Success!

Well, I did it. I'm back into the swing of things and while not thrilled about being back to work, I can say that I'm happy that the first two weeks have going by without a hitch.

First off, while there are FOUR of us teachers who have had babies that are pumping at various times during the day, all of us have been able to continue withour daily visits to the nurses office:) Fortunately, not too many of us overlap. Needless to say, I usually get about ten minutes to quickly eat my lunch before duty or before the kids come back. However, I did it with Logan, so I consider myself a pro:) Addison will soon be regularly eating cereal and I may have enough frozen milk stored up that I won't have to pump at lunch much longer. We'll see! This was a big hurdle for me to figure out, since I only really have my planning time to get things done. However, I am completely focused on what I need to do to make it through the rest of the day without hitting bumps. And I also have the learning support teacher in with me for awhile in case I need to make a last-minute run to the copier.

Addison and Logan are doing fabulous with their schedules. Addison does well at my mother-in-law's all day (and with my mom on Wednesdays). She is napping much better than she used to, and takes an awesome and much-needed nap in the morning to recover from waking up so early. And then there is Logan...

Does he look excited to be going to preschool, or what? I remember losing sleep over this back in like MAY and look at him! In fact, while taking these photos, he was annoyed and kept telling me, "Mommy, we're going to be LATE for preschool!" It killed me that he had to stay from 7:45-3:45, but he was a trooper. He loved his first day. There was just one other little girl there when we arrived, and he was just so excited to be there. All it took was a hug, a kiss, and a "Goodbye, Mom!" and he was set for the day. NO TEARS. NO THROWING HIMSELF ON THE FLOOR. And apparently, was so comfortable being there that later that day even pooped on the potty! (If you know me, you know this is a VERY big deal.) At 3:45 I arrived and he was definitely exhausted, but thrilled to see me. He had had a great day. I couldn't have asked for an easier transition for him. In fact, here was what I saw later as I drove to the MIL to pick up Addison:

That is a picture of a kid who had a great day. Notice the lollipop off to the side of his hand...you know, for pooping on the potty:)

Furthermore, while all this transitions and changes are taking place, I have to say, I am a happier mommy now that I am at work. I LOVE picking them up a the end of the day. I enjoy EVERY moment that I have with them (not that I didn't before...but it's just different, can't explain it). I am a better mom for working, and although this year is going to be tough, I am up for the challenge. You may need to remind me of the latter in January.

As I write this entry, I am sitting on my new semi-finished deck with my husband, tiki torches lit, listening to the fireworks go off at the nearby Revolution game. As Todd works on his cross country stuff (I am SOSICK of his XC stuff) I am enjoying my beautiful home, my family, and all the blessings that have been given to me. I don't think that I could ask for much more than this.

Starting School!

This phrase has SO many meanings this year. I will soon be starting my EIGHTH year teaching, which I find completely amazing. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was student teaching at North Hills. It has gone by incredibly fast, which many highs and lows, but I'm still in it...so I guess that says something! This year is different though. This year, not only will I be taking Logan to my mother-in-law's for her to watch, but I will also be taking my baby girl who I will have spent five straight months with. There are many challenges that come with this. I have made a valiant effort to nurse Addison, and plan to continue until she is a year old. So I will be taking up planning time in order to take care of pumping during school. I will also need to leave right at the end of the day so I can feed her as soon as possible. I am already stressed thinking about our morning routine. It is so different with TWO children (and one who has an opinion, don't forget), so I'm very nervous. I can't wait for the day when I can just take them to school WITH me! (Assuming I go to the Intermediate School being built.)

Of course, worst of all is that I will just plain be sad that my time with them is over. It has been great being a stay-at-home mom, and I can remember spending that one last day with Logan before Addison was born. It just went so fast. It makes me sad, but I know that summer will be here again, just like it has been for the last 7 years. I just won't have an extended 5-month break next time:)

I do need to state, for the record, that I am glad to be going back to work. During my time at home, I have also realized that working is something I need to do for me. I am a better mom for it. Instead of getting terribly frustrated with my 3 year old all day and being anxious for daddy to get home and relieve me, I will be excited to see them both, and will really value the time I have with them. I remember that it made such a difference with Logan, and I know it will be for the best in the long run. It will also financially enable us to give our children opportunities that they wouldn't have otherwise. It's definitely for the best.

Back to the whole "starting school" thing....HOW EXCITING IS SCHOOL SUPPLY SEASON??? I have to say, I totally love it, even if it is July and I should be playing outside and not thinking about school. I don't care. I have already purchased my usual supplies, and will probably go back for more before August 24. I still have a thrilling feeling about setting up my classroom, and having a fresh start. My Mr. Sketch (scented) markers are ready for action. I can't wait to see what books have been delivered to my room, and all the supplies that I ordered back in April sitting in cardboard boxes waiting to be unpacked. It is just exhilarating. And if you are a teacher, guaranteed you feel the same way. Is it not bittersweet?

