Falling Behind

My sister texted me today and told me I needed to update my blog.  Between going back to work, Owen starting school, Owen having soccer twice a week, Mike coaching Owen's team, Owen having homework most nights, me trying to make dinner and play with Adam and try to keep up with house stuff, there just isn't enough hours in the day and sadly, blogging takes a backseat. 

Saturday morning I got to see and hold my cousin's new baby, Beatrice Marie.  She's so tiny and pretty and perfect.  I can't wait for Owen and Adam to meet her.  I know they are going to love her. 

Saturday night Mike and I went out on a date to my favorite restaurant.  We went with his assistant principal and his wife.  We had a really nice time.

This morning we went to church and then decided take the boys hiking to Gov. Dick.  The weather was perfect. Owen amazes me at his endurance. 

He hiked straight up the mountain and ran at least half of it while I huffed and puffed behind him.  I was pushing Adam in the jogger stroller, but still, that boy is in shape and could probably out run me right now.

Owen was very interested in finding "treasures" as we hiked.  We examined animal prints (mainly horses), a bee hive that fell to the ground, and spider webs.

Mr. Adam preferred to run on the trail too, except he's not as nimble as his brother.  He tripped on a rock and fell hard a few times, but that didn't stop him.

All four of us climbed up to the top of the tower.  Adam was a trooper and didn't have any problem with the ladders.  Owen was a little nervous after he looked out the window and saw how high up we were.  But he did it!  The view from the top was crystal clear.  I wasn't able to get any pictures because I had to leave my camera at the bottom so I didn't damage it.

Owen fueling up before the hike back down.

We had a really nice weekend, but it went way too fast! 

Classroom Tour

Tomorrow is our students' first day of school.  I love starting after Labor Day!  Here's a little tour of my classroom...

Here's the view from my desk in the back corner

Sink area with comprehension strategy posters on the cabinets.  I plan to put a star or arrow on the skill we are focusing on each week.

Student mailboxes.  I put a cute poem and snack in each mailbox for back-to-school night.

I love storage!!  I have so much storage in my classroom that I actually have three empty drawers.  I'm sure they'll be filled in no time.  In the 4th drawer down I have all my extra supplies for when new students arrive (which is sometimes on a weekly basis).

My listening center area and Helping Hands classroom jobs.  That light was in my sister's room growing up.  I have a lot of lamps in my room this year.  I'm hoping it adds a calming effect :)


My student transportation area- this is how we know how students get home at the end of the day.  I wrote each students' name on a clothespin and clipped it to the card that applies to them.  This makes it extra easy when students move out/in.

I moved my white board up front for our Open House last week.  It had my "Giving Tree" on it.  Parents can take an apple or two.  Each apple has a classroom item on it that we use a lot throughout the year.  I had a bowl full of apples for my parents on the table next to the door.

My clock


Each table has its own caddy.  Each caddy has a certain number of items in it.  I will slowly add more things to the caddies once I know we can handle it.  Tables that have all their caddy contents at the end of the day will get rewarded!

 

 Love my puff balls!  They are very therapeutic to make :) You can see my desk in the back of the room. You can also see my pathetically small classroom library.  Somehow a lot of my books got lost/taken/misplaced while I was off for 1.5 years on maternity leave.  I'm going to try donorschoose.org for a bigger/better library.

 Another view of my room.

 My cute curtains that my mom spent an entire day sewing.  Love them!

 My clearance lamp- from Lowe's. 

 I think this lamp was my dad's when he was little. 

 Our daily schedule minus the times.

 More storage.  Students will put their backpacks in the lower cubbies and hang their coats on the hooks. The colorful bags on top are filled with birthday goodies.  Whenever a student has a birthday, I just grab a bag.  Each bag has a birthday pencil, eraser, birthday sticker, three lollipops, fruitsnacks, crayons, and card.  No more rushing around trying to pull things together when a student has a birthday! I like that it adds color to my room.

 I saw this idea somewhere and I loved it.  I asked our IT guys for old headphones that no longer work.  I cut the cords off them and they will be used as quiet phones for students that need them.  I have two autistic students this year and I think they may like to use them.

 Does this painting look familiar MB?!

 The bulletin board outside my classroom.  I am definitely getting smarter the longer I have been teaching.  I wrote student names on the owls with a dry erase marker.  When a student moves, I simply erase their name.  I usually get a new student soon after one moves out so I can just write his/her name on the blank owl. 

 And let me tell you... Second grade is definitely a HOOT!  My grade level partners and I laugh and laugh and laugh at the things kids do/say and at ourselves.  If we didn't laugh our job would be miserable.

This sign lets visitors know where we are if we aren't in our room.

 

And there you have it!  I completely forgot to take a picture of my favorite thing in my classroom... my... Smartboard.  It's in the front of my classroom.  I don't know how I ever taught without it!

