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!

"I'm creepin' and I'm creepin' and I'm creepin'!"

Just last week the switch finally went on for Kyler. After threatening to crawl for over a week, he is now crawling all over the place! It is bittersweet. I am excited to see that my son can crawl, but that means he is growing up!


Crawling with Momma!

Now that Kyler is mobile, he likes to get into lots of things. Here are a few of his favorites:


Kyler LOVES Lucy's Kennel!


"I like to eat!"


"Peek-a-boo, I see you...naked!"

Growin' like a weed!

Last night I went in to check on Kyler and to sneak in another "Goodnight kiss", and I just couldn't believe just how big he is getting! My little boy isn't so little anymore, and where does the time go? It made me a little sad.

Kyler at 9 1/2 months taking up most of his crib!

Kyler at about one month.

Sometimes it is really hard for me to imagine just how small Kyler once was and how much he has grown. When I put the pictures side-by-side, it simply amazes me how much a child can change in just a few short months. I feel as though I am very lucky to be able to partake in the rearing of a child and watch him grow before my very own eyes!

Hoppy Easter

On our way back from Keystone, we stopped in Frederick to have a nice Easter brunch with my family.

Kyler found an Easter egg!

Jillian hunting for more eggs!

Crazy Uncle Adam!

My cutie nieces!