Week 25... and still growing!!

It's FRIDAY and that automatically puts me in a great mood. I love the end of the week- it is the day that I'm most likely to let the students play a game at the end of class for a reward, so they like me best on Friday, too. Excellent news #2: It's a QUIZ DAY!! I looooove giving quizzes! I mainly give open-notes quizzes where kids can use their notes or work from previous days to help. I was always such a careful note-taker in school and I hated when I felt like that was all for nothing. So, I reward the hard workers. The more detail you put in your work, the more likely you are to make an outstanding grade. It's funny how this one little aspect of how I teach my class makes such a difference, though. Another teacher I work with came to me recently complaining about how "kids these days" never do any of their work- they just don't care to even try... blah blah blah. I, of course, nodded grimly and made some comment about television and video games, but really I just wanted to say "WHY SHOULD THEY?? You have to give them a REASON to do the work!!!" When I start writing something down, nearly everyone pulls out paper and copies it. Sometimes to my dismay: like when I recently was checking over some notes in which students had copied quite literally everything including my name at the top of their paper. oops. Anyway... all that is to say that I can't wait to give my quiz today- especially knowing that 90% of my class will do great on it. :)


I have officially entered a phase that I really wasn't looking forward to: "sneakers" only at work. (It just looks like I put all that effort into hair, makeup and clothes only to say "oh well" at the end and threw on the first shoes I came across... or that I just ran to work instead of drove- but we know better). So I guess I will just be absolutely thankful that I work in a job that embraces quirkiness and count my blessings that my mom has donated shoes to me that DON'T have paint, mud or dog poop on them. :)

Baby E has continued to kick and squirm. She loves wiggling around at night time especially (when I'm going to bed). It really makes me want to go to bed even earlier so I can feel her. I can't wait to meet this little girl and see what her personality is like: Will she like listening to Jason play music? hearing us reading? Will she be picky about her food? her schedule? almost everything else? (like me) or will she just go with the flow like Jason? I just can't wait to start learning it all! Okay, well, time to hit the road and head off for a day of work.

24 Weeks!

Life has been such a whirlwind during this pregnancy. It is so funny how my focus has changed over the last 24 weeks and how overwhelming/exciting this whole time is. Things I have learned so far:

• I am so in love with my husband and I can't wait to see him be a dad.

• When you get married everyone wants to talk you into having a baby, but when pregnant people suddenly feel like they should talk you out of it.

• Just stop and count blessings. Be Thankful.

• My job isn't my world. It's okay to step back sometimes and say "it'd be great if I could do that, but I can't and that's alright too." There are days when this type-A girl just has to settle for the "B". (And it's funny how most of the time no one even notices the difference.)

• I am suddenly aware that my house is actually a death trap. Must handle this asap.

• I need to learn to be okay with saying no because I hate letting people down. As I find myself literally falling into bed at night and racing through meals to get things done, I just need to stop and take a deep breath. This is a lesson I'm really struggling with.

• Everything is poisonous. Everything has chemicals that will turn my baby into a mutant. Weed out the really bad stuff and just say a prayer for the rest. (Prime Example: the large amount of literature I received about why I should feed my baby using only glass bottles... which common sense says seems pretty dangerous, too)

In spite of all of the growing pains (physical and otherwise) and I am so excited to meet this little lady. I can't wait to learn her personality and see what she likes and doesn't like. I always try to picture her coloring or reading or playing with the puppies. I can't wait!!