8 Months Old

Each photo session proves to be more and more difficult. Alexis would not leave the "8 months" banner alone this time so it didn't really make an appearance in many of the photos.

Alexis at 8 Months: Our growing girl continues to breastfeed 4-5 times a day and eats three puree meals a day. She enjoys yogurt for breakfast and likes butternut squash, carrots, bananas, apples, pears, and watermelon. She isn't so sure about peas yet. She also loves to drink water. Most of the time she will go to bed between 8 and 8:30pm, sleep through the night and wake up around 7am. Alexis still takes excellent naps (1-2hrs) twice a day and sometimes three times. She enjoys music and will bounce/wiggle along to it. She isn't crawling quite yet, but she can scoot and move around on her bottom as well as roll from side to side to get to the toy she wants. Alexis is a very happy and smiley girl most of the time, still with a toothless, gummy grin that we adore. She likes being rocked in the rocking chair before naps, shaking her head from side to side to see your reaction, talking/babbling to anyone who will listen, and giving kisses before bedtime. We continue to have so much fun with her. This next month will have lots of great memories and firsts in store for us with our little girl.

Henry Hill Elementary School

Today is the last day of school at Henry Hill Elementary School where I taught 3rd grade for my first three years of teaching. It's also where I did my final term of student teaching while in the Ed Program at Western Oregon University. Before we knew about our move to Idaho, I had planned to be at Henry Hill for the last day. It's not only the last day of school for the kids, but the last day for the school itself. Due to budget cuts, the school will be closing. I know it sounds silly, but my heart aches because of this. Just like any school there were some things that could have been better, but there were so many things that were done WELL too.

All students and staff met in the gym each morning for Morning Motion where we all danced together (one warm up song, one choreographed fast song, and one cool down with stretching), we recited the pledge of allegiance and the hand pledge "I will use my hands and my words for helping myself and others - Yo usare mis manos y mis palabras para ayudar a mi mismo y a otros". We encouraged bilingual education and tried our best to support it even if we weren't the bilingual teacher for our grade (that would be me ha ha). And we also promoted the idea of FAMILY. We needed to treat one another with love and respect and as teachers we tried our best to make the learning environment meet every students' needs. In my classroom, I wanted students to feel comfortable

Martina was my 3rd grade partner teacher while I was at Henry Hill. My last year we strived to teach units together with the whole 3rd grade so that the Spanish and English speaking students could learn together as often as possible.

During my last year we had some pretty extreme behavior/bullying problems and made many house visits with the school counselor Pam. The kids would get nervous when they saw us walking the streets after school because they knew we were going to someone's house to have a talk with their parent! I learned through that the importance of empathy, compassion, and support when dealing with parents. So often, the parents would tell us they had no idea what to do with their child's behavior anymore and they asked us for help. Teaching is definitely not just a 9-5 job.

As I mentioned before, we promoted FAMILY at Henry Hill. Our staff (most of us) were definitely like family. We pulled a few different all-nighters at Relay For Life and 24 Hour Relay to raise money for good causes.

We trained for and completed half marathons together

We celebrated weddings together

They even had me back for a baby shower last year - even when I was no longer teaching there! Family forever

I think my students taught me just about as much as I taught them over the years. I learned how to set up my classroom and make it student centered. My goal was to have a classroom where students felt comfortable, welcomed, and ready to learn. 

Our heart maps hanging that tell about each student in the classroom, their book boxes in the windowsills, and reading pillows on the floor are just some of the things I loved about our classroom

I loved how we were able to gain a love of reading as a class and not only enjoy reading as individuals, but as partners

I learned that some kids learn better at a desk...

some kids learn better on the floor...

and some learn better in the coat closet

Most of our special moments took place right here in our reading corner. We learned how to become better readers together and how to practice our reading strategies individually and with others. We set goals for ourselves and checked in with the teacher each week to see our progress. We had so many amazing moments at this carpet, sharing adventures through read alouds and through our personal narrative writing.

Every so often when I referred to my students and our class as "family" I would have one student comment on how we weren't really family. I would respond to their comment with the fact that I spent much more time with them each day than I did my own family, which is why they were just as important to me as my family and why I treated them with love and respect like I did my own family.

I know all the kiddos will move on to a different school and teacher and be just fine, but Henry Hill will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Happy Father's Day!

I've heard that many times that women marry someone who is like their dad. In the beginning, I didn't think Greg was much like my dad (other than having the same name). Over the years, I have seen more and more similarities between them. They are both incredibly kind, hardworking, helpful, selfless, and have a great sense of humor. I am so grateful to my dad for demonstrating how a man should love his wife and his children. I am thankful that although he was more private and quiet in his relationship with the Lord, my dad was in church with us each Sunday, singing praises to our God right next to me. He has always lived out his faith by standing up for what is good and right and true. I have been blessed by my Heavenly Father with an incredibly earthly father. It has been so much fun to see him interact with my little girl. What a wonderful Grandpa he is... not that I had any doubts!

Seeing Greg as a dad these past 8 months has been incredible. One of the reasons I married him was because I knew he would be a great dad someday.

From the beginning, he has been gentle and loving

He has cared for her

He learned early how to multitask

Even if that meant falling asleep while putting her to sleep

He dealt with her colic like a champ!

He shares his adventures with her

He gives good hugs...

good snuggles...

and good cuddles

He's simply an incredible dad

He delights in his daughter

and she delights in him

 Happy Father's Day Greg! There is no one else I would rather be on this journey with. Alexis loves you so much. It melts my heart every evening when I see her big grin as you walk through the door, the way she gives you kisses before bed, and all the ways she interacts with you that are so different than how she is with me. Thank you for being so supportive of me and caring toward me during this time in our lives. I look forward to watching your relationship with our sweet girl grow year after year. You are such a great Dad. We love you.