good helper

owen is down for the night. he got a bath tonight (it's been in the 80s-low 90s here the last couple of days...he's been a hot and sweaty boy from playing outside at school, etc.) and as i was getting his ear plugs ready, he presented me with one of his ears so i could get the plug in that ear, then he turned his head and presented me with the other ear so i could get the plug in that ear. it wasn't too long ago that it was a fight just to get them in. now, he actually helps me with the task! way cool, owen!

a funny thing tonight was on our way to bed, i picked him up (he would have rather stayed up playing) and as we were walking toward his room, he kept saying "no no no no no!" i told him, "yes. it's past time for bed."

time for mommy to see if she's smarter than a fifth grader (mine were very trying today. told my mom i needed a drink this afternoon. their teacher was gone as was their para. just a sub in the classroom. several owe me time on the wall tomorrow at recess.

dissed!

i went to pick up at daycare today and got totally dissed by him! they were coming outside to go play as i got there. i picked him up, (lifted him off the ground) and he wanted nothing to do with me! he wanted to go play. so i let him (i still needed to sign him out and talk with the director about plans for the summer) and went to get him after i did that. he was more willing to go with me at that point, but still wasn't 100% for it.

last night we were singing "twinkle, twinkle" and he started singing along. his words were "up-up-up-up!" he also opens and closes his hands while mommy sings. then, at the end of the song, he claps once or twice as if to say, "yay!" he'll sing along with the abc's a little bit too. :-) very cool for the music teacher mom!

i taught a violin lesson once we got home today (my student came home with us - she's a student at my school so it was convenient for all.) and mr. owen did a wonderful job of keeping himself occupied while i was teaching. he got fussy about five minutes before the lesson ended. he's growing up! yay! it's so fun to watch.

i'm going out of town this weekend and leaving my boys here. i fly out on saturday morning and come back on monday afternoon. i'm so excited to be going, not to be leaving my boys so much (though the break will me nice), but really excited about where and why i'm going.

sinuses

wow, reading over my last post, i sounded sorta defeatest, didn't i? part of that was the fact that i felt horrible. i had this horrendous pain and pressure in my left frontal sinus. medication wasn't working (otc stuff - sudafed and tylenol) so i went online and found a site that had an accupressure diagram. i figured that it couldn't hurt (and it wasn't going to cost me anything) so i tried it. almost immediately i had some relief (enough that i could eat dinner and enjoy it!). i did it a couple of more times before i went to bed and, not only did i sleep clear through the night (thanks in part to owen not waking up and fussing like he tends to do), but when i woke up this morning, 99% of the pressure was gone. that last 1% is still there, but mostly when i'm bending over. it's totally managable, though. i have a dr appt this afternoon that i'm still going to, just in case. but in the grand scheme of things, i feel amazing. i'm a true believer in accupressure as part of helping my body get better from things.

They Work!!!

so i'm just getting a class started today when my cell phone rings. my kids hear it and inform me, i hear it and ignore it and tell them i'll let it go to voicemail. once i get them going on their lesson (color by number activity while listening to "Carnival of the Animals"), i go look at my phone to see who called. it was daycare. i call them back and find out that his ear is oozing and they're afraid that he's ruptured an ear drum. i calmly inform them (maybe slightly excitedly, actually) that he has tubes and they're doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. i told them i'd call the doctor to make sure we didn't need to take him in and then i'd call them back. as long as they aren't getting clogged and he doesn't get a fever or seem to be in pain with his ear, we don't need to go in. i'm so glad we went for the tubes. i couldn't have dealt with yet another thing with him.

i, on the other hand,think i have a sinus infection. it's incredibly painful. i've barely eaten all day today. just at breakfast. that was really tough, unless i took really small bites. wonder what i'll do for dinner tonight as far as eating.

owen is consistently going through the night, and when he wakes up, he may fuss, but he gets himself back to sleep with relative ease. how nice to be back to that! yay!

Sucess with a mascot!

This picture was taken yesterday at the Mariner's Game. Owen wasn't too sure (ok, he was flipping out) about the Mariner Moose to begin with, but once Mommy gave the moose a high five, Owen decided that it was ok for him to do it too. This all happened before this picture was taken. We had trouble getting Owen to look at the camera instead of the moose. He even gave a high five as we were leaving, too!

The game was fun, albeit wet. At least Safeco Field has a retractable roof. It was closed. We took the train again, and just like last week, Owen fell asleep. He tried so hard to stay awake in his seat, looking out the window. It didn't last. He slept for about 45 minutes on me. That was it for the day. Needless to say, he was really tired last night and made it through the night again.

He and I are home today, me with the starts of a cold, him with pink eye. I can call the pediatrician in about 20 minutes. We'll be ready to go as soon as they can get us in. I want to get in soon so he can start on his antibiotics and be ok for school tomorrow. (He needs to be on antibiotics for 24 hours before they'll let him in. I'm hoping to get him going by 10 and that that will be close enough for day care. If not, Jeffy will be staying home tomorrow.)

