PlayDay

Yesterday I spent the day with Dade and my nephew Aidy (Adrian).  It was a fun and exciting day.  I've uploaded pictures to my Web-Gallery through SmugMug.  But here are some of my favorites.

Both boys were "talking" to each other at this point.  I'd like to believe they were plotting something.

I acutally managed to get them to sit still next to each other long enough to take a picture!

Aidy: 13months Dade: 17 months

My attempt to get a picture of the three of us.

Our first adventure was to the park.  Who knew my car could get 2 car seats in it!

Well . . . you gotta start sometime!

Aidy learned that you can hit the pole and get a funny sound!

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Needless to say that the boys had loads of fun yesterday together!  The both crashed for about 2 1/2 hours after playing all morning, visiting the park, and meeting everyone for lunch!  Next time Aidy will have to come to Dade's to play!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I can't believe that I only have 2 weeks left of summer break. Well, honestly I can believe it, but it has gone by soooo fast!

I've been keeping super busy with Dade, going to different places during the week so that Clint can have a super silent house to do his work. This week I've decided that I'm going to go down to Knob on Tuesday morning sometime and spend some time with mom and Grandma. Dad's going out of town, and mom doesn't like staying by herself. Neither do I frankly, so i understand how she feels. I'm going to come back up Friday night for our gaming session and then we will head back down Saturday morning. My cousin is coming up a week from tomorrow, and it will be fun to spend some time with him as well.

Clint is lying down with Dader now, trying to get him to sleep. He's had a busy day today! He spent the day with my parents and his cousin Aidy. I guess they are becoming good buddies! I think I might watch both the boys one day next week. Should be fun and interesting! 14 weeks really isn't the much of a difference!

After Dader goes to bed we are going to watch Watchmen! We didn't get a chance to go see it when it was out in the movie theaters, so now it's our turn! I've got pizza in the oven, and Pepsi ready to go!

Who watches the Watchmen?

Free Cookies?

It seems as if every time we go somewhere, Dade is offered something for free. He's received free cookies from McDonald's, Panera, Einstein Bagels, and now Wendy's.

I wish I were cute enough to get free stuff!

On His Own

Dade was playing in his room a few minutes ago while Clint and I watched him.  Clint was rocking in the glider and I was standing by the window.  On his own, Dade went to his bed, grabbed his blanket and dino, and then climbed into the glider with Clint. I guess he was ready for bed.

Graduate Classes

I just signed up for my classes this Fall for my Liberal Arts Masters! My first class is Science Fiction and Horror Films. My second class is Human Sexuality. Both should be wonderful!!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

Are uploading now as I type this. However, I doubt you'll be able to see them for a little while yet. Since we are down to using the desktop with a USB wireless card, the process is taking a heck of a lot longer than I would like.

On the bright-side, I'm uploading our Chicago pictures, as well as some pictures of the kiddo!

Enjoy!

NaBloPoMo

What the heck is NaBloPoMo? National Blog Posting Month. This is a version of NaNoWriMo.

How is this different from NaNoWriMo? Well each month there is a theme, and the task of the blogger is to post everyday something about the theme. Now doing the theme is optional, but it looks like it will challenge me in a good way.

The actual NaBloPoMo is in November and bloggers that are apart of the thing will get the chance at winning prizes. If you are a blogger and want a challenge! SIGN UP!

Chicago Trip

It was good!  It was nice to get away, even though I sat inside for most of the day listening to war-horse teachers tell me their strategies in the classroom. I only second-guessed my choice on two seminars. Mainly because  I had heard the information from one presenter here in KC and it was a 75 minute version of the all day seminar.  The other one had GREAT information but the speaker spoke in a monotone voice for 75 minutes.

As soon as I can find my camera cord, I'll upload pictures to the Gallery.  Clint went through and "cleaned" up the many pictures that we took to a crisp set.

It was so nice to get home and be with Dade! We let him sleep with us on Friday night when we got to Knob. I didn't sleep very well, but I didn't care.  I wanted to be next to my kiddo!

I'm super tired right now, and I should go to bed.  I was going to watch Netflix instant, but ALAS, the website is down.  I guess Ghost Hunters will have to do!

Death of a Computer

I guess when a computer decides that it's time to go, it goes in a fashion that suits it.  That's exactly what my computer did on Friday afternoon.  It's somewhat ironic that it went when it did because Clint and I 45 minutes earlier were in the Apple Store on the Plaza pricing his new computer that he's going to get this fall. When we got home Clint and Dade were lying down for a nap, so I got on the computer to play some games.

