day, with a good friend calling me up and encouraging me to apply for the Educational Leadership program with her. Despite my uncertainty at the time, I also knew that it was time to get that 6th year degree, so I agreed. We completed the paperwork, wrote the essay, took the practice exam and were accepted.
The journey continued with our first class, where the amount we didn't know far outweighed what we did know. It was in this class that I shared the news of my pregnancy and it was in this class that I discovered that I actually became excited about the future career I had opened up for myself by joining this program.
I gave birth to a beautiful little girl and took a break while my friend continued on with her classes. My time away from the classroom was short-- just one summer- because with the reality of Aliza came the realization that I wanted to finish the degree before the time came for playdates and after school sports. She took time off too, to have an adorable little boy, but we came together again, my friend and I, last year- to do what seemed a nearly impossible task- write a thesis and complete a practicum.

Somehow, we survived the year. As I think about what I accomplished last year, and the conditions in which I accomplished it, I am honestly amazed that I did not have a nervous breakdown. I say that in all seriousness and with a little bit of pride....I am stronger than I realize. But, my friend and I made it through with the help of many late night phone calls, cups of caffeine and glasses of wine. The thesis is done, the practicum is completed.

Then came the internship. 240 hours of administrative work spread over the course of one spring, one summer and one fall. I haven't actually totaled my hours, but I am guess-timating that I currently hover around the 120 mark. Halfway there, and more than halfway through my year long internship. Three months to go. We had a meeting tonight, where our advisor suggested that if we were that far away we grab a pencil and start seriously figuring out how to accomplish the 240 hours. As we have done many times on this journey we started so long ago, my friend and I looked at each other and wondered "what are we going to do?" The panic started to set in, but something was different.....this time- this time we stopped.
We reminded one another of all that we have done:

Coursework
Pregnancy
Childbirth
Mommyhood
Two different exams, two sections each- over four hours of testing
Thesis
Practicum
Teaching

We can do this.

And in three months? It will finally be over.

Overheard...

2010-09-10T19:06:00.002-04:00

We were taking a short extra recess break today at the same time as the Pre-K students. I overheard the following conversation between two of my third graders:

Student 1: Who do you think is cuter- the pre-K kids or Squirt? (Squirt is our class pet, a leopard gecko.)

Student 2: (without any hesitation at all) Squirt.

Summertime!

2010-09-05T23:07:00.002-04:00

Aliza summer '10

(Click the link for a brief video of some of our summer fun.....)

Toddler talk

2010-08-08T22:02:00.004-04:00

Posts are piling up like leaves in autumn around here, but they all require me to download pictures, which I can't seem to get myself to do....so instead, I will share some recent conversations I have had with a very clever two year old.....

Aliza: Hey! Guess what happened today?
Me: What happened today?
Aliza: The sun went down down down and the moon go up up up and it's night.
Me: You are right!

*****************************

Aliza: Mommy, you are still number 1.
Me: What?
Aliza: You are number 1 mommy.
Me: Oh, OK.... (I had no idea I was #1, or even that my #1 status was in some jeopardy)

*****************************

Aliza: Tunnel coming! (it sounded more like tnnne coming, so we were, understandably, confused)
Russ and I: Huh? What did you say? Toes?
Aliza: Tunnel coming!
Russ and I: (looking at each other with confusion, plus we were several miles away from the tunnel, it wasn't even in sight yet) What Aliza?
Aliza: (more insistent this time) TUNNEL COMING!
Russ and I: OH! The tunnel is coming! You are right! We go through the tunnel to get to Nonna's house!!!

****************************

Me: Aliza, you can't eat that right now, you are sick.
Aliza: I'm not sick! I'm 2!

****************************
Me: Aliza, how do you spell your name?
Aliza: A-L-I-Z-A! Aliza!
Me: Yay!!!

Is it any wonder I spend my days laughing at her?

(Re)discovery

2010-07-26T21:00:00.000-04:00

This summer has been one of discovery for me so far. Or rather, I should say re-discovery. Somewhere in between writing a thesis, working on a practicum and starting an internship, plus teaching my most difficult class in 10 years and being a mom to a toddler and a wife, I lost the time, energy, desire, motivation.....to do the things that I enjoy doing.....

This summer I'm slowly finding them again. It started with reading. Reading for pleasure. Not journal articles that I had to analyze and synthesize, not professional books that I had to learn from and apply, not curriculum from other grade levels that I had to understand and create lessons for. Nope, just honest to goodness literature. Some good, some not so good....some old friends I've read time and again, some new books in a series...I forgot the sheer joy in losing yourself in a book.

I've also been working out again. I'll admit, it hasn't had much impact on the baby belly I can't quite seem to lose, but, man, it feels good to do it. Working out is one of those things that you do just for you. To be healthy, to feel good, to burn off that ice cream cone you ate with your daughter....it is a uniquely individual endeavor and kind of like my little gift to me.

This past Christmas I got a bike. I haven't ridden a bike in well over ten years.....it's not a skill you forget though, as the saying goes. Lately I've been taking some bike rides around my neighborhood. The feel of the wind on my face and the peace that comes from riding is turning into one of my all time favorite activities. My next challenge is to ride to the bike trail and go for a much longer bike ride.

Taking collectively these endeavors might not seem like much, but, for me, it feels as if I'm finding myself again. It took awhile after the school year ended for the tension to ebb away but, finally, it has. I am content, peaceful......happy.

Two year stats

2010-07-22T10:11:00.004-04:00

Aliza (finally) had her two year doctor's appointment recently. Her pediatrician (whom I think I love more and more each visit) was quite impressed with Aliza's verbal ability and her ability to hop with two feet. (Aliza had fun demonstrating that one, although she did hop to the door and try and open it before the appointment was done.) Here are her stats:

Height: 33 1/4 inches

Weight: 25 lbs 6 oz

Her head circumference again increased--I didn't write down the number but I remember being happy that her head was as big as it was now, and not during delivery.

After her exam, she had to get a few shots, which she didn't like at all. And she told me she didn't like them the entire way home, punctuating each reminder of the pain with a little cry, just so I'd know how bad it really was......

Pictures of all of the fun we've been having together will come soon, promise!

Big changes.....

2010-07-09T13:24:00.011-04:00

This summer is bringing some big changes for Aliza....we recently said good bye to her crib: And hello to big girl bed:

Aliza was pretty excited--she brought her snack and climbed right up. Later, we put her blanket and pillow on, and she decided it was a good time to test it out:I added some pillows to the floor when we put her to bed, and it turns out it's a good thing I did. That first night she managed to roll out of bed and off of the pillows. I found her, sound asleep, in the middle of her hard wood floor. After that, we put a bar up:

I bought new bedding for her too...that little pillow on the right there is part of it. But we are holding off on putting it on until after potty training. As part of moving into her big girl bed, Aliza is learning how to make her own bed every morning. When she does, she gets a coin to put into her brand new piggy bank. She's a little too young to get the concept of earning her allowance, but we figured we'd start young. So far it seems to be working, she is eager to make her bed every morning, and loves putting her coins in her piggy bank.

We also bought her a brand new step stool, and gave her her very own drawer in the bathroom filled with her toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brushes and elastics. She loves this too, and has brushed her teeth multiple times the last few days:

Soon we will try potty training, and hopefully she will be just excited about her new big girl underwear as she is about her big girl bed!

Aliza's Adventure in Florida

2010-07-04T13:00:00.001-04:00

At the end.....

2010-06-30T20:46:00.007-04:00

The year ended as it always does- in a rush of backpacks over flowing with books and papers collected from a year of learning, in the crush of many eight year old arms wrapping themselves around me, the piles of pictures telling me that I am the Best! Teacher! Ever!, last minute gifts, quick thank yous, cleaning and packing up and emptying a classroom that was so full of laughter and learning, discussing next year's class, and.....inevitably, tears.

Sometimes it is I who is doing the crying. Ten years in though, I can honestly say I haven't cried on the last day in a few years. This year, I did. Several times in fact.

The first time I cried on the last day of school was when I received an email, forwarded to me from my principal, sent by a parent whose two children I was blessed to have in my classroom. I say blessed because, truly, they are amazing kids and wonderfully supportive parents. The kind of kid who, on the last day of PE class, fumbled the ball and pretended to drop it so that my little special ed child would not get out during a game of Mat Ball. Point to a third grader that will do that and I'd be astonished, because in ten years of teaching (nine in third grade), I can say I've come across maybe half a dozen kids like that. Anyways, the email was the nicest thing I have ever received far and away. Those words don't even do it justice.....
Here is a snippet from the email:
Lisa is truly at a level that differentiates her from her colleagues. It is a wonderful combination to be so professionally gifted as a teacher, coupled with a distinctive ability to motivate and inspire children to learn and develop…and Lisa possesses such talents. I am incredibly impressed with her professional approach to her job, characterized by preparation, attention to detail and a tireless energy for teaching. While this in and of itself would be significant, with Lisa it only tells half of the story. Her unique gift lies in her ability to create a wonderful environment in her classroom, filled with warmth and caring and encompassed in her deep personal commitment towards the children. Long after the memories of flash cards and homework assignments passes, our children will remember and benefit from the personal investment Lisa made in their lives. As parents, we will also see it in their confidence, maturity and continued passion for learning.

You see now why I cried.....
I cried again when I opened the gift from this particular student whose dad sent this email.... he gave me a nice picture of the two of us together, with a card that read, "Mrs. S, when I'm with you, you always make me feel good!"
I'm not kidding when I say I was bawling when I read that card and then proceeded to embarrass the poor boy horribly by hugging him in front of all of his friends.

And then I cried one last time when I hugged my biter/stabber/kicker/yeller good bye. I'm sure some of you are wondering why in the world I cried rather than celebrated him leaving my classroom. All I can say is that this little guy taught me so much- about myself, about my profession, about my school. About learning and life and patience and strength and humor and frustration and honesty.....about the kind of teacher I always hoped I was and the kind of teacher I discovered I really am. I poured a lot of myself into helping him, never realizing until the end that he helped me just as much as I hope helped him. He is a gift, and I was blessed to learn with him.
And that- those two students and the nineteen others I had this year--that is why
I am a teacher.

Finally.....

2010-06-25T09:19:00.002-04:00

Today is the last day in what has been a long and challenging school year......
As Aliza would say, "Yahoo, yahoo!"

Thursday Thirteen

2010-06-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Thirteen things I didn't truly get (or know) until I became a mom....

(In no particular order.)

1) Automatic car starters

This might seem trivial and I'll admit, I was one of those people that thought automatic car starters was one of those silly things that you didn't *really* need. What's the big deal with running outside to start your car? But now that I have a child that I am rushing around in the morning with, trying to get her out the door and myself out the door looking somewhat decent and at a reasonable hour.....now I get it. Especially when it is below 0 and I have to figure out a way to run outside to start the car--do I bundle Aliza up, or not? How cold is it really? Do I strap her into her chair for a few seconds and risk it or bring her? These are the questions I debate every morning. And one day, it struck me, man it would be awesome to just push a button and have my car nice and warm for both of us to climb into when we are finally ready!

2) Joy.

Oh sure, I knew happiness. And contentment. Laughter and love....but joy. True joy, the kind that makes you catch your breath and fight back tears. The kind that makes you feel like your heart is in your throat.....that I didn't get until I had Aliza. To see her smile, hear her laugh, or, better yet, hear her say "Mama". That is JOY.

3) Reading.

Oh how I miss the days when I could just lose myself in a book. Go to bed and actually stay awake long enough to make it through more than a paragraph. Have something to read other than journal articles and professional books. Sigh.

4) Sleep/exhaustion.

No one knows tired like a working Mom. Especially a working mom to a toddler who keeps waking up in the night and won't sleep unless I am in the room with her.

Enough said.

5) DVR.

I knew before Aliza came that I'd want DVR. Made Russ get it so that we could use it. And it was one of the smartest things I ever did. Folks, I have a show on there from December that I still haven't watched. December. I don't watch much TV as it is, and I'd watch even less without DVR.

6) Couches.

Russ told me the other day that before Aliza came I would watch TV on the couch after dinner and fall asleep early.
I have no recollection of this.

7) Tissues/Wet wipes/hand sanitizer

Aliza and I were out to breakfast the other day with Nonna and Grosspapa and I had a momentary panic (internal) because I realized I didn't have wipes to wipe the table or her hands. We made due with a napkin that I dipped in my water glass.... I swear I go through more tissues and wipes than I would have ever imagined possible.

8) Tip toeing

I am an expert tip-toer. Russ? Not so much. I learned early on how to tip toe out of her room. Tip toe into my room, climb into bed barely making a sound. I learned which floorboards creak, in her room, in the hall way. I'm awesome at tiptoeing down the stairs--jumping over the first few steps at the top that creak the loudest.....who know that would be a mommy skill?

9) Pumping

This might sound gross, but man, I didn't quite get it when my sister referred to her breast milk as liquid gold. Until I had to do it myself...nurse, pump, feed, worry that I had enough, wonder if I'd have time during my special to make my copies, go the bathroom, pump for long enough, pass out papers etc. Wondering if I could even find a space to pump that wasn't occupied, dirty or surrounded by kids. Liquid gold. Seriously, it is.

10) Blogging

Believe it or not, I miss blogging. I know, I wasn't that active of a blogger before I had Aliza but I definitely posted more regularly than I do now. Now I'm down to two posts a month I think. Pathetic. Seriously though? I don't have the time. I keep telling myself it will be easier next year, no thesis, no practicum, no really tough kids etc etc etc. I NEED to believe it will get easier because I miss the days when I could check in on blogs, catch up on people's lives and share my own. I crave that time.

11) Crying

I'm a crier, always have been. No big surprise then that after giving birth I became even MORE of a crier. It's embarrassing really. I cry at everything now. I try to hide it, but really, when I cry it is obvious. As in the puffy eyes, red face and splotches everywhere. Not pretty.

12) B.R.A.T.

Brat is no longer just a spoiled kid.....BRAT is what you feed your kid to stop them up. Moms out there know what I'm talking about....Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. Learn it. Love it. Use it.

13) Aliza.

She was a whispered dream in the night, a hope in my heart, a wish for my future. Now she is my sunshine, my light, my laughter....my world. Now I can't imagine a life without her.

Update

2010-06-20T22:14:00.005-04:00

Because I'm sure the four or so followers that are not my family members are dying to know.... I thought I'd share the results of my interview.....
Turns out I didn't need to be as nervous as I made myself, nor did I need to prepare as much as I did. (I certainly didn't need to stay up until 11 the night before analyzing data from the school!)

I went with the suit (thank god for mother-in-laws, who gave me some fashion advice minutes before I was to leave), closed toe shoes and a light blue top underneath. It was a pants suit, because I don't own a skirt suit, but it worked. I felt especially good with the choice when my principal told me that I looked professional. Coming from a man who wears a suit and tie to work every day, it was a good thing.

I showed up at the interview appropriately early, sat and chatted with the secretary for a bit and observed life in this elementary school. I had gotten a good vibe from the website and got an even better one sitting in the office. The secretary greeted everyone by name and seemed cheerful. Staff stopped to chat and joke and everyone seemed friendly and welcoming. I knew a few people- some by name, others by face, and that felt good. Plus there was two of the largest goldfish I've ever seen in the office, which, for some reason, I thought was a good sign.

Much of that good vibe disappeared when the principal walked in (after being paged). He seemed nice enough, greeted me with a smile and shook my hand firmly....then led me into his office. By himself.
No interview committee.
No panel made up of other administrative-y types, or classroom teachers.
Just him.

OK, maybe he was being nice to his staff, it was before contractual hours and the second to last week of school. Granted, every interview I've ever participated in while working in this district has been with a team of people and granted I'm a firm believer in being the type of administrator that includes their staff on important decisions but, hey, I can overlook this, quietly tuck away the ten copies of my resume I brought and move on.....

