The leaves are turning, and everything is cooling down. We're enjoying fall after such a hot and dry summer. AND.... Aden turned three on October 1! Yes - I can believe it's been three years.
Aden's growing out of the two-year-old temper issues (not totally, of course... he's only 3!) and now he's getting a bit of a sassy mouth. It's hard to keep a straight face sometimes when he says things like, "Yes, I WILL have two cookies!" in response to "No, you will not have two cookies. It's 6am." Mostly, he's incredibly loving and "I love you! I will miss you!" are more frequently heard than the sass! He's learning how to ride his new red bike with training wheels... he's still a little unsure of things, but doesn't give up too easily. His other favorite new toys are his magnet blocks, electric circuit board (with my supervision, of course), special car/truck thing, and sticks. He's really into sticks right now - you'll find him waving sticks in the air all of the time, oblivious to all creatures and humans around him. He's been listening to a lot of Pearl Jam and he's really nailing Ray Charles' Hit the Road Jack, I must say. He's almost in tune!!
I've been working a lot - I forget every year how difficult September is for school administrators until it faithfully rears it's ugly head after August. Adrenaline goes quickly, kids get comfortable even faster, new teachers get lost, veteran teachers question the inevitable changes trying to be implemented, parents of new 7th grade middle schoolers need their hands held, football begins, cliques form then break apart... at least we don't do ISTEP until the spring these days! Each September, I find myself perusing Indiana's Ph.D. programs, wondering what it'd be like to run a NPO, go into retail or consulting. Did you know that educational consultants were ranked among those who had the least amount of workplace stress? Any of us who have worked with them know why. Anyway, then a miracle occurs and September ends. Aden's birthday is a great beginning to fall, a new month and a positive outlook. Of course I love what I do, otherwise I'd be out the door. But now I can move on through October, enjoy the fall colors, cool weather, the end of football season (ha), and a nice, long fall break at the end of the month.
Aden is going to be an "orange monster" for Halloween. I'll post pictures after that. Cheers!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Summer Update
I only have about two and a half weeks of summer left. Summer 2010 has really flown by, but don't they all? Here is a recap of what Aden and I have been up to thus far.
My roomate, Jackie, and I took off for London and Spain on June 9th. We stayed with my cousins John and Colleen Mueller in St. John's Wood, and really enjoyed being with their family for a bit over a day. It helped me to not miss Aden so much by being around Team Mueller. Jackie and I walked about the city and took the tube to Buckingham Palace, where we saw the changing of the guard. This truly was about the one and only "touristy" thing we did. We enjoyed it, though! Burrough Street Market was fun too. Then we met up with Alan, Natalie and Kellen Papier in Hampstead and enjoyed some time in their new neighborhood - SO CUTE! Natalie joined Jackie and I on our next 4 days in Spain. We hit Seville first, and enjoyed just wandering the city, eating the best tapas in the world, and enjoying our fair share of sangria and Cruzcampo beer. Then we took an hourlong bus ride through the olive and sunflower fields to Cadiz, a pretty beach town. The weather was PERFECT for laying out, and that's about all we did!
I missed Aden a lot, and when I got back, I was telling him how much I missed him. He said, "Mommy, when you got home, did you sit down and think about me?" Of course, I told him that I thought about him the whole time, and he was pleased by that! He also liked his new English Football "Kit," Team England red and white striped polo, little toy cars from Spain and (of all things) glittery Alvin and the Chipmunks stickers I got in Cadiz.
Once back in the states, Aden and I resumed our summer playtime. We've been to the pool, the lake, library, Wonderlab, Indy Zoo, Indy Indians game, and several parks. He's now totally potty trained (YES!)! He likes the pool very much and can float on his back with some help. His skillz on the playground have improved a lot too - and he's much more willing to try new "tricks" with some encouragement. He's really big on eating healthy food, as he says, so that he can grow big and strong! But I pretty much still hear constant requests for M&M's and popsicles. Oh well.
Aden and I made a surprise quick trip to Belleville for the Fourth of July, (once Mary and her kids took off - sorry lady, but with your gang gone, there was room for us!) and we really enjoyed seeing Uncle Marko take the Waterloo Millers to the championship round of the Valmeyer tourney. Classic - 98 degrees with no wind. Keeping Aden happy was as easy as finding one sugar-filled snack after another, though. We also had a good time at the Verrochi's backyard bar-b-que; always fun to catch up with those guys!
