It's Been A Long Time

As you can imagine, life is pretty busy with 4 kids. Haven't had much free time to do anything. So just a quick update on the kiddos.

Holly, Liam and Megan turned ONE on December 15th. They had a blast at their birthday party! It was crazy opening presents, but all three really enjoyed ripping wrapping paper and opening bags and boxes. I couldn't tell you who gave us what, but they got lots of nice things.

Liam started to walk at the end of November/early December. I don't remember! At first, he would basically lunge at someone (including knocking Holly flat on her face a few times), but now he's toddling like a champ. Megan followed a week before her first birthday. Of course, Megan was climbing before walking, and really enjoys climbing up on the couch and running laps back and forth for as long as we'll let her. Holly is our Miss Smarty Pants. She's trying to talk, and will say "ca" in a soft voice. (That means "cat".) She also uses several baby signs. (Cat, twinkle, blow kisses, hi/bye, all done, more,) and she knows where her belly and head are. Actually, all three know where their belly and heads are. We are working on nose now.

Liam gave me kisses for the first time today. That was really sweet! I don't mind that he licks my cheek like a dog, it's still very sweet! Holly and Megan are lickers too and there are times when Holly will give big hugs. They're all so cuddly!

Christmas was a riot. They had fun opening more gifts and playing with all the new stuff. They looked very cute in their Christmas Eve and Christmas day outfits and matching pjs too. If you're a Facebook friend, then you've seen the photos. If not, get a FB account!! Of course it was great getting out of the house and seeing all of our family members. We even got to see cousin Julie and meet her husband Jonathan. That was a lot of fun! I think we could hire cousin Mary as our full-time nanny....the babies LOVED her and she seemed to enjoy playing with them too!

Let's not forget Miss Beezer either. Bridget turned 4 on December 22. We kept trying to prepare her that "when you turn 4, you can't have any more tantrums because you're a big girl now." Yah, right. She's worse now! Shawn and I are really trying to lay the law down with her now b/c we're tired of dealing with her tantrums. Ugh!

Bridget is taking PreBallet2 this semester. She starts tomorrow and she's pretty excited. She loves dance class. In May they are having a huge recital...you're all welcome to come. More info will follow.

We still have to get all four kids into the pediatrician for their yearly visit. Can't wait to see how much they've grown. Bridget has really sprouted up and thinned out (except her big round head is still big and round). The downside to all that growth for her is that she often wakes up overnight with "growing pains" in her knees. She's had a couple of bad nights recently, and I'm sure we'll mention it to the pediatrician when she gets in.

We also have to still get their yearly photos taken. Ugh, so much to do! Thanks to Auntie Jo, they'll be looking good in their valentine themed clothes. I can't wait to go...it's just hard coordinating times and a crew able to help me get them photographed. I can't imagine how difficult this session is going to be with all three walking around a studio without doors! I'm thinking that the plan of attack this time will be to focus on individual shots, and then if they cooperate, maybe one or two group photos.

Shawn's leaving us next week to go to Tokyo for work. He'll be gone for over a week. Thankfully, Auntie Anna is going to help me survive while he's gone. She is student teaching near Joliet, so she's going to move in for the week. If you're free, stop by and lend us a helping hand. We're especially looking for someone able to drive Bridget to school in the afternoon. If you can help out, we'd really appreciate it!

As for me, first semester ends on Friday. The year has gone fast, and it's been tumultuous for me at times, but I'm hanging in there. Trying to find a balance between work and home is tough. We got fancy projectors and tablets while I was out on maternity leave last year and this year I've been trying to convert all my class notes/problems/etc. so that they can be projected. It's a lot of work, but once it's done I will be able to coast. I tell ya, the projectors are great. I can pretty much walk around the room or sit on top of a desk and solve problems from anywhere in the classroom. I used to use a ton of white board markers and now I barely use any. I've also reduced the amount of paper I use, because I can project a handout, instead of actually handing it out. I often joke with my students that I'm going to replace my desk with a recliner now, because I no longer have to depend on my whiteboard.

Ok, that's it for the update. I should be finishing up school work and going to bed. Until next time...

Welcome Jonathan

Welcome to the World, Jonathan Neil Goode. Born 10/19/09. What a handsome little guy! Brown eyes and dark hair- nothing like his sisters.

Liam is certainly happy he's got another boy to hang out with! I'm sure Owen will agree too! Our cousin list is now at 13:

Ryan

Kristi

Matthew

Kaitlyn

Bridget

Allison

Morgan

Ann

Holly

Liam

Megan

Owen

Jonathan

The last 10 kids are all under 5. Once Bridget turns 4, we'll have about one month with a 5-4-3-2-and 1 year old in the family. Christmas is going to be a riot. I think I'll buy a box of earplugs to pass around!

That's it for now.

Toddling at 9 months

Holly is a little champion! She took her first steps at the PHSCC Pig Roast on Saturday! It was incredible! She's so tiny, and yet so confident. As you can probably imagine, it didn't take long and she's now taking 3-4 steps at a time! She can clap her hands and loves to make raspberries or just outright spit at you.

Megan is our little musician. She loves to shake the toys that rattle and bang on the toy drum and piano. If you start cheering, "Yeay, Megan!" she'll look at you with a big smile and clap. She's so pretty! Megan is a fast crawler, and can pull herself up with ease.