Then he started asking me questions, and I use the term loosely. It felt more like a checklist and a chat, than an interview. Do you know this? Yes, OK, good. Are you trained in this? No, not yet? OK. Have you heard of this? You have, great. That was the tone and the feel. I didn't feel like he wanted to know me or whether or not I was a good fit for the school, more like he was checking off a list all of the things he needed to know I could do.....

As I talked to Russ about it after the fact, I told him it seemed to me like he was either going through the motions and already had his candidate hired so why bother pulling together an interview committee, or like he was the kind of principal who makes decisions on his own without consulting his staff or his leadership team. Either way, good vibe totally gone.

All that being said, I consider the experience a success. I went through it and survived first of all. My name is out there, along with the information that this is the direction I want to go in. Those principals chat, I know they do. I'd say I had everything he was looking for too--especially when, at the end of the conversation, I asked him and everything he named was something I had done or was trained to do. In terms of candidates, I feel I'm a pretty strong one. My resume is updated, my cover letter is done and, after wearing it all day, my suit will be dry cleaned.
Bring on the next interview!

To suit or not to suit?

2010-06-16T06:24:00.000-04:00

I'm going on an interview on Thursday.

Wait.
That's feeling a little surreal, so let me just say it again---
I'm going on an interview on Thursday.

There are these positions in my district which, essentially, are the equivalent to an Assistant Principal position. Only, because my district is clever, they give them a fancy title that ends in the word teacher so that these people get paid the same salaries as teachers and NOT the same salary as administrators. Even though the job is most definitely not the same as a teacher. Clever, no?

Anyways, for me, this job is a natural next step on my path towards eventual administration. More than that, this year has made me ready to leave the classroom.....or more ready to leave than I ever have been before.
It's been a rough year.

And that's the understatement of the century.

So. This job posting came up....I panicked, thought about it, talked to people, worried some more and then decided to go for it. After I decided that I learned that the position is all but taken. See, they have to post the job, and they have to interview everyone that applies, but the position was held by a teacher at the school for a year (whom I know, he's in the same program as me and we've shared classes together). Then the job went part time (because of number of students in the school) so this gentleman returned to the classroom. Now it is going full time again and he's reapplying. It was his job and he's getting it again. Word on the street is that they essentially have hired him already but are going through the motions.....

But, hey, I figured I'd apply anyways and get some practice interviewing.
The thing is, even though I know it is not for real, I am still so nervous. I drove home today, practicing my answers to the questions I'm sure I'll be asked. I went online and did some research on the school. I went and looked up their CMT scores so I could have some talking points and sound super smart during the interview.....And, most importantly, I already started debating my outfit--suit? No suit? Skirt? Pants? Open toed shoes or not? The thing is, the interview is in the morning and then I have a long day of teaching ahead of me.....do I wear a suit and then change? Clearly I'm worried about the important stuff!

So. Thursday I interview for the first time in over ten years.
Wish me luck.
But not too much luck, since, you know, I'm not getting the job anyways.

Out of the mouths of babes...or toddlers....

2010-06-14T21:24:00.003-04:00

Aliza, at two, is filled to bursting with language. She talks so much it boggles my mind. She is already using complete sentences, although she does, at times, mix up her words. In a totally adorable way of course. My all time favorite is when she asks me to "Pick my up". I know I should correct her, but honestly, it's so darned cute that I smile and hug her instead.

Lately, she's come out with some real gems.....like the other day when she said, "Mommy, I don't like poops, they're yucky!" (This following a nasty stomach bug that had us going through many, many, many diaper changes in a day.)

Or this one, when she told me, "I'm not sick, I'm 2!" (This one came after I told her she couldn't have something she wanted because she was sick and I was worried about it upsetting her stomach.)

Tonight, while sitting in her "big girl" chair, she went to the bathroom (still not over her stomach bug) and immediately announced, "Oopsie, poopsie!" No idea where that came from but it left both Russ and I laughing out loud for a good five minutes.

My all time favorite though is when she spontaneously bursts into song. Sometimes she wakes up singing, sometimes she'll be sitting in her car seat and suddenly start singing, sometimes she'll be quietly playing and singing to herself, but it is always just about the cutest darned thing I've ever heard.
Sometimes I wish I could freeze her in this moment in time for just a bit longer......

Today

2010-06-06T21:24:00.009-04:00

By 9:30 am today....
I changed Aliza's crib sheet (trust me when I tell you it is a huge pain and a large accomplishment)
Gone through a bin of summer clothes my sister gave me and pulled out the stuff that I thought might actually fit Aliza
Thrown a huge load of laundry in the washer for Aliza
Played Ring Around the Rosie a dozen times
Unloaded, and reloaded, the dishwasher
Made coffee for Russ
Straightened up the kitchen
Fed Aliza breakfast
Played catch at least 30 times
Sorted through the pile of mail on the dining room table
Wrote out two checks for bills
Watched five minutes of three different Mickey Mouse Clubhouse shows and danced with Aliza to her favorite songs on said show
Swept the kitchen floor
Gave Aliza about 50 kisses

By 2:00 today.....
I showered, dressed and dried my hair
Got Aliza dressed and combed her hair (also a huge accomplishment)
Visited my grandfather in the hospital
Cleaned, steamed and pureed an entire head of cauliflower
Slid down the slide three times
Cooked a sweet potato
Paid three bills online
Swung on the swing and pushed Aliza for twenty minutes on her swing
Made homemade banana bread (with the cauliflower hidden inside.....gotta love Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook)
Played in the sandbox
Straightened up the kitchen
Built half a dozen castles for Aliza to destroy
Fed Aliza lunch
Got Aliza to fall asleep for her nap
Cleaned out the fridge
Gave Aliza at least fifty more kisses

By 9:00 tonight....
I snuggled with Aliza as she woke up from her nap on the wrong side of the crib
I went for two different walks with Aliza--one in her bike, one in her vroom vroom, which she insisted on pushing herself for a (rather long) block
Put away three loads of laundry
Went to Best Buy to buy Russ a birthday present, Babies R' Us to pick up a couple of things for Aliza and Stop and Shop to buy stuff for school
Played with a dump truck and a piggy bank
Fed Aliza dinner
Managed to finally put away my turtle necks and begin taking out my t-shirts (still not completely done with that project, but progress was made)
Told Aliza I loved her at least a dozen times
Laughed at her silly antics at the dinner table
Packed breakfast, morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack for Aliza
Responded to half a dozen emails
Filled out Aliza's daycare sheet for tomorrow, packed her bag and labelled her new shorts, t-shirts, generic Tylenol and spray on suntan lotion (apparently the lotion stuff is no longer acceptable so I have to trade it for spray stuff at daycare)
Waited for an hour for Aliza to fall asleep
Cleaned the kitchen
Gave Aliza at least 100 kisses, at least 50 more hugs and told her I loved her a dozen times (have to give her extra Sunday night since I won't see her all day Monday.....)
Finally posted to my blog
Started to do school work (started being the operative word here)

When people ask me how my weekend was, my response is always the same:
Busy.

TWO!

2010-05-17T05:51:00.002-04:00

Picture update

2010-05-09T22:00:00.020-04:00

It's so much more fun to show what I've been up to rather than to tell.....so here you go....

Easter Sunday:

(I mean, seriously, isn't she the cutest thing EVER?!?)

Cooking with Mommy: (turns out Aliza loves to bake and cook with me)
Playdate with her cousin (I got so many good pictures, but I'm limiting myself to two here):

Gardening/spreading mulch (she likes to dig in the dirt too):

Sleep over with her cousins:

And of course lots of her all time favorite activity- taking walks:

Ahhhhhh!

2010-03-31T05:45:00.005-04:00

Living with a toddler is SO much fun sometimes......

New photo from Grosspapa

2010-03-23T22:34:00.002-04:00

What I learned.....

2010-03-17T21:13:00.004-04:00

Today I learned that I'm 33 years old and not above asking my Dad for help with my homework.

Today I learned that two hours of a screaming 8 year old is more draining than one might imagine.

Today I learned the power of a phone call--to make a difference, and to make a teacher feel good.

Today I learned that I am not happy in my job. Correct that. I love my job. I have the best job in the world and I never ever feel like I don't want to do my job. But now, in this moment, maybe even in this year, I am not happy. I am Tired. And Overwhelmed. And Frustrated beyond anything. And feeling like I am swimming against the tide and not making headway. I realized today that I have been feeling that way since-- well since October I'd say.

Today I learned that to be a teammate, you need to have a team.
Unfortunately, I don't.
Today I learned that I am officially done trying to be a teammate.

Today I learned that even when I have a day that leaves me crying on the way home, the second I hear Aliza saying "Mama, open the door" while rattling the gate to get to me, my day melts away and my heart sings.

Winter fun

2010-03-14T14:12:00.008-04:00

I know, I know....I haven't blogged in awhile. I could tell you all about why I haven't blogged, or I could just share some recent pictures of my adorable child who is growing way too fast.....

She got a fire truck/ball pit for Christmas which we finally decided to inflate for her. It has become her new favorite toy: She likes it so much she just hangs out in it--to read books or enjoy her snack.....

(As an aside, it came with a measly 20 balls, since I took these pictures Aliza and I bought more, so it is truly a ball pit now.)

We had a fairly large snow storm, that left us hunkered down inside.....until we decided it was time to play outside of course. Aliza had fun discovering her house all covered with snow:
We made a mini-snowman, which Aliza decided she didn't like- it "jumped" off the edge:

We also discovered some old cookie cutters I had laying around, which are great fun with play dough:

And since she doesn't have nearly enough toys, she got a brand new one: a farm. Largely because I remembered having (and loving) the same one when I was a kid. Turns out the updated version is even more fun:

Finally, Aliza learned the joy of eating whipped cream right from the container. We only did it once, and after that I hid the canister in the back of the fridge, but she sure did love it:

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T10:46:00.002-05:00

Mommy lesson #1

2010-02-08T21:13:00.002-05:00

Note:
Sometimes I write posts and I think, "I can't publish this, I sound like I'm complaining...." but the thing is, this is where I am, in this moment in time. These are my thoughts and feelings, the things I'm wondering and figuring out.....this is my snapshot in time as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, teacher and student. So here it is, without apology or complaint.
*********************************************
I'm sick.
I'm not one to admit that, and especially not to the large Internet world, but there it is.
Genuinely-doctors-note-second-round-of-antibiotics-sick.

Now time for the mommy lesson:
It's not about me anymore....it's about Aliza.

Oh, I know you know this in theory. You know when you get pregnant that it's not about you anymore. From the second you conceive, your body is not your own and you begin to figure it out.
In theory.
Then the baby arrives and you really start to figure it out. If that little bundle of joy wants to eat at 2 a.m. then, gosh darn it, you are going to drag yourself out of bed and feed her. It doesn't matter how bone tired you are, you do it. Because you are a mom.

And if that baby girl decides, just as you are about to start cooking dinner, that she needs you RIGHT NOW, then you stop what you are doing and be with her. Because you are a mom.

*****************************************************
Today, I had a Day. You know what I mean.....the kind of day that leaves you drained, emotionally and physically. The kind of day where you are driving home and all you want are cozy clothes, a rather large glass of wine and a pint of the good ole' boys: Ben and Jerry. Today, I was driving home on the verge of tears because I knew that what awaited me was a sick little girl I spent the day worrying about who only wanted me to hold her close. And a project for class that I am supposed to talk to my principal with on Wednesday. And old papers to correct, two loads of laundry to put away, a dishwasher to empty, a trip to the grocery store to get the things Aliza needs according to the doctor and.....well, you get the picture.
But I am a mom. So despite my desire to curl into a little ball, I came home, took care of my little girl, went to get the stuff she needed to feel better, emptied that dishwasher, worked a bit on my project and spent the night hoping, wishing, praying that my little girl sleeps through the night for the first time in several nights.
And I did it all.
Because this is the reality of being a mom.
And I am a mom.

Do I have to get coffee too?

2010-02-01T21:59:00.004-05:00

It's official....I'm an intern.
Administrative intern that is. In addition to, you know, my regular teaching job. Oh yeah, and writing a thesis. And let's not talk about my practicum because I submitted the proposal so long ago and have thought about it so little that I barely remember what my topic is. (A fact that became abundantly clear when I was speaking with a higher up from Central Office and, when asked what my project was for my practicum, I had to stumble around and stall a bit to come up with what I was actually doing. He seemed more flabbergasted by the fact that I was doing all three major projects at once and managed to ignore my bumbling.)

I had my first internship meeting where we got a rather large packet filled with paperwork detailing all of the things we need to accomplish over the coming year. My university apparently prides itself on having the internship run through the summer so that people can gather hours when they aren't teaching full time. I guess I won't be going too far this summer. Anyways, lucky for me I'm so over committed (I knew that would come in handy at some point) I've already started working toward my 240 hours of experience I need. I've got three.
Hey, it's a start.

Here's the thing (and yes, I know I'm crazy).....I don't want my internship to be filled with boring, meaningless work. Some of what I'm already doing--chairing committees, serving on two district wide committees, presenting professional development--will count, and for that, I'll admit, I'm grateful. I might just shoot myself if I had to start from ground zero and fill my hours....as it is, it is doubtful I'll make it through without a nervous breakdown. As for the rest, I'm hoping that my time will be well spent and meaningful. I don't want to be relegated to making schedules (not that that isn't a worthwhile pursuit, obviously, it is and it needs to be done, but, well, I've done that before) or fetching coffee (I do think that perhaps I should have offered to get my principal a coffee when we were attending a workshop together, especially after he pointed out the fact that I *hadn't* gotten him one. Ooops.) I want to LEARN something. I want to do something meaningful. I want this experience to be one that I'll walk away from and feel proud of. So that when I go on that job interview for that principal position, I can pull from this experience and say, I DID that, I LEARNED that.

I guess it's just a matter of coming up with something brilliant and worthwhile to do.

I think I'd have an easier time with that if my brain weren't so overloaded.

I might just need a storage unit

2010-01-28T14:19:00.002-05:00

My dad has a drawer in his nightstand. It is a drawer where he has tucked away little bits and pieces of our childhood.....birthday cards we made him.....the hat with the ears hanging down the side that used to make him laugh every time I wore it.....letters from summer camp, mine tear stained and Mike's short and to the point......the programs from our college graduations.....little memories of our childhood.

I have already started my own collection.

I'm sure, at some point I will be able to throw away some of her many drawings and pieces of art work. But, for now, I can't. To me, each one is so precious, so special. Evidence of her growing abilities and proof that she is curious and creative and smart. I especially love the artwork I receive from daycare, where they let her experiment with things that I haven't yet tried at home. Things like glue and different texture fabric scraps.....There is a small pile accumulating on top of our fridge that I need to find a new home for, but, for now, it sits there, because I like taking them down and looking at them, marveling at the little girl my baby is becoming.

Then there is The Notebook. Every day that Aliza goes to daycare I fill out a sheet telling them any news or notes and the food I'm sending in with her and they return it to me with a little bit about her day. I've saved every single one. My binder is already growing too small, and clearly I need to either graduate to a larger one or find a spot to store the old notes. The notes, when I reread them are another journey Aliza is on in her little life. They start with comments like this: "Day #1 was a little tough for Aliza emotionally. She has taken to all of the teachers and did quietly observe the other children at play, which she did not do much of, but she did enjoy the purple rocker! Remember, it will get easier for ALL of you!"

To this in early September:
"Aliza had a wonderful day! She danced with me and clapped! She laughed with a full belly at all my silly dance moves. She is a pleasure to have with us!"

To this:
Aliza had such a smiley day! She seems to be crawling less and trying to walk independently more and more!

