Chatterbox

For the past few months I had been worried that Ryan wasn't talking. I have videos of Nathan reciting his alphabet and counting to 10 at this age but other than Mama and Dada, Ryan wasn't saying much at all and even those two words were few and far between. I wouldn't be concerned except he seemed so frustrated, sometimes even angry, that nobody could understand what he was saying. He has been babbling for a long time, the problem was that nobody knew what he was trying to actually say. And since nobody could understand him when he babbled, he started hitting and scratching to get his point across. And that's just not fun for anyone.

But in just the past couple of weeks, he has started saying so much more. He is a different kid now, happier and more carefree and now I can't get him to stop talking! At night when I put him to bed, I can often hear him upstairs for up to an hour, "talking" to himself in his crib.

This blog serves as a baby book for me so occasionally I like to list "stats" that I don't want to forget. So, at two days shy of being 20 months old, I've compiled a list of his current vocabulary.

Waffle Apple Thank you All done More Eat Help Doggy Woof woof Ducky Quack quack No Up Mama Dada Nana Papa Nai Nai (Grandmother in Mandarin) Ye Ye (Grandfather in Mandarin) Ge Ge (Big Brother in Mandarin) Choo choo Book And a few that aren't quite there yet but so damn cute I had to list them... G-fish - goldfish crackers Beesh - toothbrush Tuck - truck

School Pictures

I don't think these pictures could sum up Nathan and Ryan's personalities any better.

Nathan, perfectly posing with a stack of Encyclopedias?!?! Yes!!
Ryan, deciding to lay on the ground and not sit at all?? Yes!!

They are all so cute, how do I choose?

Back to school

I accepted a maternity leave coverage at school this fall so I'm back in the first grade. I went from being the student teacher in a class with two other adults to the lead teacher in a class by myself. The adjustment has been... challenging. I barely survived the first day of school and by 2:45 felt like Id been hit by a truck. (I may have even cried in the bathroom during my lunch break, wondering by I ever thought I could do this.) We're almost two months in and things have definitely settled down in the classroom. Our routines are set, the kids know what to expect each day and I have grown to love them... even the "difficult" ones. I love, love, LOVE being in the classroom.

As a result of me working though, life at home is crazy. I wake the boys at 6:15, get them dressed and fed and out the door by 7:30. I drop them off at daycare then head right to school. After teaching for 6 hours, I usually stay 2 hours late to prep for the next day. This means I don't get back to the boys until 4:30, sometimes 5. This gets us home just in time for dinner, baths and bed. Once they're in bed, I clean up the dishes, pack the lunches for the next day, shower and dry my hair then crash into my bed at 10:30.

I struggle everyday with whether or not I'm doing the right thing. I feel like I'm failing at both jobs. I can't commit fully to the teaching because I have to get home and take care of the boys. And I'm not fully committed to the boys because I'm not with them all day!

I have exactly 5 weeks left at this job. I have been looking for something to do next but there's not much out there.  Part of me is relieved because being able to wake up and not have to go, go, go sounds amazing right now. But part of me is getting anxious because I know I want to work, and that I will go crazy if I'm home full-time.  Should I work or should I stay home? It's an internal question that I still don't know the answer to. A question I'm sure most moms ask themselves everyday.  For now, I am trying to enjoy my time in the classroom and learn as much as I can and then enjoy my quality time with the boys in the evenings and on the weekends. Only time will tell what my next step will be.

Lately Nathan has been asking to help me prepare dinner so tonight I let him pull a stool up to the stove and be my sous chef. It's been raining the past two days so I decided a simple dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup sounded good. It also sounded like something he could easily assist with, even better.

Nathan was very excited to help me and got right to work. He sprinkled the cheese onto the bread and stirred the soup at the stove. When it was ready, he was so proud of himself and kept commenting on what a good recipe it was and how delicious it was. Ryan on the other hand needs no motivation to eat. He happily ate two bowls of soup and a plate of meatballs and some grapes for dessert.

Bon appetit!