I have the following conversations AT LEAST a few times a week, if not almost daily.
Convo #1: With a random student in the hallway
Student: (staring at my stomach) Are you having a BABY??
Me: Yep!
Student: Is it a boy or a girl?
Me: A girl.
Student: What is her name?
Me: I don't know yet!
Student: (confused look)
Convo #2: With a random stranger out and about in public
Stranger: (staring at my stomach) You must be about ready to pop!
Me: Nope! Not until July.
Stranger: (awkward pause with another glance at the belly) Is there only one in there?
Me: (internal eyeroll) Yep, just one.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Weekend Wrap-Up
This weekend FLEW by. We were busy!
Saturday- Bops' birthday!
Callie and I headed to my school's 3rd annual 5K race in the morning. I managed to walk a fairly hilly course almost 2 miles pushing Callie in the stroller. I was EXHAUSTED the rest of the day, but it was nice to get out and be active again.
Before the race, a bunch of my co-workers and their kids were hanging out, so we took some pictures. It was fun to see, because we all started to work together BEFORE any of these kids came along. :)
After the race we headed over to G-ma and G-pa's house for some play time and nap time. There has been construction going on on our street for the past few weeks, and they were actually working yesterday, so nap time wasn't going to happen at our house with all of that noise. Callie got to see G-ma and G-pa's neighbors' 3-month-old baby Isaac and hang out with 3-year-old George.
We went to the condo on Saturday night for Bops' birthday party, and then there was the Lynx game.
Sunday
Today was the last day of Sunday school (**tear!**) so there was an outdoor celebration that included and bouncy house and face painting. It was so much fun teaching the Sunday school classes every other week this year. The kids grew up so much...they are all so much bigger than they were in September! We're going to miss seeing everyone this summer.
This afternoon Callie napped at the condo while G-ma, Auntie Cat and Auntie Mari came over to do MORE painting. We decided to attack the wood paneling on our main level. There was some in the kitchen, and A LOT in the office. They all worked REALLY hard, so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU wonderful family! Girl power! :)
The rooms are obviously not put back together yet, but we will do that tomorrow once the paint is totally dry.
Hamsie Update: 33 weeks! She's a little over 4 pounds and over 17 inches. Whoa. I'm definitely feeling it. Seriously, I feel HUGE. And there are still 7ish weeks to go. My feet and hands get puffy and swollen periodically so I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings for weeks. Because she's getting so big, we can see her move a lot more on the outside, and when you press on my stomach, you can oftentimes feel random body parts. Not sure what they are ever, but you can tell something is definitely there. Her most active time is usually 5:15am or so. She goes nuts. And then goes nuts on and off throughout the day, especially after I eat.
We tried discussing names this week and were not successful. I think I may need to broaden my horizons and go beyond a "K" name, since EVERY "K" name I suggested my dear husband shot right down (though, to be fair, I only suggested "K" names). Sooooo...that's where we are at. Completely unprepared in pretty much all aspects of new-baby-land. Hopefully Hamsie intends to stay in there until we are ready for her. :)
Saturday- Bops' birthday!
Callie and I headed to my school's 3rd annual 5K race in the morning. I managed to walk a fairly hilly course almost 2 miles pushing Callie in the stroller. I was EXHAUSTED the rest of the day, but it was nice to get out and be active again.
Before the race, a bunch of my co-workers and their kids were hanging out, so we took some pictures. It was fun to see, because we all started to work together BEFORE any of these kids came along. :)
After the race we headed over to G-ma and G-pa's house for some play time and nap time. There has been construction going on on our street for the past few weeks, and they were actually working yesterday, so nap time wasn't going to happen at our house with all of that noise. Callie got to see G-ma and G-pa's neighbors' 3-month-old baby Isaac and hang out with 3-year-old George.
We went to the condo on Saturday night for Bops' birthday party, and then there was the Lynx game.
 |
| Crazy Man's birthday cake |
Today was the last day of Sunday school (**tear!**) so there was an outdoor celebration that included and bouncy house and face painting. It was so much fun teaching the Sunday school classes every other week this year. The kids grew up so much...they are all so much bigger than they were in September! We're going to miss seeing everyone this summer.
 |
| Callie bouncing with her buddy Liam |
 |
| A rainbow to match her dress |
 |
| The kitchen: Before...........................During.......................................After! |
 |
| The office: Before..............................During.............................................After! |
The rooms are obviously not put back together yet, but we will do that tomorrow once the paint is totally dry.
