Goals!

This will, I'm sure, be a work in progress, but I wanted to post a few of my GOALS for the upcoming weeks, months, years...who knows! Just so it's in writing!

1. Get together with Laura (and anyone else that wants to join in!) to make some bows for Ava (and Izzy) so we can stop paying $3 per bow!!!!!!!!! When we know we could make them way cheaper!
2. Scrapbook, scrapbook, scrapbook! (just in general and work on Ava's scrapbooks she will keep when she is older!)
3. Work on painting for the bathroom. Either something on a canvas or paint something on the wall! We'll see!
4. Take a photography class. Gotta learn more tricks of the trade with my camera. Still loving it though!
5. Learn to sew!
6. Wait, rewind!!! Get a sewing machine!!!!!!!!!

More to come!

A little bit of this; a little bit of that...

Miss Ava is 15 months old TODAY! I will get her chair pics sometime this weekend :) I figure I will take 15 month and then 18 month and then her 2 YEAR as I'm no longer doing monthly.

Here's a little bit of what she is doing.

• She said "uh-oh" this week. She has been saying "Uh" and "Ohhhh" for a while but she is now putting them together. It is so cute. Tammy, our sitter, said she likes to drop her cup and say "uh-oh" (oh and also feed the dog!)
• Speaking of, she has adjusted to the sitter quite well. It took a little while but she was only going one day a week so now that she is going every day, she is really seeming to like it. Emersyn is a little girl there (she's 4) and they seem to love each other! Our friends from our childbirth class also take their daughter Izzy there. She and Ava are 2 days apart.
• Ava is walking like a pro and even starting to run! She is definitely on the move!
• She loves animals! I got her a "fur-real" kitty at a garage sale for $1 and she is obsessed with it---even though I think it's a little creepy!
• She loves books. She is into a few right now: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See; a little Fishy book, My Pink Purse. She loves to read them before bed.
• She can finally clap correctly!! (LOL) Tammy, the sitter, and Emersyn taught her by singing "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" It is too cute. Now, I know that most kids have already learned to clap by now, but no matter how hard I tried, she wasn't interested. She did sort of attempt it, but it was never quite right. =) Her clap is cute, too. She keeps one hand still and claps the other to it.
• She LOVES music (a beat-belt quality!). She will bop her head when she hears our fave song "Hey Soul Sister" (also my ring tone) and other songs on the radio and TV
• She LOVES being outside. Tammy, the sitter, takes them out and they have an awesome backyard. We'll often play outside when we get home and take walks over to Miller Park. The fits have already started when we make her come in. Sweet girl!
• She understands more and more every day. If we say things like "Do you want to go take a bath?" she will go toward the stairs. If we say, "Are you hungry?" she will go to the kitchen and "Ava, go get your kitty!" and she will go find it!
• She is still doing her signs. She has finally gotten "Please" but she can be stubborn and I really have to get on her to sign it.
• She jibber-jabbers constantly. Sometimes it really sounds like she is saying "What's that?" etc.
• She has started putting her hands up for "So Big!" It is hilarious! One day I was just talking to Travis and said something regarding Ava getting 'so big' and she did it! LOL. =)

I'm finally also back in the swing of things with school. I have my two classrooms set up and have seen almost all of my students. Tomorrow and Monday will be my last "first" days. With that said, I miss Ava a LOT!!!!!!!! I am luckily too busy during the day to really think about it, however, I soak up every single second at night with her. I am a little emotional about it too. I cried the other night putting her to bed because I had curriculum night and only got to see her for a little bit after school and at bedtime. I do really really enjoy teaching and so far, things are going well. Tomorrow is my first day to travel so we'll see how THAT goes!

August

August. Oh August, how I dread you every year! Even though there are still 2-3 weeks of summer days left in August, it always flies by! I swear, yesterday was August 1st and today it's August 16. I anticipate the new school year every year and have a HINT of excitement but since becoming a mommy, I also dread it like I dread WINTER---and if you know me, I HATE WINTER. On that note, I do love my job and don't really think I could be a stay at home mom, especially in the winter. I think I might go nuts. :) Not really but I think teachers have sort of the best of both worlds. We've had such a fun summer, making lots of memories...pool days, the zoo, play dates, sprinkler parks, walks, the mall, and just plain hanging out at home...And it's hard to believe that at the beginning of summer Ava was a brand new "walker" and now she is practically running. Being at the sitter is great for her, too, because she has become quite the "mommy's girl!" and she is frightened by just about everything. I guess that is just her nature, but being around other kids is good for her and something I want her to experience.

Another reason I dread August is the stress I start to feel. It always ends up working out fine (and not that I haven't been teaching long enough to know what I'm doing...) but I let myself get freaked out for nothing. I've already had one meltdown (you can ask Travis!) and then I have to tell him..."you know what time of year it is!" I also S.T.R.E.S.S. each year about my schedule but with obvious reason and this year since I am at my second school for more of my time (1.2 days compared to a half day last year) comes the sticky situation of travel time. I'm hoping and praying that it will get fixed but as of now, I have 20 minutes to get from one school to the other and be ready to teach. Not to mention I have 2 classes in a row, 20 mins to get to the other school and then have 3 classes in a row (pretty much the equivalent of 5 in a row, which I refuse to do!). I'm really hoping and assuming it will get fixed but in the mean time, I'm a little freaked out! I don't like to be rushed and stressed and I'd hate to show up for class each week and walk in the door with my purse, bag, coat, etc at the same time as the kids and have to make them sit and wait while I unpack and get ready. And honestly, I'm not sure where going to the bathroom fits in this equation---and again, if you know me, I pee more than a pregnant girl!

Well, enough of that. I'll keep you posted! Ava is off to the sitter tomorrow while I work at school (s) all day and then my mom will be here Wednesday while I work and then we are in school mode with meetings Thursday and Friday! I am so thankful I still have the half-day on Monday to prepare, as students will not come to area classes that day.

Happy August Everyone!