Merry Christmas

Making Cookies

CJ and I made many cookies this holiday season. Here he is "helping" me out!

Sick, Sicker, Sickest

Well it has been quite the week in our house. This is THE week - the one right before Christmas. The one where all the cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, cleaning, etc. happen! Only in our house the key person that heads all of those events was sick. Yep me! It began last weekend with what i thought was a cold. Slight temp, achy, tired. So I rested the best that I could with CJ playing around me. Then back to work on Monday with a very raspy voice. I made it through the days alright, then cam home and was beat. So still nothing was getting done. And oh yeah, we were supposed to be getting ready for a party this Saturday. Which I need to add here that CS was doing his best to get things crossed off the giant TO DO list. He, too, had a cold but was weathering through it. As the week went on - my voice became mute. I felt ok - I just couldn't talk. Which is hard to do when you are a teacher. This was a big week at school though and I didn't want to miss it. Our custodian is retiring and all the celebrations for him were this week. I will miss him terribly! He is such a great guy! Anyway, on Thursday after whispering to my class and trying to teach them a few signs to get us by, I went to the Dr. I had fever 100.5 and my chest was heavily congested! "You must be pretty tough!, " replied the Dr. AS IF! That so isn't me!!! So I was sent home with a note to stay home from school on Friday and prescriptions. One of the medicines actually made me feel worse than my cold so I stayed in bed all day Friday trying to feel more like myself. CJ was right by my side - that kid has watched more videos this week than I ever dreamed he would watch! Friday we got a pretty good size snow storm - so even though I wasn't 100% I was shoveling snow on Saturday (oh yeah we cancelled the party and it's a good thing!) morning so we could go Christmas shopping. We fit into 4 hours what we usually spend a week to do! I'm sure I've missed something and need to make sure I have it all, but what a whirlwind. Then we come home to CJ with swollen eyes and lots of gunk coming out of them. So I rush him to the clinic just in time before it closes. But we still wait an hour. He was pretty good, but once the nurse and Dr. come to see him he kept screaming! All they did was look in his eye - but he was so anxious he didn't know what else to do. So now I have to put drops in his eyes 3 times a day - not an easy task. He screams and kicks!! UGH! So our week before Christmas has not been what it should be. Let's just hope that our luck turns around and we everything else goes smoothly! I think I will go buy a lottery ticket, J! My luck has to turn.

More pictures

Here are some more pictures from the photographer.

Teacher Gifts

I have been asked to give ideas for teacher gifts - as many friends have children who are beginning their school careers. Here are some of the favorites I have gotten over the years: Let's see if I can make it a top ten!

10. Ornaments with a special touch - meaning the kids made them. We decorated our tree on Sunday and as we unpacked the ornaments I recalled the child that made each of them. As I'm typing I look at the tree and I do have MANY ornaments that say teacher - those are cute too, but after many years of teaching I can't hang every ornament that says teacher on it.

9. Books - children's books that the child picked out for me to read to future classes - many of them wrote the date and their name on the cover - and some even wrote a special message.

8. Desk calendar - I love calendars:) and there's something about finding some new saying or cartoon everyday on those desk calendars!

7. Gift Cards - LOVE THESE! I get them for coffee, pedicures, Target, books - and I have loved them all!

6. Stationary, stationary, stationary!! Again, like calendars I love stationary. All sorts! Cards, notepads, whatever! With my name, initials, or something cute. It doesn't matter - I love it all! And many teachers feel the same way!

5. Homemade gifts - all of them. I have gotten candy, cookies, pot holders, ornaments, jewelery. These are great. I think the home made gifst that S has been talking about at Stamp Camp are great too! I just never get those cute things:)

Well - I couldn't think of 10 - so it's my Top 5 list:) Above all, if it is heartfelt I like it. Many times I will get a gift with a note that says the child heard me say that I liked it - or saw me do something that made them thing I would like the gift. Those are the best - it means they really know me. Harder for our little guys to do that right now, J!

Oh I can't believe I didn't think of this until now...The BEST gift (usually more for the end of the year!) is a heartfelt thank you note for the things I have done for the child. I had a parent one year and I never knew if she was happy. She never looked happy, didn't really say anything positive, nor did she every really complain though either. I just never knew how she felt. At the end of the year she wrote me such a wonderful note of thanks. It meant the world to me. I have a folder where I keep all the notes from parents. There are not many! I get one a year maybe! Last year (one of my toughest years) I did not get one note.

So there you have it! I hope that helps:) Now if you ask another teacher - they may say something different. But this is what I like to get.

Kill "Em With Kindness

I happen to have a parent this year who is just as hard to deal with as my neighbor! After yet another run in with the parent a fellow teacher gave me the advice to kill her with kindness. Now...the fact that I didn't think about this boggles my mind...but. Since then things have turned around. She still says things that blow my mind away - but I think she is socially acquired and has no filtering system!!! But I still smile and go out of my way to try and make her happy. Thanks to all of you for the advice on how to deal with the neighbor - it was similar - kill her with kindness. So today, I saw her outside and I asked about her holiday and had a nice 10 minute conversation with her. I told her that CJ and I were baking cookies today and she said she wasn't a baker - so I think I will bring some over to her tomorrow:)

Tree Lighting

Last weekend we went to the tree lighting in our town. It is one of things I love about this town - tree lighting at town hall, singing, hot chocolate and an open house at the fire station. CJ was so excited to see drive around the block on a fire truck! We spent a lot of time in the fire station, exploring fire trucks and an ambulance. CJ inspected every inch of the firetrucks as you can tell by the pictures!

