New Adventure

Life has been a little bit hectic lately and I don't think I've ever mentioned (on the blog) the plan for next school year.

I currently teach a multi-age classroom of first, second, and third graders. Yes, all at the same time. Yes, it works (and I totally love it). Our school is set up to have 1st-3rd graders together, and 4th-6th graders together. But next year, we are changing our grade level configurations to 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th, and 5th/6th.

Several weeks ago, we were given our assignments for next year. I was assigned 3rd/4th. I was nervous because I feel like the younger grades are where I shine as a teacher. But I was excited to have most of my students for another two years (meaning my current 2nd and 3rd graders would have me for a total of four years). I seriously have the most amazing students, so having them for four years would be a dream. And my team teacher, who is new this year, but is the best teammate ever, would also be teaching 3rd/4th, so that helped ease my nerves.

This happens daily. I also hear "grandma quite often.

Then a couple of weeks ago, my superintendent approached me and said that our Kindergarten enrollment was higher than anticipated and they needed to open another Kinder class. She said they were going to move me to Kinder because I have expressed interest in that in the past and I'm "huggy and lovey and nurturing." So, just like that, I was no longer going to teach 3rd/4th.

I feel much more comfortable teaching Kindergarten than 3rd/4th. I used to teach preschool before working at GTA, so it's not really a huge stretch for me. Just very different from 3rd/4th.

I'm still sort of getting used to the idea. I'm thinking about all the things I won't need next year: chapter books, certain games, encyclopedias, etc., and thinking of all the things I will need: more/new picture books (most of mine have been well-loved over the years - I could use LOTS of new ones), different manipulatives, etc.

A few weeks ago, I helped with a Kindergarten event and was able to meet some of the upcoming Kindergarten students. This week, I have another one. I'm excited to see all those sweet faces!

It's a big change, but I'm excited about it. I am still so sad to say goodbye to my current students, but they all said they would come visit and have lunch with me. And I will really miss my current teaching partner, but we have decided that our classes can be reading buddies next year.

About 2.5 weeks until I am no longer a "lower elementary teacher" and officially a Kindergarten teacher!

Ipsy

Last month, my friend Shannon over at Sitting in a Tree posted about Ipsy gam bag. If you haven't heard of Ipsy before, it's basically a program where, for $10 a month, you receive a "glam bag" containing five beauty products. I had heard of Ipsy before, but never really thought about signing up, and Shannon's post inspired me to check it out for myself. 

In general, I don't buy stuff for myself very often. If I need something, sure, but usually I spend money on the boys. It's more fun to buy them clothes that will look so cute on them or toys that will bring fun and entertainment to our home. Buying something just for me sounds great and all, but I prefer not to spend much money on myself. But Ipsy is only $10 a month. I can handle that. Ten dollars for a little surprise in my mailbox every month - something just for me - sounded like fun.

Also, I don't tend to wear much make up. Up until about a month or two ago, I only wore eye shadow and mascara on a daily basis. Foundation, blush, etc. was pretty much reserved for things like pictures, date nights, weddings, and special occasions. But when I developed this weird oil deposit below my eye, I started wearing make up more to try and hide it. I thought trying Ipsy would be good for me to step outside of my little comfort zone with make up and see if I find something I might love.

My first Ipsy glam bag arrived last week. I had expectations based on what Shannon got in her bag, but mine was very different. Not better or worse, just different. (It's supposed to be different though - you fill out a survey when you sign up so that the person purchasing your items has an idea of what you might like.)

What was in my bag, you ask?

1. Hair Lift Thickening and Strengthening Mousse from Oscar Blandi - I don't use any product in my hair except for shampoo and conditioner. No hair spray, no treatments, nothing. I'm boring that way. My hair is super straight and doesn't do anything very exciting, so I just leave it that way. I was excited to try this to see if it would really give my hair more volume. My first impression was that I didn't love the way it made my hair feel. My hair is very smooth, and this made it more coarse. But it did give me a little lift, so I was cool with it. It's not something I would use every day, but I'm glad to have it around.

