Merry Chrisssmasss

Cole has lost two teeth this week. One on the bottom and one of his front top teeth. This has given him the cutest lisp and grin.

It's Christmas Eve night and "Santa" has already visited. He came very early this year. Last night we went to my friends house and Cole had a blast playing with her three boys. When it was time to go they invited him to sleep over. This was his first and he did great. As an added bonus I came home and wrapped presents that evening and he stayed up late, so he was tired tonight. He was asleep by 7:30 so Santa got an early start. I can't wait for the morning.

Today Cole said that he hoped he get a package from his dad. Even thought he hasn't called since April 2007 and doesn't send anything for b-days, the last two Christmas' he has send a gift. Cole remembered this. I didn't figure he would this year, especially since it's been almost two years since we have even heard from him. Sadly, he lived up to my expectations and no package came. I hope with the excitement tomorrow, Cole will have forgotten about a gift from his dad. Sigh!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Playing Catch-up

As Vetmommy pointed out I haven't blogged much. Not working or being in school as left me little to blog about. The first week that I was done with student teaching I was mostly depressed. It turns out that I'm not someone who does well with tons of free time on my hands. I'm too used to having my days filled. I've mostly been doing tedious tasks like completing applications, paperwork, being fingerprinted, etc. to start substituting. I found myself counting down until Cole was out of school and it was time to go to the gym. Last week I was determined to get out of my funk so I started going to the gym in the mornings (even though I'd be working out in the evening too). At least then I was out of the house and ready to start my errands and feeling like I'd accomplished something.

The last few weeks have been frustrating for other reasons, too. Cole got sent to the office not once but twice. Both times for being silly in class and trying to make other kids laugh. He's been grounded and we have both been upset. One of the things I love most about him is his sense of humor and fun. I always have felt that I was too serious even as I child, so I love that Cole's isn't. However, this is getting him in trouble which means he quickly needs to learn what lines to not cross at school. Sigh....

What else has happened? I graduated on Friday. I actually walked which I wasn't originally going to do. But my friends wanted me to and my family, so I caved. Everyone kept asking me if I was excited. Not really, I'm mostly embarrassed, after all I'm 33. I graduated summa cum laude which was what I was proud of since I was juggling working full-time and being a mom. After graduation we went to lunch. I was laughing later, because my friends (even the older ones) were having parties and my plans were lunch, the gym, and nettie potting Cole's nose. The funny thing was I wouldn't have traded places for the world.

So now I just need to finish getting ready for Christmas. I hope to enjoy spending time with Cole during the winter break and then get to WORK!

Winter fun

On Saturday night we had a wonderful Christmas outing. Schlitterbahn is local water park and for the first time this year they are open during the winter evenings for some old time Christmas fun. We went ice-skating under the stars. Cole hasn't skated in several years and was so excited to skate again. He fell over and over, but was having a great time. I'm proud to say that I didn't fall. I was so glad because I ran a 5K early that morning and my knees were VERY sore. If I would have fallen, I would have probably sat on the ice until someone pushed me off. We went bobsledding, listened to carolers, watched a light show, drank hot chocolate, and were gently powdered by snow (actually tiny soap bubbles, but hey this is central Texas - got to take what you can get). It was a great way to get in the holiday spirit.

Final Day

Today was my last day of student teaching. I was so so sad to say goodbye to the kids. They gave me a great send-off. A few of the moms organized a pizza party. We had pizza and a gigantic cookie cake. I gave the kids their small gifts (erasers, pencils and bookmark with a personal note) and they were thrilled. I got a beautiful book with heartfelt notes from each kid, a picture of me and the class in a frame that all the kids signed, a handmade ornament from one boy, a bouquet of flowers from another, another bouquet from the class that included roses made from cash, and a gift card to a book store from the 3rd grade team. It was truly humbling and amazing. I was teary all day. After a swarm of hugs and a chorus of goodbyes, I left. I will miss them.

