Milestones Milestones

I'm through one week as a "retiree," and I'm feeling pretty good! I think it will hit me again in the fall when Will goes back to work and I'm home - again - but, really, I am so happy right now. We have had a lot of encouragement from those close to us, which is much appreciated. And having made the decision makes me look forward to summer without the scary stress of school hanging over my head.

So...you'll notice in the pictures below that Ethan is helmet free! We thought we were going to keep it on until his birthday, but when we met with his orthotist last Friday he said that he thought we could be done. He said any more growth at this point would be negligible and if we wanted to be done, he was fine with it. So we're done! It's kind of sad because we really were attached to his little Obama helmet, but it's been nice not to worry about it, too. And he hasn't had any major bumps...yet. (Knock on wood, please.) The first night without it he did wake up, which is rare for him, and we thought he might have been weirded out from not having his helmet. I went in and put it back on him and then he slept until morning. But since then we haven't had it on at all and he's adjusted just fine. Not having the helmet does make for some pretty interesting hairdos, though, as you'll see in the first two pictures. He woke up the other day from a nap with total Jack Nicholson hair. And, now, when we feed him, a lot of food goes into his hair and acts as a sort of gel so that by the end of the meal he's got spikes of food sodden hair everywhere. It was easier to wipe down his helmet than his head of hair!

Our biggest news of the past week is that Ethan took his first steps on Saturday! We were at our friends' house for a bbq, and he was up against the couch. Will was a little away from the couch, and he took a step unassisted to Will. It took us a few seconds to realize what happened. I was mid-story when I said, "Did he just take his first steps?" And everyone said, "I think so!" It was pretty funny. And I'm so glad that both Will and I (and witnesses) were there to see it together. Good timing, Ethan! (Not like his first roll, which I'm still disgruntled about.) Since Saturday, he has taken 1-2 steps about every day, both for me and for Will. He just turned 11 months old on Monday, so it looks like he may be an early walker. I'm not in any hurry, but it is fun to see how he learns so much every day.

He really is such a good boy. He goes down for naps very easily lately and, besides an early wake up, sleeps well at night. While awake, he's happy and content to play with others or on his own, and he is just so darn funny. Yesterday, Will had a speaker to see in the city after work. Since he didn't have much time with Ethan, we walked with Will to the train station in town. While in his stroller, Ethan was waving to or reaching for anyone who passed by. Then, he kept turning around in the stroller and putting his arm out towards me. Every time he did it, I would shake his hand and say, "Nice to meet you." He just laughed and laughed. We did this over and over on the way home, and neither of us tired of it. I'm sure those looking out their windows at me thought I was a goof with a silly smile pasted on my face. Better that than a frown, though, right?

Goofy haired Ethan after his nap.

Here's a close up.
Mr. Jake and Mr. Ethan at Hammond and Courtney's house on Memorial Day. Ethan kept taking toys away from Jake!
I'm not sure if this is before or after Ethan tried to eat a helicopter (maple seed).
The boys with their uncles.

Look at Jake in his madras! He is so cute!

Grandpa took the boys for a stroll in H & C's giant backyard.

This is our new patio set. I had it set for lunch for my best friend, Sarah. I meant to get a picture of her and her 8.5 month pregnant belly, but I forgot. We had a great lunch, and Ethan got to join us in his booster seat.

New Job

As of this morning, I have officially resigned from LT. Will and I made the decision early in the week, and I met with the HR guy just this morning and gave him my official letter. He was very nice, and not all that surprised, and did say that he will call if there is ever a small overhang (1 or 2 classes) they want to fill. I also spoke to my old division chair (now director of curriculum), current division chair (though not for long...), and my assistant division chair. All were supportive and kind. It is definitely bittersweet to be leaving. Some of my closest friends work at LT, but even just being there today solidified that we made a strong decision. I know I will not regret it, even with a major drop of income. The reality is that I would not be taking home all that much money after taxes and daycare expenses. That was actually what made Will decide I should stay home. When he did the math, he said it would just not be worth all the time I would put in to teaching 3 classes with 2 new preps. He'd rather have me spend that time with Ethan. I am SUPER proud of Will for having the faith that we will be okay and knowing that it is what is best for our family. All along, he has wanted me to stay home, but he's a worrier by nature so it was a difficult decision for him to come to. I can already see, though, that he knows it is right. Give him a hug when you see him.



