A Few of My Favorite Things...

Hanging out with dad when I'm all dressed up (mom did my hair)!

Eating snacks on the boat while we're driving through the channels of Lake Camelot!


Swinging at the park by my house... I could swing all day!

Surprise!

I bet you can hardly believe it-- a new posting! We are actually still living and breathing and stopping every once and a while to capture Madison milestones. This is her 'shocked' look... so I thought it would be perfect for a new post.

It's amazing I don't take the time to blog anymore, because so much of my life actually depends on other people's blogs. I have a somewhat demented routine of scanning through every blog I know before I actually do any work at night on the computer. I'm certain it's simply my brain's way of procrastinating to avoid things that must be done. I even click on some blogs that haven't been updated for over a year... with the faint hope that maybe today is the day. If only I spent this useless time adding to my own!

Life with Madison is flying by.... she finally started to crawl (at almost 11 months... her own sweet time)... and now she's 'cruising' around the furniture and tables (that's the new parent lingo for walking, but hanging on for support). Madison is still the master of the household (I wonder if that will ever change). She laughs and smiles and loves to copy us (especially with tooth brushing-- she loves to copy mom!). She can't stand when people try to help her do something... she must discover how to do it on her own (I can't imagine where that trait comes from). She is working on tooth #10 (even one of her molars came in!) and she loves to eat fruit, chicken noodle anything, and cool whip. Madison continues to be mesmerized by Elmo and will stop and drop everything if she so much as hears his voice!

I somehow survived my first year as principal... and I've only searched for a new job once this past year. Tomorrow is our last official day of school with children. I continue to learn a great deal about my own set of morals and values... as they are constantly challenged. I have also developed the ability to have absolutely no empathy or caring for adults and their personal issues. I've built up an incredible tolerance to detach myself emotionally to situations.... a teacher's throwing up in their classroom, 'oh well... suck it up... we can't get a sub today'. You were in a car accident 2 months ago and your back still hurts... 'oh well... here's some duck tape and an extension cord for your heating pad.' You were up all night because your ex-lover was banging on your door, then followed you to work and you just called 911..... 'sucks to be you, I'll make sure we keep an extra eye on front door security today.... and let me know if you want someone to walk you to your car after your done teaching today.'.... and those are some of my more positive responses :)

Well, princess Madison has just rolled into my back and is requiring some mush time with her mamma.... because yes... she still sleeps in bed with us. It's on one of my 'to do' lists... move Madison into her own sleeping space... so I can have mine back before Baby #2 arrives (at least for a week or 2). But, it obviously isn't too high on the list, because she is 13 months old tomorrow! And in a few years, I'm sure I'll be wishing for the comfort and security of knowing exactly where our little princess is...

Spring Break 2008

Madison's first cross country road trip! We left a day early to avoid the March blizzard in Milwaukee (they were predicting 10-15 inches on Saturday). We made a last minute decision to leave Thursday night after bath time instead of Friday morning. So we bundled Maddie up in her jammies and blanket and headed west. Our goal was to get south and west of the storm... and then play it by ear. Jim and Jamie weren't expecting us until Saturday for dinner.... instead we arrived Friday for lunch! We drove straight through and Madison slept the whole time! There were quick little stops for a diaper change, breakfast, or a break in the 60' Colorado sun!



Madison discovered grass today! She would pick up one piece at a time and examined it (until dad showed her how to pull up a whole bunch and throw it in the air). By the end of our break, Madison had thatched about 9 square feet!

We all caught up on sleep when we arrived about 2pm.... showered.... cooked stakes on the grill... and slept like logs. It was off to Boulder today to hippie watch and shop!

1...2...3... Tickle!

There is nothing cuter than a Madison squeal... thought we'd share one with you!

Camera Happy

We had a lazy Saturday afternoon (after a full morning of shopping). Madison was getting a little fussy, mostly because she was ready for her afternoon snooze. Just as she was about to fuss a little more, and nuzzle her head into mom's shoulder... she noticed dad in the background with a camera. Amazing how our little wiggle worm's face turned to smiles for the camera!

Our little chick...

