Maelin's First Mountain Trip

Last weekend (I know, I'm late posting these pictures but with school back in session, I don't have time to do anything right any more) we were able to take Maelin up to the mountains for the first time! She had sooooo much fun and we all had as much fun watching her run around.

My sister and her family were camping for two nights along with my dad in a great spot about 1 hour from our house. Kat, Jeff, Kevin, Maelin and I all piled into our car and drove up to meet them and hang out for the day. We had originally thought we'd camp with them, but I just couldn't face the amount of work that would entail with school being so crazy. Our compromise was that we went up for the day and we had an amazing time!

Maelin LOVES the mountains. She sat playing in the dirt, throwing rocks in the river, eating dirt, throwing rocks, running all over the place (and getting very mad when you tried to hold her hand so she wouldn't fall. Then what would happen? She'd fall down and cry and look at you like you were a jerk for letting her fall down. Little Diva, is what she is!), chasing her cousins and laughing and screaming. It was so much fun.

Here's a few pictures of Maelin's first time in the mountains. Now that she's getting older, we should be able to do this a bit more. The benefits of living in Colorado!!



This is a shot of our camp site. We are so lucky to only live about 1 hour away from here!!




This is Maelin enjoying sitting on the "big girl" camp chair. Don't know why she liked it so much but we spent about 30 minutes just getting off and on it!



This is Kevin, Maelin and I in front of the river. This was such a great spot: two rivers merged into one just a few feet away so the sound was amazing.



This is Maelin and Papa Dan going for a walk...or Maelin taking Papa Dan for a walk! She's so opinionated and determined: where she wants to go, she WILL try to get there!



This is Maelin as she spent about 3 hours: just wandering around, picking up dirt and throwing it. She was having so much fun and she couldn't have been cuter or more excited!




This is Maelin with her Auntie Heather, Jeff and Kat. We had so much fun with everyone and I hope we can make this a summertime tradition now that the kids are all getting older!



As the sun went down, it started to cool off so this is Maelin in her "Italia" sweatshirt that Grandma Lea brought for her in Italy. She was having so much fun here...the river is just below her and she sat in the mud for about an hour throwing rocks in the water and squealing. Little pumpkin.

So a good time was had by all! We came home smoky, dirty, muddy, wet, scratched and exhausted but we'd do it again in a second!

I'm back...for now

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I have exactly 10 minutes before the kids come in so I thought I'd give you a quick update of everything that's going on. Since we're coming up on a long weekend, (YAY!!!) I'll have some time to post some pictures soon so check back!

**We took Maelin up to the mountains for the first time for a camping trip (we didn't sleep over...just stayed till bedtime) last weekend and she had a ball! She was so filthy from playing in the dirt, chasing her cousins, throwing rocks in the river and she was adorable! I'll post some pictures of that soon cause it was so great to see her enjoying the outdoors so much.

**School is really hard. Having 28 kids is much tougher than I ever thought it could be. How do you keep them all quiet when there's so many? There isn't any room for their backpacks, so they're all thrown in a heap in the corner. There are so many desks that there isn't any room for them to sit and listen to a read-aloud so we all cram into the space between the desks. There are so many kids, when we line up to go somewhere, the line stretches about 35 feet down the hall and I can't monitor what's going on. Most of my kiddos are very sweet and smart but I have one that I can't BELIEVE is in 2nd grade. He can't write his name. I'm serious. He has no idea how to spell his name and he has no number sense at all. (when I asked him to show me a 4, he pointed to a 56.) How am I going to have time to give him what he needs? How am I going to have time to challenge my "smart" kids as well?

**That's about it for now. Maelin isn't enjoying daycare as much as she did last year because her friend Andrew is only going on Fridays now because he has preschool. I think she gets lonely for other kids and she clings to me and cries. It's heartbreaking. Today was great because Andrew was there and she squealed when she saw him and they started chasing each other. She didn't even notice when I left which was wonderful. Normally I have to sneak out and she usually notices and starts crying and I can hear her from my car. Wonderful.

