My mother just bought this chair for Erik, my house is now reminiscent of The Three Little Bears. A big chair for Daddy, a medium sized chair for Mommy and a wee little chair for the smallest bear........
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
This can't be happening!
It's only been one year between these two pictures. I don't age this quickly, how can he? It makes me sad and happy all at the same time to see him grow, but I miss that baby boy so. Babies are addicting.....I may need another. I am almost 42, this is likely impossible.......but oh that bald head!!!
And I really need to stop buying the vest diamond sweaters, his Christmas picture is the same as well. Someone stop me.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A Day in my Life
I love my job as a preschool teacher / director. It cracks me up, I certainly don't do it for the money. Those kids are a real hoot and some of the things that come out of their mouths is priceless.
In honor of this being the Week of The Young Child I am devoting an entry to "a day in the life of a preschool teacher"
Arrive to school at 6:45 to set up the classroom and put out fires that may have started the night before (read; troubles)
7:00am Answer e-mails, fix snack and pour myself a big ol' Diet Coke to get through the day!
7:30am Open the doors - Bring on the kids!
From 7:30-9:30 The children play and can choose whatever activities they would like to do, or they can eat snack. I check in with parents, help with activities and usually find myself hovering around the bathroom saying things like "Watch your penis!", "Aim for the water!" and "Did you wipe?". I bet you don't say ANY of those in your job!
At 9:30 we begin the circle times, this is my favorite part of the day. I love singing with children. Today we had planned a field trip to walk to the grocery store that has a little Fruit and Veggie show thing and then the children would buy one piece of fruit and we would make an Ambrosia Salad when we returned to school.
During circle time I had to cover the following rules, rules that after years of field trips we have learned to state.
1. Stay with your teacher / partner - We use the "teachers are the bread and children are the peanut butter scenario"
2. No stepping on "un-pretty" flowers - this causes them to be so distracted!
3. Keep your clothes and shoes on your body.
4. If your partners hand is "sweaty and icky" you may hold their wrist.
5. Teachers have Kleenex if you need to pick your nose, please do not pick your nose while holding your friends hand
10:00 After everyone pees and finds their partner off we go! I have the privilege of holding one child's hand and leading the pack. Because I can't see, but only hear the conversations behind me, I begin laughing at what I hear. The walk to the grocery store is about a 10 minute walk for a grown up. For four teachers and 19 children it takes almost 40 minutes.
On the way I hear the following snippets as children talk about....anything.
"I see a cigarette!! It's SOOOOO Nasty!"
"What's Nasty?"
"Oh that dog is HUGE!" Becky did you see it? It was HUGE HUGE!
"Are we there yet?"
"My Dad slept on the couch last night"
"My Dad sleeps on the couch every night"
"AN ANT!!!"
At this point I turn around to say - "Please watch out for the man on the ladder, do not touch him, or his ladder"
"Why not can we touch him?"
"Hey guy why do you have a ladder?"
"Why can't we touch a ladder? Are ladders bad?"
"Are we there yet?"
"An ice cream store!"
"No, it's frozen yogurt"
"Teacher BeEEECKY! That's Ice cream right?" She says it's yogurt!"
"When are we gonna get there?"
Finally we arrive to see the fruits and vegetable's sing! We are excited to learn about healthy food choices. I have noticed these singing fruits and vegetables before and just assumed they would sing about food right? They are in a barn, along with a cow, a farmer and chickens. I see people plant their kids in front of this scene while they shop and it lasts about five minutes. I have not ever listened.
Lesson learned.
We planted the children in front of the "show" and prepped them to hear about all the wonderful food they could eat. I pressed the button and the show began. A five minute show that was written in rap form and about saying No to Drugs!
Seriously?? Obviously it was made in the 80's!
Well, we get our fruit and back to school we go....by now the children are tired and there isn't much conversation going on except for;
"My feet are KILLING me!"
"Can we take a bus?"
"Can you carry me?"
"I'm tired!"
And those same things over and over all the way back to school. The child who keeps saying his feet are KILLING him is holding my hand. I say "you sound like a complaining old man!"...his response..."well, I am almost 6!"
By the time we get back to school it's almost time for lunch. I hurry to make a fruit salad and set up lunch.
Lunch is served family style, I spend the time convincing the children at my table that one bite of carrot will not kill them or make them vomit. I also work very hard to make sure no one spills their milk, it is my goal to get through one lunch time where no one spills their milk.......it has never happened.
1:00pm after another round of "watch your penis so the pee will go in the toilet"and then it's naptime......AHHHHHH
Such angels when they are sleeping.
