Friday, January 22, 2010

Embarrassing Bath Photos

Alicia loves to give Parker funny hair-dos in tub. Here are two of my favorites.



Thursday, January 21, 2010

Coming Out

Okay, blog stalkers. I have been holding out on you (even you, Alicia.) My friend and co-worker, Carter started a blog writing letters to her daughter, Campbell. I thought it was a terrific idea....and I stole it. I'm not great about writing in P's baby book and I thought this would be a great record of things. (I hope you don't mind, Carter!) So, I have been writing letters to Parker since November (I think). I don't know why I didn't share them with you - I guess I wanted to keep them private for awhile, after all some of them are a little sappy and they are all filled with parental prejudice. Plus, I'm kind of embarrassed that I just stole Carter's idea. But, I think she will be okay with it.

So, there you have it. If you want another blog to stalk: parkeralyse.blogspot.com

I might get around to linking it on my page - I might not. I have a boring textbook to read.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Ridiculous

I am ridiculous. I'm taking these online classes. So, part of my assignment this week is to read a chapter and take a quiz. I am ridiculously, unbelievably stressed about this! Let it be said that you can A) use the book B) take it twice. I'm still freaked out. I can only lose a few points in this class and get an "A." (and I HAVE to get an "A," right?)

So, I read. I go back and take notes. I mentally prep myself and start the quiz. It's TIMED! AHHHHHH. There is a little timer at the top of the screen that runs the entire time, taunting you. There are questions that are NOT in the chapter. I may not remember the answer, but I can remember if I read the answer (or something even remotely related to the answer.) There are questions that are definitely NOT in the book. I freak out and start frantically answering questions. I realize I'm doing ok on time and I calm down. I answer the ones I know, find some in the book, take my educated guess on the ones that aren't covered. I have 4 minutes left. I submit.

I get 9 points out of 10. (That's 2 wrong) I'm pissed. I check to see which ones I got wrong. Ironically, one that is in the book. Way to go me. The info I have says that questions will be randomized after the first time, so I think that when I take it again (because of COURSE I'm taking it again) I will get all new questions. I take a deep breath and prepare to do it all again.

I start. Same questions - different order! :) Sweet. This leaves me like 25 minutes to find the answers to 2 questions and I already know which one is NOT it.

Awesome. I get 10/10. I feel better now.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things that are - in combination- making (or about to be making) my life crazy and stressful

In no particular order...

1) Primary grade program - Normally, the end of the year program would be all the grades combined, but that can't happen this year for a number of reasons. So, instead of picking three songs for the kids to sing, each grade group that I teach has to put on their own program of respectable length. I'm just sort of stuck and currently stressed about it.

2) Kindergarten program - See above thoughts, but add in 5 year olds. Awesome.

3) Parker - In some ways she is so easy now. In others, she is definitely keeping me on my toes. She's into everything, eating cat food, choking on hair ties, deciding to want to use the potty when it's convenient for her (and not for me) You know, toddler things!

4) Pep Band - ongoing occasional evening commitment that I like to stress about

5) Musical - soon to be starting nightly commitment that will consume my life from Feb-May

6) Graduate class #1 - it's hard to read (and comprehend) deep thoughts regarding cognitive psychological theories when you begin at 10pm after completing several of the above activities. I'm only in the first week, so I have no idea what it's really going to be like but there are 2 fatty books that I know I'm going to have to get through between now and the end of the semester, not to mention the work that goes with it.

7) Graduate class #2 - Right now I can't keep one class straight from the other

8) Our house - for sale, dirty, not getting many showings, stressed that no one will buy it, stressed that someone will buy it and we won't find something we like, stressed that someone will buy it and we will have to move in the thick of all the above activities

9) Money - we don't have any.

10) Lack of sleep - When I'm busy, I can't turn my brain off. Terrific.

11) My own insecurities - regarding my dirty house, being in school again for the first time in FOREVER, my ability to juggle and manage everything I've signed up for

12) My job - getting easier, but I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing and lesson plans take more time than they should (although they take less time than in August)

13) My job next year - I don't know what it is or where it is or how to go about figuring all that out

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Surprise!

I have blogged about many motherly things, but this is probably the one that is going to seal the deal. I apologize to anyone who may read this who isn't a parent. I would just recommend that you stop now!

Last Thursday Parker said, "Poop. Potty" and headed off to the bathroom. Alicia and I were thoroughly confused, but followed her and figured we should sit her on the potty. We didn't even have a training potty. She's just getting ready to turn 16 months old for goodness sake. Anyway, she had already gone by the time we got over our confusion and put her on the potty. We did, however, take it as a sign.

So, Friday night, (oh our exciting lives) we went to Target and bought a Potty. We thought that it would just be good to talk about and have around. Saturday, she again said, "Poop. Potty." So, we again took her to the bathroom. She had already gone, but we set her on her potty. AND SHE PEED!!!! We were shocked and kinda excited (I'm not gonna lie, I was already allocating the diaper money toward much more exciting things!)

Today, she toddles toward the bathroom saying, "Potty!" So, we put her on and she pees again! I feel like this is a little insane and I'm completely unprepared. I don't know how to potty train. We don't really have time to do this right now, but I guess we are sort of in it. I don't think we will be doing anything hard core until summer, but if she's interested, I guess we should do something.

So, here's to going with the "flow" so to speak! :)

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Favorites

I had a good blogging spurt right before Christmas, made possible by the fact that we were at my in-laws and there were plenty of people to watch Parker. Things are back to normal (whatever that is) now and I haven't been doing so great of a job. So, instead of making individual posts about all the things we did, I'm just going to post my favorite pics from our festivities (Christmas Day onward)

Santa brought Parker a kitchen set. She was very excited and immediately walked over and began to play.
Parker opening a gift (before she hit gift overload and didn't want any more presents!)
Parker talks to her monkey puppet.
This is not such a great shot (the lighting is really bad), but it just makes me laugh because she wore that stupid duck towel around ALL day!
P loves being the center of attention and she certainly was!
Parker playing with her Uncle Steven, who she doesn't get to see very often.
My dad refinished a little rocking chair that had been my mom's and then mine, for Parker. She loves it! She's sitting in the chair Grandpa gave her under the blanket that Grandma made for her!
This picture is hilarious!!!!!! My family can be a little....overwhelming (in terms of size and volume) and a LOT silly. Alicia was trying to get everyone's attention. So, she stood on a folding chair. My sister thought she would be silly and stood on one of our kitchen chairs (which are tall), thus making her taller and giving her "the floor." My brother, being a smart butt, stood on the chair next to her. He is taller, so then he had the floor. My other brother jumps onto our kitchen counter and before he can get a word out, my sister leaps (literally in 3 bounds, counter, fridge, ledge) to the ledge between our living room and kitchen. I was laughing so hard that I was crying! AND since no one was going to trump her, we asked what she had to say. She said, "I have no opinion." and got down! :)
We got a decent snow on the 27th and since my family was all here, they were pretty excited to take Parker out to play. Here is she laughing with her Uncle Stu (or Goo as she calls him)
And this is just Parker cheesin' for the camera in the Christmas aftermath. I think she looks so old here. :(
Okay, I am going to try to continue blogging regularly(ish), but I've got a lot going in the next 5 months, so it may have to take a back seat.