productivity

As luck would have it, Mr. D. had a conference in Atlanta.  I tagged along and Shelby spent her first nights away with her Grandma.  This could not have come at a better time for me since I have SO much to do before school starts.  I have been very productive these last few days and have completed much of the first of the year busy work.  I even got a nap in too!

Life's too short to.....

Ever ever ever wear these shoes again.  Before you think bad of me or say to yourself a poor person would have loved those shoes, I can assure you they wouldn't.  

Buuuuh-bye.  

evolution

Since we moved into our "starter" home in 2004, the back quadrant of our home has been ever evolving. When we first moved in the room on the left was the guest room/craft and the room on the right was Mr. D.'s office/hang out where we spent a lot of time.  He liked to play his play station and I liked to use the desktop computer...because it was 2004 and people had desktop computers.  Then somewhere along the way the room on the left became a nursery and the room on the right became the guest room/office/craft room/catchall room.   Then the room on the right because the guestroom/office/playroom and the crafts went into the closet along with 99% of Mr. D.'s stuff.  This week the room on the right is being transformed back into a guestroom/office.  That said...ALL of the toys have been moved into the room on the left...er...uhhh, well those that made the cut anyway.   All of this has been quite the experience with my 2 year old (not so much of a) helper.  I still have A LOT of work to do on this project.   Today I spent some time digging out of the crazy to reclaim my tiny little space in our home.  It had been a catchall for the last two months.  

Note we still have a desktop computer... because someone in this house just can't. let. go. even though it hasn't been turned on in a long long long time.  I need to cultivate my area a little more in the coming weeks, as well as continue on the transformation journey.  I have come to the realization that we are not moving to a new house any time soon.   Therefore, if I want a bigger house I need to get rid of the many many things that are making my house seem so very very small.   It's a process.

August 1st: the day I started blogging again

As I woke up this morning and saw that it was August first the realization that my summer is almost over hit like a ton of bricks.   Time is running out for all of the amazing plans I so desperately clung to in the month of May.   I can honestly say my summer didn't go as I had planned.   I haven't completed reading one book.  I have not organized anything.  I haven't napped, or gotten into shape or (insert lofty goal here).    I have played with dolls, playdoh, and flashlights. I have colored.  I have potty trained for countless hours with very little results.   I have sang and danced and enjoyed being home.  I have cooked amazing meals for my family.     And, today August 1st, I started blogging again.

Queen of Mardi Gras

 Here are some super silly pictures that Shelby's teacher sent me of Shelby wearing a Mardi Gras crown.

This handsome young Gentleman is Shelby's friend Austin.  He used to be our neighbor and he and Shelby have literally grown up together since he was 4 months old and she was born.


You will also see the necklace I bought Shelby for Valentine's day- which she got early.  I have an amazing personal crafter.  I saw a photo of a necklace like this on the cover of a magazine.  This crafty lady looked at it and duplicated it.  We just LOVE it! Check out my personal crafter's site here.

Valentines Day 2013 photo shoot

I have had Shelby's Valentines photo shoot planned in my head for a few weeks.  Time however is something I seem to be short on lately.  So, the Sunday before Valentines day was the day of the photo shoot.  My Mother was here so I have the extra hands I needed to be able to pull off something elaborate.
I spent about an house painting the props.  I gave strict instructions to NOT let Shelby come into the kitchen under any circumstance.  I have found with these type of shoots the element of the newness of the activity is what wins the perfect expressions and great photos.   Somehow despite my insistence, Shelby not only ended up in the kitchen, but also right beside me painting little canvases.   I was frustrated because all of my preparation went right down the drain.  The moment was instantly lost.  In my frustration I painted part of the prop backwards, but no one even noticed until halfway through the shoot.  We fixed it but still the shoot wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be.  I feel it could have been better.   I didn't even print or send cards this year!

Tonight I asked my sister in law Meredith to pick a number between 1 and 25.   She chose 4-- so I present to you 4 randomly chosen photos from the photo shoot.

 Bonus:  Here is the picture I posted on Facebook. 

Double Bonus: This photo cracked me up!! 

 I will probably be doing a similar photo shoot with paint later in the spring outdoors.  Stay tuned.

