1. So, I took Talia to the Children's Museum this morning just as she had requested, and it quickly became clear that she wasn't sure what to do. We meandered through the water feature, the shape sorting part, the grocery shopping part, and the only thing she really settled on was the face painting, which is ALWAYS a hit. I think she's so used to having Mateo with her when we go there (or anywhere) that she struggles to find her own direction when she's on her own. On the one hand, it's great that she looks up to him so much. On the other hand, it would be great for her to experience leading, herself. It's not that she never does - she's plenty confident in our house - but the outside world can be tough for her. I hope going to preschool this fall will help a little bit with that. It definitely has with Mateo. I can't believe she's going to be three in just a few months!
2. I fulfilled a long-delayed dream today and got contacts, again! I tried them over ten years ago, but I've always had dry eyes and contacts did not get along with them. I wore them for three months just to show people that I didn't actually "just need to break them in," but it didn't work out and I assumed I'd never be able to wear them.
Just recently, I've been hearing about all the new materials they have for contacts and how some of them are more hydrated than others.
Then, when we were up in Washington, Sacha's mom was singing the praises of her new contacts and how well they were working, and they were one of the new kinds. So, since we are lucky enough to have vision coverage (thank you, Portland teachers' union), I went to Kaiser and got fitted for some contacts today. They even had my prescription in stock, so I got to walk out the door with my new lenses!
It was kind of like the day I first got glasses, way back in fourth grade. I remember looking up at the trees and realizing that they all had leaves on them! This was similar - I could see allll the way around, without the fuzziness on the edge of everything that I've just gotten used to. My vision, according to the doctor today, is about 20/400, so I'm blind as a bat and I can't even see the E on the big letter chart.
So, being able to just look around and SEE things without any glasses seems like a miracle. I wore them for four hours today and even went running in them and they seemed fine. I'm going to work up to wearing them all day over the next week or so, so we'll see how that goes! At worst, if I start having trouble with irritation again, I can just use them for special occasions. At best, it will be a whole new world of vision! I figure, it's a win-win. Now let's just hope I can get them in tomorrow :) After a decade, I've completely lost my touch!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tali and Mama time
Tali and I have time with just the two of us every Tuesday and Thursday morning, while Mateo is at preschool. I have suddenly realized that this time is very limited now, since the new baby will be coming and then both Tali and her brother will be in preschool next year at the same time. So, I thought I would write a little about what we've been up to on our special mornings.
On Tuesdays, we have a standing playdate with Amanda, her son, Cooper, and Larkin, a little girl that they babysit. Often Erin and her sons Mateo and Ciaran join the party, too. In nice weather, like yesterday, when it was in the 40s and not raining, we try to get the kids outside as much as possible. In rainy weather, we usually end up at one coffee shop or another. Portland has a growing list of cafes that cater to families and Amanda and Erin have encyclopedic knowledge of all of them, so there's never a shortage of places to go.
Here's a photo of the kids this week at the park. It got so cold that even the bigger kids got too cold, so we ended up at a cafe shortly after this.
We've tried indoor play parks and are going to the library next week, so there's a lot of variety. Natalia loves to play with all the other kids, who are all older than she is except for baby C, although sometimes you wouldn't know it. She'll be begging to play with Cooper and then get all shy and refuse to even look at him when we finally get there. Anyway, it's a nice part of our week and I hope we can continue it even after Drizzle is here. Also, Tuesdays are our grocery days, so we usually throw in a frantic grocery run before the playdate starts.
On Thursdays, I try to keep the morning open for just us. We usually spend some time taking care of stuff around the house or cooking. She's usually thrilled to play in the sink while I throw a meal together or straighten up or whatever. Then we do what she wants to do, like riding her tricycle outside, going for a walk, or going somewhere else. She asked to go to the Children's Museum tomorrow, so we're going to do that.