2. Glam Glow Thirsty Cleanse - I wasn't all that excited about this item at first. Oooooh, face wash. Whoopty-do. But I actually kind of love the stuff. You put it on your face dry and then wet your hands and lather it a bit on your face and then rinse it off. It did leave my face feeling softer and more hydrated and it smells amazing! There is coconut in it so it smells like the beach. I dig it.

3. Jesse's Girl Pure Pigment Eye Dust in Brown Sugar. Eye shadow is definitely my number one make up item. I use it every day. I tend to go with natural shades, but I was worried this would be too dark for me. It's hard to see in the picture, but it's a rusty color. Also, it's a matte shadow and I prefer a little shimmer. I tried it though, and it wasn't super dark. I put some of my own lighter shadow (with shimmer) above it and it looked like something I would have picked out myself. I like it. And every single time I put it on, I sing "Jesse's Girl." I'm not sure yet if that's a good or bad thing.

4. Eye Shadow Brush - I have an eye shadow brush that I use daily, so this was kind of anti-climactic for me. I use it with the eye shadow above and it's fine, but nothing special.

5. Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing Patches - each of these packages contains two under eye patches. I tried them as I typed this post. They feel cool when you put them on. I'm not sure that they relaxed my eyes at all, but they are supposed to "reduce puffiness, smooth away lines, and brighten the eye area." I'm not sure if they did any of that because I only had them on for 10 minutes instead of 20 (they were kind of itchy). I'll try the other package another time. It's not something I would buy for myself, but it's something different to try.

Overall, I'm happy with my first Ipsy glam bag, and I'm looking forward to seeing what I get in June. If you have an extra $10 a month, you might want to try it out too.

Childcare Changes...Again

About six weeks ago, Leland started preschool. After months of asking to go to preschool, he was so excited to finally be going. The first few days went well - he looked forward to going and seemed to have fun. But after a few weeks, things weren't quite so easy.

So excited for his first day of preschool!

He didn't participate in circle time or really any of the organized activities, he cried about going (not just at drop off), and he had a hard time getting along with his friends. I didn't expect him to fully participate in the structured activities, because of his age and the fact that he's never done it before. But the trouble with friends isn't like him. Twice, Leland has been sent home for biting. Now, I'm not saying Leland is always perfect with his friends - he has bit a few times before - but he generally is very social and a likable kid. He loves making new friends, and whenever he has bit in the past, it was always a reaction to conflict with a friend or being provoked in some way. At preschool, both instances appeared to be unprovoked, which is strange for Leland.

Aside from difficulties at school, Leland was also having a hard time at home. He wasn't napping at school, so he was exhausted at night and just so crabby! I would ask him how his day was and he would tell me, "I don't want to talk about my school." He just seemed so different and not my happy boy anymore.

Leland with his pal Sophie.

I'm not completely sure what was causing Leland to have such a hard time lately, but my theory is that full-time preschool was just too much for him. Again, I'm not saying he was perfect before going to preschool, but he just seemed happier. He doesn't hate preschool, but it has definitely been a difficult transition. I think he's just not quite ready for preschool full timw.

Pulling Leland out of preschool isn't really an option for us for two reasons. One, the daycare where Alden goes doesn't have a full time opening for Leland. And two, we can't afford for them to both go to daycare full time (our new daycare is more expensive than Julie was). 

Leland and Sophie walking in to school together. Are arranged marriages acceptable? Because I think these two are way too adorable together.

So we compromised and came up with a solution that will hopefully help us get through the next few weeks a little easier. Leland is now attending daycare with Alden on Mondays and Fridays. This way, he gets three days in a row of preschool (I don't think an every-other-day schedule would work well for him), and a non-structured day before and after the weekend. This way, he gets two days to just play and chill out if he needs to.

We started this new plan last Friday. Leland loved playing at Dawn's Friday and Monday, and seemed ready to go back to school on Tuesday. He had three good days at school - not perfect, but not bad - and when I have checked on him, he always seems to be having fun. I don't know if he's participating more in classroom activities, but he is willing to actually talk about school now. And he really just seems happier. It's like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

Shaving cream play at school.

We have three weeks left of the school year, and I am beyond ready to have my sweet boys home with me. I know that a few months can make a huge difference in a child, so I'm hoping that Leland will grow up just enough over the summer to be more ready for preschool in the fall. 

