"Thanks"giving: Day 9: Music

I can't name the artist for any song on the radio and I haven't bought new music (CDs, MP3s, anything) in ages. However, I truly enjoy music and it is what I am thankful for tonight.

If I have to drive anywhere by myself (a task I would dread), you can bet that I will spend the entire car ride belting out the lyrics to my favorite musical tunes.

If I'm taking a long walk during the summer, I'm keeping pace to my IPOD.

And, if I'm hangin' out at home with a song stuck in my head, I will be "singing" aloud, making up the words as I go, and often adjusting them to meet the situation at hand...

Overheard recently in our dining room:

"Yummy yogurt, yummy yogurt; tastes so good--like it should. Mer can eat it every day, and the doc says that's okay. Yum, yum, yum. Yum, yum, yum."

I am thankful for music, though, because I can tell already that Meredith loves it as well. She visibly perks up to music and is even learning to "dance." She has learned a lot of the signs for her favorite songs, like "Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider." Often, the only way we can get her to eat is by singing--thus the yogurt song above. 

The other nice thing about music is that it is so easy to find a variety of musical performances, at relatively low cost, that are fairly kid-friendly. And, so, a super-special shout-out to the staff and students who put on the musical and reader's theatre performance at our school tonight--Meredith loved it! Thank you for helping make our evening so enjoyable!

"Thanks"giving: Day 8: A Meredith Morning

This morning I am thankful for "A Meredith Morning." Conferences at school don't start until 11, so I get to spend a *little* extra time with my baby this morning. What a treat for a Tuesday morning!
After dropping Greg off at work, we returned home to watch the first segment of Sesame Street and to play in the living room. The "word on the street" today was canteen, so that may have been what inspired Meredith to focus on my to-go coffee cup that I was still sipping out of as we watched. She scooted after the mug wherever I moved it, trying to get her own fair share of a morning pick-me-up. Then, she stood up at her play and learn table and started to work on cruising from one little stool-type contraption to another. We even had enough time this morning for me to give Meredith a bottle and read a couple of books. What a treat! It was a nice enough morning that I (almost!) wish conferences would come a little more often so that I could spend more mornings with my baby girl!

"Thanks"giving: Day 7: Greg

Words really cannot describe how thankful I am for my husband. In the 9 (OMG!) years I've known him, he has grown from an R.A. programming buddy to my partner for life. His logistical side keeps our bills paid, our schedule on-time, and our budget balanced--despite my best efforts. His strong work ethic means that he often leads the effort on everything from starting the laundry to cleaning the toilets. His hobbies include cooking and reading--dinner is healthy and educational with him around. He is thoughtful--buying gifts because they remind him of that person, not because it's a holiday. He is level headed--he doesn't stress out over the little bobbles in life. He is loving--he never misses a "kissortunity." He is a great father. And he is a good friend. He is my husband, in whom I am well-pleased. And whom I am grateful to have in my life.

"Thanks"giving: Day 6: Morning coffee

I've been hooked on coffee since I was a little girl and my dad started fixing me coffee like my mom's...with milk and sugar. Then I only drank it on the weekend, usually while snuggled in their bed reading the comics or watching Saturday morning cartoons. However, there was never any doubt for me that coffee would become a staple in my life.
As I've grown up, I've gone through stages with coffee...
--the late at night at Starbucks phase in high school
--the flavored Wawa coffee in Fairmart while studying for midterms phase
--the "1 cup and only on weekends" phase when pregnant with Mer
and, NOW, the "two big cups, every day" phrase I'm currently in. I'm not necessarily proud of this increasingly addictive habit, but I also figure that of all the substances I could get hooked on, caffeine's not so bad.
So, tonight I am thankful for my coffee...and I'm thankful for my husband who makes it every day for me, even though he is currently kicking the habit.

