Stuff

So here is an udate on stuff, hence the title.

My 2nd playgroup last Friday was good and Micah had such a good time compared to last week. That is good because I was a little worried. It is also nice to start getting to know the moms in the group a little better. It seems like it will be a good group for us.

I brought Micah to the Happy Hallow Zoo here in San Jose and was thinking I might buy a membership. The zoo was a bit like a glorified petting zoo, but Micah seemed to like it. He loved the goats and SO wanted to grab them. He is in the pulling hair phase so I wasn't too sure how the goats liked it, but I made sure he was somewhat gentle. I didn't end up buying a membership, which I kind of regret because I think I will later and I would have saved the price of admission yesterday, $5. The park part of the zoo wasn't open because it was the off season and because it is being redone. My friend Michelle told me it is kind of cool and has little rides. I would like to go back on a day that is open. I like the idea of having a membership because then I don't have to worry about the cost of going and I will be more likely to get out of the house. A membership is only $30 for myself and Micah is free until he is two years old so if I go six times this year the membership would pay for itself.

Next Tuesday I invited my friend Heather to go to the Children's Discovery Museum. I haven't been there in years so can't remember much about it, but it is highly thought of by other moms and lots of my friends have memberships so I will probably end up getting a membership there as well. I like the idea of having a different place to go that is indoors in case of rain or heat.

School has been a bit crazy with student additions to my class. I have one student in particular who has made ME a little crazy. He joined my class last Wednesday and I have already had to talk with him numerous times, asked him to go outside twice, kicked him out of a lab, called his mom during class, after he lied to me about her phone number twice, (I got the phone number from the assistant principal) and had him asked 3 times by a guest speaker to stop talking and pay attention. Oh and did I mention he was absent from my class the last two days so he managed all of this in four days in my class. It turns out he is suspended for five days for something not related to my class. Wow.

Lastly, for our anniversary Jeff got me a pass to a spa at the Hayes Mansion. My friend Michelle went also because her husband got the same package for her because she just had a baby. The spa was very nice and Michelle and I had a good time. We felt very spoiled and relaxed. Thanks hubby. : )

A couple pictures from around the house

The first picture is how Micah likes to eat his food. This is a little worse than usual so I took a picture but honestly it is not that much worse. Micah really likes to bond with his food and make it an experience.

The next picture is me getting dishes done in the kitchen with Micah's company. I mentioned before that Micah has been clingy so he would rather watch me do dishes in the kitchen than be in the den with his toys. By the way, the apron I am wearing Sarah made me a few years ago for Christmas. It is very nice and it has pockets and everything. Thanks Sarah.

This last picture is to show off Micah's new thing he like to do. He sticks out his tongue and moves it around like he doesn't quite know what to do with it. I think also it might be that he is feeling/exploring his new teeth that are coming in on the bottom. So funny.

Spirit Week

This week was spirit week at my school. We dress up each day for fun with a different theme, work on shopping cart floats and then have a basketball game Thursday night. I dressed up a few days. Here is a picture of my friend Laura and I for Wacky Tacky day. That means you had to dress up not matching with crazy hair.


Our float for 8th grade was pretty bad this year. I helped a little but the 8th graders were just not interested. We actually had to pull some 8th graders out of leadership 7th period just so we had kids to work on the float.
First is the 8th grade float, then the 7th grade float, and last is the 6th grade float.



The 6th graders got 1st, 7th got 2nd and 8th grade got 3rd place. One of the rules for float building is that everything has to be student made and most of the 7th grade float was not student made so they got 2nd place.

Micah, Jeff and I went to the rally after school on Thursday because we are on campus anyway for our Campus Life small group. We did our small group after the rally. Here are two pictures from the rally.

Just because it has been a while

I kind of feel like Sarah because I feel like I should blog, but there is nothing happening much around here. This weekend was pretty low key. Jeff and I just got things done around the house. You know you are a bad house keeper when you go to vacuum the house and your son who is almost 6 months old stares at the vacuum like he has never seen it before and for just a second you wonder if he has.

I just realized that I never posted about last Friday's playgroup. It was fun. I got to know some moms and their kids. It will be nice to go to more stuff and get to know them all better. Micah did not like the group much. I think he was a little overwhelmed with all of the babies. I hope he does better at the next one.

Micah has really been starting the stranger anxiety thing and has been pretty clingy. If people stop and try to interact with him he will often start to cry. I feel bad for the people who are trying to be so nice, but what can you do? He won't really let other people hold him much either. He has to be in a good mood or we trick him with a fast switch and face him out so he doesn't know he is being held by someone else. Micah is still getting up two to four times during the night. I SO want a full nights sleep. Micah is also just about to have one of his bottom teeth cut through so that probably doesn't help much. I can't believe my baby is growing up so fast.

This week is spirit week at my school. I will post a picture later of dressing up for one of the days. At my school we dress up each day to show our spirit and then we play basketball against John Muir Middle School, our arch rival, on Thursday evening. I am helping with the 8th grade float again this year for spirit week. We did not have the same student interest as last year and we had a shorter time to make the float so it did not turn out as good as the last few years. Hopefully I will get a picture.

