I'm excited. I just bought a dozen fresh bagels and I had a coupon for 4 more! We're talking good bagels, too. French toast, chocolate chip, poppy seed, asiago cheese....oh yeah! I ate a chocolate chip one in the car on the way home. When I got home, I heard the siren's song again. I pulled out an asiago cheese bagel that was so fresh I could've almost torn it open with my hands. Shane was still in his car seat from our little errand and I sat on the floor in front of him chowing down with "Thank God, it's Saturday" going through my mind. Now, I'm sitting here with a cup of Earl Grey and a slobbering son bouncing merrily a few feet away.
It's nice to slow down and enjoy the simple things.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A Wet Diaper is at least a Warm One
Shane's developed a new habit. Whenever I change his diaper, he 'christens' the new one within the next five minutes.
That's right: my son loves himself a warm diaper. I've tried letting him 'air out' a little bit, catching him shortly after he pees, and even just putting the diaper on without fastening both sides, but he remains undeterred. I half suspect that he just finds the new diaper uncomfortable and a little pee warms it right up and molds it just how he likes it. Either that, or it's a baby conspiracy to make me buy more diapers for the landfill in Shane's name.
He's up in bed now. He's become very routine about his bed-time. Actually, he's been very predictable in general for the past month or so. It makes Carrie and I's job a lot easier. I enjoy being able to figure out what it is my son needs and wants rather than bumbling around trying various options until something works or he just gives up and conks out.
It's been a very very busy week at work. I always find it funny that I have so many side activities/jobs going on that teaching only takes up half my day. The rest is spent sorting out a butt-load of bureaucratic bombshells. Well, that may be a bit over-dramatic but I like the alliteration.
Anyway, I'm going to try to finish the book I picked up from a book swap a couple of months ago at school. It's a mystery called Nine Dragons by an author I can't remember the name of off the top of my head. I don't normally read mysteries, but it's been a fun read so far. Then again, maybe I should save it for the training I have to go to tomorrow. Yet another example of the 'bonus jobs' a teacher can get assigned that takes away from actually teaching...it's the job though. Every job is going to have something like that, so I guess I should just be happy I have a job that pays the bills. I should probably start printing up directions so that I'm not scrambling in the morning.
That's right: my son loves himself a warm diaper. I've tried letting him 'air out' a little bit, catching him shortly after he pees, and even just putting the diaper on without fastening both sides, but he remains undeterred. I half suspect that he just finds the new diaper uncomfortable and a little pee warms it right up and molds it just how he likes it. Either that, or it's a baby conspiracy to make me buy more diapers for the landfill in Shane's name.
He's up in bed now. He's become very routine about his bed-time. Actually, he's been very predictable in general for the past month or so. It makes Carrie and I's job a lot easier. I enjoy being able to figure out what it is my son needs and wants rather than bumbling around trying various options until something works or he just gives up and conks out.
It's been a very very busy week at work. I always find it funny that I have so many side activities/jobs going on that teaching only takes up half my day. The rest is spent sorting out a butt-load of bureaucratic bombshells. Well, that may be a bit over-dramatic but I like the alliteration.
Anyway, I'm going to try to finish the book I picked up from a book swap a couple of months ago at school. It's a mystery called Nine Dragons by an author I can't remember the name of off the top of my head. I don't normally read mysteries, but it's been a fun read so far. Then again, maybe I should save it for the training I have to go to tomorrow. Yet another example of the 'bonus jobs' a teacher can get assigned that takes away from actually teaching...it's the job though. Every job is going to have something like that, so I guess I should just be happy I have a job that pays the bills. I should probably start printing up directions so that I'm not scrambling in the morning.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
You know something stinks...
You know something stinks when you're in such a hurry to cover it up you grab a can of Pledge Wood Polish and spray it into the air for a split second before you realize the Febreeze bottle is shaped differently.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Shane update!
Shane's now 4.5 months old!
When last measured, he was around the 75th percentiles for height, weight, and head circumference. I checked his weight this morning after feeding and he's clocking in at almost 18 lbs! He's a big'un. Palm Sunday, I had to take him out of the service and do some walking to prevent him from chattering. We bumped into another father with his son doing the same thing. Shane was several weeks older than the other child (Gabriel), but he was half again the size! I must confess to having a bit of a baby-ego at that point. The way I figured it, Shane beat the other kid hands down in all the quality baby categories except for hair quantity.
Admittedly, I'm a bit biased.
Some baby updates in general:
When last measured, he was around the 75th percentiles for height, weight, and head circumference. I checked his weight this morning after feeding and he's clocking in at almost 18 lbs! He's a big'un. Palm Sunday, I had to take him out of the service and do some walking to prevent him from chattering. We bumped into another father with his son doing the same thing. Shane was several weeks older than the other child (Gabriel), but he was half again the size! I must confess to having a bit of a baby-ego at that point. The way I figured it, Shane beat the other kid hands down in all the quality baby categories except for hair quantity.
