Birthday Party!

I didn't get a picture of the whole set up, but here's one of the banner and paper flowers I

made for the cupcakes (Thanks Elle for helping me!).

Here's the cute cousins! Addi give a big one-armed hug! And yes, that is the scowl I have been talking about - she does it alot! But we usually just end up laughing at it cause it is such a shock when we see it (usually when she is not getting her way).
I tired to make sure I got a picture of Charlize with everyone and I missed Grandma Lorraine (sorry Grandma!) We were happy to have family come and missed all those who would have come if we lived closer!I just wanted a few pics of her with her cupcake, and unfortunately she was too quick to snatch at the flame. :( After a few tears it was ok, sorry bebe! I think she forgot about it when she got to dive into it all by herself. She LOVED it! I definitely got a scowl when we started to clean her up.
She was great opening presents - and even read the cards! :)
After the party was over we got a chance to just hang out and give the muncher some more food. (I swear she signs 'food' all the time! Maybe all that walking is making her hungry!) So while she was eating, I got to take some pictures of her and her cute messy face!

Sorry friends that you weren't invited, but hope you'll join us next year!

Happy Birthday Charlize!

Happy Birthday to our little sweetheart!

Yes, that is an orange hat - your Dad picked it out not because Halloween was close by, but because the deer hunt was going on. :)1 month
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Happy 1st Birthday!

This past year has gone by so fast watching you learn and grow!

We have enjoyed watching your little (or rather big) personality come through - your laughs, your smiles, your scouls, your smirks, your discoveries and abilities.

You are such an animal lover and would be on a horse all the time if you could! You can sign horse and dog, along with milk, food/eat, and more. It sounds like you say 'dada' for almost everything, but we know that you make the sounds for horse, dog, thank you and every once in a while, mama. :)

Catch up

Way back in July, Charlize fell asleep holding her bottle - not uncommon I know, but she stayed asleep even after Nate layed her on the floor.... in perfect form. She slept like that for 30 minutes then was up and rolling! She is such a power napper!

This was from September, watching the Round-Up Rodeo parade. Nate's mom has a sister's weekend every year, and this year they held it here. It was such a crazy round of not feeling good that we didn't know if it was allergies or sickness, but glad we're all better now! Charlize is sitting on Aunt Cheryl's lap - and she stayed there the entire parade. She's loving on a t-shirt someone threw to the crowd. It is so cute to see her hug and nuzzle soft things (blankets, toys, dogs - she is totally an animal lover!) Ok, back to Aunt Cheryl - she sat with her at dinner and Nate got her so Cheryl could eat her dinner too. Then after dinner it took forever to say goodby because I could not pry my daughter away - she was clinging to Cheryl with everything in her. It was adorable! I've never seen her cling like that before (she bounces between Nate and I with whom she wants and always goes to grandparents, but not like this!) She wanted Cheryl to hold her!

Last week, Boo suddenly took a 4 hour nap in the middle of the day and that was it. No more naps. It's been crazy trying to figure out what she is doing with naps, cause the evening is not the best with only one nap - but who knows . . . This picture was from Colombus Day, which Nate had off - so it was a Daddy/Daughter day and they had alot of fun! Running different errands and even going on a vet call or two with Grandpa Craig. She was tuckered out, but still was so cute and sweet! She just kept resting her head on the shirt and peeking up at us like "can I please go home to my own bed soon?" - Well, I say that because she LoVeS her bed. There are occassions where she'll cry when we put her down, but for the most part she snuggles right in.

Update on costume. . .

Those ruby slippers must have shrunk, cause 10 little piggies can't fit inside anymore.

hmm,hmm. . . back to the drawing board for a costume (unless of course I can find some more. . .)

October - is going to be a crazy month!

O my! I have been S.O. bad at blogging - but as I've noticed everyone else has kinda tapered off a bit, so I don't feel as bad. I can't believe it is only the 7th of October and I know this one's going to be a doosie!

On Charlize's 11 month birthday we were at Costco and she successfully drank out of a straw. Sweet! Now we know she can, if the bottles missing we can compromise. When does that bottle disappear? Any suggestions?

She has had bad allergies and each time we go take family pictures they spring up all over again. This last bout started the last week in September and was worse with a warm body temp and horrible runny nose! Urgh, I felt so bad for the little one not being able to breath! Last Thursday (after she refused to drink all day) we took her to the night clinic to get checked out. She doesn't like unfamiliar men so, I was keeping my fingers crossed that she'd be calm enough to check her out. An ear infection and Rx for antibiotic later - the following day she was already 100% better! Yea! We delt with bronchitis last winter and with all this flu going around, I'm not looking forward to it.

She took a step to me, and a few steps to Nate, but has completely stopped. She'll hold Grandma or Grandpa's hand and walk (kinda sideways) but other than that, she shows no intention to. I'm glad - because I know she's a determined girl that will do it when she's darn ready to. :P (where did she get all that stubborn-ness from??? *wink*)

The healthy baby is up to 23 lbs, too.

