Maybe It's Just Me

Right now, I'm in the process of meeting with all of my kids to discuss future plans, goals, and figure out if they are on track to graduate. Just to give you an idea, the area in which I live and work, students drive much nicer cars than any of the teachers. The student parking lot is full of BMWs and brand new SUVs. Every year, we send many students to Stanford, Ivy Leagues, MIT, etc. Basically, all the schools I was admitted to out of high school. I'm so smart, I declined and decided to go to a state school (so kidding, Go Bucks!!!). Anyway, I always ask what my kids are doing over the summer. I expect to hear, "Nothing much, maybe go to the beach.....I might work part-time.....play club (insert sport of your choice)......summer school since I slacked off big time..." Ya know, the usual. Instead, I hear the following, "I'm taking two college classes and working full-time.....I'm going to El Salvador to work with kids and then I'm going to figure out how to create a national foundation out of the club I just founded.....I'm going to take two SAT prep courses, compete with my dance team, and volunteer my usual 20 hours per week."

All admirable, I will admit. And, to be honest, these are the things most students feel the need to accomplish in order to get in the school of their choice. I went to a school where a 4.0 was THE best. Now, it's common knowledge that the average GPA of students admitted to UCLA this year was 4.30. What??? I worry my kids are going down a dangerous road with all this pressure to succeed. I mean, is there value in "taking a break?" Is it important that students learn to foster their imagination through the concept of "boredom?" Is it okay that a kid slows down and just "hangs out" with friends? I often ask my students who have admitted they feel overwhelmed what they think might happen if they chose to slow down. What might happen if they choose to play two sports instead of three and choose to be a part of two clubs instead of seven? I'm not one to judge and I must admit it is so easy to get caught up in the "race." I was a busy teenager and was involved in many activities. But not so many I lost sight of actually "being" a teenager. Maybe it's just me and my focus is off, maybe I'm so exhausted just by listening to my kids' schedules I can't even think straight! I'm sure the opposite exists out there with teenagers, but in my little bubble, it does not. Many of my kids are exceptional and I have no doubt they will make a difference in this world. In the meantime, I hope they can at least find the time to just be.

Bathtime = Funtime

Noah just loves his bathtime! The first couple of times were a challenge, but he started loving it in no time, just like his big sis.
He LOVES to kick like crazy in the bath. I'm convinced he's going to backstroke his way right out of his little tub one day.
His eyes get me every time. He turns four months tomorrow and I am floored at how much he's grown. I can't wait to visit the doctor to find out his stats!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

Unfortunately, we continue to experience problems with our computer. So, I haven't been able to post pictures or blog on a normal schedule. I hope to be up and running soon!!!

Just want to wish a Happy Birthday to Tim!!! Tim, I hope your day is going great and we can't wait to celebrate with you this afternoon!!! I know our lives seem so crazy and busy these days and we aren't always able to express our appreciation. It's days like this we have every opportunity to share how much we love you.....and we do!!!

1 Out of 5 Dentists Recommend Zoothbrush

Teeth are important to me. Healthy teeth, healthy gums, straight teeth....all important. I'm not sure why, but I totally buy into the ADA approved stuff. I don't buy toothpaste that isn't ADA approved nor do I buy toothbrushes that don't have the necessary stamp of approval. I'm a firm believer in following the "4 out of 5 dentists recommend" rule. Again, probably one big gimmick, but I happen to be sold on it. I also make sure all markers/crayons read "non-toxic" on the box, as if toxic crayons even exist anymore. So, the other day when we were shopping at Wal-Mart, Sophie finds a Barbie toothbrush that she MUST have. Didn't think anything of it until we got in the car and I looked at it. First of all, it's made by "ZOOTHBRUSH." Who the heck is that? Secondly, it is not approved, of course, by ADA. So, I freak out and Tim thinks I am the biggest weirdo over this. It bothers me to no end.....I'm concerned the bristles are not up to par, the handle must not be ergonomically designed.....who knows, really?!

Maybe I value teeth too much, maybe it's more an obsession. I think I feel the need to instill good brushing habits to counteract the foreign objects that haphazardly end up in my daughter's mouth. I hope she never has to find out how much I fret over the silliest things. I'm just waiting for her to be old enough to tell me to get over it!!!

Let's Dance!!