The computer froze and went to the blue screen of death and starting yelling at me like computers can do. Beeping really loudly! What the beeping was trying to tell me was that the hard drive could not be detected.  I panicked. I knew how important the computer was because

1. It was the only one we have right now

2. Clint needed to start layout on a project.

I heard Dade crying upstairs so I went to tell Clint what happened. He looked at it shocked and started to think about what was lost.  Luckily we only lost a few important documents that were not backed up somewhere but none of the current manuscripts for projects.

With some super quick thinking, I got everything arranged to get my desktop computer here at the house. Our buddy Ethan had to pull everything out of the CPU and put it back in because it hadn't been used in a while, but it's up and working!!

ADDED BONUS! I now have a computer for school for the kiddos once we go back.  I was planning on using the desktop in my classroom for educational games and what not for the kiddos.  Now that it's ready to go I can take it this fall.

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Clint and I are leaving for Chicago later this afternoon! I'm so excited!! Everyone will be shocked and amazed to know that I'm not checking any luggage (it costs extra) and managed to get all my items in a carry on bag!! We are all packed except for the last of the bathroom items (my Chi and some of Clint's items) and our satchel bags.

Clint's got some errands to run this morning, so when he gets back I'm going to head into the school and grab a laptop from there and get an open PO so I can purchase books at my conference.

I'll try and post some stuff from Chicago if I get a chance!

Hair Cut

Took Dade to get one! Went to Brookeside Barber. He was fine once he got a sucker to eat! Go figure! Meanwhile Mom is covered in hair, and sticky drool!

Vacation

Clint and I are leaving on Monday to head to Chicago for a little mini-vacation without the kiddo.  Now don't get me wrong I'll miss Dade, but we need some Mommy and Daddy time.  The sweet thing about the deal is that my portion of the trip has been paid for (hotel, airfare, food) compliments of Edison Learning/Derrick Thomas Academy.  How is this possible you wonder in your head.  Simple. . . I'm going to a conference.  I will be attending the Midwest Conference on Differentiated Instruction.  I'm extremely interested in the whole Differentiated scene, and have been to several one-day conferences and taken several graduate level classes on it.  My principal was nice enough to approve this trip.

I'm super stoked.  My schedule looks a little something like this:

Tuesday July 7th

8:45-10:00 Tapping into Learning Styles

10:30-11:45 Managing a Differentiated Classroom

1:15 - 2:30 Differentiated Instruction: Walking Through a Lesson from Scratch

3:00 - 4:15 30 Hope Building Strategies to Help Your ADD/ADHD Boys

Wednesday July 8th

8:45 - 10:00 CSI: Creating Student Investigators

10:30 - 11:45 50 Marvelous Management Strategies

1:00 - 4:00 Differentiating for Phonics & Spelling

Thursday July 9th

8:45 - 10:00 Fantastic Calendar Math

10:30 - 11:45 Rules and Classroom Management Strategies for RTI

1:00 - 4:00 Anchor Activities Action Lab

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On top of that during the evening Clint and I have some friends coming into Chicago on Monday and Tuesday that I haven't seen for at least 4 years, and a year for Clint.  Plus, one of Clint's fellow game designers just moved to Chicago this past weekend from Boston, so we'll be able to see him for a bit as well.

I'm going to have to pack light because we are flying United Airlines, and they charge for you to check luggage.  Which means no checking luggage for me! Carry on only.

Where is Dade going you ask?  Nana and Papa's! This will be the first time we've been away from him for longer then a few days.  I believe they are going to come get him late Sunday afternoon, and then we'll head that way once we get back from Chicago on Friday the 10th!

All that's left to do is to pack and get through the 4th!

Dadey and Me

I LOVE SUMMER!  There's  no doubt about it, I love it for many reasons!

1. Spending a lot of time with Dade.

2. Swimming

3. Daylight until after 9

4. Spending time with friends.

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For far we've been staying pretty busy.  Grandma had surgery on Monday in Lee's Summit, so Dade and I went and visited her for a while yesterday morning.  We've been going swimming a lot and spending time at the park.

Dade has been doing pretty good in my book in his big boy bed.  Last night he kept getting up at first and it was rather comical because I'd put him to bed and leave the room.  As I left I would shut the door.  After about 10 seconds the door would fly open and Dade would be standing there.  I wouldn't have to say anything, just point to his bed.  He'd run to the bed, climb in it, and then lie down.  This repeated for a while.  I finally just went it there and sat on the floor next to the bed until he fell alseep.

He's so darn cute the it hurts sometimes!  Check out this pictures!

I guess this is what I get for bringing them to my classroom.  Meter stick fights!

Dade loved to feed the deer at the zoo!

Dade chased the sheep around the pen in the Australia part of the zoo.

Please, no pictures!

All teeth!

Lining up the ducks during bath time.

He lines them all up in a row, and then one by one throws them into the water.

Dadey and Me!