She is such a special, sweet little girl and I cherish the one-on-one time I get with her every week. We're going to have to work hard to make that happen with every kid once we have three of them, but I hope we can build up to it. I'm just putting this out there in gratitude for the alone time I've had with her during these past two school years, and in hopes of continuing it in some fashion even after she starts school and Drizzle becomes part of our lives.
On Tuesdays, we have a standing playdate with Amanda, her son, Cooper, and Larkin, a little girl that they babysit. Often Erin and her sons Mateo and Ciaran join the party, too. In nice weather, like yesterday, when it was in the 40s and not raining, we try to get the kids outside as much as possible. In rainy weather, we usually end up at one coffee shop or another. Portland has a growing list of cafes that cater to families and Amanda and Erin have encyclopedic knowledge of all of them, so there's never a shortage of places to go.
Here's a photo of the kids this week at the park. It got so cold that even the bigger kids got too cold, so we ended up at a cafe shortly after this.
We've tried indoor play parks and are going to the library next week, so there's a lot of variety. Natalia loves to play with all the other kids, who are all older than she is except for baby C, although sometimes you wouldn't know it. She'll be begging to play with Cooper and then get all shy and refuse to even look at him when we finally get there. Anyway, it's a nice part of our week and I hope we can continue it even after Drizzle is here. Also, Tuesdays are our grocery days, so we usually throw in a frantic grocery run before the playdate starts.
On Thursdays, I try to keep the morning open for just us. We usually spend some time taking care of stuff around the house or cooking. She's usually thrilled to play in the sink while I throw a meal together or straighten up or whatever. Then we do what she wants to do, like riding her tricycle outside, going for a walk, or going somewhere else. She asked to go to the Children's Museum tomorrow, so we're going to do that.
She is such a special, sweet little girl and I cherish the one-on-one time I get with her every week. We're going to have to work hard to make that happen with every kid once we have three of them, but I hope we can build up to it. I'm just putting this out there in gratitude for the alone time I've had with her during these past two school years, and in hopes of continuing it in some fashion even after she starts school and Drizzle becomes part of our lives.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Redirection and Correction
Frequently I think that when Mateo and Natalia get older there will be less need for redirection and correction. I am sure that this is the case, on some level. And as they get older it will move more toward us figuring things out together.
Which brings me to today, with my 5th grade classroom. Yes, it is February, and still I have to remind them what it means when I ask for their attention, how to line up, how to transition in the classroom. At 10 and 11 years old!
I know, I can't really compare our children to the students I teach. My students have totally different backgrounds from our kids. There are many students who do not need to be reminded over and over how to behave in the classroom.
At the end of the day, the relationship I have with my students is obviously really different than the one I have with my kids. I feel like I am a much better teacher because I have kids, but that the roles are so very different. And thank goodness I don't have 27 children!
Which brings me to today, with my 5th grade classroom. Yes, it is February, and still I have to remind them what it means when I ask for their attention, how to line up, how to transition in the classroom. At 10 and 11 years old!
I know, I can't really compare our children to the students I teach. My students have totally different backgrounds from our kids. There are many students who do not need to be reminded over and over how to behave in the classroom.
At the end of the day, the relationship I have with my students is obviously really different than the one I have with my kids. I feel like I am a much better teacher because I have kids, but that the roles are so very different. And thank goodness I don't have 27 children!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Notes from 32 weeks
Wow - I only have six more weeks of school to teach. I feel like I am really in the swing of things at school. Sometimes I think that there is not enough time - only six more weeks? How will I get everything done that I want to do. Other times of the day I'm thinking . . . six weeks? How am I going to do that?
Thankfully, two other teachers in my hallway help me up with taking my class to recess and lunch. Otherwise, it is going down a ton of stairs and up a ton more. That gives me Braxton Hicks contractions. I know they are supposed to be painless, but they are uncomfortable.
My class seems oblivious to the fact that I am pregnant. Most of the time they are in their own little worlds. Every once in a while I will get a question from a student. Are you having a boy or a girl? Do you have a husband? (Only asked once this year, unlike last year.)