Okay, so that's the 10 minute update. I promise to post some pics of Miss Maelin this weekend...so check back soon!

p.s. How about that Obama speech? We could see the fireworks from our backyard! :-)

Back-to-School Time

Wow....I can finally sit and take a breath. I have been crazy busy trying to get everything set up and I think I'm getting close. My room is pretty much done, most of my kids have been tested in reading, writing and math and I have plans for tomorrow and Monday made. Here is a list of things I still need to do:

*Learn new Math curriculum

*Learn new Reading curriculum

*Set up reading, writing, response, math and reflection folders

*Get ready for our Education Around the World Unit that starts next week

*Copy everything for the kids and their parents

*Organize the school supplies that some kids brought

*Start planning for next week

*Enter all my testing data into the district website

*Set up my new email account (our computers still aren't working)

*Hang up alphabet on wall and other posters

Oh yes....forgot to tell you that. I have no white board (us old-timers remember chalk boards) because the district forgot to order them. Also, I have 28 kids in my class this year. TWENTY-EIGHT. I've never had even close to that many. Study after study proves that the smaller the class size in the primary grades (K-2), the better off kids are. They say classes should ideally be no larger than 18 kids. I have 28.

I only have 26 desks. I only have 16 reading books. I have no guided reading system for the lower kids even though I have 8 kids who are 2 grades below. (they're reading at a kindergarten level right now). I have no computers that work, no phone, no math curriculum and no white board. Oh, and none of our printers are working. I have to email everything to Kevin at work and he prints it for me and brings it home.

It's obnoxious. How are you supposed to "teach" when kids don't even have a place to sit? Or a book to read out of? I know I teach in a "tough" school district, but it's never been this bad. How are we supposed to Leave No Child Behind when 1/2 my kids don't have books?

Anyway, I'm getting there. Funnily enough, Maelin is having a harder time adjusting to me being back at work than I am. She's fine at Sandra's once she's been there for a while...she plays and plays and runs around and digs in the dirt and laughs and has a great time. The problem is when I drop her off and when we get home. I have to sneak out when I drop her off in the morning and I feel awful when I do that. Sandra says she doesn't cry: she just looks around with a "huh?" look on her face with her hands up, like she's saying, "Where did she go??" Then she resumes chasing the other kids or whatever she does.

When we get home, she's stuck to me like super glue. It's like she's afraid to let me out of her sight in case I sneak out again. I can't even go to the restroom because she chases me and gets really upset. Poor baby.

I hope this is just the adjustment period and she'll come through this okay. I hope to spend as much time with her on the weekends so she'll eventually get used to the idea that she plays with kids all day and then Mommy comes and we all go home and everything will be fine.

I'm feeling better about this year so far than I did last year. Maybe I'm more hopeful because I don't have to pump two times every day in an old closet. Or because Maelin is older and has so much fun playing with the kids. Or it's because of my drugs. Whatever it is, I'm glad.

Teaching (especially in the "tough" districts where you don't even have white boards!) is the hardest thing I've ever done but it sure can be rewarding. I hope this year turns out that way!

The Amazing Amount of Work Teaching Is...

I knew it was going to be a lot of work to set up my classroom this year. In addition to the normal start-of-year stuff we have to do, we got air-conditioning this summer so we had to pack up everything (and I mean everything) in our classrooms. All posters, pictures, etc. had to be packed up.

Now we have to put everything back. I literally have at least 2 weeks of work to do to get my room in some resemblance of order before the kids get here. Here is a list of stuff I HAVE to do by Wednesday when the kids come:

*Unpack 30+ boxes of books and supplies

*Put all bulletin boards back together

*Clean room of construction dust

*Unpack and organize brand-new curriculum of BOTH math and reading...this is about 300+ books, workbooks, etc.

*Make lesson plans for when kids get here

*Set up classroom: move desks, get school supplies organized (I buy about 1/2 of the supplies for my kids because they can't afford to do it)

*Plan for when kids get here...complete lesson plans, copies, handouts, letter for parents, etc.

It's crazy. I have tomorrow afternoon (we are in training all morning) and most of Tuesday because the kids arrive on Wed. In the past, I would just stay late and get it all done. Can't do that anymore because of a certain little toddler that doesn't want to stay at Sandra's all day long.

Kevin and I both went in for a few hours on Saturday morning to try to make some sense of the madness. (Jeff and Kat watched Maelin) My teacher desk is broken, my white board and alphabet are completely gone (don't know where they went), my laptop cart is gone, my teacher chair is gone and I have to find all my computer supplies because they've disappeared too.

Good fun!



Here's a picture of what my room looked like AFTER I spent 4 hours last Wednesday putting books away. This is after I did a bit of work. Imagine how much more it's going to take...(I'll try to remember to post a picture of the "after" when I get it back in order. Keep your fingers crossed that I get it all done by Wednesday at 9am!)

Our Seattle Trip

We had a fantastic 5 days in Seattle with Aunt Kat and Auntie Ness. Maelin had a total blast running amok in Vanessa's house and we were so busy, she crashed at 8pm every night and slept all night through. Here's a few pictures of our adventures in the Pacific Northwest:


This is Maelin laughing as Aunt Kat read her a book on the plane. She was a superstar on both plane trips...couldn't have been happier or better! (a bit busy, but 2 1/2 hours in one seat is a lot to ask of a toddler!)