Madison is having fun dressing up as our little chick for the Easter season. We've tried spring dresses, bunny ears, and easter basket photos... but her favorite is naked with a little puff on the top of her head (let's hope this phase doesn't last long).

We are planning and packing for a trip to Denver-land to visit Jim and Jamie over the spring break. It will be Madison's first real road trip. We've decided to split the trip up and stay in a hotel... not quite sure Madison can do all 15 hours at once. Nanna is driving with us, so we'll rotate between driving, hanging out with Madison, and reading trashy magazines (nothing work related allowed). We're going shopping again today to buy a portable dvd player and seasame street dvd's. Madison absolutely adores Elmo, Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Grover, and the Grouch. She'll sit on the carpet and smile and laugh through the whole show-- it's priceless! Her favorite is when Mr.Noodle dances and acts silly (it probably reminds her of dad).

We're still working on crawling. She's been up on all 4's and rocking since about Thanksgiving... but still not to the crazy crawling yet. She can easily get herself around by rolling, rocking, scooting backwards, pushing across the hardwood floors, etc.. it's just not the traditional crawling you might expect. Just like the day she was born... I think she'll be one to do things when she's ready... regardless of what her friends are doing... or what the book says....(again, let's hope this phase doesn't last long).

I took my first work trip last week. Fourteen of us went to Denver for the Expeditionary Learning National Conference. We had a blast! It was tough to be away from Madison, but I knew she was in good hands with dad. And dad's confidence sure has grown! He can do morning to night routine.... 5 days in a row... and still survive!

I've also recently passed another milestone in life as we now know it, I've finished my Masters in Educational Leadership program-- yahoo! No more Thursday night classes and Monday night study groups! I"m officially done with the graduate school portion of my life.... and will do everything in my power to stay away for a few years... (I know it sounds sick, but I am a little addicted to school).

I can picture it now...

I can picture it now... 10 years from now Madison will have the same face at one point or another when she doesn't get her way. It's the official 'pout' face for our little cutie. It's amazing to think that there will ever be a day when she doesn't actually get her way seeing as now we pretty much live and breath the 'Madison Way'.

She's growing faster then we can photograph lately. Every time we turn around there's a new change, face, sound, or movement. Her latest thrill is to dance. That's right, she has officially inherited her parents rhythm (you should be laughing right now, especially if you've seen us dance before). She moves her body back and forth every time she hears music and you say, 'dance, dance'.

Madison has also taken a particular liking to Brady.... who licks her every chance he gets!


The cat is also enthralled with Madison... Kitty has finally realized that next to Madison is the place to be if you want attention in this house!

My Little Angel

My Crib...

Madison has, hands down, the coolest crib I have ever seen. It's quite unique in the fact that it's round. I saw it while browsing baby rooms online, and I had to have it! Grandpa Bill and Peg gave it to us as a shower present, and we've been in love with it ever since. There's only one problem.... Madison hasn't slept in it yet.

Don't get me wrong, Madison LOVES her crib! She plays in it at least twice a day, reading books, kicking the player piano, watching the fish bobble up and down.... she loves it!




So yes, Jason and I are still welcoming Madison into the 'family bed'. And yes, we still get the 'face' every single time we tell someone that Madison sleeps with us. The 'face' (as Jason calls it) is that disappointed, disapproving, 'oh my god, you do' face... the one with raised eyebrows that quickly scans the room to find others making the same face so they can share in the 'oh my god' reaction. We actually find it quite amusing at this point.

Isn't it all just a crap shoot in the end anyway? I mean really.... if there was an absolute prescribed method of parenting that created the next best thing to Jesus... wouldn't everyone be doing it? Instead, we all do what we 'think' is right and what we 'feel' will make a difference based on the books and web alerts that we are continually bombarded with as new parents... and then we brag about it in 20 years if it works... insisting that our parenting methods were superior to all others!

But in the meantime, we'll just continue with our peaceful, snuggly night, with our snugglebug right in the middle of us (the middle 4 feet to be exact)! And hopefully brag about our decision 20 years from now....

Boo!

