For the Kids

I've been struggling with what to call this post because rather than rants about teachers and how bad they have it I actually want to focus on the student. I feel like most things I've been reading from teachers has been focused on their pay. However, I think we often forget the reason that we teach, and it's for the kids more than anything.
 I started back at school last week, and I was feeling bittersweet about the whole experience. On one hand, I'm leaving my daughter and putting her in daycare. This in itself goes against every instinct I have towards the matter. Surprisingly, all I wanted to do after I had her was stay home. I never had any inkling that that would be something I wanted to do, but if it was a viable option I would definitely have taken it and stayed home with her. Nonetheless, I am still back at school, and the monetary pay versus daycare is still beneficial enough to be at work. I'm loving interacting with adults, interacting with the kids, and really feeling like a contributing member of the team.
One thing that I didn't think I would feel this year was empathy for the kids. Not that I didn't think I would connect with them, but I was more focused on my own daughter and not so much the students. I really prayed about not having to go back to work, but I think God's plan was for me to help these kids. Last week I did a journal entry with them where we decided to "bottle up a memory", and I just wanted to gauge where they were in the writing process so my thought was to get them writing and then focus in on the skill set they needed. The entries I read were astounding. One boy discussed how his father overdosed and died and how he dealt with it. I know another girls in foster care and she wrote about her "mom", and another boy wrote about meeting his real father for the first time and helping out with his family photography business. These kids have only had me for a week; yet they're opening up their hearts and emotions to me. They really struggle, and it kills me now as a mom to see when their own parents aren't involved or when they're struggling with their every day things.
I guess overall I just really hope I can make a difference in these kids' lives. It really brings it all back to center that it doesn't matter what the politics are, it doesn't matter all that crap going on it's really for the kids.

Christmas cheer

It's only a few weeks til Christmas, and I am so excited!! Although Elise will only be 4 months old, I'm anticipating making our own holiday traditions with our family.
On the list:

Done....
- family Christmas card
- dress the cats in Christmas sweaters
- decorate a Christmas tree
- Christmas lights outside
- buy & wrap presents
- watch as many seasonal movies as possible

To Do.....
- make Christmas cookies
- live nativity experience
- Christmas Eve church service
- drive around & look at lights

When Elise is older...
- letter to Santa
- cookies & milk for Santa
- homemade gifts
- elf on the shelf
- Mickey's Very Merry Christmas at Disney

Rant about the school board

As I gear up for my return to work in the public school system, I have to add another tally on the cons side of being a teacher.

Yesterday as I loaded up my car to visit the school board office with baby in tow, I will admit I was already a little frustrated. Elise was having a fussy day, and if I hadn't been under the impression that I had to visit that day I very well would have stayed home that afternoon. Nonetheless I took my less than happy baby & drove 30 minutes to the office.
As we arrived, I sighed with relief. Elise needed to be changed, and I was sure I would be in and out in 20 minutes with my insurance taken care of.

After being rudely met by one woman in the risk management office, I was treated like an inconvenience and told I could wait in their break room for the insurance rep to return from lunch. She was halfway through at this point, so I settled in for 30 minutes.
After almost an hour wait, I packed my stroller up to leave. As soon as I got up the woman returned (Are teachers allowed a 2 hour lunch break?) and told me my insurance card with Elise's name wasn't enough proof that she's covered and that I'll need to return with a letter stating the same thing.

Con # 2235624: school board employees who presumably make more than teachers that take two hour lunch breaks are disenthused when asked to do their jobs. Can we put them on a pay for performance scale?

Far from being made to feel welcome and part of the reason these people have jobs, I was brushed off and treated with disdain. Unfortunately I have to grudgingly return to the same office next week to try to take care of the problem again.

On the other hand, I really need to attempt lesson plans so that when I return I'm not overwhelmed. That looks promising with a wedding looming & infant at home!

& next time I'm sure ill be back with more baby updates & less negative tellings.

Overflowing

Emotions brimming:
Rearing and running,
Skimming and dancing through my mind.
My cup overflows-
Drinking in joy
Uncertainty, fear, & hope.
Simple things made new.
Like plants after a long drought
devour water
Observing life anew,
Through the eyes of a child.
My heart is full.