I spend the afternoon in the office working on paperwork and trying not to eat whatever is being prepared for afternoon snack.
Children are awesome, funny little creatures. Spend some time with one this week and celebrate them!
Happy Week of The Young Child!!!
In honor of this being the Week of The Young Child I am devoting an entry to "a day in the life of a preschool teacher"
Arrive to school at 6:45 to set up the classroom and put out fires that may have started the night before (read; troubles)
7:00am Answer e-mails, fix snack and pour myself a big ol' Diet Coke to get through the day!
7:30am Open the doors - Bring on the kids!
From 7:30-9:30 The children play and can choose whatever activities they would like to do, or they can eat snack. I check in with parents, help with activities and usually find myself hovering around the bathroom saying things like "Watch your penis!", "Aim for the water!" and "Did you wipe?". I bet you don't say ANY of those in your job!
At 9:30 we begin the circle times, this is my favorite part of the day. I love singing with children. Today we had planned a field trip to walk to the grocery store that has a little Fruit and Veggie show thing and then the children would buy one piece of fruit and we would make an Ambrosia Salad when we returned to school.
During circle time I had to cover the following rules, rules that after years of field trips we have learned to state.
1. Stay with your teacher / partner - We use the "teachers are the bread and children are the peanut butter scenario"
2. No stepping on "un-pretty" flowers - this causes them to be so distracted!
3. Keep your clothes and shoes on your body.
4. If your partners hand is "sweaty and icky" you may hold their wrist.
5. Teachers have Kleenex if you need to pick your nose, please do not pick your nose while holding your friends hand
10:00 After everyone pees and finds their partner off we go! I have the privilege of holding one child's hand and leading the pack. Because I can't see, but only hear the conversations behind me, I begin laughing at what I hear. The walk to the grocery store is about a 10 minute walk for a grown up. For four teachers and 19 children it takes almost 40 minutes.
On the way I hear the following snippets as children talk about....anything.
"I see a cigarette!! It's SOOOOO Nasty!"
"What's Nasty?"
"Oh that dog is HUGE!" Becky did you see it? It was HUGE HUGE!
"Are we there yet?"
"My Dad slept on the couch last night"
"My Dad sleeps on the couch every night"
"AN ANT!!!"
At this point I turn around to say - "Please watch out for the man on the ladder, do not touch him, or his ladder"
"Why not can we touch him?"
"Hey guy why do you have a ladder?"
"Why can't we touch a ladder? Are ladders bad?"
"Are we there yet?"
"An ice cream store!"
"No, it's frozen yogurt"
"Teacher BeEEECKY! That's Ice cream right?" She says it's yogurt!"
"When are we gonna get there?"
Finally we arrive to see the fruits and vegetable's sing! We are excited to learn about healthy food choices. I have noticed these singing fruits and vegetables before and just assumed they would sing about food right? They are in a barn, along with a cow, a farmer and chickens. I see people plant their kids in front of this scene while they shop and it lasts about five minutes. I have not ever listened.
Lesson learned.
We planted the children in front of the "show" and prepped them to hear about all the wonderful food they could eat. I pressed the button and the show began. A five minute show that was written in rap form and about saying No to Drugs!
Seriously?? Obviously it was made in the 80's!
Well, we get our fruit and back to school we go....by now the children are tired and there isn't much conversation going on except for;
"My feet are KILLING me!"
"Can we take a bus?"
"Can you carry me?"
"I'm tired!"
And those same things over and over all the way back to school. The child who keeps saying his feet are KILLING him is holding my hand. I say "you sound like a complaining old man!"...his response..."well, I am almost 6!"
By the time we get back to school it's almost time for lunch. I hurry to make a fruit salad and set up lunch.
Lunch is served family style, I spend the time convincing the children at my table that one bite of carrot will not kill them or make them vomit. I also work very hard to make sure no one spills their milk, it is my goal to get through one lunch time where no one spills their milk.......it has never happened.
1:00pm after another round of "watch your penis so the pee will go in the toilet"and then it's naptime......AHHHHHH
Such angels when they are sleeping.
I spend the afternoon in the office working on paperwork and trying not to eat whatever is being prepared for afternoon snack.
Children are awesome, funny little creatures. Spend some time with one this week and celebrate them!
Happy Week of The Young Child!!!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
20 months
Erik is 20 months old as of yesterday.
He still doesn't walk.
Why? I have tried EVERYTHING I can think of to encourage his walking skills. He could care less.
