if I see the word "snowmaggedon" one more time...
OK, that was just an excuse to type that word...
We've had a couple of snow and ice storms in the past two weeks. School has been canceled for five of the last ten days. Luckily, we have an online curriculum =). We still have to work on snow days, but we post our stuff online or whatever and we don't have to make up days when we're not on campus. Our school was actually featured in the news for its innovative technology!
Being home with Josh and the kids has been wonderful. It is not easy to keep two toddlers entertained indoors for several days straight... but Zoe and Joby were well behaved. I had the opportunity to work on a couple of paintings. I'm trying to update my portfolio and experiment with new media. I've been working in acrylic lately. I still don't love it, but using retarders has helped keep the paint workable, and I like the high gloss gel medium for creating impasto. My color mixing has come a long way (I was working in a limited palate and mixed an entire range of colors). The work still looks really juvenile to me. Maybe I'll post a pic of it.
I've been reading a lot too, which is nice. Mostly non fiction, although Josh and I began reading Les Mis together (it is soooo good!).
We hired a nanny for the kids. It's complicated... but it actually is costing us about half of what keeping them in daycare would have cost, with my schedule and the fact that Terie wants to keep the kids two days a week while I work. We would've ended up paying for a lot of daycare hours we weren't even using. I adore her, the kids adore her, and she helps me with laundry and light cleaning... it's not easy to budget for the time, but golly is it worth it.
I love having Zoe and Joby home with me more. It has gotten much easier taking care of both of them on my own now that Joby has no tube and is beyond thickener. No more thrice-weekly trips to the hospital, no more medical equipment, no more helmet... the kids sleep pretty consistently until 8 or 8:30, enabling me to get ready for work before they're up... then I just get to play with them and manage the house until I go teach!
There are hiccups of course... But for the most part the kids are healthier and happier now than they were last semester.
Because of the snow and ice, I haven't been to a dance class in just about two weeks. I know enough to work at home, but it isn't as easy (and I probably don't push myself as hard as I would in class). I have been working out at home more. I watched a couple of documentaries that really inspired me to focus on flexibility and toning.
Joby is saying more words now, and has taken his first steps! Zoe is speaking more and more spanish (saying whole phrases!), and is increasingly interested in learning new, higher level things- she asked to watch Romeo and Juliet the ballet, and she and I did a painting lesson together. She was so good! She is also making up stories and trying to teach Joby new words :). She is (usually) SO sweet, too- giving Joby hugs and saying things like, "This is my friend, Daddy! Where is my Joby friend?"
Parenting is the joy of my life :).
Teaching is rewarding and exciting too. I learn so much in the classroom. My students this semester are among the brightest I've had. They're offering more sections of dance for next year, and the president of the school paid me a huge compliment when she wrote to me in an email that my curriculum look great and that she'd love to take my class :). It's been a rewarding year so far.
... I have to figure out what non-physical activity I'm doing with my kids for an hour today. Shortened classes, no time to dress out, and I've already gone through SO many non-dress out ideas. Ah!
We've had a couple of snow and ice storms in the past two weeks. School has been canceled for five of the last ten days. Luckily, we have an online curriculum =). We still have to work on snow days, but we post our stuff online or whatever and we don't have to make up days when we're not on campus. Our school was actually featured in the news for its innovative technology!
Being home with Josh and the kids has been wonderful. It is not easy to keep two toddlers entertained indoors for several days straight... but Zoe and Joby were well behaved. I had the opportunity to work on a couple of paintings. I'm trying to update my portfolio and experiment with new media. I've been working in acrylic lately. I still don't love it, but using retarders has helped keep the paint workable, and I like the high gloss gel medium for creating impasto. My color mixing has come a long way (I was working in a limited palate and mixed an entire range of colors). The work still looks really juvenile to me. Maybe I'll post a pic of it.
I've been reading a lot too, which is nice. Mostly non fiction, although Josh and I began reading Les Mis together (it is soooo good!).
We hired a nanny for the kids. It's complicated... but it actually is costing us about half of what keeping them in daycare would have cost, with my schedule and the fact that Terie wants to keep the kids two days a week while I work. We would've ended up paying for a lot of daycare hours we weren't even using. I adore her, the kids adore her, and she helps me with laundry and light cleaning... it's not easy to budget for the time, but golly is it worth it.
I love having Zoe and Joby home with me more. It has gotten much easier taking care of both of them on my own now that Joby has no tube and is beyond thickener. No more thrice-weekly trips to the hospital, no more medical equipment, no more helmet... the kids sleep pretty consistently until 8 or 8:30, enabling me to get ready for work before they're up... then I just get to play with them and manage the house until I go teach!
There are hiccups of course... But for the most part the kids are healthier and happier now than they were last semester.
Because of the snow and ice, I haven't been to a dance class in just about two weeks. I know enough to work at home, but it isn't as easy (and I probably don't push myself as hard as I would in class). I have been working out at home more. I watched a couple of documentaries that really inspired me to focus on flexibility and toning.
Joby is saying more words now, and has taken his first steps! Zoe is speaking more and more spanish (saying whole phrases!), and is increasingly interested in learning new, higher level things- she asked to watch Romeo and Juliet the ballet, and she and I did a painting lesson together. She was so good! She is also making up stories and trying to teach Joby new words :). She is (usually) SO sweet, too- giving Joby hugs and saying things like, "This is my friend, Daddy! Where is my Joby friend?"
Parenting is the joy of my life :).
Teaching is rewarding and exciting too. I learn so much in the classroom. My students this semester are among the brightest I've had. They're offering more sections of dance for next year, and the president of the school paid me a huge compliment when she wrote to me in an email that my curriculum look great and that she'd love to take my class :). It's been a rewarding year so far.
... I have to figure out what non-physical activity I'm doing with my kids for an hour today. Shortened classes, no time to dress out, and I've already gone through SO many non-dress out ideas. Ah!