Liam is not only a mama's boy, but a little trouble-maker. He likes to climb up on the base of the end table and pull on the lamp cord. Otherwise, he will crawl into the base of the exersaucer. Liam is still crawling like an inchworm, though I've witnessed him crawl in the traditional manner. He is also pulling himself up at will. Liam likes to play Peek-a-Boo, and will pull things over his face and wait for you to catch on to his game.

Bridget, oh Bridget! She's loving preschool and playing with her friends. I'm disappointed that it seems to be 90% socializing 10% educational. For that reason, I really miss Chesterbrook. If we could afford it, I would send her there in a heart beat. Bridget is trying to read words, and when she's in the mood, she'll show you how she reads. We're still having LOTS of tantrums with her, and she's starting to get sneaky. For instance, she asked if she could have a snack 20 minutes after we finished dinner (and she DIDN'T finish her meal.) I said "no" and she went in the kitchen pantry and took a granola bar. (I could hear what she was up to.) So she walks out of the kitchen backwards with the granola bar behind her back and starts heading toward her room.

"Where are you going?"

"To my room."

"What's behind your back?"

"Nothing."

"What's in your hands?"

"Nothing."

(Insert disbelieving, stern, mom face)

"a granola bar." B says in a small voice.

I can't wait till her threes are over with. Four has to be better!

On a lighter note, Bridget's Pre-Ballet class started this week and she loved it. They are learning one routine before Halloween and a second routine before Christmas. She's thrilled.

As for me, school is going well. I'm hanging in there, though terribly busy. I'm teaching the boy across the street, the girl three doors down, and the boy four doors down, and a girl two blocks away. What fun! It was quite odd seeing neighborhood parents in my classroom. So far, it seems like I have good classes. My honors geometry kids are smart and hard-working. My precalculus kids are typical and fun.

Shawn's keeping busy at work and at home. He's going away for another billion days, but I guess if you compare his job to the circus, he doesn't travel much.

Finally, the baby boom has begun. Congratulations to:

Matt & Kristen and baby Benjamin,

Derek, Rene, Sophia, Emily and baby Elizabeth

Sandy, Kurt, Morgan and baby Owen,

Kim, Josh, Christian and baby Charlotte,

Brenda, Paul, Madalin and baby Lauren

I believe we're now just waiting to meet one more little Goode baby.

Back to School

Well, everyone has their Back-To-School routines down now. My day starts at about 5 am, I'm out the door by no later than 6:30, and school is officially done at 2:31. Mondays & Thursdays I stay after school to do work and/or help students. Tuesdays & Fridays I pick Bridget up from preschool. And Wednesdays we have school meetings after hours. Busy, busy, busy. Add to that, I'm trying to get to the gym 3-4 times a week, grading papers, taking care of the kids and my day is never done.

Bridget is doing great now that she's in preschool! She's still throwing tantrums with babysitter Beth almost daily, but hasn't thrown but a few with Shawn or I since school started up. Bridget seems to really enjoy school, and keeps asking me when it's going to end. Not that she wants it to end, but just the opposite. She doesn't want it to end. I'm not sure she's learning anything at all, and I'm a bit disappointed about that. So far, all I've seen is one paper where she wrote her own name 3 times. (Chesterbrook Academy taught Bridget so much more.) When I ask her what she did, she says "play" and "storytime with Miss Patty". She seems to like playing with the dress up stuff, kitchen and blocks. She also likes painting. Her best friend at school is Kayla and her second best friend (that is what B called her) is Hope. The only other student she has mentioned is Connor who according to B, doesn't have any hair.

Pick-up and Drop-off time is really well coordinated. They have a pretty efficient way of getting all the students where they need to be in a very short period of time. After watching the pick-up routine for 2 weeks now, I've noticed that the last parent picks up her kid at 12 minutes past dismissal time. I've also noticed that no matter what time I leave school to pick her up, I'm always buckling B up at 3:11. Half the school dismisses from one side of the building, and the other half dismisses from the opposite side, and walkers leave from the front.

Holly, Liam and Megan are doing wonderfully. Megan has changed a TON since her 6 month dr. visit. She's now sitting up and crawling. She can clap her hands, and she loves anything musical. She'll sit on the floor and beat the toy drum. She'll lay on her back and shake the shaker things. She crawls over to the little piano and bangs on the keys. I'm thinking we have a little musician on our hands! Liam is still Mama's boy. From the minute I walk in the door until the minute he goes to bed, he's hanging on me. He'll pull himself up to standing by using my shirt, then completely smother me while trying to crawl to the top of my head. He's our laugher and Bridget is the one who keeps him laughing. Whether she's running around the living room or playing Peek-a-Boo, Liam will squeal with joy and laugh the cutest laugh. Holly has been on hiatus lately. Nothing new to report. I guess since she was crawling and standing so early, she's now letting the others catch up with her. She did finally cut her first tooth-yeay! That seemed to cut down on her fussiness.

I've been trying some table foods with them, and that's been going well. Of course it is a mess (times three) but it's fun to watch them grow and learn to feed themselves. So far they've tried mashed potatoes, pasta, crackers, and bread. Megan eats the most, Holly eats the least. Liam steals food from the other's trays. Nothing new there either!

I'm also happy to report that Shawn has been Mr. Clean lately. He's taken it upon himself to be responsible for the cleaning of the kitchen, and is faithfully doing dishes and sweeping & mopping the floors! It's been very nice!

I must get to grading my first set of quizzes for the year. Oh yah, I forgot to mention, I'm teaching both the girl three doors down and the boy who lives across the street from me. Both are very smart, pleasant students. Whew!