Back at it Again

Well, we're all back to school now - Dave teaching middle school orchestra, me teaching middle school chorus, and Elliot is off to First Grade.  It's been challenging getting everyone back on schedules and back into all the business that comes with the school year.

Yesterday was an especially trying day.  Some of my former band students came to room to visit with me, and they sounded so hurt that I was no longer teaching band.  They were interpreting my choral position as I never wanted to teach band and was waiting for a choral position to finally open for me.  If only they knew the truth that I'd much rather be teaching band.  I do love middle school and I love my co-workers here.  I'm back after six years away, and it's cool to work with my old colleagues again.  I just miss band.  Band is what I do.  Band is what I love.  But I do think I'm doing a pretty good job.  And I'm busting my arse trying to do well.

After I got home, Addie wanted to nurse as she often does when I get home from work.  But the sessions are shorter and shorter.  And fewer and farther between.  So I said, "Addie, I think you and I need to have a talk."  I admit - I cried.  Stopping nursing feels like admitting that my babies are not babies anymore.  I love the baby stage.  But my babies are toddling now.  I exclusively nursed for seven months (the first year, really), then nursed along with baby food and finally big kid food.  Seventeen months for Charlie and eighteen for Addie.  That's a pretty good run.  Just a sad ending.

We also had Elliot's back to school night.  There was a disappointing amount of talk of 3rd grade testing (she's only in first grade testing and we're SO worried about that third grade testing already?!) and Pearson - the company who makes the tests and all the textbooks to go along with them.  I'm feeling a bit concerned for Ellie's school year.

Elle is loving school - making loads of new friends, going to specials, and doing things on the Smart Board.  Addie & Charlie are both walking now, in fact Charlie's gotten quite good at it.  It's still not the preferred method of getting around for them, but it's getting there.  We've decided to try them dairy free for a week and see if that helps the tummy aches they're getting.

Catching Up

Elliot is prepping for first grade!  Just one week from today she'll be off on a big bus to a new school to begin her number grade journey through elementary school.  All her school supplies have been purchased, labeled, and stuffed into her big girl backpack.  *sigh* Where did the time go?

Addie has a taken one step.  Twice.  I never thought that the twins would be nearly 18 months before they even attempted walking.  At 18 months, Elliot was starting to potty train!  (I purchased a second potty on Saturday, though...we just won't be putting it out yet.)  Addie is quite pleased with herself for standing on her own in the middle of the room, but her stance is just too wide to get a well-balanced step.

Charlie has broken her own record with 12 steps.  She is a slow-and-steady kind of girl, but it's working for her.  The best part of those 12 steps was that we weren't saying, "Take a step! Take a step!" but rather she decided to try it on her own.  She's a bit of a daredevil - she was removed from the top of the kids' picnic table earlier this week.  I have also realized this week that because they are SO tiny, when they "open" a childproofed cabinet, they can slip their tiny arms in the space that it does open and pull things out.  Curious children should not be so tiny.

Our venture into the nanny world begins for real tomorrow.  Our first ever nanny Danielle came two days last week to meet the girls, play with them, and get to know our home and routines.  Tomorrow I back to work after nearly 20 months off.  I'm not too stressed about it, as it is Superintendent's Conference Day, then we have the rest of the week off.  Danielle will be with us tomorrow & Wednesday.  Next week - that's when I'll be a wreck.