Sadly, I will not be taking over for the teacher when she goes on maternity leave. Because the information that I post here could be found while I'm job seeking, I'll share the details with you in person, if you care. I'll just say, the teachers, the parents, the kids, and myself are sad. Next week will find me doing what doesn't come naturally to me and that is being bold, assertive, and selling myself. I will have to make visits to schools, ask to speak to the principals, and try to sell myself. I can hardly wait...but momma has got to start working for pay again.

Cole's saving plan

Cole has a jar that he keeps his money in. He has around $60 in cash. The bottom of his jar was filled with change. On Saturday I let him take his change to the credit union to cash in. He was so happy on the way when he found out that he has his own account already that I started when he was born. He wanted to see his account when we got there. It was difficult to explain where his account actually was. Once we got to the credit union, I let him pour his change into the machine and watch the total rise on the screen. He had $135! We waited in line and he proudly gave his receipt to the teller to collect his money. Once home he added it to his jar.

Tonight on the way home from the gym. He said that he wanted another jar to start collecting even more money. The reason? He wants to save to adopt a baby brother or sister! Isn't he sweet? Most kids save to buy toys, Cole wants a sibling! Maybe by the time Cole' is an adult he will have enough saved to buy a 1/16 of a kid.

The latest

I haven't posted much lately and I don't even have a good excuse. So here is what is new.

ME:
I have officially lost 35 pounds (or 1 toddler). I have been eating better, but not any crazy dieting and working out. I still workout with my trainer 1 day a week, take a fitness class with him 3 days a week, and add at least 1 other day of cardio on the weekend. I'm feeling better physically and working on mentally. Tonight Cole and I signed up for a "Reindeer Run" in a few weeks, 5K for me and 1K for him.

I only have 3 more days of "total teach" left. These last few weeks have been flying by at warp speed. It has been great. I had my last formal observation by my professor and will now just be wrapping things up. I'm really looking forward to next week. One of the perks of teaching is holidays off! I no longer will have to use vacation time and barter for time off around the holidays. I have Wed-Fri off next week. I can't wait to hang out with Cole, make pies, and shop. What do I miss about BAH? I miss having people know me and care about me and sharing stories and my life with them.

I've been gathering stuff to apply to the local districts. It's a part-time job just applying, but graduation is in December and then I'm a free agent!

COLE:
Fall baseball is officially over. It's a relief, Cole didn't enjoy it too much so therefore neither did I. It's tough on your heart to watch your child struggle to do something. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he still doesn't want to play in the spring.

He wants to try basketball. Everyone says at the YMCA it is a lot of fun and being a shrimpo doesn't matter. He is signed up for winter ball that starts in January.

He is still taking Karate at the gym. It has been 1 year now and he still loves it. This past Saturday he had testing for his next belt. The test lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes. I couldn't believe he could stay that focused for so long. Being quite was the worse thing for him, I think. Afterwards he talked 90 mph. He couldn't talk enough. He should get his new belt in the next few weeks.

He's also taking hip-hop classes now. Isn't that funny? He loves it. He has wanted to take them for awhile. I made him choose between this and the gymnastics class he was already in and he choose hip-hop (I was secretly relieve because being at the gymnastics gym with all the pushy, overeager moms that want to see their daughters be the next Olympians was driving me crazy).

School for Cole? Not so good. His teacher is very strict. She has even rubbed me the wrong way a few times and I am very understanding of teachers (for obvious reasons). He is learning to adjust his behavior to meet her expectations. She has a "zero tolerance" policy, so it has been a little rocky for him. He used to LOVE school, so it is sad to see him becoming frustrated so early on. He has lots of years left. He loves math and science but is struggling with reading and writing. Part of the issue with reading is that they don't get to choose what books they read for the most part, so usually he's bored to tears. As he improves though, hopefully he will get more free choice. He got a "needs improvement" on his handwriting on his report card. And while I'll admit it's not beautiful he already writes neater than three of the boys in my 3rd grade class. We are continuing to supplement at home, so hopefully things will get better for him.

