Giddy Up

Last weekend Shane, Wags and I hit the races in Del Mar.  As usual we had a blast and lost money. We placed bets on Big Wags to win the second race.

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We lost that bet. But before we left I wanted to put some money on a beauty named I Know You Know, not a favorite to win but not exactly a long shot either.

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Good thing I did because I won back the money I had spent throughout the day…I call that a win!

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Did I tell you that I pulled Kaili out of speech? Not for forever but at least for a few months. Her language is coming along nicely and the whole process of getting her to the hospital, parking and all that nonsense turned into a 2 hour ordeal for a 20 minute session. She is getting more out of being in school then in a room with a speech instructor. So we will check back in a few months to see how she is progressing.

Instead of speech I took Kaili to Balboa Park to check out the Fleet Science center. They have resident free Tuesdays the first Tuesday of each month and they have an age-appropriate room for kids 5 and under. Holy hell, the place was a mad house, pretty sure all of San Diego was there. But she didn’t seem to mind and had as much fun as she could with other kids grabbing toys out of her hands and pushing her little body out of their way. Brats, their parents weren’t any better.  This reminded me that I will never take Kaili to Chuckee Cheese’s…on purpose.

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After we finally made our way out of the sardine packed building we stopped for a snack on the grass.

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It was a nice relaxing 4 minutes until she was ready to go again.

I have been teaching Kaili how to help me out in the kitchen. She’s not soux chef material quite yet but soon enough people….soon enough.

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Kaili and the Classroom {beach/ocean theme}

Aren’t my blog titles catchy?

So this happened….Preschool initiation some would call it.

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The bite didn’t break the skin but it came close. They told me she didn’t even cry. Funny because this is what I get when I don’t give her a cookie at 4:00 p.m.

Meanwhile in my classroom….last weeks theme was beach/ocean. After reading Rainbow Fish and Swimmy I put out paint for the kids to paint pre-cut fish.

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They made an Octopus craft with cheerios. There wasn’t much crafting going on but they enjoyed glueing one cheerio and then eating one cheerio, so on and so forth.    ( <–did you catch that?  Pun intended. )

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You can make Sea turtles with paper bowls or paper plates cut in half.

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I took the fishing poles out of the magnetic fishing set , I wrote the letters of the alphabet on index cards and then taped paper clips to the back. After scattering them on the floor I directed the kids to “fish” for a letter. Fishing for the alphabet.

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Using the same fishing poles, we tied on a paint brush and had them use motor skills to dip the paint brush into the paint and then paint their whales. Fishing pole painting.

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Sea salt painting was my favorite. The way these dried left a salty ocean effect, the kids got into it.

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Flip flop art. I traced a kiddos shoes and then let them water paint and decorate the sandal part however they chose.

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This is my last month working, unless….well unless they just can’t live without me. We’ll see.

A Glimpse of the Classroom

We have been busy and looking at my calendar I noticed we only have one weekend that doesn’t have anything scheduled through the first half of September. Now all of the sudden it’s August and I should be writing up the school newsletter and getting next months curriculum done but I have been bad about getting blog posts up so that will have to wait.

The last week at school we talked about light and colors. The kids became scientists as they discovered how light travels, they created colorful kaleidoscopes and mixed colors in different ways, the results were surprising and they seemed to have a blast.

I filled 3 empty jars with water and added liquid water colors, red, blue and yellow. They took the lead using a medicine dropper to mix     different colors in an empty ice tray. They did this activity for 3 straight days, patiently taking turns.

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 Painting with 2 of the primary colors each day resulted in color changing fun.

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Torn paper rainbow collage. I brought this activity out each day until it was finished. They worked hard.

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Kaili enjoys herself at school. She loves her little friend Kaedyn, a girlfriend of mine and fellow teachers daughter.

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Next weeks curriculum is Beach and Ocean, stay tuned for some fun ideas!

Beach Feet
Beach Feet

I just got back from a girls weekend away and I will tell you all about it!

The One About The Sick Kid

Oh, where do I begin? Puke, throw up, puke, throw up…yep, that sums it up. Kaili got hit with the “ick” out of nowhere Saturday. She was her jolly old self but after nap she was a little slow. Slow in the tired sense not in the….well you know what I am saying. Then out it came, flying from her mouth like it had a score to settle. Yuck!  And then she was fine. This continued for two days until the fever hit and then she really slowed down. Luckily it ran it’s course and she is feelin’ fine. The hardest part about the whole “epic puke” fest is keeping her hydrated. She only drinks water and milk. She only wantswater and milk. We were offering her juice, gatorade and soda and she turned her nose up at all of it. It got to the point where I was syringing gatorade and pedialite into her mouth a teaspoon at a time just to keep my sanity. Her grandma came out to stay with her so I could go to work Monday and that is so nice.. Kaili started to pick back up and by Tuesday was pretty much her normal self aside from her “normal” appetite, which may be f*cked up for awhile. We bravely took her out to dinner Tuesday evening and when she was done she let everyone know by yelling “LADY ALL DONE” to the waitress clear across the room. Brilliance I tell ya!