Before this school, I think I've mostly been out at work. The students definitely knew at my last school. With the population I work with, and the culture of the school, I don't feel comfortable being very out at school. At the same time, Alayna comes and visits with the kids. When students ask, I say this is my family. I do have a few pictures of all of us in the classroom. Most of the students have no clue. Last year there were students and parents who knew, but this year that does not appear to be the case. If kids ask if I have a husband, I say no, you've met my family. All of the adults at the school know, and there are other people on staff who are not straight. No one, though, is out to the students.
On the home front, I've been enjoying spending time with the kids. I have more energy now than I did in either the first or second trimester. We will see how long that lasts! I've been feeling much better since the beginning of January. It is just nice to feel a bit more like myself, and not like a walking zombie all of the time.
I know I should enjoy the sensation, because I'll be back in zombie land soon. The lack of sleep with number three should put me there in no time. At least Mateo and Natalia are both sleeping through the night. Mateo was still getting up when Natalia was born. . . so I am really appreciating how much sleep we are getting these days.
The morning book seems to continue to work for Mateo. For whatever reason, we mostly read non-fiction in the morning. Alayna normally starts the book (while she lets me sleep a bit more!!!) and then I sometimes finish the book. The library has a great collection of bilingual beginning fact books. Tomorrow, we are reading one on Tiberones - Sharks!
Well, it is almost 8pm. I am going to go to bed soon. I might actually fall asleep before one of the kids. Natalia is chattering away in their room as I type.
Thankfully, two other teachers in my hallway help me up with taking my class to recess and lunch. Otherwise, it is going down a ton of stairs and up a ton more. That gives me Braxton Hicks contractions. I know they are supposed to be painless, but they are uncomfortable.
My class seems oblivious to the fact that I am pregnant. Most of the time they are in their own little worlds. Every once in a while I will get a question from a student. Are you having a boy or a girl? Do you have a husband? (Only asked once this year, unlike last year.)
Before this school, I think I've mostly been out at work. The students definitely knew at my last school. With the population I work with, and the culture of the school, I don't feel comfortable being very out at school. At the same time, Alayna comes and visits with the kids. When students ask, I say this is my family. I do have a few pictures of all of us in the classroom. Most of the students have no clue. Last year there were students and parents who knew, but this year that does not appear to be the case. If kids ask if I have a husband, I say no, you've met my family. All of the adults at the school know, and there are other people on staff who are not straight. No one, though, is out to the students.
On the home front, I've been enjoying spending time with the kids. I have more energy now than I did in either the first or second trimester. We will see how long that lasts! I've been feeling much better since the beginning of January. It is just nice to feel a bit more like myself, and not like a walking zombie all of the time.
I know I should enjoy the sensation, because I'll be back in zombie land soon. The lack of sleep with number three should put me there in no time. At least Mateo and Natalia are both sleeping through the night. Mateo was still getting up when Natalia was born. . . so I am really appreciating how much sleep we are getting these days.
The morning book seems to continue to work for Mateo. For whatever reason, we mostly read non-fiction in the morning. Alayna normally starts the book (while she lets me sleep a bit more!!!) and then I sometimes finish the book. The library has a great collection of bilingual beginning fact books. Tomorrow, we are reading one on Tiberones - Sharks!
Well, it is almost 8pm. I am going to go to bed soon. I might actually fall asleep before one of the kids. Natalia is chattering away in their room as I type.
32 weeks
OMG, can you believe she is at 32 weeks? I can't. Time seemed to slow down there for awhile, but now it is flying by again. Here's the lady herself with just (hopefully) eight weeks to go!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Lights, camera, action!
