Fulfilling a Teaching Requirement

I am leaving tomorrow night for Lansing. . . I will be gone for a week. In order to get my teaching certificate renewed i need to take classes. I just have three credits left to get before next June and after next week, i will have satisfied that requirement. I wanted to get it done before having our second child. . . i am imagining a pretty crazy life at that point. I am going to miss home, miss TJ, and miss Jaely so incredibly much. I am staying at a hotel with a friend, so that should help keep my mind off of things for a bit, but not enough.

I am going to miss TJ's kisses and Jaely's giggles. Hopefully Jae will talk to me on the phone. . . sometimes she is just not in the mood for such silliness.

Vivid Dreams

I had forgotten what amazing dreams i have when i am pregnant. They are so vivid- so real. One time i woke up and thought "i could make that into a movie" because it was so suspenseful. Not scary, just exciting.

Last night, i dreamed i was gardening with my mom. It was absolutely am amazing. I could swear i smelled the dirt i was digging in and the smoke from her cigarette. At first, it was just George and i awaiting my mom's return home. Sometimes she comes back in my dreams, but most of the time she doesn't. Most of the time she is away on vacation or she has moved or she is lost. . . but last night she did return.

We were planting perinnials by the stumps in the big garden. The hens & chicks were there and the bee balm. We were adding blue chips and coneflowers. What i loved about my dream is that my mom wasn't just the good qualities that i remember (i often ignore the things that drove me nuts about her) it was Lynne- the complete package. She was awesome and laughed a lot, but she also kept nagging me to plant the flowers closer together. I got just a little snotty back at her. I remember thinking that she had hardly done any planting between standing up and directing me and smoking her cigarette. It was such a typical time. . . i miss those times.

I wasn't pregnant in my dreams. . . i wish i was. I want to have a conversation with my mom about it at least once (even if it is just in my dreams). And since she was such herself, it would have been an exciting conversation full of pink items, smiles, questions and of course nagging to visit her more. :)

I have 5 more months of vivid dreams and i hope i see my mom again real soon.

My Husband

I am so incredibly exhausted, but i just had to come on and write some thoughts. I had an amazing birthday today. TJ thought of the whole menu, sent invites to family, cooked, made my favorite cake, set out the dishes, and even cleaned up. He is amazing. And because he did all of those things, i was able to enjoy family time and watch Jaely enjoy family time.

He amazes me. Thank you, TJ for making such a special day for me and for working so hard to make it a tasty and fun day. I love you.

School is out. . . really?

I am waiting for it to sink in. The end of the year sneaked up on me. I don't know why. Maybe because the weather stayed cool for the most part. Or maybe because i was rushing around until the very end folding report cards, writing notes to each student in their third grade memory book, writing a note in their summer reading book, meeting next year's class, and refolding report cards. Maybe it sneaked up on me because this year just flew by. . . it seems to go a lot faster when you have a two year old at home.

I am just so relieved, ready to relax and spend time with Jaely. I must admit, i am a little nervous spending so much time with her. . . it has been awhile. Will i keep her busy enough? Will i be too easy? Will i break with every pout and whimper? Will i lose my patience?

And then i think of the zoo, the beach, the parks, camping, condo, visiting family, farmers markets, libraries, art fairs and i realize it will be a good summer as a family!

Amazing. . .

I just read that Baby Ellis will be born with 300 bones in its body. As he/she grows some bones will fuse together to produce a total of 206 bones by adulthood.

Unbelievable. Amazing. Our bodies are crazy and God is creative!