giggles

Here is a video of Gil making Jude giggle while he is in the jumperoo! I love his giggle and he is starting to do a lot more of it. Jude is now up to eating five vegetables: carrots, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, and peas. He is doing wonderful with them but insists on not enjoying carrots too much (which stinks since my freezer is full of them!). Tonight we are going to give avocado a try, then it will be onto fruit finally:)

Flesh and Blood

I subbed in a high school science classroom today. I think because I am "young" kids sometimes think I'm not a "real" teacher. A sophomore asked me today when I will get my own classroom, haha! I told her that I did have my own classroom for 5 years and that now I am subbing because I get to stay home with my baby on most days. I find other adults thinking along the same lines. I get, "You must be looking for another teaching job" a lot. While I do see myself in the classroom full-time again someday in the future (and who knows how soon or far away that might be), I am beyond glad to be spending my days with a baby boy who smiles and cries and poops and giggles and whines and needs fed and naps and needs a bath and who I love completely.

A song by Caedmons Call that I love has this line:

Our vows, they started breathing and they took on flesh and blood
And we held them in our arms and tasted God was good...

What a miracle children are!

The First Grade

I subbed in a first grade classroom on Tuesday and got way more of an education than I gave!

Those little 7-year-olds are FULL of energy.  Here is some of what they taught me:

1.  It doesn't matter if you have to ask the teacher her name several times in one day and are never able to say it correctly, pulling on her sleeve or saying any name starting with an R will do.

2.  If you aren't any good at staying in the lines when coloring you just need to keep practicing and you will get better.  Don't give up!

3.  If a big wave comes when you are surfing you'd better watch out for the under toe.

4.  Chairs and desks are just suggestions for where to sit in the classroom and they don't have to stay where they were when you arrived in the morning.

5.  Hippos are used to add and subtract.

6.  Stereotypes don't really exist, so everyone is on a much evener playing field.

7.  1st grade boys can be in love with two girls simultaneously, no need to choose just one!

8.  If your sub does something "wrong" feel free to tell her how Mrs. Such and Such does it.

9.  One of the greatest things in life is being the line leader or the paper-passer-outer.

10.  One of the best things to do at recess is to go turkey hunting.

11.  My printing has too much cursive in it for 1st graders.

12.  When estimating always go high (i.e. if you have a choice between being likely to fit 5 or 50 blocks in one hand go with 50!).

13.  If I sub in a first grade classroom I will smile a lot throughout the day, I will inevitably do everything "wrong", not a lot of teaching will get done,  I will learn to love them all by the end, and unfortunately I will leave with a splitting headache!

Hope I get to see those rascals again!

Cousin Ashtyn

I have been feeling bad about not having any pictures of Katie and Russ's little girl Ashtyn on here and then Katie sent me these today!  Soooo adorable!!!  Here she is at nearly 15 months I think she is now.  What a cute Nebraska cheerleader, Minnie Mouse, and leaf girl:)

Deer Jude

Happy Halloween!!!

Jude and Hayden

Jude and Tori's little boy Hayden (4 months) loved looking at one another.  Jude even started giggling at him, something he rarely does!

some stuff...

This is my cousin Tori's daughter Tierney's 5th birthday party at grandma Vonny's house.  We had a tea party of cracker sandwiches, cream puffs, and chocolate cupcakes that she decorated with lavender frosting and yellow sprinkles.  She was just lovin' it being her birthday (and lovin' the presents!).  I got her the gorgeous scarf you see here.  She is quite the fashionista at the ripe old age of 5!  She also got a Hello Kitty camera.
Gil helping to teach Jude to sit.  He is working on it and really getting there!  
This one is Jude in his new play pen (the clothes basket!).  
This one is Jude enjoying carrots...thoroughly!  But I am proud to say that he has gotten much better about them and only slightly makes the grossed-out face now.  Plus he tried squash yesterday and LOVES LOVES LOVES it!  The problem is my freezer is full of carrots...
This is my failed attempt at capturing the tiny little tooth that is popping up in the bottom of Jude's mouth.  He's been a little grumpy about it, but not too bad.
This one is on one of the 3 snowy days we've had in October.