Growing

We haven't had any official weigh ins and check ups, so we're not sure what percentile he is in currently. However, we did a weigh in on the old apple scale with a cookie sheet to sit the Baby Hero on. The scale read 13 1/2 lbs. So I think that he's really close to 13 lbs. (We didn't weigh him naked.)

Then I tried measuring him with a tape measure. He's at least 21 inches. We're going to the doctor's in two weeks and we'll get the official measurements with the percentiles. I just am always amazed at how fast this little guy is growing.

We're working on fighting the Cutler genes and teaching him to take lots of naps. Also to fight that, Mom needs to set the example. My goal for spring break is to take 1 nap a day. This is very hard for me. Don't laugh.

Back to School

The Bug Hero took this picture of the Baby Hero to send to me during school. This is the Baby Hero enjoying some tummy time mid morning today. I sure did miss my boys. The hardest part about today was leaving the apartment. I cried on my way to the car.

At school I felt like a rock star, famous athlete, and a super hero all at once. The kids did dances in the halls, I heard them singing, "MRS. HUGHES IS BACK!!!" It was great! I also got tons of hugs from students, and two students even brought cookies to celebrate my return! I got a standing ovation as I walked into one of my class periods. They were really grateful to see me come in, and then they were excited that I started explaining the math to them.

The most frequent comment I had was, "You're BACK!" Said in a grateful, pathetic voice, "I can finally understand math again!" The other comment was, "Oh yeah! We have to follow the rules, she's back to enforce them." Strangely, that comment wasn't made while whining, it was just a statement of fact. Some of the kids seemed pleased that I was enforcing the rules and making them stay on task.

I was told by several teachers today that the kids were thrilled to see me, one teacher told me about how all of her classes danced in her room to tell her that I was back. A couple of the kids told me that they understood I needed to have the baby, but I should never leave them again for that long.

I feel loved. I hope I can keep it up and finish out the school year strong. It was a good first day back.

Faith not Fear

Yesterday I had a baby shower at work and I came to the realization of a few things:
1. While I don't really want to go to work, I will be fine going back to work. Because the students haven't liked my long term sub, and it's been a bad experience for them, that they won't push me really hard because it's easy to follow a horrible act.

2. The faculty at South Hills is amazing! They will support me and it will be fun to see them more frequently. They also understand how hard it's going to be and are there for me.

3. I just need to make the decision to live by faith and not fear that all will be well. Yesterday and today I have made that choice and life is a whole lot better. There is power in positive thinking!

4. By going back to work, I have the power to leave it at school. I worked very hard so my sub could replace me and I think that's why I've been getting frustrated. I tried so hard to create my procedures and way things work so she could come in and not need me. However, she has called on average 3 times a week--and most of the questions she has asked I could care less about. All she needed to do was make a decision and I would have been pleased with the outcome. But with me being in charge, then I can leave it at school and not worry about it when I come home. I also won't have someone else calling me and asking me questions about grading late work.

5. I have an amazing family! You guys are awesome and have helped me realize just how blessed I am. I will have support from you guys as I try to survive these last really bad 10 weeks.

6. Last but not least--the baby hero will not remember that I left him for 10 weeks, nor will he care. He won't be adversely affected for this and will bear no permanent scarring from this. It will also be great bonding time for the Bug Hero, my Hero, with the Baby Hero.


The baby hero is happy and content. I really love this guy! He spends most of the day awake and happy to be around. He talks quite a lot, and while this movie may not be the best--he has some high squeaks and squeals that we would like to have others enjoy as much as we do, he doesn't like preforming for a camera. We just love him! He's content to sit on the couch or ground and listen to us talk to him or around him. He's wonderful!

Back to Work, one week early

Today has been really good, Baby Hero wise. He's on his third nap of the day right now, and that's a good sign. We're getting really good about not having the Baby Hero fuss, but that doesn't necessarily correlate to sleep. He's just awake and quiet.

Last Night wasn't so hot, because he was willing to sleep, but only if Mom or Dad held him. So we took three hour shifts in the rocking chair to help him sleep. Unfortunately, we didn't get as much sleep as we needed.

Today marks the one week I have left on maternity leave. Between the lack of sleep and realizing that I'm going to be leaving my angel, this morning was rough emotionally speaking. We were fine later on, after both of us slept.

I got a call from the Math Department Chair at our school, asking when I was coming back, and then informing me that I get a priceless student as soon as I get back. I was the only math teacher that the parent of the priceless student approved of. (It sucks having a great reputation at the school, because then I get problem children to take care of and baby sit.)

I also found out that my long term sub hasn't done the best job, because everyone wanted me and apparently I'm really hard to replace. So I get to come back to another headache. The administration hasn't been to pleased with her abilities to disapline classes and get grades updated.

So, basically, I'm back to work one week early and it's stressing me out. I really wish that I had an office job that even though I was stellar, I was replaceable. Work wouldn't haunt me the way that this job does. (I like teaching, but honestly. Leave ME ALONE! I'm on maternity leave. I'm trying to adjust and keep my kid happy.)

