Life of the Party

      She is so close to crawling and time is just moving too fast for me to comprehend at the moment. I cannot believe she is up in a walker. We don't use it all the time, but she does enjoy the limited freedom that she receives from it. I'm beyond blessed.      Taylor's hair color has begun to really change again. I think she may end up being a blond after all. I just wanted her to have my hair color, but blond is okay too! Each month she is progressing and building new abilities. She's only little once, so I'm trying to soak it all in. I had a person email me about her because I don't post about her often enough. I'm thankful you have kept up with us! I look forward to hearing more about adventures across the ocean.       She still has a slight cough from having Covid. I hope this will go away with time! 

      Currently, we have had more snow days than actual school this week. It's Saturday and I'm trapped here at the house. I have been here for what seems like days. At this point I miss running errands.  Being here is boring and monotonous. Side note: Last weekend was very eventful for my small family. We went and bought a new truck. No, not a used one. The used inventory was actually priced higher than the new base models. So, now we have a new Silverado and I'm over the moon about her. She's then nicest thing I've ever had. She is really my husband's truck, but I will being helping pay the payment, so in a way it's mine too.  You know you're getting old when you get excited over the purchase of a new truck. I'll save the embarrassment for another time. 💀         I'm on kid watch again. I have went and checked on Faith multiple times each day. I just know she will go into labor in this cold weather. I love goats, but man... sometimes it is...

   My teenage years were filled with late nights, homework, and social outings. Man, those days pass by so fast and I never really appreciated them until now. My early 30s have been a complete adventure and brought new challenges into the picture.     I have a great need to get restful sleep now, but it just doesn't happen. I wake up every few hours to check on everyone and then it takes an additional hour to pass back out. Youthful me would have been dead to the world sleeping away right now. People grumble about missing things from their younger years.  Well, I miss sleep the most!     So here I am waiting for sleepiness to hit. I think I'll drink some catnip tea and see if that does the trick. If anyone has any additional suggestions please feel free to comment. 

     I really hate calling it "snow," because it was more of an ice storm than anything. I really needed my stuff out of my car, but I guess it will have to wait. There is at least 3 inches of solid ice covering my car with a light dusting of snow covering it. Snow is always exciting to have because it doesn't last long and we only get a few inches here and there.      Needless to say... the ramp won the daily battle today. I fell and slid the whole way down it. Not only am I cold, but turning purple as well. 

     Can I just say how much I love DBQs?  As lame as it sounds document based questions are what I live for in my classroom. Students have such a wide range of answers and observations. It helps them connect to the curriculum and elaborate on their prior knowledge. It is an open session for reassessment of materials.        This week we took a dive into the Industrial Revolution in Europe. We used an excerpt from Lucy Larcom (1889) and her perspective of being a woman with a job beyond the home. My favorite observation was, " I wonder if she saw herself as an equal?" This led to a discussion of the right to vote and how this opened doors for women. Students also asked key questions about vocabulary. The word, "leisure." was used and several of my students didn't know this term. DBQs can also be used to teach vocabulary, questioning, content, and reading strategies.  (BTW) Life of the Party?  I still use this the title of my blog because...

       I can still feel the lasting effects of Covid. Taking a deep breath just isn't happening and the amount of mucus that is still present is just ridiculous. Every virus is different for each individual, but I'm over this. I kept up with my vaccines and took the raved about vitamins. You know what? None of that helped in my situation. I still caught Covid and I still have symptoms. My body just has to "work it out itself."        Taylor is still having issues with mucus as well. She has a slight cough that seems to linger. There hasn't been any fevers in days but that cough is enough to make anyone feel sorry for her. Sleep is still nonexistent for her. She cycles in 2.5 hour increments. Which makes working nearly impossible due to lack of sleep. I have zero concentration and patience at the moment for tedious tasks.       Her first words were spoken the other day. I was very excited and sad at the same time. Her first word...

    Let me tell y'all about our school board!  I'm beyond thankful and blessed to work for a school system that truly values its employees. I have been working a side job here and there to cover the rise in the cost of living. I will now only have to work one job. I feel very valued in my current teaching position. I want to express my sincere thankfulness. They have provided a way for me to spend more time with my child. Working two jobs took away what precious time I had with her. I put in my notice Friday.     I'm officially only working one job!  Thank you school board for valuing your employees and providing for us!   

     After a long winter break, coming back to work is always hard. Readjusting to getting up early is what gets me most. Taylor's sleep schedule is so random that I'm usually only functioning on four hours of actual sleep. This morning commute was tiresome. I ended up braving the freezing temperatures in order to stay awake. 29 degrees and I had my windows down trying to keep my eyes open. People suggest coffee, but that doesn't work for me either.       Today will be spent prepping for the new semester along with some rearrangement of this classroom.