And...

I made it!
I only cheated a little bit, but otherwise, I posted to this blog every day this month. Yeah me! I actually kind of enjoyed it and will hopefully be able to keep up regularly. I don't think that I'm quite ready to make the Blog365 commitment yet, but we'll see how it rolls.

A year with Mona

Mona, the cow, was a Christmas present from my parents last year to Joseph. So, we've taken his picture with Mona every month on the 27th (or the 28th) to document his growth. I'm presenting the complete set to you:

Birth day...before Mona

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

12 months

The Birthday Post

So, our little boy is 1!

We had a lovely day at my parents' house for Thanksgiving and Joseph's birthday. My dad made a turkey on the Egg, and we had more food than we could fathom. Good thing that leftovers are probably the best part of Thanksgiving. So, here's an assortment of pictures from the day. Enjoy them while I try to find places for all of the toys that he got--and it's not even Christmas yet!

The cake...before:

This little truck is pretty cool.

I like this thing too. But, I'd rather have that camera.

I LOVE my wagon (so do mom and Staley).

He was so cute--when he started fading, he was happy just to sit in his shiny new wagon.

The cake...after.

Back at home with so many toys.

One year ago--Part C and Cheesey Potatoes

Ack...labor and deliver...long arduous story and journey. Thank goodness for drugs. He made it. I made it. We made it. Our little family grows. The pain and frustration of pregnancy was over, but the pain and frustration of parenthood was just beginning (including the pain and frustration of breastfeeding...).

What a difference a year makes. Wow. He's changed so much and while I'm so excited that he's a whole year old I've got these kind of bittersweet emotions that his little tiny baby days are over. He's such a sweet little kid and we are sooooo lucky in so very many ways.

So, now I'm off to the kitchen...I got my pie baked last night, Matt made his cake last night (and got lots of stuff all dirty that I'm not cleaning on principle despite the fact that I need the stuff to make the next cake...), I've got to make and frost a birthday cake this morning and make some squash soup too. Mmmm squash soup.

And, an FYI for those of you out there looking for a last minute delicious Thanksgiving (or anytime) piece-of-cake recipe, I'm offering "Cheesey Potatoes." Straight from Betty to you:

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potates
8 medium green onions, sliced (I use 1 regular onion, minced)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I use lots and lots)

Heat oven to 350. Grease 13 x 9 baking pan.
Mix soups, sour cream, milk, (half of your cheese) and pepper in very large bowl. Stir in potatoes and onions. Spread into baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with (remaining) cheese. Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbly around edges.

Serve to your family and friends who will think that you have stumbled upon one of the greatest recipes of all time and will request it whenever it's appropriate and you feel like yummy gooey potatoes.

One year ago: Part II

This year: busy, busy, busy...Matt's folks and I were out pretty early to go shopping and then meet Matt at work for lunch. After lunch, we all headed out to a huge Christmas shop to thrust ourselves into the holiday spirit. Then we headed back to get a fish dinner for Matt's dad's birthday...and some balloons for Joseph's birthday tomorrow.

Last year: I checked myself into the hospital at 8am wearing my "big momma" maternity pants...never to be worn again! After many hours of a pitocin drip, and little "action," finally things started moving...around 5pm. So, we kept on going for a few more hours and then rolled ourselves over to maternity to spend the night and return to labor and delivery the following morning. I should point out that I was due on the 17th, and I kind of wondered if that was the right date given my history of a relatively irregular cycle. All of my ultrasounds measured the right way though...so maybe he was just cozy.

I made a pie tonight too...certainly beats hospital food and pitocin. The Ambian that they gave me last year was nice, though.

One year ago...Part 1

This year: Matt's folks made it here safely after an arduous drive through much weather. After a dinner of crock pot chicken deliciousness, homemade mashed potatoes, and peas, we conquered Costco and are happily decompressing in front of Dancing With The Stars. I think that tomorrow we're going to try to meet Matt for lunch and perhaps hit a Christmas store...we'll see. We need to stop at iParty for some balloons and a hat for a special birthday boy's party on Thursday!

