Our Summer Bucket List

I was inspired at our small group tonight to make a summer bucket list. Doug claims we don't need one...that we do fun things all the time. But I think if I write things down I will have to stick to it. It also keeps us motivated to do more than the normal "fun" things we always do. So here goes...this may get adapted as I come up with ideas. Consider this draft #1.

1. Make play-doh.
2. Make sidewalk chalk.
3. Have a water balloon fight.
4. Go paint pottery.
5. Mommy-Jani date.
6. Daddy-Jani date.
7. Watch fireworks.
8. Go to a parade that actually throws out candy.
9. Go fishing.
10. Go on the canoes with Gma and Gpa.
11. Tye-dye shirts.
12. Fly a kite.
13. Go to the zoo.
14. Stay at a hotel.
15. See a movie in the theater.
16. Shaving cream fun.
17. Catch fireflies with Gma's nets.
18. Slumber party in the living room.
19. Wash the car by hand.
20. Go on a picnic.
21. Run through the sprinklers.
22. Bake cupcakes.
23. Turn our slide into a water slide.

Daddy's and Their Daughters...

We found out baby #2 is a girl. The ultrasound was so much fun! Seeing that little person was just as novel this time around. Doug and I were both convinced it was a girl so we weren't surprised when the tech told us the news. We were actually both pretty hopeful it would be a girl since everything we have is pink!! It's funny to tell people we're having another girl, though. I think that people expect you to be disappointed, like you should have wanted the other gender. I get very mixed reactions. Some people are excited but some people say things like "Well there's always next time" or "It's okay that it's another girl". Of course it's okay! It's downright exciting!! Leading up to finding out, I had mixed emotions. Finding out it was a girl would be a trip into the known...we've done this, we know this, we got this. If they would have said boy, a tiny little part of me may have panicked! That would be a trip into the unknown! It would have been a welcome trip but a new adventure nonetheless. Our friends who have boys kept trying to convince me that boys were fun, so much more fun than girls. This always left me confused because those same people had never experienced raising a girl. So it was hard to take what I know, combine it with what they were telling me, and form my feelings about the situation. Raising a girl has been more fun than I ever could have imagined and I am so excited to do it again. The bonus? My little punkin is getting a sister! Does it get much better than that???

What They Don't Teach You In College....

It's been a long hard week and it's not over yet but I'm getting to where I feel like I can start writing about summer being here. When I decided to become a teacher, no one talked about what it would feel like at the end of the year. You talk about making connections, teaching curriculum, etc. But no one speaks about the void you feel when your kids leave for the summer. You spend so much time with them for 9 months, and then they go on...move on to another teacher. They leave the "home" you've created in your classroom and move on to other things. It's a very bittersweet feeling. You feel proud, proud of what they have accomplished and done, but sad because you know your time is ending. I know not all teachers feel like this. Most teachers relish in knowing summer is here. They may feel slight sadness but overall they are happy to have some free time. On the last day of school, I am a complete wreck. I sob...and sob...and sob. My colleague and I decided we set ourselves up for this kind of a day. We may such a big deal about the end of the year....memory books, class pictures, slideshows to music that summarize our year. Our only option is to cry! But she truly said it best...the minute I end a year and I'm not sad to see my students go, I need to get out of the profession. Teaching is about the connections, the love for your students, and the family that is created in those short nine months in the classroom. It's about cultivating a love for learning and helping students see themselves as successful. It's okay that I cry and don't want to see them go. I'd like to think it means that the room was more than just a classroom for everyone involved.

Wordless Tuesday???

Can You Keep Up?

I haven't blogged in a long time. We can contribute this to a variety of things...night sickness, a two year old who really wants to sit and have conversations, an iPad who has made me never turn my laptop on...the list goes on. I'll be honest and say it was pure laziness. The overwhelming feeling that there was so much to update everyone on that I just didn't have the time or patience to do it. But I'll try...with some photo collages. And this isn't it. I haven't even really done the winter!! So here goes...

In our first collage we have some Jani funnies. This girl has kept us on our toes and is a serious entertainer. From posing in the chair in the baby's room (with her baby) to going to the bathroom on a gravel road during a road trip, we don't stop laughing. We've also got a little pool action, our little ballerina dancin' it up, and some outdoor fun in our amazing weather!

On Spring Break, my mom and I were able to take Jani and Libby to the Children's Museum. Jani had a great time. My mom and I agreed we probably wouldn't go back during Dollar Days due to the crowds but it was still worth it. Jani found a purple dress in the dress up area and wore it pretty much the entire time. She loved making tacos, creating a hat, and driving the van!

Kindergym has been a highlight of our winter/spring. It only lasted 6 sessions and we could have gone many more times. Lots of Jani's buddies were in this class and she loved getting a chance to run around with them. the freedom it offered (as opposed to the sitting/singing in Kindermusik) was a great change of pace :)

I also got to get behind my camera and take pics of one of my besties. There will be quite a few babies joining the world in the coming months and I'm so excited to welcome all of them...especially Baby Blok!

Spring is Upon Us...

The last two days here in Iowa have been heavenly. Absolutely heavenly. We were able to play outside without coats, the sun was shining in the bright blue sky, and I was particularly cheery at school...which is a pretty difficult feat these days.

Jani is loving this weather. She is a girl made for playing at parks, getting muddy, swinging, sliding, and bouncing back quickly from the bumps and bruises that always seem to occur. I am amazed at her toughness and her whatever attitude.

March is bringing about some pretty big changes for us. Jani is starting a new daycare. I'm not sure she's ready for the change but it's coming after spring break. I am hoping and praying she adjusts as quickly as she does to other things. She is a pretty easy going child. March has also brought Doug back to us on a regular basis. He is done coaching until summer and I am loving the extra help that it gives us. Only doing drop-off is such a blessing!

This stage that Jani is in is one I do not want to forget. Highlights of the past few months include:
- Kindergym
- lots of birthday parties
- talking, talking, and more talking
- getting closer and closer to being completely potty trained
- giving up piers (pacifiers)
- moving into a big girl bed
- saying phrases like "What are you talkin' bout?", "Who is that girl/boy?", "I'll make you feel better", and "It's time for a family hug!"
- telling me her tummy hurts all the time because it's what I am constantly saying. Pregnancy will do that to you ;) we are excited (and shocked) to say we are expecting again come Fall.

It's going to be one crazy Fall! Football and babies just go hand in hand in this family!!