Hamsie Update: 33 weeks! She's a little over 4 pounds and over 17 inches. Whoa. I'm definitely feeling it. Seriously, I feel HUGE. And there are still 7ish weeks to go. My feet and hands get puffy and swollen periodically so I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings for weeks. Because she's getting so big, we can see her move a lot more on the outside, and when you press on my stomach, you can oftentimes feel random body parts. Not sure what they are ever, but you can tell something is definitely there. Her most active time is usually 5:15am or so. She goes nuts. And then goes nuts on and off throughout the day, especially after I eat.
We tried discussing names this week and were not successful. I think I may need to broaden my horizons and go beyond a "K" name, since EVERY "K" name I suggested my dear husband shot right down (though, to be fair, I only suggested "K" names). Sooooo...that's where we are at. Completely unprepared in pretty much all aspects of new-baby-land. Hopefully Hamsie intends to stay in there until we are ready for her. :)
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Lynx Game QOTD
We went to the (first half of the) Lynx home opener tonight! It was so fun to be back at the Target Center as a family, cheering on our favorite basketball players- Maya, Linsdey, Simone, Monica, Rebekah, etc... And Chris even had an NBA sighting- Kevin Durant was sitting on the baseline!
But, of course, Callie's favorite thing to do at Lynx games is to watch their mascot, Prowl. They even showed a short funny clip of Prowl on the big screens that she was enthralled by.
He's pretty funny. And, apparently, makes her think. On the way home, I fielded many questions about Prowl. Some I was able to answer, others stumped me. It went something like this:
Callie: Why doesn't Prowl talk?
Me: Well...probably because animals don't have voices.
**Pause**
Callie: Do animals whistle?
Me: I don't know. That's a good question.
**Pause**
Callie: What does his home look like?
Me: Um, maybe it is a den by the Target Center...?
Callie: I don't think he lives in a den. I think he lives in a little house.
Me: Yeah maybe.
Callie: Where are his mommy and daddy?
Me: Um...I don't know. But I like all your questions!
**Pause**
Callie: What does he like to eat?
Me: Maybe green licorice?
Callie: Why does he like to eat green licorice?
Me: Because maybe his favorite color is green.
Callie: Why is his favorite color green?
Me: Well that is the color of the Lynx shirt. He might like blue and white too.
**Pause**
Callie: Where was he when we watched him on the big TV?
Me: I don't know. He was probably in the locker room.
Callie: Yeah.
**Later, getting ready for bed**
Callie: Am I going to be a basketball player someday?
Me: You might be! Maybe you can play for the Lynx!
Callie: Yeah, I can be Maya!
I clearly need to get better at thinking on my feet when it comes to answering her questions. I have no idea why green licorice came out of my mouth as Prowl's favorite food.
Anyway, we're looking forward to another Lynx season and more fun watching that silly Prowl.
He's pretty funny. And, apparently, makes her think. On the way home, I fielded many questions about Prowl. Some I was able to answer, others stumped me. It went something like this:
Callie: Why doesn't Prowl talk?
Me: Well...probably because animals don't have voices.
**Pause**
Callie: Do animals whistle?
Me: I don't know. That's a good question.
**Pause**
Callie: What does his home look like?
Me: Um, maybe it is a den by the Target Center...?
Callie: I don't think he lives in a den. I think he lives in a little house.
Me: Yeah maybe.
Callie: Where are his mommy and daddy?
Me: Um...I don't know. But I like all your questions!
**Pause**
Callie: What does he like to eat?
Me: Maybe green licorice?
Callie: Why does he like to eat green licorice?
Me: Because maybe his favorite color is green.
Callie: Why is his favorite color green?
Me: Well that is the color of the Lynx shirt. He might like blue and white too.
**Pause**
Callie: Where was he when we watched him on the big TV?
Me: I don't know. He was probably in the locker room.
Callie: Yeah.
**Later, getting ready for bed**
Callie: Am I going to be a basketball player someday?
Me: You might be! Maybe you can play for the Lynx!
Callie: Yeah, I can be Maya!
I clearly need to get better at thinking on my feet when it comes to answering her questions. I have no idea why green licorice came out of my mouth as Prowl's favorite food.
Anyway, we're looking forward to another Lynx season and more fun watching that silly Prowl.
Happy Birthday Bops!!!