Another outfit for Sophie from Grammy. She was very excited to wear it and wanted me to take a picture of her. As you can see, sitting still isn't easy for Sophie these days!

Good Morning

A very special thanks to Grammy for buying Sophie this adorable outfit. Sophie was very excited to wear it and even managed to keep it semi-clean throughout the day.

Notice the time I'm posting...yeah, I know. Sophie is still working on staying dry at night and woke up wet everywhere. So, after changing her pajamas twice and taking care of the sheets, I am of course wide awake. Noah's set to get up in about half an hour so I just don't see the point anymore. I'm just glad I can function (and I use this term loosely) on 5-6 hours of sleep a night. If I were to get an actual 8 hours I'm not sure how my body would react....I'd probably have the reverse effect and feel even more tired rather than refreshed. So, instead of trying to get back to sleep, blogging about it seemed like the next best option.....Is Starbucks open this early?

4-Wheeling

After having Noah, Sophie just seems like a giant these days. I have to keep reminding myself she's only 2, but I swear she's ready to baby-sit her brother. Anyway, here is a clip of her riding her little quad in the backyard. She's outgrown it already and has moved on to a bicycle. I can't keep up with these two and feel like I'll wake up tomorrow and Noah will be riding it in the backyard.

http://www.vimeo.com/clip:183671
password: sono

Oops..Maybe I Should Have Waited

I was so excited about signing Sophie up for a dance class (it's like pre-pre-ballet) this summer, I accidentally shared the news with her last night. Now this morning all she is doing is asking me when we're going to dance class, where are her dancing shoes, where is her dancing dress, are we going after breakfast, are we going after lunch, is it just you and me, let Noah stay home, on and on and on. And she's dancing around the house all morning preparing for the big event that is not going to happen until June.

I also ordered some sandals for her online and made the mistake of showing her. Now she thinks they should instantly jump out of the computer so she can wear them today. Explaining to a toddler the concept of time and patience is an arduous task! Obviously, her impatience probably comes from me since I couldn't even wait to tell her!

My New Job

I've decided I'm going to be a weather person because that would mean I could make totally wrong predictions every single day and not be accountable, blame it on mother nature every time and I could be on T.V. acting like I know what I'm talking about. I don't even know why I check the weather anymore because they're never, ever right. I don't even care if the weather fluctuates 30 degrees in one day, as long as I know about it! This week, for instance, I've been watching the weather (I've become quite obsessive and blame 99% of it on Tim, whose job relies on the weather) and looking forward to the end of the week since it was "supposed" to reach 80 degrees. As each dreary day went on, the weekend was looking more and more enticing. As I continued to watch the weather report, slowly but surely the temperature for the weekend continued to drop. I'm expecting a temperature close to 80 today and we're going to be lucky if it gets to 70...and I hate to be a wimp, but 70 out here in the bay area is a cold 70. Don't know how to explain it, maybe it has to do with the fog and ocean and all that stuff, but it's cold to me. And of course, Tim refers me to 17 different websites to check out the weather, and they are ALL wrong. Or maybe they're just not telling me what I want to hear, I don't know.

I Love Her to Pieces...

...but why does she insist on getting up earlier and earlier every day??? It doesn't help that the days are much longer now, so it becomes light out around 5:45 am. Besides the fact I get up at 5 am every morning, I actually try to enjoy this time because it's my only real "alone time" I ever get. I feed Noah, pack my lunch, get ready, and check my e-mail or watch the news. I really try to enjoy this time because it is literally the ONLY time my house is actually quiet. So why is it Sophie starts screaming my name almost 2 minutes after I'm done feeding Noah? And if anyone has ever heard Sophie scream, it could wake up the neighborhood and probably has. Everyone in my cul-de-sac knows when Sophie's throwing a tantrum because it reverberates down the street. Letting her cry it out or trying to convince her it's too early and to go back to sleep just isn't an option anymore. So here I sit, Sophie beside me cuddled in her Dora blanket, watching cartoons rather than the news. I tried to get a little shut-eye while she is watching cartoons, but apparently that is not allowed either. Sophie immediately nudges me if my blinks average longer than 2 seconds and tells me to "wake up." I love to cuddle with my Sophie and I do every morning....just not at 5:30!!!

It's just one of those mornings, I guess. I just may shut the door to my office and crawl under my desk for some quiet time.