Speaking of the birthday boy...one year ago today Matt and I went to the hospital to have my cervix ripened since it was apparently the strongest muscle in my body. They sent me home without ripening since I was already having fake-o contractions. So, we went to my parents house and watched football. And I stayed pregnant.

Blast from recent past

So, I know that I'm not supposed to have favorite students...but, what can I say? I end up with favorite students. And, one of my favs came to see me today--as a third year cadet at West Point all dressed up in his spiffy dress uniform. He totally made my day! Such a sweet kid--so smart, so kind, so funny, and apparently adjusting to West Point quite well. I always feel like I'm in kind of a time warp when my old students come to see me. They've changed so much, and I feel like I'm still in the same place. It brings a whole new meaning to that phrase "the more things change, the more they stay the same" except that they're the ones changing and I'm the one staying the same (approximately). It really doesn't bother me, though. I know that part of our job is to provide that sturdy and predictable foundation that a lot of these kids don't get in other places...and I am nothing if not sturdy and predictable :) And, I'm happy to say that my brief visit with my cadet today will keep me smiling for a long time.

Success!

I turned my little tiny sock heel and finished my first little tiny sock! Pictures will follow. I also started a Stupid Sock Creature and am continuing on what is turning out to be one of the cutest hats that I've ever made. I promise pictures...really.

TGFG: Thank Goodness For Grandparents

Such a productive day...I swear I work harder on the weekends than I do during the week...although it feels like I'm working at something all the time. Matt and I were super-cleaners this morning. My folks took Joseph for a few hours so that we could have some uninterrupted and distraction-free focused cleaning time since Matt's folks are coming in this week for Thanksgiving and Joseph's birthday. In the midst of everything, we ended up at the dump and decided to check the "Too Good to be Dumped" store and happened upon a practically new little kitchen thingy for the kiddo. It's nice and small and not pink and requires no batteries. So, we took it and Matt bleached it when we got home. We just need to figure out which of his toys will work for pots, pans, and food. We'll figure it out. And, if he hates it--who cares? It was free! Now, if I can just stave off this head cold that I feel is sneaking up on me for another week...

Again, again!

'K, let's try this again. What’s that they say about the best intentions?

So, to further clarify my frustrations: they are not directed at Matt and they are not because of Matt. While, periodically, Matt may contribute to a greater frustration (as does anyone that you live with and are married to), I am grateful for all of his efforts and appreciate that which he brings to our family. Geez.

And now for something completely different:

A guy at school sent out this link the other day, and after perusing it for a while, I decided that it was hysterical. So, I'm sharing. Please keep in mind that my moderately cynical, crass, and dry sense of humor is entirely normal. Here's a taste...you've got to go to the site for more.

And, I'm attempting my first knit sock where I actually have to turn a heel. It's nothing fancy and will make an ornament for someone when I'm done. But, it's greater purpose will be to give me the confidence to take on one for human-sized feet. I'm going to keep you all in suspense while I wait to post pictures of my recent knitting endeavors.

Damage control

Please understand that the previous post in no way means that things are falling apart at the seams of our lives. We are fabulously blessed in so many ways, and I'm not so bummed that I don't realize it or treasure the little things.

For example: Joseph and I went to Walmart after I picked him up this afternoon and we were there for like an hour and a half...we needed a ton of stuff. We were cruising the aisles and Joseph decided that we should play peek-a-boo. So, he started hiding behind Linus like he likes to do...he holds the blanket over his face, I say "Where's Joseph?", he pulls the blanket down with a big smile on, and I say "There he is!". We both laugh and play again. All of the little grandmas walking around the store got a huge kick out of us. It makes me feel good that he makes other people smile--he's such a sweet boy. And, I bought a candle "1" for his birthday next week! Unbelievable!

'Tis the season...

To be pissed off?
Does anyone know if it’s normal for your 30s to be angry years? My 20s were pretty fine…life got put together pretty appropriately; things weren’t all easy, but it was easy(ish) to keep things in perspective. Lexapro and Zoloft helped, but I made it, and I think that I enjoyed most of it.

