Strange

Is it strange that I just heard a helicopter over my classroom, as I sat working at my desk, and felt a sense of calm? I think it just might be...

An Amazing Find

I was on my merry way to my parent's house with the kids this morning and as I turn off the highway, just about to turn onto their road, I spotted something!

'That looked like a $100 bill!' I said to myself. I drove over it, but then my brain quickly reviewed the mental picture of what I thought to be Benjamin Franklin's sweet face.

I slowed down, put the van in reverse, "Mommy will be right back" I told the kids. I stepped out into the frigid cold and walked toward the treasure sight.

'It can't be...' I said to myself.

As I approached, I couldn't believe my eyes. Three beautiful Benjamin's were laying on the frozen ground. At first I couldn't believe it, then I thought, 'They must be fake,' but with a closer look they seem legit.

THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS!

I feel kind of guilty because that means that someone lost this much money, but this amazing find couldn't have come at a better time.

I have a lot to say!

Hey all,

My mommy has been helping keep track of my words that I know and so we thought we would share them with all of you, because surprisingly, I know more words than everyone thought I did! Here they are...

1. Mommy (Although I haven't said that as much lately because Daddy brainwashed me to say Daddy; now I just call Mommy, Daddy).
2. Daddy
3. Joslynn (sounds like Jos-yinn)
4. Lily (girl @ daycare)
5. Jodi (daycare)
6. Mindy (daycare)
7. Booboo (bear)
8. Moosie (He's my new snuggle-buddy)
9. Eat
10. Please
11. Thank-you
12. Potty
13. Car
14. Choo-choo
15. Owie
16. Kitty
17. Puppy
18. Horsie (hee-hee)
19. Duckie
20. Hippo
21. Book
22. Moon
23. Blankie
24. Orange
25. Apple
26. Manna (banana)
27. Pizza
28. Noodles
29. Milk
30. Water
31. Cookie
32. Cracker
33. More
34. Snack
35. Hello
36. Hi
37. Bye-bye
38. Sock
39. Boot
40. Hot
41. Cold
42. Baby
43. Poopie
44. Chair
45. Up
46. Down
47. Open
48. Door
49. Movie
50. Belly
51. Pretzel
52. Truck
53. Tractor
54. Fishy
55. Monkey
56. Piggy
57. Moo moo (cow)
58. Star
59. Muffin
60. Shark
61. Stuck
62. Flower
63. Nose
64. Coat
65. Hat
66. Alligator (doesn't sound perfect)
67. Frog
68. Cock-a-doodoo (crocadile)
69. Tree
70. Bottle
71. Spoon
72. Done
73. Teeth
74. Hug
75. Auntie
76. Picture
77. Eye
78. Bowl
79. Me
80. Doctor
81. Ball

Those are the ones we have actually had a chance to write down...but we know there are more. I am learning so much, so fast, that Mommy and Daddy can't even keep up.

Worst Mom In the World

Here I was, going on and on about how I need to pay better attention to what is going on in my life, and I went and did something horrible tonight. To make an extremely long story short...got a call for a house showing, cleaned and straightened up like mad, had a "challenging" trip with the kids to the grocery store to get out of the house, pulled into the garage, turned the van off and Joslynn just hopped right out of her car seat. I hadn't buckled her in!! I was so frazzled from my 'flight of the bumble-bee' evening that I didn't even pay attention to the precious cargo that I was carrying.

I'm such a hypocrite.

Things Unnoticed

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions, although I was thinking today that there is one that crossed my mind that is actually worth trying to carry out. I think I need to try and pay closer attention. To what? you ask... Well,...anything! My children, and what it is that they are really saying. My husband, my students,...myself. This topic crossed my mind today as I noticed that nobody noticed my new glasses. Now, I am not trying to be completely self-absorbed thinking that the whole world should notice my new glasses, on the contrary. It's just that today I noticed that one of my students didn't have his glasses on, so I asked him, "Did you get contacts?" He gave his sweet, modest smile and nodded. I told him he looked very nice. I think he really appreciated the fact that I noticed. This is what prompted me to think about noticing things in the first place.

As I picked up my children from daycare, I was zipping Jack's coat as another dad was coming in to pick up his daughter. In the "drop-off area" there is a calendar hung that has pictures of the children from daycare. The dad asked his little girl, "Who's that?" as he pointed to a picture of his smiling child. She responded with, "Daddy!" He corrected her saying, "No, silly, that's you!" But what I don't think he understood is that she thought he said, "Who's hat?" Because she was wearing her daddy's hat in the picture. So, she was right on, and probably confused after the fact.

Obviously, I am trying to be the best person I can be, but I think we all need to step outside ourselves for a little while and get some perspective.

Isn't it amazing the clarity that comes from a fantastic break from work?