Merry Elfin' Christmas from the Smiths

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You've come a long way, Baby!

Today is Scarlett's first birthday. A year ago today, Nate and I held this darling little bundle of newborn warmth in our arms and fell in love. She was a mystery to me at the time...I couldn't wait to get to know her. Her dark hair and eyes reminded me of her father, and it felt strange to know that he and I created this life. I couldn't believe that we were a family of three. Sometimes when I reflect on the past year, I can not believe it was only a year--so much has happened and my little newborn bundle has grown into a darling little toddler. (Considering the amount of sleep I lost, I was probably awake for an extra three or four months!) But today, I feel like time has flown and in the blink of an eye we are celebrating a birthday. I know that she will continue to grow and change at break-neck pace, so I am just going to hang on for dear life and treasure every single moment. When we say our prayers tonight, I will definitely thank God for Scarlett.

One last Blow Out

Well it is a good thing that Nate made this wonderful feast of oysters on the half-shell, mussels in white wine sauce, and my very favorite--civiche...






Because I won't be enjoying any raw fish until about mid-July! Woohoo!!






We are very excited and thank God for another blessing!

A new career

This year, returning to work was especially difficult. After having the summer off and spending so much time with my family, the fall became like torture. Each and every single day my heart felt heavy and I did not feel like I was where I should be. Time began to grind to a hault and the idea that I would have to keep up the pace of work until June made me feel depressed. I began to fantasize about not doing it. Now, I have always thought about not working while working, but this was different. Now the wheels were turning and creating something other that a fantasy--dare I say it, a plan...
Meanwhile, God has placed a very dear friend in my life. We have become close over the past year through our similar outlooks on so many things--parenting, relationships with God, balancing work and family, and even a similar sense of humor (embarassingly low brow--gas and people falling bringing tears EVERY time). I knew shortly after I met her that God had placed her in my life on purpose--we have been able to help and support the other through so much in the past year.
While spending time with her, I began to talk about how much I did not want to be teaching and away from my kids, and she was feeling the exact same things. We started just talking about what we did want, and our vision was undeniably the same. With tons of prayer and the support of our awesome husbands, we have put our plan in motion.
We have decided to open our own preschool. With each question and challange, a solution has become quickly evident. We are currently wading through a sea of buracratic rules, regulations and hoops to jump through. Our original plan was to begin next fall. Now so many doors have swung open and events lined up, it looks like we might begin even earlier. (Don't tell our boss yet, though!)
When I wake up in the morning, I am filled with a new energy and joy. I have tears of love and excitement when I look at Scarlett and know that I will spend my whole day with her.
I can not wait to take these next steps!
No more pencils...
No more books...
No more teachers dirty looks!!!

She did it!

laughter really IS the best medicine

Scarlett and I both have that really bad kind of cold where you feel like your nose has become the primary part of your body. You know--the one where you can't breathe through your nose, so you have to breathe through your mouth, which makes your throat sore. Yeah, that one. It keeps you up at night and makes your voice sound like either a squeaky mouse or a gravely old man. I hate colds so bad and the past couple of days at work have been tough--I can't even make my voice loud enough to be heard over the din of thirty squealing pre-teens. I really thought about calling in sick. But I didn't.
I took the little darlings to the computer lab to do some research, and the students who finished early were allowed to go to one of the county-approved educational websites. About two minutes before we wrapped up, one of my students looked red in the face and alarmed. When I asked her what was wrong, she said. "Mrs. Smith, I just went to the science page and looked up how babies are made. Wow--that was wrong on so many levels...don't you have a baby Mrs. Smith?" Now all of the students are looking at me expectantly, and I feel as if I am standing in front of them nude. At first I was horrified by the whole thing, wanting to wring the neck of whichever county cirriculum "expert" chose that page as a great one for 6th graders. Now I can laugh about the whole thing. In fact, every time I think about the ridiculous things these kids say and do, I feel a little better. Maybe laughter really is the best medicine. Or maybe I am just glad that I am no longer a pre-teen. I don't know why for sure, but they really are great people.

Happy Halloween

It is so awesome to have small children--you finally get to go trick-or-treating again!! And Scarlett is still young enough that she doesn't yet eat candy. I can take care of that little issue...
The three of us dressed up for a costume party in Pittsburgh over the weekend and had a very good time with some friends from college. The host couple is expecting their first baby on Christmas day, so they were watching Scarlett with interest. I think reality really sunk in when Scarlett was up at 6:45am. I didn't have the heart to tell them that Nate and I considered that sleeping in!! They will be great parents though, I am sure.
And now it is Friday and Nate and I are not going on any trips. This is such a rarity I still keep looking around for my suitcase and trying to figure out what I need to pack. I will be going to WV on Sunday for Layla's 2nd birthday party, but only for the day. It will be nice to be home for a little while. Of course the leaves need raked, the laundry needs washed and grades are due Tuesday, so I will have plenty to keep me (and Nate) busy while we are here. With any luck I might even get to put my feet up for a minute!