We have take-off!

For weeks we have been waiting... anxiously anticipating... those first few motions... Success! As of yesterday morning, Maggie can crawl forwards (she had backwards down a couple weeks ago). Look out though- there is no stopping her now. We all need to offer a little prayer to Dana who is going to have her hands full. :) I am going to try and post a video- we'll see how technological I can get- wish me luck!

Christmas

Christmas has come and gone... with a whirlwind of activity. We spent Christmas Eve with my family and then drove to Bucky's parents for Christmas Day. Maggie got to spend time with her cousin Landon, they interacted more this time! For every smile and laugh for family, there must have been 20 minutes of tears.

Maggie has been such a good sleeper for so long, I had completely forgotten what it was like to get up ever 2 hours, but she reminded me! I think there was so much going on that she couldn't figure out how to unwind so we cried and cried and cried. No sleep for the Brown family. I have stuck my guns about Maggie not sleeping in the bed with us until this. She slept in the bed with us for both nights we were at Bucky's parents. Thankfully, she went right back to crib no problems when we got home!

Here are some cute pics Dana got before Christmas. I will post ones from Christmas Eve and Day as soon as I can!

Joys of car seats...

Early December... - Got on the scale one day with Maggie and it calculated that she was 21 lbs! Oh boy! Oh no- the infant seat only goes to 22 lbs. While I know my weighing method is not exactly scientific, we decided that Maggie had outgrown her infant seat and concluded that it was time to spend the $$ and get a convertible car seat. Mid December... - began researching the options. While I know that I am blonde and all, I really did read anything and everything I could find about different seats. I read reviews, consumer reports, talked to others, EVERYTHING! Last weekend... -ventured all the way out to Babies 'R Us, determined to buy one. Nope. My head was about to explode! I came home and read more reviews, more reviews, and more reviews! Spent the week trying to figure out which one I wanted. Today... -went to Target to get one. Came home with a different one after about a 45minute debate on which one to get. Waited until Maggie woke up from a nap and tried it out- before trying to install it in the car. Hated it! It made her look all slumped and curled up. Also- since she is such a dainty little thing the strap was going to work for long. It was already hitting her chubby little thighs. :) Guess what went back? So tonight... - there is a different car seat in the box waiting. Tomorrow we will check this one out and hope it works. Good luck to us!

Props to Single Parents

Bucky has been duck hunting, since Sunday... so I have a brief view into the lives of single parents and what can I say... WOW! I don't know how they do it! My house is a wreck, the laundry is piling up, but Maggie is happy and that is what is important. I have always been amazed at how single parents seem to have it together but my respect for them has grown 10 fold after the past few days. I will just be glad when he returns early tomorrow morning and I get help : )

Field Trips

A necessary evil in the life of a teacher... While I understand the importance of field trips, I don't think most parents (and kids) realize the energy it takes out of a teacher. My kids today got to do things I could have only dreamed of in elementary school. They got to make line graphs using equipment tracking their movements, measure angles and triangles on computers, and see the neatest holiday planetarium show. But, what did they spend this great time doing? Let's see.... throwing food, playing with a glo-stick during the planetarium show, talk, talk, talk, hit each other, talk some more, chew gum, did I say talk? The worst part of all of this was that I personally knew 2 of the presentors!! Embarrassment! I don't know how to make parents realize that if they spent just a little time with their child, their behavior would improve and make everyone (mine and theirs) lives improve! I know times have changed but I just don't understand how the "raising" that worked for us is all the sudden so wrong. We turned out pretty darn good if you ask me... I guess I am going to be that parent that everyone hates because Maggie will not be raised to behave like many of my students did today (I am sure I will have to eat some of these words one day but until then....) Tomorrow is a new day... Wonder what the world would be like if... - parents spent quality time with their children DAILY - parents supported education (not the free part of the actual IMPORTANCE of it!) - there was less focus on money and more time sharing love - people knowing the value of a days wages, earned through honest work - parents parenting

The whole fam together for Thanksgiving...

A special thanks to Clay, Brock's brother for taking the picture. You wouldn't have thought that Mom and Dad closed on the house 2 days earlier.

Maggie and Mee-now

We survived!

1 down, 1 more to go! We survived Thanksgiving! We got brave. Mom and Dad closed on a house in Gainesville, VA (outside DC) on Tuesday so... being the wonderful daughter and son-in-law that we are, we drove a Uhaul full of furniture up there and helped them move out of the rental and in to their new house. Now that doesn't sound to bad but think... 10 hours in the car with a 7 month old! The trip up there wasn't bad but coming home.... hmmm..... what word can I use? AHHHHH! Maggie was fine the first 4 hours but then we reached the point that we are sooo tired that we can't even go to sleep and cried the last 2 hours of the drive. Not fun. But, To mark this momentous occasion- WE GOT OUR FIRST TOOTH! It is through the gum and coming up the rest of the way. As soon as I can I will get a pic posted. So needless to say- I am home today trying to get back to a normal schedule today while Bucky is at the game. GO TIGERS!