We had an action-packed weekend! On Friday, having come to my senses and found a babysitter, I drove up to the Seattle area to visit one of my best friends from college. She was visiting another college friend up there, so we all got to hang out for a bit and reconnect. I forgot to bring my camera, but I had a wonderful time. Even though I was only there for a few hours, it was completely worth the drive. We got in a nice walk, a hot chocolate excursion, a fancy lunch, and a visit to meet the other college friend's little girl, who just turned one. Then, I got back into my car and drove home. Big day!
Then, on Saturday, Mateo and I got up bright and early (as always) and got all our gear in the car for his big day of skiing. He had a lesson on the mountain from 10 to 12, then an hour for lunch, and then the rest of the lesson from 1 to 3 that afternoon. As with many things, Te Te was very excited about the idea of skiing but much more shy about it when confronted with all the gear and snow and tons of kids milling around. It didn't help that he had to walk up a huge hill in his ski boots just to get to the ski school. I carried him part of the way, because he was having such a hard time getting anywhere at all. He was pretty morose by the time it was time to get out there:
However, after some Mama intervention and a gentle push towards his class, he rebounded somewhat and pretty soon was skating around with one ski on, and then with it on the other foot. It was so funny to watch all the little four year olds milling around as their (also very young) instructors tried to teach them the importance of personal space while skiing!
Mateo said his favorite part of the day was learning to make pizzas (snow plowing) and riding on the sled pulled by a ski mobile, which took them to a bunny hill somewhere out on the mountain. You can see him in his little striped hat sitting on the sled.
All in all, one day of skiing was enough for him, as he told me quite emphatically at the morning break, at lunch, and after the day was done. He loves playing in the snow, but does not want to ski again until he is older. That's fine with us. We just wanted him to try it, but we're not going to push it on him. I do have high hopes that a year or two and maybe a private lesson or two with him and possibly me, too, might change his outlook a bit!
Anyway, we were very glad to get home and the poor guy was practically asleep before he even got to bed last night. We spent today doing a little bit of everything and mostly just hanging around the house. We went to the library, took a walk, went to the hardware store, and watched the Super Bowl and Glee with Apa. Can I just say, as a lifelong Cal fan, that it was awesome to see Aaron Rodgers win and be MVP of the Super Bowl? Wow!
We have another busy week coming up, so it's a good thing I'm about to go to bed. Adios!
Then, on Saturday, Mateo and I got up bright and early (as always) and got all our gear in the car for his big day of skiing. He had a lesson on the mountain from 10 to 12, then an hour for lunch, and then the rest of the lesson from 1 to 3 that afternoon. As with many things, Te Te was very excited about the idea of skiing but much more shy about it when confronted with all the gear and snow and tons of kids milling around. It didn't help that he had to walk up a huge hill in his ski boots just to get to the ski school. I carried him part of the way, because he was having such a hard time getting anywhere at all. He was pretty morose by the time it was time to get out there:
However, after some Mama intervention and a gentle push towards his class, he rebounded somewhat and pretty soon was skating around with one ski on, and then with it on the other foot. It was so funny to watch all the little four year olds milling around as their (also very young) instructors tried to teach them the importance of personal space while skiing!
Mateo said his favorite part of the day was learning to make pizzas (snow plowing) and riding on the sled pulled by a ski mobile, which took them to a bunny hill somewhere out on the mountain. You can see him in his little striped hat sitting on the sled.
All in all, one day of skiing was enough for him, as he told me quite emphatically at the morning break, at lunch, and after the day was done. He loves playing in the snow, but does not want to ski again until he is older. That's fine with us. We just wanted him to try it, but we're not going to push it on him. I do have high hopes that a year or two and maybe a private lesson or two with him and possibly me, too, might change his outlook a bit!
Anyway, we were very glad to get home and the poor guy was practically asleep before he even got to bed last night. We spent today doing a little bit of everything and mostly just hanging around the house. We went to the library, took a walk, went to the hardware store, and watched the Super Bowl and Glee with Apa. Can I just say, as a lifelong Cal fan, that it was awesome to see Aaron Rodgers win and be MVP of the Super Bowl? Wow!
