The Incredible Edible....EGG

Yes, I know.  I have EGG ON MY FACE!

Book Review: Daniel Isn't Talking

Yeah for me!  I finished my 6th book of the year.

I would not have selected this book had my mother not left it behind after one of her visits, but I am glad it crossed my path.  I read through this novel with purpose; I had to find out how this story was going to end.  To be honest with you, as a mom with an infant and still weary of immunizations, this may have been the wrong time for me to read about autism, but this book is about so much more than autism.  It is about love and determination, perseverance and fortitude, knowledge and priorities.



Click Here to find out more.

Pasta Dinner= Fail

Today Ella had her first jar of baby food.  She has been spoiled with fresh organic fruits and veggies since she started eating solids.  And since we were running a little late for a baby shower this afternoon and I forgot to defrost her lunch, we tried one of the emergency jars that we have stashed in the cupboard.

Ummmm, it did not go so well!  Ella is a super eater; she eats anything,  In fact, her mouth is usually open, awaiting the next spoonful of food.  Not tonight. To show her displeasure she was closed-mouthed and pushed the spoon away from Ryan several times.  It was quite funny.

Tomorrow we will go back to the real stuff.  I guess she just like my cooking better!  Who can blame her?

No One Told Me...

No one told me the down and dirty of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood.  Just as well, I would not have believed it, nor did I care to ask.  In my mind, ignorance was bliss and it worked for me.  And anyways, I would do it all over again and someday I hope to.

Now that many of my besties are moms or soon-to be moms, we have had some very candid conversations.  Conversations you could only have with your best buds.  Not that I would share them on a public forum or anything, but a recent discussion (via e-mail, of course) occurred regarding nursing and our embarassing moments.  And I have a few stories.

1.  At 4 months post-partum we left Missy Moo with Grandma for the day to watch the Mariners play the Yankees.  This meant an entire day away from her and that meant lost of pumping.  I pumped in the car both there and back and during the middle of the game, right smack dab in my seat WHILE sitting next to my father-in-law and an arms reach away from my brother-in-law!  I don't think I would have the nerve to do that again, but trust me, there is NO private place at a park stadium and when a nursing mom needs to pump, she NEEDS to pump!

2.  I forgot to lock the door fully to the family bathroom in the airport.  There I was sitting on my luggage  and I think I gave that poor older lady the shock of her life!

3a.  Being back at work and pumping has been fine, but I have had two close calls.  My door, like the doors of all teachers, are constantly locked.  Plus, I have a PLEASE KNOCK sign on my door.  (All the yahoo kids knock while passing by my door several times a day; it is really annoying).  Regardless, my principal let himself in one day and was 30 seconds shy of seeing more than he bargained for.  Now that would have been uncomfortable!

3b.  Apparently my sign is ineffective.  The hall monitor unlocked the door, without knocking, to let in a student who need to get his belongings as he was going home sick.  Luckily, I had the sense to drop to the floor and hide behind my desk.  I then made up some crazy story that I dropped something.  Being a sixth grader, he did not ask nor did he seem to care.

So, let this be a warning, if a door says PLEASE KNOCK, you really should!

Just Like My Mommy

Just like mom I like  to read the paper,

except she reads the sports section first and sips on coffee. 

9 Months Already?!

Ella was born exactly 9 months and 2 hours ago.  And at that very moment the world became a better place. Today she had her 9 month checkup and had her last H1N1 vaccination.  (Happy 9 months, Ella and here is a shot to celebrate!)  She was a champ, like always.  And we got THE stats...

Weight ~ 21 lb 15 oz, 92 percentile
Height ~ 29.75", 98 percentile
Head Circumference ~ 17.76", 81 percentile

Ella Thinks

Reading books in her birthday suit is.......

FUN!

Bird Bath= LOVE

I have more ESTY love.  I bought this cute print for Ella's bathroom and it is precious.  Every little girl needs a picture of a bird in a bathtub or a lion with a hair dryer.  Plus, the seller is from PDX.

BarkingBirdArt

So Sweet

I adore cute invitations and have fallen in love with These by ETSY seller CherryBlossomWay.  Wouldn't they be perfect for a children's birthday party?  And wouldn't you love to get one in the mail?  

CherryBlossomWay

Yogurt...Yummmmmm

Ella is a really good eater, just like her mom and dad. And as you can tell, she does not miss a meal! Every week we try to introduce a new item or two and I am sure she really appreciates the variety. Can you imagine eating the same foods over and over? Well, I guess that would be okay if we were talking about pizza, pasta, nachos, and ice cream!

