Happy Birthday!

I guess that we were a little eager for our daughter to praise her new gift so we asked, "Do you like it?" To which she replied slowly and patiently, "You keep asking me if I like it and I like it." I guess our enthusiasm was a little excessive.

"Thank you for the new bike. It's SUPER big!"

Paradigm Shift

Bailey had her little mind blown tonight. She saw a man with earrings and immediately spoke up, "Boys don't have earrings". Feeling a little embarrassed we immediately tried to correct her saying that some do. I even showed her the holes in my ears from my old earrings. Jenn summarized by saying, "Daddy used to have earrings". We thought that we had cleared it all up and saved face with the guy at the table next to us until Bailey countered, "But, now he is a boy".

Practicum

This semester I have the opportunity to complete a practicum at a local middle school. Now there was a lot of drama surrounding my getting a placement which I shall not get into here, however, the placement finally came. I am working with an incredible social studies teacher at Dapoali Middle School in the Double Diamond area. His name is Fred Williams. He is prepared, he knows his class and I really enjoy the assignments that he puts together for them. He also takes me aside at different times to explain what he is doing with his class and why he is doing it. He really seems interested in helping me to become a good teacher and I really appreciate it. He has encouraged the students to talk to me about their assignments and to answer any questions that I might have. I spend a lot of the time asking them about what they are working on, and they have been really willing to let me look over their assignments. I am having a great time.

The practicum requires that I spend 30 hours total in the classroom. Most of that time is observation, however, I will have the opportunity to teach two lessons while I am there. I look forward to getting my assignments from Mr. Williams.

Disappointment

So let me say first of all that I think that our little snowman was adorable. Bailey really wanted to build one so Jenn helped her out and they put this little guy together all on their own. In seeing the finished product however Bailey was far from happy, "I wanted to make a BIG snowman" she said. This was followed by full on alligator tears. Well two days later it is still enough to make her cry, "I wanted to make a BIG snowman" she says in between sobs. It is simultaneously heart wrenching and annoying to have to see a two year old learn a lesson that we as adults know all to well, disappointment.

"If it wasn't for disappointment, I wouldn't have any appointments." -They Might Be Giants

Mary Had a Rockin Lamb

Little Abby

Bailey has an imaginary friend which I think is so cool. I don't believe that I ever really got into that (although my stuffed animals did serve as gunners in my Gundam type robot). Her name is "Little Abby" (Hmmm... I wonder where she came up with that). Little Abby fits in her hand and sleeps on our planter stand downstairs. She actually forgot her at preschool this last week and Jenn had to go back and get her. She also left her in the grocery cart when we went shopping but to save a return trip I invented the story that I saw Baby Abby in the cart and had picked her up and put her in my pocket. I then handed her back to her mommy. I believe in validating my child's play and all but gosh darn-it I was tired and not feeling up to another trip.



This one isn't centered because Bailey was running full speed giving Little Abby a piggyback ride.



Note her hands. She is holding Little Abby up on her shoulder

I'm not superstitious but...

I don't consider myself to be a superstitious person by any means, but, breaking our Christus statue while decorating for Christmas sure can't be the best thing to do. I am pretty sure I am due for a karmic butt-kicking. I choose to look at this as an ironic turn of events rather than a commentary on the increased commercialization of Christmas.