Little one terrorizing Vanessa's house and two cats. It was actually pretty hot when we first got there so we gave Maelin a break and let her run around in her diaper. She was happy with that situation.


Going on a walk with Aunt Vanessa around the neighborhood. Vanessa lives in Ballard which is a really cool area north of downtown Seattle. It's full of resturants, shops, libraries, parks, etc.


Shopping at IKEA...the best store in the whole world!!


Taking an IKEA shopping break...this place wears you out!!


Maelin and I at the Space Needle. We didn't go up it because I've done it a few times before and it's not something Maelin would enjoy. We were headed to the Children's Museum which is right next to it.


Our little fireman at the Children's Museum


This is the famous Pike Place Farmers Market. Anyone who comes to Seattle (including cruise ships) usually makes a stop here and for good reason. It's right on the water, there is a fabulous flower shop, the first Starbucks is here and the famous fish throwers are here too. It was pretty crowded while we were here but we managed to get some yummy cookies, amazing flowers for Vanessa and I got a really cute t-shirt for Maelin. A successful trip!



Hanging out in Aunt Vanessa's garden with Aunt Kat


Some of Vanessa's pretty flowers (notice the bumblebee?) She does an amazing job in her garden


Fun tube-crawling-thing Aunt Vanessa bought Maelin at IKEA. Super cute and she loves it!


This is a little park by Vanessa's house...it has fountain things that we took Maelin to so she could play...as you can see, she had a great time!


Enjoying a night at home after we had a babysitter come so we could all go out. We went to an amazing Italian place and then Vanessa broke out her Lemoncello she had brought home from Italy last year! Ching Ching! (that means "Cheers!" in Italian)


Maelin's first experience with an ocean or beach. She LOVED it! She loved holding the sand, mashing it in her toes, etc. for about 2 hours. We sat and watched her and drank Mimosas...lovely day.


Aunt Ness, Maelin and I at the beach. We had such a great time visiting and it just makes me sad that she lives so far away...but we're lucky that she comes to visit so often and that we have such a cool place to go to when we visit her!!!

End of Summer Vacation

I'm trying not to be too sad about it but it's finally here: the end of my fabulous summer with baby Maelin. I've been off of work since May 17 and we've had an amazing time and school officially starts for teachers on Friday. Here's a quick recap of everything we've done this summer:


Visited the Zoo


Gone Swimming


Moved (this is baby Maelin exploring our new house)


Played at the food at the Mall


Gone to the Park


Played at the Children's Museum


Visited Auntie Ness in Seattle


Saw the Pacific Ocean


Rode a Carousel


Gone to the Library


Ate Ice Cream


Learned to Walk


Browsed Art at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival


Had fun playing when Nana visited


Took lots of Good Naps with Mommy

Is it any wonder that I'm sad about going back to work? Soon the lazy days of summer will be over...it'll be back to getting up early and rushing out of the house. Weekends will be spent cleaning, shopping, errands and all the stuff that I can't do during the week.

I'm trying to stay positive about the situation because it's out of my control. Maelin loves Sandra and has a great time over there. We're bringing lots of toys and books for her to use up there and she loves playing with the other kids. She'll also be learning Spanish which is a life-long skill. It's good for her to realize there are other people in the world besides me who love her and who can care for her.

I'm also looking forward to going back to work and getting back on a routine and using my professional knowledge (that I paid dearly for) to help kids learn and grow. I'm really lucky to have a job that I'm good at that I feel rewarded in and gives me so much time off.

I'll just miss the carousel and the zoo and the park and the naps and my sweet little girl who is growing up so darn fast...and from now until next June, I'll be missing a lot of it.

p.s... Sorry about the labels for some of the pictures...I know they're hard to read but I want to go watch Michael Phelps win another gold medal so I don't have time to fix it! :-)

Off To Seattle!

We're leaving today to go visit my sister (Auntie Vanessa) in Seattle for 5 days. Aunt Kat is coming with us (thank goodness). I've got most of our stuff packed and you wouldn't believe how much junk Maelin requires. The child does not travel light!

I'll be back next week and then school starts on Friday! Can you believe it? Where did our summer go? Check back next week for all the stories about Seattle: we plan to eat, drink, shop and.....well, that's it. :-)

Whitewater Rafting and Near-Death Experiences

No, the title is not an exaggeration. Believe it or not, but apparently I haven't had my share of bad luck where rafting is concerned (for those of you who don't know me well, I crushed my left knee rafting in 1995 and had to have 3 surgeries, a cartilage transplant and I still have problems with it).

