Birthday Planning

My little peanut is now 10 months old, and though I can't believe it and want to slow time down, I am starting to plan her birthday. As this is her first birthday I want to make it special, but I know I have to restrain myself from going overboard. I am a crafty person so throwing a party is totally within my wheelhouse, and with this being my first time throwing her a birthday party, I could go all out. Instead, I have to make sure I keep my head on straight to avoid giving myself too much to do, and therefore too much stress and craziness the day of the party. Less can be more! I will, of course, make sure that the crafty stuff is on point, but I'm not going to be the mom that goes over the top!

The Joys of Summer

Though the summer solstice is the first official day of summer, my summer starts today with the last day of school. As I get older and put more years of teaching under my belt, the last day of school will always make me feel like a kid. The start of summer is a rush of happiness with the potential of all the fun things to come. 
I always made a summer to do list as a kid. It was always way too long, and I never usually crossed off everything on the list, but it was more the idea that I had so many possibilities and options for spending all my free time over the summer. 

This summer will be different, though. If I do make a list, it will be short and probably only consist of some household tasks, because the most important thing this summer is family. This will be the largest chunk of time I get to spend with my daughter and husband since returning to work after maternity leave. Although we have things planned and will certainly go places that I could put on a to-see list, it's way more important to me now to simply enjoy my time with them. Unfortunately, the summer will be over before I know it, so I plan on making the most of it and having a fun summer as a family of three!

Early Spring ... Please!

Early Spring ... Please!

After having what I felt like was a very healthy year last year, even while being pregnant with my daughter, this year has started off on the wrong foot.

My house has been a revolving door of colds and viruses since January 1st. Whether it's my husband, my daughter or myself, there has not been a week in 2019 where one of us was not sick. The worst is seeing my daughter not feel good. Even just a cold for a baby breaks your heart. Thankfully she is feeling better now, but I hated seeing her not her usual 100% happy self. She hates all the nose wipes, etc. needed to take care of her, and in the process I feel so bad for aggravating her more.

Our household is currently in desperate need of some sun, as I'm sure many other households are. That groundhog predicted an early spring, and here's hoping that he is right! I could use a day where I can open the windows and bring some fresh air into the house. I usually like winter—snow, the works—but this year I am longing for spring and for the chance to break free from the germ haze that is surrounding, home, school, everywhere. It's been unavoidable.

So please, spring ... get here soon!

Are you longing for spring like I am? Have you been battling cold & flu season? What are your favorite ways to cope? I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments!

What to Buy the Baby?

My daughter is now 7 months old (nearly 8), and we were blessed with lots of baby toys, clothes and gifts when she was born. We have very close friends who just welcomed their first child into the world, a baby boy, and they, too, got lots of gifts off their registry. 

The question is, as these two kiddos grow, what do you get them as gifts? They're not kids yet that can tell you what they want to play with. Our little girl has tons of toys already anyway, but as Valentine's Day, Easter, and (before I know it) her birthday come along, family and friends are sure to ask what to get her. Along those lines I will likely ask the same question for our friend's new baby. 

In my mind there are only two good options—clothes or books. Clothes they will grow out of and will need more, and a good book you can't outgrow.

We Belong to Each Other...

Every day my principal writes an inspirational quote on the mirror of our faculty bathrooms. They are always uplifting and sometimes, ironically, just what you need to hear that day. 

This week one of the quotes was from Mother Teresa, and said: 

"If we have no peace; it is because we have forgotten that we belong to one another." 

It struck me as such a simple concept and truth. It's something I know and believe. I treat people with respect, whether they hold different beliefs than me, or come from a different heritage, they are still a person. The fact that hate is still present in our world is because people forget that we are all human...the same...that our colors, heritage and location make us different, but not better or inferior. 

It is very true that babies do not know hate; they only know and learn what they are taught and experience. If we give them love and teach them peace, then we will leave the world better than we find it, which is what I will try with all my might to pass on to my daughter. 

Our younger generations are the true hope for change. If they are able to hold onto the idea that Mother Teresa so simply put, then maybe peace can become a more widespread reality.

Introducing Henry!

I had the pleasure of reading my book to a class for the first time recently. A friend helped connect me with the director of her son's pre-school, so off I went and had so much fun reading my book to 5 classes of preschool students. They were fantastic! Not only did they enjoy the book, they asked great questions, and really understood the meaning of the character's actions and the lesson of my story. I of course took along with me some coloring pages for the kiddos, with the older classes they used their imaginations to come up with their own mixed up animals (such as an orange penguin-cat), and made drawings of them. Being a teacher, it was a different perspective, but wonderful to have the students respond to my book so positively!

A New Season of Life

Besides being a mother, a wife and an artist, I am an art teacher by day…however, not currently. I am on maternity leave with my now 3-month-old baby girl and I love that I am able to spend this time with her while she is growing, learning and changing every day. I have to say though; it is weird not going back to school. This is the first September in 28 years that I have missed the first day of school. From kindergarten, through college and right into the start of my career I have never been sitting at home while school gets underway. It’s a strange feeling. My fellow teachers have all posted pictures of their classrooms as they finished their set-up and decoration in September, they are all going through meetings and trainings for professional development and they are all getting to know their new students. Don’t misunderstand, I don’t wish I was there, if I could I would stay home with my daughter indefinitely, but I will be a working mom by necessity and because I do love my job. Still, it is so strange not to be doing something that you have become so accustomed to. I did go visit, to say hi to all the teachers and kids that I know and to introduce myself to all of the new kids, especially the kindergartners. Being away from school right now is strange and I miss all my young artists, but I am blessed that I now have a child of my own, and I wouldn’t trade this time with her for anything. She is wonderful in every way and I am so thankful to be her mommy. I love that this Fall will be a totally new adventure with her!