I have survived another two weeks. Wednesday was the watershed "field experience." That's teacher code for "we're going on a field trip, but not really because we're going to make the kids work some." I suppose 'experience' makes the trip sound more meaningful and learn-a-riffic. Personally, I'm a-okay with anything that mixes up the daily routine. It was a lot of work, and we got rained on for the last twenty minutes, but breaking the daily grind was priceless. I would've shown up to work sick and vomiting to make the trip and then used sick leave for the day after.
After the trip, as I was cold and wet and supervising kids, I had a craving for a drink Carrie fixed for me yesterday: Irish Coffee. Coffee is the devil, but the Irish make it in a way even I'll drink it! Specifically, when I'm cold, wet, and tired. I would've loved one in that cafeteria...especially because I was out of my true love: tea. Don't worry, tea. I haven't forsaken you..., but I may be adopting a special coffee for special occasions. Carrie's thrilled she finally got me to admit to liking a coffee. She made homemade cream and she made one for her mom yesterday to show off how she converted me to the 'dark side.'
It's been a while since I updated, so I guess I'm going to do a 'bullet dump.' That's where I throw up a 'click to read more' and drop a bunch of bullets about random crap that's been going on the past 13 days so that no one has to read it unless they click.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
The Turning Point
Maybe "veteran" parent wasn't the right word in the last post. As a new parent, it was like I didn't trust my son to survive. I read books; I watched his chest to make sure he was breathing; I counted every ounce he drank. Now, I wonder if I'll survive!
This morning, Shane woke me up at 5 AM. Carrie was still asleep, because she'd fallen into a NyQuil induced coma on the couch downstairs. The tone of Shane's cries weren't hungry or hurt, but he was definitely unhappy. I didn't go into his room at first, because his cry was intermittent and I was worried that opening the door would fully wake him if he was slipping in and out of consciousness. Truthfully, I was also dead tired and praying that he would go back to sleep so that I could follow suit. Eventually, I went in and his room felt colder than I expected. I slipped some socks on him, an extra pair of pants, and then sat rubbing his back until he went back to sleep...sort of. He would doze off and on but he'd make enough noise that I never got back to sleep while listening to him on the intercom. Around 6:15 AM I went downstairs to make a bottle and fully wake the boy up. His hands were cold, so it must be time to switch my A/C frame of mind from cool to heat.
As a new parent, I would've been panicking. As an at least somewhat experienced parent, I was hoping I could snatch five more z's before the boy needed me. Hence, the "I used to worry he wouldn't make it" to the "and now I wonder if I'll make it." I don't know when the flip happened, but happen it did!
Seriously, the boy is worth it all. Even when I'm exhausted, when he smiles I can't help but be filled with pride and a sense of accomplishment. Hopefully, I'll live long enough to enjoy many more years of it....at least until the teenage years. Then I'll really wonder if I'm going to make it through parenting sanity intact!
This morning, Shane woke me up at 5 AM. Carrie was still asleep, because she'd fallen into a NyQuil induced coma on the couch downstairs. The tone of Shane's cries weren't hungry or hurt, but he was definitely unhappy. I didn't go into his room at first, because his cry was intermittent and I was worried that opening the door would fully wake him if he was slipping in and out of consciousness. Truthfully, I was also dead tired and praying that he would go back to sleep so that I could follow suit. Eventually, I went in and his room felt colder than I expected. I slipped some socks on him, an extra pair of pants, and then sat rubbing his back until he went back to sleep...sort of. He would doze off and on but he'd make enough noise that I never got back to sleep while listening to him on the intercom. Around 6:15 AM I went downstairs to make a bottle and fully wake the boy up. His hands were cold, so it must be time to switch my A/C frame of mind from cool to heat.
As a new parent, I would've been panicking. As an at least somewhat experienced parent, I was hoping I could snatch five more z's before the boy needed me. Hence, the "I used to worry he wouldn't make it" to the "and now I wonder if I'll make it." I don't know when the flip happened, but happen it did!
Seriously, the boy is worth it all. Even when I'm exhausted, when he smiles I can't help but be filled with pride and a sense of accomplishment. Hopefully, I'll live long enough to enjoy many more years of it....at least until the teenage years. Then I'll really wonder if I'm going to make it through parenting sanity intact!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
You know when you're a veteran parent when...
You know when you're a veteran parent when you hear your son gag on a baby puff and you're first reactions are to pat him on the back and cup your other hand in front of his mouth. I caught a handful of throw-up.
Hands are much easier and quicker to clean than carpet.
In other news, my son is working out! He likes to climb up the stairs with Daddy shadowing him. He's tackled four stories worth today! Shane is quite the trooper. He just keeps on trucking.
Hands are much easier and quicker to clean than carpet.
In other news, my son is working out! He likes to climb up the stairs with Daddy shadowing him. He's tackled four stories worth today! Shane is quite the trooper. He just keeps on trucking.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Early Thanksgiving
The whole house smells of sweet potato pie. Carrie's sick so she's using baking as a means of distracting herself. Everyone who eats her cooking will benefit from her illness. Sorry, Love!
Tomorrow is going to be an early Early Thanksgiving for my family. Jama flew up from Texas to visit and meet my son, Shane. Since she won't be able to be here in November, we're having a whole turkey, stuffing, and pie-o-rama tomorrow! I get two Thanksgivings this year! Good food, and it's greatly convenient, because my mother-in-law wanted to have Thanksgiving down at her house this year because my brother-in-law's family moved nearby. The bash for Jama prevents a schedule conflict for me, so I feel extra blessed.