Library Visits

The last two weekends, we haven't had too much on our agenda, so we visited the library. Both boys love going to the library! Since Leland has discovered (and is now obsessed with) Pete the Cat, we went in search of a few of those. While there, they enjoyed puzzles as well.

After checking out our books, Leland always asks if we can play on the train behind the library. This weekend, we also had a doughnut picnic.

And a walk on the railroad tracks is a must pretty much ANYTIME you see them.

Now if only it would warm up enough to not need those sweatshirts!

Painting with a Twist

So, I think I'm addicted to these painting events. Twice, I have "sipped and dabbed," and last week, I "painted with a twist."

I went to an event that was a sort of a fundraiser for my school - half of the proceeds from the night went to GTA. It was so much fun hanging with my school peeps while creating our masterpieces.

I like it just fine, but I won't be quitting my job to become an artist anytime soon.

My team teacher, Michelle, and I.

Leland loved my painting and asked if I could hang it up in his room. Hey, someone loves my work.

Like I said, I think I'm addicted. I really enjoy painting, but I'm not very good at it all by myself. So I like when someone kind of tells me what to do and I can make it look decent.

19 months and starting to talk

It occurred to me that today is the 17th. That means Alden is 19 months old! There's not a whole lot to report on since his 18 month post, except for one thing: talking.

At 18 months, Alden really wasn't saying any words consistently. He would sometimes attempt to mimic us, but he wasn't saying any actual words on his own. And then, just like that, he is now starting to say some words all on his own.

Last week, he started saying "Belle" at daycare, which is short for his friend Isabelle, I think. Then he randomly said "bubble" in the bath tub, followed by "book" at the library, and "ball" when he and Leland each got a bouncy ball at the mall. All of these words were SUPER clear, and I was thrilled that they were coming out without any encouragement from us. Though I was starting to wonder if the only words he could say were 'b' words. Ha!

This is a short video that shows Alden saying "bubble" and then "Belle."

Then this weekend, he started trying some other words. For shoes, he said "foosh" and for truck, he said "shuck." And he also said "sock." He will repeat words we say once in a while, but most of the time, he just says things randomly and then repeats them over and over.

Alden is at such a fun age right now, where he is really starting to understand the language he is hearing, and seeing/hearing him start to use it is so exciting. I knew it would happen in his own time, just like Leland. And it's just so fun to watch it all develop.

Little Chickies

Three weeks ago, we placed 27 chicken eggs in an incubator in my classroom. We hoped and hoped that they were fertilized eggs (there's no way to know until they've been in the 'bator for a few days).

After seven days, we candled them (put them over a special flashlight) to see if anything was happening inside. Most of them appeared to be doing something so we remained hopeful.

After a few more days, we candled again and, again, they appeared to be developing. Hurray for chickies!

On the 20th day, I noticed two chicks trying to hatch.

Later that day, my class and I returned after and hour and a half out of the room to find one sweet chick in the 'bator, which Leland named Peeper.

The next morning, we had another chickie.

We named him Nugget. He was equally as cute as Peeper, but had some problems. One leg was a little deformed, his toes were curled under, and he had a kind of growth stuck to him, which we later learned was probably an unabsorbed egg sac. 

Not a great picture, because of the lighting under the heat lamp, but you can sort of see his right foot curled under.

We were optimistic that he might be okay. But the next day, the toes on his other foot were curled under, and we just had to wait for the inevitable.

Which left us again with only one chick, hoping some more would hatch.

Here, you can see the one trying to hatch, as well as one egg with a big crack in it. The one with the crack ended up being a bad egg that exploded, I think. 

And one did! This one took over 50 hours to hatch, which is a looong time. I've read that they usually hatch within 24 hours, and Peeper hatched super fast, so I was worried this one was going to die. You're not supposed to intervene with chick hatching, because really, just about anything you do to "help" will likely end up killing the chick. But I was worried that this chick was drying out, even though the humidity was pretty high in the incubator. He just wasn't making any progress. So I did a little research and found that it would be okay to squirt a few drops of warm water into the opening to help the chick "unstick" from the shell. So I did, and was very careful to keep the water away from its beak (so it wouldn't drown). It hatched within two hours.

