Lila This Weekend

This weekend Lila was sick but you could barely tell. Even with a fever and food on her face she is still so adorable!

The New Student

I am pleased to announce that I am a student again. It feels weird being on the receiving end of the proverbial Red Pen! I am taking an English Class via correspondence so that I can fulfill the requirements to update my teaching certificate (which lapses after 3 years of not teaching). I actually haven't gotten my first lesson back yet but I did see the grade (an A). I was very anxious that perhaps after 14 years out of school I would be a little rusty, especially since eight of those years were spent with babies and toddlers and six with teenagers and textspeak (Like. OMG! BTW, that is my BFF. Like I am ROTFLMAO. Dude!). It was really going to be a shot in the old ego if I did poorly so I am glad for the ego's sake that I made an A. I am getting to read some books that I haven't read before and re-reading some that I have. The biggest lesson I have learned so far is just how it feels to be on this side of things; I am the learner instead of the teacher. What does she want me to get out of this passage? I know what I think but will she disagree? Did I spell that correctly? Is that comma in the right place? At McDonald's they have managers learn all aspects of the business from flipping burgers to taking orders in the drive-thru. It's so that they can get a grasp on what all employees are going through rather than just the managerial side of things. Likewise, I think teachers should be required to take college classes every few years to make sure that they don't forget how it feels to be a student. So far it has been a lot of fun; I am a much better student now than I was 20 years ago.

Our Spring Break

Here are some photos of our spring break fun. We didn't go any further than Folsom but we had a great time! We did Easter with the Broders in Folsom, drove back here for Easter with the Phillips. had a few baseball games and practices, went to the strawberry patch (so that Cullen could enjoy it too) and then the boys went back to Folsom for a few days with Grandma and Grandpa. All in all it was a lovely spring break!

Lila loves just hanging out.

It took a while but Carson found his golden egg that the Easter Bunny hid.

Lila at the strawberry patch petting farm

Slave labor

Lila got bows from the EB

Cullen still likes hunting for Easter eggs

Getting the eggs ready is the best part!

Big Decision

A few weeks ago I made a big decision after a few months of really thinking about it. I decided to go back to work for the 2009-2010 school year. I have missed working this time and while I have loved being home with Lila I think I will be more satisfied going back to work when she is 13 months old. In addition, I think Lila will be happy with this decision. She is extremely social and will love the interaction at daycare. Right now the highlights of her day are going to the gym nursery and various stores and errands. She doesn't actually like riding in the car very much but she loves getting to where we are going and waving and smiling at her various admirers. By her second trip to the Gonzales library several of the librarians knew her by name. I have her in at a daycare this side of Gonzales (almost in Duplessis) but don't have an actual job yet. I would be delighted to return to East Ascension High School in Gonzales if they have a spot for me. However, those of you in education know that sometimes you may not get a job until a day or two before school starts when they know their staffing needs. I am prepared for that and will see what comes my way! In the meantime I have started my classes that I need to take to renew my teaching certificate. If you don't teach for 3 years or more you need to take 6 hours of college credit (undergrad courses are OK) that you haven't already taken but that pertain to your major. Some examples of classes I can take are English, education, and even some psychology classes. I am taking an English correspondence class right now and love being a student again. So that's it as far as Mama is concerned. I am sure I will post again soon about stamping or the kids.

Where has the time gone?

Lila at age 8.5 months

Cullen at his honor roll assembly, age 9.5

Seriously, where has the time gone? Last I remember it was January and now we're a week into April. After having watched entirely too much Lost I am tempted to suspect some kind of time- space continuum. I expect to see Jack and Kate show up at any moment.
I am going to post some new photos of the kiddos, including the insanely active Lila Katherine Phillips. After one laid-back child and one child incapable of mobility at 8 months it is startling to have a child behave in this albeit relatively normal manner. Sometimes when we are playing on the floor I instinctively stretch my legs out to block her from getting to something she shouldn't get (fireplace, cats, dog... just fill in the blank). Here is how each child was or is different in their thoughts and reaction to the leg-block action at age 8 months.

Cullen: Oh, well, if there is something in the way then I really shouldn't break the rules and go around them. I will find something to play with right here and I am sure it will be just as fun. And law abiding. If anyone goes around them you better believe I will tattle.

Carson: Dude, you can MOVE your legs? How 'bout I just sit here and you bring things to me instead, ok? I mean yours move and I'm so cute so it really works for both of us.

Lila: (looking deviously) You think those little obstacles are going to stop me? You are stupider than you look. Watch this, woman (and crawls over the legs).

Where has Amy Been?

I have had a few people ask where I have been in regard to my blogs. I was so excited that I was missed!! Things have been crazy with me having first a houseguest then, while she was here, the flu. It took me five days to really feel better. Then Carson got sick and Cullen got sick a few days later. Neither boy was very sick; just a littlee fever and lethargy. Everyone in this house but me got their flu shots so hopefully that will protect them against the nasty germs floating all around right now. We are also preparing our house to put it on the market! It is very exciting but a lot of work. We love so many things about this house but we need more space and will be moving to a bigger house in this area once this house sells. I will let everyone know when it is officially on the market. We are going to try to do For Sale by Owner and will ask all of our friends and family to spread the word about our home. It is rare to find a good yard like ours and we have tons of landscaping, as well as so many extra touches throughout the house. Hopefully we will find another family who likes it as much as we have!

Poop

Several times in the last few weeks I have pondered this thought... at what point in one's life does it no longer become impressive when you pee or poop? It is sometime between about age 4 and 5, but I am not sure when it happens. This morning Lila was a little constipated and when she was working at doing her business I cheered her on with great vehemence. I was one step short of whipping out pom poms and she really appreciated my encouragement (through her strained little grimaces and half smiles). Then I have a friend whose little boy is potty training and she is very excited when he goes on the toilet at his young age of 2.5; we all cheered him on as well. In addition, last year when one of my nieces went to the bathroom on the toilet another family member went as far as to e-mail a photo of the toilet bowl containing the evidence of this niece's efforts. It was a gross picture but I understood the excitement nonetheless.

So Lila gets cheers and congratulations when she does her business but no one else in the house is quite so lucky. When I was cheering her on this morning I could see the cat looking at me with a perplexed look thinking "Dang, woman, I made a ton of poop right there in that corner and all you did was spank me and yell at me". Then there are my boys. I have no complaints about Cullen in this area. Carson is a toilet neanderthal. We charge him money when he doesn't remember to flush (we have enough for his first year of college so far). It's $.25 for non-flushed pee and the fee doubles for unflushed poop. In addition, a new punishment plan starts today for when he doesn't lift the seat when he pees. I will take away whatever his favorite toy is that day. Then there is Kevin. Kevin is a good boy but I think these days he would pretty much have to win the lottery, clean the house from top to bottom (laundry included) or find the cure for some awful disease to get much attention around here; he is nowhere near getting any cheers for a properly functioning digestive system. Life just is not fair or nearly as much fun once you grow up.