And this:
"Aliza had a ball outside today! She walked around singing "la, la, la" and pushing a fire truck. The wind was so strong at one point she almost got blown over! But she didn't mind! She keeps talking more every day!"
See why I can't throw the sheets away?

So not only is there art work accumulating, and a notebook overflowing with daycare notes, there are tons of other little things, that I am storing and saving. Like the banner from her first birthday party. Her hospital bracelets from when she was born, of course. Several little photo books from various holidays and events.....I even have paper that she's scribbled on and insisted she's writing her name!
So.
I think it's time for a storage unit.....because a large trash bag is just not an option at this point.

Save Squirt

2010-01-24T17:19:00.009-05:00

Nine years ago a teammate decided to buy a snake as a class pet. My class, of course, decided that they wanted a class pet too. I stalled a bit, but ultimately decided a class pet could be fun.... partly because of the person I am and partly because I remember being in fifth grade and having newts and crawfish as a pet and thinking it was the Best Week Ever when it was my turn to take care of them.

I turned it into a teachable moment of course....had the class list all the possible pets (nothing with fur or feathers- school rules), divided them into teams and made them do research and present their findings to their classmates....set up a voting both, made them research again once a winner was selected so that we could get all of the materials we needed to care for said pet and finally, when I had stretched it out as long as I could, bought the class pet- a leopard gecko:

We voted on a name too: Squirt (named after the turtle in Finding Nemo). So I'll admit--and not many people know this secret--Squirt #1 didn't last so long. She was sickly and died shortly after arriving in our classroom. The class never knew, I pretended I had brought her home and returned with a new Squirt.

Squirt #2 has now been with me for nine years. Many students have come and gone in my classroom and have had the opportunity to learn about Squirt and to care for her. Former students check in on her, and will even stop me in the hall to ask how she is doing.

I knew Squirt was special, but I didn't realize how special until she got sick. That's right, Squirt is sick. The first signs started a few months ago. She started having difficulty shedding, and needed help pulling some of her skin off. Her appetite dropped off a bit. I did my research, dropped a pretty penny at my local PetCo and she seemed to be improving. But, recently, her decline worsened. It got bad enough that even my students started thinking she didn't look good. I even had a chat with my class and, in as nice of terms as I could put it, I told them I wasn't so sure she'd make it through the year.

That very night, one of my parent's emailed me to let me know that her sister is a vet, and her old boss specialized in Leopard geckos. I reassured the mom that it wasn't necessary although I appreciated the offer and the mom promptly made an appointment. Two vet visits later Squirt is now on three different medications, has to soak two times a day in a lukewarm "bath", has to be force fed a meal of pureed cat food, Ensure and vitamins (which smells delicious by the way!) and had to have numerous (costly) changes to her habitat.

Crazier than that (because, yes, I know that is crazy) is the outpouring of support Squirt is receiving. My school psychologist emailed to check on Squirt, a special education teacher asked me about her at the start of a meeting, which then prompted a good five minute conversation with everyone at the table and, even more amazing, the parents in my classroom have stepped up to care for her. Two different moms have paid for her vet visits--one late enough at night that the poor mom had to hire a babysitter to stay with her other children and the second visit caused the student in my class to miss her Variety show rehearsal (quite the big deal, trust me!). Both refused to take money, insisting on spending a ridiculous amount to care for Squirt. One of my room parents sent out an email to all parents asking for help and financial support. She also emailed the PTA president and asked if a collection jar could be put in the front office....

All this for a leopard gecko. A very adorable leopard gecko, granted, but, a leopard gecko all the same. Just goes to show you that pets, big or small, furry or not, touch lives.

I just hope she lives.

I really wish there was a pause button

2010-01-18T12:03:00.006-05:00

I'm pretty sure....no, I'm downright positive that it was just a few days ago that I was feeding Aliza like this:

And I believe it was just yesterday that she sat in her high chair for the first time: And I KNOW she just ate solid food for the first time just a few hours ago:

So how in the world did THIS happen?! Big girl chair, big girl plate, big girl fork and big girl food....

Parenting 101

2010-01-13T05:30:00.005-05:00

I've known all along- there isn't a manual. No directions on how to raise a child, no sure-fire way to ensure that your child is well mannered, self motivated and kind. As a teacher, I've come across a number of children whose parents I wish I could sit down, pen and paper in hand, and ask, "OK, so WHAT did you do to raise such an awesome kid?" I've also come across those kids who, when June 23 hit, I wasn't all that sad to say goodbye to.....As two teachers, Russ and I are firm believers in structure, routines and boundaries. Ten years of teaching experience, and countless years of working with children in other capacities, has taught me that kids NEED those things. It's just a matter of figuring out how to give them those things.

Since there is no manual, you have to use the sense that God gave you, the advice from family and friends, your own recollections of how you were raised and just muddle through, praying all the while that you are doing an OK job.

Aliza is just on the verge of that age where the tantrums are starting. We are seeing little glimpses, here and there, of what's in store for us. Overall she's an awesome child. Loving and sweet with a fantastic sense of humor and a love for singing, dancing and drawing. She doesn't watch T.V. for more than a second or two, she loves to read and be read to and, best of all, she loves to hang out with her Mommy and Daddy. I mean, I'm one seriously blessed mom.

However.
She is, at times, becoming awfully opinionated about what she wants, even if she can't even communicate it. And, being 1 1/2 she wants it Right Now. The other day is a prime example...as usual I was cooking dinner. Also as usual, Aliza decided she wanted to be in the kitchen with me. And by decided, I mean she was standing at the gate to the kitchen, rattling the bars and crying loudly. We finally allowed her into the kitchen, hoping she'd head over to "her" cabinet (that contains only Tupperware) or the fridge phonics, or the pad of paper that she loves to grab and then write all over.....no such luck. She came straight to me, clung to my legs, looked up at me and said "Mom-mom, UP!" When I couldn't pick her up immediately (sharp knife, hot oil, frying garlic....bad combo) she insisted more loudly and literally clung to my legs as I attempted to walk around the kitchen cooking. Now, thinking about it, it's a rather funny mental image, but in the moment it wasn't so funny.

Her new thing lately is to throw her food off her highchair. She used to do this in the past, but stopped for quite some time. Now, when she's done eating, or if she just feels like it, she picks up her pieces of food and chucks it right over the edge of her chair. Actually, she doesn't discriminate, she'll throw her fork, spoon, cup, plate....all right over the edge and onto the floor. Russ and I went through several ways of dealing with this. First to say no, of course. Then to remove all food from her tray. Then to make her pick everything up at the end of the meal. Finally, we have decided to try something new. Now, the second she throws something over the edge of her high chair we stop everything, take her out of her high chair, make her pick it up and give it to us and then put her back in her high chair to continue eating. This felt like an appropriate, natural consequence to us.
Last night we did this three separate times.

The thing is, who knows if this is the right move.....we certainly don't. What we do know is that Aliza has to learn not to throw her food on the floor. What we also know is that she doesn't do this elsewhere--like day care, or at restaurants. We also know that both of us were getting tired of picking up the floor every night after dinner. So, we're attempting to stay consistent, even if it is annoying to take her in and out of her chair several times, and we are hoping she gets the message.
Sooner rather than later.

Potty time

2010-01-11T18:57:00.006-05:00

Turkey Roulade....a.k.a. where Aliza gets it from

2010-01-06T06:33:00.002-05:00

The other night I tried out a new recipe from this awesome cookbook my mom bought me. I knew (or I hoped), before I even started that it was going to be yummy, so I decided to document my progress.....also to prove that Aliza isn't the only chef in the family!

I started with a mixture of spinach, ricotta and shredded mozzarella:

Then I pounded out some turkey breasts and spread out the spinach and cheese mixture:Next I made a quick fresh marinara sauce:

Then I rolled up the turkey, secured them with toothpicks and spooned the sauce over them. Here they are, ready to go into the oven:

After baking them for a bit, I added shredded mozzarella to the top. They came out looking like this:

I think they ended up looking just like the picture in the cook book:

I would like to add that all of this deliciousness happened on my first day back at work after vacation.....

My little chef

2010-01-04T20:30:00.001-05:00

Notice how- mid-way through her cooking- Aliza stops to take a taste before adding more "herbs"....

Holiday photo montage

2009-12-31T23:50:00.017-05:00

We started, of course, by decorating the house. Aliza liked the candles that we put in the windows and quickly decided that they were her toys:

Then came the tree:

Linus decided to hang out underneath it while we decorated:

And even Aliza got into decorating:

Although she took a break to read a bit:

We had our annual cookie exchange. Aliza woke up just in time to taste the gingerbread cookies her Mem-Mem baked.

And we went to the first of many family parties the week before Christmas. We discovered that despite our best efforts, Aliza was, in fact, afraid of Santa. She refused to sit on his lap, but we did get a quick family picture. And she sure did have fun playing with some of her younger cousins....and by playing I mean rolling around on the floor:

Christmas morning and we learned that Aliza definitely understood the idea of opening presents:

We paused to play....and snuggle:

Before heading over to Nonna and Grospapa's house where we got to eat yummy lasagna and open more presents. Aliza got an awesome kitchen set, complete with microwave, refrigerator, stove, baskets and lots of food. It was so big though that we have to wait to bring it home until we take the tree down and make some space for it.

Then we headed to Mem-mem and Pop-pop's house where we got to open more presents and eat more yummy food! Her tea set and table quickly became a crowd favorite.

It wasn't until a couple of days after Christmas that Aliza finally got around to opening a very special present from her Daddy. A special blue box containing her first Tiffany's ornament:

All in all, it was a rather very Merry Christmas!

School picture

2009-12-05T07:58:00.003-05:00

Here's Aliza's very first school (daycare) picture:

Overheard

2009-12-02T21:33:00.003-05:00

In my classroom:

Me: (Circling four quarters that are on a paper.) "What does four quarters equal?"
Student: blank look....followed by, "$1.52."

Me: Blank look because I am now wondering where in the world this kid has been for the last three days when we discussed what four quarters equals. "Let's look at that again- what does two quarters equal?"
Student: "Fifty cents!"
Me: "Good! So, two quarters is fifty cents, what's two more quarters?"
Student: blank look AND total silence.
Me: "50 plus 50....."
Student: more blank looks.....more silence......still more silence......"$1.00?"
Me: (with a sigh of relief) "Yes!"

Next problem:
Me"OK, you already added the two dollar bills, so now you just have to add the coins. So, two dollars plus one dime."
Student: silence.
Me: not realizing student doesn't know answer, "write the answer there...."
Student: blank stare. Silence.
Me: (Mental groan.....) "two dollars, plus one dime.....what's a dime worth again?"
Student: "ten cents!"
Me: "Awesome, so two dollars plus one dime is......"
Student: silence. Blank stare. "$2.10?"
Me: "YES!!"

In contrast--I got home and had THIS interaction (with my 1 1/2 year old):

Me: (Drawing an A on a paper) "What's that?"
Aliza: "Aliza!"
Me: "Yes!" Drawing a M on the paper...."and what's that?"
Aliza: "Ma-ma!"
Me: "You are so smart!" Drawing a D on the paper..."what's this Aliza?"
Aliza: "Da-da!"
Me: picking her up and squeezing her, because, seriously, she's the cutest thing EVER and really, how could I now after she just showed me how brilliant she is?!?

18 month stats and pics

2009-11-30T20:53:00.009-05:00

Aliza had her 18 month check up recently (WHERE did the time go!?!?). Here are her stats:

Height: 31 1/4 inches

*Weight: 22 lbs. 9 oz.

Head circumference: 47.5 cm

*She lost a pound after a bout of pneumonia.

She's had a busy month.....here are some highlights:

Sitting at the table (like a big girl!) for Fake Thanksgiving:

"Feeding" Charlie (the puppet):Blowing out birthday candles:

Funny hair during her bath (a.k.a. splash-splash):

Swinging with Mommy:

Working hard:

And finally- making some calls on Daddy's Iphone:

One is silver and the other gold...

2009-11-08T22:14:00.003-05:00

Four short days into NaBloPoMo and I missed posting three days in a row.....Russ kept saying "You HAVE to post, it's Nablowoowho month...." (He doesn't quite get the acronym.) I kept telling him, "Be a guest poster for me, I can't do it!" but he didn't....I'm a bit relieved honestly. I mean, I was hoping to make it a little longer than four days but seeing as how all of my creative writing energy (and free time) is going into my thesis, I just didn't have it in me this year.

Anyways, all that aside, we spent a lovely morning visiting with some dear friends whom we don't get to see nearly often enough. They were in town for the weekend and called us up to see if we were free....miraculously, we were!

Sparing you all of the details (like the fact that Aliza ate three of these super yummy pumpkin muffins my friend made, which is more than she's eaten all weekend- she's getting quite finicky about her food which is making me crazy!) I'll skip right to the point....seeing these old friends was like coming home and putting on cozy clothes. We haven't seen each other in awhile, nor have we talked (my bad, I'm so horrible about staying in touch, it is one of my biggest flaws), but somehow, seeing them today, it was like no time had passed. We resumed conversation as if we were just chatting yesterday.....fell into jokes like we always had in the past.....and felt the ease and comfort that only comes from years of knowing one another and going through some of life's biggest, and hardest, changes together. It made me crave friends. Or rather, it made me crave the easygoing friendship I have with those people who have been in my life for so long that they know the best and worst of me and love me anyways. All those people in my life (with the exception of one) live far away, and the time I get to see them is very few and very far between....

I left wishing there were mere towns separating us, rather than states.....

From bad to worse

2009-11-04T22:24:00.001-05:00

The stabber bit me today.

Language

2009-11-03T20:37:00.003-05:00

As a teacher, I know, theoretically, the impact that language development has on a child's learning. I had one student who received intensive special education support, not because he was learning disabled but because he was adopted and spent the first few years of his life living in a home where he wasn't spoken to much at all. After adoption things changed, but this kid was forever impacted by those first, formative, years....
I've known this in theory.

The reality is so much more amazing. Not to brag (but I'm going to) Aliza, at 17 months, has an amazing vocabulary. She comes out with new words every day (yesterday it was Ipod).
I'm also proud to report that she LOVES books. She won't even watch T.V. Oh sure, she'll give it a glance if it's on, maybe even sit still long enough to watch it for a full minute, but that's about it. She prefers books. And crayons. And toys. Over T.V. Can't say I mind all that much either...she also requests books by name. Sometimes by their title (like Dog or Cat) and sometimes by the first line, or maybe a repeated line, in a text. Like this one, or this one. She's a reader already.

Of course, the way she talks is just so darned cute. Some of my favorite words that she says just a bit funny are captured here on this video....listen closely for yellow and yes.....two of my favorite Aliza-isms.