Bops' birthday is always a fun start to the month of June!!! Happy Birthday Bops!
 |
| We love you and your goofiness! |
Friday, May 31, 2013
Favorite-Things-Phone-Dump Friday
This has been an emotional week that has made me very thankful for all the blessings in my life. And I have a lot of pictures to show for it. As usual, all of the pictures are of my biggest blessing.
Have a great weekend!
 |
| Favorite Thing #1: Toddlers who love to play in dog kennels |
 |
| Favorite Thing #2: Those rosy cheeks after sleepies |
 |
| Favorite Thing #3: Lilacs! |
 |
| Favorite Thing #4: A new summer toy from Daddy |
 |
| Favorite thing #5: Playing with Auntie Cat...Part 1 |
 |
| Favorite Thing #6: Playing with Auntie Cat...Part 2 |
 |
| Favorite Thing #7: Finding the perfect place for a fresh rose |
 |
| Favorite Thing #8: Dress up clothes for everyone! |
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Vocabulary Development
As a teacher, I have seen what happens when kids aren't exposed to a lot of different language experiences when they are young. A lot of times when that happens, the kids don't like to read. And it makes me sad.
So, obviously, I have tried really hard to instill a love of words and reading in Callie. The girl loves books.
And lately we have been playing a lot of word games. Her favorites are listed below.
1) The Categories Game- I list 3 or 4 things that go together, and she tells me the category. For example:
Me: Okay...car, truck, boat.
Callie: Things you ride in!
I like this game because I can teach her big words like transportation or accessories. Every girl should know a fancy word for necklaces, bracelets and rings, right? :)
2) The Doesn't Belong Game- I list 3 or 4 things, with one that doesn't belong. She has to guess which one doesn't belong. It is fascinating to watch her think about it- you can literally see connections being made in her brain. For example:
Me: Are you ready? Fork, spoon, cherry, knife.
Callie: (thinking for a few seconds) CHERRY!
We take turns on this one, which is pretty hilarious. She doesn't quite get the concept of making sure something doesn't belong. For example:
Callie: Okay Mommy. Fridge, spoon, grapes, table!
Me: (thinking of possible connections to make between the random objects) Um...
Callie: (thinking for a few seconds) None of them belong!
But even though she still doesn't quite get it when it is her turn, she totally nails it every time I give her the words. It is a great way to help her understand how things relate to each other.
3) The I'm Thinking Game- This is by far our favorite. We take turns giving each other clues so the other person can guess what we are thinking of. I took a video of how this game usually goes. It is pretty funny. And we can go for a long time without getting bored.
I'm Thinking Game from Baby Goose on Vimeo.
I love how it teaches basic problem solving skills. Again, I love how I can see her wheels turning as she is putting all the clues together in her mind. I also love her voice inflection. She says her clues like that every time. SO adorable.
So there you have it. If you know of any other fun word games, feel free to send them my way. She's getting so smart we're going to need to up the rigor soon. :)
So, obviously, I have tried really hard to instill a love of words and reading in Callie. The girl loves books.
And lately we have been playing a lot of word games. Her favorites are listed below.
1) The Categories Game- I list 3 or 4 things that go together, and she tells me the category. For example:
Me: Okay...car, truck, boat.
Callie: Things you ride in!
I like this game because I can teach her big words like transportation or accessories. Every girl should know a fancy word for necklaces, bracelets and rings, right? :)
2) The Doesn't Belong Game- I list 3 or 4 things, with one that doesn't belong. She has to guess which one doesn't belong. It is fascinating to watch her think about it- you can literally see connections being made in her brain. For example:
Me: Are you ready? Fork, spoon, cherry, knife.
Callie: (thinking for a few seconds) CHERRY!
We take turns on this one, which is pretty hilarious. She doesn't quite get the concept of making sure something doesn't belong. For example:
Callie: Okay Mommy. Fridge, spoon, grapes, table!
Me: (thinking of possible connections to make between the random objects) Um...
Callie: (thinking for a few seconds) None of them belong!
But even though she still doesn't quite get it when it is her turn, she totally nails it every time I give her the words. It is a great way to help her understand how things relate to each other.
3) The I'm Thinking Game- This is by far our favorite. We take turns giving each other clues so the other person can guess what we are thinking of. I took a video of how this game usually goes. It is pretty funny. And we can go for a long time without getting bored.
I'm Thinking Game from Baby Goose on Vimeo.
I love how it teaches basic problem solving skills. Again, I love how I can see her wheels turning as she is putting all the clues together in her mind. I also love her voice inflection. She says her clues like that every time. SO adorable.