So are you all caught up now?

On My Own

Since yesterday I have been doing my "total teach". For two-weeks we take over the class entirely. Since I have been slowly leading up to this, it hasn't been too much of a change. The major difference is that for the majority of the last few months there have been two adults in a room and now I'm flying solo. Yesterday went really well and everything ran smoothly. Today was good, too but hectic. We had a Veteran's Day celebration and guest speakers in the morning, plus the rain kept us mostly indoors. Then this afternoon in Science, I started science lab rotations which was a lot of prep work for me and took some getting used to for the kids. It was messy and fun, but tiring too! I'm exhausted.

This past few months have literally flown by and I'm sure these next two weeks will be no exception.

Unexpected

I've mentioned before that I paid off my car several months ago. Since then practically every month I've had something go wrong with it and it's been in the shop. Yesterday was a doozie!

I was leaving school at the end of they day and put my car into reverse, it barely moved. I then tried drive and it barely moved---BACKWARD! I shut off the ignition for a few minutes hoping for a miracle, but one didn't arrive. Now it appears my transmission had gone out! After spending some frustrating time on the phone trying to arrange towing, I sat back in my car to wait an hour for the tow-truck. I had to call my mom to see if she could pick Cole up from school for me, find somewhere to have my car towed, etc. I was so stressed.

Finally, the tow truck driver arrived. While he was hooking my car up several parents from my school did offer me a ride which was nice. When I told the driver where I wanted my car towed he said that there would be an overage charge because of the mileage. At this point I didn't even care.

On the way to the shop, we talked about my series of car problems and our families. His daughter is a Veterinarian in Austin and he is very proud of both of his kids. After he dropped me off, I was writing out the check for towing and he looked at me and said, "No! I am not charging you. You have more than enough going on. I just want you to have a nice day and take care of that kid of yours!" I was floored. Does this ever happen? I thanked him profusely and instantly my bad mood had lifted. Not because of the $80 gift but because of the act of kindness. What a great man.

So I still have no word on an estimate for my car (probably a couple of grand :-( a least). I also have had to rent a car in the meantime. Yippee! The funny part is that both of my parents forgot that even though I'm working full-time it's for free, because they both suggested that maybe I should look for a another car. I wish that I could, believe me!

Camp out

I come from a family that didn't go camping, fishing, boating, or love the beach. I love all of these things. Perhaps if I grew up doing this things, I wouldn't enjoy them so much now. I've been wanting to take Cole camping, but I am not quite brave enough to go with just the two of us. The cooler weather has made me want to go even more. So Cole and I came up with a plan...

We camped out in the backyard. On Saturday we set up our tent and eagerly waited for darkness to fall. I had bought a mini-grill so we could have a fire. We sat in our flannel pajamas and roasted marshmallows and made smores. Then we crawled into the tent. We drank hot chocolate out of a thermos, while we played endless rounds of Sorry!, Go Fish, War, and Pokeman. As I looked at his face bathed in the soft glow of the lantern, I thought to myself that nothing could be better than this.

This morning, we woke up to the sounds of birds chattering and watched the squirrels perform their acrobatics overhead. It was perfect.

Now time for a "real" camping trip!

Busy as ever

When I quit my job to focus on student teaching, I was worried about the extra time I would have on my hands. I was so used to working and going to school full time that I wondered what I would do with my extra time. Now I ask myself, what extra time? I'm as busy as ever. After teaching (still having a blast) my evenings are full.

In addition to meeting with my personal trainer once a week at the gym, my mom and I joined a "team fitness" class that meets 3 nights a week. With the class also comes "cardio homework" so 6 days a week I'm at the gym. Plus, Cole has baseball, karate, and gymnastics. Then there is all the "at home" work that comes with teaching. I'm mid-way through my thematic unit on elections. I spent this weekend making interactive poster boards for Obama and McCain and the issues they represent, voting boxes, ballots, and shopping for all the materials required for the various projects the kids are doing. I'm happy but tired.