This year I am working with a new 8th grade science teacher and he is great so far. He spends so much time looking into new stuff to do for our curriculum and he is really nice. We hit it off great. I almost feel like I am working with my friend/teacher Jenni again from two years ago. That is really high praise.

Well I can't think of too much else to blab about so I will sign off for now.

10 Year - Part 6

Micah and I spent some time together before we left back to LA. It got a little gooey. : )



And here we are on the flight home.



What a great anniversary trip!

10 Year - Part 5

When we showed up at our hotel in San Diego they told us that they had moved us up to the executive level of the hotel because of our anniversary. We needed a special key to go to that level. We got a special free breakfast on that floor each morning and snacks in the afternoon. We felt very important. : )


On Sunday we went to the San Diego Zoo and had a great time.











It was a long day at the zoo.

Maybe Micah's favorite were the leopards. Here is a video for your viewing enjoyment. : )

10 Year - Part 4

When we went to pick up Micah from my Dad and Susan we met up with Pam who made a bigger hat to fit Micah's head and made me a matching hat as well. How cute. Now other family members are putting their orders in as well. Maybe Pam should start a business. ; ) Jake joined us as well and was very concerned that Micah was too cold so he snugged with him.


David and Melissa were there as well because they were picking up Caiden and decided to do lunch with Dad and Susan. It was like a mini family reunion.

10 Year - Part 3

These pictures are taken at the waterfront Hilton. Jeff and I stayed here for part of our honeymoon 10 years ago so it was fun to take a small trip down memory lane.

The first and second pictures were taken from our hotel room. We had a great view.


This was taken from a window on the other side of the hotel. It was a gorgeous day.


The following photo we took for fun because we remembered we had a photo of us in front of this fountain from our honeymoon. Jeff scaned the old picture so I could blog both. We have changed a little since then.

10 Year - Part 2

Jeff and I came back from the Queen Mary and had lunch with Micah (I missed him a lot) my mom, Jim, Pam, Melissa and Caiden.


In celebration of my anniversary the girls went out and got facials and massages while Jeff and Jim watched the kids. Melissa and I got massages, my Mom and Pam got facials. Everyone was very pleased with what they got. My massage was wonderful! It was my first professional massage but it definitely won't be my last. : )




When we got back from the spa Jeff and I went out to dinner with Dad and Susan. Susan offered to watch Micah for that night so we decided it wouldn't hurt to have another night on our own. I did miss Micah bunches.

Surprise 10 Year Anniversary Trip - Part 1

Jeff decided to surprise me with an anniversay trip to LA and San Diego since that is where we went for our honeymoon 10 years ago. Jeff showed up in my classroom on Thursday with a coffee for me and gave me a card from Micah for our anniversary. "Micah" had made me a DVD to watch that told me we had a flight to LA in just a few hours and we were going to goof off in LA and San Diego for the next few days. Jeff had set up missing school Friday with my school secretary and the other 8th grade science teacher.
Jeff had called my mom and asked her to take Micah for the night while we went out and had a nice dinner then spent the night at the Queen Mary Hotel. It was pretty cool to stay on the ship. The next morning we went and ate breakfast at a bakery on the ship and explored. It was lots of fun. Of course I missed my Friday playgroup so I will go to the one this next Friday instead.

This was the view we had while we ate dinner at Parker's Lighthouse Restaraunt that night. They have great food.






I thought the last two were cool because you can see the Spruce Goose dome behind us as well as the ship and hotel sign.

Las Madres

Lately I have been feeling like a want a group of moms that I can hang out with and other kids that Micah can play with. Micah has been more social lately so I thought he might have fun with other babies his age. I have some friends with babies Micah's age but often times things come up and plans get canceled. That is fine, life happens. But if you have like 5-10 moms who are going to make a playgroup date then if a couple cancel I can still go since there will still be some moms there and I took the time to plan it into my schedule.

I asked around and I was recommended a group called Las Madres. I decided to sign up and see how it goes. I already got responses on the yahoo groups page welcoming Micah and I into the group. The first event I am going to is on Friday. I am really hoping I can make some friends and Micah can make some friends as well. I don't want to get too excited, but I kind of am. I guess I didn't realize how important social interactions are for me and since I have only been working part time I miss a lot of the hanging out and chatting with other teachers at school and it has been harder to make plans with friends because of kid stuff.

I will let you know how it goes.

Visiting Friends

On Sunday evening we went to visit our friends David and Tanya. David and Jeff were in the same band together. David and Tanya were married in July and they make a very cute couple. I like them a lot.

They are very "real" and fun. When Tanya and I talk I feel like we discuss things of interest and it isn't just "small talk" to fill the time. We had a fun evening.

Old School

I had to take a few pictures of Micah in his little coat. This coat belonged to Kevin Budd when he was Micah's age and it was made by Kevin's grandmother Floy Budd. That means that the coat is over 50 years old and was made by Micah's great, great grandmother. I thought that was pretty cool.

More of Micah

Because there are never enough pictures of Micah. : )


The first two pictures are from when Micah and I were playing with his stuffed animals.


The next two pictures were taken at our campus life group at the junior high. Micah is our mascot and the girls love to hold him.


The last two are from when Micah wore an outfit my mom got him. I thought he looked so cute. I had to get a picture of my two favorite men in my life.