Admittedly, I'm a bit biased.
Some baby updates in general:
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Long day, but ended on a high note!
It's been a long several weeks with everything that's been going on, and today was no exception. I woke up at 6:30 AM and didn't get home until 8:00 PM. From there I took care of my son and put him to bed by 8:30, and went into dishes, mail, scooped cat poop, and took out all the trash. Carrie's stressed and sore from her neck hurting and her meds acting funny, and working non-stop on her own work. The two rays of sunshine in my day are hearing about my brother's internship offer, and eating a burrito at Moe's for dinner for the first time in a year.
It's 9:00 PM and I'm ready for a break. I sit down at my computer and log in to my work email (of course). I relax better if I don't find any fires that may need putting out the next day. What do I find? A bold, new email from a parent I had a meeting with this morning (#4 after a week-long blitz of IEPs and Re-Evals). In my mind, the meeting had gone well, so I'm really curious about what the parent could have wrote. I click on it, and the first thing I notice is that it's addressed to me, my department chair, and the principal of my school. Then, I read the contents:
It's 9:00 PM and I'm ready for a break. I sit down at my computer and log in to my work email (of course). I relax better if I don't find any fires that may need putting out the next day. What do I find? A bold, new email from a parent I had a meeting with this morning (#4 after a week-long blitz of IEPs and Re-Evals). In my mind, the meeting had gone well, so I'm really curious about what the parent could have wrote. I click on it, and the first thing I notice is that it's addressed to me, my department chair, and the principal of my school. Then, I read the contents:
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Fussy babytude
Shane's been fussy at feeding for the past several days. He's not eating as much and he's getting royally pissed if we try to keep offering him the bottle. He moves throughout the feedings, arches his back, and tries to suck his own thumb and play with the bottle. He's strong too! He'll grab on to the bottle and start pushing it every which way and break the seal. This pisses him off and he gives me the WTFD look. It'll be nice when he's old enough to realize when he's the one ripping the bottle out. In the mean time, the little tyrant has assigned me the role of "blame taker."
I was going to go to church today, but looking at the time it ain't gonna happen. Shane had me hopping at his bidding when I should have been showering and loading the diaper bag. He's been a super-baby up until this point, so maybe he's just trying to get me prepared for his teenage years. Shane's thoughtful like that!
To follow up on the 'dramatic email' my Thursday ended with, here's how my Friday began.
I was going to go to church today, but looking at the time it ain't gonna happen. Shane had me hopping at his bidding when I should have been showering and loading the diaper bag. He's been a super-baby up until this point, so maybe he's just trying to get me prepared for his teenage years. Shane's thoughtful like that!
To follow up on the 'dramatic email' my Thursday ended with, here's how my Friday began.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
McCruari Humor
Today started off with a pain in the neck. Carrie's neck.
It started out innocuously enough. I was getting ready in the kitchen and Carrie was talking to me. Her hair had come forward so she swung her head to throw it back over her shoulder. "OW! That really hurt!" It was an action she'd done countless times before, but this time was different. Of course, I didn't know that yet. I figured it was just a quick pull and something that would pass fairly quickly. Wincing, Carrie went downstairs to pump and I grabbed my tea and was off to work.
An hour later, I'd be back at home and a couple of hours after that, Carrie would be hopped up on some Vicodin and muscle releaxers and be sporting a support collar. My brother Matt's response?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymKLymvwD2U
That's McCruari humor for you!
And if you want the long account...
It started out innocuously enough. I was getting ready in the kitchen and Carrie was talking to me. Her hair had come forward so she swung her head to throw it back over her shoulder. "OW! That really hurt!" It was an action she'd done countless times before, but this time was different. Of course, I didn't know that yet. I figured it was just a quick pull and something that would pass fairly quickly. Wincing, Carrie went downstairs to pump and I grabbed my tea and was off to work.
An hour later, I'd be back at home and a couple of hours after that, Carrie would be hopped up on some Vicodin and muscle releaxers and be sporting a support collar. My brother Matt's response?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymKLymvwD2U
That's McCruari humor for you!
And if you want the long account...
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
To teach, or to do my job?
Funny thing about teaching some days: it's not about the kids.
It's all about the paperwork.
As a Special Educator, I sometimes feel like the paperwork I do is a higher priority to my school system than actually working with students. Why is that you ask? Let's look at how I spend my time when I'm not teaching.
1. I go to re-evaluations and IEPs during my planning periods.
2. I write goals, narratives, and anecdotal records during my planning periods.
3. I spend my teacher workday compiling VGLA binders.
4. I usually spend a planning period after each quarter filling out IEP goal sheets (okay, so this isn't so much of a time sink. It's the SPED equivalent of sending out progress reports once a quarter, but I figured I'd throw it in).
