Catching My Breath

Tonight, there is rain in Texas. Tropical Storm Hermine is passing over Austin, and we are enjoying a rainy, cool break from the heat. For the first time in what seems like weeks, I feel like I am catching my breath and letting go of some tension. School is off to a blazing start, and this mama is exhausted. I always forget how overwhelming the beginning of the school year is; my efforts to establish good habits, both for myself and my students, and the transition to full-time work have effectively knocked me off my feet. I feel as if I am perpetually behind and I crave more time with Robin and Lydia. I have not done a good job of letting go of tension, emotional or physical. Tonight, though, we played and we relaxed to the sound of the rain.














So what has been going on...

During the past few weeks, Lydia has added words to her vocabulary. She consistently says baby, eat, down, more, please, "moo" for cow, "meow" for cat, "choochoo" for train, and lots more. We often have to prompt her, but if we ask her to use her words, she can usually find it. My favorite UNprompted word came on Sunday when, after her diaper fell off in the wading pool, she first pooped in the pool and then, as I was refilling the pool with new water, dropped another turd on the walk and said, "Uh-oh!" It was not classy, but it was hilarious.



We are transitioning Lydia to one nap, and it has been rocky. Some days (like today), we hardly notice a difference, and others (like yesterday), we are left with a replacement demon for our usually well-behaved little girl. (Yesterday, both lunch and dinner were thrown on the floor and there were lots and lots of tears. Lunch was in a restaurant and dinner was with the Luthers. The girl likes an audience.) Crabby days have been a bit more frequent, and I think they are the result of less sleep, a new schedule, and possible (likely) molars about to make their appearance. Lydia has taken to gnawing on her fingers, which makes me think there are some huge teeth trying to push through her gums. I also keep having to remind myself that Lydia has to be frustrated by the gap between what she understands and what she is able to communicate. It makes for a grumpy girl and grumpy parents.




Grandpa Dale was here over Labor Day weekend, so we spent some nice evenings together and he and Robin got a lot of work down on the house. I enjoyed a morning walk with Rachael and the beautiful Simone, and I got to spend some time with Holly, Bill, and Liam, and Angela, Zach, and Dax at Holly's parents pool. I love getting the chance to hang with my original teaching mentors, and I also loved confirming that Lydia is no longer afraid of the water. She was so brave! We have also continued to enjoy Pease Park and their splash pad and visited yesterday with Jessica and Aidan.
























Finally, daycare continues to go well. I almost always drop Lydia off and pick her up, which eases Robin's schedule. We have used the drop-in option twice now, and we are really glad that Bright Horizons allows us to be a bit more flexible with our schedule. We also are really happy with their curriculum. today they made a "friends fruit salad;" Lydia brought a mango to contribute!

I'm hoping these next few weeks bring a more relaxed routine; my personal goals this school year are to keep my desk and room a more peaceful, organized space (and I'm doing well so far) and to work against allowing my work stress to infiltrate home life. I'm not doing so well with that one, but I will keep at it!