It Is Almost Over!

Life as a teacher continues to be a cycle of crazy and dull, as I sit in my desk in my classroom I am at the tail end of crazy! I have spent the day tossing old files, and re-organizing filing cabinets to get ready for next year. Tonight it awards night, then two more days and a summer stretching before me!

This summer I do have some work to do, I am taking a Nutrition course by correspondence in order to better prepare me for next year. Of course I have a bunch of course to prep, Grade 11 History, two Careers courses and Family Studies are on the docket for September, most are new to me so I have some prep work to do! Of course my second semester is glorious: Psychology, Foods and Nutrition and Clothing and Design. I got awesome news the other day when my indefinite term turned into a full year term. Stability for a year sounds AWESOME!! Sorry mom, dad and Ash, I haven't been home much to tell you that wonderful news!

Of course I do get the perk of having summer "off" so we have some dreams of going camping, days on the beach, a trip to the zoo, and some other typical summer time plans. Griffin will still go to "Manda's" a couple of days of week so I can work on my course, and because he loves Amanda. The other day he informed me he had "two moms, Amanda and Mommy". On the days he is home we will enjoy a bunch of fun thins because I have time to do my work and home stuff while he is playing down the street. I think it is an awesome plan!

So bring on summer... just as soon as I finish cleaning my classroom!

Happy Second Birthday!

My dearest little boy turns two today! TWO! He is no longer a baby, but instead a little boy.
Twenty-four months ago we welcomed this baby into our lives with great joy, and he has changed our lives in every way imaginable.

So in honour of my favourite little boy here is a picture look-back at his life until now:

Gigantic belly!

Daddy finally holding me!

In Mommy's arms!

We are in love!

Hanging out in my bouncy chair!

Griffin with his cousins! He still loves them!

The love affair with curling began young!

On his first birthday.

18 Months old

These days are busy days, as Griffin grows and changes every day. So what is Griffin doing these days, well if you ask him he "plays with girls" all day (his daycare has three girls and him in it). What does he want to do ALL THE TIME: CURLING! He will take it anyway he can get it, with his broom and inflatable rocks on the kitchen floor, on the table game I scored at the thrift shop, at the rink (his first choice), he will even ask to watch it on TV. He is a curling fanatic; his daddy is so proud!

Don't worry, besides girls and curling he has a bunch of other interests that keep him busy... drawing/colouring, jumping, swimming, playing with cars, cooking, play doh, doing dishes, wrestling with daddy, reading books, and generally playing around. His vocabulary grows leaps and bounds every week, and he talks a lot these days. It is so nice to have an idea of what he wants rather than just guessing. He is slowly learning is ABC's and is counting to ten pretty consistently! Shapes, animals, and colours are old hat now. He is polite and often says please and thank you without being prompted. He has books memorized and uses the pictures to help him "read" stories to me. His daycare is great at education and he is doing awesome with his prewriting skills when tracing over lines and shapes. The most recent (and maybe most awesome) development is the move to his big boy bed. He now falls asleep in his bed, sleeps until 2-4 am and then comes to cuddle with mommy and daddy. We will take the it!

Griffin, I am so proud of the little man you have grown into. You are kind, loving, and smart. You enjoy life every day, and brighten our lives with you giggles. You ask to be tickled, and laugh with delight when we chase you around the house to kiss you. You share with others without much prompting from us. You are such a sweet boy!

LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!

BRING ON SPRING BREAK!!

Exhustion has set in, the marking pile looms large, and it has become clear to me that Spring Break is almost a necessity! Since the beginning of Feburary I have been teaching Highschool Home Ec. Some how this middle year teacher is being stretched, embracing a different type of teaching, and really starting to enjoy it as I grow. It has certianly been a learning curve but I am beginning to find my groove and enjoying lots of what I do in each day. I mean I have students painting, sewing, cooking, and exploring career options; it certianly has many enjoyable moments each day! I think the best part is cultivating relationships with teens who are able to converse in a more critical way, it certianly is different than grade 5 and 6 in many ways.

However, Spring Break is coming at a time when exhustion is coming on strong; Jay has had a few weeks of days on end where he doesn't come home, meaning I do pick up, drop off, and all Griffin related things. This means my school work and my sanity gets less important. Luckily this week has Jay and I off for the most part and a few family dates already planned. Marking will get done, and my sanity will return! AWESOME!

Today, the first day of break has us beginning the bedtime battle! Griffin is fast asleep for his FIRST nap in his big boy bed. We set it up last weekend and he has enjoyed reading and playing in it all week. Today was the first day of the bedtime battle and this nap wasn't so bad. It took about an hour for him to go to sleep, but he wasn't crying and screaming that whole hour, just testing the boundaries with running around and such. He has now been asleep for an hour and a half so this one can be chalked up to a win for Mommy and Daddy! Tonight we expect more of a challenge! But, we have a retty adjustable schedule all week so this is the week to do it!



Bring on Spring Break, the last month with a one year old, spring, and more groove finding!