Happy Thanksgiving

To all of our family and friends Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Love Thy Nieghbor?

I thought we would have the summer free of the lovely lady that lives next door! NOT!!! Yesterday we woke up to very little heat in our house and ended up calling the oil company to come figure out what was wrong. The repairman needed to bleed our furnace -which means getting a lot of water out of there. So he gets the first bucket and dumps it outside - apparently on her plants! She comes running over throwing a fit about it. YIKES!!! Luckily, I wasn't home - so CS dealt with her in the nicest way possible. First the BBQ, now this. I have tried killing her with kindness - doesn't work. We have to avoid any interaction with her at all - doesn't work as our houses are just too close to each other. I want desperately to have the best relationship we possibly can with her as we will be living her for a long time. I hate confrontation. Any suggestions?

Cupcakes

All this talk about cupcakes from J and T have gotten me thinking!!! Being a teacher I see many a treat pass through these doors. And guess what - many of them are store-bought!! Now I have nothing against a store-bought treat - but I love to bake!! So CJ will be getting a home baked goodie every chance I get. In fact, I have been waiting for bake sales/classroom treats/etc. since before I was pregnant:) I guess I'm just so surprised given the town I work in, how many mom do not bake the treats for school. And now everyone is on a no sweets in school kick - so Popsicles are the treat right now. Or - fruit with whipped topping - I've even had a vegetable platter. You heard me right a veggie platter to celebrate a 6 six year olds birthday!!!!
I've been told that I'm not allowed to bring any treats to CJ's school - which bums me out!!! I will have to try and fix that situation somehow!! So ladies, what will you be doing when your child is in first grade??? Home baked, store bought, or veggie platter??? :)

That Time Again!

Report cards that is!!! I can't tell you how much I dislike doing these!! Probably because I out WAYYYY too much thought into them. I have colleagues who barely write any comments, and rush through them. I take my time (too much time) and write ALOT!! I think because I remember looking back at report cards and being more interested in the comments that my teachers wrote than the actual grades. But how much is it appreciated??? Unlike Tupperware, I don't have a line of parents outside my door on a daily basis cheering me on!! In fact, it's more likely to be a line of parents waiting to complain about something I did or didn't do! However, I will still put alot of thought into each child's report card this time around. I guess I better get cracking!!!!

Tupperware

My mind is whirling with Tupperware right now! Yes, I have decided to become a consultant. It's fun - keeps me very busy - but it is fun. I am giving it a go for 6 months - and then I will see if it's worth it to continue. Today I spent all day at a rally. Yes there was a lot of cheering!!! I was a little surprised. The day is meant to be both educational and rewarding. I learned a lot about the products today so that was good. No cheering for me...yet:) It is a very interesting world. I will have to keep you updated.

I had my first party the other night. I need to learn more about all of the products, and I need to figure out more about what to do with each party. I sold $600.00 worth of Tupperware - not bad for my first time:) My profit wasn't much - but it's a start.

Throw Up

Yep - today in the car. All over the floor, car seat, and ducky who happened to be buckled in with CJ....and we were 30 mins from home. It was closer to drive back to our friends house for at least a quick clean up. Now CJ is on the couch with a headache and an empty tummy sipping ginger ale and watching a show. I have to go clean the car...UGH!!!!

More Time

A friend and I were having a conversation recently about time and how we wish we could buy some at BJs. "Yes I would like 1 hour extra of time today to finish the laundry please!" Really it should go , "Yes I would like 1 hour of extra time today to read (fill in your own luxury here) alone!" Or even still , "Yes I would like 1 hour of extra time today of a happy child/partner/fun family time!" All of the above are probably needed in your family - I know they are needed in mine. With the holidays coming up time seems to go even faster. Remember that the family time is the most important. The laundry/dishes/cleaning can wait it won't go anywhere!!! :)

A Great Day

We spent today with some friends from college that I hadn't seen in a few years. CJ will never cease to amaze me. At first he was "Grumpy" and anxiety ridden about the visit. But I find the more that his new encounters ignore him, the easier it is for him to relax and enjoy himself. I would say it took about 40 minutes today before he was talking to R & M. It makes me happy when he can relax and have a good time.

It was so great to get together with friends that i hadn't seen in awhile. I hope today was the beginning of many more days we will visit with them!

The Picture

A few weeks ago we had family pictures taken. Those of you who know me well, know this story. It did not go well! Here is a picture of CJ that day. It is a great shot - I wonder what he was thinking about.

Think Pink :)

I love pink!!! So I am happy that there were some new colors to choose from for my blog. What do you think?

Sorry It's Been Awhile

I know, I know!!! I have been very bad about blogging. It's a time issue!!! Between being a mama, a teacher, keeping up with house stuff, and now a Tupperware lady....my plate is overflowing!!! So here is what we have been up to.

