Sorry about the snow in these pictures . . .

I am really behind on posting pics and my computer is not cooperating, so for now all you get are some old February favorites. More "springy" stuff to come. These can remind you how far we have come in just a month.


Sledding party!

Dancing with great-gram Nora

Every visit we end up getting down.

Chores :-) (This is actually a picture of him playing outside by himself! It is very exciting that he can now do this.)

More sledding. These are all serious hills by the way. Joseph loves it!

SLEEPING.THROUGH.THE.NIGHT.

BIG BIG BIG news here: JOSEPH IS FINNAAAAALLLLLLLY SPEEPING THROUGHT THE NIGHT. This is one of the most exciting things to happened to me in a long time. It has been two years (Joseph is 22 months old, plus the last sleepless months of pregnancy) of interrupted, sporadic, unpredictable, not-enough sleep. Of course it has only been about 2 weeks at the most that Joseph has been sleeping all night and I (always skeptical) am pretty sure it will not last. And that I am jinxing myself. But maybe . . . hopefully . . . . . . . .Sleep is a really, really great thing. Everyone is happier when baby sleeps-baby and momma. If you are a person who gets lots of sleep, be thankful. Hopefully I don't sound TOO bitter and overdramatic, but sleep has definitely been one of my biggest challenges as a new mom. It's kind of funny because I have tried and tried all sorts of things to get him to sleep, but this time I didn't really do anything special. All of a sudden it just happened. Please, please keep it up Joseph!! I am headed to bed and hoping it is my alarm clock that wakes me up. SWEET DREAMS!

Sheep farm visit with grandpa--200 lambs, HUGE pigs, llamas, tractors, reminiscences of great-grandfather Louis (they even had a pic of him up) . . .

Doing the best I can

My big news is that I will not be returning to my teaching job at Leicester Central School next year. This has been a very difficult decision for me, but I am soooo glad to have finally actually made the decision! Who knows if I made the "right" choice, but I tried my hardest to figure out what was best for me and my family. Most of you know the situation: I am basically working for nothing after paying for daycare, gas, the cost of not having any insurance, etc. . . plus I have been putting in A LOT of time. Teaching is a very unique job and I so admire those who do it well. It is a black hole of work; you are never finished. There is always more you could be doing. And always some child you are really worried about. You are completely responsible for 20-something young people!!! I went into this wanting to change lives. Save people. Hummmm . . . I can barely get them to sit down and do their work. In my short year at LCS I have seen and learned about many shocking things. I truly, truly care about the students. I don't use the work love often or lightly, but honestly I probably do love them in a way. Even those who have kicked rocks at me, thrown full out tantrums and been dragged out of the classroom, told me I never teach anything . . . Those who whine and fight and gossip and don't do their work. Some of them come from home situations I can't even imagine. Even just learning about the realities of the school system has been eye opening.

All in all, it has been an amazingly hard year, with some successes. I am glad to have had this experience. I am not sure what my next move will be, but I have many interests and look forward to whatever comes next! Is it too much to ask for a job where I can help people AND make a little money? And, maybe even have some time for a personal life?