Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The news

Juan didn't get the job. We're sad, disappointed, and sadly in flux regarding future plans. We might stay, we might go, and the decision has to be made in the next three weeks. No pressure, though.

That's all I've got right now. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster for the last few days and I still have papers to grade tonight. More later when there's more to tell.

Monday, August 25, 2008

No news is...no news. Also, news!

No announcement has been made yet about the Chief position. We don't know when the word will come down (tomorrow morning at the earliest, though) or if the decision has even been made yet. It's frustrating, but we'll deal with what comes.

In other news, today was the first day back at school. My students were great, I had a lot of fun, and we get to do it all over again tomorrow. Yay! Oh, and as an added bonus I get to teach a 9 week novel study class to a small group of students who all enjoy reading and discussing books. It's a little reward for them since they passed their state competency exams last year and one for me after I taught test prep during that slot for the last two years.

Finally, I'm officially down 16 lbs since I started Weight Watchers seven weeks ago. I honestly can't believe I've managed to lose that much so quickly. Twelve more to go until the promised land!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Looking Ahead

It's going to be a long week. Tomorrow is my last day of summer before heading back to work for (possibly) my last school year here. Being perfectly honest, I'm nervous about leaving Luke at daycare (because it's new, not because I don't trust our center) but heartbroken that this time next year there's a very good chance I won't be teaching at my current school.

This is the last year of Juan's residency, and he's interviewing for the Chief Resident position Wednesday. If he gets it, we'll stay until June 2010. If he doesn't, we'll leave at the end of this school year. The decision will be announced next Monday, which just so happens to be my first day of classes. If he doesn't get the job have to find a realtor, cancel tentative plans to visit family over Spring Break in favor of a house-hunting trip to wherever it is we'll be heading, and I'll have to begin putting my portfolio in order so I can hit the ground running job-wise next summer. I don't want to do any of those things. I want to play with my baby, go shopping with my friends, and know I have time to start building up a stronger AP program at my school because I'm going to be there to see those plans come to fruition. In short, I want to stay.

So, if you have any spare "good luck" thoughts/prayers floating around, please send them Juan's way this week. There's a lot more riding on the panel's decision about who will become Chief than just his job.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy!

I can't believe you're a year old already. As cliche as it is, the last year has just flown by and all of a sudden my little baby has become a walking, talking toddler. I tell you all the time that you're not allowed to get any bigger, but you don't listen and frankly I don't really want you to. Watching you explore the world and learn how to relate to it has been the highlight of my life.



You love books, your sippy cup, and all animals. Everything is a doggy to you right now, except your beloved rubber ducks who you invariably refer to as "ducky!" You're the most amazingly tactile kid I've ever met--you won't put much in your mouth (even food some days) but you need to touch EVERYTHING you see. Textures fascinate you, and I can't wait until you're a bit older and I can introduce you to modeling clay, finger paints, and paper mache.



This summer has been chock full of disruptions, from Daddy and I leaving you with Grandma and Grandpa for the first time ever while we went to Greece, to you and me going to visit them for three weeks last month. I worried, as I am wont to do, that you wouldn't deal well with all the changes in our routine and surroundings, but you handled them all beautifully. I continue to be amazed at how flexible you are when it comes to where you sleep and how you spend your days. I am the furthest thing from flexible about certain things, and I hope I don't pass that trait along to you.



Last week we had your birthday party and you had only one wish for the entire day--to be allowed to play with the balloons from dawn until dusk.



I think you enjoyed the balloons even more than your first bite of cake with frosting, though you decided cake was pretty good after the first few tentative tastes. By the time you decided you were finished, you were so covered with blue frosting that we had to take a break from the party to rinse you off in the wading pool. You didn't mind much.



Next week school starts up for me again, and the transition is going to be rough on both of us, I fear. We've had a wonderful little summer at home, and now you'll be starting at a real daycare for at least the next few months. It's going to be different, but hopefully in a good way.

I love you, sweet precious boy, and I can't wait to see what the next year holds for us. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I'm so thankful every day that I get to call myself your Mama.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

D is for...

"DUCKY! Duuuuucky! Ddddddducky!"

Do you know how difficult it is to work on lessons (AP lessons, no less, that I'll be delivering in less than THREE weeks) with an adorable boy talking about his new favorite animal upstairs? It's hard. Very hard.

In other news, Luke now also says "Doggy" and "Daddy" but with far less precision than "Ducky." Every person he knows is "Daddy" and every animal except a duck is "Doggy."