Just Keep Swimming

I always forget how overwhelming the first week of school is. Between getting used to a new school (where EVERYONE is new, and routines are in place yet), to rushing home to be with my son, and getting up 2 to 3 times a night for my growing boy, I am completely exhausted!

Luckily we only had two days with students this week, and we now have a 4 day weekend for Labor Day. I will take it! I do have a very good class this year. Of course, they are always good the first week! Ask me in three weeks and I may change my mind! They seem like a lot of fun, and very smart so it should be a good school year.

Because it is a new school year, none of our routines are in place. Simple things like how to take students to the bus isn't really worked out yet, so it has been very interesting. I think it will take a good two to three weeks to get everything worked out and running smoother.

Planning lessons hasn't been that bad, just getting into a new routine has. Normally, we had an hour after school so I would do planning, grading and copying then. Now, we can leave right after the students get on the bus, and I REFUSE to stay any longer than my contract says (Judge me if you must). Instead, I have been getting to school an hour EARLY to do everything. That way I can rush home to be with Patrick! Hopefully this new routine works as well as what I did last year. I also refuse to bring home work, so I hope I can get it all completed in the morning.

One thing that is completely overwhelming is the amount of secretarial CRAP we have to do. We have to have so much DATA posted in our room it is ridiculous. I seriously don't know when I am going to have the time to do it. It sounds like a great idea to include kids in goal setting, and setting plans and studying data, but in all honesty, it doesn't help them learn. I don't care what research says, I see the faces of my 23 students and they don't care. They would much rather have engaging lessons then keep a folder full of charts and data. Oh well. I will always do what is asked of me, but at some point I wish I could just do what my degree is for, instead of all of this other BS!

I know it will all work itself out soon, I just have to keep going until then!

Wow Mother Nature!

So we already had an earthquake this week and now we are gearing up for a major hurricane! The Northeast has not been hit by a major hurricane in quite awhile, so to see our state have warnings for extreme conditions is a little unnerving. I already went to the store this morning (before work, might I add) in order to get some water, bread, dog food (God forbid I didn't have the special wet food Rocky ate!) and some other food items. We have tons of diapers and wipes, and we don't have to worry about formula, so I think we are set.
School has already cancelled the professional development we had planned for tomorrow and Monday, and we are under liberal leave. Basically we can take a sick day if we want tomorrow, but the weather isn't supposed to be bad tomorrow so I am going in to get more things done in my classroom.

A wedding we were supposed to go to this weekend has already been changed to tomorrow night, but since some beach areas already have evacuations happening, I don't know if they will even be able to get that in. I feel so bad for them since I know how much work goes in to planning your special day.


I have already planned some emergency bags in case we have to evacuate (unlikely) but just in case. I also filled up my car with gas and made copies of all important documents. Since I have Patrick I feel like I have to be OVERLY prepared now. Before, I would have headed to the liquor store and called it a day. HA. (I do still have some beverages on hand!)

Say a prayer for all of those in the path of this big storm, including us!

A Hard Day

Today, I will be leaving my little munchkin at Ms. Margaret's and heading back into work. I know it is going to be much harder on me than him! I feel like a horrible Mother for leaving him with someone else during the day. I know that I am doing the right thing - providing for his future, but I still have that voice in the back of my head, filled with doubt.

How am I not going to spend all day looking at this cute face?
It breaks my heart. I have spend everyday with him all summer, so I am going to be going through withdrawal. I have already warned my fellow teachers that I am going to be a HOT MESS.

I know Ms. Margaret is more than capable I just worry. Is she going to check on him as much as I do? Will he take the bottle without a problem for her? Will he nap ok? Will he know I left him? Will she play with him as much as I do?

I just pray my work day goes by FAST. I know that I am going to be very anxious to pick up my little man. Tomorrow morning I plan on giving extra hugs and cuddles and kisses. I am going to try to be happy when I drop him off so he sees that everything is ok (Does he really know) but I know as soon as I leave the waterworks will start.

Say a little prayer for me today!

Holy Earthquake!

What a way to wrap up our summer vacation - with an Earthquake! We live on the East Coast, so needless to say these are very rare. In my 27 years we have never had one, and I have never experienced one.

