Growing up so fast!

Solomon's first haircut

Where's the beef?

Solomon is already eight months old. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. He already has four teeth and is working on a 5th & 6th! He has been eating a few solids, loves playing and interacting with his big brother, sits up like a pro...the next step is crawling! Emilio was changing him last week and he said to me, "Honey, Solomon isn't a little baby anymore. He's practically a toddler now...time to make another one!" I laughed away the thought of another baby this early. But it is true that Solomon isn't a little baby. He is changing before our very eyes. What a delight to see the miracle that each child is as they develop and mature into little people!

On to the next adventure

As Thanksgiving approaches, my first student teaching placement has just about wrapped up. I taught my last lesson on Friday, and tomorrow I will administer the final assessment. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, I am hoping to be able to visit some other classrooms at my school and in the area. My mentor has encouraged it greatly, as she says that I'll never have the opportunity to do so once I get my own classroom (or at least, it will be much harder!). I am sad to think that I will be leaving the kids I have been working with for the last three + months. And they seem as though they might just miss me too. Last Friday, several of them were asking me why I had to leave, and if I was going to be around in the spring. Pretty cute.
I will be doing an ESOL placement in December, assisting and teaching non-native English speakers. Then, we walk at graduation on December 19th. But I will have one more placement back at the school I'm at now for three weeks in January in first grade before I actually get my master's and teaching certificate. I can hardly wait. I am so ready to begin this exciting new chapter in my life as an elementary teacher. I always thought this was something I would end up doing...and I'm relieved to know that it truly is my passion. Now I just need to land a job!

Balancing Act

Well, as I'm sure you may have imagined, I have been absolutely overwhelmed with student teaching. I did 100% of the planning for the month of October, and though it went well, I am completely exhausted! What a learning experience. I learn something new every day, and this experience has reinforced some principles that I already knew were true - time management is CRITICAL! (even when you don't feel like writing a lesson plan, DO IT!); be FLEXIBLE (if something isn't working, through it out and re-work the plan); and don't ever stop learning! I can see how it might be a challenge to keep up with the latest in technology and teaching ideas. But if the district offers workshops that will help sharpen your skills, go to them! They are probably the only opportunities you'll have to stay up-to-date. Besides, it's not like you have a bunch of free time after you get home to do your own researching. All I do (at least it seems like) is get home and do more planning! But I DO enjoy it. It's just difficult right now finding a balance between my graduate program, lesson planning, and my family. If I were only a student (single with no kids), I know it would be a different story. But some times I just want to come home and crash, not think about the laundry, dishes, or preparing dinner. But I can't completely replace my wife and mother hats for my student hat. I need to find a happy balance between them all. And that might be the most difficult piece of the bigger picture. But I'm slowly finding my way.


In celebration of fall and harvest time, we did take the kiddos to the pumpkin patch to select pumpkins. I wanted Neftali to experience the hay ride, and wandering through an ocean of orange gourds. It was so much fun, and even though rain was forcasted, it was the absolute perfect day! I love this time of year!