Holocaust Horror

Yesterday Josh and I decided that we would do some more sightseeing while we are here in Washington D.C. When we first got here, we sat down with a map and wrote out all of the things we would like to see and compiled a schedule so that we could fit everything in. On Tuesday we had Kyler with us and we felt like we couldn't do as much with him, so we left him at home with my mom for Wednesday.

We were up bright and early and were on the Metro by 8:00 Wednesday morning. Our first stop was the Washington Monument to get tickets for a tour of the monument. We got tickets for 3:00, so we had some time to waste before that tour. We headed down the hill and started self-touring. All before noon we had walked a big loop which encompassed the WWII Memorial, the Constitution Gardens, the Reflecting Pool, the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veteran's Memorial, the F.D.R. Memorial, a walk around the Tidal Basin through the Cherry Trees, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and our last stop was for lunch at the Holocaust Museum cafe. We weren't planning on going to the Holocaust Museum until Friday, but we were on a roll and still had plenty of time and energy.

During our lunch, Josh and I were perplexed as to why we had to go through metal detectors just to enter into the cafe of the Holocaust Museum (it had a separate entrance). Then after thinking about it for a while we decided that this was an area of high interest and controversy and concluded that it was probably a good thing. As we were eating our lunch, we also discussed the remainder of our day and planned another loop just as intense as the first.

At about 12:25 we finished up our lunch and headed to the main entrance of the Holocaust Museum. We waited in line, put our cell phones and other items through the x-ray machine, and walked through metal detectors again. My belt set them off so I had to be scanned with the metal detecting wand. Once we were inside we went to the main lobby's information desk to get tickets for our tour. The tickets that we got weren't until the 2:15 tour, so the gentleman told us about a Holocaust survivor speaker scheduled at 1:00. We thought that we would hang around for that and go into the exhibits that we could. We went downstairs, where the speaker was scheduled to speak, but the auditorium wasn't open yet, so we decided to wander around a little bit and look at the exhibits downstairs. I wanted to go back to the main lobby, but luckily Josh said, "Let's just hang out here." We went into the "Propaganda" exhibit and were looking at posters and propaganda that had influenced Hitler. Then all of a sudden we heard, "POP, POP, POP, POP, POP!" Immediately I thought, "That sounded real, but maybe it is part of the military exercise that I had heard about on the news the night before." I grabbed Josh and then we heard the scurrying of people everywhere. I looked at Josh and asked, "What should we do?" He responded, "Let's get the fuck out of here!" We found an emergency exit and Josh tried pushing the door open...it wouldn't budge. Then a woman came running towards the door and kicked it numerous times with all of her might. A museum curator came and told us all to remain calm and that he was trying to get clearance for the door to open. They unlocked the door which turned out the be and emergency exit, but before the exit there was this large closet that we all had to convene into. At this point Josh and I had no idea what was going on, and all I could think about was how thankful I was that we didn't have Kyler with us...there were many parents there with their children - I felt sorry for them. How do you keep yourself AND your children safe and calm in a situation like that?

After being in the closet for about 5-7 minutes they had released us back into the exhibit we were in, but they wouldn't allow us to leave that area. Then after another 5-7 minutes they had told us that we all need to leave the museum, but we had to move quickly. They had us all on the lawn area across from the museum. Then Josh and I decided that we really didn't want to be in a area with a lot of people, so we pretty much called it a day and headed home - still not really knowing what had happened.

The staff at the Holocaust Museum were very professional and handled themselves very well during such a hectic time. On our way back to my mom's house Dave had text us asking if we were ok. Josh called him back and got the information that the shooter was 88 year old, James von Brunn, a psycho white supremacist. And that he had shot and injured a guard. We later found out that the guard was Stephen Johns and that he died from his injuries. It was a very sad event, but we are very thankful for the people that risked their lives to save ours. R.I.P Stephen Johns.

Life's a Beach!

We just finished up the first leg to our two week summer vacation. My mom and stepdad were very generous in getting us a beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We stayed in an immaculate home on Cape Hatteras with lots of amenities, which included the beach that was just two short blocks away!

My boys!

On our way to the beach!

Our temporary house on Elizabeth Ave. (no joke)!

Looking out into the sound.

Fishing in the sound.



At the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - it was windy up there!


Kyler loved the beach so much that I couldn't find just one picture to share.
He loved crawling around in the sand and chasing after the waves...he is definitely his mother's son!

The second leg continues in Washington D.C. - I'm sure we'll have plenty of pictures to share!

Trip of Firsts

I have been over to the Urich's farmhouse numerous times (considering the fact that I have been with Josh for nearly nine years), yet this time was a "Trip of Firsts".

Kyler's first time seeing a cow...mooo!

Kyler's first time in the barn.

Kyler's first time going down a slide...boy, did he love it!

Kyler's first time in a tractor. He's a natural!

Kyler's first time helping Grandpa feed the cows.

Kyler's first time on "Grand Mesa". That's where his mommy and daddy first met back in 2000!

A first for both Kyler and myself - off roading on "Grand Mesa". Although very scary in parts, Daddy kept us all safe!