Alexander

2009-11-02T22:06:00.003-05:00

There is a book that must elementary school teachers know- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day. I like to think of poor Alexander whenever I have a day like the one I had today....
My morning started with a daughter who is clearly still thrown by the time change and decided to wake up at 5:20 a.m. I listened to her screaming while I showered and then kept her occupied while I attempted to get dressed.
Got into my car, only five minutes late!, only to discover a warning light flashing at me alarmingly from the control panel. I chastised myself the entire way to daycare, convinced it was the oil light telling me that I made the wrong decision to stay at home and work on my thesis this weekend instead of getting the much needed oil change. A quick stop at the Mobil station and I filled my oil tank, hoping it would do the trick. As I sat in an impossibly long line of cars waiting to get onto the parkway, I looked up the warning light that was still glaring at me from the dashboard and discovered that it was not, in fact, the oil but rather the tire pressure. Great.
There were yellow warnings printed in bold letters about Accident! Serious Injury! Damage to the car! all over the owner's manual so I drove to work worried about THAT. When I finally arrived at school (an hour later.....ahh, morning commute, how I love thee) I actually looked at the tire in question and, frankly, dismissed all of my fears as unreasonable because the thing didn't look remotely flat.
Going about my morning....students arrive, get working, all seems OK. Time to go to music at 9:40 and one of my little girls is in tears with her mom waiting out in the hall to talk to me for "just a quick minute". I send my student teacher and para off to bring the kids to music, figuring nothing could really happen along the short walk while I talk to the girl in question. Do my best cheerleader interpretation, reassure the mom, solve the problem, yay me.
Begin walking the girl to music and run into my para who has come to let me know that one of my little guys has stabbed another kid with a pencil.
Great.
Get to my class, waiting outside the music room, and attempt to get the stabber out of line to visit the principal. Temper tantrum, screaming fit and he throws himself down in the middle of the front entrance way and refuses to budge.
It's not even 10:00 yet and I have about fifteen more minutes before I am supposed to be in a meeting with a former parent of mine who is planning on suing our district (again). I grab the principal, who disciplines the student right there in the hall because he won't move, then am told to track down the special education teacher and the school social worker. Fine. Grab both and leave my screamer in their capable hands while I go to my hour long meeting with the former parent.
That meeting ends, as expected (he'll sue- again), and I check in on my student. He's now in the school social workers office, still quite unhappy. Head off to another meeting with the parent of the stabber....thirty minutes later, meeting is over, stabber is settled down and in the classroom.
Lunch time hits and I walk my kids outside and watch the stabber as he hauls off and hits another student.
Sigh.
Repeat visit to principal (much calmer this time) and visit to school social worker. I leave the kid with her while I make a phone call to the parent of the kid who was stabbed, and some copies and, blessedly, finally, make it to the bathroom. Stabber makes his way inside for lunch and I finally sit down to eat mine- with five minutes to do so.

Luckily, the afternoon passed without incident.....

And tomorrow is a brand new day--more importantly, a day without students! I'm hoping the teachers don't get bored during our workshops tomorrow and stab one another with their pencils......

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T21:14:00.006-05:00

Aliza's second Halloween was even more fun than her first.....she still doesn't quite get what trick or treating is, but tolerated her costume and even walked (and rode) around the neighborhood a bit with our two good friends and a bevy of other parents and children. Next year we will have to practice saying "trick or treat".....

We started our evening by carving our pumpkin while Aliza played outside (as an aside, Russ decided- after viewing the pumpkins in the neighborhood- that next year he needs to improve on his pumpkin carving ability. I tried explaining that the fancy ones he saw were, most likely, patterns, but he is determined to put on a better show next year):

After a yummy dinner of pizza with Grams and Gramps (a.k.a. Mem-mem and Pop-pop) Aliza got dressed in her costume just in time for Nonna and Pop-pop's arrival:

She quickly decided it was time to head outside:

Although she got a bit confused about the fact that we were supposed to visit houses, and not our own backyard:

We decided to strap Aliza into her vroom-vroom to walk around the neighborhood:

She got out and walked a couple of times, but seemed a tad overwhelmed with all of the neighborhood kids we were walking with and opted to stay close to my side.

We returned home to say night-night to Mem-Mem and Pop-pop and enjoyed some trick or treaters before bed....although now we seem to have a ladybug infestation:

Overall it was a fantastic Halloween!

Guessing game

2009-10-17T19:37:00.007-04:00

Lately, meals with Aliza have been a guessing game. As in, "I guess we'll see if she'll eat some chicken." And when that doesn't work, "I guess we'll try a grilled cheese." And then when that doesn't work, "I guess some pasta."

It's also a guessing game as we try to figure out what she is pointing to and saying during dinner. She is clearly trying to tell us what she wants, we just don't always know what she's saying.

She does love the three Ps: pasta, potato and pizza. She'll eat those any time at all and pretty much in any form too. But a kid can't live on carbs alone....

I think part of it is because we keep giving her the same thing. Not because I haven't tried new things, trust me, I have. Recently we tried quiche--eggs, veggies, cheese, maybe some meat, what could be better, right? She didn't like it. Oh, I know, sometimes kids don't like things the first time you give it to them. I've tried four times now. Spinach and quiche lorraine. Tonight she looked at me, picked up the quiche and tossed it right over the edge of her tray and onto the floor. I also tried homemade mac and cheese. What kid doesn't like mac and cheese? So it had veggies cooked into it but Russ and I loved it. Not Aliza. Right over the edge. Same with the homemade mozzarella. I'm cooking. A lot and often and many varied things. But she's not biting.

Tonight's dinner is a classic example. Tonight she ended up eating edamame, grapes, banana, and a muffin (that had carrots and banana baked into it, but don't tell her!). Before you think I'm a horrible Mom, I did try to get her to eat quiche. Then turkey. Then homemade chicken tenders. Then mozzarella sticks (also homemade with veggies cooked into them). Then sweet potato (which she requested but then mashed between her fingers, a first for her). Oh, and trust me, when she's older, I won't be offering her all these options. When she's older, dinner is dinner and that's it. But right now her tastes, and her teeth, are still developing and so much of what we eat isn't suitable for her still. Tonight she did want pudding when she had barely eaten anything at all and we did say no, not until she ate some chicken. She never ate the chicken but she also never got the pudding.

When she was younger (it's so funny to say that since she is, after all, only 1. But when she was an infant and didn't know any better.....) she would eat anything. Without a problem. Now? Now it's a guessing game.

So if there are any parents out there who have some advice on how to get a toddler to eat, well, I'm ready for it!

Pumpkin patch

2009-10-11T22:34:00.006-04:00

We took a trip to a local orchard to pick pumpkins and apples. Aliza had a lot of fun wandering admist the pumpkins......

But she had even more fun apple picking. Although, admittedly, she didn't get to pick many apples as she was awfully distracted with eating:

Here she is pausing long enough to check out the hay ride:

Back to eating, while Mommy and Daddy pick some apples!

In the pumpkin patch:

Updates

2009-10-04T13:59:00.003-04:00

I miss blogging. I know, I know, I wasn't exactly a prolific blogger, but I enjoyed sharing my stories and my noticings. I want to blog. I want to catch up with my friends- both those I know personally and those I've met here in the wide world of the web--but, well, something had to give. And, unfortunately, it was blogging.
Here are some things kicking around in my head and in my world these last several weeks:

Aliza is, officially, a toddler. She walks far more than she crawls at this point. Her confidence in her ability to walk is growing. Before she used to take an unsteady step or two and then fall down and crawl the rest of the way to her destination. Now, well, now she takes several steps, less unsteady than before, falls and immediately stands up again to keep walking. She traverses our house this way and it still makes me want to cry when I see it. I'm so proud of her and, at the same time, so amazed that my little baby is WALKING. Seeing her this way, as a toddler and not as a baby, is filling me with some mixed feelings.....on the one hand I am so proud that she is walking and so filled with wonder at her development, and on the other, I miss my baby. I'm starting to feel that urge to have another child. Before you get excited (Mom and Mom S.), it's not time and we aren't ready yet but seeing Aliza walk somehow has me more and more ready.

**********************************************************
I hate my thesis. Actually, that's not entirely true, I actually really love my topic although I'm still not convinced I'm going to produce something stellar the way I had hoped, but I'm interested in what I'm doing and I want to do it. Just not now. See, when I signed up for this class, I read the course description and didn't quite realize I'd actually be writing a thesis. Get over it already, I know but man, it is A LOT of work. It is more work than I had mentally prepared myself for and frankly it is ridiculously overwhelming. This week we have a rough draft of Chapter 2 due by Wednesday night. Chapter 2 requires me to find up to 12 articles (20 by the time I'm done with the whole document) on three themes related to my topic and then to write about them in a narrative. I'm not entirely sure what all that means. I have a friend in the course with me who is a mom and a teacher as well and we keep repeating our mantra: "We CAN do this." I'm not sure who we are trying to convince, but if we say it often enough, hopefully it will come true. In other course related news, I did find out that the practicum I am concurrently working on isn't due for another 10 months. (Oh, didn't I tell you that I'm doing a thesis and a practicum? I probably forgot to mention it because whenever I do talk about it a note of hysteria creeps into my voice that I am convinced makes everyone around me wonder about my mental stability. So I now avoid talking about the two projects together.) Ten months though......seems manageable.
************************************************************
My Mom and Dad are safe and sound at home from their travels abroad. They were in Italy for two weeks and this educator sure did miss them. So did Aliza, who kept picking up the phone, dialing numbers, holding it to her ear and, when asked who she was calling would declare, with conviction, "Nonna!" No more two week vacations Mom, it's way too long!
***********************************************************
Aliza is blowing me away with how much she is growing every day. She comes out with new words every day (yesterday it was circle). It's amazing that we are now able to communicate with her. I can tell her, Aliza, almost time for a bath! and she'll look at me and say splash, splash and then walk on over to the gate and point up the stairs letting me know she is ready now. She's also developing a bit of an independent streak. She loves to take my hand, make me stand up, and guide me exactly where she wants me to go. She also loves to yell at me if I don't go exactly where she wants me to. It's so darned cute that I laugh at her every time, which makes her more upset. She's also doing this funny thing where she likes to hold on to stuff. Car keys, cups, toy shovels, you name it, she's got a death grip on it. I try not to let her hang on to anything when I'm dropping her off at school because, inevitably, she'll cry if I try to take it from her when I leave and I hate for her to start a day like that......but I don't always win that battle.

***********************************************************
The mom of one of my students has the following quote as her email signature:

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Plato

And with that thought, I will leave you dear friends......

First steps

2009-09-21T20:38:00.004-04:00

Ever since Aliza's 15 month check up, we have been practicing walking everywhere. She went from holding on with two hands and stumbling....to holding on with two hands and walking with more confidence......to holding on with one hand and walking better...to taking her first unsteady steps today! We have been frequently saying, "Aliza walk to Mommy!" to which she often replies "No!" but today she did! We didn't capture her actual first steps on tape, both of us were so shocked she complied we didn't have the camera ready, but then we went in for round two. (Sorry about the camera angle, I have no idea how to rotate it and I wanted her feet to be visible!)

Then, that night at dinner, she continued to learn about utensils. Here she is, working with a spoon:

Flat out

2009-09-14T20:58:00.003-04:00

Back to school.....

I always forget--I don't know why I always forget this seeing as how I am now in my tenth year teaching--but I always forget what back to school is like. How it hits you like a ton of bricks. You hit the ground running, your to-do list is a mile long and you don't have time for anything. Certainly no time for blogging. Most definitely no time for reading or commenting on other blogs. Barely time to eat these days.

Like right now? Right now I have a messy kitchen to clean, a load of laundry I should have done over the weekend that I didn't do, two loads of Aliza's laundry that I haven't managed to sift through, bills to pay, and a slew of other minor household related things that I am pretending don't exist. And for school I have an open house presentation to prepare, two sets of papers to correct (how are those piling up already!?), a math unit to re-vamp because my kids are NOT getting it, two parents to email, some random paperwork to fill out on special ed kids in my class, conference forms to create and post, a website to update and---well.....the list is seriously endless. I cross one thing off and add two more lately. And don't even get me started on grad school. Somehow I have to come up with an amazing project to do that satisfies district and building and state requirements and get it all done fast because my deadline is sooner rather than later.

So. I wasn't actually posting to complain. I was posting to say that yes, I am in fact still around. And I will come back and blog, complete with cute pictures, soon.
Just as soon as I catch my breath.
Pinky promise.

First REAL day of school

2009-08-31T20:38:00.004-04:00

Today summer officially ended and Russ and I returned to work. It was also Aliza's first "official" day at "school." In the tradition of our family, I had actually bought her a brand new outfit to wear. (Actually, I think I bought her like six brand new outfits, but some are for fall.) But then the weather seemed like it would be a little warm so I didn't dress her in it. She looked cute though:

Here's my brand new outfit- I know, I know, I'm not wearing it. That's because I have three days of meetings and professional development before the kids arrive (although they are visiting every day!) and I'm saving the outfit for Thursday:

Back to Aliza......Here she is with me, letting me know how she is feeling about the day:

Despite her appearance here, she actually had a really great day at school. She played, she walked (with the help of the teacher), she ate, she napped, she waved bye-bye and blew kisses when it was time to go and she came home so sandy that our just-cleaned floors are gritty. I think the five days of transition last week really helped her to have a wonderful first day. Although she still cried when I dropped her off. I'm hoping that stops soon because it sets me off and frankly, I'm running low on mascara!

You've got the cutest little baby face

2009-08-28T16:37:00.015-04:00

Aliza makes all sorts of fun faces these days.
There's this one:
That's the I want that, also known as the I want you to do something face.

Here's another, the All done! face:

Here's her hello face:

The ever popular "sniffy" face:

The sleepy face:

The I am very upset with you face:

One of my new favorites- the Ohhhh! face:

Aliza serious-pants face:

The I'm impossibly cute face:

These are just a few of my favorite faces!

Here she is practicing one of her other new tricks- first she lets us know what is in her diaper, then she practices some animal noises. She does other ones, but her daddy threw her off by asking to make an aardvark noise.

You can call me Anal

2009-08-26T12:53:00.006-04:00

When we send emails at school, part of the name of the sender pops up in the recipients inbox. Well, since my name is listed as Analisa, what pops up is Anal. A male colleague pointed this out to me a couple of years ago (rather gleefully I might add) and then spent the rest of the year finding examples of how I really am rather anal. He didn't have to look too far.

I'll admit, there are some things I am way more anal about than others. My classroom for example. But, then again, I don't know a single teacher that isn't a bit of a control freak about their classroom. I think I might be a touch more over the top. Of course I think that because I've been told, and teased, about it.

Now that Aliza is going to day care and suddenly I am a Parent interacting with Teachers, my anal nature is kicking into high gear. I think it is something to do with being a teacher myself. I know those parents that get talked about. The ones that don't hand in field trip permission slips so you have to call, and email, and threaten to get it. The ones who send their kid to school with Doritos every. single. day. The ones who let their kid bring in a grenade to school for show and tell. (Yes, that happened to me last year, it was empty of powder but still, who sends their kid to school with a grenade in this post-Columbine, post-9/11 day and age?!) I don't want to be THAT parent.

So far I have handed in all paperwork in a timely manner. I have been responsible about tuition and careful about signing Aliza in and out. But where I have gone over the top is her food. For some reason, sending her to "school "with breakfast, lunch and two snacks really threw me into a panic. That's a whole lot of food and all of it has to be healthy! And, because I'm me, I want most of it to be homemade. So, what did I do? Why, I'm Anal. I printed out a calender and started writing down what she'd bring each day to day care. Over the top? Perhaps. But I've already gotten a compliment on my banana pancakes from her teacher. So I'm really not THAT parent.
At least not yet.

Favorite summer photo

2009-08-24T19:41:00.001-04:00

15 month stats and some firsts

2009-08-22T21:37:00.007-04:00

Aliza had her 15 month check up recently. Here are her stats:

Height: 30 7/8 inches (70th percentile)

Weight: 20 lbs 15 1/4 oz (25th percentile)

Head: 46.7 inches

The doctor mentioned that most kids are walking by 15 months, which made Russ and I worry a bit. She's a fantastic crawler, and she walks hanging on to things, or people, but she hasn't actually taken those first steps on her own. Needless to say, we are walking all over the place even more than we were before the visit and encouraging all of her efforts.

The doctor also noticed that she has a breast bud developing on her right side. She said many kids outgrow it, but she wants to check in with Aliza in six weeks. I decided not to worry until I have something to worry about. All that aside, the doctor was incredibly impressed when Aliza pointed to the counter in the exam room and very clearly said "yellow". And when I started rattling off all of the other words she was saying the doctor couldn't scribble fast enough to keep up with me. I swear she learns and speaks at least one new word a day and it is astonishing.

