Summer Update

Where to begin?

Summer is almost over. I can't believe how fast my "summer" goes. People always say how lucky I am to have "summer" off, but it only works out to be about 6 weeks. Some of those weeks are spent doing seminars and school stuff-so really it is more like a month we get off. I know I shouldn't complain, I'm lucky! However, the days of getting out in May and not going back to September are WAY behind us. In fact, I bet most schools are going to head to year round schedules before too long.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the new year. I'm looping to 2nd grade with my class, so a lot of the usual fear/anxiety I have when August is near is non-existent this year!!! I'm just working on lesson plans and learning the new curriculum (which is not that different from 1st grade). My room will be ready and I'll be teaching on DAY 1 of school this coming year. I am very excited! That's about it from me.

Bryan's update is a bit more complex than mine. He is being laid off next week. We've actually known was coming, as they are moving his account to company headquarters in VA, and we didn't want to move. It was actually a blessing in disguise though. He was traveling NON STOP, and it was really hard on all of us. ALSO, and here's the biggie...he's decided to go to grad school and get his secondary teaching certification, and eventually his master's in history. Now if you know him, you're reading this and saying, "DUH! That would so be a perfect fit for him!" And to you I reply, "I KNOW!" He is sooooooo excited and I am THRILLED for him. He's starting school in August. The classes are actually taking place on Saturdays and nights, so he can still work. Which leads us to the fact he has NO JOB as of next week. So, we're praying and looking and hoping for something, anything that will bring home a paycheck. Lord knows I can support us on my crap pay! (Just think, when he's done with school, two of us will have crap pay! At least we'll both be in love with our jobs though :)

Next FRIDAY, he will have major sinus surgery. He's needed it for years, and due to the timing (no job and me being home still) we decided to go ahead and schedule it. According to the doc, he'll be a new man when it is all done, and let me tell you, he's been addicted to nose spray for 8 years, so this BETTER help! Don't tell him I said this, but I am NOT looking forward to having him laid up-he is not the best patient out there. But, I am so happy that he'll be able to breathe again. Should be VERY interesting!

Then there is Lucy. She and I have had a blast together on our MWFs together. She's still been going to baby school (I guess I have to rename it soon-toddler school?) on T/THs because we didn't' want her to get out of the habit AND she is very social and loves the interaction. She's been able to to lots of painting and water play and learning while at school, and we've done the zoo and pool and are working on trying not to EAT our crayons at home. I've never much cared for the taste of wax, but apparently Crayola has beefed up what they put in crayons, because she can't get enough!

She's also very willing to sit and listen to Bryan or I read an ENTIRE book now. She's a book nut!

She knows her ABCs, and now we are working out letters and sounds. She knows B and G and D. She's also becoming quite the parrot, which means we REALLY have to watch what we say. The other day something went wrong (not sure what now) and I said, "GOOD GRIEF!" To which Lucy in the background replied, "OOD EEF!" Oops. Bryan is perhaps most proud that she still can imitate the sound they make when you ask her what a "wookie" says. She can imitate almost any animal sound now, and I think the cat is my favorite. She does this really high pitched moew/screech. It is too funny! The screech/squeal is carried over into our every day life now too. At any random moment, you may hear it coming from the depths of our home. She must just love how it feels in her throat. It can really jar you if you aren't watching her and she decides to whip it out and use it against you.

Lucy would definitely want me to blog about her mastery of the "TODDLER FIT." She is an expert. Sometimes "THE FIT" accompanies my telling her "No." Then sometimes it rears its ugly head for no reason. She'll be playing in the floor, and just stand up and start screaming and crying. Those might be my favorite kind. Other times she has "THE FIT" might be when she's done eating and we don't get her out of the high chair quick enough, or when I change her diaper. That one is particularly invigorating, as I have to wrestle a freakishly strong 16 month old to the ground over and over, attempting to not get poo all over myself, her, the carpet, etc. Good times.

More endearing things to tell you about include the addition of "Sheeba" to our family. Sheeba is the potty monkey. Have you seen these?

They are cute little monkeys that wear diapers. They have their own potty and big monkey pants. A book and parent guide also comes with the set. Pretty cute, and very intriguing to me. We saw the set at one of my FAVORITE stores here, Smart Toys and Books. Lucy immediately fell in love with the monkey. You actually set the monkey's timer to go off every 30 minutes. She says things like, "I need to go to the potty" or "Hurry, take me to the potty before I have an accident!" So, you take her and sit her on her little mini potty. She comments with things like, "Oh thank you. I feel better now." or "Did you go potty too?" Basically it is supposed to get your child in the habit of trying to go and making it fun too.

Now, we are not HARD CORE potty training at our house yet (although I was trained at 11 mos!), but we're trying to get her interested in the whole process. She's used the potty several times, and is no longer running in fear when you mention it. Most of the time when you ask her if she needs to go, she responds, "Mo", which is "Lucy" for "No". Still working on that "N" sound. All that being said, the first night we had this little monkey, Lu started walking around saying "Sheeba, Sheeba, Sheeba" and we were perplexed. She took her to the mirror and said it again. Bryan was like, uh, did she name that thing "Sheeba?" So we asked her where Sheeba's eyes were. She pointed to the monkey's eyes. We did the same with "nose" (or "mose" if you are Lu) and mouth. All 3 times she pointed to the monkey! So, that is how we got "Sheeba". I know, she's brilliant. I named my first doll "Phyllis Peeba". Brilliant as well.

The last think I will fill the page with is about Lucy's current love-hate relationship with the camera. She LOVES to have her picture taken, and between her Grandy, myself, and her Aunt Leah, the kid has a camera in her face ALL THE TIME. She even says, "CHEESE!" However, she's learned to anticipate the flash, and now squints with all her might when you point a camera at her. This makes the already difficult process of capturing the kid doing something cute even harder. Oh well. It makes for some cute pictures!