Owen is in his high chair right now watching Little Einsteins on TV.

Here's a thought to ponder. It came to me while we were on the train yesterday and we were being pushed from behind instead of being pulled: Does a train that goes backward go chugga-chugga-choo-choo or does it go ugguch-ugguch-ooch-ooch? Inquiring minds want to know.

what a silly boy!

owen's favorite thing to do these days is vocalize while moving his tongue around in his mouth. it makes the most wonderful sound, and it makes mommy laugh to boot!

we went to a family fun night at my school yesterday and we stopped by taco bell for dinner since it was quick and close to school. for starters, they only charged us $.35 for owen's dinner (yes, that decimal is in the correct place). he had a small quesadilla - we payed for a side of cheddar cheese and a side of flour tortilla. they didn't have any high chairs, but they did have a booster so owen sat in that, a first at a restaurant for our family. he did beautifully! the manager was extremely appologetic for the lack of a high chair. our service last night was amazing, especially for a fast food place.

here's a picture of owen, taken just now. he said, "cheese!" for the picture! that's a first for him! isn't he just too cute!?

we went to the tacoma rainiers game on thursday night with jeff's brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews. owen had his first encounter with a mascot. he was ok as long as the mascot (a reindeer) didn't try to touch him. the mascot tried to give owen a high five and owen flipped out. after that, though, he was looking at rhubarb (the reindeer - don't ask, i don't know...) with a very studius look on his face, as if he was trying to figure out what in the heck that thing was.

we go to another m's game tomorrow. wonder if the moose will happen by. i know i won't make owen touch the moose. we'll only get as close as owen is comfortable.

M's vs. NYY

just a note, owen is now 19 months old. where has the time gone? he's more of a little boy than a baby now. it's amazing.

i'm waiting on pictures from my friend katie so i'll post those when i get them, but we went to see the seattle mariners beat the yankees in an amazing game. the score was 2-1, and it was one of the funnest professional baseball games i've ever been to. we were sitting in the left field bleachers, which were a lot more comfy that i thought they would be. owen tried two new foods yesterday - garlic fries, and cracker jack. i was eating both and he just helped himself. he was pretty proud of himself, too. at one point, he said, "i did it!" with a mouth full of crackerjack.

katie and rob have a little boy named peter who is just a few weeks older than owen. it was a blast watching peter and owen playing together. katie hasn't seen owen for several months (since december, i think) and was commenting on how much his talking and vocabulary has changed since we had the tubes in.

another first for owen was riding the train to seattle and back for the game. we managed to get up top on the way up, but didn't quite make it back to the train quick enough to get up top for the ride back. owen fell asleep with less than 30 minutes to go on the way up. he slept through the night last night, which was good. fussed twice a little after 5:00 this morning, and then woke up around 6:30 and was playing in his crib. so fun to listen to while i'm getting up and ready.

he's down, for now. let's hope he makes it through the night again. we like it when owen sleeps through.

Starting a second blog

I have a new blog for a different arena in my life: http://shemustbecrazy.blogspot.com

Check it out!

"nana!"

ah, expanding vocabulary! that's one of owen's latest words. he'll go into the kitchen, point to the counter, and say, "Nana!" we don't call him monkey-boy for nothing! lol he's also turning into the little drummer boy. he is also starting to copy what we are saying. i swear he says, "two" when we are counting steps. he also says, "blue, green," and tries "yellow" when we are looking at colors and mommy says one. he is also mimicking things that we do. very cool! right on schedule, too.

we've been going on walks most evenings after dinner. it's very enjoyable. owen chatters up a storm telling us how it is in his world. he also monopolized the dinnertime conversation. what i love most about our walks is that owen often will take my hand (he initiates it!) and will hold my hand and look at me while he is talking. i really wish i understood owenese! i'd love to know what he is thinking and saying.

we're going to the mariners/yankees game on sunday with some friends and their little boy. peter is about 6 weeks older than owen. his mom and i met at mommy group at the hospital last summer.

this was teacher appreciation week at school. our parents are absolutely AMAZING! we as a staff have been completely spoiled this week, ending today with a dessert bar (four words: "who needs real food?") in the staff room, presents, and massages. however, none of these things even come close to a note i got today at the bottom of a permission slip for something later in the year. in the note, the girl's mother thanked me for all i do and mentioned that her daughter has really grown and she contributes a lot of that growth to music. this might sound conceited, but i agree with the mom. i've noticed the same thing and it's wonderful to know that i have helped her with this growth. this girl has pushed herself beyond her comfort level quite a few times in doing things in my class. she shocked all when she got up in front of the school and did a speaking part a couple of years ago. not only did she do it, she has a wonderful speaking voice. she's in my choir and learns the songs quicker than most of the other kids do, plus she sings her heart out (not always in tune, but that's not the point. my choir is non-auditioned. anyone can join, they don't have to be able to carry a tune.) and she comes in at recess every week for recorders. she is always telling me while she's working on a new song that she can't do it and it's too hard (usually accompanied by tears), and i work through it with her. she always feels so proud when she achieves the next level in recorders. i know that she struggles with confidence and frustrations, but when she wants something bad enough, she works till she gets it. my job, as i see it, is to give her the encouragement, support, and nudges she needs to push through and persevere. it is for her dedication and hard work that she will be named my "outstanding music student of the year" in june. i know that as a teacher i'm not supposed to have favorite students, but she is definitely one of my favorites. she is always quick with a hug and a smile for me.