My first ride on the "Gold Wing" thanks to Gerald!

Our first family hike (minus Lucy...there were no dogs allowed).

Our much earned reward after Josh carried Kyler in that backpack - it is heavy! Hanging Lake, Colorado

Being a mother is fun! It is so amazing how joyful it is to see somebody do something for the very first time. I can't wait until it will actually mean something to Kyler. We have many more firsts in the near future...we were home for one day and then headed to the outer banks of North Carolina (a first for all of us) and then to Washington D.C.!

Summer Love

There are many things I love about summer, and not having to work would probably rank #1 on my list if I had to put them in order.

I love summer for...

...the long days
...the late nights by the fire
...the vacations
...the hiking
...the swimming
...the taste of an ice cold beer after a long hot day
...the feel of soft green grass under my feet
...relaxing in the shade
...BBQs
...the fresh fruit/vegetables
...our anniversary
...Kyler's Birthday
...buzz cuts

Kyler's First Haircut!

"I've got my shorts on and my hair cut...I'm ready for summer!"

It wasn't always this way, but summer is my favorite season...hands down. The countdown is on ~ t-minus 90 hours until my summer begins!

Fancy Foods

Kyler has really gotten into eating "people food". Everyday when I pick him up from daycare, Diane says, "Well, he ate like a truck driver today." I'm not too sure what a truck driver eats like, but I can only imagine after our excursion to Johnny Carino's. Josh decided to take us out for a nice Mother's Day lunch. We fed Kyler a small lunch before we headed out and decided that he could eat off of our plates if he was still hungry. Just one taste of their lasagna is all that it took. Ky LOVED it! He ended up eating half of Josh's portion! So much for eating lunch beforehand!



Kyler is very into self-feeding, and he is getting quite good at it. He really doesn't like to eat baby food off of a spoon anymore. Some of his favorite foods have been lasagna (that one is pretty obvious), avocado, pasta, cereal, apple slices, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, turkey, tofu, vegi patties, and even broccoli! He surely loves his food...hummm...I wonder where he gets that from!

"Momma Knows Best"

I never really realized just how much my mother loves me until I had Kyler. As I have said many times before, having a child of my own has really opened my eyes to a whole new world. My life will never be the same, and I'm not too sad about that - in fact, I am thrilled by it. Not only do I have a new-found appreciation for all mothers, but I especially do for my own mother as well as Josh's mom. It takes a very special person to be a good mother, and I feel extremely lucky to be surrounded by such great mothers.

On the CBS Sunday Morning Show this morning, they talked about what makes a good mother. I agree with their conclusion that it is all in the eye of the beholder. Is there such thing as a good mother? What constitutes a good mom? As far as I am concerned, I can only do what I think is best when presented with a certain situation, because "Momma knows best," right?

Happy Mother's Day!

Whirlwind

Whirlwind is the only word that definitely explains the last month and a half. We have been extremely busy, and I must admit that I kind of liked it. Over the course of the last 6 weeks we have...celebrated my Nanna's 84th birthday, my father-in-law's 57th, my brother's 29th, Lucy's 4th, my niece's 2nd, and welcomed my other niece into this world. Josh and I had a weekend get-a-way. Kyler's has had a couple playdates, as well as a couple of ear infections. We helped my mother move out of her condo and welcomed Adam into his first home with a house warming party. I joined a softball league. We all got together for an early Mother's Day. We spent a lot of time with my family while my mom was in town...we even got everybody together with Shannon for some more family photos.



Today, Mother's Day, is the first day that we have had absolutely nothing planned, and boy does it feel great!

All in a day's work!

Teachers are amazing people...although Josh and I are both teachers, I don't really consider us extraordinary. Then just the other day I took a step back and really looked at what I actually do in one day.

WARNING: What I am about to write are crazy but true stories that have actually happened to me...maybe not all in one day, but surely over the course of the six years that I have been in the classroom.

-"Mrs. Urich, can I go to the bathroom? I need to fix my underwear. I have a really bad wedgie."

-After telling a student that they needed to flip his card (for poor behavior) he responded, "I don't give a shit you fucking bitch."

-"Mrs. Urich, I think I just threw up in my mouth!"

-After chasing a shirtless student around my room, I caught up with him and he screamed, "I'm Spiderman!"

-"Mrs. Urich, you can just tell me to shut up!"

And these are only a few of my favorite stories, which are now comical, but at the time they weren't. I'm not saying that I am a saint or anything, but after teaching for just six short years I have created an appreciation beyond appreciations for educators.

Here is an e-mail that I got a few months back...
"After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said:
'Let me see if I've got this right.
'You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.
'You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.
'You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.
'You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams.
'You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish, or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.
'You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.'"

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job! The good definitely outweighs the bad. I have created bonds with some of my students that will last a lifetime, and I love that about my job! I have cried, laughed, been serious, been scared, grown, loved, sang, danced and learned a lot alongside my students. For that I am thankful!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
I know that I appreciate all of my teachers (past and present) and my many brilliant colleagues!