Before I sign off, just a list of Logan's little habits that he has started...totally things we did as kids and also TOTALLY annoying. But cute.

• Why? Why? Why? (We knew this was coming, but HOLY crap.)
• Logan has taken to calling us randomly by our first names, because he knows it bothers us!
• Are we here yet? Are we here yet? Are we here yet?
• What is that? It's a tree. What's a tree? (He totally knows what a tree is. Just figures it's another question to ask us)

OH I cannot believe I forgot to post this either....

LOGAN LOVES BIBLE SCHOOL. And apparently does not act like the child aformentioned (see previous entry) when we are NOT AROUND. Seriously. We drop him off, and pick him up, and he is...get this...well behaved. No yelling. No screaming. No throwing himself on the floor when a teacher talks to him. I dropped him off yesterday, and literally watched him walk off holding his teacher's hand. I think Logan has an alternate personality that he is saving just for our own personal enjoyment. As a teacher, I cannot say how many times I've heard parents be shocked at the GOOD behavior of their kids when they are at school, because they are a handful at home. Obviously I should have thought of this possibility beforehand. But can I just tell you HOW happy I am that he likes to go to bible school? And how super great preschool will end up being! He's going to love it, and I don't have to worry about that alter-ego that appears when we're around! YAY!

The Great Baby Race

Having a baby is a MIRACLE. A true gift from God. Every baby is a unique individual and develops at his/her own rate (word for word from every book and website about baby growth). However....

There has been quite the baby boom in my neck of the woods. I'm serious. THIRTEEN babies were are will be born by the end of August, from my school alone. There are also a good ten other babies around from other friends outside of school. A lot of little munchkins that will be running around in no time. But I can already sense an issue popping up among this so called baby boom. Competition.

"My baby is only 1 month old and can roll over!"
"Well my baby is 3 weeks and can laugh!"
"My baby is 2 months old and can already walk across the room!" Yes, exaggeration, but you know what I mean.

I am a competitive person by nature. But I HATE this kind of discussion. I DESPISE it. There is absolutely, positively, no reason for people to brag about their baby's progression. I see it in schools as a teacher, where parents brag about their kids accomplishments. Does it have to start this early? I love both my kids. They will grow and learn at their own rates. If your kid can sing daggone Twinkle Twinkle as they're coming out of the womb, fabulous. I really don't care to compare.

Why do parents do this? Why do they feel the need to "one up" each other? Teachers really get annoyed by it, when it shows up at conference time or in the classroom. We won't participate in those conversations, even if we like your kid a lot. I know I would NEVER tell a parent that their child is better than another at something. So, with that said, why do we have to start this practice at such an early age? Addison doesn't know when other babies are reaching milestones, nor does she care. She is just going to do what she wants to do, when she wants to do it. If my child is not a genius, trust me--I'm okay with it. And if she does walk before she's a year old? Great! Super! I will probably be pretty excited. But I refuse to compare.

But what about parents comparing their own children? Now that, I believe, all parents do. I guess it's natural, as long as you don't broadcast it in front of the kids. This is something that I am entirely unexperienced with, from the child's standpoint. I was an only child. So there were no other siblings that I could be compared with (ignoring, that is, the evil stepsister that was around for a few years). Do parents typically make it well known in the house who is better at what? Does this lead to jealousy issues? I wonder...

Back to the baby race...I just am keeping my fingers crossed that all these babies who are born at the same time aren't always being compared. I hope we, as mommies, don't feel the need to outdo each other. It's just not right, you know?

So, with that said...
A big congratulations to all the parents of new babies in the last school year. A special congrats to the two babies that were born 4 days apart. And a best wishes to the 3 babies scheduled to come soon:) Oh, and the one coming in October (yay Jelly Bean!) I hope our babies grow up to be great friends! Who is starting the new day care for our little ones?

Three years of intelligence

Okay so first off....I just have to add a note that the lovely Betty Crocker company decided to randomly put coupons for SEVENTY-FIVE cents off in their Warm Delights. So now I have to be obnoxious and peek in the boxes to see if the coupons are in there or not. And I for sure can't quit eating them, not with those coupons out there just waiting to be gotten!

However, I would like to discuss a whole different issue tonight. I have been observing Logan for the past few months and realizing that I truly have my hands full. He is getting smart. And not just a good kind of smart. An EVIL, SNEAKY, PRE-SCHOOL kind of smart. I am telling you, I feel like I have two-faced Logan living right here with me every day. At any given moment he could be my perfect, angelic, baby boy. He is sweet as honey and will do anything that I ask him to. He wants to snuggle, and tells me he loves me. Until...