We had a fantastic time. Kevin and I took Maelin up to Kate and Andrew's house on Friday night and we snuck out while she was playing. Kate called later and reported that Maelin did GREAT: she played and played and then when it was time to go to bed, she just took her bottle and snuggled with Kate (who loved it of course) and went right to sleep and slept all night long. She had a great time. I am so proud of her! (and me for getting through it.) On Saturday while we were rafting, she took her nap perfectly and went to a BBQ with Kate and the family and she even went on the jumpy castle thing they had there! What a big girl! (so I had nothing to worry about of course...) Let that be a lesson to me the next time I'm freaking out about leaving Maelin!

Saturday morning we got up very early and drove out to Buena Vista, CO to meet Dan, my dad's friend who is a rafting guide with his own raft. He was great fun and very knowledgeable and lots of fun! Heather, Kat, Jeff, Kevin, my dad and I all got to go and we had a gas. After a quick safety talk (that I didn't really pay much attention to because I figured the river wasn't going to be very rough this late in the season so I tuned him out) we got on the Arkansas River and off we went! We had our cooler full of margaritas, lemonade, beer and lunch and we were set!

We floated along some pretty easy stretch of the river for about 2 hours and just enjoyed the scenery. We were in Brown's Canyon and it was gorgeous. Hills and rocks all around us and green trees and the sparkling river and super fun company. Couldn't ask for a better day!

Then Dan told us to get ready: a rapid was coming up. We went through it and followed all of Dan's instructions and we made it through! We were very proud of ourselves and I thought that was fun but nothing too crazy.

A few minutes later we "got ready" for another rapid. This one was called the "Zoom Flume." Clever. All I remember is Dan yelling at us to paddle forward and then a huge wave came out of nowhere and completely knocked me right out of the boat backwards into the river.

Now, this doesn't seem too nerve-wracking at first because honestly, it's kinda fun to be air-borne then in the water. The water was cold but not terrible. Then I surfaced. Let me tell you, there is nothing like the panic I started to feel. Imagine you're in a washing machine. Then imagine the washing machine has boulders in it that you're bouncing off of. Then imagine that the water is cold and keeps sucking you under and you're watching your raft float further and further away and as soon as you get your head above water long enough to take a breath, you get sucked right down again and get smashed against another rock.

It was terrifying. Whenever I popped up, I could see Dan trying to steer the boat to catch me but they were still battling the remainder of the rapid and had to be safe and all I could do was try not to drown while I waited to catch up with them. I had a life jacket on (I lost my good sunglasses of course) but it did NOTHING to help...the current kept sucking me under and I kept banging up against rocks and it was all I could do not to smash my head or drown.

Really, it was awful. I think I was in the water for about a minute and a half, but it felt like an eternity. I couldn't get enough air every time I came up and I just got sucked right back down. Finally, I made it through the rest of the rapid and Dan was able to stop the raft and I used the very last of my energy to swim over to it. I remember saying in a weak voice to Jeff that I couldn't pull myself up and he said it's okay and Kevin and Jeff hoisted me back into the raft and I sat there shaking. I couldn't breathe or move for about 10 minutes.

I really see how people drown on the river even with a guide and a life vest. I honestly think that if I had to stay in the "washing machine" for another minute or two, I would have lost my energy completely and just died. Really.

That was the closest to death I've ever come and it was shocking. I'm still shaking as I think about it.

Okay, so after we sat and rested and everyone hugged me and said how good I had done and the "are you okays?" were over, we went on our way. Yes, we kept going. We had a great time and eventually we pulled up to a swimming hole and were able to jump off the cliff that was about 15 feet up in the air into the river! That was fun. My dad and Jeff made some good cannon balls!

So that was my near-death experience. I don't wish it on anyone but I hope it doesn't sway people away from rafting. As long as you're paying attention to the safety talk (my bad) you'll do just fine and it's soooooo much fun. Be sure to try it if you can!

p.s... Of course there was a freelance photographer at the "Zoom Flume" who was able to capture our wild ride through the rapids on film (of course my humiliation is documented for all to see!) If you're curious to see my claim to rafting fame, click here for the 6 pictures in the series. We start out looking great and having a blast, then you see the big wall of water, then you see me falling out and then the last few (which are my favorites) are of my family looking horrified as they realize I'm gone.

Good fun!

This is the whole group on our way home after we had stopped for some well-deserved Mexican food and margaritas.