If we had coffee...

Here I am for round 2 of our coffee date.  It surely seems long overdue....

I would tell you how Anna is crawling all over the place, and finding anything she can pull herself up on, which of course, as you know, doesn't always work out so well, but she figures it out, and quickly moves on to the next item!  She is being moved from the infant room at daycare, probably because she is driving them nuts getting into everything!  Maybe not, but there is an "in between room" for the kids who aren't quite ready to be in the one  year old class, but are too big for the infant room.  She will certainly be the youngest by many months, and she will be the only one crawling, but I think she'll love the new interaction and will quickly learn so many new things.  She goes daily to that room to "visit" and get used to the surroundings, and from what I hear, she just loves it!

I would tell you that Claire is really growing up.  She is so good at playing by herself, or making up a game or a situation while I'm cooking dinner, or tending to Anna, or whenever she wants to "go play." She loves to read books, and will sit in her bean bag and read to her animals and dolls.  She just loves her sister and talks to her and tries to teach her things.  Although she comes running when Anna takes something from her, or is doing something wrong!  And then of course, she comes running when she shares something with Anna, and her first request is a jelly bean for sharing!  She can also push every single button I have!  I know it would be easy to back down on certain things, but she needs to know that she is not in charge, and that she cannot always have her way or get every thing she wants.  At the end of the day, when I know we're both tired, and cranky, it would be so easy to give in and just let her do what she wants, but in the long run, dealing with the issue and standing firm will help.

I would tell you that about every couple months I go through this stage where I wonder if I should look into getting out of teaching.  Honestly, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be home, but I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the life we are able to live and provide for our girls, so unless I win the Mega Millions Jackpot, staying home won't be an option!  I go through these weird phases of feeling inadequate or unsuccessful as a teacher.  I feel overwhelmed and annoyed and impatient at the whole "system" of education today, and I often feel those same feelings towards some of my students.  I struggle so much with the kids who just aren't as blessed as others, or who are fighting battles worse than I'll ever imagine at the tender age of 13....but I still have to teach them that there is alway a right and a wrong, and they are still the student, and I am still the teacher.  I pray that I can find a way to nurture them and build a strong relationship, but at the end of the day, I have no idea what they're going home to, and I have no idea if one thing that I say or do makes an impact.  I struggle with classroom management.  Every. Single. Day.  This is my 8th year teaching, and I still haven't figured out the exact science behind it.  My non-elective co-workers assure me it's my 40+ class sizes and the wide variety of needs of the students without an aide with me.  My mind tells me I'm a complete weirdo who can't figure out how to keep those previously mentioned students in line.  I also try to tell myself that since I have to work, and want to be home with my family as much as possible, being a teacher is the greatest thing.  I have the entire summer off.  I have had 15 (yes...15!) snow days this year!  We've had countless delays and I have the ability to sneak out of the building to take someone (or myself) to the doctor.  I truly enjoy the people I work with in the PE department.  Working that closely with people can certainly be challenging, but they get me, and I get them, and they're good with my quirks, and I feel they all make me happy in their own strange ways.  I know the grass isn't always greener, and I'll get over this feeling soon, I'm sure...but it's been a rough few weeks at work, and I can't put my finger on exactly what's causing me stress.

I would tell you that I am so excited to head to Florida soon.  I need sunshine, and I need warmth.  We've had way too many "joke" spring days around here, and I'm about done with it.  I need some warm weather, and if it doesn't come soon, I think I might lose my mind!  In Western New York, and North West Pennsylvania, for that matter, March is typically a winter month.  In Virginia it's supposed to be a spring month!  I left the cold for a reason!  I'm sick of winter!  The past few times that it has snowed Claire has a chant she says as she looks out the window...."No more winter!  We want spring!"  We march around the house saying this over and over, hoping Mother Nature hears us because we're done!

I would tell you that I miss eating cookies.  I really miss it.  I have decided that cookies are my friend.  I will suck it up for now, but in the future, I will set cookie guidelines for myself.  Maybe just 2 days a week I will eat a cookie (or two) (or three).  But not every day.  Or not 5 times a day.  Who knows, maybe I'll replace my love of cookies for ice cream...after all, summer is coming (I think) and my ice cream maker is dying to get back in action.  Ugh...I really like sweets!

I would tell you how my wonderful husband woke me up from a dead sleep at 4:05 this morning because he needed nose spray because he was so stuffed up he couldn't breathe.  REALLY, Jeff?!  Like, REALLY?!  Most people would just get up and get the darn nose spray.  Or maybe not, but I know at least I would!  He said he never knows where I "hide" things around here.  Oh brother!  He also said he wanted to wake me then because I could get a few more hours of sleep...ha!  Right!  I was set to get up in 50 minutes...that is the WORST time to wake up to go back to sleep.  Only 50 minutes left!  How depressing!  Even though I was highly annoyed about this, I understand where he's coming from, because even though spring really hasn't made a full time appearance here, my allergies are starting to flare up.  But just know that I'll be getting the dumb nose spray without waking Jeff up in the middle of night...or morning, shall we say?!

I would tell you that even though it sounds like I've been doing a lot of complaining over our coffee, I realize I am incredibly blessed, and even though I get down in the dumps, I have nothing to really be feeling sorry about...it will all be ok, and I'll snap out of it in no time!

I hope you've had a great week, and I hope even more that wherever you are the sun will shine and make you happy, because I know it will make me happy!  Thanks for having coffee with me...let's do it again soon!
xo

 That belly!

 Claire wanted to be in the picture and cover Anna up...but as you can see, Anna had other plans!

Here are some of the St. Patrick's Day cookies I made!