We have another busy week coming up, so it's a good thing I'm about to go to bed. Adios!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Senses
Sight:
We went to see The King's Speech tonight, courtesy of Apa and our regular date night. We went out to dinner first and had a perfectly lovely time chatting, and then got to watch a really great movie. It was one of the best I've seen in a long time. I hope it wins lots of awards! All the work the main character had to go through to speak clearly made me think of the five senses, so I thought I'd post a quick snapshot of the five senses in our house right now.
Hearing:
Sacha and I were debating earlier how Drizzle would react to the movie, because Mateo used to go nuts at movies in utero. We thought/think it was because of the very loud sounds all around. I forgot to ask her afterwards, but we did talk about how Drizzle responds to voices. She often kicks when one of us, especially me or Mateo, puts our mouths right up to Sacha's belly and says hi. It's so cute and makes me want to meet her EVEN THAT MUCH MORE. Patience is a virtue, right?
Taste:
Thanks to the confluence of miraculous events, we had two dates in one day! Before our regular date night, Megan came over to hang with the kids and Sacha and I went out for coffee. It was positively luxurious. We had (me) a hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie and (her) a decaf mocha and a chocolate almond croissant. YUM.
Touch:
Of course, the kids are all over us all the time, so we've got the sense of touch covered, but they are exploring it recently with their stuffed animals. Specifically, both of them like to stuff stuffed animals in their shirts and pretend to have babies in their bellies. These "babies" even kick, if one is so brave as to touch them. Earlier, we were looking at a house and Natalia took her baby out of her jacket and helped it walk up the stairs. Cutest thing ever. Well, that and when the kids actually get to feel their real baby sister kick inside Mommy's belly. That is even cuter.
Smell:
I can't smell a thing. My nose is stuffed up and my voice is slowly making its way back from the brink of laryngitis. In the interest of avoiding another horrible sinus infection like I had last year, I'm about to Afrin my nose, so I suppose my sense of smell will return soon, too.
That's all I got tonight, folks. Good night!
We went to see The King's Speech tonight, courtesy of Apa and our regular date night. We went out to dinner first and had a perfectly lovely time chatting, and then got to watch a really great movie. It was one of the best I've seen in a long time. I hope it wins lots of awards! All the work the main character had to go through to speak clearly made me think of the five senses, so I thought I'd post a quick snapshot of the five senses in our house right now.
Hearing:
Sacha and I were debating earlier how Drizzle would react to the movie, because Mateo used to go nuts at movies in utero. We thought/think it was because of the very loud sounds all around. I forgot to ask her afterwards, but we did talk about how Drizzle responds to voices. She often kicks when one of us, especially me or Mateo, puts our mouths right up to Sacha's belly and says hi. It's so cute and makes me want to meet her EVEN THAT MUCH MORE. Patience is a virtue, right?
Taste:
Thanks to the confluence of miraculous events, we had two dates in one day! Before our regular date night, Megan came over to hang with the kids and Sacha and I went out for coffee. It was positively luxurious. We had (me) a hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie and (her) a decaf mocha and a chocolate almond croissant. YUM.
Touch:
Of course, the kids are all over us all the time, so we've got the sense of touch covered, but they are exploring it recently with their stuffed animals. Specifically, both of them like to stuff stuffed animals in their shirts and pretend to have babies in their bellies. These "babies" even kick, if one is so brave as to touch them. Earlier, we were looking at a house and Natalia took her baby out of her jacket and helped it walk up the stairs. Cutest thing ever. Well, that and when the kids actually get to feel their real baby sister kick inside Mommy's belly. That is even cuter.
Smell:
I can't smell a thing. My nose is stuffed up and my voice is slowly making its way back from the brink of laryngitis. In the interest of avoiding another horrible sinus infection like I had last year, I'm about to Afrin my nose, so I suppose my sense of smell will return soon, too.
That's all I got tonight, folks. Good night!
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