She's also experienced several new first recently. All captured in pictures, of course!

First day going to "school" and being left there (only for a little over an hour, but still!)

Celebrating a (somewhat) successful first day of "school" with a banana milkshake. (Clearly she is her mama's daughter, it was hard to get her to share this with me!)

Using crayons for the first time! (She's going to use markers at daycare, and the doctor asked how she did manipulating crayons, so I decided that it was time she had some of her own!)

And, eating chocolate pudding for the first time! I think more of it wound up ON her than in her mouth, but she sure had fun trying it out!

Finally, a video of my chatty girl. She normally holds the phone up to her ear and says hello but, of course, because I was videotaping she didn't. But you can hear her say hello several times. And you can see her pushing the button to make the phone pager work- another one of her favorite tricks. Plus, she looks really darned cute in her messy morning hair and her I heart Daddy jammies.

33

2009-08-17T20:49:00.002-04:00

I have about ten different posts waiting to be written. I am not even exaggerating here....there's the one about all of the various funny faces Aliza makes, with pictures to match that are guaranteed to make you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside even if you don't know me personally. Then there is the post about all of Aliza's words and how amazing it is to watch her learn new things. Then there is the post about our trip to the zoo which was just so ridiculously fun, again, with pictures to match. Then there is the post about how we are starting to transition Aliza into daycare and OH MY GOD I'm a little nervous about it and my teacher side and my mommy side are at war. Then there is the post about how school is starting and somehow I've managed to do nothing to prepare, and I do mean nothing. Then there is the post about my law class and all the things I've learned like how I could have TOTALLY sued a prior parent for libel and how teachers really are pretend parents, even the courts call us that-legally and all! Then there's the post about the zip line adventure we went on, that's right I went zip lining with my dad, sister and brother and it was fun and scary and exhilerating and amusing. Then there's the post---well, I think you are getting the point so I'll move on.

This post isn't about any of that. This post is about me. Actually, this post is about my birthday, which is today. That's right, today I turned thirty three.

I'm not one to set much store by age. I mean, what does it even mean anymore when someone says "you don't look ____ (fill in an age here). OK, I'll admit, some ages have bothered me a bit. Thirty-one for example. For some reason, I was fine with thirty, but when thirty-one hit, it hit hard. Thirty-three doesn't much bother me.

Except.

Except it seems kinda, I don't know, mature.

Do you ever have those moments? Those moments where you look around and think, "How did I get here?"

The other day I was walking with Aliza. Thinking about the amazing summer we have had together. How fun it is to watch her, talk to her,, play with her, be with her. How cool it is that she is so much in my world now and I can't imagine living without her. How much I love that I can picture her so clearly in my mind when I am away from her. What a lucky parent I am to have this amazing little miracle in my life. And I started thinking about our house, and my husband, and my daughter and my job.

And I realized- this is IT.

This is MY life. I've arrived. I'm at adulthood. I'm a homeowner with a mortgage and it doesn't matter that I have no idea how to make my flowers grow in my yard without killing them, or what to do about the peeling paint on our deck, or how to sand and refinish all of our old, old doors. It's OUR home now, so we have to figure that out. Just like our parents did. And I'm a parent. And it doesn't matter that sometimes I get so scared for Aliza that I want to wrap her in my arms and hang on tight and not let the world in to hurt her. It doesn't matter that there is no manual, no right way, to raise a kid. She's OUR daughter, so we have to figure it out as we go. Just like our parents did. And I'm a teacher-soon-to-be-administrator. It doesn't matter that I feel like it was just yesterday that it was my first year and I was, and still am sometimes, scared and overwhelmed and concerned that I am not doing enough. It's MY job. So I have to figure it out. Just like my parents did. This. This is MY life.

And this life? Well, it doesn't seem to get any better than this.

I'll take thirty three. With open arms and a smile on my face. With my heart full to bursting with the blessings I have in my husband, my daughter, my parents- both set, my siblings- both sets, a roof over my head, a job I love and days filled with sunshine and discovery.

I'll take thirty three. Gladly.

Eggsactly

2009-08-09T21:25:00.004-04:00

I ran to the grocery store today while Aliza was napping. Usually when I go to the grocery store I have a list. I have a list and very specific meals in mind and I buy just what I need and then I leave. Well, I'm on summer vacation still so there was no list. Which meant I was dashing through the store, trying to hurry home before Aliza woke up, and grabbing everything I could remember. Including the random things that I knew we needed. Like toothpaste (which I remembered). And butter (also remembered). And Bisquick (also remembered....and as an aside, there is a recipe on the back of the Bisquick box for chicken fingers. If you are so inclined you should try them, Aliza loves them. Come to think of it, so does Russ). And bleach (which I forgot....ah well...).
So I was rushing.
Then I picked a checkout where there was a bagger, but, of course, as soon as I get there, the bagger leaves. The check out girl was nice. And chatty. And I chatted and bagged and looked at the clock wondering if Aliza was awake or not.....
And I rushed out the door.
Once I got to my car I realized something.
The eggs.
The eggs were sitting on the top part of the cart. The part where Aliza normally sits when she comes with me. And on top of the eggs was my purse. Hiding the eggs.
I didn't pay for the eggs.
For half a second, I thought, "I have to get home, Aliza must be awake by now, I didn't tell Russ what to give her for lunch, they are probably both freaking out....it's just eggs, who cares, no one even knows......"
And then I realized- that would be stealing. Eggs or something pricier. Known or not. Still stealing. I've never stolen anything in my whole life and I sure was not about to start now. Not as an (almost) thirty-three year old mother. What kind of example would that be setting for my daughter? OK, OK, she wasn't with me and even if she was, she wouldn't understand but still. Still. When she's older and she asks me "Mom, did you ever steal?" I can tell her this story and end it with a definitive "No, I never did."
So, I parked my carriage and headed back into my local Stop and Shop. Pondering weighty questions, like "Do I go to the same check out and explain the situation? Do I go to a different one? Will the check out girl even care that I came back inside? Who will notice me walking into a store carrying the eggs? Should I have brought my receipt in? If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to hear it, does it still make a sound? Which came first- the chicken or the egg?"
As I contemplated, I strolled in and saw that the nearest check out- a self-checkout-was completely empty. I brought my eggs over, scanned, bagged, paid and walked out.
No one was the wiser.
But I knew.
I knew that I am not a thief.
And, in this story at least, the eggs came first.

Aquarium

2009-07-31T22:07:00.015-04:00

Friday dawned rainy and gusty. Over breakfast Russ and I were discussing what we should do with our day. Russ mentioned that we had talked about taking Aliza to the Aquarium, so, just like that, we decided to go.
Aliza likes animals. She can make all sorts of animal noises; including a cat, monkey and elephant. (As an aside, her monkey face is the cutest darned thing and one of these days I have to capture it on video.) I knew she'd love the aquarium and I wasn't wrong. She spent the entire time we were there pointing and staring at everything around her.
We started at the Beluga whale:

And then moved on to the sea lion (Aliza roared when we told her the name of the animal.)

We saw some penguins and then moved indoors to check out the various tanks. She seemed to like the sharks:

But she also liked watching the fish:

The crab didn't seem to impress her much- I think she was confused because it wasn't red the way it is in all of her books:

She was even a brave little girl who held a star fish and (tried) to touch a sting ray:

As Russ put it; when you go the Aquarium as a kid, you think it's a fun day....it isn't until you become a parent that you realize that the parents are having the most fun!

Overheard

2009-07-28T19:28:00.000-04:00

During a walk with Aliza:

Aliza: "Stop sign!" (OK, she doesn't clearly enunciate the words stop sign, but she gets two syllables out that vaguely resemble stop and sign and I know what she means, even if no one else does.)

Me: "Stop sign!"
Pause.
Me: "S.T.O.P. spells stop!"
Pause.
Me: "That's a red octagon."
Pause.
Me: "An octagon has eight sides. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8."
Pause.
Me: "Just like an octopus has eight legs."
Pause.
Me: "That's because oct- means eight."

(Sometimes, I'll even throw in there that the main character in the book she likes to read in her bath is a blue octopus.)

See what I mean when I say she has no chance at slacking off in school?

Intrinsically geeky

2009-07-24T12:30:00.004-04:00

Hello, my name is Lisa and I'm a geek.

I just started my new class for grad school. (Check out the book I'm reading for it in my sidebar. The title alone should give you a hint as to how exciting the class actually is.) The day before class was to begin I went to Staples to buy a new binder and notebook. I actually got excited about my new binder. It's got fun polka dots all over it and my notebook coordinates nicely. I got home and packed my school bag, making sure I had pens and pencils, post its, highlighters and my new binder and notebook.

Driving to class I was even more excited....see, I LOVE being in school. I love the whole act of sitting in a classroom; listening to a professor, reading professional texts, having discussions with classmates.....I love the whole process. I even like homework. Oh sure, I'll grumble about it, but secretly, I don't so much mind. I am the kind of student that throws herself into her work. It comes from not being "book" smart. Growing up, I had to work hard for my good grades. I learned quickly that I had to study for tests, I had to highlight in my books and I had to take careful notes in class. That's how I work and, lucky for me, I began enjoying all of those things.

As a teacher, I often see kids who are intrinsically motivated to learn. They are the kids that try hard all the time. They get their work done and do extra. They hand in their homework fully completed every day. They never slack off. And then there are the others. The ones who try, sometimes. The ones who maybe have a favorite subject that they work hard in but then they slack off in the other subjects. The students who, no matter how hard you try to reach them, just won't push themselves. The students who are not intrinsically motivated to DO their best. BE their best.

Now that I'm a parent, I wonder more and more often what those parents of those intrinsically motivated kids do. How do parents get their children to love school? To work hard? I also wonder what kind of student Aliza will be. With two teachers as parents the poor girl doesn't have much choice I suppose....I hope that someday, Aliza will be just as excited about going to class as I am now. That she loves learning as much as I do. I hope that she truly is that which I strive to help all of my students to be: a lifelong learner.

Thought for the day

2009-07-20T08:54:00.002-04:00

There are few things better
In this world.....
Then hearing Aliza's
Little girl voice
Calling out--

Mama.

Neigh

2009-07-17T13:58:00.000-04:00

At only one year old Aliza is, officially, a clothes horse. I finally had time to go through her cabinets and closets and organize all of her 12 month clothes. It took me a solid hour folks. She's one. Thanks to her Nonna, and Grams and super cute hand me downs from her two cousins, she has more clothes than I think she could possibly wear.

Here's her cabinet: long pants and shorts up top, coordinated outfits below. (As an aside, the coordinated outfits really needed to be organized after her Daddy got her dressed one day. He put her in flower pants and a polk a dot shirt and didn't understand why that didn't work. Now, if the need arises again, he can just pull out a ready-made outfit!)

T-shirts, then short sleeve onesies:

These are one piece outfits (also helpful for Daddy). Are you noticing that every drawer is filled to the top?Her overflowing dresser: (I haven't even washed and organized all of her 18 month stuff yet!)

Did I also mention she has a closet? That is filled with so many cute dresses and sweaters that she has to start wearing them before she outgrows them!

I think, perhaps, she's got more than enough clothes!

Fantastic Fourth

2009-07-13T22:40:00.011-04:00

OK, I know the Fourth of July was well over a week ago now, but I have been too busy playing outside to post pictures. So here they are- belated, but cute! We went down to the beach house Saturday and then headed over to my mom's house Sunday. Aliza had a lot of fun:
Playing in the special pool her Grams and Gramps bought her:Climbing trees:

Watching the parade go by:

Playing with the beads she got:

Eating ice cream at front beach:

Going on her very first boat ride:

Then heading to her Nonna and Grosspapa's house to enjoy some yummy food and some more time playing outside. Uncle Michael made a surprise appearance and Aliza had fun seeing him, although I think she enjoyed the chicken Nonna made even more:

All in all, it was a fantastic holiday weekend!

Closing a chapter

2009-07-01T23:39:00.007-04:00

This week was a momentous one in this educator's household. Actually, Monday night was a momentous night.
I finally weaned Aliza.

Let me back up a little here....when Aliza was born I was determined to nurse her for a full year. I didn't expect it to be the easiest thing in the world, but I also didn't expect it to be all that difficult either. I was right on both counts. Nursing is easy in some respects: no bottles to prepare and warm up, no expensive formulas to buy and keep on hand, nothing to lug around with me when I went places.....but it is also difficult: waking in the night while your husband sleeps on peacefully, leaving breakfast, lunch, dinner, parties etc to nurse, not being able to drink or eat certain foods, carrying around a pumping back pack, finding places to pump, disinfecting pumping equipment, and so on.....

I asked around and discovered that no one my age nursed their children. No. One. This still surprises me to this day. I loved nursing Aliza. Even in the middle of the night. Everything about it felt natural, and right, and good.

At the same time, I hated pumping. HATED it. Nothing about it felt good. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that, ultimately, it was the best thing for her. And I did keep going. I kept going when I returned to work and literally had to sit on bathroom floors to pump. For ten months I kept at it and I stopped only when my body made me.

Then I made the decision to let go of the morning nursing when she turned one. It was time, I was ready. But I wasn't quite ready to let go of the nighttime one. She'll cry, I told myself. She needs that snuggle time with me, I said. I think that really, I was the one that was not ready to let it go.

Until recently....school is out, it's been thirteen months and the time had come. And here is why I think my daughter really is brilliant: I told her what was going to happen. The night before I was going to wean, I let her know, this was her last time nursing. The next day I reminded her a few times that she'd have milk. I put Russ on alert that night, told him to come and rescue me if it sounded like it wasn't going so well, I prepared myself for the crying, steeled my nerves, got ready to be tough and hang in there....and Aliza had absolutely no problem at all. She drank her milk, snuggled in my arms and fell right asleep. She understood, I'm sure of it.

And I sat there in the dark, listening to her lullabies and cried. My baby is growing up. This is one more thing that will define her transition from babyhood to toddlerhood. And while I am happy she took to the transition so well, and proud of myself for nursing for as long as I did, I am also sad.
She's growing up.
And I'm not sure I'm ready for her to.

Best. Day. Ever

2009-06-29T12:07:00.011-04:00

This past Saturday was probably one of the best days ever. We managed to cram a whole lot of summer into just one day- probably because it was the first day that actually felt like summer.

Aliza and I started with a morning walk, where I finally visited a cute little local coffee shop and discovered they have delicious iced chai tea lattes. Aliza fell asleep during the walk so I parked her in her stroller outside and settled on the grass with a book. She only slept for fifteen minutes once we got home but I'll take fifteen minutes of uninterrupted reading- and in the sun no less!- any time these days.

Once she woke up we headed over to our local Y for swimming lessons. Aliza has gotten over her initial terror and now thoroughly enjoys the pool. Russ took videos, so I'll have to post one later so you can see the little fish she is becoming.

After swim lessons we ate lunch and then headed outside to (finally!) play with some of her fun presents she got for her birthday. Here she is with her water table:

Look! No hands! Daddy put together her special chair from Aunt Cindy, and Aliza had fun exploring it, and even sitting on it:

Next we played catch:

Finally we headed over to her Little Tykes play house:

Aliza, much like my third graders, likes to try to climb up the slide.

And we ended back at the water table for some more splashing:

After a change of clothes and a nice long nap, we headed over to our neighbor's for pizza and then to our local fireworks. It was the first time we had gone to the fireworks in our town and it ended up being quite the expedition. We had to park several blocks away and load up Aliza in the stroller then walk to a huge open field, passing vendors selling all the usual paraphernalia before settling down, a good hour and a half before the fireworks were to start, on our grassy spot. Aliza handled the fireworks like a champ, she whimpered a bit when they first started but then pointed and stared and even said "Boom!" a few times. Russ and I marveled at what an amazing little girl we had, and what suburban residents we had become.