I haven't wasted any time, though, and I actually applied for a part-time, work from home job last night. The official position is Writing and Communications Specialist, and I would be working for a non-profit organization called Healthy Schools Campaign. Here is the background information and position as stated on their website:



Background: The Healthy Schools Campaign, a vibrant and growing not for profit organization dedicated to making schools healthier places in which to learn and work, is an increasingly powerful voice for people who care about our environment, our children, and education. Since its inception, the Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) has become a leader in addressing issues of environmental health and wellness, particularly in connection to the growing crises of childhood obesity and asthma. HSC believes that all stakeholders—including teachers, students, parents, administrators and school nurses—must have a voice in decisions that affect the school environment. HSC’s ability to effectively articulate its mission, vision and program activities is crucial to the advancement of the organization’s policy platform and its success in engaging a broad base of individuals in these efforts. In addition, HSC must regularly report to the foundations, corporations and government agencies that support the organization’s work.



Position: The Healthy Schools Campaign is seeking a part-time Writer & Communications Specialist to work approximately 10 hours per week to support the organization’s development and external communications efforts. The individual will research, write and edit grant proposals, reports, electronic newsletters, web content and other materials for audiences including foundations, government agencies, corporations, community advocates, parents and individuals working in schools. This individual must be a strong communicator who is able to write in a variety of styles for different audiences.

When I came across this job, I thought it was perfect! I would be writing, working in the field of education, and working toward goals that are so completely in sync with my "green" lifestyle. I'm trying not to get my hopes up because I have no idea who they are looking for to fill this position. While I think that my training as a teacher makes me pretty qualified, I don't know if they're looking for someone with more experience in a strictly writing/editing position. Keep your fingers crossed. It would be nice to be able to still work, even indirectly, in education while still being home with Ethan. Plus, the extra income would come in handy!

Meanwhile, Ethan continues to wow us with his fun antics. He really is such a fun, happy kid. The nicer weather has been great, and we spend a lot of time outside. Really, he's happiest out on a blanket in the backyard with some toys and his big car on the sideline. Here are some recent pictures:

Here he is getting ready for a bike ride. We bought this trailer and I ride him around the park.
He's saying "With gas prices this high, I think I'll just crawl!"
Beep Beep
I love these big smiles!
He decided he'd had enough...

...and he was getting out...

...bonk!

"SO BIG!" His new favorite game. He does it without prompting now.

Here we are at a play date at Ethan's girlfriend's house.

Ethan's putting the moves on Emmy, holding her hand. "Come here often?"

Relay For Life

I'm not trying to change the focus of this blog from Ethan to fundraising, but both Will and I are participating in the Relay for Life at our school. We'll be walking around the track in shifts during an all night fundraiser. I've chosen an evening shift (7-8pm), and Will is taking an early morning shift (5-6am!). Our team goal is to raise $1,000.00, and there are about 20 of us on the team, meaning we should each raise $50. If you are at all interested in donating (absolutely no pressure!), you may click on the link below which will take you to my personal page. There is a donate button so it can all be done online. Again, do not feel obligated...just thought I'd put it out there in case any of you had extra cash burning a whole in your pocket. We did just get our stimulus check! :) I'm not sure if Will will get around to signing himself up on this website so you can consider your donation going toward both our goals if you like him better than me.

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TRC/RelayForLife/RelayForLifeIllinoisDivision?pg=peditor&fr_id=7738&px=6849256

And now, back to Ethan. Here he is being very resourceful climbing up onto his little couch. He was standing up on it yesterday! Once again: God, I'm going to miss that helmet!

You Know You're a Mom When...