There is one big stressor in my life right now though. Cole's baseball. Luckily he only has two games left (if we lose the 1st tournament game). Here is the issue. The league restructured the age requirements and he was required to move up this year to the coach pitch league. The problem with this is that he is a six-year-old playing with 7 - 9 year olds. He is the only 6-year-old on this team and the smallest. Some of the kids outweigh him by 30-40 pounds and are at least a foot taller. Some of these kids are already in 3rd grade. There is a HUGH difference developmentally between a 1st and 3 grader. I've been worried all season about him getting hurt because some of this kids hit the ball amazingly hard. The main problem is his batting though. Cole has had a very difficult time adjusting to hitting the ball when it's thrown vs. off the tee like last year. He has completely given up and is so dejected when it's time for batting practice or game time. He doesn't even try. It's ruined his love of baseball. My dad thinks I should make him quit now. I think that sends him the wrong message. I've spoken to Cole and he wants to finish out the season. What do you think?

Politics from the mouth of kids

If the kids around me are any indication then John McCain has Austin wrapped up for votes. Even my own son who previously wanted to "vote for Ovama" came home tonight talking about voting for McCain. I almost kicked him out..just kidding, well sort of. It's been a real eye opener for me working with kids and talking politics. I'm actually teaching a 3-week thematic unit on voting & elections, complete with a mock-class president election on November 4th. We've been talking politics quite a bit. I'm surprised by how much these kids actually know and shocked about some of their mistruths that spread like wildfire (hmmm...not much different than the adult world). I can't help but wonder if these "facts" (ie. lies) come from their parents trying to sway their views onto them or from misunderstandings on the kids part. Since I like to believe in the "ideal" world, I'll believe the latter. Here are some "facts" shared by the kids in my class.


On Obama:

"He will make everyone go to school on Saturdays."

"He doesn't even know how to read."

"He's mean to other people."

"He's a racist." - my personal fav

"He's not even from this country."


On McCain:

"He's nice and he likes kids."

"He wants a girl to be President, and Obama doesn't want that to happen EVER!"

"He reads and is smart."

So why does Cole want to change his "vote?" Because Sarah O. said that Obama is very mean, especially to kids and McCain loves to read. So what did I tell Cole? That everyone is entitled to their own opinion and he can vote for whomever he wants. He doesn't have to listen to his friends or family, he can make his own decision. That's what makes America great. I promised to bring him home my Time for Kids Magazine so we can read about both candidates and he can choose for himself.

Fred

The last week my parents had two nightly visitors. They visit while we sleep and leave dozens and dozens of divets in their well-manicured front yard and two very large holes. They are armadillos. Armadillos eat grubs and earthworms and since my parents have a sprinkler system that keeps the yard moist, they have an optimum feeding ground. My parents come from two different camps. My dad would prefer that every animal within a 10-mile radius be killed instantly. My mom feeds them all (which causes endless bitching from my dad). So what to do about the armadillos? My dad called several places that poison, NO WAY said my mom. Several calls later, they found a solution. There is a company ran by a husband and wife that live on a large amount of acreage outside of Austin. They catch these critters (and others) and release them on their property. They came out Saturday and laid an elaborate trap. Cole chatted literally non-stop at them the entire time and they didn't even mind. They also had a opossum, a skunk, and a raccoon in their truck. It was like a mini-zoo.

Sunday morning, we had one trapped armadillo. It was very cute up close. Of course Cole wanted to keep it. He named it Fred. We even dug up earthworms to feed it until they could arrive to relocate him. So now the trap is re-set hoping to catch and relocate the other armadillo that has been spotted. Wonder what Cole will name him?