Halloween : A fun time was had by all. CJ did not care about the treats as much as he cared about ringing the doorbell and saying, "Trick or Treat!" It was very exciting for him.

Now we are getting ready for Thanksgiving. It will be here before you know it. I have to get report cards done (oh joy) in two weeks time.

We had CJ's PPT today. All went well. He is progressing nicely. We added some social goals to his IEP and we will meet again once we have the evaluation from Yale.

See it's bee awhile, but that's all I have to say for now:)

Some recent pictures

Sick Boy

Poor CJ is home sick today - temp over 100 and just plain old tired/grumpy/snuggly/clingy/sick! Poor little guy!

Hi

A simple word...with many responses! CJ has currently been very interested in saying hi to everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) he encounters. Some respond back, others smile, and others (it still boggles me) ignore him. I guess not everyone understands how to make a four year old happy. He is beginning to notice those who do not respond back. How do you tell him that some people are rude?! My response thus far as been, "Not everyone wants to say hi." Right? Wrong? Not sure. What I really want to say is...people are rude, not happy, grumpy..the list could go on and get crankier! I hope CJ never loses his want to say hi to others. A hi and a smile can make someone's day!

Great Fall Weekend

For those of you who do not live on the East coast - you are missing out!!! The past few weekends have been gorgeous! A reminder as to why we love living here:) The sun is shining, the air is crisp, and the sky is a beautiful blue! The smell of fall (or football for CS) is in the air.

Yesterday, we went for a family walk. We walked down our road, through the high school parking lot, and past the firehouse. We encountered other families, kids, and firemen along the way - with bright smiles and friendly hellos from all. I love it:) Then later in the afternoon we went to our friends' house for an apple party! Daddy had to work so it was just CJ and I. CJ had a great time - climbing on the playhouse, swinging, and painting! Did I mention the yummy apple food that everyone prepared!! There was apple....cake, pies, muffins, doughnuts, dipped in caramel...YUM!!! And let's not forget cider, juice!!! What a great fall party! Thanks J!!!

Today, CS is off to football so it is Mama and CJ day! I'm not sure yet what we are going to do. But I am sure it will involve some outdoor time to enjoy the weather!!!

Teachers Learn Too

I was at a workshop all day today - and it was great!!! You won't hear me say this very often, because most workshops and dry, boring, and often do not relate to what I am teaching. This workshop was teaching me to be a mentor. I learned more about my own teaching from this class than I have any other. It was a great learning day for me. And now I can not only be a better teacher to the kids, but also to the new teacher:)

Happy Fall!!

It was a great fall weekend! Yesterday was a beautiful sunny, blue sky, crisp fall day. We spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa in Mystic. CJ had just as much fun as he had when we went this summer. We went on all the "pirate" ships, played kitchen in the galley, climbed on boats, drew pictures, and had a great lunch!!! We did a lot of walking, and really enjoyed our day.

Today it is rainy, gloomy, and chilly. Another good fall day (although I would like to see some sun). Today was the perfect day for switching summer/winter clothes. We also cleaned out the garage and finally got the TV in the manroom all set - which makes CS very happy! The only downer to our day was discovering that our vacuum is broken:(

I love fall and look forward to many more weekends like this one.

Not Quite/Tomorrow

Thanks to our favorite babysitters CJ has acquired two new phrases to his vocabulary. Uncle Pat was here one night last week and they were doing a puzzle together. If the piece didn't fit Uncle Pat would say, "Not Quite". It didn't take long for CJ to start repeating him. But now CJ is adapted this phrase to fit in other areas of his life. Yesterday we needed to go to Target and pick up a few things. As we were finishing i told him it was time to go, "Not quite" was his response. Thanks Uncle Pat:)

One of our other sitters (Miss K)has helped CJ to understand the work tomorrow. They were playing a game and it was time for Miss K to go home, so she told him they could play again tomorrow. CJ has taken this word and run with it. When asked to do something ,"No not today TOMORROW!" is often his response. Thanks Miss K:)

Dressing oneself

I never realized how difficult it is to learn how to dress and undress yourself. CJ should be doing these jobs already and we are trying very hard to much patience with these tasks. He does have some OT issues so tasks like dressing, using utensils to eat, writing/coloring pose challenges for CJ. He gets frustrated very easily then asks for help repeatedly until someone gives in. Now we stand firm and try and get him to do it alone. We are back to the sticker chart in hopes of making easier for him to want to try. Some days it's worth a sticker to him, other days it's not. We will keep working on it with a smile on our face (most days) :)

Teacher Perks

Today would be one of those days that I enjoy being a teacher. I have the day off:) I also have off next Thursday, and no student of Friday for Staff Development. Although those of you that know and listen to the events of my day - you know I need that day off everyone once in awhile or I wouldn't be the nice, calm teacher that I am most of the time. Days off are about the only teacher perk I have...it certainly isn't the pay and we don't get bonuses. So I will take the random days off here and there anytime.

