It's 8:30 am, the house is quiet and the coffee is hot (something must be wrong)...

It's amazing how life gets away.

My second to last semester of undergraduate work begins this evening at 7 pm. When possible this semester, I plan on getting to work a bit late on Thursdays so I can stay late. My school is a couple of miles from my work and neither are a couple of miles from home. It's a nice arrangement and for the first time in a long, long time I find myself early in the morning with a cup of coffee and the light of my laptop. I never realized how quiet the house was pre-Jack.

Speaking of the little monster, Jackson Danger started Toddler 1 class last Monday. This picture was of his first day in his first real classroom. Miss Linda is his teacher and she taught elementary school for a long time before coming to Special Beginnings. Her classroom is Sesame Street themed so for the first time Jackson is being introduced to all things Elmo and Big Bird. Her room is very organized and she has lesson plans for each day. There are only 5 kids in his class so they get very individualized attention. They have toy centers, reading centers, learn to brush their teeth after meals and wash their own hands after diaper changes. I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall in that classroom. Everyday Miss Linda documents what Jackson did for the day, what he learned and talked about and evidently Jackson said the word "circle" yesterday while they were discussing shapes. The kid still won't look at me and say "Mama" but he'll talk about shapes at school. Figures.

Jackson is apparently entering that I Can Do It Myself phase and the I Think You're Funny When You're Trying to Discipline Me phase. Robbie and I are challenged daily to keep our game faces on and we typically fail miserably. We've had to start leaving the room. Let's face it - he's a cute kid and flinging green beans across the kitchen floor somehow only make him cuter.

Our child never ceases to amaze me with the new things - good and bad - that he picks up everyday. He is learning bits of sign language in school and so far we have had few experiences with him where we truly do not understand what he needs or wants. All this despite having little to no language. I appreciate this fact because I know how frustrated little people can get when they can't communicate their desires. Jackson has a stubborn streak and can get downright angry when he doesn't get to do exactly what he wants to do, (I have NO idea where this comes from) but despite even this, he is a fun little guy to hang out with and I love him immensely.

Work is very busy with clinics, events and fundraising. Our biggest fundraising event is actually a series of events that lead up to the big event. In the next month or so I will find myself at Pryde's, Dean and Deluca, Mission Farms, Hall's, Land of Paws, Gail's Harley Davidson, and the Plaza Art Fair. I also committed myself to rural community health and wellness checks in October and November. I will be going to rural sites with other medical providers and check bone density's on elderly patients. I was given the opportunity to go to a few sites quite a ways away, but those required flying in the KU private plane. I heard there were propellers on the plane and chickened out. I picked the sites I could just drive to. And no one had better send me any statistics about safety regarding planes and cars.

So, between school and all of the other commitments in life I have no idea where the holidays and free time will fit in. Naturally this raises my anxiety level a notch, but what else can I do? I MUST finish this degree and NOW. Besides, I am ready to start the grad school process. Ready. Set. Go.

I am happy to announce that Robbie's (and mine too) cousin Amber and her husband had their beautiful baby girl over the weekend. Welcome to the family Paisley Kate. I can't wait to meet you! Amber had the complete opposite birthing experience of my own, but it also took fertility intervention and two years of heartache just to get pregnant with Paisley. I think her 8 hours of labor, perfect epidural and quick pushing was her parting gift. We are planning a trip next month to OKC just so we can meet this precious child and get an Indian Taco from the Great State Fair of Oklahoma. SO looking forward to it!

I hope it's not another month before I update again and hope to use this quiet time on Thursdays to keep you up to date. Life moves at quick clip, now more than ever.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Good luck with school this semester. Probably not to you, it always seems to go so fast each semester. Two classes! And you are finished! I believe we can actually say that word! Jack is wearing shoes now I see. Did you get them at the mean lady store? You loved Sesame Street; I can still see you laying on our brown carpet, cheeks resting on your hands, enthralled with all things Big Bird. In a way, you will get to relive your childhood through Jack. I would say that Jack is all things "circle". Starting with "gall". Love you all. Mom
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