So there you have it. If you know of any other fun word games, feel free to send them my way. She's getting so smart we're going to need to up the rigor soon. :)
Monday, May 27, 2013
Weekend Wrap-Up: The Memorial Day Weekend Wedding Edition
Happy Memorial Day everyone! We were fortunate to spend the entire Memorial Day weekend out east with my mom's side of the family celebrating my cousin Karl's wedding. Karl also happens to be a veteran, as he served in the Marine Corps. It was wonderful to spend such special time with family members who we don't get to see very often.
We left on a 7am flight on Friday morning, and everything went fairly smoothly considering the 5am wake-up time. Callie was a stellar traveler and even helped us pull our suitcases.
We gathered at my Uncle Joe's house for lunch with him, Aunt Margie, Uncle John and Aunt Jenny. Then we all headed to Sturbridge, MA where most of the weekend festivities took place. Friday evening and Saturday morning were spent hanging around with family...mostly indoors because the weather was cold and rainy.
Karl and Erica's wedding took place at a very special church in Holden, MA: Immanuel Lutheran. It just so happened to be the church that my mom's dad (Grampy) was the pastor at for four years (1955-1959 I think), and also the church that my mom was baptized at.
The ceremony was lovely. My mom and Laura played a couple duets, and I ended up reading some of the prayers during the ceremony. Karl and Erica were so happy and excited- it was so much fun to witness.
After the ceremony we wanted to take some pictures outside of the church, since it is a significant place to my mom and her siblings. They found the picture of my grandpa on the wall, so the siblings got a picture with it.
We also got a family picture in front of the church.
We then headed to the reception for the evening of fun times, good food, and even some revolutionary war actors!
On Sunday we headed to the National Basketball Hall of Fame! It was fun...lots of very large shoes and basketball playing, obviously.
The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out with family: mini-golf, playing with ducks, ice cream, and hanging out and playing in the hotel room.
We headed back this morning and got home in time for nap time. Traveling with a toddler and being 32 weeks pregnant was exhausting, but we had a great trip. I'd love to have a weekend to recover from our weekend, but no such luck!
Hamsie update: She is 32 weeks! That means (hopefully) less than 8 weeks left. Hamsie now weighs around 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long. She will gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next seven weeks...holy moly. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair.
The amount of stuff we will be doing in the next 2 months is insane to think about. So I try not to look too far ahead, and instead just focus on a week at a time. There are 2.5 weeks left of the school year, though I will be working throughout June as well to prepare for maternity leave.
Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!
Hope you all had a great long weekend.
We left on a 7am flight on Friday morning, and everything went fairly smoothly considering the 5am wake-up time. Callie was a stellar traveler and even helped us pull our suitcases.
 |
| She rocked the jammies until we got to Connecticut! |
We gathered at my Uncle Joe's house for lunch with him, Aunt Margie, Uncle John and Aunt Jenny. Then we all headed to Sturbridge, MA where most of the weekend festivities took place. Friday evening and Saturday morning were spent hanging around with family...mostly indoors because the weather was cold and rainy.
 |
| But we had fun anyway! |
The ceremony was lovely. My mom and Laura played a couple duets, and I ended up reading some of the prayers during the ceremony. Karl and Erica were so happy and excited- it was so much fun to witness.
 |
| Their wedding colors? Red, White and Blue! What else would you expect from a former marine? :) |
 |
| Joe, Margie, Polly, John |
 |
| We won't be a family of 3 for long! |
On Sunday we headed to the National Basketball Hall of Fame! It was fun...lots of very large shoes and basketball playing, obviously.
 |
| Fun times! |
 |
| Checking out our wingspans against Kevin Durant's. |
The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out with family: mini-golf, playing with ducks, ice cream, and hanging out and playing in the hotel room.
We headed back this morning and got home in time for nap time. Traveling with a toddler and being 32 weeks pregnant was exhausting, but we had a great trip. I'd love to have a weekend to recover from our weekend, but no such luck!
Hamsie update: She is 32 weeks! That means (hopefully) less than 8 weeks left. Hamsie now weighs around 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long. She will gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next seven weeks...holy moly. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair.
The amount of stuff we will be doing in the next 2 months is insane to think about. So I try not to look too far ahead, and instead just focus on a week at a time. There are 2.5 weeks left of the school year, though I will be working throughout June as well to prepare for maternity leave.
Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!
Hope you all had a great long weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)