Gracyn's Vocabulary

Gracie says:
No
Yes
Kitty
Puppy
Doggie
Book
Pee Pee
Vag (yes, that is what we call it)
Cinder (Cinderella)
Stinky
Tinky (Tinkerbell)
Mules (Miles)
Color
Remote
Fries
Chicken
Water
Panties
Bed
Blankie
Car
Drums
Phone
Talk
Bubba
Bubble
Keys
Sleepy
Bite
Done
Cup
Milk
Self
Walking
Nap
Please
Thank you
Singing
Okay
Go
Okie doke
Mom
Daddy
Papaw
Thirsty
Bye bye
Nose
Mouth
Play
Blow
Hot
Yum
Poop
Diaper
Nice
Toes
Scary
Roll
Jump
Yeah
Gracie
More
Bowl
Cookie
Cracker
Read
Hand
Henry
Good
Girl
Dinner
Hi
Stand
Cart
Balloon
Wipe
Clean
Ball
Drink
Purple
Yellow
Pink
Binky
Pretty
Yucky
Gross
Crazy
Jump
Buster
Pooh
I
Me
It's
Baby
Careful
Wiggle
Wags
Getting
It
There
You
She
Shew
Twinkle
Princess
Being
Present
Light
Tree
Elf
Open
One
Three
Away
Kiss
Put
Monkey
Cheese
Sit

Count them folks. 119. And, many of them are used in 2-4 word sentences. For example, the other night Nate did something she thought was good and she said, "Good girl Bubba!"

Not that I am bragging or anything, but the average 18 month old (she turns on the 14th says between 22 and 50). You might say that she got my mouth.

This pisses me off to no end.

Today, at work, a woman and her young daughter came to my register. The girl was hugging her mother's leg and being very well behaved. She kept saying, “I love you mommy.” Suddenly, her mom jerked her leg and said, "Get off!" The young girl walked 15 feet behind her mother the whole way to their car.

Okay. Why you ask? The answer is both an abvious one and a complex one. Obviously, it's shitty. Simple. As a mom, I cannot imagine doing that to Gracyn. I was heartbroken for the little girl when I read this.

The complex: I know people who would kill to have that child, let alone have that child hang on them like that. It's bullshit that every day people are blessed with kids who they do not deserve. Then, more often than not, said kids grow up neglected and deficient in numerous ways. I should know, I teach at-risk high school kids.

I guess what burns my ass the most is that I don't understand it. As a spiritual person, I understand that G-d has a larger plan in mind for each person (which, by the way, I am so glad that I am Jewish and that we are encouraged to question in order to fully understand our own relationship with G-d). But still. It is so not fair. If I could pluck that little girl up and give her to my friend Cindy or the lady from Losing The Baby Wait I so freaking would.

Spirited...

My mother-in-law gets me Willow Tree figurines. She has since Xmas of 2007 when I was pregnant with Gracyn. This year, she got me this one. It's called "Spirited". She said that it's my Gracyn fingurine (I also got a Nate one, a man and child one, and one with three women in it).

It makes me happy. Happy in that warm fuzzy kind of way. I like that it's called spirited. We've been known to call her willful (which has it's own connotations) and, on occasion, a brat. Spirited means something different from those. It means that she is marching to the beat of her own drum, an individual, someone other young ladies should look up to. That is what I want for her.

I think about some of the young ladies I have come in to contact with throughout my teaching career. A number come to mind, but when I think of who I want my daughter to be like I have to choose several and throw them in a blender. I want her to have Katie's heart, Helen's confidence, Ciara's fearlessness, Jahan's soul, Megan's spunk, and Taylor's intelligence.

Holiday Gifting Preview

This is a preview. These are two of her 8 Hanukkah gifts. She loves her cape! It is hilarious to watch her run around in it. The other, is her with her dolly sling being just like a big girl Mommy.

PS - I threw in the Xmas tree pic because she is so stinking cute.

Elf on the shelf, with a Chamberlain twist

We like the idea of elf on the shelf, but I refuse, with all of my cheapness, to pay $30. So, we improvised. We got Magee, from Disney's Prep & Landing, from the Disney Store for $8. Way more our speed. Plus, think of all of the fun things we can say using Magee!

My little girl's "big girl" room

These are pictures of her new "big girl" room. She likes it a lot. She runs in circles in the middle. She is growing so fast!

25 Questions of Xmas

I ganked this from my fellow blogger, Danica (Happy Girl).

