Moving.....

So, I am moving in 16 days! I am super excited! I am only moving a block away from where I am now. However, moving is always a pain. And, like I said, everything is coming to an end at the same time. Three things in particular. Moving, my NAEYC portfolio, and my kid's Spring assessments. That's a lot I have to do in in next 16 days.

But moving out is a good thing. I have lived in this flat for only a year. And here are all of the things that have gone wrong/never been fixed/been super annoying in that year:
-broken washer (has been since we've moved in... it has NEVER worked)
-ants
-mice
-front window is falling out (literally falling out...)
-stains in the floor (which have been there since we moved in)
-squishy floor (it squishes if you walk on it)
-leaky ceiling (water from the upstairs neighbor)
-constant barking dog
-said dog running into my apartment
-the backyard NEVER being cleaned from said dog using it
-garage door broken
-paying for the upstairs neighbor's hot water (which we didn't know we'd have to do when we moved in)

So, as you can see, that's been a TON of stuff we've had to live through. I will be excited to move out and start somewhere new. I'm hoping that this is a place where we can stay for a long time. I'm hoping it's somewhere we can call home. I just hate moving. And, more than that, I hate having to move my cat. He hates change more than I do!

Now, if only packing was easy...

Wow... It's been a while....

So, I told you that I am not very good at updating my blog. However, I'm going to try harder!

So, at work we're trying to get NAEYC accredited. NAEYC stands for National Association for Education of Young Children. Which, essentially is the the cream-of-the-crop association. When I was doing my undergrad degree at Northern Illinois University, we used NAEYC to base off of our learning off of, like as best-practice. So, the fact that we're trying to get accredited is good. However, it's hard. There are over 175 criteria that we need to prove that we meet. And by prove, I mean either show in pictures, lesson plans, or extreme detail. Which is hard to do. Especially a few... It's hard! As of this point, I have about 15 or so criteria left. And it's the ones that I have no idea how to prove. So, I have no idea what to do for that! Ugh! How frustrating.

Other than that, life is okay. Stressful because of the accreditation. Since we have to be done in a few weeks. And, I'm moving in a few weeks. Seems like everything is kind of coming together at the same time. Which, is just not cool because it makes for a very stressful life!

But, I'm muddling through. I guess I should probably get back to my portfolio. Because I know right now I'm procrastinating. Especially since I have America's Next Top Model on! That is totally my secret show that I love to no end!

But, I'm going to go make dinner! I bought some tortellini (that *may* not be spelled right...). I love it! When I was in college, every Friday was tortellini day at the pasta bar in my dorm. It was my FAVORITE day of the week for that reason alone! SO GOOD!

So, dinner time and then work... Yes, I must work... Cause at this rate, I just want to be done with this portfolio!

Sick....

My kids at work have been sick for the past month or two. And so far, I've been really lucky and haven't gotten sick. Until yesterday. I woke up with a sore throat. And it just got worse as the day went on. Today, my jaw hurts because the gland right under it is so swollen. And yet, I won't take a day off. I know that it's not as bad as it could be (yet) and hopefully it won't get that bad. My boss wouldn't understand if I called in because of a cold. Although, I did get sick from the kids and now they'll catch it back from me and it will just be a never-ending circle. Good times.

So, what's my plan? Zicam (I've heard it works wonders), sleep, and tea. I don't know what else I can do! If you have any suggestions to get over a cold quicker, please let me know!

Five Year Award

Tonight I attended the Staff Appreciation Dinner at the university I work for. They are extremely appreciative of their faculty and staff. Which is nice! It's nice to have an entire dinner dedicated especially to us! They honor the staff at certain milestones, too. This year will be my fifth year of employment. I received a charm from the University! It's really pretty, actually!

Now I just need to find a gold chain to go with it!

Today was a good day at school, for the most part. We did instruments this morning, which was fun and really LOUD! I don't really like to do instruments all that much. It's just too loud. And at two-years-old, I feel like they just have really sensitive ears. I don't want to hurt them. I think I just need to find a balance between what is too much and what is appropriate.

A lot of my job is finding that balance with a variety of things. I want my kids to have a wide range of experiences. However, should I stop their play if they're really interested in something just so that I can show them something new? I also stuggle with finding a balance of affection time with two of my kids. For some reason, whenever I sit on the floor to play with them, all they want to do is cuddle. I try to get them to play, but it's hard. I know they're away from their parents for sometimes 11 hours each day and they need that attention. But how much is enough? And how much is too much?

One part of my job that I absolutely love is to sit back and simply listen to the children play or "read" a book (they can't actually read yet, but they'll look at the pictures and make up a story). When an adult isn't in their immediate vacinity, it's amazing what children will say and do. I've seen children mimick how I read a story to the other children. They ask the same questions I do and they'll read it in the same way I have. It's adorable! And if I were sitting right there, they'd never do that. They'd rather I read it to them instead of them reading it to me. Yes, I do read them stories, but I also want them to practice those skills! They need to learn that they can do things for themselves. Even at two, they need to be empowered to do things on their own, and then praised for it when they do!

Day Off....

Today is my one day of Spring Break. Yes, I said we get one day for Spring Break. I work at a private Catholic preschool. I work with two-year-olds. Yes, they can drive me a little crazy sometimes, but I love my job. I wouldn't change it for the world! I have 16 little 2-year-olds. And one great, amazing assistant!

I will tell you that I'm not very good at updating regularly. But I will try to update at least twice a week. And keep you up-to-date on some of the amusing and silly things my two-year-olds do! Even when they drive me crazy, they do it in cute ways.

One example of an adorable thing one of my girls did was this: She was talking on one of our play phones. And she was talking to her mom. When she was done, she hung up and then one of the little boys went and was talking on the phone. The little girl looked at the boy, looked at me, and said "Oh, he's talking to my mom!" She is two-years-old, but the way she said it, she sounded like a teenager. It was great! She grew up right before my eyes!

When kids come into my room at the age of two (most start on or right after their second birthday) they start out so young. It amazes me how much they grow over the course of the year in my classroom (I work at an all year preschool). They get so big. And then it starts all over again the next year. And then we start all over. But it's okay. I've been at my job for five years. I am kind of used to it! Plus, it's great to see how much my kids grow over an entire year. At two, they make so many giant leaps in their cognitive skills (what they know academically) as well as their social skills. I love seeing all those gains! It's one of the things that truly brings me joy!