Happy Birthday

Tiff had a baby girl on Wednesday - Leah Elizabeth. Happy birthday Baby Leah from all of us. I guess we can't call Jack Baby Jack anymore:)

Apple A-P-P-L-E

CJ has been learning about apples at school lately. At Open House the other night we noticed many apple drawings and paintings. Today he sang a song for me that they sing in school. It's sung to the tune of Bingo.

There is a fruit that grows on a tree and apple is it's name -o
A-P-P-L-E
A-P-P-L-E
A-P-P-L-E
and apple is it's name - o

Of course now you repeat taking away a letter after each verse and clapping instead.

CJ is not only singing it he is also spelling it. He pretends to take the letters off of the wall one at a time, then after the song is sang he puts the letters back on.

We also went apple picking this past weekend. The last time we had gone to the apple orchard, CJ was 2 months old. It was our first family outing. We had a great time. It was a little too hot for my liking on a fun fall activity. But we did get to ride on a wagon being pulled by a tractor - this was a highlight of the trip. Once we got to the apple trees, CJ picked about 4 apples and said, "Ok, let's go home now!". Oh by the way - we had bought a BIG bag. We convinced him to keep picking and got a nice bag full of apples. I now need to find some recipes using apples. After we came back down the hill, we stopped for some apple cider then headed to the farm. CJ actually did try and feed a sheep - but he didn't really like it so guess who ended up feeding the animals - yep me. I promise some pictures of our day soon!

Open House Night

How weird is it to be on the other side of Open House. I think I remembered everything - I tried really hard not to bring up anything related specifically to CJ. But boy was it hard!! I found myself saying, "Yes, I have questions but I will be seeing you soon at the PPT...but how is his...." Crazy - just like everyone else:)
But according to everyone he is doing well and is quite the funny guy. So...we were happy to hear that he is happy and learning.

All Cried Out

Literally!!! I have been having trouble with my eyes again, and I woke up this morning and couldn't see anything - all blurry. No matter what I was wearing - contacts, new glasses, old glasses. So I called the eye Dr. (for the fourth time in 4 months) and went in. It seems have very few tear ducts left so my eyes are getting too dry thus causing my corneas to become swollen. The Dr. told me that this is an "old people's disease" - ummmm thanks! So at the ripe old age of 35 I have used up almost all my tears:) Really??? Not so sure. I will let you all know when I have a good cry!

Open House

This past week was my the Open House at the school I work in. It was my best Open House yet. I realized that I have been teaching longer than many of these parents had been teachers - and this gave me some confidence that I had never had before. Usually when I give my 20 minutes talk I am nervous and almost giving my speech like I am asking for their permission to be doing certain things. This time, I was confident and telling them it's my classroom - my way. It helps that many of the parents are now my age. When they were all older than me, it was a different vibe.

Here are some tips for all of you who are parents and will attend an Open House soon. Open House is not a time to conference about your child. It is a time to learn about what is going on in the classroom. If you have concerns about your child e-mail the teacher and set up an appointment. When chatting with the teacher on Open House night keep the conversation to how happy your child is. If your child is not happy - you should have already had a phone conversation with the teacher about this. Tell the teacher some of the positive things your child is coming home and saying. And....keep it brief!!! Everyone wants to talk to the teacher and if you "hog" his/her ear for too long than someone else misses out on a quick hi. Anyway - hope that helps:)

CS and I are going to CJ's Open House on Monday. Let's see if I can remember the above advice for myself:)

The Fall Crankies/Crazys

It is that time of year again. The fun of summer has seen its last days in this household. We are back full force to working/school/and hardly any time to spend together as a family let alone visit others. But it always works - once we work out the first few weeks.

We happily have sitters who come and stay with CJ so he doesn't have to do the trip down to me anymore. The downside is that CS and I don't see each other as often, but CJ is so much happier not sitting in traffic!

I am very busy with my class this year - but in a good way!!! I can focus more on academics this year and I am enjoying that side of being a teacher again. I also am mentoring a new teacher so I need to make sure all of my ducks are in a row to set a good example!

CJ is off to an ok start with school. He caught a little cold by the third day of school and had to stay home. Not good, becasue now he thinks that all he has to do is say he's sick and gets to stay home. He know gets "special medicine" (candy) before school to make sure he can make it through the day. I know we won't get parents of the year award with that trick - but hey it works for him. He still has a lot of anxiety about being away from CS for a few hours. CJ is back to getting up in the middle of the nights for 30 - 90 minutes it seems. He never gets me, but I hear him in his room talking to his pal Duckie/listening to music/reading stories. Because of this and the anxiety he is CRANKY some days!! I think it will take until the ed of October before he is finally settled. We'll see.

Tiff is about to have her baby and I miss her like crazy right now. Not being able to be there for her to help out is hard to get over. I am thinking of you Tiff and wish I could be there.

My little brother is off again to Iraq in January. Causing everyone to feel sad, and worried about him. Again, I wish I could be with Sunshine and the kids to help them move and help while he is away. I am with you guys in thought!!!

I know I hadn't blogged in awhile and now you know why. I am trying to have a lease one night a week to myself so I can blog.