Thanks for visiting my classroom :)

Owen's first day of school

The night before Owen's first day of school he had trouble falling asleep.  He was soooooo excited and couldn't wait to go to Kindergarten.  The next morning he couldn't wait to head out the door to the bus stop.  Even though the bus stop is about 100 feet away, we drove there so Mike could sit in the car and watch since he was still really sick.

When we got there, both boys got out of the car and walked over to the other school kids from Linda's house.  We wanted to get a picture of all the school kids, but right away Owen took my hand and started to cry.  I wasn't surprised.  In fact, I kind of expected him to get upset.  He gets really excited for things and then when they are about to happen, he thinks of all sorts of senarios and works himself up.  He hid behind my arm and held my hand and cried until I was able to figure out why he was upset.  He said he was afraid he wouldn't know what bus to get on to get home.  Bless his heart.  That is a really scary thought.  Thankfully the older kids at Linda's were able to tell him exactly what will happen and it didn't take long until he was happy and playing football with the other kids while waiting for the bus.

It took a really long time for the bus to arrive.  I think it was 15 minutes late and we were already 15 minutes early so it was a lot of waiting, which means a lot of time for Owen's mind to start to wander.  He got quiet a few minutes before the bus arrived and told me he was worried he didn't know how long he was going to be at school.  I told him it was less than 3 hours... as long as Adam naps everyday.  Then he was fine and soon after the bus pulled up and his buddy Aiden took his hand and walked him onto the bus.  I know he was scared, but he did it.  He didn't cry and I didn't have to  carry him on the bus and plop him on a seat like I had nightmares about all summer.  Phew!

Then I had to take Adam into Linda's house.  He was holding onto me for dear life, crying hysterically.  You know... making sure my first day back at work is extra sad and miserable.  Maggie had to peal him off of me and I had to walk away.

To top the day off, Mike was on his way to the doctor for some major pain he was having and later that day had to have an ultrasound.  Talk about a stressful first day!  For some reason I've learned that major events in our life never go exactly as we hope/plan for.  I guess that's just life.

Thankfully I was able to swing over to Linda's house during my lunch break to watch Owen get off the bus and hear about his first day of school.  I waited in my car for the bus to arrive and when it finally did I couldn't wait to see Owen!  I thought I saw him in the tinted bus windows, but when the bus driver opened the door, no one came off the bus.  I started to get on the bus because I was terrified that he wasn't on.  I got scolded by the bus driver for stepping on the bus.  I guess that's a big no-no.  She asked who I needed and then called for Owen to get off the bus.  He stood up and got off.  Poor guy didn't know what to do.  I guess he was waiting for permission to stand up and get off the bus.  It's funny how the simple things, like getting off a bus, we just assume kids know, but it's not always the case.

I was so relieved when he told me he had a good day.  He said he went to music class and walked all around the school and went to recess for only a minute.  Then he went into Linda's and I had to wait until I picked him up later that afternoon to get more details about the first day. 

Thankfully, the week got much better after the first day of school.  Owen LOVES school.  He is so content and happy to go each day.  He shares bits and pieces with me and I'm trying really hard not to be a helicopter mom and grill him about everything he does each day. 

Adam is doing much better at daycare too.  He cries in the morning when he leaves me, but it doesn't last long once he gets there.  He's finally eating lunch and not crying during the day.  Mike is doing much better too.  His ultrasound came back clear and he returned to work on Thursday.  I'm thankful for a three day weekend so he can rest.  I'd hate to see him over due it and the headaches return. 

Everyone was so kind, supportive, and helpful while Mike was sick.  Friends and family brought meals, helped watch the boys, and took the time to check in to see how he was doing.  My friends at work were so sweet too.  We're lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people!  Thank you!

First Day Pictures

Here are some pictures from this morning.  I'll write more about Owen's first day later.  

I asked Owen if I could take his picture and his was his first pose.  Bahahaahaaahhaaaa!  So funny!!!  He said he was being a ninja.

Adam had to have a name tag just like his brother.

Every pose Owen would do Adam would attempt the same one.

 

Don't ask me what in the world Owen is doing.

Playing football with the boys while waiting for the bus to arrive.

His best buddy Aiden is going into 1st grade.  He was so nice to sit with him on the bus and help him not feel so scared.

A Letter to My Kindergartner

Dear Owen,

I feel like I blinked and you went from a tiny, helpless newborn that fit so perfectly in my arms to an independent, strong five year old.

Thankfully you still like to sit on my lap and snuggle and while it may not look like you fit perfectly in my arms like you did five years ago, it still feels just right to me.

 

I was thinking about what I wanted to write to you tonight while in the shower and I started to cry.  A good, big cry.  I needed that and I'm hoping I got it out of my system.

 

You are so ready and very excited for Kindergarten.  You can't wait to learn to read and write more words and play on the playground.  However, you said that you are most excited to meet new friends.  I love that and I can't wait either.

