Happy Birthday to Me

I know, I know. I've been a bad blogger. Forgive me. I've been terribly busy, with conferences, prepping for school, and now actually teaching. Very busy, but not with anything that anyone would care to hear about.

Anyway, I'm sitting here on my 25th birthday wondering about this crazy journey we're all on. Because I refused to do any real work once I got home, I laid down on a blanket with Little Man this afternoon and just watched him with complete awe. He was completely content just watching his own hand open and close. He'd take a break and suck on his toes for a minute, then roll over and play with the ties on the quilt. Being a mom is the most fulfilling, rewarding, heart-wrenching experience I've ever had and I'm so grateful for it. Being a part of this beautiful family is my greatest blessing.

I have to brag about my sweet husband for a minute. He accidentally scheduled band practice for tonight and just realized last night the mistake he'd made. But he really made up for it in every possible way he could have. He sent me flowers at work, and when I got home, he had baked me a cake, there was ice cream in the freezer, and there was a present waiting for me. He also put a very sweet note in my lunch box this morning and even called me at lunch time to say happy birthday again. I've decided that birthday's are completely un-special when you grow up, but he really did a great job of trying to make it a good one for me. You're the best, sweetie.

The school year is off to a great start. I feel like I'm doing a great job, for once. In my regular classes, we've drawn pictures, sang songs, done several hands-on activities, and haven't wasted one single moment of class time. Kids are actually waiting even after the bell rings to hear my final instructions. It so exciting. I feel like I'm that fun teacher, that class that kids can't wait to get to (let me pretend, anyway). AP Chem is also off to a good start. I jumped right in to the content, and we're already through the the first chapter. Most kids seem to be keeping up and doing just fine so far. The question will be whether or not I can keep my own head above water. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but I didn't know it would be this much work. Besides that, I'm really enjoying teaching the "smart" kids who are in my class because they want to be. It's a pleasant change.

Little Man is adjusting quickly to being in daycare. He's sleeping better there than he usually does at home. He was pretty cranky yesterday (he wouldn't even crack a smile). James and I decided he must have been mad at us for ditching him, but he was more like himself tonight. He had lots of smiles and giggles for me. He's almost sitting up, too. Tonight, he sat up for 5 - 10 seconds by himself. He was even able to bend over and pick up a toy without falling over. I've also discovered that if you put your hands on his feet while he's on his tummy, he'll push off, one leg at a time, and scoot across the floor. It won't be long before he's doing it all on his own.

James is not adjusting to school as well as the rest of us. He's feeling very uninterested and unmotivated by his classes. Hopefully, the learning bug will bite him again, and he'll be able to buckle down and finish quickly.

And finally, a few pictures from the last couple of weeks.

Who does this remind you of?

Mom, Lindsay, and her girls came to visit us last Friday. Little Man really thought the girls were great. He kept beaming and giggling at them.

I can't get enough of this messy face. We've now switched to oatmeal cereal, which he loves. I'm not sure how much I should be feeding him. Anyone have any ideas? He gets a half serving of cereal and a full serving of veggies or fruit at dinner time. Is this enough? Is this too much? How do you know?
This one is from this afternoon. He had been sucking on his toes, but as soon as he saw the camera, he got distracted and stopped. He's still a cutie, even without his toes in his mouth.