As I reflect on the pi day experience, when I showed Baby Hero off to the principal, she asked me if I really wanted to quit for next year, or if there was any way she could convince me to work for her again. Flattering yes, but also it should have clued me in on how bad things were in my absence. I told her that I really was moving to Indiana with my husband and baby and that she would have to find someone to replace me. I just wish that I could be like another teacher at our school who quit this year when she had her baby. She doesn't have to go back next week. I'm really jealous. I don't want to go back.

I'll probably feel better about this whole thing once I get some sleep and if it leaves me alone for this week. (Seeing how it's the end of the quarter, it probably won't leave me alone...which will make me not too thrilled to go back to work.)

Busy Little Bee

I seem to fill my days with important things to do, but not important at the same time. I do so much at school that there hardly seems like there is time for anything else. And then when I come home I just crash. I don't have energy to do anything else.

Preparing for someone else to be the Math Super Hero

So, At school, there comes a time in the pregnancy that you have to prepare everything for someone else to be you for the space of six weeks. Now, I would really like just to give her a list of topics to teach and when and then turn the sub loose. I don't really care how things go in my classroom, because I have much better things to do with my time...like have a baby hero and rearrange my life around his.

However, my long term sub has started asking tons of questions, like "How often do you update grades, when do you do that? What do you do if there's not a lot of questions? What do you do on your prep period? What do you want me to do?" I didn't really have a good idea of what to tell her...I just do it all. So She asked for a to do list, so she can be the Math Super Hero. I pondered her request and started making one.

Daily:
Put up new starter
Collect homework from every class
Put up calender
Change baby's name of the day
Get gradebook ready for Teacher's aide
Put daily assignment into Skyward with accompanying Due Date for Parents
Get kids to do work
Teach all periods
Copy day's starter onto starter paper
Pull out worksheet copies if necessary/file extra's at end of day
Answer five billion questions

Weekly:
email parents
update grades 3-4 times a week
get out new starters
get copies made for next week
see what I'm teaching next week

And this is not extensive...I do other things too, that get suddenly asked of me. I think this is only the basic stuff. As I began itemizing everything that I do, I realized there's a reason, besides growing another life form that I am tired everyday that I come home from school.

And then there is also trying to teach the minions how to act like responsible adults or at least semi-intelligent life forms.

It feels good to do a lot every day...I think I need to back off and try to not do some of this stuff.

Indiana or Bust

We just got word--We are moving to Indiana in June! We are going to Purdue University to study Forest Entomology! YAY!!!

New Year

It's always interesting to go back to school after a long break. Monday was the longest day I have ever experienced. I seriously thought that I had been back for a week--before lunch! It was bad.

Tuesday was a very interesting day at school. We had a drive by assembly. Everyone found out about the assembly about ten minutes before it was supposed to happen. I thought that I had given the kids 20 minutes to work on the assignment--turned out I only had given them 10, because of the shortened class period. Oops. Also, the other thing about this assembly--it was an AM assembly. Which means instead of going 1,3,4,5,6,8,7 we went 1,7,3,4,6,5,8, which messed everyone up. For being a drive by assembly, it was a good one, but it added tons of surprise to the day.

I'm very grateful that this week is almost over, and that I have one more week until the term is over. We're getting close!

Two weeks of Minions

I have now had two weeks with this years batch of minions, and they are up to their usual tricks and I have many stories about them.

Yesterday two of the stories happened and they made me very happy. The first of them happened not in my class. Mr. S, another math teacher had one of his minions tell him that he was boring. Mr. S then said that if he wanted an exciting math teacher the minion should sign up to take a class from me, Mrs. H. The minion then replied, "Mrs. H, is like a kindergarten student who's really good at math." When Mr. S told me that story, I just laughed and laughed.

The other story happened during 7th period, the second to last period of the day. Every Friday I celebrate that I didn't kill any one, no one killed me, and I get to sleep in tomorrow by dancing to the music in the halls. Before 7th period, I was dancing in the halls and once it started I passed out papers. Half way through the process, one minion looked at me and asked, "did you just change your shirt?" "No. This is the shirt I've had on all day long." Another minion asked me if I'd been wearing the shirt in TA (2nd period) and I looked at him and said, "Yes." The whole class was convinced that I had changed my shirt right before I came into class. Mr. S thinks I should change my shirt halfway through the period sometime next week and see if they notice or say anything.

Last week, the principal shared this story with me. She told me that she walks around during lunch talking to the kids and she asked one seventh grader who their favorite teacher is. The seventh grader said, 'I think it's Mrs. H. But she's scary." The principal asked why I was scary, and the seventh grader looked up at the principal and said, "You know she wears a calculator on her leg, That's scary." The principal and I thought that was funny too.

School

School has started again. I like my classes this year, because of two things: 1. the sizes of classes are smaller than last year, and 2. I have a prep period! These two things make school a whole lot more bearable than last year.

I'm in the process of learning all of the names of my minions. I think I'm at about two periods shy of knowing all their names. It's a lot easier to teach them if I know their names. Odd, then I can tell them to stop talking to their neighbor and give them the stare down, and mostly the kids are really good.

I don't have any real complaints, and it's great. I'm having fun, and trying to get rid of a cold. Some days I really wish I could take nyquil, but I'll survive. Tomorrow's FRIDAY!!!