Playing Catch Up
Bella's nine month photo in Winston... it was a gorgeous day!
Bella's ten month photo in Oregon... sunshine and 70. Unheard of.
Bella dyeing her first Easter eggs.
Bella walking with her Daddy in her Easter dress on Easter Sunday.
I can hardly believe that May is nearly here. Testing is nearly completed and, with a little luck, all of my students will do well. I'm not sure who is looking forward to the end of testing more -- them or me! I've been in meetings and discussions about what next year will bring, and I'm looking forward to the changes. Being out of the classroom teaching teachers is truly a calling for me. I only hope that all goes as well as we are currently planning. There is still much to be done and many to get on the bandwagon, but I think we can do it. Knowing that there is a team of teachers working for change is comforting. I know I'm not out there alone.
My little girl gets less little every day. She's working on walking now, and has the bruises to prove it. She's getting pickier about what she eats, but she'll still try anything more than once. She's night-time pacifier free... I'll tackle those naps this summer. And to think... in a little over 6 weeks, she'll be a year old. I'm amazed by how quickly the time goes by. Everyone tells you that you need to cherish every moment because babies don't last long... and boy are they right! My little baby is fast becoming a little girl. Independent. Funny. Personality Plus. *Sigh* Where does the time go?
My little girl gets less little every day. She's working on walking now, and has the bruises to prove it. She's getting pickier about what she eats, but she'll still try anything more than once. She's night-time pacifier free... I'll tackle those naps this summer. And to think... in a little over 6 weeks, she'll be a year old. I'm amazed by how quickly the time goes by. Everyone tells you that you need to cherish every moment because babies don't last long... and boy are they right! My little baby is fast becoming a little girl. Independent. Funny. Personality Plus. *Sigh* Where does the time go?
A New Friend
My friend, Laura's, cat is staying with us for a while, so Bella has a new friend. His name is Sampson. After taking some time to settle in, he is now comfortable enough to venture into Bella's play area. Yesterday, he was so patient and gentle that he let her pet him. He thought this was gooooood, so he even got up on the coffee table for some head butting.
Our permanent cats, Luna and Xerxes, really take no interest in Bella. They will tolerate her petting, but find an escape route as soon as possible. Kharma, our "guard" dog, thinks that Bella is good for one thing, and one thing only: licking. So, we have to curb that. It's been nice to have Mr. Sampson around. He's good for Bella. And I think he doesn't mind it so much himself!
Our permanent cats, Luna and Xerxes, really take no interest in Bella. They will tolerate her petting, but find an escape route as soon as possible. Kharma, our "guard" dog, thinks that Bella is good for one thing, and one thing only: licking. So, we have to curb that. It's been nice to have Mr. Sampson around. He's good for Bella. And I think he doesn't mind it so much himself!
Please pause for a moment of silence...
...out of respect for the release of the new Indigo Girls album!
Oh, Amy, those pants. I just don't have words.
Who said snow?
Mother Nature is a bit confused about us here in Georgia. Last week my crocuses blossomed and the camellia bloomed. Yesterday, it snowed!
After a day of playing in the cold and warming up on the couch, we were given this beautiful sunset. Nature is a miraculous thing.
Jessica's Birthday
One of the only drawbacks to having Bella in my life is that I can't find enough time to spend with my scrappy friends. Any extra time I *do* have, I spend with my little girl. Priorities, right?
Well, yesterday my scrappin' sisters celebrated Jessica's birthday with cupcakes and a crop. I caught a lot of flack from these ladies back in January because I didn't attend the ScrapCabin weekend... so I thought it would be nice to at least stop in for the party, even if I wouldn't get to do any creating. It was a great idea! Bella got to spend some time re-acquainting herself with this crazy band of women, and I got to see my pals! Definitely a win-win situation. Jessica was kind enough to let Bella play with her Hello Kitty keychain... which spent most of its time in Bella's mouth, drenched in drool. Bella attached herself to Mara (or was it the other way around?), and they had a fantastic time sharing toys, crawling on the floor, and playing under the table.
*sigh* It was just a good day.
Dream It. List It. Do It.
My pal, Sandy, sent me a link to this quick personality test.