(1) What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Tie: Christmas Vacation and Polar Express

(2) What is your LEAST favorite Christmas movie?

A Christmas Story

(3) What is your favorite Christmas song?

Baby It's Cold Outside from the movie Elf

(4) What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy?

Hippotamus for Christmas

(5) What is your favorite Christmas drink? (i.e. egg nog, hot chocolate)

Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks

(6) What is your favorite Christmas memory?

One Christmas, when I was in HS, we got gifts for a less fortunate family. I still cry about the little girl only asking for hair ties. I got her every damn hair tie I could find!

(7) What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas?

Probably my CD player in MS.

(8) What is the worst toy/gift you've received on Christmas?

Black Jordache jeans with yellow stitching (in the late 1990's) from my paternal grandmother.

(9) What do you LOVE about the holidays?

Spirit of them and Xmas tree light

(10) What annoys you about the holidays?

People who lose their minds and are rude. Tis the season yo!

(11) Do you prefer star or angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else?

Star or something fun!

(12) What is your family favorite recipe at Christmas?

Gramma's potato salad (we have it at all holidays)

(13) Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmastime?

I am usually a Who, this year I am really Grinchy

(14) Christmas light displays - Love them or Hate them?

Depends on how much and when they go up!

(15) Santas at the mall - Fun times or Creepy?

Depends on if they look like pedaphiles or not. I was an elf at Easton for two years!

(16) Christmas cards - do you send them, yes or no?

Yes, photo ones. Gotta go get them this weekend.

(17) What is the best thing about Christmas, in your opinion?

Xmas Eve at my parents house. It is a tradition.

(18) What is the worst thing about Christmas?

Idiot shoppers and drivers

(19) When do you put the tree up and take it down?

Weekend after Turkey Day and the weekend after Xmas is over.

(20) Out of the 12 days of Christmas, which day and item would you want your truelove to give to you?

Golden rings and I'd sell them on Craigslist!

(21) Why do you think that Grandma got run over by a reindeer?

She was too damn slow!

(22) Who is your favorite reindeer?

Donner. He was a hard nose parent to Rudy

(23) Do you believe in Santa Claus?

In his spirit, yes. That is why, despite the fact that Gracie is Jewish, we celebrate Xmas secularly

(24) What is your favorite smell at Christmastime?

Sugar cookies and Peppermint

(25) What would make you happy at Christmas this year?

For everything that I am worried about to go away and their be a peace in my house and my family.

From the light of the holiday tree

I am sitting here in the light of my holiday tree (xmas tree). Dave and Nate are playing Halo in his room and Gracyn is sleeping in her newly toddlerized crib. Maryann holds watch in front of the front door, while Miles lies worthlessly under the tree. It is silent in my house for the first time all day.

I was reading some of the blogs that I follow and they got me thinking about some things. The first thing is that I have a great kid. Not in the since that I am biased or anything like that, but that she is genuinely a neat ass kid. Watching her do things, especially things that require her to problem solve using her left hand, fascinates me. Her little gibberish that she says that only she understands does too. Today, we got her saying the word "gross", and let me tell you it is hilarious to hear her say it. She is so willful and determined. I am grateful for that. I wouldn't want her to be timid and shy along with her disability. I am so glad that she is boisterous, forthright, and spunky. That makes me worry less about someone being mean to her and her not defending herself.

In addition to thinking about Gracyn, I also thought about how much I really love my life. Not in the trite, post-Thanksgiving way either. I mean it year round. I have a husband who works hard, is a fantastic father, and who loves me despite my obvious flaws. He trusts me, looks out for me, and convinces me to buy two purses while on sale. Now that is love! But, on a serious note, he is a good man and I am lucky to have him. I also need to pay homage to my career. I love those damn kids like they were my own. I get all excited when they do well and hurt when they don't. I cry when they cry and I laugh at their stupid jokes. I am a cheerleader for the poverty, circumstance stricken and, although it is a hard job, I love it. I miss my Canal kids, but I am the happiest I have ever been at a job and that is important. Lastly, I need to mention that I have a great family. My parents have been amazing grandparents to Gracyn and without them I don't know what I would do. And, as a piggy back to that note, I am so glad that she gets to spend time with my grandfather. Not only for her sake, but also for his. She lifts his spirits up and makes his day in ways that I cannot even imagine. Whodathunk that a 16 month old eating chicken nuggets would make an old man so happy, but she does and, for that, she is a blessing to him.