Michael and I were sitting on the couch, and had just put Patrick down for his nap. All of a sudden I felt like I was going to pass out and the room was shaking, it was the weirdest feeling. Then I looked at Michael and told him to stop shaking the couch, he looked at me like I was crazy and told me he wasn't. We then looked around and realized that the entire HOUSE was shaking!

I ran and got the baby and ran outside (I have no idea what to do in an Earthquake!) while my husband went upstairs and got my Dad who was napping. Dad came down and thought we were messing around and shaking his bed while he was sleeping and then looked and realized no one was there - HA!

It lasted about 30 seconds, but that was 30 seconds too long for me! I am so glad we don't live on the West Coast! At least we have an interesting story to tell now!

Rolling Along

My little munchkin is a crazy rolling baby. He mastered how to roll from his back to his tummy and hasn't slowed down since. He is hilarious. Sometimes he just rolls all the way across the floor. The first time he rolls is hilarious because he gets so tickled with himself. He always smiles and laughs, I love it!

Of course, now that he can roll comes a whole new set of worries for me. The past two nights when I go in when he wakes up he is on his tummy looking around. I am terrified of SIDS (I may have mentioned this 192738237 times before) and I do NOT like the idea of him laying on his tummy. My pediatrician told me that once he can roll over the risk of SIDS decreases dramatically but I still don't like taking chances. Not to mention every time he rolls over, instead of sleeping he is awake and ready to go, making for some very sleepless nights! I am thinking about just taping him down.

I. Am. Kidding. (Kind of!)

I guess there is nothing I can do except continue to roll him back over and if he rolls over in the middle of the night, I will just have to deal with it. Pretty soon he will be sleeping on his tummy all the time (Just like his Momma!)


Happy Friday! (My last one off for quite a while!)

Is Anyone Listening?

Ever since Patrick was born, I feel like everyone is offering up what I SHOULD be doing, or simply telling me what I am going to do without asking.

I have been breastfeeding Patrick since he was born. (Pat on the back for me!) With that being said, he did not sleep through the night until a week ago (and of course, that only lasted for 4 or 5 nights - I knew it was too good to be true!) I don't think breastfeeding had anything to do with it, but maybe formula would have made him sleep longer. I don't know, but I didn't want to find out. It was my choice to breastfeed and I want to do it as long as possible. Every time I turn around, someone was telling me to just give formula before he went to bed, or rice cereal in his bottle. (I would rather not have my child choke, thank you).

I wanted to wait to start rice cereal all together until he was around 5 months because we tried once and he just doesn't seem interested yet. I figured I would wait until he was ready. According to some people he needs to learn so apparently I should just keep shoving it down his throat. I have also been told he NEEDS the nutrition from it. Actually, until he is 6 months, solely breastmilk is all he needs. Ahhh. He did some out of me right? Last I checked anyway. Shouldn't I be able to make decisions?

I am so upset because I have to leave him and go back to school next Wednesday. I want to spend as much time as possible with him this next week because of this. I am going to a Phillies game tonight, so I am leaving him home, and then I have to next Tuesday morning for a training, I leave him Wednesday for school and next Saturday we have a wedding. Instead of being asked if I want to go out to dinner this Saturday (and leave Patrick) I was told I was going. Now, don't get me wrong, I love to go out to eat, and I have and will continue to do so (every couple needs a date night without kids!), but I don't want to THIS time because I will be leaving him sooner than I like. Once I voiced this opinion, I was told that Michael's mom had already been asked to watch him and she would be upset. Ahhh. Just once I would love to be asked, or not get weird looks when I tell them I want to stay home with my son.

Anyone?? Or am I just going crazy these days??

The Day that Changed Everything!

One year ago today, as I was getting ready for the preseason of hockey, I decided to take a pregnancy test 'just in case' before I left for practice. Not 10 seconds after I wet that stick, the second pink line appeared and changed our lives! I ran out of the bathroom and sat on the bed next to Michael and informed him that we were going to have a baby.

We were so excited, but I still wanted to be sure so I went out after practice and bought a pregnancy test from every brand that carried them (I wanted to be sure!).
That day started out 9 month journey and now we have an amazing little boy who we love more than anything! Isn't it amazing how your life can change in a year?