Shopping for Christmas

We have set a Christmas budget. We have a $50 per person allowance. It seems like a lot but it is shocking how little you can actually get for that amount. I guess my visions are skewed from growing up in a family that never looked at a price tag. I am one of those that can walk in a store where everything is $25 dollars except for one $200 item and that expensive item will be the only thing I like and/or want. Well, my taste are going to get simpler. I have already stayed under budget for 3 people on our list! (Found a code online for 20% off on one of items which gave me a few extra bucks). Even with that budget Christmas is going to cost us more than I would like. I wish there was some way to get around buying everyone a present. My family has been relatively small until the past 3 or 4 years so the idea of drawing names is not received warmly. I have thought about making gifts but the fear of the reactions of certain family members stop me. The sad part of all this is.... what are Bucky and I getting for Christmas? We have told everyone to give us $$... why? Because we want a new fridge. Ha! I want to see Santa but a white side-by-side under our tree. Mom said that was no fun because we wouldn't have anything to open but I told her we would. We would have two doors, side-by-side to open. Aren't I a smart one?

Voting

I will be the first to admit that I didn't spend as much time research the candidates and their platforms as I should have. I didn't even know about the 3 amendments that were on the ballot until I got in line today but what I did do was take the time to look at my voter registration card and double check where I was supposed to vote. What worries me is what I witnessed today. After standing in line for a little over an hour today, I reach the "check-in" table. The people in front of me had joined the line at the same time. They were at the wrong precinct. We only passed like 5 signs on the way in that said the precinct number and location. Why does this worry me? I know I was not as informed as I should have been. I did not look at all the facts but I was informed enough to know that my registration card tells me where I must go to vote. If you were not informed enough to pick up on that little bit of information, how informed of a decision are you making about who is going to run our country? If you can't read the section on the card in your hand that says "Vote at:...." followed by the address, what kind of facts are you basing your decision on? Enough procrastination- back to my project. Joy.

Halloween

We had a great first Halloween! Spent lots of time with the fam and only changed outfits a dozen times. Maggie enjoyed dressing up it seemed!

My turn

So we finally made the trek... Maggie visited her grandparents in Marion for the second time ever. I know, I know, she is almost 6 months old and they only live 2 hours away. Why haven't they seen her more? I could answer that with a list of reasons but deep done there is only one. I worry about her going there. Their lifestyle is vastly different than ours and the one that I was raised in. I am uncomfortable in their world. Bucky and I have been together over 9 years but still I don't feel welcomed in their home. I constantly feel like they are sizing me up and thinking I am a snob. I try my hardest to do things their way while we are there. I eat their food (it has taken the whole 9 years for my stomach to get used to the grease), participate in their activities (I've learned to ride a horse, drive a 4 wheeler, and make church baskets), and breathe their air (smokehouses make less pollution), but still... Well, for the love of my husband, I put my worries aside and we went. However, I am surprised I still have a tongue after all my biting. Quick recap of the events: we arrive- after 2 and half hours in the car seat, she ask us to drive back to Florence and get her some flowers and food (another 1 and half). We arrive a second time, we sit around while she works. Grandma gives Maggie sweet tea to drink! I say please don't. She does it again and ask why- I tell her that I don't want her drinking that stuff, we are a milk, water, juice family for kids. She says that is crazy- gives her more. I am trying not to jump across the room now, so I hit Bucky and he tells her to stop. She finally does. Why does she not respect me enough to quit? His sister pipes up that Landon (her 4 month old) likes it while shoving her finger covered in thousand island dressing in his mouth. That is followed by the statement from his mother- you should feed her grits with lots of butter in them. Bucky and his sister were eathing that stuff by now. AHHHH!! She raised her children, may I please raise mine now?

The Secret is in the Sauce

Being new to blogging I was excited to find this link on Mandy's page. If you post a link to their page on your blog, you can get access to all kinds of contest and stuff! (The cheetah pic to the left) I like the idea that they encourage meeting others through commenting on other peoples post. It is nice to know what those that read your page are thinking. Check it out- they explain things way better than I ever could!

A Better Mother

This week has been rough. After many breakdowns, I have come to terms with many things and think that I can make it another couple days at least. My mom said something the other day that surprised me. She told me she didn't know how I was doing it- working, going to school, Maggie, etc. This came from the lady that was a teacher with 3 kids involved in 3 very different lives. My response to her was that I wasn't doing it all- I was surviving it all. I was being a crummy teacher, student, mother, and wife. (Note- a flood of tears occurred at this point) But, I think I have a handle on that now.

To the title of the post- I got pictures developed the other day. After a month of trying to pick them up- that is a whole other story- I finally sat down to work on Maggie's baby book. Thinking it would only take me a minute to fill in the 4 month page, I was sadly mistaken. I hadn't done anything in her book since her 2 month birthday. I was three months, a whole bunch of first, and a family vacation behind! Now after my hour and half adventure, I feel like a better mother. I have caught the baby book up, up-dated the first year calendar, and fill in the photo album. The little things I don't want to look back on and feel like I missed out because I was too busy doing school work.