Shelby's first progress report

As a teacher I am very familiar with writing progress reports.   In fact, I have 29 progress reports that I need to write between now and Valentine's Day...but, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Each teacher has their own style of writing reports on their students.    I like to use the pro-con-pro sandwich method.   Except mostly my sandwich is the kind with huge bread (pros) and very little filler (cons).   Sometimes report writing is easy.  Sometimes, reports are hard.  But, at the end of the day, though you have to be honest, you must remember these children are the most important thing to their parents ...that and that these kids are just that-- little kids.

For your viewing pleasure, I present Shelby's first progress report from November 2012.   I did remove her personal information but other than that, this is unedited.  It describes Miss Shelby perfectly! (and it REALLY made me laugh!) (especially the personality section)

November 2012

1.Initial Adjustment: 

        Shelby experiences no separation anxiety when entering the classroom but is sometimes reluctant simply because she is comfortable in the entire school and thinks of the whole building as a home away from home. Once settled, Shelby enjoys going from lesson to lesson while waiting for her friend, Austin to arrive. 

2.Personality:

        Shelby loves being dramatic whether it’s squealing with glee or giving Scarlet O’Hara a competitive performance. She throws her whole self (sometimes literally) into whatever she is doing and is not very accepting of any deviations to her self appointed plan. Shelby is assertive, which is the beginning of a freethinker and a confident human being. 

3.Social Behavior:

        Social interaction plays a large role in Shelby’s day. She tends to be a leader and her presence in a room invites her peers to follow. For the most part, she does still play alongside others or will do her own thing with 3 other children following behind her. 

4.Particular Interests:

        Shelby enjoys anything that pertains to music or instruments themselves, particularly drums. She sways while playing drums or bells; but when playing a dulcimer or music box, she focuses and becomes much more calculated in her movements. The skills developed when using the more intricate instruments help her accomplish tasks such as setting the golf tee, building towers, sorting cylinders, or grinding eggshells. Shelby is currently learning to lace beads on a string and use tongs to transfer objects. 

        Though many lessons in the classroom target fine motor skills, Shelby does prefer to use her large muscles (i.e. running or jumping down the hall.) Ironically, the first thing she asks for on the playground is the swing. We are working with Shelby to help her use her energy in an appropriate way which will hopefully allow her to naturally focus and calm herself while in the classroom. 

5.Daily Routine: (table manners, nap time, toilet training)

A.Table manners- Shelby is learning to use her utensils efficiently and says “please” and “thank you” when wanting and receiving seconds. Shelby, frequently needs a reminder to not walk around with food and to remain sitting at lunch until she is excused. However, on days, the lunch appeals to her, Shelby will be the last one finished and puts away her dishes with little to no difficulty. 

B.Nap time- Shelby usually falls asleep within 10 minutes or so and enjoys having her back patted. She still sleeps the full time and, most days, is extremely perky when waking up. 

C.Toilet training- Shelby enjoys sitting on the potty at school. At this time, she does not seem to notice when her clothes are wet or soiled. She is learning to undress and dress herself and enjoys any wardrobe changes which may occur throughout the day. 

6.Motor Skills/Coordination:

        Shelby’s fine motor skills are developing more every day. She uses her fingers more purposely when doing the screwdriver lesson and the tongs transfer. Her coordination is age appropriate, and she enjoys walking across the balance beam outside or vacuuming in the activity room. 

7.Language:

A.Vocabulary: Shelby has a broad vocabulary and learns new words throughout the day during picture file lessons and conversation. 

B.Conversation: Letter baskets and the sandpaper letters will help Shelby enunciate her words clearly. However, she still communicates effectively using facial expressions and gestures when words simply are not enough.

        Taking into account the way she purposefully ignores an instruction or correction when it         interferes with her plans, it would appear that her receptive language is advanced. We are 

        working with Shelby on being respectful by listening and following instructions.

8. Independence/Experimentation:

        Shelby enjoys exploring her environment and shows no hesitance around new people or new lessons. She uses her problem solving skills in a variety of manipulative lessons, which will help her to apply the same skills and principles in her day to day life (i.e. lacing beads becomes lacing her own shoes or opening jars and containers becomes the ability to fix her own snacks.)

9.Mathematic Concepts:

        Shelby enjoys counting and shape sorting. She is learning concept of one to three and relating the concept to the written number. This will set the foundation for preschool lessons she will see in the future. We also talk about the calendar daily to help expose them to the concept of time.