Thursday Thirteen-Country Life

Thirteen things I love about living in the country:

1. No neighbors.

2. Wide open space for playing and exploring.

3. No noise other than the occasional moo.

4. Cows. (Except for that certain smell right before the barn is cleaned out.)

5. Watching my guys work.

6. Watching crops grow.

7. The smells-fresh grass, rain, that sweet smell of corn pollinating, the musty barn smell.

8. Gator rides.

9. Being able to tell the kids to play outside without worry.

10. Never knowing what kind of critter you might run into.

11. Planting season.

12. Harvest season.

13. The big, blue sky.

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Thursday Thirteen

In an effort to completely stress myself out, here are thirteen things I need to do before school starts.

1. Figure out how I am going to teach both 4th grade and 5th grade at the same time.
2. Arrange my desks.
3. Make bulletin boards (all 8 of them.)
4. Read the 4th grade standards.
5. Figure out the newly adopted reading series.
6. Make welcome packets for Open House.
7. Make copies of first week stuff.
8. Decide how I am going to teach spelling.
9. Write out all the "name" things like lunch sticks, recording sheets, posters, name tags, etc.
10. Plan out my science units so I can teach science to all the students at the same time.
11. Plan what journals I am going to have the class use.
12. Make survival bags.
13. Get a prescription for Xanax. It sounds like I might need it...

Thursday Thirteen

Last week, I wrote thirteen things I miss about having a new baby. This week, I get back to reality. Here are thirteen things I do NOT miss about having a new baby.

1. The explosive poop that somehow manages to go up the back and into the legs of the sleeper

2. Sore, cracked, bleeding nipples

3. Smelling like sour milk

4. Colic

5. Getting up for feedings every 2-3 hours

6. That feeling when you FINALLY get the baby rocked to sleep, only to put her in the crib to have her instantly wake up, screaming

7. Always staying home to keep the baby away from germs

8. On the rare times you did leave the house; having to nurse in the bathroom, car, or dressing room

9. Those nights when you don't know what else to do, so you load the screaming kid into the car to drive around aimlessly with unwashed hair and no bra

10. Scraping dried biter biscuits and other assorted first foods off every surface of the kitchen

11. Teething

12. Seeing the baby gnawing frantically on her fist when you JUST nursed her-my nipples hurt just thinking about all of those marathon nursing sessions we had

13. Pumping-OMG that was the worst for me. I hated it. It was so unnatural and I never had much success with it. Combine that with the fact that 2 different people walked in on me at work while I was pumping...yeah, it didn't last long. After my principal walked in on me, I thought my milk would NEVER let down again.

It's a good thing they're cute because even though it seems like a never ending cycle of crying, poop, and more crying...it does get better and it IS worth it.

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Thursday Thirteen

Here are thirteen things I miss about having a baby (don't worry...I don't miss any of these things badly enough to actually HAVE another baby.)

1. Cradling a tiny, snuggly baby

2. One piece sleepers

3. Nursing (once the bloody nipples scabbed over that is)

4. Smelling baby lotion and their sweet milk breath

5. Cooing and sighing

6. Feeling that tiny hand grasp my finger

7. Rocking a baby to sleep

8. All the "first" milestones-first smile, crawl, word, tooth, etc.

9. Silky smooth skin

10. Seeing the excited look and kicking legs when Mommy comes into the room

11. The stroller travel system-I loved putting the carseat with the still sleeping baby into the stroller to walk or shop

12. Holding a sleeping baby on my chest

13. Quiet car rides

Stay tuned next week for thirteen things I do NOT miss about having a baby.

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