5. A student came after school for help today, but I had to put him on hold to conference with another teacher for a meeting that had been rescheduled and there was no other time to meet.
That's right. I put helping a student on hold because heads would roll if I didn't attend to paperwork. Technically, the student was a kid I don't even teach (the teacher he wanted to stay after with wasn't at school so he asked if I could help him), but it still felt like my priorities were slightly backwards trying to finish paperwork that would keep me employed versus help a student which seems to be the definition of teaching. The kid got the help he needed in the end (plus a "why aren't you in honors?" comment because he picked it up so quickly), but I do wish there was less paperwork and legal woes tied into being a SPED Teacher. Still, it's those legal mandates that guarantee schools have special educators, so it won't be going away any time soon. I do wonder if I'll look back at this journal years in the future and think "wuss" or "Wow, things have gotten so much better."
Either way, it's part of the job. You do what you got to do, make the best of it and go forward. I don't know if it's confidence, pride, stupidity, or arrogance, but I figure if I'm going to have to do something anyways I may as well be good at it. Not the best mind you! I'm not going to live and breathe my job and give up all my free time, but I'll give it my all on the job so that I can make sure my family has all their needs met and some of their wants to boot.
Shane's still growing like a chia pet in the rainforest. When he kicks in his crib, I can hear it in the basement. He's getting strong!
It's all about the paperwork.
As a Special Educator, I sometimes feel like the paperwork I do is a higher priority to my school system than actually working with students. Why is that you ask? Let's look at how I spend my time when I'm not teaching.
1. I go to re-evaluations and IEPs during my planning periods.
2. I write goals, narratives, and anecdotal records during my planning periods.
3. I spend my teacher workday compiling VGLA binders.
4. I usually spend a planning period after each quarter filling out IEP goal sheets (okay, so this isn't so much of a time sink. It's the SPED equivalent of sending out progress reports once a quarter, but I figured I'd throw it in).
5. A student came after school for help today, but I had to put him on hold to conference with another teacher for a meeting that had been rescheduled and there was no other time to meet.
That's right. I put helping a student on hold because heads would roll if I didn't attend to paperwork. Technically, the student was a kid I don't even teach (the teacher he wanted to stay after with wasn't at school so he asked if I could help him), but it still felt like my priorities were slightly backwards trying to finish paperwork that would keep me employed versus help a student which seems to be the definition of teaching. The kid got the help he needed in the end (plus a "why aren't you in honors?" comment because he picked it up so quickly), but I do wish there was less paperwork and legal woes tied into being a SPED Teacher. Still, it's those legal mandates that guarantee schools have special educators, so it won't be going away any time soon. I do wonder if I'll look back at this journal years in the future and think "wuss" or "Wow, things have gotten so much better."
Either way, it's part of the job. You do what you got to do, make the best of it and go forward. I don't know if it's confidence, pride, stupidity, or arrogance, but I figure if I'm going to have to do something anyways I may as well be good at it. Not the best mind you! I'm not going to live and breathe my job and give up all my free time, but I'll give it my all on the job so that I can make sure my family has all their needs met and some of their wants to boot.
Shane's still growing like a chia pet in the rainforest. When he kicks in his crib, I can hear it in the basement. He's getting strong!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Riding out a carpet installation with the boy
So our tax refund has already been spent. I'm not sure if it was even deposited yet! Our house is getting carpet installed in the basement, dining room, and stairs going up and down from the main level. Carrie and I started moving stuff this week and I mostly finished up before Shane woke up this morning. The installers came just before 8AM and I've been babysitting Shane and checking on them ever since. My father-in-law, brother-in-law, and uncle-in-law came by to visit for a short stint and hang up a mirror, but other than that's it just been me and the bouncing boy.
Have I mentioned before that my son can have some killer gas? He can blow smoke that has me double checking his diaper even after I've seen there's nothing there. Obviously, he gets this particular trait from me (my wife's skin, and my colon! That's my boy!).
Really busy week at school this past week. There were meetings galore and drama to spare, but that's just how teaching is. It may not take a rocket scientist, but it takes a lot of 'stress and patience management.' That's the best way I can think of describing it. I'm already looking forward to summer! Maybe next year we'll travel around to see all of the different grandparents. This summer, I was just offered an ESY position as a Cat B IA, so that may be a nice change of pace and a little extra money in the pocket. I love this area, but it is expensive! If my family and friends cleared out, I would be tempted to go somewhere a little cheaper and a little slower paced for an adventure/new experience, but I can't help but wonder if I'd just come back here in the end. In the meantime, I need to work-work-work and figure out where to invest so that I make sure my little booger gets everything he needs growing up. Next year, I don't plan on leaving my current school, but maybe I'll try out an elementary or high school the year after that if the economy is turned around. If there's too many budget cuts there won't be much opportunity for mobility without possibly getting trapped and I really like my current position. We'll see what the future brings!
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