First Day of School Again

CJ began his first day of Pre-K today - again. This is very similar to the program he attended this summer. Today it was a new teacher, new friends, and new routines. I think daddy may have been more nervous than CJ today. Luckily I was at work so I missed all the nerves and tears (mine not CJ's). CJ happily talked about school and all the things he did today. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it continues!!!! Thanks J for your thoughts!! We will be thinking of you on your first day too!

First Week

I was back to school last week - most of you know that. That is why I have not blogged in awhile. All those things to get ready for back to school is very time consuming. And....I don't get paid for that part people!!! Whenever I hear someone say how easy teachers have it, or that I had the whole summer off it makes me want to scream!!!!! Anyway....my class is very good. It helps that there are less than 20 of them!!! It is a dream to have so few kids in a class. Even though I have only known them for 2 days I already know those that are going to give me trouble, those who will struggle, and those who will quietly sit and learn as much as they can in first grade.

Of course - what I miss most if CJ and CS!! Fall is a hard routine to get back into. CJ misses his mama very much. He keeps asking me to get him in the mornings - just like summer. At night as I tuck him into bed - it's, "Five more minutes Mama." Yesterday was the first Saturday that I was home most of the day and boy did he let me know how much he missed me. Not with love, kisses, and hugs...but with yelling, hitting, and much anger - things he hasn't been or done most of the summer. It breaks my heart! I hope though that we can settle in and be in a routine by October - ok November:) One day I hope CJ realizes how much I wish I could be home all the time for him and how lucky he is to have daddy during the day.

So...my school year is off on the right foot - minus sending a child home wrong on the first day of school - but that's another blog:)

CJ begins school on Tuesday - cross your fingers and keep him in your thoughts on that day that all goes well!!!

Halloween

Halloween has been the discussion in this house for the past few weeks. CJ has changed what he wants to be every time you ask him. There was a ghost and a pumpkin among various things. He and I were near a new party store in town the other day, so we decided to pop in. Of course Halloween was everywhere (and at the end of August WHY?). This is the first year CJ was visibly afraid of some of the decorations hanging up. But he said, "Hold my hand" and braved the aisle with the costumes in it. Here he decided to be a pirate and wouldn't let me leave the store without his hat and a sword. Now he is practicing his pirate voice!!! It is too cute! Of course his "pirate" voice is based off the voice I use when I read him the book Pirates Don't Change Diapers - which is more Irish than pirate:) You should call and ask CJ to let you hear his pirate voice - it will make your day!

Pencils, Crayons, Books

I have been in my classroom pretty much all week - or at least that is the way I feel right now. It is finally ready - well almost. I still have some labels to put on things and a few things to put away, but I feel good about it. Tiff you would be so proud - my room is clutter free!!! This is why it took me so long - I threw soooo much away this year. There were things in boxes I didn't even know I had. You wouldn't believe how neat and organized everything is - even the closets!!! I still my math cabinet and craft cabinet to go through.

Today we (CS , CJ , and I) are off to do something fun. We aren't sure what that is yet - but it might involve a trip to Lowes - I know crazy!!!! Tonight I am doing something fun with J. Then the rest of the weekend will be spent writing 19 names on desktags, apples, etc.

So...if you don't see a blog for awhile from me you'll know it's because school has begun!!!! I promise to write as often as I can.

Summer Is Ending

I hate to say it, or type it. But the summer for us is ending. Little by little I have been going back to work to set up my classroom. Little by little we are doing less things outside because of the neglect inside. Little by little Chris and I are seeing less of each other. Yep, those are the signs that summer is coming to a close. It sure was fun while it lasted!!

My Big Boy

CJ has grown a lot this summer. I mean this in all terms of the word. He is taller and leaner - we will know for sure at his next checkup on Thursday. We took the railing off of his "big boy bed" - so now he keeps saying he is a "big boy". But the growth that I am enjoying the most is maturity growth. Maybe it is school, or turning 4, or the change in his diet, or mama being home, or....the list could go on. But he is beginning to be more social with his friends, play independently for lengths of time, and express himself with words. Now, of course some days are better than others - but I feel that the good days are beginning to outweigh the bad days. Yesterday we had a playdate with N and T. The beginning was a rough road - CJ isn't used to playdates at his house. But at one point he asked N to play jungle with him - that's huge for CJ!!! Lately when he wants me to do something he says, "Mama can you do me a favor?" My baby is no longer a baby!!!

It's Off To Work I Go

Well...that's it. The summer is almost over - it might as well be totally over for me. I am going to my classroom today to begin the setting up process. I used to get very excited about doing this - new year, new faces, new lessons, new school supplies...but not this year. I am trying really hard to get excited but I have had such a great summer and I don't want it to end.

This also begins the no more sleep time for me. I have been awake since 2 A.M. - yep you heard me right. Too many things swirling around in my head - where do I put the class library, how about morning meeting area, how should I arrange desks. So I tossed and turned then finally came downstairs at 4:00 to have coffee and watch a show. Now I am showered and ready to head out the door - I will be in my classroom by 6:30. Hopefully I will have the room arranged by 9:00. A work friend just had a baby and I will be visiting her - after the visit I hope to go home and not back to my classroom. Wish me luck!