You're walking down the street, notice something in your pocket, reach in and pull out a rectal thermometer. You simply shrug and put it back in your pocket.

Along with your wallet and cell phone, your purse staples now include baby wipes, a snackbox, a pacifier, a bib, and a baby spoon.

You notice your shirt has a stain on it before leaving the house but keep it on because a) you know it will probably get worse, and b) it's not all that bad of a stain.

While out to breakfast with your husband and son, you reach into your water glass and use the water to fix your son's hair that is sticking up.

You want to complain to the manager of Pier One about the difficulty of getting through the store with a stroller.

You suddenly don't hate people who use those carts at the grocery store that have a giant, imposing car attached. In fact, you can't wait until your son is old enough to ride in one since you know it will bring him great joy!

You put your son's pacifier in your own mouth just to hear that big belly laugh of his.

You feel the urge to punch out the woman who looked cross-eyed at your adorable, helmeted son.

You're thrilled when you get to "sleep in" until 6:45.

Your favorite part of the day is getting your son up in the morning or after a nap, when he is ridiculously excited to see you and your heart oozes with love at the sight of him.

And here's a picture of some of the most important mothers in my life: Will's Grandma Leona, Will's mother Betsy, my mother, and my grandmother.

Happy Mother's Day!

Fund Raiser Update

Thanks to all of you who have graciously donated books, I have already exceeded my goal of $100. As of today, we are up to $111 to donate to the Central Asia Institute (see two posts below if you're confused). And, really, this is only from 3 loads of books. Actually, it's from 4, but one that Will brought in (four boxes worth) only yielded $2. :( But, hey, every little bit helps. The neatest thing is that most of the books people have brought me are from friends of friends or family. My aunt forwarded my message to a few co-workers and a few of them forwarded it to more people. I just got an email from a woman yesterday who says she has a ton of books for me. It just so happens she lives in LaGrange, too, so it will be easy to get them from her. It is heart warming to see complete strangers make an effort to help somebody else achieve a goal.

I should mention, too, that I found out that the place I'm selling the books to also buys old records, tapes, CD's, videos, and DVDs. So if anyone has some they'd like to unload, let me know. Thanks!

Achoo

He made it through the winter without one. He made it through trips to germ central Lyons Township High School without catching one. He made it through bouts when both his parents had one. He's made it ten months without one. It's finally looking like spring...and Ethan caught a cold! Poor guy. He started with a very mucous-y cough yesterday that was gotten progressively worse. Last night, he was up three times for some comfort after waking up from coughing. Luckily, his naps today were still pretty good, even with some coughing interludes. And he remains in pretty good spirits except when he coughs, which makes his eyes water. :( I'm sad because he's not feeling well, but also because I was hoping he might make it through his first year with zero illnesses. He was so close - two months to go! He did have that rash, but I don't consider it an illness since it really didn't affect him other than the fact that he looked pretty freaky. Of course, if all the illness we have to deal with is a simple cold, that's OK by me.

Besides his first cold, Ethan had another first recently. He's starting standing up on his own, as you'll see in the video. He has started doing this completely on his own. The other day, he got on one of his toys and just let go and stood there. Will and I were right there but I didn't notice what was going on until he had reached for the toy again to hold on to. I said to Will, "Did you just see that? He was totally just standing up on his own!" Now, he does it all the time. Every time he does it, he gets this crazy funny look on his face like, "Hey, I'm standing. How 'bout that?" He looks like a he's on a surf board and he's new to surfing. After 10 seconds or so, he plops down on his butt. Or, as you'll see in the video, falls forward. Oops.

Books for Sale

I haven't been blogging in a while because we have had fantastic weather around here. Last week was gorgeous, and any time I had to myself while Ethan was napping (his sleep is 1000 times better than it was a couple weeks ago - all good again!) has been spent out of doors. Needless to say, since we do not have a laptop and the computer cords will not stretch to the backyard, I have not been on the computer all that much. But I've been meaning to write this post for a while now, so here goes...