I have been feeling like a brand -new teacher all over again. New curriculum, new student level and abilities - but as much as I swore I'd never teach Kindergarten - I do love it. It's just the new feeling that I don't like, but eventually that'll wear off. I am also enjoying Reading Recovery and all that I am learning about the way we learn to read and what a complex system it is. Yes, to many we learned to read by the "sound it out rule". But, o how that is SO WRONG! For those with new readers, cross check with meaning (What would make sense there?) or using the picture to help (just a few prompts). ALSO, if you have budding little writers in your midst - PLEASE show them how to form the letters! Not just have them copy yours. I know that its probably easier to just let them copy - but as a 2nd grade teacher we were still desperately trying to fix handwriting, and as a Kindergarten teacher - it is amazing how just a few prompts have changed it dramatically for them. I love this site where 'Spinner' shows you how to form the letters. Really, there is so much time spent in school trying to form those little symbols the right way - do your child a favor and teach them before they get to kindergarten (ok and the teacher too).

I had my first "Behing The Glass" lesson, where I teach a lesson with a one-way mirror and I think I did ok. I wasn't shaking and my ears didn't turn red with embarrassment, so that's a huge plus.

I'm in charge of our school's Jubilee Tree, and thankfully just realized that it's later on in November that I had originally thought. It's been quite a project, so I'll have pictures to show later.

I can't believe that Charlize will be 1 year old on the 28th! I have got to get going on her costume - my first attempt to make a dress, so we'll see how it goes. Don't hold your breath cause it could change if I don't make time for it.

And finally my photography. It's been such a fun outlet to give others a picture they'll love. I so enjoy it, I still spend hours and hours reading and learning. I didn't plan on making it a business, but it has been fun to see it grow and has been a nice to have some money to put in savings (well, saving for a new camera for now). Hey friends in Wyoming - I'd love a chance to come up there in the Spring and Summer and take portraits up there. O! That'd be fun!

Labor Day Weekend, Flagstaff AZ

At Labor Day, we headed to Arizona to enjoy Flagstaff and its cooler weather. We went to Mormon Lake on Friday for Nate to rope there. It was so beautiful and relaxing to go.

He was a few seconds short of making it to the short go, but it was fun nonetheless. Charlize just loves riding with her daddy. SO cute!

While there we were able to catch up with an old friend of mine, Aisling, whom I went to Fort Lewis with. It was so great to see her and her husband. We had fun walking around downtown (which was a huge party going on) and catching up. :)

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I apologize that I really have not been good at keeping this blog more up to date. Since school has started I have been running like crazy, trying to balance Mommy, Kindergarten, Reading Recovery, Photography, and turns out I have to take another class this semester. I'm just keeping in mind that this is all getting me to have more time with my baby in the future. :) Just know that instead of blogging I am playing with my almost 1 year old!!! Crazy! A year has gone by so fast!

An Update

*Update on Charlize's 9 (or rather 10) month appointment)*:
She is 28.64 inches long (72 precentile) and weighs 22 lbs (90 precentile). Yep, she definilty runs above the average! Nate and I were both chunky babies, and I was breastfed - so it's not solely because of the formula. (Urgh, sorry I really have been meaning to get some baby pictures scanned to compare her to us - she definilty still looks more like Nate, but sometime I'll show my rolls too). Anyhow, as most of you know, at a year they suggest putting the babies on Whole cow's milk. Well, our pediatritian said that we could go straight to 2% (as I have a bewildered look and Nate's totally chuckling calling the Dr. out on his polite comment). We aren't putting her on cow's milk yet - too many allergies early on has me leary, so we'll work into it slowly.

Please don't judge the horrible flash shadow - I desperately wanted to show her adorable little flip of hair in the back (which I can only get to do right after a bath). Charlize was not having anything to do with my camera, so I didn't have much time to work with. Can't believe our adorable little chunker will be 1 years old in October!!

Ok, I know this isn't as important, but a little about me...

I've felt so scrambled and yet calm all in one. I did get my classroom put together in time, I handled a disgruntled parent with ease and grace (didn't know I had that in me) and constantly feel like I'm forgetting to get something done (Kindergarted definitly has ALOT of copies and books to make). Although it is all new, I am loving the change. I definintly needed to do something different to get me in a better position to go part time in the future. I was offered a position to do Reading Recovery part time at the end of last year, but I'm not quite able to go part-time just yet. I was bummed about passing up an opportunity, but had everything ready for 2nd grade by the end of the school year. There is a new charter school in the area that pulled alot of students, so with class numbers down and my principal needing a Kindergarten teacher, I was able to fill the opening and still be able to do Reading Recovery. In Reading Recovery, I work with 4 first grade students who could use additional support in their reading to get them on-grade level. First grade is when the gap is the lowest, so the support is focused there. Basically it is individualized reading instruction, specific to the students needs.

I have set up a class blog again for this year (I had high hopes of putting together a class website, but this will have to do for now). I also work on the Kindergarten Team blog. Please don't judge I know its nothing fancy (as my own is so plain right now). Just trying to keep all afloat!