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FaceTiming Uncle Wags before “Puke Meltdown ’13”
All smiles. Thank the maker of wine she didn't puke on our bed.
All smiles. Thank the maker of wine she didn’t puke on our bed.
Despite her illness we watched USA beat the shit out of Cuba.
Despite her illness we watched USA beat the shit out of Cuba.
no filter, so pretty.
no filter, so pretty.
Someone's feeling better.
Someone’s feeling better.
Damn, she is cute, even a few lbs. lighter.
Damn, she is cute, even if she is a few lbs. lighter.

Long Day

Kaili has been playing quietly in her room, alone for the past 20 minutes. The last time she was in there entertaining herself she came out butt booty naked and had indian war painted poop all over her. I am nervous about what may come.

Tuesday’s are the only day I am not working as Kaili is supposed to have speech but her teacher wanted a summer vacation so I am stuck with the kid today. It’s hot and humid outside making it difficult to really want to be out there for too long. What did I do when I was home all day everyday with her? Jeezus, this school thing was a great idea. We ate breakfast, took a walk, played in the water table, took a shower, colored, ate lunch and it’s not even noon yet.

Sprinkles to entice her to actually eat the banana. Didn't really work.
Sprinkles to entice her to actually eat the banana. Didn’t really work.

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Playing with feathers
Playing with feathers

She’s been doing fine with no naps, which is scary but it is what it is. If she naps it throws off her bedtime by a few hours, which is crazy and happened the day she started school. Sometimes that is ok but sometimes it’s not, ya know I’m saying? I mean I got to get that girl in bed at a reasonable time, my favorite shows are 2 hours long and I need them watched before Shane gets home so I don’t have to hear about how bad they are.

Tomorrow we go back to school, I think she’s happy about it.

Kaili Days and a Phone Dump

It’s week three at school for us and things are great. She’s adjusted fine, she is excited to go in the morning and will give me a hug and kiss and line up with her class all by herself, no tears. I’ve been told that she does great in the classroom. She is communicating well, can recognize her name and doesn’t have to be asked to follow directions. She even said “pee pee” and then  proceeded to go to the bathroom and sit on the potty.  We are moving in the right direction.
The only problem is she hasn’t been napping at school. So three out of seven days she goes without a nap, gets overtired and it just rolls into the next day and so on. She is waking up earlier than she ever has, no matter what time she goes to bed. You could say bedtime has become a shit storm. You don’t know how she will handle it. Some days when she naps at home she goes down just fine for bed at her regular time, other days she is up fighting it until 8:00 pm. On the days she doesn’t nap at school she is asleep by 6:30. There is no rhyme or reason. She was so used to her schedule and it’s all up in the air without those naps. BUT today, she napped! I don’t want to jinx it but I sure hope that this is the start of something beautiful. Even if we can get her a one hour nap, it’s bound to help…right?

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As for me, I just love being in the classroom. I love those 6 hours doing my own thing, knowing someone else is taking care of Kaili and I don’t have to worry about her.

  • Shaving cream on the table is not only a fun sensory activity for the kids but it will take off any dried glue, marker or crayon marks and paint. I like to do this at the end of class, it’s a great way to clean the tables! They can also practice writing their letters or make tracks with cars.

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  • Shape art. We were talking about transportation so they were making shape vehicles.

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  • Tracing. I needed to see where these kids were with their writing. I like to have them trace over a highlighter or a yellow marker. *If they need the help.

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  • Cutting. Another thing I wasn’t sure about. I had them cut on the black lines I drew, stopping at the dot. Also tells a lot about their ability to follow directions.

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  • Sensory tubs. One water, one cornmeal. Motor skills at work.
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  • Tray activities.
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Animal play in dirt. The boys loved this.
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water colors on coffee filters. The colors bleed beautifully.
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Shaving cream with a little liquid water color. As they mix, the color blends. Fun to watch their reaction.

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I was impressed with this train track they built. I wish I could have kept it there all week.

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Back To Work

Oh you guys, it’s so nice to be working again, granted it’s only been two days but it’s been nice.

early morning entertainment
early morning entertainment

It’s nice to have a reason to take a shower in the morning. It’s nice to not wonder if I am providing  enough stimulation for K’s little brain.It’s nice to have some time away from Kaili and out of the house. It’s nice to not feel guilty for letting her watch cartoons since I know she will be busy learning and playing most of the day. It’s nice to not change diapers for a few hours. It’s nice to focus on something other than “what in the hell am I going to do today?” And it’s nice to be busy doing what I love.

breakfast with Mickey
breakfast with Mickey

Teaching is like second nature, what is interesting is doing it all again but this time with a 2 year old. This was my classroom back in 2007, before she was even a thought. Now she is painting in it, it’s surreal.

busy painting while I get things ready for the day.
busy painting while I get things ready for the day.

