Jason, Samantha, and I spent the evening at the visitation for the father of a good friend who recently died. Our reactions to the entire event were very different. I mentioned to Jason yesterday that, if we chose to stay through the funeral (which started at 7:30), my mother could watch Sam. Since we decided to go early and skip the main event ( Read more... )

My sister graduated today with a master's degree in counseling/school counseling. I went to the ceremony with my parents and Samantha (who was surprisingly good during the two and a half hour ceremony). My sister's boyfriend, Nick, should have been there as a participant, too. He was graduating from the same school with his master of arts in ( Read more... )

The world is still while Samantha is napping ( Read more... )

My parents hosted a large dinner tonight. The guest list included my family (me, Sam, and Jason), Cara and Nick, Nick's nephew Jackson who they are babysitting this week, my Aunt Maggie and Uncle Brent, and my cousin LeAnne. Sam did surprisingly well considering it was late (for her) and she was around so many new people. On my way out the door ( Read more... )

Today was Sam's first official day at the sitter's, and all is well! She fussed for a moment when she woke up in her carrier and realized she was in a strange environment, but she warmed up quickly . . . and when I handed her over a few minutes later, she was quite amenable ( Read more... )

Mrs. Brown (my principal) called me earlier this week to see if I could come in for the faculty meeting tomorrow, which runs from 12:15 to 3:00. Although she stressed that I was still on maternity leave and could make the decision NOT to come in, she also made it clear that there were going to be some major changes announced and it would be in my ( Read more... )

Today was NOT a good day. I woke up at 3:00 am (on the couch) freezing, stumbled to the thermostat, and turned on the furnace. Two hours later, I awoke ACTUALLY freezing (there may have been icicles hanging off my nose). The furnace was broken, and it was 50 degrees in my house. Not a big deal, except I have a four month old non-Eskimo baby. I ( Read more... )

It is Monday. On a "normal" Monday, I would wake up at 5:30 to get ready for school. I would skip breakfast or grab a granola bar at the gas station. By 8:13, I would be collecting warm-ups from my publications class and preparing to head down to the computer lab to work on the 8th grade slideshow ( Read more... )

Overall, I don't think I am a bad mother. My daughter goes to the doctor regularly. She takes nightly baths and is dressed in clean clothes. Her diapers are changed on a regular basis, and she eats when she is hungry. I read to her every day, and she owns an assortment of developmentally appropriate toys. I don't have screaming matches with my ( Read more... )

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL the past few days -- much too warm and spring-like to be mid-March. Lisa & I took Sam to Perry Farm a few days ago to see the animals at the petting zoo. She seemed to enjoy herself, and I have taken her on several walks around the neighborhood since then. Her jogging stroller has been a success, although she ( Read more... )