Bathtime Fun!

Rachel loves her bathtime! She splashes, laughs and just plain enjoys herself!

We don't really know if she's washing her face or blowing her nose, but she inhales when she puts that washcloth by her face and sometimes gets choked.

Hey look- it's me!

All done!

She even brushes her teeth (don't worry, we help her get them all!)

Wordless Wednesday

How in the world...

did she grow up so fast? I can't believe everything that she is doing now.

Of course she's still talking up a storm, and we are starting to understand a few things!

~walks to the car and back up to the house

~gives high fives (ha- babs)

~does motions to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" "There was a Little Bear" (Nana's famous poem)

~tickles herself when she gets to that point in poems

~sings "Go! Go! Go!" with The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That

~ talks on the phone to everyone- we have to be faster than her if the house phone rings because she WILL answer it and start talking! I don't know where she picked that up ;)

and my absolute favorite...

she prays! We hold hands and pray before each of our meals and this weekend she started saying something while we did it. After we say Amen, she lets go of our hands and puts them on her tray. Tonight she even said "mamen" I love it!

Here are a few pictures that Dustin took this past weekend at his parents house. Rachel loved playing around the window treatments! These are also some good shots of her new haircut.

Weekend in SC

This past weekend we took a quick trip to South Carolina to visit "Gaaa-ma" (said long and drawn out) and "papa" (said in a quiet little wisper). We took advantage of the nice weather on Saturday and went to Swan Lake. Rachel had a great time and was enthralled with everything going on. She actually walked quite a ways- I can't believe how independent she is becoming! Due to all the walking, she took a GREAT nap that afternoon, she didn't hardly stir when I took her in from the car and put her down in her pack 'n play.

Not the best picture of us, but hey, it's one of the only ones that we have together recently!

Rachel loved swinging between Daddy and Grandma

And just walking with Grandma and Mommy!

Peek-a-Boo!

She was talking up a storm about all the geese.

Papa followed her wherever she wanted to go...

and listened to everything that she said!

First Hair Cut

We took Rachel to get her first haircut today! It was probably a bit overdue, but we wanted her bangs to grow out and still be able to put it up in in a ponytail/pigtails. It was getting a bit shaggy, so today was the day!

Waiting so patiently!

She sat so nice and pretty still while the lady cut it!

We didn't get a picture of her afterwards, so I'll post that later.

Wordless Wednesday

Perspective

I don't know where to begin with my job... I teach preschool. It is a lot of fun, but no, I don't get to play all day, and yes, the kids take a nap, but I WORK in that class. It is very emotionally and physically demanding. I have 18 students in my class, and 8 of those students have disabilities of some sort. In the past 3 years, I have had students with autism (from one end of the spectrum to the other), speech and language delays, developmental delays, emotional disturbances, and physical handicaps. I am currently potty training 2 students (at one point there were 4 in pull-ups last year), and teaching quite a few the English language. Since my kids are between the ages of 2-5, there are few days that I don't get swatted at or yelled at... they're going through terrible 2's!

As tiring as this can all be, there are moments that make everything worth it. My kids are learning to speak English, they are learning their letters, and learning how to work with other individuals. Today was an amazing moment that I want to always remember- to keep me grounded. I have a child that is very delayed. He is in a wheelchair and had a hard time keeping his head up and honestly I didn't know how much he would be able to do at the beginning of the year. Well today, he was in his stander/walker and walked down the hallway! He sits by himself at circle time and I am absolutely amazed. It makes everything worth it!

I also laugh a lot- I have to, or I'll go crazy! Here's a conversation that happened yesterday:

Student A (English Language Learner): "Mrs. McCollum"

Me: "Yes"

Student A: (While scratching her eye) "I have something in my ear"

Me: "In your eye... let me see... keep blinking, sweetie, it'll feel better" as I look in her eye and don't see anything.

Student B: "No, Mrs. McCollum, she said in her EEEAAARRR"

(I would also like to say that I say "I" a lot when referring to "my" class, but I have a lot of support. 2 instructional assistants, a 3rd comes in a few times a week in the mornings, a full time nurse, and therapists that are in my class quite often. I couldn't do my job without all of them)

Wordless Wednesday