Aden and I are off to the lake today. It's in the upper 80's and gorgeous, and we just got a new floaty!
My roomate, Jackie, and I took off for London and Spain on June 9th. We stayed with my cousins John and Colleen Mueller in St. John's Wood, and really enjoyed being with their family for a bit over a day. It helped me to not miss Aden so much by being around Team Mueller. Jackie and I walked about the city and took the tube to Buckingham Palace, where we saw the changing of the guard. This truly was about the one and only "touristy" thing we did. We enjoyed it, though! Burrough Street Market was fun too. Then we met up with Alan, Natalie and Kellen Papier in Hampstead and enjoyed some time in their new neighborhood - SO CUTE! Natalie joined Jackie and I on our next 4 days in Spain. We hit Seville first, and enjoyed just wandering the city, eating the best tapas in the world, and enjoying our fair share of sangria and Cruzcampo beer. Then we took an hourlong bus ride through the olive and sunflower fields to Cadiz, a pretty beach town. The weather was PERFECT for laying out, and that's about all we did!
I missed Aden a lot, and when I got back, I was telling him how much I missed him. He said, "Mommy, when you got home, did you sit down and think about me?" Of course, I told him that I thought about him the whole time, and he was pleased by that! He also liked his new English Football "Kit," Team England red and white striped polo, little toy cars from Spain and (of all things) glittery Alvin and the Chipmunks stickers I got in Cadiz.
Once back in the states, Aden and I resumed our summer playtime. We've been to the pool, the lake, library, Wonderlab, Indy Zoo, Indy Indians game, and several parks. He's now totally potty trained (YES!)! He likes the pool very much and can float on his back with some help. His skillz on the playground have improved a lot too - and he's much more willing to try new "tricks" with some encouragement. He's really big on eating healthy food, as he says, so that he can grow big and strong! But I pretty much still hear constant requests for M&M's and popsicles. Oh well.
Aden and I made a surprise quick trip to Belleville for the Fourth of July, (once Mary and her kids took off - sorry lady, but with your gang gone, there was room for us!) and we really enjoyed seeing Uncle Marko take the Waterloo Millers to the championship round of the Valmeyer tourney. Classic - 98 degrees with no wind. Keeping Aden happy was as easy as finding one sugar-filled snack after another, though. We also had a good time at the Verrochi's backyard bar-b-que; always fun to catch up with those guys!
Aden and I are off to the lake today. It's in the upper 80's and gorgeous, and we just got a new floaty!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Where has the time gone!?
My my my! I can't believe I haven't posted since Christmas! I suppose I've been busy!
Aden has entered a somewhat mellow TERRIBLE TWOS stage. He's really into hitting and saying "No!" right now, as well as bedtimes that drag on for an hour or more... But really, he's doing just fine - nothing worse than what is expected for a 2 and a half year old! He's so funny about it too. For example, he and I were trying to nap together over spring break a few weeks ago. He was being wild and definitely not in nap mode. I finally said, "Aden, Mommy will not play with you and will not talk with you right now!" He said, a split second later, "Well then Aden will just talk with Aden's self!" I cracked up and he had this smile on his face that looked like he was so happy that he made me laugh. It was too precious! Especially with the way he always talks in third person. (Though at this point, I'm wondering if he's going to be like the character "Jimmy" from Seinfeld - "Jimmy loves Elaine!" uh oh).
Spring Break was great! Aden and I kicked it off with a trip to Big Splash water park in French Lick with friends Maria and little Connor. The boys had tons of fun going down a kiddie slide and swinging on the water swings! Definitely worth a trip back next winter. Then Grandma Kris came to visit from Wednesday to Saturday, and we all had a great time. We hit the hot spots like Wonderlab, the library and the park.
We've got 8 weeks of school left, and I have 9.5 weeks until I go to London and Spain! Details will follow in another blog post. Prior to that, Aden and I are planning a weekend visit to the Marys in Chicago for the March of Dimes walk the last weekend in April. Looks like the rest of my week with Aden will be fun - we've got Roly Poly (little gymnasts class) tomorrow night followed by dinner with Connor and Maria, and Friday we've got no plans other than to be outside until the sun goes down, which coincidently is Aden's current bedtime.