"Thanks"giving: Day 5: Skype

Being away from family is never easy, but technology has been a great blessing for those of us trying to communicate with loved ones literally half-way around the world. Leading the list of inventions I'm grateful for in this area is Skype.
With my parents living in Australia, Skype has been the glue that allows us to have "face-to-face" conversations on a weekly basis. Most of the time we spend our time just catching up...the kind of talk we'd all like to have over a glass of wine and a plate of nachos. Due to the time difference, though, only one set of us ever gets to have wine at a time...the others are still starting their day with a cup of coffee. When we're not just chatting, Skype also lets my parents watch their granddaughter as she grows and develops in the time between their visits. She tries on clothes they send and pets the cat. Together they sing "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and play "Peek-a-boo." These are the kind of moments that just couldn't happen over the phone...they're the kind of thing that is only possible when you realize that eye-contact can be achieved via web-cam.
Though they're much closer, my in-laws in Philadelphia also love Skype for the sneak-peek they get into Meredith's life--apparently the number one rule of grandparenting is "you can't see your grandchildren enough."

"Thanks"giving: Day 4: String cheese

Meredith eats things. She eats blocks, and books, and the tv remote control. However, she distinguishes between toys and food with an uncanny sort of sixth sense. With almost unfailing accuracy, she refuses to bring anything consumable to her mouth.
UNTIL THIS WEEKEND.
This week, amid the ever-present but recently more anxiety-ridden battle called "Mealtime at the Meyer's"- a breakthrough occurred. Spinning off the idea that Meredith loves to put the little ribbons from her baby toys in her mouth, we served her the most ribbon-like food imaginable--plain spaghetti! This met with moderate, reserved success. She picked it up and put it in her mouth. She played with it, broke it into pieces, and put it into her mouth several more times before eventually sacrificing it by throwing it onto the floor as a peace-offering to the dog.
Clearly we were on to something. Now, only one question remained: "How do we get Mer to swallow some of the food?"
Luckily, it didn't take very many glances in the refrigerator before we realized the potential of STRING CHEESE.
Slimy and smooth, like its spaghetti counterpart, string cheese never crumbles on to Meredith tongue with a rough sensation that results in automatic raspberries. String cheese is also long enough that Mer can grasp it easily, and it is flexible enough that it can wiggle into her mouth even if her aim is not dead-on. Unlike spaghetti, though, string cheese has TASTE.
Upon discovering the pleasures of mozzarella string cheese, Meredith promptly ate/played with an entire stick work of strings.
It may not sound like much to you, but to us it is a major battle won! Meredith independently fed herself some food!
Now, my next question--what else comes in string form?
*Written on September 11, 2011. However, my fond feelings for string-cheese have only increased since then, making me feel the need to include it in my list of thankfulness.

"Thanks"giving: Day 3: My job

So, it's not payday or anything, but, while I'm feeling upbeat about my class and school, I need to share how thankful I am for my job.
First, in today's economy and with the ever-increasing cuts to school budgets, I am grateful just to have a job. Yes, the pay could be greater and the paperwork could be less, but I guess that's why they call it work.
Second, I am grateful to have a job that I love. I am genuinely excited to go in to work and see 21 (or 22 tomorrow!) smiling 5-year-old faces staring back at me. For goodness sake, they are on a never-ending search for the word "the" and come show me every single time they find it. (And in kindergarten books, they find it a lot!) Their energy feeds mine, and exhausts mine, but there is never a boring moment.
Finally, I am grateful for the support I have from the other adults in my school. I have AWESOME support with all the behind-the-scenes work that goes in to actually making the classroom function on a daily basis: stuffing folders, making copies, small group remediation, math assessments, and classroom management. Wow! I am blessed! I also have a fair amount of professional freedom at my job--freedom that many teachers are losing as districts hope that scripted programs will result in higher test scores. Finally, I feel I have support in my personal life from my colleagues and supervisors. That makes coming to work so much easier.
It's not that I'm willing to forego my paycheck, but yes, I am grateful for my job!

*Note: written on Thursday in class. I'm playing a bit of catch up tonight.*