I thought i would update you on work and post a few pictures.  Work is going better.  I am enjoying my students more and the concepts I 'm teaching are fun.  Still trying to iron out the collaboration process since the three other teachers I'm working with do not have the same planning as me.  Which makes things more difficult.  Overall I have a bunch of good students who are fun and make me laugh.   What more can I ask for other than a love for math.  I hope to win them over by the end of the year.

On the other front, Caleb is growing by leaps and bounds it feels like.  Since moving up a class at daycare, he now feeds himself.  He eats normal people food, given it is cut up uber small and he eats with his hands.  But he isn't my little baby anymore.  He also drank out of a sippy cup.  Chris and i have been working on this skill for a while to no avail.  I feel like I bought every type of sippy cup out there to give a try.   Chris got annoyed and disabled the no spill feature (aka cut a whole in it).  On Friday night during family dinner time Caleb reached over for his sippy cut grabbed hold with both hands and drank from it.  Then he set it down and proceeded with eating.  I almost cried, he's growing up.  Then on Saturday I realized just how much taller he is getting when he reached for the top of the table.  Wow.

Here's some pics from the weekend

This is how I found them when I returned from a women's breakfast at church on saturday

Later that day sharing a popsicle.  Max clearly wants it, Caleb not so sure he likes Orange flavor

Now he likes it

Playing under the table. 

Big smile

Off to work I go

I started back to work over a week ago and the kids came on Thursday.  I am usually really excited about the first day and come home exhilarated.  Not so much this year.  I don't think there is a single cause, I think it is a combination of a bunch of stuff.

1. I just spent the whole summer, all 8 weeks of it, with Caleb.  Watching him grow and progress in his movement and cognative development.  Each week seemed like he was changing by leaps and bounds.  At the beginning of the summer he had just learned to pull himself up but wasn't very good at sitting down yet. And now he can sit down so gracefully.  He is so fast now and he is climbing all over and into stuff.  He can even stand for a few seconds (up to 20) unsupported.  He now can make b, d and m noises and is experimenting with his volume and his lips while babbling.  He actually plays with toys.  Oh I could go on
2. I have always taught freshman.  Typically all of my classes except maybe one were freshman classes.  And this year I have one freshman class and four junior classes.  Such a difference in temperament. I know that I will enjoy my juniors but I really do love the freshman. They are so cute and innocent, and they are actually afraid of me on the first day.  Unlike my juniors which most of them already know me.   This should and will be a good thing but at the moment I'm just a bit bummed.
3. Last year I loved my classes, I had all honors classes.  This year only one of the courses I am teaching is honors.  My style and personality really clicked with the honors kids.  
4. Juniors have to take and pass the graduation test.  I am feeling a bit of pressure and I'm kind of letting it overwhelm me.  There are a couple of things that are making this a bigger deal than normal ( I have taught juniors before and didn't worry then) the math curriculum is new and the test will be changed to reflect the new curriculum, but I haven't seen it and won't get the chance to see it before my students take it.  My school has to have 81.2% passing rate to meet AYP.  This rate might not seem like that big of a deal but it is pretty high especially given the circumstance, not a lot of wiggle room.
5. I am teaching a class I have never taught before.  Which is normal since ever year I have taught at least one course I haven't taught before but for some reason it seems a bit more overwhelming.
6. Oh and volleyball season started and I'm no longer coaching.  I don't have time to devote to my family, my students and my players, but I do miss it a lot.

So I'm a bit blue, when I'm typically really excited and refreshed.  I hope this goes away soon.

Since you read this whole post I am rewarding you with a video of Caleb using his walker (this video took forever and a day to load so I gave up sorry,  oh and then it took me 3 days to actually click the publish post button, oops)

Look at me, I love to stand

Caleb loves to stand.  It is his favorite thing of the moment.  Not too interested in moving while standing (aka walking)  but just wants to stand.  Oh and he has been crawling in and over things a bunch lately. He got stuck under a chair yesterday, but of course the camera battery died thus i have no documentation of this hysterical event. 

Caleb smiles more for his daddy than anyone else.  It is adorable (and yes I'm a bit jealous).

He is talking more and more, well it is more like babbling.  Sometimes it is just noise where he is experimenting with volume.  The babbling centers around babababa, dadadada, or mamamama.  Not sure yet if he has made the connection to who dada is or who mama is.  Only time will tell.

Always on the move

Daddy and Caleb playing with a new favorite toy

All the boys hangin out

Trying to play with Daddy's computer

Check out the chubby legs

Who wants to play with toys when you can play with the basket the toys are in.  He played with the basket for a few minutes.  It was hysterical

Not sure if you can tell what is going on here.  I was lying on the floor playing the Caleb and Chris was sitting on the couch doing work.  Caleb was really excited so he stood up and jumped up and let go of everything.   Amazing.

All that play, time for a little rest.  (not staged at all, this happens all the time, so precious)