 

But I have to admit, part of me wishes I could keep you in a bubble.  I know that's not what good parents do.  They let their children go, one step at a time, but this is a big step for me.  I don't want you to lose your innocence.  Right now you think "knock it off", "shut up", and "hate" are bad words and I'd really like to keep it that way. 

You are such a handsome little guy, but looks will only get you so far and it's not what makes a person great.  What makes you so great is your kind heart.  The other day you were driving with daddy and you commented on how beautiful the field by our house was.  You said, "God did such a great job when he made this world."  That's the way you think and I wish I could say it had to do with your dad and I, but it's just you.  It's what we love so much about you.  You are wise beyond your years.  I hope you are always able to find beauty in this world because sometimes it's hard to find.  We hope you are smart and get good grades, but more than that, we hope you are a kind person.  We hope you help someone that needs a friend and include the little boy or girl that feels left out.  Even though Adam wasn't very nice to you today, you still asked him if he wanted to hold your hand in the car when he was sad.  You love him unconditionally and are so forgiving.  What wonderful qualities and you're only five.

Rarely a day goes by where your dad and I don't look at each other and comment on how great you (and your brother) are.  We are so proud of you and tonight, after you climbed into bed with your brother because it was his first night sleeping in your room and he was scared, daddy said to me "How did we get so lucky?"

You are such a blessing to us.  You are going to love school, but sadly, there will be times you don't like it.  Times when other kids are mean, you are frustrated, scared, feel alone, defeated, and maybe even heartbroken.  But just know that we love you so much and will be here to support you, even when you make mistakes.  And trust me, although we think you are pretty perfect, you WILL make mistakes, but we'll never stop thinking you are the greatest thing that happened to us.

So Monday morning, when you step on that bus and head off to school for the very first time, just know that you aren't alone.  You have a piece of my heart with you.  Always.  Every step of the way.  Forever and ever.

I love you.

Mom

Mike update

I thought we were finally over the great sickness of Summer 2012, but I was wrong.  Very, very wrong.  Mike was the third boy in our family to get the fever, chills, horrible headache and body ache thing.  I must have a rockin' immune system (knock on wood).  He had it last Tuesday through Friday and then got better and we thought it was over.  Then, Thursday around 10:30am he was teaching a class and he got a horrible headache, chills, and body ache again.  He went to Med Express and they thought it could be Lyme and started treating him for that until the blood work came back to confirm it.  Friday was just as bad.  He was in a lot of pain.  Our family doctor was out Thursday and Friday and we decided to just go to the Hershey ER.  We knew it could possibly be Lyme, but we also knew it could be something else and if it wasn't treated quickly it could be very very bad.  Lyme, West Nile, and Meningitis all have similar symptoms.  We spent 10 hours in the ER.  He had a CT scan and spinal tap.  He was given two shots of morphine and a migraine cocktail and none of that gave him much relief from his headache.  The tests showed that he has viral meningitis.  Thankfully it isn't bacterial- which can be deadly.  I think they pretty much knew he had meningitis right away because of his severe back pain and the #1 sign- he couldn't touch his chin to his chest.

He is home resting and just has to wait it out which is frustrating to him because Mike and laying around is an oxymoron.  He's a very active person.  There's nothing he can take because it's a virus and pain meds don't do anything.  While it can be contagious, he'd have to spit, cough, or sneeze on someone so we aren't really concerned about that.  He goes to our family doctor Tuesday to see if he can return to work Wednesday, but I'm not sure he'll physically be able to go back that soon.  We're just taking one day at a time because if we think too far ahead it gets overwhelming. 

I was so impressed with the care he received at Hershey.  They did get busy and it took a while to get results back, but that's to be expected.  Every doctor and nurse was so kind and personable to each patient.  They treated every patient like they were their only patient.  I can't say enough good things about the people working there.

I also don't know what I would have done without my sister.  I texted her about 100 times that day with questions/concerns, photos of things I didn't know about, etc.  She was so helpful.   I was thankful to have a sister that's a neuro nurse, that's for sure.

Meet the teacher

Tonight was Owen's kindergarten orientation.  I definitely lost some sleep over this night.  I was  worried that he would be the ONLY kiddo crying and refusing to get on the bus, but thankfully, he was fine.

He was so excited to meet his teacher and ride the bus.  His teacher is Mrs. Allwein, however she will be on maternity leave until the beginning of October.  Until then, his teacher will be Mrs. Haag.  Both teachers were there tonight which was nice.

Owen's sweet friend, Leah, is also in his class so they sat together on the bus. 

The kids each decorated a shoebox.  This is where they'll keep all the books they learn to read throughout the year.

 

Owen loved his classroom.  His favorite part was the corn table.

I just know he's going to love Kindergarten.  I'm not ruling out any tears (for me either), but once he gets in the groove, he's going to be fine!

Our Favorite Summer Memories

Two summers ago I made a book for Owen with pictures of the fun things we did over the summer and he STILL looks at it almost once a week.  He asked me to make another one with recent pictures.  Here it is!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly allows you to customize your photo book just the way you want.