Early Birthday

My birthday is in a couple of days but we celebrated this weekend since our week is packed full of everyday life. My brother and I are 2 years and 3 days apart so we have always shared our birthdays and this one is no exception. Check out the great cake that Cole helped make and decorated all on his own! After Cole's baseball game we went for some great Tex-Mex tonight and then opened our gifts. Cole got me a watch that he picked out on his own...that kid has great taste. My mom said that he had wanted to buy me a diamond ring too, but she had to nix that purchase :-) My parent's gift was a personal trainer at the gym that my mom and I are sharing. We had our first session with him on Saturday and I'm sore today. My gift to myself is a three month group fitness class at the gym that is 3 nights a week. Plus my mom and Leah are going to be with me, so it should be lots of fun! I've been working out daily for the past few months and have lost about 20 lbs, but I've still got a lot of work to do.

Cole cracked me up this weekend. He was talking about me getting married again and then he stops and looks at me and with a serious tone he asks, "Wait, you do still have your baby parts right?" Yup, but those are another year older too!

Flying Solo-ish

Today my mentor teacher had to leave at 11:00 for training. In the district that I am in they are still required to get a sub, but since I will be teaching the sub just sits in the room. Our "sub" was (no exaggeration) a seventyish year old man. He was very sweet and sat and read the entire day.

I have already taken over Social Studies and Science and some of the Language Arts, but always with the fail safe of the teacher in the room. Today I taught those in addition to Math without a fail safe. At this school there is regular Math and Advanced Math. My mentor teacher teaches the advanced math class. Anyone who knows me knows that Math is my nemesis. We have never gotten along. The idea that I would be teaching Advanced Math is a laugh. But teach it I did...and had fun! I got the kids up and moving and involved in the lesson. The kids were happy and relaxed since they already knew me there were no behavior problems. She will be out tomorrow too, so I get to fly solo (sort of) again.

Is my happiness getting old? It is amazing how being truly happy with what you do affects your whole life. I just feel better in general. I feel like the mealworms going through metamorphosis myself. Does that mean that I'll turn into a beetle too?

Mealworms and random pics

Here are some random pics that I've been meaning to post: Cole at his last baseball game, Jupiter's Halloween costume, and Cole ready for school this morning.

I taught 3 subjects today even though I'm only required to be assisting with one. I did my first science lesson today. The kids are studying metamorphosis and I asked the teacher if I could do my own thing instead of doing the worksheets and she said go for it. I brought in mealworms that the kids observed and will monitor as they change into beetles. They were so thrilled and hands-on. I didn't tell them what the mealworms would change into and had them make predictions and most predicted butterflies or moths and one student guessed a beetle. After the lesson my teacher said, "Now this is what science should be!". The funny thing was that Cole wanted to do it too, so I brought the leftover mealworms homes, but because we had errands to run and the car was hot, the worms got a trip to the gym and HEB! They are now safely in Cole's room burrowed under their bed of oatmeal.

Audition

My mentor teacher told the Principal on Friday that she is pregnant and not planning on returning to teach. He asked if I would be interested in taking over for her and when she said yes, he was happy and said to consider this my 4-month audition.

The week was great and while I'm not surprised how quickly I bonded to the kids, I am surprised how quickly that I became comfortable with the other teachers. Typically I'm shy when meeting new people and find it difficult to make connection, I either click with someone or I don't. Luckily I made connections with everyone right away. On Friday, I was involved with my first team planning session and I told them about the idea I had for a unit that I'm required to teach. They were excited and want me to create the unit for the entire grade level. Yikes! I've been working on expanding my idea and gathering materials this weekend.

It's been my experience that most elementary teachers don't enjoy teaching science and since I love science, I have already volunteered to take over science in my classroom. On my nightly neighborhood walks I've been looking for butterflies since this is the next unit we are studying. I hope to find more creepy crawlies!

The only downside is catching my first sore throat...no doubt from all the hugs! It's worth it though!