Here are my results:
Here are my results:
I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm an
Organized Traveling Self-Knower
2009 Here We Come!
I'm not really sure how the time flies, but my how it does! Bella is 7 months old! I can hardly believe it. She has four teeth now: two more recently appeared on the top... enough to give Aunt M quite a big bite during our December visit. She is sitting up very well now and can push herself up into a sitting position from lying on the floor. She's still working on the whole crawling thing, but she creeps and rolls around well enough to get where she wants to go. Just this week she's discovered how to pull herself up onto the side of the couch or your bended knees from a sitting position. She's also begun eating meat. Big changes!
The past few weeks have been very insightful for me. I recently attended a tribute/reunion with many of my high school friends. I was apprehensive about the whole evening... I loved high school. It was an excellent experience, but to see these folks 12 years later, well, I wasn't exactly sure how I would fare. My dearest friend cut himself off from me shortly after I graduated, and I'm still not sure exactly what happened. Many of the folks I spent 4 years with continued their friendships, but I broke away. Not sure why, just did.
In any event, here I am, 12 years later -- very happily married, successful career, new mommy, generally happy with life -- and I'm stepping back into my past. Was it strange? Yes. Was it daunting? Yes. Did 3 glasses of wine help? Most definitely. After seeing my most favorite teacher and saying hello to some old friends, I began to realize something: It doesn't matter. I'm in a good place. These people are so ancient history, it's not even funny. Would I get answers to all of my questions? No. Did I care? Surprisingly, no. I walked away realizing a few things.
The first: Fundamentally, people never change. You may find a new career, "grow up," and take on a different path, but you never really change. Who you are on the inside is inherently YOU. Nothing can change that.
The second: I really don't care what they think about me. I don't really care what anyone thinks about me. Sure, it's important for Z, M, K, and the rest of my family to love me, but I'm a pretty cool person, and I don't really give a shit if someone thinks that about me or not.
Third: I have known some pretty amazing people. Some are very successful. Others are just living their lives day to day. The mentors and teachers I had in high school are some of the most phenomenal people I've ever known. I am lucky to have had them in my life, even if it was only for a brief moment of time 12 years ago.
Fourth: Wine makes everything better.
So, what is the life lesson here? Love yourself. As you are. No holds barred. Openly. Fully. Own it. You're worth it.
12 years later, I've married the man of my dreams. I have a beautiful child. I have a new BFF and new friends. I have a job I love AND that I'm really good at. That's me. And it feels great.
The past few weeks have been very insightful for me. I recently attended a tribute/reunion with many of my high school friends. I was apprehensive about the whole evening... I loved high school. It was an excellent experience, but to see these folks 12 years later, well, I wasn't exactly sure how I would fare. My dearest friend cut himself off from me shortly after I graduated, and I'm still not sure exactly what happened. Many of the folks I spent 4 years with continued their friendships, but I broke away. Not sure why, just did.
In any event, here I am, 12 years later -- very happily married, successful career, new mommy, generally happy with life -- and I'm stepping back into my past. Was it strange? Yes. Was it daunting? Yes. Did 3 glasses of wine help? Most definitely. After seeing my most favorite teacher and saying hello to some old friends, I began to realize something: It doesn't matter. I'm in a good place. These people are so ancient history, it's not even funny. Would I get answers to all of my questions? No. Did I care? Surprisingly, no. I walked away realizing a few things.
The first: Fundamentally, people never change. You may find a new career, "grow up," and take on a different path, but you never really change. Who you are on the inside is inherently YOU. Nothing can change that.
The second: I really don't care what they think about me. I don't really care what anyone thinks about me. Sure, it's important for Z, M, K, and the rest of my family to love me, but I'm a pretty cool person, and I don't really give a shit if someone thinks that about me or not.
Third: I have known some pretty amazing people. Some are very successful. Others are just living their lives day to day. The mentors and teachers I had in high school are some of the most phenomenal people I've ever known. I am lucky to have had them in my life, even if it was only for a brief moment of time 12 years ago.
Fourth: Wine makes everything better.
So, what is the life lesson here? Love yourself. As you are. No holds barred. Openly. Fully. Own it. You're worth it.
12 years later, I've married the man of my dreams. I have a beautiful child. I have a new BFF and new friends. I have a job I love AND that I'm really good at. That's me. And it feels great.