Amusement Park Fun

We met some friends at a nearby Six Flags for some family fun on Friday of our staycation. Thankfully, the older girls were happy to take CJ along with them on some rides:) Plus he got to go on many all by himself - my big boy!!! He had such a great time!

Life's a Beach

Another of our staycation activities was going to the beach. Grandma joined us for the afternoon as we played in the sand, waded in the water, and enjoyed Popsicles.

Thankfully CJ is no longer looking like a Smurf!

Baseball Game

Today is CJ's official birthday. We went to a baseball game nearby. CJ was wearing his b-day shirt (on the front it says I'm 4 today and on the back it says birthday boy), and it was spotted by one of the guest services people. Matt (our new best friend) asked CJ if he wanted to be the one to get the baseball game started today. All he had to do was say, "Let's play ball!". Chris and I looked at each other and both kinda thought - gee not sure if he will be able to do it. But what an opportunity. So he and Chris trotted out onto the field about 15 minutes before the game and hung around the dug out. Right after the Anthem was sang he went out onto the field with Matt and said nice and clearly into the microphone. "Let's play ball!!" It was GREAT!!! Of course, I was trying to take video with my cell phone and take pictures so I didn't do a good job with either one of those. But here are a few of the pictures from our FABULOUS day!

A rare look

Looking through the fence CJ spotted a rare look at the extraordinary bulldozer - look to the left past the animals. Of course only CJ would point out the bulldozer and not the animal!

Zoo

Chris is on vacation this week so we are having a staycation. We are doing things nearby all week. Here are some pics from the zoo. We had a beautiful day. CJ isn't that interested in animals- but he will take a quick look at most of them.

The presents

The cake

Birthday Party

Today was CJ's birthday party! He had a great time! Lots of fun with friends and family. He got a lot of great gifts, and has been enjoying playing with them. Here are a few pics.

Still Playing School

As I type CJ is up in his room still "playing" school. He wanted to take his name tag with him to bed last night, and I though it was cute. We usually don't let him bring anything upstairs - he has many books and that's it. But I didn't think a name tag would keep him up playing - WRONG!!! We had also unearthed a box of his books from the storage room. So there were many new books to "read". CJ didn't go to bed until 8 - which is about 45 minutes - an hour later than usual. Why 8 - we were reading!! Then at 8:30 I could hear him up there very excited about something. I went up and he was sitting on the floor (circle time) singing the good morning song to "all the boys and girls in Miss J's class". Back to bed he went with a book and a promise of two more minutes then head on pillow. At 9:00 I had to go up and now he was on the "phone with rocket". One of the books in the box was a favorite L.E. book - he has a magnifying glass that CJ thinks is a phone. He was reading the book and telling rocket all about the adventure into the phone. Cute - but late! He finally settled in, and slept until after 8:00 this morning. Now he is back to playing school again. I guess he liked school after all.

Last Day

Today is CJ's last day of summer school. He is crying prior to going....can't quite figure out why. Is he sad that it's ending, does he not want to go?? I don't know. But he is running very late. So please let's hope he ends on a good note today!!!!!

Ok - he had a good day! In fact it was a great day. We have been trying to help him understand that it was he last day and he will have a break for awhile. Not sure how much he understands. Since he has been home though, he has been going through his school day out loud. The teacher gave him his name tag today - apparently this is used for many things throughout the day. So he keeps "playing" school with it. Even in the shower he was singing the goodbye song that they sang at school. I think he is going to miss it. I also think fall may be a bit tough to get used to again. We'll see.

Too Long

It's been awhile since my last blog. Not sure why. I often say, "I'm gonna blog about that" or Chris will ask, "Are you going to blog about this?" I have just been out of the rhythm of writing them. I will try to catch you all up.

Chris and I went to my college friend Jayita's wedding on Saturday. We had a nice time. It has been a long time since we got dressed up. It was nice to see some friends that we have not seen in awhile. The bride was beautiful, and the couple was lucky they had a wonderful weather day. Of course being at a wedding makes you think of your own. Chris and I spent some of the night remembering our own special day.

CJ is finally adjusted to school and enjoying it. Of course this is his last week. I got to take him to school today. I left him a bit teary eyed, but when I picked him up he was very excited to see me telling me all about his great day. I met one of the high school students that he has gotten close to and she will hopefully be babysitting for us in the fall.

We are getting ready for CJ's birthday party this weekend. I guess we didn't do a good job in picking a good date, because two of his four friends can't make it. But that's ok, because whenever you ask him who he wants at his party he always say, "Just N and T."

Chris has next week off, so we are hoping to do some fun things. I will keep you posted!

Our weekend

Again I say...AHHHH Summer!! I love it! This weekend we had friends over that we hadn't seen in a very long time. We had a great visit with them, and hope to see them again soon. Even though it was hot and humid, our deck and yard are the perfect place for entertaining. It got a little breezy - and in some cases a lot. I am so proud of CJ. He was so good. It didn't take him too long to settle in with everyone. He was in good spirits. Probably because he had a cute teenage girl pay attention to him for a good chunk of the day!!! By the end of the day, CJ was covered from head to toe in dirt, watermelon juice, and happiness!!!! I hope everyone else had a good weekend to.