Ella's diet includes:

Protein:
Lentils
Chicken

Fruits:
Avocado
Apples
Blueberries
Bananas
Apricots
Prunes
Pears

Veggies:
Carrots
Broccoli
Sweet Potatoes
Pasnips
Peas
Corn

and now.....
YOGURT!

Lucky Us

We are in the midst of Spring-like weather and have been for days. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the flowers are blooming. It is amazing! Even better, this glorious weather pattern is going to hold for the weekend.

This means:

1. there is a zoo visit in our future
2. more fun at the park
3. and a trip to the outdoor mall

I can't wait; it is going to be a wonderful weekend!

Read Me a Book, Round 2

Last year I set a lofty goal to read 52 books. Being a reading teacher I wanted to model reading to my students and catch up on the books I have been meaning to read. Before I had Ella I managed to read 18 books and I was right on track to reach my goal. Each book cover was copied and displayed on my classroom wall. I constantly spoke about my reading, encouraged book talks and made reading for pleasure a priority each school day. This created a reading frenzy in my classroom. However, I lost momentum when I went on leave and although I continued reading, I stopped charting my progress.

After reading one interesting book this year, I realized that I truly missed reading and that I need to create time to read. So, now I am ready for round two....

52 Books in 2010

1. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

2. Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer and Jack Galvin

3. Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFLaur


So now that I am only 3 books deep, I need book suggestions. What are your favorite books?

You Know You Wake Up Ridiculously Early

When your toothbrush has not finished charging after your *full* night's sleep.

Love Is....

When your husband *tries* to make you chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine's Day.



They may not look pretty, but they sure are yummy.

Love Makes the World Go Round

Here I am with my special Valentine (the hubs had to work).



She makes every day, every minute, every experience that much sweeter.



We hope you had a nice day with someone you love



Or chocolate.

2/13~ Get A Different Name Day

Did you know that tomorrow is Get A Different Name Day? Seriously. Where do they come up with these days? Anyways, it got me thinking. When I was little I loved, loved, LOVED the name Crystal Marie. Every time I played pretend house, Barbie, school, whatever, I was Crystal Marie. Once in a blue moon I was Rachel Marie. In hindsight I am very glad I am not a Crystal; it just isn't me. I still like the name Rachel, but I am more than happy with the name Rebecca. But, if I had to, really had to, I think I would rename myself Beth or Elisabeth or Elyse ( I LOVE that name, the hubs doesn't). So anyways, what name would you choose to rename yourself?

Blog Diggity....

Ok, what did I do BEFORE I discovered blogs!? Seriously, blogs and Etsy are my newest addiction and form of research. So, I must know, what blogs should I be checking out? I have an interest in decor, fashion, babies, entertaining, and food. What are your favorite blogs? Do share.

FYI ...

Today I learned that a student's parents play strip poker.

TOO. MUCH. INFORMATION.

Oh No! Our First Cold!

Ella and her runny snotbox.



But she is still smiling.



A cold is inevitable and after 8 1/2 months, one finally struck. However, I did not know that she would be such a trooper. You often hear of how horrible it is when a little one is sick, how they don't sleep well, and how their schedule is off. And I may be jinxing us, but Missy Moo is as cheerful as ever ~ even with a runny snotbox (that's my dad's terminology). In fact, she likes tissues so much that she is constantly trying to eat them!

I Love....

This toothy smile and this silly personality.




I love these Flinestone Feet and cankles.



I love this little girl with the teething cracker fangs!

ETSY... My New Addiction

Won't this be super duper cute in Ella's room? It is from ETSY seller ModernPop. I have a feeling it will be hanging on her wall sometime in the near future.

I Did Not Play Hooky, I Swear, but it Sure Felt That Way!

I called in sick on Friday. I would have called in with a no voice but I feel fine excuse, but that is not an option on Subfinder. Besides having no voice, I felt perfect except every time I tried to use my voice box, even in the littlest squeak, my throat felt raw. Never before has this happened to me so it was beyond weird and I have no idea how it happened. Well, that is not true. Maybe I nagged my students so much for not having their homework this week that I lost my voice. That very well could be it. I was a world-class nagger, but they SO deserved it considering 22 out of 61 students turned in their first assignment of the semester!

I used my kinda sick day to the fullest. Ella was at Grandma and Grandpa's and since Aunt Lucille was coming over to visit, I decided to get things done. And boy, did I ever!

1. I went to school to get ready for the sub. My kids were pretty sweet and very concerned that I had no voice. It made me want to spend the day with them even though I could not talk. I think they would have been very well behaved.