It was a perfect summer day.....

Foot!!!

2009-06-18T20:32:00.004-04:00

Here's Aliza, making her Mommy and Daddy laugh as she discovers her foot:

First swim lesson!

2009-06-13T15:21:00.018-04:00

Aliza had her first swim lesson Saturday. I spent the whole week telling her all about it, eagerly anticipating getting her dressed in one of her many adorable bathing suits, watching her splash in the pool....of course, the way I pictured it wasn't exactly how it turned out. Well, parts of it were. Here she is, all dressed and ready to go and just as cute as I thought she'd be in her little bathing suit:

Can you tell that she already looks a bit unhappy? Yup. She woke up Saturday morning a bit stuffy and clingy and wasn't too happy to be put into her bathing suit. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that she has about four teeth pushing through right now. We got in the water together, Aliza and mommy, and she started screaming immediately. She also started chewing on my shoulder, and I have bite marks from her little teeth gnawing away.

I tried tempting her with some of the pool toys, but she was not to be distracted, and continued to cry....about fifteen minutes into it she finally started getting used to the water. And then she got splashed in the face.

Which of course, set her off again. Twenty minutes into a thirty minute swim lesson, Aliza finally decided to start pointing and playing a bit.

I'm hoping next week she is a little more used to the water, and able to enjoy it a bit more....

I'd have a green thumb if I didn't have an animal problem

2009-06-12T09:21:00.004-04:00

You know those gorgeous veggies I spent a weekend planting in my garden? Well, my friendly neighborhood woodchuck has eaten half of them!

Almost all my lettuce is gone- he left behind three lone heads, which I'm convinced he'll come back for later. The cucumbers are mere stalks. And the artichoke plant my dad gave me that I hadn't gotten around to planting yet is eaten down to nubs. He even attacked my herbs! He ate my cilantro and parsley! All that's left are my carrots, buried safe beneath the ground. (At least I think they are left, so far there is no sign of them.) My arugula (just sprouting now), my pepper plants and my tomatoes.

My Dad was talking to me about a humane trap to catch the woodchuck family (probably because there are many times when I've yelled at him for trapping helpless little squirrels that like to eat his bird food). And I considered it for a bit. I mean, I would like my veggies to actually grow so we could eat them. But I just don't have the heart, not even to use a humane trap. The way I figure it, I'm putting out a free buffet, who am I to take a woodchuck away from its home for helping himself to that buffet? Plus, I kind of like that I have a family of woodchucks living in my yard. It's kind of fun watching them scurry away when I open the door. It will be even more fun when Aliza sees them, points and yells "woodchuck!" the way Russ and I do when we see them.

I guess that leaves us: woodchuck: 1 The educators: 0

Visiting mommy at work

2009-06-09T09:47:00.006-04:00

Last week Aliza came to visit me at school....it was so wonderful to see her in the middle of the day, and incredibly difficult to say goodbye to her. She got to meet so many of my colleagues and friends, but not everyone, and I spent the rest of the day explaining to people who heard she was here that she got a little fussy and had to go home. She also got to meet the special education teacher that I work closely with and who used to work with birth to 3 year olds. She confirmed what I already knew, Aliza is, in fact, one smart cookie and incredibly verbal for her age.She also got to meet my students and, even though I am sure they were beyond excited they managed to hang on to their excitement and be incredibly sweet with her. By the end she was tired and a bit fussy, which, of course, is when we decided to take a picture!

Rainbows and butterflies?

2009-06-03T20:07:00.010-04:00

"It's not always rainbows and butterflies, it's compromise that moves us along."

Russ and I were walking around our neighborhood with Aliza recently, chatting away....I'm not even sure what the conversation was exactly, although it probably had something to do with how to raise Aliza. As teachers we are both provided with many examples- both positive and negative- of choices parents make for their children. At the end of the conversation Russ commented on the fact that we see eye to eye. My reply? We see eye to eye on many things in our life together.

As I thought about this conversation later the truth in that statement hit me. I can remember, when I first met Russ, how easy it was. There were no games or gimmicks or silly analyzing of what he meant when he said xyz. It just was. We just were. I remember, when I first met him, how all of a sudden all of my past relationships almost seemed like a waste of time. Not that I regretted any of them, of course not, but that they were so clearly not right for me because Russ was so different, and being with Russ was so different.

Now, today, with a one year old and a career that keeps both of us rather busy, I have to say that thank god being with him is as easy as it was. Because if being with him was difficult, then there's no way we'd make it. Marriage is tough. This is something I am learning. Once you get over the rainbows and the butterflies. Once you do the big things together- the engagement, the marriage, the first house, first car.....first child.....well, what you are left with is the ordinary every day stuff. The way he'll turn on your tea pot for you on a weekend when he hears you waking up, the laundry that you fold carefully for him because you know he won't do it, the way he'll rub your back when he knows it is more sore than normal, the meals you cook that you know he'll like, the fact that he knows you hate it when cabinets are left open so he'll close them for you.....and then there are the other things: the empty soda cans that are left around the house, the way he still doesn't know how to put the garbage bag in the can so that when you go to throw something away the bag drops to the bottom, the shoes that I leave scattered over the floor so that he trips over them in the morning when he is trying to get dressed, the clothes he leaves at the foot of our bed, the way I steal the sheets when I'm cold at night.....there are those things too. It is these ordinary things that make up a life together. It is one ordinary day after another that mark the chapters of our lives....
......and it is a blessing to have these ordinary days with a man who is easy to be with.....

Weekend firsts

2009-05-31T10:12:00.009-04:00

Aliza experienced some firsts this weekend; her first experience with (real) sand and her first taste of ice cream. Here she is checking out the sand:Her Gramps brought her some ocean water to play with and she sure had fun splashing in it:

See? LOTS of fun:

Yum! Ice cream!
It was a fun day!

Changes

2009-05-29T08:18:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I finally put away my pumping back pack. I had been pumping at work all along, committed to nursing and feeding Aliza primarily mommy milk for the full year. But I hit a stretch were things just weren't coming out. I would pump and get 1/2 an ounce, or an ounce, and it was getting uncomfortable. I figured my body was telling me something so I eliminated that pumping only somewhat reluctantly, because more time at work when you teach 20 kids is never a bad thing. We were down to just nursing in the morning and at night.....it took me a little while to put away the back pack though. I was happy to have more time in my work day but putting the back pack away felt a little like closing a chapter of Aliza's life as a baby. No more mommy milk, on to regular cow's milk soon.....it's a transition out of babyhood and into infancy and I had to get used to it before I could put away the back pack.

Right before her one year check up with the pediatrician I also eliminated the morning nursing. I thought I was ready to get rid of both morning and night but now that the moment has arrived to do so, I realized I'm not quite ready. I think I will be soon, because teeth HURT, but she is still my little baby girl and I like the cozy quiet time at night in the dark with lullabies playing and a warm baby snuggled close.

********************************************************
My tough student is in Europe until the third to last day of school. Let me rephrase that; my tough parent is in Europe. I can not even begin to express what a difference this is making in my day. Suddenly, I have time. I am (finally) feeling like the teacher I used to be; the one that had her plans set, her copies made and her homework corrected every day. I also have more energy at the end of the day so that I am not practically falling asleep while watching Aliza play at night. And my students! The atmosphere in my class is so incredibly different. They are looser, more relaxed. We are having fun and working hard and it feels great.
The family is returning just in time for a marathon parent meeting that I am dreading. The last full Friday I get to be with my students and instead I have to sit in a meeting with a parent who tells me I'm the best teacher he's ever seen to my face and then submits a report that calls my classroom toxic. It's not where I want to be. Not even a little. But at least, it will be my last meeting with this parent.

**********************************************************
Aliza is changing almost daily. I mean, she always was, but the changes are more noticeable now. Things like new teeth appearing in her upper and lower gums and new words being said.... it is astonishing to me and I feel like I want to savor every single second because she changes so fast. After watching my two cute nieces at swim lessons, I decided to sign Aliza and I up for lessons also. I checked out our local Y and they have classes starting at the beginning of June. I'm going to call and register her on Monday. This feels like a big girl thing; to take swimming lessons....I admit, I kind of can't wait to see her in her little bathing suit (thanks to her Nonna and her GramS she has several adorable ones) splashing in the big pool!

**********************************************************
We have 17 more days until summer. Every weekend I think "soon I get to spend EVERY day at home with Aliza....." I am counting down more than ever this year.....

How does your garden grow?

2009-05-25T11:41:00.001-04:00

This past weekend I spent some much needed time in the garden....it's been neglected for quite some time now, seeing as how at this point last year I was mom to a newborn with little time for gardening. I think I planted a few tomato plants last year and that was about all I had the time or energy for. Saturday morning, Aliza and I headed to our local Agway and bought all sorts of veggies and seeds and manure and soil....even some new garden gloves and a trowel! Just the motivation I needed to get to work.....So, I walked outside and was greeted with this sight:

Pretty scary, right? That green patch? Right in the middle there? That's actually some mint that has grown wild, right in the middle of my garden. I got to work weeding while Aliza sat and played here:

After a little while she got tired of sitting, so we took a break and went for a swing:

She does love her swing!

After the swing ride, I decided to go back to hoeing and Aliza decided to come and help me: Of course, Aliza's version of help is to crawl in the dirt and pick up rocks. Which she then either handed to me, or tried to eat:

My productivity has seriously declined at this point. But, I did manage to finish hoeing by the end of Day 1:

No more weeds (but I did leave the mint!), ground all turned up and ready for the manure and soil I bought. And the veggies.

Day 2 dawned cloudy and thundering but it eventually cleared enough that I managed to get outside. I mixed in the manure and the soil and got to work planting.....things were moving considerably quicker today seeing as how Aliza was napping. However, mid way through my planting, I realized that my friendly neighborhood woodchuck would have free access to my yummy veggies since we had taken the fence down. So, I decided to stop after planting some tomato plants:What you can't see in this picture (because they are buried beneath the ground, hopefully germinating away) are carrot seeds and arugula seeds. Here is where I admit that I'm about 75% enthusiasm, 20% sweat and 5% knowledge when it comes to gardening. I have no idea if my carrots and arugula will grow, but I figured I'd give it a shot.....Hey, if I can manage to make grass grow in the ugly brown spots in our lawn, I should be able to make some veggies grow. See? You can barely even SEE the brown spots (totally bragging here, I'm pretty excited about my new grass):

I also planted some herbs that I'm rather excited about:

From left to right that's parsley, rosemary, thyme (no idea that came back every year, this is last year's thyme!) cilantro, basil and a cherry tomato plant. I LOVE fresh herbs and if I had my way, I'd have them year round.

Day 3 (ahhh, how I love three day weekends!) was once again sunny so I got to work relatively early in the morning. Russ had planned to mow and then put the fence back up so I decided my veggies would be safe. Aliza was "helping" me again, this time by flinging dirt around:

With Aliza's help I did manage to finish planting....lettuce, peppers, and cucumbers! Voila! Instant garden:

Birthday wishes

2009-05-21T11:30:00.013-04:00

Aliza's first birthday party was a happy event....we ended up being indoors because the threat of rain seemed imminent (even though it did not actually rain), but other than that the day was absolutely perfect.

Lots of people that love Aliza to pieces came: Her grandparents: Nonna and Grosspapa, Grams and Gramps, her Aunts and Uncles: Auntie Tina and Uncle Greg and Auntie Beth and Uncle Scott, her great Grams, her favorite cousins: Cousin Juliette and Cousin Cosette, and her mommy's dear friend, Auntie Nessa and Uncle Rob. We all crowded around the two tables we had set up in our cozy house:

Aliza had the seat of honor:

After she ate, Aliza decided it was time to open presents:

Which one first?

Then, of course, she wanted to play a bit with her new toys:But we finally decided it was time for cake:

She didn't like her birthday hat as much as her mommy did:

Hmmm.....I'm not sure about this stuff, maybe I'll play with it a bit:OK, everyone else is eating it, I'll give it a try:

Wait! This stuff is yummy! Mommy, get me more!

Finally, we headed outside to play with some more of her new toys. Her Daddy and Uncle Greg and Uncle Scott and Gramps worked hard to put her new toys together:

Happy 1st Birthday!

One!

2009-05-17T06:00:00.018-04:00

My little baby is one today...I feel like I'm not ready for it to happen. Where did the year go? There are so many things I want to hold on to-

Like meeting her for the very first time:

Bringing her home from the hospital....probably the scariest drive I've ever experienced:
Arriving home and not knowing where in the world to put her!

Her first bath- in the sink. She used to make the cutest little face--eyes wide open, mouth in a little o, one hand fisted up by her head. And she used to go so still and quiet.....we captured it here:

Bringing her to the beach house- and taking her first fence picture:

Her first happy girl smile.....I think I took fifty pictures of this moment:

Her special baptism, with her gorgeous princess dress:

Eating cereal for the first time, she used to like to hang on to my hand when I fed her:

And the big girl bath that she still loves:

How can we forget some of her holidays- Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas:

Her favorite Snoopy-friend, that she loves to snuggle with:And here she is most recently- playing, eating, standing and laughing:

Happy Birthday Snuggles. Mommy and Daddy love you to pieces!

Thursday Thirteen: To-Do/To-Don't list for parents

2009-05-14T05:51:00.001-04:00

1) Do: return field trip forms, cafeteria money, library books, book orders etc. to school on time.

2) Don't: make the teacher track you down for any or all of the above. You are keeping track of your 2-3 children and your child's teacher is keeping track of 20+......and their own family.

3) Do: send a pick up note to school when you are planning on picking up your child.

4) Don't: tell your child they are a pick up and don't give them a note. It makes them anxious and unable to focus on their work because they are worrying about where they are going and how they are getting there.

5) Don't: email the teacher at 3:00 to say they are a pick up when dismissal is at 3:25.

6) Do: leave any back packs, lunch boxes, notes, books etc. for your child at the front office.

7) Don't: interrupt a class to deliver any of the above objects. First of all, your child probably doesn't need whatever you are bringing them immediately. Secondly, when you disrupt for 2 minutes, it ends up being a disruption for seven minutes (at least). That's how kids work. Finally, I would never presume to walk into your office, stand at your door and gesture to one of the people you are working with in the middle of your day.

8) Do: show up on time to pick up your child at the end of the day. Also, Do: drop your child off when school starts, not 15 minutes before.

9) Don't: arrive late, without apology, to pick your child up, rushing in the door, barely acknowledging the teachers let alone thanking them for staying with your child when every other child is already on their way home.

10) Do: talk to your child's teacher before going to the principal.

11) Don't: send nasty emails to the principal and the superintendent demanding answers or changes to things the classroom teacher may not be able to answer or change that you haven't even spoken to the teacher about in the first place.

12) Do: recognize that getting in fights with friends, forgetting homework and having a consequence, learning things in new ways.....are all part of growing up and being a kid.

13) Do: thank your child's teacher every now and again. That means more to us than any gift because believe it or not, we love your child and want them to be successful......

Changes

2009-05-12T06:50:00.002-04:00

I couldn't tell you the latest hit song on the radio....but I can sing the songs from every one of Aliza's toys. (Oh, you don't believe me? Well, let's see, there's her lap top which sings "My first lap top is so fun, it's made just for M-E! Learning all about my home, come along and see!" Then there is her zoo that plays three songs (I'll only give you snippets): "Some babies toddle, some babies waddle, elephants can really STOMP..." and "Don't you think it's cold in here? The penguin just says NO! This is how I like it, with lots of ice and snow....." and "You'll see lots of animals, when you're at the zoo. Monkeys, tigers, elephants, lions, zebras too!..." I could keep going, but I'm sure you get the point.) Her favorite songs? I know that too: The Wheels on the Bus and Weinie Man.