Since our 19 month report I can say that we have seen much progress! He can now climb up and down on things, stand and hold himself up against furniture and do this thing he calls standing, but is more like a Yoga Triangle Pose.
I know he'll walk soon enough, please let it be before he turns 2!! What kid doesn't walk before 2?
Mine, who can't walk, but can do phonics, has hundreds of words, and almost 100 signs. He signs (Uncle Steve?? Reading this??) and speaks all day long, he loves signing so much he makes up his own signs if he doesn't know one. His favorite show next to Yo Gabba Gabba is "signing time"
But seriously the walking............well, here you go see for yourself his "standing" pose. This was filmed yesterday at exactly 20 months old.
I'll hide it from his Dr, surely he'll walk into his 2 year appointment!
He still doesn't walk.
Why? I have tried EVERYTHING I can think of to encourage his walking skills. He could care less.
Since our 19 month report I can say that we have seen much progress! He can now climb up and down on things, stand and hold himself up against furniture and do this thing he calls standing, but is more like a Yoga Triangle Pose.
I know he'll walk soon enough, please let it be before he turns 2!! What kid doesn't walk before 2?
Mine, who can't walk, but can do phonics, has hundreds of words, and almost 100 signs. He signs (Uncle Steve?? Reading this??) and speaks all day long, he loves signing so much he makes up his own signs if he doesn't know one. His favorite show next to Yo Gabba Gabba is "signing time"
But seriously the walking............well, here you go see for yourself his "standing" pose. This was filmed yesterday at exactly 20 months old.
I'll hide it from his Dr, surely he'll walk into his 2 year appointment!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Crayons
Erik loves colors (and letters and numbers) so I decided since he can keep things mostly out of his mouth it was time to try crayons. This is 4 minutes of pretty boring coloring, but the learning that is going on in his head as he makes the same marks over and over is awesome, and the educator in me just had to film and post it.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
19 Months
Erik turned 19 months old today. He still doesn't walk. I'm beginning to get a complex about it. Other parents always ask me how old he is and because he isn't walking I'm sometimes tempted to say he's younger than he is because I don't want to deal with all the "why isn't he walking?" questions.
Sigh.
He has to walk soon right?
He is excelling in every other aspect of his development. He talks in sentences, he memorizes letter sounds (B says Buh is his favorite), he dumps, he fills, he throws toddler tantrums...he does not walk. I will put my faith in his Doctor who is not worried at all......I hope he walks before he's 2.
Erik is entering into full blown toddler drama. Yesterday I thought he had a fever and couldn't find the temporal thermometer so had to go in the bottom. He was so unhappy at this that he screamed and then held his breath!! Held his breath! He's never done that before, and he held his breath for so long that he popped a bunch of blood vessels on both sides of his face! Seriously, this kid could be a handful. I guess if he tries it when he's a teenager I'll remind him if what happens to his face when he gets angry and maybe he won't get so upset.
But beyond the tantrums, and uncanny ability to wake up at exactly 6:15am EVERYDAY no matter what time we put him to bed, he is the joy of our lives.
I've been doing everything I can think of to help build the muscles in Erik's legs. Yoga ball, Gymboree and our newest endeavor.....Swimming Lessons! Erik loves them, he cries when he leave. Here's a little video of his second class. Please ignore the big lady in the purple suit. Because I was in the pool my only option for video was my mother, the lady who does not have e-mail and needs to write down the directions for her TV remote, so please bear with the shaky, blurry and pictures of the floor that happen when my mother is in charge of the video.
He also LOVES to be surprised.......especially by things that pop up.
I hope that next month at this time I can report that Erik is walking....or even pulling up would be great!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Letters
Since Erik was really little he has liked numbers and letters. It's not something we've emphasized, but we tend to buy "educational" toys that have letters and numbers on them. He has taught himself these letters, and now he is working on the sounds the letters make....because he likes it. Of course we think it's adorable, but I promise we are not quizzing him. He quizzes himself all day and LOVES it!
I wonder if the energy focused on his letters, is draining the ability of his legs to walk. He's still not walking. I know, I've talked to the Dr....she thinks he's just slow and will be fine. We'll see - maybe the swim lessons will help, or gymboree, or me playing stand up games for 3 hours every night until he's crawling in the other direction because he just doesn't want me to stand him up anymore.
I wonder if the energy focused on his letters, is draining the ability of his legs to walk. He's still not walking. I know, I've talked to the Dr....she thinks he's just slow and will be fine. We'll see - maybe the swim lessons will help, or gymboree, or me playing stand up games for 3 hours every night until he's crawling in the other direction because he just doesn't want me to stand him up anymore.
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