I should note that I still maintain that I have one of the best jobs in the world that regularly provides me with reasons to smile, laugh, and enjoy other people. And, I dearly love the people around me; they give me reason to smile and laugh too. My sweet little boy is the most wonderful person in the whole world and I would do anything for him. Anything. The majority of my time is not spent feeling angry or frustrated. I acknowledge and value the "little things" and the brief moments.

However, I’m finding myself more easily angered by things that hadn’t previously bothered me too much. I’m finding those around me are angry too…which is fueling my fury…it’s a vicious cycle. I understand that anger is a normal emotion and that it’s healthy to feel and express it. I get it. It still doesn’t make me feel good. My happy pills help with it a little bit, but they don’t keep my stomach from flipping over at my outrage and amazement at the way that some people act and the things that some people say.

Maybe it’s the season. Maybe I’m overreacting. I know that I’m more sensitive to peoples’ words and actions now that I’ve got a kiddo and I’m realizing that he is taking in every aspect of his surroundings and learning appropriate behaviors from those around him. I’m expecting tantrums from a kid at some point (and am experiencing them already, to a certain extent), but adult-themed tantrums are just starting to piss me off. Friggin’ get over it. Solve the problem and move on. If you can’t get over it, shut the hell up. See, there’s me getting angry again. This has just started to pervade my life in virtually every aspect and I’m having a harder time understanding it.

Stepping on my soapbox: It doesn’t seem to me that it’s appropriate to call other people names. Ever. I learned at an early age that people may do bad things, but that doesn’t make them bad. So, if something is frustrating, identify the frustration and not the person. If someone says or does something that upsets you, you are not even a little bit allowed to intentionally say or do something that upsets them. "I" statements are more productive than "you" statements…can you tell that I’ve been in counseling? :) What a wonderful thing it is, too! Okay, I’m done.

So, maybe I should go back to counseling…it’s not like I haven’t had a major life upheaval lately…it’s not like I couldn’t use some tools to help me with this new-found pressure that I’m feeling to be the perfect parent, and while I know that’s impossible it doesn’t mean that I’m not trying…it’s not like my fuse is significantly shorter due to lack of sleep and excess of responsibilities…it’s not like I might be a little resentful because I feel like I’m getting lost in the shuffle of daily life…hmmm. Now, if I could just get away from those responsibilities for an hour a week to take care of my head…anyone care to help? I read…got a good book? Anyone want to join me? Matt? We’re in this together, babe—like it or not :)

‘K. I’m better. For now. I promise a light-hearted knitting-themed post soon.

Cooling off

Well, it would seem that fall has fallen, or something like that. It was 16 degrees out when we woke up this morning. So, Joseph wore his spiffy new winter jacket to school today. It's a little big. We wanted to make sure that it'd last him the whole winter (which has a tendency to last until April or May sometimes), so we got a bigger size. He looks like Randy...a tick ready to pop. I rolled the sleeves, eventually, so that he could at least see his fingers. He's got snowpants to go with it too.

Then, yesterday he had his first taste of Oreo. They're non-dairy, so they're okay! He was quite content with it until a dog stole it out of his fingers. Oh well.

PIP

Post-in-progress...
I'm trying to formulate some intelligent thoughts about anger...it's something that has been pervading our lives lately and I'm trying to sort through my thoughts. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I'm going to pick up McDonald's for dinner (I can't remember the last time that I ate McDonald's, so I figure that it's okay) and pick up Joseph at my folks house. Matt has class. I got some new knitting needles and some self-striping yarn this afternoon...I want to try some little tiny stockings...stay tuned for those too.

Busy day

Who would've thought that I'd be looking forward to work in order to get a break? I've decided that Joseph has cried and whined more in the last month than the previous eleven. I can tell that his bottom two teeth are really close to the surface. And, I can tell that he's got at least 2 more coming down on the top...poor peanut. I hope that once these bottom ones come in that he can deal a little bit better with the others. Anyway, I had such a productive day in that "I must have done about 20 loads of laundry, 5 loads of dishes, baked a pie, made some soup, picked up, put away, and generally did a ton of stuff way"...and now I'm exhausted. Here's some cute pics from this week.

Sweet blue eyes.