I digress. I never want to be that person that always post sappy, melancholy, reflectionary b.s. to her blog, so I leave you with this: You might be a red neck if your sno-globe inflatable is larger than your house :)

Some things don't change...

and that is a good thing. There is nothing sweeter than when she sleeps.

My Baby Can Read...

Let me start by adding three new words are Gracyn has been saying this weekend:
"wurn" as in learn
"wurd" as in word
"Ausdum" as in awesome (when she says this it cracks me up!)

Now back to the main topic, My Baby Can Read...does it work? Yes, she has successfully read "Keys", "Bubble" and "Blanket".

Does it work well? It is too early to tell. She is now getting really verbal on purpose, not repetition of words from others.

So, I bought it on Ebay for $52. At this rate I am at $17.33 a word and we are on video #3. My hopes are that we will hear more as she grows increasingly more purposefully verbal. We shall see.

Can fetishs and addictions be genetic?

She shares my love of purses (and yes that is a Vera in Cupcake Pink). This, and the fact that when we were at the Coach outlet she pointed at a hot pink one and said, "URSE!", makes me certain that a purse fetish can be genetic.

"Uster!"

Newest word:
"Uster" as in Buster from My Friends Tigger and Pooh

Thanks.

As I am home sick, for day two of this week, I have a lot of free time on my hands. I have been doing some thinking and have decided that I have a good life. I really do. My husband is fabulous and supportive. My daughter is awesome. My step-son is one cool kid. My extended family is amazing. I love my job and my kids there; it is so rewarding. I have super friends who would do anything for me and often do.

I am blessed. I am happy.

Gracyn Happenings

Words of the week:
Blankie
Boggies (as in doggies)
No, No (as she points and shakes a tiny little pointer finger)
Dinner (all meals are dinner)
Shh...(including finger at mouth)
She's gettin' it

She figured out how to open the leather toy chest. She still eats as she desires, but is (knock on wood) drinking her milk with the Carnation in it.

She weighed 18 and half pounds and was 31" long at her last appointment on October 16th. She is totally mobile now, holding your hand and taking you places around the house. If I say take me to your room, she does, and etc.

Today, she followed Miles around yelling at him all day and shaking her finger at him in anger. I still have no clue what it is that he did, but she was not happy with him at all.

A case of the Mondays'...

I was awakened by a very sick 15 month old at 1, 2, 3, and 445 this morning. She was coughing, sniffling, and had a fever of 100. I called in and elevated her mattress with some of her books. I put her back to bed with a dose of Tylenol. She woke up at 1130 am, not her norm at all. I fed her her regular (mini pancakes and milk) for a very late breakfast and called the pediatrician. Got there and she showed off her new walking skills for Dr. Barnes. We found out, after some battling with a tongue depressor and ear looking at thingy, that she has a cold AND an ear infection. Lovely. Poor thing. We then drove to Giant Eagle to get her Amoxicillin. As an aside, I heart Giant Eagle because a. her antibiotics were free and b. with her cookie card she got a cookie while we waited. We also had lunch there (me a salad and her mac & cheese). We came home, changed her into her pajamas and laid in the "big" bed (our bed) and watched Despereaux. She fell asleep and, eventually, so did I.

On top of this frustration, I spent the morning fighting with CVS about my prescription. I'll fast foward and say that it all ended with me calling PWH and transferring my prescription to Giant Eagle. Eff you CVS.

On a positive note, I did find this great thing for us to do in December. http://www.hvsry.org/home_page/northpole.htm
We are going as part of her Hanukkah gifts. Yes, I know taking her to something related to Christmas (or Xmas as I call it) seems a little oxymoronic, but we celebrate the secular aspect of that season. So many people view Hanukkah as something totally unrelated when the message if so similar. Peace, goodwill, miracles, etc.

My Monday sucked overall. It has been a long day.

My blessing

Reflecting

Today is Yom Kippur. I am off of work and at home with my daughter. I am fasting in repentance of my indiscretions to others. Sundown to sundown.

In reflecting on the year, so much has changed. For the better, mostly. My daughter is walking, flourishing, in fact. Dave is doing well at work. Nate is now a middle schooler and is adjusting well. My parents are in a better place than this time last year, and that makes me ecstatic. I am at a new school and very happy to be there. I was trying to think of those that I have wronged in the last 365 days. I don't recall wronging some one in particular, however I can say that I didn't do my best when it came to certain things and situations.