I hope everyone has had a wonderful Passover and has a Happy Easter too!
Aden has entered a somewhat mellow TERRIBLE TWOS stage. He's really into hitting and saying "No!" right now, as well as bedtimes that drag on for an hour or more... But really, he's doing just fine - nothing worse than what is expected for a 2 and a half year old! He's so funny about it too. For example, he and I were trying to nap together over spring break a few weeks ago. He was being wild and definitely not in nap mode. I finally said, "Aden, Mommy will not play with you and will not talk with you right now!" He said, a split second later, "Well then Aden will just talk with Aden's self!" I cracked up and he had this smile on his face that looked like he was so happy that he made me laugh. It was too precious! Especially with the way he always talks in third person. (Though at this point, I'm wondering if he's going to be like the character "Jimmy" from Seinfeld - "Jimmy loves Elaine!" uh oh).
Spring Break was great! Aden and I kicked it off with a trip to Big Splash water park in French Lick with friends Maria and little Connor. The boys had tons of fun going down a kiddie slide and swinging on the water swings! Definitely worth a trip back next winter. Then Grandma Kris came to visit from Wednesday to Saturday, and we all had a great time. We hit the hot spots like Wonderlab, the library and the park.
We've got 8 weeks of school left, and I have 9.5 weeks until I go to London and Spain! Details will follow in another blog post. Prior to that, Aden and I are planning a weekend visit to the Marys in Chicago for the March of Dimes walk the last weekend in April. Looks like the rest of my week with Aden will be fun - we've got Roly Poly (little gymnasts class) tomorrow night followed by dinner with Connor and Maria, and Friday we've got no plans other than to be outside until the sun goes down, which coincidently is Aden's current bedtime.
I hope everyone has had a wonderful Passover and has a Happy Easter too!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas 2009
The long awaited Winter Break started for me on Dec. 18th, and I don't have to be back until January 4th. I could not believe how quickly first semester FLEW by! And I cannot believe I'll be writing 2010 on students' passes in so few days!
Aden and I headed to Belleville on Monday, 12/21. He's so good in the car! He sleeps for a little over an hour, usually, but mostly he just talks to himself, or sings, or plays with his car toys. Today, on our way home from Belleville, we were listening to music on the stereo (Beck - one of his favorite artists), and he said, "Turn it quiet, let's talk." So I said, "What do you want to talk about?" and he said, "Let's talk about Grandma's house!" Very cute. So, we discussed all the things we did this week, like play with new friends (my highschool buddies, Jeana and Keith, and their two cute kiddos), play with Uncle Marko, jump around at Monkey Joe's (indoor carnival)... but most importantly, and most puzzling, was to learn about Santa for the first time!
Aden had no words (as you may know, this is RARE) when I was explaining to him how Santa comes down the chimney to bring good boys like himself, presents. I didn't even get into the whole sleigh-and-reindeer thing. He just sort of stared at the chimney. Then we put out a snack and milk for Santa, of course, and he was super confused at that point. But on Christmas morning, he got excited about his presents, even if he still had no comments regarding how they got under the tree. I'll bet it will register next year! Too cute.
I had a great time seeing friends from town (Erin, Tony and Emelia; Alana and Sam; Jeana and Keith) and friends coming back too (John, Lauren and Dave) and family too! It was great to see cousins Carol and Jarrod - we had fun hitting the Belleville bars. Ryseff cousins James and Julia are doing good too! Aunts and Uncles, Aden's Great Grandparents... poor Aden was SO overstimulated on Christmas Day night, he had an early bedtime. We all really missed the Marys Miles, Connie and Leo. They're still quarantined due to the babies' risk for getting quite sick from a common cold.
Can't wait for New Years - it is still my most favorite holiday in the year. And frankly, there is a hell of a lot about 2009 I can't wait to put behind me at the stroke of midnight. But there has been an awful lot to think back fondly on, and build on in 2010 too. Looking forward to another decade, for that matter too! See you all next year...
