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B2, Splash Park and My New World

We got a lot of images last week when we had our ultrasound….and we even got a quick little move. Click HERE to see B2. There is a pretty good face shot towards the end. I think she looks just adorable.  Aside from feeling busy with school, I pulled out the bin of clothes that I’d saved from Maggie. Was there really a time when she was THAT teeny? Maggie promptly ‘borrowed’ all the hats and put them on her dolls and stuffed animals….after realizing that Barry’s head was far too big.

Having met my students this week, I’m feeling very excited about the coming year and I’ve already learned a lesson or two myself. The biggest of which has been this: no matter what anybody says, Kindergarten and First Grade students are NOT the same. I couldn’t have gotten through these past few days with out some help from fellow teachers and instructional assistants. We’re working on simple things like walking in line, pushing in chairs, taking turns, counting, blowing noses….not crying. I haven’t been lacking in stories to share with Barry when I come home because, like I said, Kindergarten is in its own Universe.

This week has been better for Maggie too. Today I met up with Alyssa and Emery after work at a splash park and, aside from both girls being tired, they were having a ball! Here is a photo Alyssa sent me that speaks volumes:

If Maggie loves one thing, I think we can all agree that she loves a good water park. The weather has been kind to us this week and I think our girl was very pleased to hit up the water park. I have felt much better this week about leaving her, I’d be lying if I said it was suddenly easy, but it is better. Plus, she’s got her buddy, Emery to tag along with. Don’t they look like they’re ready to conquer the park?

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The List and Other Randoms

This morning I woke up with the list of ‘things-that-need-to-get-done-holy-hell-school-starts-tomorrow” spinning in my head. I’ve had kids floating in and out of my class – moving to PM Kindergarten or full day and so I haven’t even written their name tags yet. Worry not, that task is on The List. I intentionally left my notebook, which is keeper of The List, at school over the weekend because I wanted to really enjoy this Labor Day weekend with not too many distractions and school pressures. Translation: I sent myself e-mails about what needs to get added to The List.

Yesterday we squeezed every, single ounce of the day out and by the time our heads hit the pillow, we were satisfied with our weekend. Friday, when we had our ultrasound,  seems so long ago and the things we did in between then and now aren’t really important, but boy did we enjoy the weekend. After we left the ultrasound, Barry and I set out on a mission to find a perfectly round pink balloon. We were successful in finding the balloon; however, it wasn’t until we got out to the parking lot that we realized that perhaps the balloon wouldn’t fit in our car. It was that large. We did some maneuvering and got it to work and next time I have a need for a balloon, I plan on getting another rad huge one. The instant we walked through the door with the massive thing, Maggie was enamored. It didn’t take much convincing to get her to ‘take the balloon to get some pictures taken.’

And that was the start of our weekend. We went to Bellingham to visit Barry’s family on Saturday and Maggie got to spend some time playing with Greg and Linda. I slipped up to Bellingham to run some errands and by the time I got back, they were still having a great time. It doesn’t matter where we go, Maggie always remember who has what toys at their house. I suppose we’re all that way as kids, I can clearly remember toys that both sets of my grandparents kept for the grandkids. She just seems so young to be remembering!

I wish I was better at writing down more of Maggie’s day-to-day anecdotes (maybe I should add that task to The List?) because she has become so dang funny. Like the other day when I was changing over our duvet cover in our bedroom, a long process, and suddenly I heard fake snoring coming from the corner where she was playing. I looked over to see her curled up inside a pillow case with her head sticking out making sleeping face.  Then she’d pop up and yell “Good Morning!” and instantly fall back in to sleeping face/snoring/ball curled inside pillow case. She then insisted on finding a rubber band “I need rubber band right here. I need it now” and tying the pillow case closed around her waist like a potato sack. She kept the pillow case on to hop to her table and eat a snack and for quite a bit of time afterwards.

She’s also trying to figure out who her friends are and anytime we mention some of the little people she knows, she says “they my friends, mama.” She also is figuring out that mama and papa have friends too. We’re working on helping her distinguish between family and friends because as we were pulling out of my grandparent’s driveway the other day, waving to them, Maggie informed us that ‘them my friends.’ She’s right that my grandparents are her friends, but they’re also her family.

 [Other side note, the other morning Barry dropped me off at the Farmers Market and waited in the car with Mags and Syd. I guess while they were waiting for me, Maggie started to ask “Where’s Janet? Where is she? Where’s Janet? Where is Grammy” Barry tried to explain to her that Janet/Grandma was at her house. I wish I could have heard her ask for my mom by first name. So funny.]

But trying to figure out  the friends & family concept is a tough one, because what happens when you have friends that really are like family? How do you explain that? We’re not going down that road quite yet….instead we’ll settle for pillowcase wearing

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Balancing Act

This is hard. My life right now, I mean. I should put a disclaimer in here about how everything I’m feeling isn’t new to mothering – new to parenting even. I just didn’t know that it’d be this hard: my return to the workforce and teaching. There is a part of me that wants to shout to the hills about how thrilled and excited I am to return to teaching. I love, love, love cultivating relationships with my students, their families and my colleagues. I thrive on those parts of the job and being back in the classroom, surrounded by fellow teachers, reminds me that I do love my chosen profession. 

That said, there is a larger part of me that is now a mother. And my mothering heart has been hurting these past two days because the transition of me being gone in the mornings has been rough on Maggie. Gone all day, really.  Yesterday both Barry and I had to be out the door early and Maggie hadn’t had a great night’s sleep. She spent her morning crying for us after we’d left. Crying for her mama and papa.  By the time I got home that afternoon, she was ready for her nap, and by the time she woke up I had to leave again to go back to school. There was about a 15 minute window where she got to snuggle on the couch with me, Syd and Barry while Barry read to us “Go, Dog. Go!”   and that was a saving grace. I also called my mom and cried to her, which always seems to help.

Last night I left as she was busy in the kitchen with Barry doing some ‘mixing’ and headed back to school to meet my students and talk curriculum with their parents. By the time I pulled in to the driveway, she was asleep in her bed. Which is all fine, but by the time I had to leave this morning….she was still sleeping. And by the time I got home this afternoon she was ready for her nap…..and I have to leave again this evening.

I shouldn’t complain about this. Mothers do this all the time ~ parents do this all the time. It’s just new to me. My schedule will even out and we’ll settle into a routine and  I won’t feel so broken and torn. I hope. I’ll find my balance and so will Maggie.