Blueberry Cupcakes

I mentioned in a previous blog that I have been baking cupcakes like crazy. A few of you have asked for the recipes so I thought I would start to add some that were enjoyed by friends and family. These are from Cupcake Confidential Recipe Deck.

Blueberry Cupcakes - these were delicious - a little too dense so the next time I make them I will need to make some adjustments, but otherwise good. Chris even like them and he doesn't like blueberries!

1/3 c. shortening
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. blueberries - I used jumbo berries therefore I only used about 1 cup

Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Alternately, add flour and milk blending well after each addition. Add vanilla, then fold in blueberries. Fill cupcake tins or paper and bake for 20 mins at 375. Makes 12. Cool and top with Flour Frosting

Flour Frosting
1 c. milk
4 TBS. flour
1/2 c margarine
1/2 c. shortening
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until thick and smooth. Cool. Beat shortening and margarine with an electric mixer. Add sugar and vanilla, beating until fluffy - about 4 minutes. Continue beating while adding flour mixture. This will remove all the lumps. Beat until fluffy, 4 minutes.

A Chair Trip

On Sunday, I had left CJ in front of his shows so I could take a shower. I left the door open, and could hear all sorts of noise. I kept asking him what he was doing, and the reply was always, "I'm not doing anything!" When I get out of the shower this is what I see:

This chair had been in the den. He was singing ,"We're going on a trip in our favorite chair trip" to the tun of L.E. He had scotted himself down the hallway into the living room.

Fishing

Uncle Ritchie - this how I go fishing! And I even caught one too!!!

Cupcakes - YUM

AHHH..summer!!! I get to do all the things that I would do year round if I were a stay at home mom. I just have to do it all in 2 months time!!! One of those things is making homemade cupcakes!!! I have been inspired by my friend Tania - who rocks the cupcake world! I am trying different recipes and adding my own touch to them. I am also trying to teach myself how to decorate using all of great tools that I received for gifts a few years ago. The people at the newspaper love it, because they get most of my experiments. CJ, only eats the frosting - and yes I am even making that homemade. Check out these pics of CJ enjoying one.

Bad To The Bone

Look out Grumpy Grampie - there's a new rider in the family!!! Uncle Ritchie sent CJ his motorcycle - and he LOVES it!!! He is a little too big for it, but he gets how to make it go and steer. He and Daddy take it down the road a few blocks and then back. The cycle only goes about 2MPH - just Daddy's speed to keep up!

Sprinkler Fun

At first, CJ was a little afraid of the sprinkler...thanks to Daddy! When we first got it, Chris hooked it up and told CJ to get close to it. Chris wasn't looking and CJ had his face right next to the sprinkler - image his surprise when he got a face full of water!! He was very frightened and wouldn't go near the sprinkler for days after. Finally, one day is was wicked humid and even I went through it. This helped CJ get over his fear, and now he loves the sprinkler!!

Dump Run

Today while CJ was at school we actually made two trips to the dump with all the cardboard from the move. Only 9 months late - but whose counting! You should see the difference in the garage! We have one more run to make with junk then we can start cleaning up the garage. Only to make room for more junk I'm sure! Next week we are going to paint the den and start moving things in there....the fun never stops!

School is Fun

Although there are still a few tears (CJ not me- I finally got a grip!) CJ is willingly going to school and seems to be enjoying it. I can have no part of it - although I do all the work!!! But as long as he leaves without protest then I'm ok with that. As soon as they get to school, CJ begins to cry and needs to sit on daddy's lap. After a few minutes, he (with tears in his eyes) tells daddy to go and that he will see him later. Yesterday, his teacher said he had an awesome day. When he gets him, he tells us a few things that he does. He doesn't seem to be playing with any other children. Miss Kelsey - a teenage helper - seems to be his favorite person to play with. The best part is that CJ is saying that it is fun! We hope the fun continues!

A New Outlook

Tomorrow we go back to school. School has been brought up often this weekend to make sure CJ understands he is going back. Tonight as I was putting him to bed he began to tell me what he does at school. He told me about play time, circle time, snack, Ms. Janet reading a story and then waiting for daddy. Although he still wants daddy to take him and pick him up. Apparently Mama is not allowed to have anything to do with school. As long as he goes willingly, it's ok with me. Hopefully I will get to go back at least once this summer.

Fourth of July fun????

CJ has a cold. Nothing major, just enough to keep us home for the weekend. Many of our little friends have a cold or strep throat, so we want to rest as much as possible. Chris has four days off, and with the yucky weather and CJ not feeling well, we have spent it at home in the house. At this point, we are all pretty bored I think. Also, a little bummed that we didn't get to spend time with friends that we hadn't seen in a long time. But CJ needs to be on the mend so we can go back to school next week. I hope your fourth was better than ours!

Day 3 - Part 3

I can't believe we all made it to 12:30! Chris and I still went out for a mini date, although I checked messages often. No messages, but I was still very worried and guilt ridden! Chris picked CJ up, and when they came home I heard a happy boy - not yelling as I had expected - Chris gave me a thumbs up as he saw me looking out the window. In came a happy boy excitedly telling me about sticker that he earned today and a star that he made. His teacher did everything to make his day much better today. He earned a sticker every time he smiled:) I think I need one of those charts! So...today much better for CJ!!!!

