FOUND IT

Apparently, all the blog needed was a swift kick in it's cyber ass, and it's now back. Phew. I hate losing things! So read all about Life As I Currently Know It over there. (click here)

Lost in Cyber Space?!?!

Ok, so in case you hadn't figured it out, I've only been posting on GotchaBaby because, well, Ang was right--much easier just to merge the two, to admit that well, life as I know it has been forever altered**. But today I went to post, and for some reason, GotchaBaby isn't coming up. It didn't work at work, and it's not working now!!! WTF??

If you can see GotchaBaby on your computer, please let me know.....I'm so confused!!

**For example: yesterday I learned that my car needed a new alternator. The logistics involved in transporting a child and her car seat to and from daycare, the repair shop, etc: STAGGERING.

Bad Blogger

Not really...but when I started this whole thing, I had this blog and my "adoption blog" and it was easy to keep them seperate. One blog was about life as I knew it, the other about life as I hoped it would be. Then the Babe came into it, adoption became real, and suddenly that WAS my life. IS my life. Not really the whole adoption thing every day, but being a mom. Waxing on and on about my child and so forth. So then what's left to blog about on this blog--the blog where I'm supposed to be me? I'm not sure. But I thought I'd post my to-do list today, and maybe that would give insight as to why I'm having trouble.

To take to work:

Lunch for me

Applesauce cups and baby veggies

Bottles

Formula

Crib Sheet

Fax for Agency fundraiser

Dinner for the B's (friends who just had a baby)

After work:

Call Judy

Return DVD's

Call the H's for cookout

Find sunhats for the babe

I've read that most adult women don't, in fact, have ADD. They are just victims of multi-tasking. I understand.

What's on *YOUR* to do list??

Just Tell Them What They Want to Know

Today's conversation brought to mind theory of "Just answer they question they ask" rather then going into details they (children) don't care about. Little bits of information is all most children need at one time.

Today two children were feeling adventurous and took out the Africa puzzle map, which is a tricky map to do if you are not familiar with it. These two were not, so in a few minutes they were asking for help. Before my leave of absence I was pretty good at it, but my geography-free 7 month break has taken it's toll. So another child offerred to help and I took her up on it.

"Thanks for helping us, A--it's been awhile since I've done this map."

"You used to do this all the time, but then you had a baby, right?" she asks.

"Yup. You're right."

"But she didn't grow in your tummy."

"Right. We adopted M after she was born."

"What's that mean?" asked another child.

"It means that she grew in someone elses tummy, and when she was born, Mr. M and I adopted her and became her mom and dad."

"Oh. Ok. I think this piece goes over here....."

And so it goes.

Instead of Writing a Real Post

For the most recent happenings, check out my life as a mom. I think we've totally recovered, but I'm still feeling lazy, and damn it, it's Spring Break. So here's where I'm supposed to be:

You Belong in London

You belong in London, but you belong in many cities... Hong Kong, San Francisco, Sidney. You fit in almost anywhere. And London is diverse and international enough to satisfy many of your tastes. From curry to Shakespeare, London (almost) has it all!

What European City Do You Belong In?

Oh the Humor

One nice thing about being back at work is the front row seat I have to preschool humor. It's not that different from adolescent humor, or college humor, or even workplace humor. Mostly, it revolves around bodily functions.

I am constantly amazed that even my daughter, at 7 months, finds gas and burping funny. Of course she's always smiled at passing gas herself--people think it's because she's feeling relief. I'm beginning to think that it's because she thinks it's funny. She laughs now when I pass gas. How does she know that it's funny?? But I digress.

I have several rough and tumble boys this year, and they are all "learning" how to burp on command. And of course, they think they've got the get out of jail free card--they just say "excuse me" through the giggles and all is OK, right?

On the more demure side I have several girls who are writing about passing gas. They are using our moveable alphabets (little wooden letters they use to write words and stories) and writing some version of the following, phonetically of course:

I luv mi famlee. Mi dad pass gas. Mi mom drivs a van. Mi babee cris.

Basically, as they write about each member of the family, or even about a specific family outing, Daddy always passes gas in the story. They think it is HILARIOUS.

Who am I to tell them differently?!?!

How Many Days til Spring Break?!?

Ha! Only kidding. While I'm not looking forward to parent/teacher conferences, I'm not counting down the hours to Spring Break either. That's a bonus to starting work in the middle of March--you miss the winter doldrums. You do get the occassional freak snow storm (but no snow day!), and the occassional heat wave, but no SAD-disorder like problems.

So it's been two weeks, and things are good. Busy and exhausting, but good. I think I am learning that I wasn't such a bad teacher after all. Not that I thought that I scarred children or anything, just that maybe I wasn't giving 100% all of the time. Well, I've seen what a crappy teacher can do (or not do), and let me just say that a crappy teacher I am not.

I am learning that it's best to approach this profession as a marathon, not as a sprint. There have been years where I realized this, but lately I hadn't been.

I am learning that a little distance is a good thing, that a little sabbatical can bring new life into an otherwise stale situation.

Unlike the pyscho who was with the children in my absence, I actually teach the children. I actually listen to them. And the staff and the parents are already noticing a difference. Heck, the children are noticing the difference.

I am loving that the Babe is just down the hall, and I can get my fix as needed. And I am loving working "only" 4-5 hours a day. And I am loving that the Starbucks runs are frequent.