Such a cute smile--those teeth are getting bigger!

Can you see him?

Charley surveying his world. Bitches.

Rainy Days

It's one of those rainy days today. I rather love rainy days when I can hole up in my house, drink tea, munch on some popcorn, wrap up in a blanket, and watch a movie. So, that's the plan. Although, the Notre Dame vs. Navy game is on right now...and the Navy band sounds terrible. We'll go for a movie when this is over. Zoolander? Ghostbusters? Bond? We'll see...

Lesson Learned--that Golden Rule

So, this NaBloPoMo thing has encouraged me to post to this blog daily, but I’m wondering if I’m falling victim to the "quantity over quality" aspect of things. Perhaps some of that could be due to the lack of focus that has existed in my head lately, too. At any rate, I’m going to try to post something moderately thoughtful in an attempt to bring something more than Joseph’s teething issues to the proverbial virtual table. One thing that has been in my head lately is a lesson that I learned during my days at Dear Old Valpo.

Story time:
My junior year I was taking, amongst other classes, Quantitative Analysis with lab. The professor who usually taught the class was on sabbatical that year (of course), and an interim had been hired who was a post-doc (I think) in chemistry. I don’t even remember the guy’s name, but he had this strawberry blond hair that he wore in a ponytail with a beard. Anyway, since I was taking 2 other labs that semester (and had just started dating Matt, but we’ll pretend that didn’t matter…) I had fallen a bit behind in my lab reports. When I approached Professor Butthead about my situation, I told him that I could either get the labs done quickly, or I could get the labs done correctly. He told me to do them correctly. So, I did. It happened to take me a bit longer than it probably should have, and I ended up turning the labs in late. When I handed them to him, he looked at me like I was the dumbest individual who ever could have existed and informed me that he wouldn’t be grading my late labs. I appealed to our previous conversation and he categorically denied ever having spoken to me about my lab reports in the past. He didn’t grade the labs and I got a B- because of them.

Now that I’m on the other side of the desk, I think of Professor Butthead often and the lesson that I learned that semester. I learned that, as a teacher, my most important job is to make sure that my students learn. Students don’t always learn according to the schedule that the school year establishes. While an indefinite deadline is an impossibility within our current educational structure, a bit of flexibility can certainly exist.

Students have so much on their plates and are under so much pressure to do everything and be everything that they quickly feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Sound familiar? Yeah, welcome to life. I know that I appreciate being cut a little slack from time to time, so I try to extend that same courtesy to my students.

My mom has said for years: "Long after they forget what you teach them, they remember how you treat them." While I do remember Quantitative Analysis and get all excited about stoichiometry and dimensional analysis (remember—NERD!), Professor Butthead’s lesson on late lab reports remains the most valuable one for me from that semester. So, thank you, Professor Butthead, wherever you are (and whoever you are…) for helping to make me the teacher that I am today (and for giving me the opportunity to write "Professor Butthead" repeatedly in this post).

What a difference...

an evening makes. So, last night Joseph actually slept better. We double-dosed on Tylenol and Baby Oragel (well, really just a regular dose of each), and that seemed to do the trick. We got about 3.5 hours out of each dose. And then, I went to my folks place this afternoon so that I could take a nap. It was so nice. Joseph played with my mom and I got an hour of silence. Some ladies from work and I went to this paint-your-own-pottery place this evening, too. I was only there for a little while, but it was so nice to be out doing something a little different. And, I made a Christmas present!

'Nuff Said.

No, it's not getting any better. Yes, I'm pretty sure it's teeth. Wow, does this suck. It's a good thing that he's so cute.

And then there were none...

I'm certain that I understand why hamsters eat their young. Imagine, if you will...

A mommy hamster has spent her whole night working hard to make sure that there are plenty of sunflower seeds, corn, and little hamster sticks for her whole little family. She's also spent a lot of time making sure that the nest for the family is nice and cozy with soft pine chips and that the aquarium that they live in is secure with no holes in any of the corners and the lid is securely fastened on top. All of this attention has made the mommy hamster kind of tired and she's looking forward to a good day's rest. So, she tucks away some sunflower seeds in her cheeks and shares the best ones with her little pups. The pups fall asleep in such a sweet way. Mommy goes for a quick run on the wheel and makes sure that no holes have sprung up in the corners of the tank again before settling in for some rest herself.