2. I came home and made a grocery list that basically consisted of veggies for Ella's meals and stew ingredients.

3. I went to the grocery store. I did not have to carry a baby on my hip and thus could run in and out in 10 minutes. That was nice.

4. I unpacked groceries and did a quick clean up of the house.



5. I went to the mall. I browsed through Pottery Barn, looked at Sears for patio furniture, went to Nordstroms to look at shoes for Ella and bought myself a shirt (how did that happen?), had a blast at the Disney Store, and bought cards at Hallmark.







6. Grabbed a latte at Starbucks and then went to Barnes and Noble. I bought myself a book, SARAH'S KEYS, and Ella two books because I felt guilty for not being with her.

7. Then I went to Aaron Brother's frame store to purchase a frame for my college degree that I earned in 2001 and will finally hang.

All this was done by 1 pm. I was on the go and it was great. I have not accomplished so much ramming since last May and although I enjoyed it, I don't miss it. Ella and I had a fabulous remainder of the day. She did all the talking and I did all the listening. My voice is not back to normal, but much better. Hopefully my kiddos have their homework tomorrow or else we are all in for it!

ABCs

A - Age: 30

B - Bed size: King, it is new and I LOVE it!

C - Chore you hate: cleaning the bathroom, but I insist on doing it because I am convinced Ryan will miss a spot. I also hate sweeping and mopping.

D - Dog’s name: none, but we had Lancey (I miss him).

E - Essential start your day item: a long, HOT shower

F - Favorite colors: blue, green, yellow, red~ I like them all

G - Gold or Silver: silver

H - Height: 5`8, barely

I - Instruments you play: none unless you count Ella's maracas. I can shake them with the best of them!

J - Job title: Mom, Teacher, Wife

K – Kids: the sweetest little girl ever, Ella Morgan, 8 months

L - Living Arrangements: House with my little family

M - Mother’s name: Fran

N - Nicknames: Becky, Fatbird, Brooklyn, Birdie (I HATE that one), Coach

O - Overnight~ favorite place to stay: Anywhere in Hawaii with an Ocean View Room

P - Pet Peeve: Judgemental~ Just let people be

Q - Quote from a movie: “Brr... It is cold in here" I find myself saying that often

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: Older brother, Big Bad Jonathan

T - Time you wake up: Alarm goes off at 5 am. Seriously.

U - Underwear: Yes, I wear them

V - Vegetable you dislike: beets

W - Workout style: I talk about it often, but never really exercise.

X - X-rays you’ve had: last one i got was for my teeth

Y - Yesterday’s best moment: Attending a Dora and Diego birthday party for Riley and Tyson with Ella.

Z - Zoo favorite: Polar bears and elephants, it is a tie

A Year Ago Today...

I looked like this....





That boggles my mind.

New Year's Resolutions... Finally

Yes, I KNOW 2010 is already 34 days old. However, I am finally ready to begin my resolutions. It has taken me these 34 days to decide on goals that I can accomplish. I am not trying to run a marathon when I can't even run a mile, I am not trying to fit into a size 4 pants when I have never worn a size 4, and I am not trying to find the cure for cancer, although that would be really cool. Instead, I have set goals that I can accomplish because quite frankly, I want to be successful. I guess I can be hard on myself, but I am still struggling on how to be a good mom and not have my teaching suffer and how to be a good teacher without taking time away from my family. And I know this is impossible to do. So my resolutions may appear simple and easy, but that is what I am looking for.

So, without further ado...

1. visit the local library at least every other week
I'd like to do this to expose Ella to the library, encourage myself to read more often, and meet other new moms.

2. limit the boob tube to 90 mins. per day or less, except for nights when the Blazers play

3. work out at least 2 times a week
Hey, I don't work out at all right now, so this would be a huge improvement. Walking does not count.

4. stay on top of my grading
This can be a nightmare if left ignored for a few days. *Note: It is 9:02 and I have yet to begin grading my papers tonight. However, it should be fairly easy since only 12 out of 31 kiddos turned in the assignment!*

5. Not eat ice cream EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT
I am typing this while eating..... ice cream! Seriously, this will be the most difficult of them all.

And in the meantime, if I do run a marathon, fit into size 4 pants, and find a cure for cancer, that would be okay too.

Sun? Can It Be?!

When the sun peaked out from behind the clouds we immediately stopped what we were doing, threw on our fleece jackets and headed to the park. Ella seemed to enjoy the swing and I got a healthy dose of vitamin D.