We now have two chickies: Peeper and Slow Poke.

They are so cute, very noisy, and not distracting at all. We're waiting a few more days to see if any other chicks hatch, and then I think one of my students will take them home.

Leland loves to hold the chicks.

This has been a very fun process. I think I would like to try it again next year. Maybe with chickens again, or maybe with ducks. I'm not sure how Kindergartners will handle all the excitement though. We'll just have to see.

Mother's Day 2015

Every year for Mother's Day, I ask for the same thing. A whole weekend with my people, just doing what we like to do. This year was no different, even though we didn't always do things we love doing.

Saturday we went to the library. Leland has been introduced to Pete the Cat books at school, and has been asking for us to get some. So our goal was to get some (except there was only one available) and just hang out for a bit. Both boys love the library, and Alden surprised us with a new word. He kept saying, "book, book, book," over and over. I was able to get one on video.

Then we played on the train outside for a few minutes.

After that, Leland got a haircut, and we ran a few errands. Not incredibly exciting, but I enjoyed our simple family time.

Then Sunday, we intended to go to church and then to our niece's first birthday party. Buuuut Leland woke up with goopy eyes, and I knew that his friend from school had pink eye, so we made a trip to the doctor instead. One of the doctors at our children's clinic bought roses for all the mamas at the office that day. What a sweet gesture. I just love him.

Turns out, Leland did indeed have pink eye, as well as an ear infection. He hasn't had an ear infection in almost two years, since he got his tubes. He never complained once about his eyes or his ear, but since pink eye is so contagious, we stayed home the rest of the day, and Dave went to the birthday party with his mom. Leland read me his book from memory and we took a nice afternoon nap together. 

And after naps, we watched some Mighty Machines videos that we got from the library.

Even with the trip to the doctor, this weekend was perfect. A simple, but fun weekend with my people: the boys who call me mama and my baby daddy.

I Love You a Bunch!

A few days ago, Leland came home from school with this sweet picture.

His teacher helped him write his name. He's not writing letters on his own yet.

I thought it was so stinking cute. But even cuter was when he said to me, "Mommy, I love you a bunch of grapes."

I thought it was about the cutest thing I've ever heard so we've been saying it a lot around here. And now when I say it to Leland, he responds with, "I love you a bunch of...blueberries!" Or whatever other fruit comes to mind.

Yeah, I pretty much die from the adorable-ness of it all every single time.

Grand Rapids Day Two

Yesterday, I shared about our first day in Grand Rapids. The second day was just as fun, and once again, I took too many pictures (no such thing, right?).

We started off with a delicious breakfast. Breakfast food is my favorite, but (fun fact!) I only like it breakfast time. No breakfast for lunch or dinner at our house!

Then we went to the zoo. The boys have never been to a zoo (we don't have one in TC), so I was excited to see how they liked it.

We brought our single stroller instead of our double for space-saving reasons (and also if someone stole it out of the truck bed, we would only be out $150 instead of $600). I realized that Alden had never used that stroller before, and that neither of them have used any stroller since last summer, or maybe fall.

pelicans

Leland was a little scared of the penguins. He thought they could get him through the glass. Ha!

Having a tall daddy has its benefits.

Watching the bears take a bath.

The monkeys are always my favorite.

Turning around in the stroller. Crazy boy.

Playing in the kid's area by the tigers.

Overall, Alden really enjoyed the zoo. He loved seeing the animals and running around exploring. Leland, however, wasn't incredibly interested. He moved pretty quickly through the exhibits and asked about a gazillion times to go to the park. So after we left the zoo, we visited the park for a few minutes.

After the park, we headed back to Mary Free Bed to visit Julie. There, we met Jammer, a therapy dog. He gave Leland a high five, which Leland thought was hilarious, and showed us some of his cool tricks.

Julie's daughter brought Baxter, Julie's dog, so we went outside to see him and visit.

Leland loved seeing Baxter. He hasn't seen him in a while and enjoyed his kisses. Then he checked out the ants while Alden climbed on everything.

Julie and her boys.

See you soon, Julie!

We had a busy, but fun weekend. I'm so glad we were able to make the trip down to see Julie. The boys (and us) have missed her so much. It was wonderful to see her smile and to hug her again.