Well, no sooner has she fallen asleep when one of the pups wakes up and needs...something...anything...who knows what? Mommy does her best to soothe her little pup, but nothing seems to work. Pup's not interested in sunflower seeds, doesn't want to run, doesn't care if there are holes in the tank, and has destroyed the careful nest that Mommy built. Not only that, but the pup is uttering this painful high-pitched noise that makes Mommy's little velvety ears want to burst. Apparently mommies are the only hamsters tuned in to that frequency, as the daddy hamster is fast asleep.

Puppy hamster closes its little beady eyes and seems to be back asleep, so Mommy makes movements towards her part of the nest. Puppy hamster is immediately roused from his delicate slumber and resumes his high-pitched noise. Again, no sunflower seeds, who cares about the tank, trash that nest, and screw the wheel. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Finally, Mommy hamster just can't take it anymore! She's been working all night and is so freakin' tired since they've been playing this game for the past 3 days, and, that's it! Mommy hamster loves her puppy hamster more than life itself, but, she's just over the edge.

After reaffirming that there are no holes in the tank and that the book is secure over the lid of the cage (that one last pillar of hope that escape might be possible), mommy just has to eat the pup. Oops.

It's a good thing that I'm not a hamster.

ADD

My mom has this nifty ADD song:
A-D-D; Easy as 1-2-7; Simple as do-re-bird; M-O-U-S-E

I swear, if I didn't know that I didn't have ADD, I'd think that...oh, look, a chicken! Anyway, I've got like a million things running through my brain right now. The annotated list includes:

• Christmas music already? Okay. I'm game.
• Speaking of Christmas...eih...who wants cookies, fudge, and peanut brittle? Everyone? Good, that's what you're all getting.
• How is it that two children who grow up in the same house end up so different?
• How much of that is personalities and how much is birth order? Nature vs. Nurture?
• So, how many kids should we have to make sure that they're all as functional as possible?
• Will Joseph ever sleep through the night?
• Is there a good non-dairy cake recipe out there for Joseph's birthday? Frosting would be nice too.
• Why is it taking me so long to read "Of Mice and Men"? It's only like 120 pages.
• Candy Cane Oreos = super yum-tastic
• 'Nuff here...must go knit and watch "30 Rock" online.

Perfect timing

You ever have one of those nights...where you're awoken no less than 3 times by a small someone who needs attention for at least 20 minutes to go back to sleep, and then another 3 or 4 times by some dumb dog who just can't get comfortable, and you've stayed up late to begin with because you were having a pleasant adult conversation. Well, that was last night.

Apparently I knew that I was going to have an exhausting night a couple of weeks ago because I had the forethought to book my half day at the spaaaaaaaah for today. Matt's folks got me this Relax Me package for Christmas last year and I finally used it today. I got an espresso-mud body wrap with vichy shower, a scalp treatment and hair style, a manicure, and pedicure. It was heavenly. I strongly recommend the vichy. Matt got me one of these packages a few years ago that had a vichy in it too.

And, I've got these pretty nails in "I'm fondue of you." Love it.

Sometimes silence is less than golden

Joseph and I had a busy busy morning today while Matt was working an open house at school. We cleaned and laundered and baked and played. When all of that was done, we got dressed. We've got this little system figured out where I take a shower and he plays with his bath toys in the bathroom. That way we can talk and all sorts of stuff. So, I was enjoying my shower and noticed that it had gotten quiet...a little too quiet. There's always trouble when it's quiet. So, I stuck my head out to find that my fabulously resourceful little boy had unrolled the entire roll of toilet paper onto the floor and had moved into "shred" mode. He was working so hard at it that I couldn't spoil his fun at that moment, and, really, what did it matter? I was going to have to clean it up anyway...I might as well finish my shower! This standing up thing is opening up a whole new world of possibilities...

Faces

Joseph was feeling better today, so we took the opportunity to capture some of the Many Faces of Joseph.