I also couldn't tell you the last time I tried out a new recipe, something I used to love doing with some regularity. But I could tell you every single thing Aliza has eaten for the last several days. I could also tell you which foods she prefers (eggs, turkey or veal meatballs, pasta, sweet potato, green beans, grapes and watermelon) and which foods she doesn't like quite as much (lamb, zucchini, yellow squash and apple sauce- which she used to love).

I have absolutely no idea what the last book was that I managed to read from cover to cover, but I could tell you some of Aliza's favorites (King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, Blue Hat, Green Hat (her daddy does movement with this one), and any lift the flap or touch and feel book).

The last time I worked out for me? No clue. (Bad, I know.) But the last time I walked with Aliza? Just today in fact. Right around the block, stopping every few feet so she could touch the bush, or feel the tree, or reach for a low hanging branch....naming everything she points to so that people we pass stare for a second and then smile when they realize what I'm doing.

When you think about having a child, there are certain things people warn you about: not getting a lot of sleep, handling poopy diapers, listening to cries.....but what they don't warn you about is this: how everything in your world becomes your baby. How a smile makes your heart sing and a cry hurts you in your soul. They don't warn you that you look at the world with new eyes: fresh eyes, experiencing things for the first time eyes; but eyes that also see the dangers- the corner of the table that you can picture-vividly- your little baby banging her head on, the glass paperweight that you can imagine smashing and hurting delicate hands or toes, and let's not even talk about the big wide world filled with scary things.....what you don't realize, before you have a child, is that everything you know, everything you are, becomes wrapped up in this one wonderful little person. Who manages to change every day, and amaze you every day, and make you laugh and make you cry and make your heart fill up with love......every single day.

Mom

2009-05-10T20:00:00.007-04:00

Growing up, I always knew she was a pretty amazing Mom. How could I not? Even if I didn't know it, I had countless friends who could have told me. Ours was the house that everyone always wanted to hang out at. Probably because my mom greeted everyone with a welcome smile, warm hug and a plate of something delicious to eat. She made breakfast every morning, sent us to school with a lunch made just the way we liked it and always had a snack ready for us when we came home. She drove us countless places, never complaining once about all the places she carted us to and all the hours she spent waiting, watching, cheering with us. Somehow, after all of that, she still managed to make a delicious meal for us to all come home and sit down to.

She also set rules and expected us to follow them; thirty minutes of playing outside (if it was sunny) or inside (if it wasn't) and then homework. At dinner time we had chores to do and after dinner we could watch T.V. if our homework was done. Say hello to your host when you walk in, please and thank you all the time, and good-bye and thanks when you leave. And above all else, never, ever, lie.

She also taught us, as we grew older, to do things for ourselves. Things like making our own bed, doing our laundry, picking up after ourselves....not because she couldn't or didn't want to do these things for us but because she knew that she was teaching us more than just being neat....she was teaching us to be self sufficient and independent.

I knew then that she was an amazing mom.
But now that I am a mom myself, I understand just a bit better how much she gave, and how selflessly she gave it. I measure myself against the mom she still is today and, although I know I may not ever get there, if I am half the mom she is, then my little Aliza is one lucky girl.
Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you, with all of my heart.

Choices

2009-05-06T05:33:00.003-04:00

All the toys in the world:

And this is what she plays with:

Chivalry

2009-05-01T06:29:00.002-04:00

The other day I was walking up the stairs at school. I made my way past a fifth grade class, saying hello to the teacher- a male veteran teacher that was just hired at our school this year. Our building is full of windows (great for natural light, bad for heating and cooling) and as I continued walking I observed the coolest thing I've seen in a long time....he stopped at the top of the stairs and held the door open. All of his kids also stopped, except for the girls. The girls, no matter their place in line, continued past their male classmates- through the door that was held for them and into the classroom. Before all the boys. Once all the girls had passed, then the boys proceeded up the stairs, followed, finally, by the teacher.

I couldn't believe my eyes, and doubled back to ask the teacher if he did, in fact, let all the girls go ahead of the boys into the class. He replied with an, "of course I did, ladies first.....isn't that what everyone does?"
Chivalry is not dead. At least not at my school.

Glorious

2009-04-26T21:21:00.006-04:00

This weekend was, in a word, glorious. It was sunny and warm, so warm that I actually was walking around in shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops and wishing for lazy summer days.

Aliza was feeling better on Saturday, but we decided to lay low at home to give her one more day to recuperate. Her Grams and Gramps visited and we had a lovely picnic outside- the first of many I am sure:

Actually, this picnic motivated us to finally buy some patio furniture. We're hoping it will arrive before Aliza's first birthday so we can use it , but even if it doesn't, we are looking forward to spending many summer nights eating outside together. Speaking of first birthday, we did take a trip to Party City to pick out her party supplies, marveling the whole time that our little baby girl will be 1 in just three weeks....

Aliza took a nice long nap on Saturday afternoon (all that sunshine and fresh air!) which gave me the opportunity to do some much needed yard work. Our yard is a bit daunting, but I began to tackle two small areas, weeding and hoeing and envisioning the plants I wanted to plant. It was hot and sweaty work, but oddly satisfying to see the wheelbarrow fill with weeds and the flowers that were beginning to peek through get cleared off of winter's debris.

Sunday Russ decided to start my day with breakfast in bed, which was a lovely surprise and a super fun treat. Next, Aliza and I went to church with Nonna and Grosspapa and then returned home to take yet another long walk around the neighborhood- our third of the weekend. Before Aliza was born I used to look at the families walking around and wonder what it would be like to be pushing my own baby.....well, it is even more fun than I anticipated, especially lately as Aliza reaches and points and chats with me while we walk. During her afternoon nap I managed to scrub down the kitchen, do some laundry and run a bunch of errands (including buying the plants for the areas I cleared out!), leaving me feeling tired, but rather satisfied. Then we headed over to celebrate cousin Juliette's 6th birthday. Cosette and Juliette were, as always, excited to see Aliza. This picture was taken last weekend, but I think they stayed this close to her all night long Sunday too:

It was, as I said, a glorious weekend....filled with productive errands, long walks in the sun, playing outside and a baby girl who is, happily, feeling much better!

Hand, foot and mouth....

2009-04-23T13:59:00.005-04:00

My poor little love has her first big illness; hand, foot and mouth disease. It started with a loss of appetite (for her), and a little bit more fussiness than usual. I attributed both to teething, especially since she was drooling a ton and putting everything in her mouth. When the symptoms continued I decided to call the doctor, just to be sure, and was told that it could be teething or it could be an ear infection so just monitor her.
She developed a low grade fever and continued to be fussy. Then she started to get a rash and was actually wanting to crawl into her crib to sleep. That's when her Gram S. took her to the doctor to discover that she was well and truly sick.
I'm home with her today and she is most definitely not herself.

Being home with her, my sick baby girl, makes me think of what my mom would do for us when we were sick. We got to stay in their bedroom (because it had a T.V. and a REALLY cozy, large, papasan chair) or on the couch downstairs if we wanted. And we got to watch T.V. or movies. All Day. My mom would give us a little bell to ring if we needed her so we wouldn't have to shout, although I don't think we ever used the bell because she kept our glass filled with juice or ginger ale and she checked on us constantly. Not that I liked being sick, but it sure did feel just a little bit special.

Now, I can't do all of these things for Aliza since she is only 11 months old, but she has stayed in her jammies all day. And I have made some yummy foods to try to entice her to eat (her Nonna even came over and made her yummy meatballs and soup). We did spend some time on the couch together too....and I've spent the whole day worrying about her. I want to make her feel better and I know that, other than giving her Tylenol and as much liquid as I can and as many snuggly hugs as she wants, there isn't much I can do. I'm sure she's uncomfortable, maybe even sore, but this virus has to just run its course.
This feeling of helplessness seriously sucks. And I can't help but wonder, is this what it's like? Is this motherhood? Wanting to protect your little love from anything that can harm her, but knowing that you really can't protect her from the world? I'm being a little melodramatic, I know, but it is her first big illness and I am a new mom.

And I just want her to be happy again.

Dinner time

2009-04-21T22:28:00.002-04:00

Everything I know about how to raise Aliza I learned from my parents.....One of the things that we have been doing with her, that I grew up doing was having family meals. I remember, before her arrival, I told Russ that we would have to stop eating dinner in front of the T.V. (as was our custom) and start actually eating at the table when Aliza was around. He agreed immediately because even then we loved the idea of family meals around the table.

Now that we are actually doing it, it is even better than we imagined.....Aliza takes awhile to eat (she feeds herself after all) so she is often sitting in her high chair while I am finishing up dinner. I talk to her while I cook and tell her everything I'm doing. Sometimes she talks back to me, sometimes she just focuses on her eating. Usually she reaches a point where she is ready for some company and, if I've timed things well, it is about the time that we are ready to eat with her. Interestingly, she always eats more when we are sitting down eating with her. She also talks more. I like to ask her about her day and share with her the things I know she did. Russ and I talk too, to each other I mean.....

This time is becoming so special to me. In fact, I find myself turning into my dad; he would always grumble a little when the phone rang in the middle of dinner, and sometimes even refuse to answer it saying, "It's dinner time, who is calling at this hour?" Now, if we are eating and the phone rings, I often tell Russ not to answer it (although he usually does anyways) and the other day I caught myself saying, "it's dinner, who is calling?" I laughed to myself.....because I get it now.

Play time

2009-04-14T21:12:00.008-04:00

Aliza has been growing in leaps and bounds as far as I can tell. Or maybe not growing so much as learning new things.....

Last week she figured out how to crawl forward. I knew this day would come and I knew that when it did we would remember with sweet fondness the days when she sat in one place. Happily, we now sit next to her and scootch along the floor beside her so that when she decides to crawl to the couch, or her table toy, or her toy bin and pull herself up, we can be there to make sure she doesn't come crashing down. She's always rather proud of herself when she manages to accomplish this:

We've had some fun experiencing some new things together lately. I made a sandbox out of some cornmeal and a baking pan (I read about it online and decided I'd get her ready for her beach house visits). Aliza didn't quite know what to do with the "sand" at first but eventually dove in and even tasted a bit. Hopefully she won't do that with real sand!

She's also been quite chatty lately. Her new favorite word is "Dag-gum", with the emphasis on the gum part. We have no idea what that means, and have spent many minutes questioning her as to what she is talking about, but so far she's choosing not to enlighten us. So for now, we smile when she says it, and sometimes repeat it back for her. She has also said cat--or rather AT, more than once, and always when our cat, Linus, is near (which is quite often).

She's been eating a ton lately and I've had some fun trying out some new food combinations for her. She's now had french toast for breakfast- minus the butter and the syrup of course. Like her daddy though, she prefers eggs and toast:

The poor thing STILL doesn't have teeth, although I'm convinced her runny nose of the past several days is evidence that teeth are sure to appear any day now. I suspect the gummy grins we love so much will be a thing of the past soon enough! She's been making her "sniffy face" quite a bit lately though and I finally captured it mid-sniff:

All of this excitment often tires her out, although she'll never admit it until moments before nap time or bed time.....unless she falls asleep before we even make it upstairs:

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T13:50:00.001-04:00

To you and yours.....with love and smiles and hugs!

If aliens ever land on earth, I know who should talk to them....

2009-04-02T09:36:00.002-04:00

Overheard in my classroom:

C: Ninja mouse's head is wearing off.

Me: What???

C: Ninja mouse's head, it's wearing off....

Another student: I think he said that he likes nut crunchers.....

Me: (Laughing) I don't think that's what he said! C, what are you talking about???

C: Ninja mouse! (Holding up a pencil with a purple eraser top that he has colored in with a marker.) It's wearing off! (Pointing to the top of the eraser that is worn down from so much erasing.)

Me: So, let me get this straight, you've nicknamed your eraser Ninja Mouse and it's wearing out?

C: Yes!

Me: (Still laughing, because, really, I love third graders) Why don't you get a new one?

C: OK!

Hiatus

2009-03-30T06:23:00.003-04:00

Sorry for my recent hiatus from the blogging world.....my To-Do list the last two weeks including planning and participating in twenty parent teacher conferences (spread over three days), completing twenty report cards (because someone more important than me thought it would be a grand idea to have conferences and report cards happen at the exact same time), writing two big papers for class (both of which were simulations for the CT Administrator Test, one of which counted for 40% of my grade), attending two and a half days worth of workshops/professional development (if you saw how long my sub plans are you would understand why I am mentioning that here) and, you know, being a mom, wife and teacher. Needless to say, something had to give and blogging (and sleeping) were it.

Now, as I glance at the clock, I realize it is 6:25, which means I am late, which means I don't have time to write more.....however, I will leave you with a video of my Snuggles, discovering grass for the first time. She is not quite sure what to make of it, nor is she sure what she should do with it....

Dropping like flies

2009-03-12T13:30:00.006-04:00

A couple of days ago I heard quick running followed by the most awful of noises coming from upstairs. "What in the world is that?" I wondered.....I thought perhaps it was something Russ was listening to on the T.V. and returned to the work I was trying to complete. The noise stopped for a bit and then resumed, louder and worse than before. This time I decided to head upstairs to tell Russ to quiet down or he'd wake Aliza up.

I found him crouched on the floor, hunched over the toilet....doing the only thing you do when you are in that position. I don't think I've ever seen (or heard) Russ throwing up in all the years we've been together....hence my confusion over the noise. He has spent the last few days barely eating and sleeping a ton. I've tried to keep him far away from Aliza, fearing for her health as well.

This morning my mom arrived to pick up Aliza and told me she was also not feeling so great. I decided to take a half day so I could spend the afternoon with my daughter....trying to keep her healthy. If there's something better than only working a half day and then spending an afternoon with a smiley, chatty ten month old, then I don't know what it might be. She is in good spirits and seems to be enjoying her time with momma. I am hoping that she stays healthy, and that I don't catch whatever this nasty stomach bug is.

I figure even if she does get sick, at least she has a friend to comfort her:

Wasn't it just yesterday?

2009-03-09T21:58:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I went to a baby shower for a good friend of mine who is expecting her first child, a boy, in about a month and a half. She walked--no, waddled in--a huge smile on her face and almost instantly made a beeline for me, one of her few friends who has recently had a child. I gave her a hug, told her she looked beautiful (pregnant women should hear that at least five times a day I feel) and reassured her that she could, in fact, take off her sweater. She was wearing a pretty green silk shirt that, within five minutes of eating, had small stains on the tummy. You just reach a point where you can't avoid it and as I glanced at her belly and saw the stains, I smiled to myself and thought, "god, I remember that....." As she was opening her gifts I saw the toys and clothes and car seats and diapers and all the things you need for a baby and I was feeling like it wasn't so long ago that I was doing exactly what she was doing. But it wasn't until she opened her bigger car seat-which happened to be the exact same one that we recently installed for Aliza-that it hit me. Really? It was almost a full year ago that I had my baby showers. Everyone says it goes fast and, almost ten months later I agree with them fervently. A week ago we were bringing Aliza home for the first time and trying to figure out where we should put her....six days ago I was wondering if she would ever wake up so I could see her eyes....five days ago we were feeding her rice cereal for the first time and wondering if she would like it.....three days ago she said mom-mom for the first time and I swear it was just yesterday that she had her first "real" food.

And now? Now, she sits up, she crawls (mostly backwards), she pulls herself up to stand, she calls mom-mom and da-da, she smiles and giggles, she talks, she eats chicken and carrots and pears and all sorts of other yummy food, she sleeps through the night, she turns pages in a book, she lets us know where she wants to go and she does a slew of other things that astonish me every day.....including laughing at her Daddy when he is being silly. I want to tell her to slow down! And at the same time? I can't wait for what's to come....for walks and talks...for morning snuggles and bedtime book negotiations.....for first days of school and ballet class....and for all of the amazing things I know she will do and be.
But maybe not quite yet.