Recently, I finished reading a great book Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It is the true story of Mr. Mortenson, a mountain climber turned philanthropist. After a failed summit attempt of K2 in Pakistan, Mortenson was separated from his guide and ended up in the small village of Korphe, bordering the mountain. The people there welcomed him warmly and nursed the alititude sick Mortenson back to health. He was so impressed with their hospitality and moved by their generosity that Mortenson vowed to return to build a school in their village. He did so, after writing countless letters asking for donations. He ended up getting a very large donation from one sympathetic millionaire, and, long story short, started an NGO called the Central Asia Institute, which since the first school was built, has built 100's more. Mortenson, who lives with his wife and two kids in Montana, spends half of his time in Pakistan or Afghanistan, overseeing projects of the CAI. If even half of the book is accurate, Greg Mortenson is an amazingly selfless man.

Needless to say, I was very moved by the book and loved the idea that it all started because this man, pretty poor himself, saw a great need to do something to educate the young people, especially females, in Pakistan and other central Asian countries. The book takes you through September 11th and the rise and fall of the Taliban. Mortenson's resolve to keep building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan despite the danger during wartime comes from his belief that education is the only way to combat the terrorism of fundamentalist groups. As an educator, I really connected to this idea. I thought, if only the money we spent on one day of the war could go to these countries in order to build schools where tolerance would be taught. If only...

I was definitely eager to give my support to the Central Asia Institute. Unfortunately, with me staying home this year, money is tighter than usual, and we've already given to our charities of choice this year. So, I decided I would have to raise some money. (I admit that watching Oprah's Big Give inspired me somewhat, as well.) First, I thought maybe I could do a book collection to send to the schools in Pakistan. But then I realized that these kids do not know English (yet) and would not have much use for my copy of Devil in the White City. So...then I decided I would sell books to raise money to donate to the CAI. There is a store near us that buys used books. I took Ethan there the other day and spoke to one of the managers, making sure this was a good option. I wanted to make sure that they would take any and all books, and they do. They will take old college textbooks, old guidebooks, old children's books, you name it. And they NEVER throw anything away. That was a big concern. He said if they cannot sell it in their store, they will recycle it. The books do not go in a landfill.

Yesterday, Will, Ethan, and I took our first load of books to the store. Will brought some old library books from LT that were up for grabs, and I cleaned out my bookshelf. We had about three large boxes of books. They gave us $24 for the whole lot. Not all that much, but actually more than I expected since most of the books were very old and not desirable. Really, the books that fetch a good price are newer books, books that people will actually want to buy, go figure.

This is where you all come in. I'm asking you to clean out your bookshelves and give those books to me (or Will) for us to take to the store and sell. We will then take all proceeds and write a check to the Central Asia Institute for Mortenson to continue educating young people, both boys and girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. We will take any book you'd like to give us, so think of it as a time to really clean out your cluttered bookshelf.

This is not an easy task for an avid reader, which I believe most of my blog readers are. I had a hard time parting with some of my books, but I tried to think if I would ever really be reading or referring to the book again. I admit I still have a pretty large collection of books, but that is because I like to keep a nice classroom library of books to loan. But I did try to pick out a few newer book that I thought would get a higher price at the store. And I admit I had no problem throwing some books on the sell pile, books I did not enjoy all that much.

So, please, let me know if you can help me out with this small fundraiser by giving me some of your used books. I will be happy to come pick up a box or two or you can get some to me next time you see me. Tell your friends and see if they have any books they do not mind parting with for a good cause. And, all you teachers out there, tell your students. I'm sure many of them won't mind bringing in a few books from home. (Maybe you can sweeten the deal with a homework pass or extra credit for book donations made.) And if you work at LT, just bring Will your books.

Thank you in advance for any book donations. If you'd like to learn more about the Central Asia Institute, here is the website:

http://www.ikat.org/

I will keep you updated about the book sales and, of course, give a final grand total. My goal is to raise at least $100. We're almost a quarter of the way!