After much hassle with Walgreen's- I have some new pictures to post. Dana has gotten so good that Walgreen's accused us of printing professional photos and we had to get a release! Props to Dana- not happy Bucky. Anyway- it is a small price to pay to have a FABULOUS photographer watching our darling.

You can tell the difference in photographer- really good for the above pic (Dana) and OK for this one- me. Ha!

You can tell Maggie is the child of a teacher. 5 months- and got her nose in a book!

We have started baby foods and found that Maggie is not the only one that likes them!

I know- why is the cat on the table? Because I get tired of trying to dead lift 25lbs. of hair off the table while keeping gooey baby hands from touching everything in sight- including the cat. The table gets cleaned afterwards- I promise :)

Master's degree = busy work

I have reached the conclusion that a Master's degree in educational field just means you can survive tons of busy work, poor teaching methods, and horrible disorganization on the part of the university. I can't believe a school that is attended by such a large number of South Carolina teachers would be clueless as to the South Carolina certification requirements. While I am trying to finish up all my course work, I know have the joy of finding out what I need for that! Honestly... Other than that... Maggie still has an ear infection. She went back to the doc today and now has a new type of medicine. Bucky and I had great b-days. It is hard to believe that he is 30! As my sister would say, that is like halfway to dirt! We are headed to Bucky's moms this weekend for an engagment shower friend, so she gets to babysit Saturday night. It is hard to believe the last time she saw Maggie she was only a little over a month old! I promise to do a better job of posting things....

Giving Thanks

Such a little word that is never used enough... Growing up we don't like our parents "parenting" us, we don't like the work the teachers give us, or many of the life lessons sent our way. But the older I get, the more I wish I could go back and say "thank you" to all those people. Mom and I didn't get along well during the teenage years, but now I can't thank her enough for everything she did then and now. I have to say I have the best support system a mom, daughter, person could ask for. It is the amazing the power of a thank you. One of my former students sent me an email yesterday saying thank you and they missed me. This little 2 sentence blurb in my day made the rest of my day worthwhile. I can only imagine how much nicer the world would be if we all said thank you a little more. It really should become a habit for more people. I am going to try and say more "thank you's" starting with these: Thank you to... Mom and Dad for taking Maggie to the doc today for me in the middle of their packing, Bucky for taking over Maggie duty many evenings so I can work done, Dana for being the best, most caring, concerned babysitter ever, Brittany for keeping me grounded and laughing even if you are almost 30! according to the student section, Lee Ann for being my back up babysitter and, Kay for sharing her wisdom.

Politics

One of the things my mother told me never to discuss in public... I got an email today that made a very interesting point. The president gets a "pension" sum every year until they are 80. It pointed out that if McCain won and served 2 terms, we would never have to pay him this sum (he'd be over 80 by the end). On the other hand, if Obama won we would be paying the amount for the next 20something years. The total cost would be almost $5 million. Not that in the grand scheme of things that is a ton of money. (But to my little salary it seems like a lot) This does not impact my decision- I have yet to make one and really need to spend some more time researching the candidates but my point in all this is- when my hubby got home today and asked about my day I shared this email with him. Not in the interest of starting a discussion (I know we don't see eye to eye on very many political things) but just to share my day. It really was the only truly out of the ordinary thing that happened today. Anyway- it started a great debate. Like Mom said- shouldn't talk about politics in public. It amazes me every time this happens that someone I feel so in tune with so much of the time can differ so greatly in our opinions. Don't think that I am staunch in my ways and unwilling to move- I am more than happy to listen to his opinions and often find his point of view very eye opening. In fact, the more opinions and thoughts that are shared with me, the better I feel when I sit down the make a decision. Just wasn't in the mood for the grand presidential debate today. All I wanted was a nap. :)

I love my job...

I'm on my soapbox today. It has been one of those weeks and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. So, I am going to vent, bury it, and get over it (or at least try). Don't get me wrong, I love my job but there are just some days where I wonder where the education system is headed. Too many people that have been out of the classroom way too long are making decisions that impact those of us in the classroom. And bless their hearts, the kids are the ones effected and they have NO control over any of it. I would love nothing more than to go in my classroom, close my door, and just teach- fill their minds with knowledge on anything and everything... follow what path our hearts and minds take. It is shame that decisions and mandates take the fun and passion out of teaching. Anywho- GO TIGERS! Beat NC State!

Best Babysitter Ever

Nothing makes the school day better than opening my email and seeing an email from Dana. I got these super cute pictures of Maggie today and once again said a little thank you to the man upstairs for getting me in touch with her.

The best babysitter in the world got this picture the other day. Maggie had just discovered she can roll from her front to her back!

The two most important people in my world- Bucky and Maggie. I am sure I will get this picture many times in the years to come. Meme doesn't call her Baby Bucky for nothing.

Here we go...

This is my first attempt at such a thing, so here goes. I figured with family all over the place, this might be a good way to stay in touch with the going ons of our family! With Maggie, aka Butterbean or Sweetpea, doing new things every day- now everyone can keep up. Plus- they can view the ever growing photo library we have :)