....he doesn't get his way. Or someone he doesn't know shows up and tries to talk to him. Or if mommy can't just drop what she is doing and respond to his beck and call. Or if he doesn't get his way. You get the point.

Then, it all breaks down, and the other Logan shows up. He manipulates, and argues. Throws tantrums, and talks back to me. I am telling you, he would have never done this six months ago. It's like he's a whole new kid. And before you tell me that it's because he has a new baby sister, trust me...it's unrelated. He's just smart and KNOWS how to push my buttons. I am amazed at how a 3-year old can just be so conniving. I love him a lot, but GEEZ. How can he go from one extreme to the other in a heartbeat?

And don't even get me started on his routine that we go through every. time. we. meet. someone. new. He sometimes yells not to talk to him, sometimes throws himself on the floor, sometimes cries....it is awful. I hate taking him to parties and gatherings, for fear that he will flip out. He's been doing it since he was younger than 2. It is beyond embarassing.

Please know that I love love love my little man. He is amazing and we have such a great bond. But I wish I understood him better. I wish I could somehow unlock the key to translating his actions so that I could help him. I guess I just need to realize that he is going to be himself, and there is not much I can do to change his personality. Preschool will help with his social behavior, and he has to make the choice himself to not behave that way with new people around. We've started to put him in time-out for some of his actions, because the teacher in me knows he can't act like that toward grownups and he needs to know the difference. Sigh. Things will improve, won't they?

Who would've ever thought that a 3-month old would be so much better behaved than a 3-year old? She is so easy. (Oh and the funny part is, I can't help but panic when strangers talk to her, as if she's going to just jump out of my arms, throw herself on the floor, and yell at whoever is talking to her.)

So on we go. We're heading to Thomas tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. I am praying that he sits for a picture...but not getting my hopes up. There will, however, be a boatload of Dum-Dums in my pocket, for bribery purposes.

Weirdness

TWELVE WEEKS and my maternity leave has officially ended. It's kind of funny to me how it timed perfectly that way...despite the 20 days without pay that I had to take. (Totally worth it).

It's just so WEIRD to me that school is out. It's weird that Todd is home now with me. It's weird that my teacher friends are all done and psyched to be home. And it is totally, absolutely BIZARRE to me that I find myself doing school work right now.

Having been home by myself for so long was a challenge, but I definitely enjoyed it. I loved that I was home with my little man and my beautiful baby girl, and that everyone else was working. (Despite the loneliness.) And now, everyone else is done and I don't really know what to do with myself. Oddly enough, I really don't feel like appreciating the concept of summer vacation, since it also marks the end of my leave from school.

So back to the school work issue. Honestly, I'm not doing much. Just mindless tasks on the computer that will help me next year, like typing in lots of word problems into SMART software so that I can just pop them up next year. But I'm enjoying it. I've had quite a break, and am almost ready to start getting ready for next year. Isn't that WEIRD? I wonder if I will accomplish much this summer. I know the kids will have me busy, and the only time I do anything with it is when they are sleeping, so who knows. I just can't describe the feeling. It's like my summer is over....but it's not.

On another note, the yard sale is NEXT WEEK. Go ahead, applaud! My neighbor is doing one too, so we're making it kind of a neighborhood thing. I have a crapload of stuff to do to prepare, but it'll be worth it (I hope I hope I hope.) I just want to get RID of the randomness that is clogging up our house. Note: Not getting rid of baby things. May still have a third baby at some point. Completely different subject. And a sensitive one too.

So in the meantime, I am going to relax tomorrow knowing that my husband is around more and that we can swim, grill, and chill for the next few months. It's SUMMERTIME, baby!!!!!

Sweet relief:)

The past eleven weeks have been such a whirlwind. ELEVEN WEEKS....can you believe it's been that long since her birth day??? I am so happy to be past those first few weeks, where she was up every 45 minutes to an hour at night. She has become an amazing sleeper. As I write this, she is dozing on and off next to me, which I cannot understand. She went to sleep at around 8:30 last night, and slept till 5:30 this morning, ate, and slept till 8:30 this morning. I am so blessed with my nights of sleep now. She is such a GOOD baby and I now laugh at how Todd and I were SURE that we would be in for it since Logan was so super as a newborn! She does have her fussy moments in the evening sometimes, and does demand more attention than he ever did. But we love her a lot and enjoy every minute with her. Her latest attention-grabber is "talking." She coos and coos to anyone who is willing to listen (which we always are). In fact, in the car the other day, she talked and talked and talked to me all the way to lunch and all the way home. I will say, I much prefer this to the crying that usually takes place when she's in the car.