Aden and I headed to Belleville on Monday, 12/21. He's so good in the car! He sleeps for a little over an hour, usually, but mostly he just talks to himself, or sings, or plays with his car toys. Today, on our way home from Belleville, we were listening to music on the stereo (Beck - one of his favorite artists), and he said, "Turn it quiet, let's talk." So I said, "What do you want to talk about?" and he said, "Let's talk about Grandma's house!" Very cute. So, we discussed all the things we did this week, like play with new friends (my highschool buddies, Jeana and Keith, and their two cute kiddos), play with Uncle Marko, jump around at Monkey Joe's (indoor carnival)... but most importantly, and most puzzling, was to learn about Santa for the first time!
Aden had no words (as you may know, this is RARE) when I was explaining to him how Santa comes down the chimney to bring good boys like himself, presents. I didn't even get into the whole sleigh-and-reindeer thing. He just sort of stared at the chimney. Then we put out a snack and milk for Santa, of course, and he was super confused at that point. But on Christmas morning, he got excited about his presents, even if he still had no comments regarding how they got under the tree. I'll bet it will register next year! Too cute.
I had a great time seeing friends from town (Erin, Tony and Emelia; Alana and Sam; Jeana and Keith) and friends coming back too (John, Lauren and Dave) and family too! It was great to see cousins Carol and Jarrod - we had fun hitting the Belleville bars. Ryseff cousins James and Julia are doing good too! Aunts and Uncles, Aden's Great Grandparents... poor Aden was SO overstimulated on Christmas Day night, he had an early bedtime. We all really missed the Marys Miles, Connie and Leo. They're still quarantined due to the babies' risk for getting quite sick from a common cold.
Can't wait for New Years - it is still my most favorite holiday in the year. And frankly, there is a hell of a lot about 2009 I can't wait to put behind me at the stroke of midnight. But there has been an awful lot to think back fondly on, and build on in 2010 too. Looking forward to another decade, for that matter too! See you all next year...
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Fall Back!
Looks like it's been about 5-6 weeks since my last post. We've been busy!
School has really turned around since the other Asst. Principal started in late Sept. Brent is great and I am so glad to have him on board with discipline and everyday stuff. We can finally breathe again in the office! Football season came to an end about two weeks ago, and basketball season doesn't start until mid-November, so I've also got a lot of free evenings coming up!
I did total my Pontiac Vibe when driving to a fieldtrip in Indy... whoops. Luckily, there were no serious injuries, and a very nice off-duty fire marshall took me three blocks away to the Children's Museum where our students and their teachers were. I was pretty shaken up, so Dave (my most excellent Special Ed. co-teacher) sat with me in the lobby - I love it when Dave ditches the students for me! I rode home with the kids on the bus with Aden's carseat in tow. What a day. But then I bought a Scion Xb - it's BRIGHT red and I like it a lot. :) Aden loves it, and thinks it looks like the Rocketship from Little Einsteins.
Speaking of Aden, he's been just a delightful 2-year-old lately. He uses very polite words to make his demands; when he wants more of something, he just keeps saying, "A little bit of more, please!?" repeatedly. Or, he'll say when asked if he's ready for a bath, "Oh maybe later, thanks." He's jumping around like nuts - very excited about b-b-b-b-b-boons, which is what he calls balloons. He did a great job at his birthday party at the Wonderlab - the science center for kids in Bloomington.
Mark and his girlfriend Meghan came to town for Jackie's and my Halloween party this weekend. We all went to dinner with Aden, and I realized how lucky I am to have a 2-year-old who can handle (happily!) eating out at a restaurant. He actually put on his Brobee costume and was super excited to Trick-or-Treat with his dad. Back at my house, the party was a ton of fun. The costumes were hilarious and it was great to let loose with my friends - new and old.
I still can't believe it's November 1st. This year is wrapping up quicker than expected! Enjoy the fall!
School has really turned around since the other Asst. Principal started in late Sept. Brent is great and I am so glad to have him on board with discipline and everyday stuff. We can finally breathe again in the office! Football season came to an end about two weeks ago, and basketball season doesn't start until mid-November, so I've also got a lot of free evenings coming up!
