Blessed.

I think I’ve cried three times today. I am honestly just so overwhelmed sometimes by how blessed we have been and how much I just adore this little boy…

Peter made me a little Mother’s Day video and of course that started the tears. It included my favorite pics of Logan and I…

Having this wonderful little boy has been life changing. I know every mother would tell you that – it changes everything. But he has just changed my whole outlook on the world. He has truly taught me the meaning of the word perspective. Here’s what my fortune cookie said last night:

“Your dearest wish will come true.” It already did.

I have a WONDERFUL mother and mother-in-law, who both have taught me so much about being a mom. They have also taught me to trust myself, never try to push their ideas about raising children on me, and love all of us unconditionally.

Being a mom has been more than I ever expected. I have a little boy who is SO happy 95% of the time, and who I can usually find a way to help that other 5% of the time. He has taught me to trust myself, to dance sillier, to laugh more, and to slow down. I’ve learned that less sleep actually just equals more cuddles.  I may never get over that feeling of hearing him say “Mommy?” when I’m not right in the room but in earshot. It still gives me goose bumps every time. 

See, to me, Mother’s Day isn’t really about me. Yes, I got some extra time to sleep today (thanks honey!), my fabulous Ergo, a video that made me all teary,  and some beautiful cards.

But the real star of the day is this smiling face…who makes being his mommy just the most incredible experience I could ever imagine.

Blessed.

Friday Night Leftovers

Here’s what I’ve got left in my head today…

• Neighborhood Yard Sale tomorrow! I usually do not get in to this type of thing, but I’m really excited about looking tomorrow. I’m in search of a water table for the deck!
• One of my students (we’ll call her M) has a 6 week old sister. Her mom brought her in for show and tell today. And one of my boys said, “I think she’s going to be just as beautiful as M when she grows up.” Too cute.
• Logan’s newest word = color. And he is obsessed. Color wonder markers are our new favorite thing. I’ve spent way too much time pondering how they work.
• This time tomorrow we should have a new stove! Seeing as how I almost burnt the house down last weekend, that’s good news (I set the oven to 350…it went up to 500).
• I have a date with Peter to watch Harry Potter tonight…the last one is the only one we didn’t see in the theater, and we are ready to finally see it! Now I just have to figure out how to stay awake!
• Did you know there are only 13 Oprah’s left? The whole season is on the upstairs DVR…
• I need the weather to just pick a temperature and stay there! I hate trying to figure out what kind of clothes to dress Logan in. I however, am DONE with long pants, and haven’t worn any since spring break, despite some REALLY cold mornings!
• We planted lima beans for our plant unit today. If we could all just cross our fingers that they all grow, that would be great. It is so awful when one kiddo seems to just have defective beans! And somehow even when we replant, those are still no good…
• 28.5 days left!!!!!!

Visit Danifred for more leftovers!

Thankful on Thursday

It’s that time again! A few wonderful people have done Thankful on Thursday on their own blogs, and mentioned my name…and I have to be honest and tell you I have no idea where it came from. It was another blog, not my own idea.  But I do love, love, love seeing what everyone is thankful for! I do it because when I was pregnant with Logan it helped my anxiety a lot to repeat over and over all the things that went “right” that day or the things that I was thankful for. And it helped again when I was full of more anxiety when he was actually here.  I forget to do it some days – which is why I am pretty faithful about it on Thursdays!

Here’s this week’s list!

• Logan’s learned to give kisses!
• The ladies I eat lunch with! My 12:05 – 12:35 gals are a lot of fun. You never know, as a teacher, what you’re gonna get at your lunch time in the teacher’s lounge.  This year, we manage to laugh a lot !
• Recess…I really enjoy getting outside for 20 minutes in the middle of the day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s for the kids, but hey, a little fresh air is good for this teacher too!
• People who really are passionate about their job – I went to an information session tonight for a class I am hoping to take next year, and the women that are leading it clearly LOVE what they do. I’m hoping I get to take it, because those are my favorite classes, when the instructors are excited!
• Every0ne who said nice things about my craft project. Thanks for humoring me!
• A wonderful parent of one of my students, who sent me an incredibly sweet email this week, so much so that I printed it and told Peter to remind me of it on the days I am having a hard time working. Obviously, none of us do it for the money…but those moments, those emails, make it all worth it.
• Sleep. Shhh, don’t talk about it. But yes, sleep (you know, for the kidd0 – mine, ehhh, stinks…but his is more important!).
• Peter, for humoring me and going along with my plan for moving us forward…or trying to! :)
• Dance parties with my favorite boys. Makes coming home just the best!