Another relief...Todd is almost done with school. Coaching season is over FINALLY. I am proud of how I pulled through even those first few weeks during track season, when I was on my own with my two kids until 6 or later at night. I was recently at a friend's house, who had her second child back in November. She happened to mention, "I don't know WHAT I'd do if my husband didn't get home at 3:30 every day!" I about died. I am anxious to have Todd home this summer. He loves working outside, and Logan loves being outside with him, which gives me time to myself and with only Addison. Sweet relief.

However, there are some things that I'm already stressing about. I'm really trying hard to remind myself that I have a few months before I need to worry about any of these things, but they are there, in the back of my mind. I am trying to figure out how to have Logan go to preschool the first day, without me to drop him off (I will be at school). How can I miss that? But I guss I have to. Taking him to preschool gives me nightmares to start with. Logan doesn't do well in new situations. It's probably best that I'm not there. And on another note, Todd will start coaching junior high cross country again in the fall. This really stresses me out, because I know how difficult it is now with two kids when I'm not working. I am trying to imagine myself cooking dinner, cleaning up dinner, bathing Logan and Addison, putting them both to bed, and also getting school work done. Todd would be home to help with baths and bed, but STILL. Just the thought of trying to make dinner after working all day and having these two demanding my attention stresses me out. And to make matters worse, I won't be able to stay at school to finish things there because I have to run to get Addison every day so that I can feed her. Stress.

I guess I just have to learn to take one day at a time, and enjoy this time that I am home. I can't help but want Todd to cut back his coaching to one season instead of two. I don't think this is unfair of me, but at the same time, he needs to quit because he wants to be home with us, not because I've asked him to. And right now, he says that it's his passion and that he can't stop it. He promises in the future, that he will drop one of the seasons, probably cross country. Did I mention he's moving from asst. coach to HEAD coach of the boys track team next year? I just don't understand, I guess. I don't know how I am going to manage when school starts again.

So, I guess I will just try to do my best with the situation, and not worry about it until the time comes. I'm going to enjoy summer and try to rest and relax before the craziness begins! Can you believe Addison will be FIVE MONTHS old when I return to school? Sigh....

My Goals: Revised

Today Addison officially turns two months old! While I am thrilled that she is a thriving and growing infant, it is bittersweet. I only have three months to go with her before school starts! I love all the new things she can do, and I am enjoying her even more than I was when she was first born. But it really makes me sad realizing how quickly time is passing. While everyone else is celebrating the end of the school year, I am mourning the end of my "official" maternity leave. Pathetic, yes.

So back before Addison was born, I posted a set of goals that I had for myself. Let's revisit those, shall we?

1. Cleaning schedule. Hahahahahahahahahaha. There's no time for cleaning. Unless I get rid of the nap, or unless my husband is home on the weekends. Neither of these seems very likely to happen.

2. Todd's lunch. Hasn't happened. And given that there are like 16 days left or something, it's also not likely to happen. I love him dearly, but I am still waking up 2 times a night or so, and when she goes to bed, it's Lindsay-relaxation time. Not "make my husband his lunch time." Every ounce of free time is precious. He can make his own lunch.

3. Dinner plan. This isn't totally out of the question for the summer, though it hasn't happened yet. We really want to stick with going to the grocery store once a week, and only getting what we absolutely need. Come June I'm going to print a calendar and try to plan out some meals a few weeks at a time. If we don't follow it, no biggie, but I'd like to attempt it at least!

4. Yard Sale. Also a work-in-progress. When my mom is here, I have tried to grab some time to go through the junk in the basement and decide what is staying, what is being sold, and what is getting trashed. The basement looks like a bomb hit it, but that's how I roll. You should see my classroom when I try to organize it....I need to make a mess before it gets organized!

5. Exercise? Nope. I don't have much time to myself as it is. I'd like to walk around the block during the day, but that entails having a 3 1/2 year old tag along, and we go the pace of a snail. Not many calories burned at that rate! I am, however, chasing him around a lot of the day, running him to the bathroom, etc. Does that count?

6. Yeah, organization has NOT happened. Unless you count the basement stuff.

So that's where we're at. I'm really looking forward to Todd being home this summer so that I can start reaching some of those other goals. Just having him watch Logan while he works outside makes a huge difference, as Logan has taken to being my shadow all. day. long. I can actually clean some rooms, get some exercise (go to Weight Watchers?), and accomplish some things! I'm also really hoping to get a little time to myself to rest. I'd love to get my nails done, or read a book (ummm Twilight???) or maybe even scrapbook. I also want some time with Todd, because that doesn't happen much anymore either.

One day at a time, and I will get there eventually. I am LOVING being home with my kids, and watching them grow together. And hey--THREE MONTHS is a long time, right???