I was worried it would be hard for both Kaili and I to be away from each other but it’s not, it’s fine. She whimpers a bit when I say goodbye to her in the morning but that’s the extent of it. I was worried that when she saw me during the day, either walking by her classroom or outside that she would want to be with me, not the case so far.

watching her through the classroom window.
watching her through the classroom window.

I was worried that she wouldn’t nap and the teachers would have a hell of a time keeping her on her cot. This part is true. She hasn’t napped and isn’t showing any signs of doing so. They have to sit with her to keep her quiet but they say she is doing fine. One day it will take a toll on her and she will just crash…right? one day?

Kaili not napping
Kaili not napping

Luckily these non-nap days aren’t a cause for meltdown city in the afternoon, she seems to handle it pretty well. I got to say things went as well as I could have hoped for. We’ll see how it goes from here.

Don’t Do It!

We had a fun filled weekend. Friends from out of town, wine tasting, playing at the bay….the whole thing. But I imagine you also had a fun weekend so I don’t want to bore you with words. How about some pictures?

Kaili had the best time with the Warezak clan.

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She put on a brave face when it came to the water. She ran right in not knowing she can’t swim, multiple times…sigh.

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She went kayaking with daddy and Auntie Michelle. Both times she cried for me. Yes, I kayak but apparently I am not fast enough so now I only go solo….

Speaking of crying.

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That’s really the only time she was upset. She had so much fun and the ice cream, that was a highlight!

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Here is James intently watching Dora with a belly full of ice cream. He is a dream boat.

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You know you are at the beach when even the soap is sandy. Realizing how much I don’t like sand!

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Wiped. All of them are zoned out.

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Going to take a sharp right, I have to share this with you.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2331946/Dolphin-birth-Experts-blast-couple-flying-Hawaii-DOLPHIN-assisted-birth.html

This couple wants a dolphin assisted birth for their baby. How awesome is this? The first thing that popped into my head was how stupid a birth plan is to begin with. Remember mine? LOL Wow reading that again, I can safely say I jinxed THE WHOLE DAMN THING by writing that stupid post.

Ok, but maybe there are some people out there that do actually have a birth plan and it actually goes as plans? Well let’s say these smart folks are the lucky ones. Can you imagine how horrid it will be when the dolphin swims off with the newborn? Or how about when the pregnant mom is “sexually harassed” by the mammal? Have you seen this?  Moral of the story, hope for the best, expect the worst, leave the birth plan and dolphin at home. Happy Memorial Day!!

The One With Pics and Mick

Coconut milk in coffee is amazing and I can’t believe I haven’t been doing this for years. Tropics, take me away.

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We had a nice day of sunshine which means sprinkler fun…

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Water painting…

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and painting our toes, of course.

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I thought it would be fun to let K paint rocks.

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Started off slow…

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And then things kicked into high gear. BAM!

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We popped into school so I could get some stuff done.

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The delivery guy came bearing gifts.

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Speaking of gifts, Kaili got to pick out a toy from Toys R Us. This is what she chose…are you surprised?

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2 Years Old

Gasp, what has happened to the past 6 months, wasn’t it  just Christmas?

We had her two year old well-check and stats are in. Weighing in at 21 lbs. and just under 3 ft, Kaili is a long ways away from a professional career in wrestling. She is low in weight but nothing dire, she just gets to keep on keeping on with the whole milk and fatty foods. Foods we wish we could eat, ya know?

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She is obsessed with Mickey Mouse. She can say “mick” sometime she will add the “ey” but not always. She will start chanting “mick, mick, mick, mick” in the car once she senses we are getting close to the house. It’s bad y’all.

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She drinks milk and water only, except for juice, wine and beer on occasions. Just kidding, let’s keep CPS out of this. Her grandpa did put water in a beer bottle and gave it to her…in public. I can just imagine the head shaking, and judgement going on if anyone saw. It was short lived.

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She is a good eater, but not a big eater. She still favors berries and pasta and turns her head at most meat. She digs clam chowder and cheese, all sorts of cheese. Oh and french fries with ketchup or  I should say ketchup with french fries, that is more accurate. She loves that shit.

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Bedtime is 6:30, wake up is 6:30. She goes  down for nap around 11:30/12 and sleeps for an hour and a half, 97% of the time. Since she starts school in a month, all of this will change and I will push nap and bedtime forward an hour. Love my alone time at night but also love the later wake up, can’t decide which one I like better.

The house is quiet once again. All of our visitors have gone back home and my houseguest Kiah has left the nest. On my own again, but since I start work soon I will cherish this time with her. Every.Single.Second. Even when I am tired of changing all her diapers and feeding her all her meals and giving her all her baths. I will remember how lucky I am to be home with her all day, everyday. Can’t get tired of looking at this face.

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