Happy Friday! It’s gonna be a great one, I just know it! ;)

Watch Out World…

In my quest to become supermom (HA, HA, HA) I recently said that I should do some crafts. Because moms do crafts.

Let’s be clear…I am not creative. People always think that because I teach first grade I have this whole artsy/creative side. No. That’s why my mom helps in my classroom when I put it together in August! :) She’s the crafty one. She tries to rub off on me, but it seems I have just missed that gene.

Today I decided I’d do it. I was going to make a craft with Logan. It’s teacher appreciation week, and I decided we’d make  cards for his teachers. There was finger paint involved people – it was a bold first step.

Logan was a little unsure…

Then he had to closely examine it…

Then he was really confused when it was gone.

I know you’re dying to see the results…it is SUPER cheesy and I know, lame. But hey, he’s one. And I’m really working on this whole “perfection is not necessary, it’s the thought that counts” thing.  Ignore that slip of paper on the top, I was hiding his teachers name from the internet. ;)

So we made the petals with his fingerprints…

And then a flower with his hand!

 
So yes, now I am going to consider myself oh-so-crafty and wear my supermom badge for a whole day! Let me just pretend it’s true, mmmkay?

PS – Why in the world do I always sign my name Shannon Z.? I always put the Z. There is no other Shannon at daycare. There is also no other Shannon at my school. Yet ever since I married Peter and got the Z last name, I’ve always put the Z on the end. Strange, strange, strange. Never did that with my old name!

Cupcakes!

Don’t get too excited people, I’m not talking about the kind with frosting! A few weeks ago the bestie sent me this recipe for Meat Cupcakes.  It’s basically like little meatloaf cupcakes, with ground turkey, except a million times better. And you can do some substitutions, Peter doesn’t do peppers so we used carrots instead and it was still great! A definite new hit in our house!

The best part is that Logan loves them too, as you can see in this video. And yes, I decided since he was stuck in the chair I’d show off some of his new words too. I promise he uses them in context, not just mimicing me!

I’m telling you, I just cannot get enough of that “mommy.” Bliss.

5, and Counting…

That’s how many Mondays we have left in the school year! Isn’t that so, so, so exciting? Today officially makes 32.5 days left. Oh summer, I am just so excited. As much as I love my job one reason I love it is that this break comes along and we get to start all over again. It’s quite good for this routine loving person. I may also be just a *tiny* bit excited about all the fun things Logan and I are going to get into this summer!

He however, is apparently ready to go to school, NOW.



I’m suspecting I get this same look, hopefully in this same hallway, about 4 years from now when I am trying to say goodbye to him before the first day of kindergarten.

Hope you had a good Monday -  and if it was rough – we’re one day closer to Friday!

We’re Moving

So about 15 people that know me in real life probably just peed their pants. Nah, not to a new house. To a bubble.

You see, we Z’s are a mess. Logan started with a little runny nose on Thursday, and it progressed to the nighttime cough last night. Enough that we gave him a nebulizer treatment this evening. On top of that my allergies (I think, or maybe a cold, who knows) are in high gear. MAJOR. And tonight Peter said his throat hurts (Positive thought from me – my throat doesn’t hurt!).

Add to that the fact that Logan and shorts and short sleeves do not agree:

Do you see all those little marks on his arm? We were outside on the deck yesterday and he somehow got tangled up in his feet when he was turning around (I have no idea where he could get that clumsiness from…) and he fell…and got SPLINTERS! My little teeny, tiny baby had splinters! Only 2, but they were NOT fun to get out and required Peter and I and still there were LOTS of tears (I assume not from the pain but from the UGH – why are you holding me still!!!).

Since day one of shorts this year our active little boy’s legs have looked like this:

And last week there was even a skinned knee. At our checkup the pedi said, “Oh, yes, all boy…” He is certainly rough and tumble!

A very far cry from May 1, 2010…

I lieu of moving to the bubble I suppose I will have to settle for just being there to pick him up when he falls. And holding him in my lap for breathing treatments, and having him bring me tissues for my nose.

But the bubble, remains a possibility…