Shane's got a sore nose at the moment. He was at Nana Day Care, and Nana had to run to another room for a moment. Jama was with Shane, but he's getting faster and faster by the day. Megan just happened to open the front door, arms full of groceries, and step through when Shane was closer to it than Jama. The little tyke raced over there and before Jama could get him had a little spill. His nose is a little scraped up, but he's not much worse for wear, the poor kid. Bumps and bruises are a necessary part of the learning process. He's getting old enough that he's capable of learning these sort of things, but I'm just happy it didn't happen on my watch. I always feel super guilty when he gets hurt around me like I'm a failure as a parent. Well, at least until I see if there's a mark or not and I'll have to fess up to my wife!
My SMART Board came in at work today. It's awesome. I'm looking forward to learning how to fully use it. I just need spare time and energy. Oh wait... That's the rub in my life nowadays. There's a lot of things I want to do or learn more about, but without spare time and the energy to do something in that spare time it's hard to innovate. It's almost counter-intuitive that I could be a better teacher if I did less at work, so that I could have more spare time to think and reflect.
Life has been moving quickly over here. It was a three-day weekend where I got to catch up on a lot of laundry on Columbus Day. I didn't get much done on Sunday, because Carrie had four riding lessons. She was gone for nine hours, and Shane requires more attention nowadays since he can go out and find trouble faster and faster. He's napping less, too. He's down to two naps a day, and sometimes he tries to go for a one nap marathon (he's extra cranky by bedtime on those days). I'm still working, tutoring, and I'm going to wake up extra early tomorrow to go with the science teachers and tour the watershed field experience site before school starts.
Tomorrow is going to be an early Early Thanksgiving for my family. Jama flew up from Texas to visit and meet my son, Shane. Since she won't be able to be here in November, we're having a whole turkey, stuffing, and pie-o-rama tomorrow! I get two Thanksgivings this year! Good food, and it's greatly convenient, because my mother-in-law wanted to have Thanksgiving down at her house this year because my brother-in-law's family moved nearby. The bash for Jama prevents a schedule conflict for me, so I feel extra blessed.
Shane's got a sore nose at the moment. He was at Nana Day Care, and Nana had to run to another room for a moment. Jama was with Shane, but he's getting faster and faster by the day. Megan just happened to open the front door, arms full of groceries, and step through when Shane was closer to it than Jama. The little tyke raced over there and before Jama could get him had a little spill. His nose is a little scraped up, but he's not much worse for wear, the poor kid. Bumps and bruises are a necessary part of the learning process. He's getting old enough that he's capable of learning these sort of things, but I'm just happy it didn't happen on my watch. I always feel super guilty when he gets hurt around me like I'm a failure as a parent. Well, at least until I see if there's a mark or not and I'll have to fess up to my wife!
My SMART Board came in at work today. It's awesome. I'm looking forward to learning how to fully use it. I just need spare time and energy. Oh wait... That's the rub in my life nowadays. There's a lot of things I want to do or learn more about, but without spare time and the energy to do something in that spare time it's hard to innovate. It's almost counter-intuitive that I could be a better teacher if I did less at work, so that I could have more spare time to think and reflect.
Life has been moving quickly over here. It was a three-day weekend where I got to catch up on a lot of laundry on Columbus Day. I didn't get much done on Sunday, because Carrie had four riding lessons. She was gone for nine hours, and Shane requires more attention nowadays since he can go out and find trouble faster and faster. He's napping less, too. He's down to two naps a day, and sometimes he tries to go for a one nap marathon (he's extra cranky by bedtime on those days). I'm still working, tutoring, and I'm going to wake up extra early tomorrow to go with the science teachers and tour the watershed field experience site before school starts.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Shane - 10 months
Has it really been this long? My boy is almost a year old? It's hard to believe sometimes. I remember dealing with Carrie's pregnancy, or sitting upstairs on a January afternoon with a 1.5 month Shane sleeping on my lap, and a laptop playing Zulu, Sanjuro, or some other random flick on Netflix streaming. Now, Shane weighs more than a small barbell, sleeps less, poops more, and is standing up! The days are long, but the months are short. I was frustrated this morning, because the boy woke up crying and then wouldn't take his bottle! I bolted out of bed in boxers, tore downstairs, came back up, and I got no cooperation. He's ate like a trucker after a long haul since then and is napping peacefully behind me (How else do you think I'd get time to type?).
Parenting is a lot of work, but I've learned a lot:
1) No one was kidding when they said "your whole life is about to change."
2) Grandparents are even cooler when they're your child's grandparents than when they were yours.
3) Any time you think you've got the routine down pat, you're already a step behind. It changes that quick.
4) Which is probably why everyone always says "they grow up so fast" and I've always shrugged it off thinking old people like to reminisce.
5) I'm officially one of those old people now.
On to the Shane-annigans:
Parenting is a lot of work, but I've learned a lot:
1) No one was kidding when they said "your whole life is about to change."
2) Grandparents are even cooler when they're your child's grandparents than when they were yours.
3) Any time you think you've got the routine down pat, you're already a step behind. It changes that quick.
4) Which is probably why everyone always says "they grow up so fast" and I've always shrugged it off thinking old people like to reminisce.
5) I'm officially one of those old people now.
On to the Shane-annigans:
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