I did total my Pontiac Vibe when driving to a fieldtrip in Indy... whoops. Luckily, there were no serious injuries, and a very nice off-duty fire marshall took me three blocks away to the Children's Museum where our students and their teachers were. I was pretty shaken up, so Dave (my most excellent Special Ed. co-teacher) sat with me in the lobby - I love it when Dave ditches the students for me! I rode home with the kids on the bus with Aden's carseat in tow. What a day. But then I bought a Scion Xb - it's BRIGHT red and I like it a lot. :) Aden loves it, and thinks it looks like the Rocketship from Little Einsteins.
Speaking of Aden, he's been just a delightful 2-year-old lately. He uses very polite words to make his demands; when he wants more of something, he just keeps saying, "A little bit of more, please!?" repeatedly. Or, he'll say when asked if he's ready for a bath, "Oh maybe later, thanks." He's jumping around like nuts - very excited about b-b-b-b-b-boons, which is what he calls balloons. He did a great job at his birthday party at the Wonderlab - the science center for kids in Bloomington.
Mark and his girlfriend Meghan came to town for Jackie's and my Halloween party this weekend. We all went to dinner with Aden, and I realized how lucky I am to have a 2-year-old who can handle (happily!) eating out at a restaurant. He actually put on his Brobee costume and was super excited to Trick-or-Treat with his dad. Back at my house, the party was a ton of fun. The costumes were hilarious and it was great to let loose with my friends - new and old.
I still can't believe it's November 1st. This year is wrapping up quicker than expected! Enjoy the fall!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Awesome!
Yes - everything is pretty awesome right now, according to Aden. He loves saying, "Wow! That's awesome!" about anything he finds, well, awesome. For example, after Kay Kay told him she needed to clean his bum after a dirty diaper, he said, "My bum is clean - that's awesome!" He also thinks dates and raisins are awesome. Oh, and reading books. Easy to please!
Aden is becoming quite the conversationalist, especially with his cousin, Miles. Aden and I drove up to Matteson last weekend for a visit with the Marys, the new twins Connie and Leo, Miles, and we also got to see Grandma Linda and Zaide when they came over to visit! It was a wonderful weekend. Aden and Miles played SO NICELY together. Of course, there was the occasional screaming fit over a toy, but that was to be expected - they are 2, afterall. If Miles bumped into something, Aden would say, "You okay, Miles?" and Miles would call after Aden constantly if they were in separate rooms. I recall when they were babies, and Mary and I would say, "Can you imagine the day when they will just go off to the play room by themselves and play??" That day has come... and just in time because the Marys' hands are full with Connie and Leo!
Those two are the cutest twinsies EVER. Connie is just beautiful and feisty, and Leo is a happy little bowl of jelly. No other way to describe them! I, for one, have no idea how the Marys do it - but they do! Aden and I hope to make trips up over the winter, as they will be fairly well quarantined due to the babies' immune systems and flu season. Can't wait to see them again!
Zaide Joe had his hands full swinging the boys on the rope swing outside. I think he did most of the swinging, because the boys tended to let go immediately upon lift-off. Aden was so excited to see Grandma and Zaide - he kept saying "Zaide swings!" when we got back. That was fun!
Well - it's been a busy week. Monday night I supervised a volleyball game, Tuesday was a football game and tonight was the Fall Open House. I'm beat, and looking forward to chillin' with Aden for the next two evenings. Our new Asst. Principal starts Monday, so I'll finally be able to get my head above water. Of course, things are really going great and I'm getting to know our new 7th graders (my sevies!), who are funny and lively, good athletes, and know where to draw the line with over-the-top behavior. I'm about ready to give up enforcing dress code, though! (Keep the 'girls' locked up, ladies!) Ha! Can't wait for winter and, hopefully, turtlenecks.
Loving this beautiful end-of-summer weather... really looking forward to the weekend... time for bed!
Aden is becoming quite the conversationalist, especially with his cousin, Miles. Aden and I drove up to Matteson last weekend for a visit with the Marys, the new twins Connie and Leo, Miles, and we also got to see Grandma Linda and Zaide when they came over to visit! It was a wonderful weekend. Aden and Miles played SO NICELY together. Of course, there was the occasional screaming fit over a toy, but that was to be expected - they are 2, afterall. If Miles bumped into something, Aden would say, "You okay, Miles?" and Miles would call after Aden constantly if they were in separate rooms. I recall when they were babies, and Mary and I would say, "Can you imagine the day when they will just go off to the play room by themselves and play??" That day has come... and just in time because the Marys' hands are full with Connie and Leo!