Who thought this was a good idea anyways?

2009-03-06T05:34:00.001-05:00

After Aliza's last doctor's appointment, where the pediatrician assured us Aliza should be sleeping through the night having had all of her nutritional needs met during the day we made the decision not to wake up with her anymore. Actually, we made the decision that if she did wake up in the middle of the night to nurse (as she has been doing for the last several months) I would not be the one to go into her room....Russ would. And he would comfort her and encourage her to go back to sleep.

We geared up for this, assuming that, as the doctor said, it would take a few nights of listening to her cry before she got the picture and slept through the night. We worked out a plan, I promised to stay away, we committed to staying the course no matter how difficult.....Wouldn't you know? The same day we decided not to feed her, she started sleeping through the night. I'm convinced it is because I told her I wasn't going to feed her. I sat her down, made her look at me and in a very firm voice let her know that it was time to sleep through the night and Mommy wasn't going to feed her anymore. She listened.

Jokes were made--wouldn't you know once we decide Daddy has to get up she decides to sleep!- hugs were given--great job Aliza, let's do it again!-and we were happy that what we anticipated being a rough transition was anything but.

Until two nights ago. I stayed up way too late working on a paper (thanks to a professor who decided that even though our class was cancelled due to snow we should have not one, not two, but three make up written assignments) and crawled into bed around midnight. Four hours later Aliza was awake and crying. No, not crying, WAILING. Russ was a trooper- he got out of bed and went to comfort her.
It didn't make a difference. She kept wailing, now with little hiccoughs because the poor thing was crying so hard. Russ waited about seven minutes and went back in.
No dice. Now she was calling for me "Mmmooom, mom mom" in her sweet little voice. I'll admit, by now I'm crying too. It was breaking my heart hearing her cry and I knew she'd stop as soon as I went in there. Russ kept reassuring me she was fine, we had to stick to our plan, she'd be OK.....at one point he even had to restrain--I mean, hug me so I wouldn't go in there. I contemplated going downstairs so at least I'd hear the cries but they'd be a bit muted but I didn't....I started telling myself that as hard as this is, it is not even the hardest thing we will have to do together, the three of us. That didn't work so well either because hearing her wailing and not helping her was contrary to everything in me.
Forty-five minutes later, right as I really was about to give up and just go to her, she finally fell asleep.
Fifteen minutes later, the alarm went off.

So, at the end of the story, we made it through the night.....with the hope that we don't have to do that again.

Important question

2009-03-04T06:02:00.000-05:00

If you give up chocolate for lent, are you allowed to eat Tagalong cookies?

Face it

2009-03-01T19:45:00.005-05:00

A face only a mother (and father) could love!

(And maybe a Nonna....or Grosspapa....or Grams....or Gramps....probably an Auntie Tina and Auntie Beth.....also an Uncle Mike and Uncle Scott and Uncle Greg....and while we are at it, a Cousin Cosette and Cousin Juliette too!)

Mysteries

2009-02-27T05:56:00.001-05:00

There are a couple of mysteries plaguing this educator's household.....mysteries that are, as of yet, unresolved.....one I think can be resolved through this here blog. The other one....probably not.

The first mystery: missing pants. Yes, you read right, missing pants. See, I had these two pairs of pants that are practically brand new (having bought them shortly before I got pregnant and thus unable to wear them for very long before I was wearing maternity clothes) that are now too big on me (thanks to Aliza's amazing nursing ability). So I was going to bring them to a tailor to get taken in. Which, I actually did one day. But the tailor wasn't there.....so I put the pants in my car (at least I think I did) and brought them home so that I could return another day. Well. I went to bring the pants back to the tailor a couple of weeks later and I could not find them. They are completely missing. I looked in my closet. I looked in Russ' section of the closet. I opened drawers, I looked in the basement....I even looked in the garage. I called the tailor to see if I had left them there.....they are gone. Two pairs of perfectly nice pants! Gone! I am hoping they will turn up still because pants can't just walk away on their own.....

The other mystery is this:

Education of the Educator -- Site Summary ---

Visits Total ........................ 2,600 Average per Day ................. 18 Average Visit Length .......... 2:17 This Week ...................... 129

Page Views Total ........................ 3,265 Average per Day ................23

Average per Visit .............. 1.3 This Week ...................... 162

If you scroll down to the bottom of my blog, you will see a site meter. I put this up awhile ago, thinking I'd end up being embarrassed by the fact that it would take me ages to get to 100 visits (I know how many comments I get and how much I post). To my surprise, I hit the 100 mark rather quickly. At first I was pleased, then puzzled. I started getting reports like the one above and I became even more confused. 18 visits per day? Who are all of you? And, the better question is, why aren't you commenting? I know that there are some people that like to come and watch the videos of Aliza, or look at the pictures I post, several times a day (Hi Grams and Gramps!) but I'm sure they aren't coming to look 18 times.....that means I have some lurkers. I know it's not de-lurking day, but if you stop by this blog, could you leave a comment to say hi? Just so that one mystery in my life is resolved.....

Why I love third graders

2009-02-25T13:35:00.002-05:00

This was written by my students during their free time:
All about Mrs. Sherman
By: J and M

Mrs.S/Mrs. F.B (fantastically beautiful) is a really nice teacher and I like her a lot. Her favorite colors are Yellow and Red. She has dark brown hair she also has curls at the bottom of her hair and brown eyes and she also has shiny white teeth. I think that Mrs. S is really pretty. Mrs. S is one of the best teachers I've ever had. Mrs. S has a baby named Aliza. Mrs. S shows 3S videos of Aliza hitting stuff of going sledding and stuff like that Aliza’s really funny and cute. Mrs. S favorite animals is are cats and dolphins. Mrs. S favorite word discombobulated.Mrs S favorite food is her mom’s meat sauce Mrs S favorite vacation spot St. John. Mrs S favorite fruits mango, banana, pineapple. Mrs S favorite dessert is banana cheesecake. Mrs S favorite game is Gin rummy. Mrs S birthday is is August 17th. Mrs. S favorite kind of tea is chai tea latte.Mrs S favorite hobbies are Reading, Writing, Playing with her daughter Aliza , and going on walks. Mrs S teaches 3S. If you get Mrs S as a teacher she will probably be the coolest teacher you’ve ever had or nicest teacher ever. You should meet her! The End! P.S. If you run into her say hi Mrs. S! You awesome!

Seriously, how could I not love my job!?!?

Who else would you see on this blog?

2009-02-21T21:33:00.001-05:00

Here are some recent favorite photos of Aliza:

Giggling with Daddy at dinnertime: Playing in the Tupperware cabinet:

Standing up!

Eating big girl food:

Laughing at Daddy some more.......

Transitions

2009-02-19T10:48:00.000-05:00

Aliza is growing every day....it's clear in a thousand small ways. The new tricks she learns and loves to show off....the way her legs hang farther down her high chair....her hair that seems to grow by the minute...the way she is outgrowing the changing table on her pack n' play....

Then there are the moments when these small changes become shockingly real. This past weekend Aliza and I took a trip to Target. I started wandering around the baby clothes, looking for some 12 month outfits. I was puzzled at first because I kept finding newborn, three, six and nine months...but no twelve months. Until I realized that the twelve month clothes are not with the baby clothes. They are with the infant and toddler clothes. I needed to look through racks of 2T and 3T clothes to find 12 month clothes. And I had to look for outfits. Not neatly coordinated baby outfits, or one piece outfits. Nope, now I had to make my own outfits! I almost left without looking through the racks just because I felt a little sad at this discovery....

Recently, I had Aliza's toy basket near us while we sat on the floor and played. Well, she decided that the toys I had out weren't the ones she wanted, so she pulled herself up, with some assistance on my part, on the toy basket to peer inside at her options. I stood there, amazed that my baby was standing up.

And then I let go.

And she stood there, holding on, peering inside her toys, looking for the one she wanted. It was only for a few seconds but she stood. All by herself.

My little girl really is growing up.....and just to prove the point, we took her to the doctor today for her 9 month check up. Here are her stats:

Height: 28 1/4 inches (75%)
Weight: 19.2 lbs (70%)
Head: 45.7 inches (85%) *

* The pediatrician asked us if one of us had a big head.....Russ sheepishly raised his hand and she then pointed out that Aliza's head is, well, growing rather rapidly and rather big. It's all daddy's genes though, so the doctor isn't worried!

Dunkin' vs. Starbucks

2009-02-17T08:26:00.001-05:00

So, my local Dunkin' Donuts is closed for renovations....now, I'm not a coffee drinker, I'm a tea drinker, and we tea drinkers are often forgotten in the world of all things coffee....but that's a post for another day. You'd think that you can get a cup of tea anywhere, but really, it's not that easy.

I don't often stop for tea, partly because I'm still limited to one cup of caffeine a day and I drink a cup while I'm running around in the morning getting dressed and partly because I leave my house later and later in the morning so I simply don't have time. But on Fridays we are treated to breakfast (and by treated I mean we sign up to bring breakfast a couple of times a year) and I treat myself to a cup of tea. But my local Dunkin' is closed. I could go to another one in town, but it is farther away, and out of my way, and, like I said, I don't have the time. So, lately I've gotten in the habit of stopping at a Starbucks that is somewhat on the way and getting tea there.

I'm sure you are thinking, 'what's the problem? Tea is tea...' and see, that is where you would be wrong. I like the fancy teas as much as anyone, earl grey, raspberry peach, lemon, peppermint, darjeeling....and, if I'm being totally honest I'll say that I love cut tea over tea bags any day. (Tastes better....fresher.) But on a Friday morning, all I want is a cup of regular old Tetley. Or Lipton. With cream and sugar. That's it. Nothing fancy, nothing decaf, or herbal, or fruity...just regular tea.

Impossible to get at Starbucks. So I've been getting chai tea lattes. Which I also love, but to me, are more of a dessert treat than a morning tea. And chai doesn't go as well with the bagel and cream cheese I eat on Fridays. I miss my Dunkin' tea.

How about you? Which do you prefer? Take a gander at my sidebar and cast your vote....

Hqppy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T12:43:00.002-05:00

With love!

Sometimes, you just have to lie

2009-02-12T05:39:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, as we were wrapping up a fire drill, one of my students looked at me, concern evident in his face, and asked, "Mrs. S, if we have a real fire, what would you do about Squirt?" (Squirt is our class pet, a leopard gecko.)

Well. I mean, the truth is that if there is a real fire, obviously my concern is for the safety of my students. And myself. I seriously doubt I will think about Squirt in that moment. Not that I don't think Squirt is awesome, and cute, but he's not a kid. I debated internally about whether or not to go with the truth but when I looked at his little face, all freckles and red hair, his blue eyes squinting at me, concern written across his forhead, I just couldn't do it.

"S, if there is a real fire, I'll grab her tank and run with it." I said. He smiled happily at me, his world returned to order and got back in line.

Of course, the students nearby then had a lengthy debate about whether I should grab the cage, or just grab the log that Squirt often hides in. And then we had to have a chat about what would happen if I did grab the log and Squirt started to come out of the log. S didn't participate in any of this conversation; he had his answer and he was content.
And I didn't feel the slightest guilt over that lie.

Aliza's latest

2009-02-09T05:40:00.003-05:00

I managed to capture Aliza doing all of her new tricks at once! SO BIG! YAY! and feeding herself!

The Quiet Room

2009-02-03T06:22:00.004-05:00

As per usual, Aliza and I went to church with my mom and dad this past Sunday. What was unusual was that my two nieces were with us while my sister enjoyed a trip to Vegas. Since we had so many children in tow, we decided to sit in the quiet room. I'm not really sure why it is called the quiet room, because it was anything but quiet.

The room is situated upstairs, with one door leading to a balcony where you can also sit, and another leading down the stairs. It is surrounded by glass, has metal chairs instead of pews and features speakers from which you hear the sermon. You look out over the people in the balcony to the pews and the alter below.

When we first arrived there weren't too many children in the quiet room. As mass progressed more and more children arrived. Maybe it's because I'm a teacher so I see, and deal with, all manner of behaviors, maybe it's because I have a daughter now so I'm constantly thinking of how I want to raise her, maybe I'm just getting opinionated in my old age but I could not believe the behaviors some of the parents were allowing. Children were banging on the glass, racing cars around, talking loudly....and, for the most part, they were not reprimanded. It is church. You should be quiet. I mean, I know that younger children have difficulty sitting still and staying quiet for a long time. I used to work with three to five year olds, trust me, I know. But to just allow the behavior? To not remind the children that they should at least try to be quiet because they are in the house of God? To not teach your children to be a little respectful? C'mon.

I decided it is the fault of the quiet room. See, no one can really hear what's going on up there. So, it doesn't really matter if your kid is loud. Why discipline if you don't have to?
And then I decided I don't want Aliza to grow up sitting in the quiet room. I want her to learn to sit in the pews with the grown ups. I want her to learn that for forty five minutes of your life you are quiet and respectful and you think about how to be a good person. I'm not so unrealistic as to think that she can do this when she is little. I'm fully prepared to bring coloring books, or a snack, or whatever quiet activity I need to in order to keep her occupied. Because sometimes that forty five minutes is long even for me. But I do believe that young children can learn how to not sit in the quiet room.

My daughter, the drummer

2009-01-30T06:06:00.004-05:00

By some strange fluke, Aliza received several drums this Christmas. Her favorite one is one that lights up a different color every time you hit it. She figured out rather quickly how to operate this drum, and has since experimented with hitting it with a variety of other objects.
The only problem is that sometimes she'll try hitting some of her other toys, and when she doesn't get the same reaction she'll often pause in confusion, before returning to her drum.
Here she is, trying it out: (Sorry it is so short, I ran out of memory space on my camera!)

Mixed bag

2009-01-28T11:46:00.003-05:00

(Thanks for the title Kelli!) :)
Why I love third graders:
In the midst of my parent observation the following conversations happened:
Student A: "Mrs. S, this is the best math lesson EVER!"
Student B: "Mrs. S, can we call you Mrs. Nice instead? Because you are really nice!"
Student C: "No, we should call her Mrs. Amazing!"
Me: "How about Mrs. Fantastically Beautiful?" We all laughed and moved on with the lesson, although for the rest of the day my name was, in fact, Mrs. Fantastically Beautiful.
Because that's just how we roll in 3S.

Update:
The observation went well. I was nervous and the kids were so excited about the lesson I did (which, I must admit, was rather awesome) that they were a little energetic, but in a positive-learning way, not in a disruptive-negative way. The parent involved sent me a rather nice email afterwards, thanking me for the opportunity. I was supposed to meet with said parent today, but a snow day means that was cancelled. Darn.

Why I wanted to gauge my eyes out with a spoon yesterday:
I recently had a Smart Board installed in my classroom (which I am madly in love with and use every single day for the majority of my lessons now) and was required to attend Smart Board training ALL day yesterday. I've been to a few of these trainings and have already created lessons involving the Smart Board and used it quite a few times. We began the day- and spent the whole morning- learning about the tool bar. And the gallery. And a variety of other tools that can be used with Smart Board software, the majority of which I have already found, experienced, created with and implemented. Finally, in the afternoon, we were given time to actually prepare lessons, but by then I was so brain dead and tired I wasn't nearly as productive as I could have been. And then, of course, there was that person. You all know what I mean. The one person who doesn't know how to do anything and spends the entire day asking questions that if she was paying even the slightest bit of attention she would have figured out. Sigh.

Aliza news:
Aliza's latest trick is clapping her hands. She doesn't exactly make a loud noise when she does so, but she has such a look of concentration and fascination when she does it....I have to get a video to post because it is just the cutest darn thing. We are spending the day together today because yet another snow storm has left us stuck (happily) at home.....