So, what first-time mom isn't a little behind? It's amazing how many people I ran into over the holidays that just LOVED the christmas photo card I sent them. It took about 4 people before I realized that they were referring to the Halloween card that I just sent out in November. I reassured them that their Holiday cards would be arriving right on 'new-mom' time, sometime in February!

Yes, I have a little catching up to do.... I'll begin with Halloween. My little snugglebug was, by far, the cutest thing around! I couldn't decide on one perfect 'first Halloween' outfit, so I bought 6! They were a steal at Old Navy (and coming from a psycho costume sewer--- there is no way I could've made these costumes for less than I bought them for!).

911

I got a call from mom today while I was at work. It's the first time she's ever called me during the day. Of course, I imagined the worst... Madison's had an accident and Nanna's already called 911....

It was an emergency, and absolutely warented a phone call to interupt my day... because Madison has a tooth! That's right! One of her bottom teeth has emerged into the world of little miss drooly!

Letters from a principal...

I started a new class last week... School Law... of course I entered with a million questions for the professor. Is the school liable when one of our students throws a rock through a school bus window and injurs someone? Can you fine a 10 year old for repeatedly pulling the fire alarm? What happens when a teacher is hit trying to break up a fight? How bad should the fight be before the cops are called? But, instead of spending the 2nd night of class firing off my questions for the professor, I spent the entire 4 hours thinking about the one he had asked me.

What do you aspire to be?

Throughout life I have set a number of goals and milestones... aspirations. I wanted to find prince charming (a.k.a. Jason), then I wanted to finish my teaching degree... next was working with urban children... live upstairs from a bar or store on a 'hip' street...buy a house...have the most beautiful baby in the world (a.k.a. durdee durdee)... finish my masters degree.... finish a second masters degree (okay, maybe it wasn't in the original plan, but....).... complete a doctorate degree...be a principal..

What do I aspire to be? That is one of the toughest questions I've had to answer in quite some time. What's next? Do I want to be an executive director of a school (or superindendent)? Do I want to be a college professor (not sure if I could handle being around adults all day)? Travel agent? Realator? Starbucks barista?

There's this strange sense of working towards where you wanted to be, and all of a sudden your there and your stuck wondering where you should really be. This must be what a rock star feels like. They spend half of their life hoping to 'make it big' and then when they finally do, they totally loose all sense of direction and control....

No worries about me losing control... I haven't even stayed up past 10pm in the last year and a half!

In my deliberations, one of my fleeting thoughts is to write a book... and I will title it 'Letters from a Principal'... and I will make millions of dollars sharing my plight with other rookie principals around the country.... I will begin with today, a day I won't soon forget.

I turned up the radio as I got into the Malibu this morning. Just in time to hear the end of a newscast I've heard a hundred times before... 'there were 5 shootings around the city last night.... 2 are dead... 3 are injured... one of which is a 13 year old girl... the shootings were at 26th and Hadley...' Immediately I search through the roladex of families (in my mind) that live in that neighborhood, wondering if today will be the day it will strike too close to home.

The call came to Mr.Lowe about 9am this morning, the mother of the 13 year old who had been shot. She's one of ours. A seventh grader. The shot was to her back, spinal cord, they fear she is paralyzed.

To sit, as a leader, amongst 45 adults who have just heard this news... is a moment I will never forget. I had a pile of papers in my hand, ready to lead the professional development for the day, and instead I was instantly speechless. I think I was in shock. Her classroom teacher immediately started crying while the teacher of her older brother filled with rage and frustration. Then there was random chattering about how we could have the kids journal about their feelings.... while others just sat in silence. Most were looking for direction, most were looking at me. I would like to say I came up with the perfect words of comfort, that everything would be okay.... but no one needed to hear that crap.

The word crap is truely an understatement for how I really feel. I work with nearly 60 professionals that have dedicated their passion, energy, expertise, knowledge, and life to helping a community that most others won't even drive through. We spend nearly every moment of the day wondering and worrying about how we can help create a vision to succeed in these students. What is the motivation for a child to succeed if their chances of being shot outweigh their chances of graduating from high school?