Those two are the cutest twinsies EVER. Connie is just beautiful and feisty, and Leo is a happy little bowl of jelly. No other way to describe them! I, for one, have no idea how the Marys do it - but they do! Aden and I hope to make trips up over the winter, as they will be fairly well quarantined due to the babies' immune systems and flu season. Can't wait to see them again!
Zaide Joe had his hands full swinging the boys on the rope swing outside. I think he did most of the swinging, because the boys tended to let go immediately upon lift-off. Aden was so excited to see Grandma and Zaide - he kept saying "Zaide swings!" when we got back. That was fun!
Well - it's been a busy week. Monday night I supervised a volleyball game, Tuesday was a football game and tonight was the Fall Open House. I'm beat, and looking forward to chillin' with Aden for the next two evenings. Our new Asst. Principal starts Monday, so I'll finally be able to get my head above water. Of course, things are really going great and I'm getting to know our new 7th graders (my sevies!), who are funny and lively, good athletes, and know where to draw the line with over-the-top behavior. I'm about ready to give up enforcing dress code, though! (Keep the 'girls' locked up, ladies!) Ha! Can't wait for winter and, hopefully, turtlenecks.
Loving this beautiful end-of-summer weather... really looking forward to the weekend... time for bed!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Updates
Good morning! It is 6:40am, and I am almost done cooking up 2 pounds of bacon and 18 sausage links for the office staff pitch-in breakfast. Of course, it was only when I got home from supervising last night's first BMS football game at 9:45, completely exhausted, that I remembered I had to do the bacon and sausage. And I had none in the house. SO - I got to go to Kroger at 6am! I think it's my new favorite time to shop, though. Pretty quiet. But the pitch-in is worth it, I just love the people I'm working with! And Lynn is bringing cinnamon rolls, so it's definitely worth it.
Aden has made big strides recently! No more pacifier at bed or nap times! That was very exciting, because he's the one who wanted to throw it away. I was also calling him the kissing bandit recently. At KK's house, he would hit his girlfriends, just so that he could kiss them and say he was sorry. Unbelieveable! It was hilarious, because he was just barely tapping their arm, then saying, "I sorry. I kiss it, make it better." Then he'd go in for a lip lock in some cases. Oh my my. Jackie calls it the Hit-n-kiss move. Probably only appropriate for 2 year olds.
We've got some exciting plans coming up! Aden and I are going to Matteson to visit the Marys, Miles and Connie and Leo in September! Everyone is also excited to see Joe, Linda, Natalie and Kellen too! (Alan, are you coming? Hope so!) It'll be quite the crowd of kiddos. Looking forward to it. And then, of course, Aden's birthday is coming up. It will be at WonderLab, the children's science museum here in town. It's one of Aden's favorite spots, and although he doesn't understand yet what a birthday is, he knows there will be a party at WonderLab and that makes him happy!
Okay - I've burned a batch of bacon, so I better go mind the stovetop.
Aden has made big strides recently! No more pacifier at bed or nap times! That was very exciting, because he's the one who wanted to throw it away. I was also calling him the kissing bandit recently. At KK's house, he would hit his girlfriends, just so that he could kiss them and say he was sorry. Unbelieveable! It was hilarious, because he was just barely tapping their arm, then saying, "I sorry. I kiss it, make it better." Then he'd go in for a lip lock in some cases. Oh my my. Jackie calls it the Hit-n-kiss move. Probably only appropriate for 2 year olds.
We've got some exciting plans coming up! Aden and I are going to Matteson to visit the Marys, Miles and Connie and Leo in September! Everyone is also excited to see Joe, Linda, Natalie and Kellen too! (Alan, are you coming? Hope so!) It'll be quite the crowd of kiddos. Looking forward to it. And then, of course, Aden's birthday is coming up. It will be at WonderLab, the children's science museum here in town. It's one of Aden's favorite spots, and although he doesn't understand yet what a birthday is, he knows there will be a party at WonderLab and that makes him happy!
Okay - I've burned a batch of bacon, so I better go mind the stovetop.
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