To my Canal kids, I apologize for leaving you. I had to, for my sanity. I also apologize for getting caught up in school drama and sometimes not giving you 100% of me.

To my daughter, I apologize for ever thinking that you couldn't do something. Boy, did you prove me wrong.

To my friends and family, I apologize for being a bummer. I tend to dwell and I know that when I was unhappy where I was working I was a downer.

To G-d, I apologize for not being the best Jew I can be. I could have applied myself more and done more for our religious community. I vow to work on that this year.

Looking back, I never imagined that I'd be who I am today. I had my life planned out and it didn't look quite like it does today. Several things were different, but most definitely not better. I am grateful for my blessings and for who I am today.

Wordless Wednesday

I puffy heart my hubby!

Happenings here

I completed orientation this week. It went well. Good news! They took me out of PAR. I was kind of excited to have Ms. Creasy (my tenth grade English teacher) as my PAR person though! She said she'd stop by and see me :)

Nate has his first football game tomorrow morning. Dave and I start our new school year, officially, on Monday. Nate goes back on Wednesday.

I have been cooking more lately. I kind of dig Domestic Mandie though. There is a strange satisfaction in making a meal that people enjoy.

Gracie is walking more and more. She cracks me up everyday. Each day she says or does something new and great. G-d how I love her!

Girl Power

Every little girl should have this some where in their room.

I year booked Gracyn!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=131847&id=673181666&l=4009e16119

Houston, We Have A Walker!

I was sitting on the couch talking to my mom and I was watching Gracyn play with her walker toy thingy. She strolled over using the toy, towards her chair, and then took three UNASSISTED steps over to her chair and climbed up in to it!

I love this kid!

I love that smile, that face, that laugh, that heart, that kid!

It's not just a job...it's my life.

I love my job. Anyone who knows me would agree. I am starting a new school this fall and a lot has went down this summer. Things that will tie me to my old kids for the rest of their lives and mine.

Another student of mine has passed. This makes the third of my six year teaching career and the third in a little over a year. He was in a horrific car wreck last Thursday (as seen on channel 10 and 4 and in the Dispatch) and he was killed on impact. I won't digress on what happened or the details. I also am not going to digress on how sad I am about it, that is to be expected. What I am going to do is a. discuss the impact on my kids and b. fondly describe my favorite memories of that young man.

A. my kids are a fucking wreck. I can't describe it any other way than that. It is really hard when you love your students. Good teachers are bothered by this, mediocre teachers say things like "that's so sad" and bad teachers are indifferent. I am a good teacher. My kids are like my biological kids. I laugh with them and I cry with them. I share in their joys and I share in their sorrow. It's hard to get a FB or a text or a phone call from them in which they're angry, grieving, distraught, confused....hurting. I am hurting with them. I loved him like a son. I don't know what to say to them to make it better and truthfully there is nothing else I can say. Nothing will make it better. It is my burden to bare as their teacher, their confidante. I won't lie. It is hard...hard as hell, but I wouldn't trade it for any other job because for every heart ached I share with them, I also share in their most important moments as well and that, right there, is what makes it all worth it in the end (yes, that was a long ass run on. I am fully aware).

B. OJ was a great kid. Like a son. I had him twice: sophomore and senior English. He was a funny kid and one that teachers like to have. Things I will never forget: calling OJ and Sterling Lennie and George from Of Mice and Men; OJ chasing a mouse around my room with a copy paper box trying to catch it; 7th period conference periods in which I spent less time planning lessons and more time laughing listening to the kids talk and rif on each other; him saying he was sorry for going off on me that first period; him saving the day and finding my work keys in my boxes that I packed; me telling his dad that he was going to grow up and become a good man; when he sat outside of my room and talked to me about his cousins deformed hand and reassured me that Gracyn's hand would help her be a better person; him misspelling Otterbein like Otterben on his Sr. Project Presentation board.

My conclusion: two things. 1. I am grateful having known that kid and 2. I am grateful for having known all of my kids.

Happy Birthday Baby!

Operation Closet is officially finished!

We got the closet doors at IKEA. They are fabric panels on a thingy that they slide across. We got that instead of a conventional door because I didn't want to risk one of her nubbins getting caught in it. They cost $72 (all parts and I included the cost of the stickers). I put stickers on the doors and hot glued them to stay put.