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?

Zaulaism

As any of you who knew me as a child know, I was quite into “play-pretend.” One of my favorite “games” revolved around a “hut” (a kind of teepee like structure) I built in the woods near the river. I ended up creating a whole sort of imaginary world based on it. There were other people, jobs, places, conventions, and even a religion. A little while ago my father came across a piece of paper on which I was working on developing this religion. Perhaps I developed this list with my friend Mary who I believe also worked on the religion with me. The supreme female deity was “Zaula” and this is a list of Zaula’s daughters. (I was also extremely bad at spelling and have maintained my original misspellings.)

1=1'rst Daters of Zaula
2=2cnt Daters of Zaula
3=3rd Daters of Zaula

3 BEAUTY--RALLA
3 NOLEDGE--STIRE
1 FRUITE--WILLESA
3 CIDER--CINOMA
3 SUGER--FILTE
1 DEATH--RADELER
3 COMODY--SIERREOA
1 FLOWERS--WOS
1 WATTER--SLAE
3 STILLE--UIERNO
3 CLEVERNISS--SAOMAF
1 TIME--JOSE
3 MONEY--RIDCH
1 SUN--DIELE
1 MOON--MOUMDE
1 SKY--LLILTE
1 EARTH--TILE 1rst dater foly grown out of hand
1 CLOUDS--ESTA
1 LIFE--SBONE
2 FIRE--FRESE
3 HAREST--OCTSA
3 MUSIC--MELLOR
2 HEELING--KHOVN
3 ASTONAMY--STEDER
3 DANCE--BODEBA

Toddler Psychology

I (like every other person who deals with a toddler I am sure) have developed MANY strategies for tricking/cajoling/forcing Joseph into doing what I want or need him to do. The lengths to which I go seem entertaining to me, so I thought I would add a new list.

How to trick a toddler:

• Make what you want him to do into a game or challenge. (At cleanup time: "Can you get all your crayons in here?”)
• Call it a “treat.”
• Get him to think it is his idea. (Sometimes if you just wait 15 seconds.)
• Give him a choice between things that you chose! (If we have to leave and he isn’t too into the idea I often ask, “Do you want to walk or be carried?” Either way we are out the door.)
• Have stuffed animals do it. (I often brush his elephant’s teeth and then he will let me brush his happily.)
• Bribery. (“If you use the potty you get a treat!”)
• Make a deal. (“Ok, one more book and then night-night.”)
• Make it a routine. Do it every single day exactly the same way.
• Time out. (This is for the serious stuff like hitting, biting, climbing, and refusing to let me change his diaper. If he was mean he has to say sorry and give us kisses. He gets one minute and it works! )
• Let him bring a favorite book or toy. (He always brings books to bed. I have to periodically clean out piles of his books from his crib.)
• Act really, super excited.
• Act really, super silly.
• Use something that has pictures on it. (For example his new potty seat has a bear on it which is deffinitely a plus.)
• Ignore.
• Tickle.
• Proximity. (It’s the funniest thing, but if you get him to come over to his crib suddenly he wants to get in and is all ready to go to sleep.)
• If it’s food, give him ketchup or some other dip.
• Wait a couple of weeks. This issue will go away and a new one will replace it.
• Ask him to “help” with something. He LOVES to “help” with anything and everything! (Hope that continues.)
• Sing a song.

Something on the list works say, half the time. But it sure feels good when it does work! (I also must say that a lot of this list is true for fifth and sixth graders as well.)

January Fun

First Handstand

So the other day Joseph was being silly and spinning around and I was taping it when all of a sudden he put his feet on the stove and did a kind of handstand! I thought this was pretty surprising (as you can tell by my scream). He learns all sorts of things at daycare!

Sweeping

This is actually an old video I took in December and then forgot to post. I still think it is super cute though. Joseph loves to "help" with EVERYTHING! (Sorry about the depressing and loud radio in the background. We listen to a lot of public radio when doing chores.)

"uv you"

There are some "milestones" that are not in the books, but which I think are very exciting. My new favorite is that Joseph now says, "I love you." !!! It is adorable. Every night after he lays down and I put his blanket over him, I always say these words and now he repeats them back. It does sound more like, "uv you," but close enouph. Sometimes I hear him on the baby monitor repeating it to himself. Of course it will be even more exciting when he knows what it means . . .

December Pictures--Christmas, lots of visits, JOSEPH AND SOPHIA, girls night, kisses . . .

Christmas Day:

Other December photos:

Book Love

Mom is soo happy and proud that—at least so far—Joseph is a big book lover. As a little guy he always carried around a cloth book to mouth (already devouring books). Ever since he really started to be a somewhat conscious person (8 months?) with his own likes and dislikes, he has been into books. His first favorite was a book with pictures of baby faces. He would sit in his car seat and stare at the pictures and then he started kissing the babies, which was adorable. Around a year it became clear that books were a favorite thing. He would sometimes spend a good 20 minutes looking at books on his own and also finally figured out how to turn them right side up. This was one of my favorite of his activities. He would just sit there with his pile of books thumbing through them. Now his library has grown and he continues to enjoy reading on his own and with others. He is really moving now a days, so he doesn't usually last 20 minutes anymore, but he still loves his books. Even Muffy (his daycare provider) has commented on how much he likes books. Over the holidays he has met lots of new people. Very often he would go up to a new person with a book, get them to pick him up and read him the book, and then he wouldn't leave the poor person alone. Sometimes he brings his books to bed and tonight he fell asleep with his head literally in his book! I look forward to the time when we can read real chapter books together at bed time. I also really enjoy giving these books to other babies who will hopefully enjoy them as much as Joseph. No pressure, but hopefully the book love will continue!

Joseph’s Favorite Books (Birth-1 1/2):

Baby Faces DK Publishing

His first favorite! This makes me particularly happy because it was also actually one of the very first and few things I personally picked out for him.

Hush Little Baby Marla Frazee

First 100 Animals Roger Priddy

A long-time favorite. From about 11 months on he loved this book and the funniest thing was he would always turn to a picture of an orangutan and start kissing him. Of all the 100 animals in the book it was always the orangutan—which was even one of the smaller pictures. This book is so well loved it is duck taped together now.

Mr. Wishy Washy Joy Cowley and Elizabeth Fuller

This is one of the free books we get every month thanks to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. I have been volunteering with this organization since Joseph was a couple months old and have dragged him along to many meetings and events!

Baseball ABC and Baseball 123 DK Publishing

He loves these books so much that he thinks "baseball" is another word for book.

The Very Quiet Cricket and The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle

It is clear why these are classics.

Happy Baby Words Roger Priddy

Sesame Street Let's Sing and Farm Sounds Play-a-Sound

Books that play music we received from Selma (great grandma or GG). For a long time the music one was the best way to get Joseph to go to sleep in the car.

Alphabooks Baby Einstein

A collection of books, one for each letter. Lots of fun.

Holiday fun

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. It is pretty difficult to get photos nowadays since Joseph moves sooo FAST. He is full on running now. However, here are the best I could get from Thanksgiving.

"Helping" make pies

Brad actually got dressed up!

However, this was the best picture we got of all of us.

Sorry about the red eyes.

Being crazy with cousins and a pink boa

The day after Thanksgiving we got together again to make gingerbread houses and Christmas cookies. It was really fun to see that Joseph can actually do and enjoy projects now!