Such a smile...

I can touch my head! Look how long my arms are getting!

I'll take that, mommy.

Who, me? (I love this one, btw)

Better intentions

So, I heard this on the radio today and thought that it totally kicked ass. Listen to it. Really.

Then, I had something that I was going to post...something about treating people the way that you wanted to be treated and life lessons learned along the way. But, Joseph woke up 45 minutes ago (after having slept for 45 minutes) and has been shreiking since then. So, whatever shards of concentration that existed in my brain have been thoroughly destroyed. Poor Little Man has had kind of an upset stomach/intestinal kind of thing for the last few days. Add a runny nose and a killer diaper rash and apparently that's a recipe for a very unhappy boy. The doctor told us months ago that he had 6 teeth on their way in. So far, we've seen 2. So, who knows? How do single parents do this...

Talk Nerdy to Me

So, I make no bones about my being a nerd. I actually revel in it and it helps me to feel comfortable in my own skin. I'm kind of (not really) embarassed at some of the clothing that I own, and actually wear. At any rate, one of the other science teachers brought in the head of the state's crime lab to talk to the students today about what he does as a forensic scientist and all sorts of cool stuff. He started with a top 10 list of why "CSI" isn't like real life, and managed to keep over 100 kids engaged and interested throughout his entire presentation. They even had thoughtful questions at the end of his chat. While some students tend to exhaust me, I'm always heartened to have experiences like I did today. I'm just putting it out there that I've probably got one of the best jobs in the world. My classes did an amazing job snazzing up my classroom and our hallway today too--they assembled our Scientific Graveyards (or, "Collection of Old, Dead, White Guys"as I tend to call it...) and hung up a bunch of other stuff. All in all, a good day.

Bipartisan

So, I support both Halloween masks. The kid who was Obama was actually shorter, but had a darker complexion than the McCain kid...hence McCain looking like he's squatting. Obama won in our mock election at school with a record turnout. We'll see how the real thing goes. I was pleased to not have to stand in line for very long (at either poll).

What's in a name?

So, this NaBloPoMo thing...Kate's a member of Blog 365, where you post to your blog every day in a whole year. That's quite impressive and probably not a commitment that I can make. So, I figured that I'd give the National Blog Posting Month (of November) a shot. 30 days. I can probably do that. And, I get to add that spiffy new block thingy :)

And speaking of spiffy things--go vote tomorrow! However this whole thing comes down, you have the chance to take part in an historical election. Take advantage of it! Do you civic duty! Get out there and stand in line with the rest of us. Hopefully my little man will hold up...

Processing

Yeah, pictures from my new camera!

So, yesterday Matt and I had breakfast with some dear friends who have recently returned to NH. After breakfast, we stopped by my folks to pick up my new camera and so that Matt could help my dad process some of the moose. Some small portion of the moose turned into sausage yesterday. Another small portion turned into moosaka and another some chili. As far as I can tell--it's delish!

Matt helped my dad pick a couple of bushels of apples too--my folks have a couple of trees that are packed full of apples. The mac has been picked clean already, the golden delicious only had 4 apples this year (it was an off year, I guess), and we picked the winesaps and Arkansas blacks today. Joseph helped.

He even tried out his new teeth on one of them. Check out the pugs in the background :)

New camera and Fisher Price

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
I got my new camera
For my birthday today!
...even though my birthday was 2 months ago...

I promise to post pictures as soon as I plug it in. Although, consider yourself warned that the pictures that I'm planning on posting are from Moose Hunt Part II, aka Sausagefest I.

What's the deal with Fisher Price these days? Does every toy require flashing lights, batteries, and random noises? I'm pretty sure that I learned how to play rather efficiently without said gizmos. Playskool and Little Tikes don't put flashy ADD-inducing stimulants on every toy...just some of them. So, we're turning into a Playskool house. Even books have gizmos! What the heck, people?! Joseph is just as happy with a wooden spoon and a water bottle. Humf.

And, I'm going to try this NaBloPoMo or whatevertheheckitis...where you post every day in November. No promises, but we'll give it a shot.