Thankful

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving break is upon us!! I'm slowly but surely figuring this whole parenting thing out. Man is it difficult! I've been trying to "wear" Elise around lately so she can see things & be involved while still allowing me to get stuff done!

Obviously with the attention span of an infant that's sometimes short lived, but she enjoys sitting up & checking out all the new things in our house. It always amazes me how exciting she can find a blanket or dishes, etc. 

So the holidays are finally upon us, and I'm finding the balance between giving Elise my constant undivided attention and finding time for myself, David, and thing like chores (yuck!). 

My little one is holding her head up SO well already! We took a trip to BJs, and she loved sitting up in her cart cover with her pillow to play with. I find that the carseat is too restrictive & doesn't allow her to  sit up and look around like she prefers. 

What does my day consist of now?

Here's a brief (and I'm sorry, probably boring) rundown:

5:00am- wake up & get dressed, scarf down banana or toast

5:30am- leave for the gym

6:00am- workout class begins!

6:45am- on my way home to relieve David from baby duty

7:00am- home! If I'm lucky, baby is still asleep so I can shower!

7:30am- Elise is definitely awake by now, and our day together begins! Time to nurse, change the diaper & get out of PJs.

8:30am- Time for our 2nd feeding of the morning after playtime.

9:30am- If naptime hasn't happened already, she's ready to go down for nap #1 by now.

10:30am - Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or a Disney movie

11:30am- Nap time #2!*

12:30-2:30pm- Playtime, storytime, lots of dirty diapers, & more nursing!

3:00pm- Nap #3* if I'm lucky. Some days she only takes 2 naps, but when I'm lucky there's a 3rd one.

4:00pm- 6:00pm- It's "witching hour after 4:00pm so I try my best to keep the little one happy. Since it's getting nice & cool out now we go for a walk around the neighborhood with Elise in her stroller & get dinner ready for daddy to get home. 

7:00pm- David is finally home after a long day of work & some gym time, and he is given the task of bath time while I debrief & shower or finish up dinner.

7:30pm- Elise is cozy in her PJs again, and we settle in to nurse (lots) before putting her to bed.

8:00pm- Elise is asleep, and David & I eat and watch our shows while enjoying each other's company. At this point I usually also get things together for the next day: workout clothes out, dinner cleaned up, lunch prepped for tomorrow, and maybe even some laundry or dishes.

9:30pm- I am usually in bed at this point so that I am rested and ready for an early morning workout.

* Nap time for the past two months has been rather trying. I've gotten into the bad habit of letting Elise sleep on me, and she has only wanted to do that pretty much from 10 weeks on. Since I've been home the past couple of days my mom has been coaching me in putting her down (even if she cries), and it is allowing me breaks that I haven't had before.

Anyone else struggle with naptime? I hate to hear her cry which she does immediately after I try to set her down. From what I've experienced these past few days, she stops after a few minutes of whimpering, but it's almost more than I can take to leave her in her bed rather than scooping her back up safe in my arms. *sigh*

However, I really really really need the free time to clean & get stuff done so I HAVE TO set her down & let her whimper for a few minutes so I can actually get things done. So hard but so worth it!

Lastly, this cute little chair is another gift from my ever generous mother who saw that Elise wasn't happy laying down all the time so she bought this little activity center chair so she could hang out & play more on her own.

Hope everyone has a terrific Thanksgiving!!!!

3 month recap

It's been a crazy few months here in Port St Lucie! Though not the same craziness as last year. I remember being more than ready for Thanksgiving & Christmas break at this point, and David and I were gearing up for a snowboarding trip to Colorado! It was also around this time last year that little Elise was just starting to grow inside me.
Man does time fly the older you get!

In three short months I've watched Elise go from a floppy, sleepy little thing to a chubby baby with a stubborn streak that is presenting itself with an expressive personality.

What she can't communicate in words is conveyed in body language, eyebrow raises, gurgles, babbles, and smiles.

I'm so thankful I get to spend another few short months watching my baby grow!

Right now we have a few short goals to accomplish before I go back to work:
- naps in crib, not always on mom or dad
- eating from the bottle without fussing
- car rides longer than 10 minutes without crying
- quicker bedtime routine

I think overall though we have been blessed with such a good baby, those things will sort themselves out as she grows and matures.

Have a great week everyone!!