First Days

Well the first two days are done and I have LOVED every minute of it! The school, my mentor teacher, and class are all amazing! It is going to be a wonderful experience.

In the weeks leading up to the first day I was so nervous. On Monday morning I woke up jitter free. I felt confident and ready for my first day. I have been pitching in where I can and have chosen a day for my first solo lesson. The days go by amazingly fast and the school already feels like home. While the kids come from a different class of life than I have known, they are still young enough to not realize the difference. Some of their experiences are truly remarkable. This is a generalization, but in my experience most teacher's favorite students are the girls because they are sweet and eager to please. That's true, but I guess because I'm used to Cole, I love the little boys. Their imagination and unbridled enthusiasm brings a smile to my face.

My mentor teacher is pregnant and may not be coming back and another 3rd grade teacher is pregnant so there is a slim chance there might be an opening in the spring, if I make a good impression.

I can't wait to go back tomorrow!

Wish me luck

Tomorrow is the first day of my new career! I'm so excited, although I must admit about halfway through ironing my stack of clothes, I started to miss scrubs. It's been years since I've had to iron. Urgghhh!

We will also start our new morning routine. Cole will have to get on the bus 20 minutes early. I will have to drive him to the first bus stop in our neighborhood, in order to get to work on time. Plus I will have two lunches to make in the morning and Cole has baseball practice tomorrow night, so I have a lot of stuff to pack.

I've enjoyed my time off, but I'm ready to get started!

Can you hear my heart breaking?

The last time Cole's dad called him was on his 5th birthday, he is 6 1/2 now. Lately Cole has said several times to me that maybe his dad will call him on his 7th birthday. I always have to look away so he can't see the tears in my eyes. Tonight at baseball practice he said out loud to another parent, "My dad lives in New York. He never calls me. Maybe he'll call for my 7th birthday."

I can get over the devastation of someone not loving me anymore, what I can't recover from is the devastation of someone not loving my son.

First days of school

It's official Cole is now a first grader. He is so excited. On Sunday night he was nervous, but come Monday morning he was awake at 6am and ready to start school. The first day I took him because he wasn't sure he'd remember where his class is. He is in the "big" building this year. While we waited in the hallway for the first bell to ring he was hugging and talking to all of his "old" friends. He led the way to the class and ran in after a quick wave goodbye. He had a great day. Today he was just as excited and was eager to wait for the bus. He said he had another great day! He is doing a different after-school program. Last year I did not like the program he was in. The kids were very rowdy and the staff had no control. When I told one of Cole's teachers that we had switched after-school programs this year she said, "Good. I'm so glad. When I would see those kids, I would look at Cole and he just didn't fit in with that type of behavior." This year he is in an arts based program. So far it seems great. The staff isn't 12 yrs. old (okay...maybe last year they were 19) and the group of kids is a much better mix. Because of my crazy schedule for the next few weeks (until I start student teaching on the 8th) he won't be there too much, but I'm letting him go for an hour or so every afternoon.

The best news is his 1st grade class itself, I need to go hug his Kindergarten teacher! At his school they generally move the majority of the class to the next grade level. I was worried because there were 3 kids in particular that caused a lot of issues last year and one that was a bully and tattle-tell. This one kid in particular would do something to someone and if they retaliated he would tell and get them in trouble instead. Because I spent a fair amount of time with Cole's class I wasn't too thrilled with them or their behavior. So I wasn't looking forward to another year of this. The previous teacher will send groups of kids together and separate those that she thinks shouldn't be together. Cole doesn't have ANY of those kids in his class this year. There is a group of 5 other kids with Cole and they were all the "good" kids from last year. I'm so excited. I found out from the mom of one of those other kids that all the problem kids are in her daughter's class. She was complaining that all of the "bad" kids from last year are in her daughter's class. Then she wondered out loud, "Wait....does that mean my daughter is bad, too?" I'm never gonna tell ;-)