Thank you so much to all of my friends who have called and left me comments. Your words of encouragement helped me tremendously! Mommyhood is a hard job, and thankfully I have great friends to help me get through the ups and downs. I feel blessed to have such wonderful friends - both old and new - to give me that shoulder I need to cry on. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!!!

I am sure you will hear more tales of woe and hopefully even more tales of success in the weeks to come as CJ (and mama)go through this first new experience. Thanks for listening!!!!

P.S. - My husband needs to be credited for dealing with all this with enough strength for all of us!!! He provided distraction, humor, and confidence for both CJ and I. WE LOVE YOU DADDY!!!!

Day 3 - part 2

Well, CJ was brave until the stoplight near the school then the tears began again. He bravely got out of the car and walked with Chris to the room. There he asked to sit on daddy's lap for a few minutes, and time was negotiated - CJ said 10 minutes, Daddy said 2, CJ settled on 3. Then CJ told daddy ok, you have to go now. He said bye as tears streamed down his face. They are going to call us if he can't get it together as they want him to come back and not fight it. So now I sit and wait.....

Day 3 Part 1

The difference today is that CJ has been crying since 6:45 this morning about not wanting to go to school. I can only be a strong mommy for so long, so I got daddy up to help. We made a heart and stuck it in his pocket, I kissed his hand and told him that if he needed it to put it on his cheek and he is off to school with daddy. I have a feeling things will not be great once they get there, but CJ definitely feels more confident with his daddy. So here I sit, hysterical while I wait for Chris to return and am hoping he has good news. Otherwise, I will worry all day.

Day 2

Guess who cried today? CJ did not have a good time today. I feel so bad for him. I dropped him off and he was ok - no complaining, but not happy either. Chris picked him up, and the teacher told him that he spent most of the day crying and just sitting and not participating:( It broke my heart:( So he has been very unhappy today, wanting to just sit on my lap and not wanting to talk about school. Whenever we try to talk about it, he refuses. So I did a social story tonight with him, I'm not sure it helped much but we will see. CJ seems to be missing his daddy very much. He wants Chris to get up with him in the morning and take him to school. When he does say he was sad and cried today, and we ask him why he says it's because he missed Daddy. I only hope that it gets better for him soon. He is just not himself. Keep him in your thoughts and whenever you talk to CJ tell him how great school is.

Crying

Now who do you think cried harder? CJ or me??? Those of you who know me well it's a no brainer. Upon seeing me at pickup CJ was crying, and screaming very loudly - and they were not tears or screams of joy people!! So of course, I think he has had a bad day and I begin to cry (I left out screaming though - didn't think it would set a good example for the other mothers). I finally get him outside and ask Chris to go ask the teacher what had happened. Nothing had happened - he had a terrific first day, followed directions, and was a good boy. That is until he saw his mama. YIKES!!!

We managed to take him out to eat - he was very hungry. At first, he was so cranky to anyone who would talk to him. The poor waitress was afraid to come to our table for fear that CJ would bite her head off. After a bowl of popcorn, and half a smoothie he said, "Mommy, Daddy I had fun at school today!" He then told us all about his day. AHHH...relief, this is what made me feel better. The fact that HE said he had a good time meant the world to me. CJ then polished of french fries, a grilled cheese, and the remainder of his smoothie!!!

As a teacher, I did the opposite of what I tell parents to do. I tell parents, don't worry; just walk away; don't let them see you upset; he'll be fine. It is so hard when the shoe is on the other foot!!!! Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day for....me:)

Off to School

Well, CJ is off to school today for the first time. I don't know who was more upset me or him. He had a rough morning prior to going. Probably anxiety over the difference in his day and what to expect AND not being with mommy or daddy. Luckily, he was in the room that he was tested in so he went right to some familiar toys. We only stayed for about 5 minutes before giving kisses and then we were off. It's been an hour and I am still crying periodically. I just hope he had so much fun , that this is easier tomorrow. I will let you all know how it goes later.

Noneventful weekend

We had a very blah kind of weekend. We didn't have plans, and many of the chores that are usually reserved for the weekend were done during the week. We are a family that looks forward to summer week days. Chris had to work today, which he usually doesn't have to do. So CJ and I are kinda sick of staring at each other. We did manage some outdoor time, as it isn't as humid today as it has been. Tomorrow we will go to the beach and hopefully have something more interesting to blog about.

Feel Better

Our Tiffy is sick and we can't be there to bring her soup and help make her feel better. So this will have to do instead. We hope you feel better soon!!!!!!

Busy Day

I got up at my usual school time today to go in and finish packing up my classroom. Boy was it hard to get up!!! I finished up then met the boys at the chiropractor, then we went to the grocery store. CJ played outside with his new favorite toy - a $5 plastic lawn mower. It is meant for a one year old, so he is twice its size, but he LOVES it!!!!! He "mows" for hours. After mowing I convinced him (and myself) to go for a walk. He opted for the stroller - which is better for me then I can really hoof it. We walked for an hour!!! Now we are relaxing before dinner! Ahh...summer!!!!!