Challenges

I feel ashamed to say that I haven't blogged in a while. I know being busy is a frequent excuse, but really...I have "good one".

I took on the position of being a Math teacher for 3 fourth grade sections. Well, as it turns out, in January, I took on two more Writing classes in addition to the 3 Math. Yes...let me repeat that...WRITING!!!!! Those of you familiar with TAKS, will know that the test is soon approaching, March 1st. Yikes! Time to get busy!!!

I am excited though. Writing has, and will always be, a passion of mine. It's also been a way for me to get to know my students a little better. You wouldn't believe what a student will write about, verses tell you about. Some students that are quiet, have so much to say in their writings.

When I teach just Math classes, I don't get to know my students on a personal level. They all have their personalities in class, but reading their Writing compositions makes me know them on a completely different level.

On top of that...I've volunteered to do the yearbook for the school. Wow! I had no idea it was going to be just me and another lady on the committee. I thought a committee insisted of more than 3 or 4. Ha!

Doing the yearbook is a lot like making a blog book on Blurb. The first couple of pages are fun, but then, they become tedious. Each page seems to take me forever to work on, and knowing that people are paying for it's completion, adds a whole new level of pressure / stress.

Doing your own personal blog book...you really don't care if there are mistakes because ultimately, you'll the one reading it (or your child), and they forgive you for overlooking errors...right? haha

With that being said...I have a lot of work cut-out for me.

Oh, and this is the BEST part....my deadlines (for the yearbook and Writing TAKS test)...SAME DAY! Let me repeat that...S A M E D A Y! March 1st!

House is still on the market...and no bites! I'm bummed. People warned me, but I'm not giving up hope. It will happen when it is suppose to.

Last challenge (that I have been successful with), getting up in the mornings to exercise and not drinking sodas (regular or diet). My friend Megan warned me that it would be hard the first few days...and it wasn't too bad until day 3. I didn't necessarily crave Dr. Pepper, but I did feel very tired and had horrible headaches. I was like an addict to Diet Dr. Pepper. Not any more! Hooray for me!

BARRETT

Barrett on the other hand is fabulous! We're dealing with a few little tantrum issues and trying to find a happy "medium". I want him to love me and be his friend....but at the same time, he needs to know that Matt and I are his parents. We went through a phase of saying, "No" and then that phase passed. Well, now it is coming back. It's yet another challenge for me to be stern with him (those of you that I've taught with probably don't believe that), but I have to do it. Hopefully, he'll thank me later in life (and turn out to be a good boy).

• He's mastered spelling his name perfectly.
• Favorite phrase, "Wow, this is amazing!"
• Has been doing a great job saying his nightly prayers! I'm so proud of him.
• Is obsessed with the CARS movie again, and all the little metal CARS characters.
• Into a new cartoon called, "The Adventures of Chuck and Friends".
• Still loves school. He's been in the 3's class and I'm shocked every time I go to pick him up with the new things he is learning.
• Thinks that toothpaste (the kind with fluoride) is soap. He begs to me saying, "Mommy, please don't make me brush with soap". haha No more baby toothpaste. It's time to upgrade to the Kid version.
• Sings all the time...and likes to replace the real words with silly ones. His newly invented songs crack me up.
• He can almost spell his last name attached to his first without stopping (but gets the b's mixed up).