a sharing family!

but not in the good way. all three of us are on antibiotics for strep. jeffy was diagnosed yesterday and the PA wanted to see me today since i've hada sore throat for about the last week. she's not sure if i have (or recently had) strep, but she's treating me as such since i have a very red throat and the voice of someone with strep (it's a quality to the voice, i /gue?SS"
)[']=[='['].) owen went to his doctor today just for a precaution and he is in the beginning stages so he as well is going onto meds.

pardon the wierd stuff up there, owen was helping mommy type.

the week at school was pretty good. apparently i got one kid suspended. he was refusing to follow very simple directions - please get in line, please sit up - and was actually firmly telling me, "No" with the "i don't have to listen to you" tone/attitude. he also wasn't about to talk with me about it until i had the referral in my hand, this after i gave him several chances to talk with me. finally i told him he could either talk with me or talk with the principal about it and counted to three. he stood absouletly silently. that was his answer as far as i was concerned. as i walked back across the room with the referral, he decided he wanted to talk with me, but i told him it was too late. he had already made his choice. i later heard him on the phone with home blaming me. in another class, which has been a thorn in my side for the majority of the year, has had what friends of mine might call a "coming to God." they've been horrid all over the school. lots of bickering and pestering and teasing and harrassing during class. we've all had enough so the riot act has been read to them, several times in fact, and things are slowly changing. yesterday afternoon several key players were gone and class was wonderful! today they were back and it was a lot better than it has been. i've started marking on a transparency sheet that i magnet to my white board both positive and negative behaviors. for example, i put a + every time a student does something that helps contribute to the class discussion or lesson (if they are verbally adding to class, they must be called on to earn the +). i am also marking negative behaviors which take away from class. they start the day with 10 points and need to keep an average of 8 to be able to do mallet madness when that starts next week. they can only lose points and if there are negative behavior marks, but they were still participating and mostly involved with class, they'll get a 9, but not a 10. it's helping me also discover what kind of contributers there are in class. i'm doing this with a couple of classes and there is one student in each class who i'm discovering doesn't like to contribute verbally, but if asked to perform a task, will gladly do it. it also ensures that i call on people equally and don't focus just on a handfull of kids.

that's all for now. we've had two wonderfully solid nights of sleep around here (well, at least as far as owen is concerned) so i'm hoping that trend continues tonight. it's nice to not have to get up and rock him back to sleep, which then means that i don't get to sleep for at least an hour or more after he is back down. that severely cuts into my sleep quota for the night. i was really crabby at jeffy the other night. he was snoring pretty loudly and constantly and i couldn't get to sleep. at 10:30 i lost it and stormed to the couch. as far as i was concerned, i was going to be facing a 12 hour day the next day on about 3 hours of sleep due to the assumption that owen was going to be getting up in the middle of the night. not a fun prospect. once i got to sleep (and was able to stay asleep thanks to owen), i was in a much better mood in the morning and even wrote jeffy an apology note for the night before.

ok. NOW that's all. i mean it this time. have a wonderful weekend!

A blend!!!!

during dinner tonight, owen made his first blend in a real word! i asked him if he wanted more quesadilla and he said, "plea!" yay little man!

we are a wreck at our house. i was sick in bed on sunday with a slight fever, a sore throat, and a headache. yesterday i had a killer headache all day long and came home and crashed on the couch (sore through still going) after work. i still have my sore throat (it's been around since about friday, but has been changing daily. i think it's getting better so i'm not too worried. i'm still swollen in the neck, but not nearly to the extent as i was yesterday so that's good. jeff stayed home today sick again. sore throat, temp - as high as 103 this afternoon, but it's going down - and general lethargy. glad i'm feeling better so that i can take care of owen. oh, and i missed my sister-in-law's baby shower on sunday when i was laid up in bed.

at school we are smack in the middle of WASL testing. that's our state's standardized test for those of you not in washington. it is two weeks in april (but stretching into may this year, i think because of all of those crazy weather days we had off earlier in the year. the kids are getting tired of it and are getting really restless. they only test in the mornings and only four days a week, but still. it's a long time to test. i've been teaching some classes as normal, others with two classes of first and second graders (since our classes are multi-age...), and some on a changed schedule. i may be crazy but i might be seeing my worst class last thing on friday. i hope they finish testing by 11:15 on friday so i can see them then instead of later in the day.



I had to post this picture, taken about two weeks ago. no, he's not resting, he's sleeping. hands behind his head, looking like he's just chilling. too funny!