Go to Sleep, My Baby

She's certainly not a baby anymore! It has been two years since I have been able to sleep without my child. P was a great sleeper as a baby, never had any issues putting her to bed or sleeping by herself...until a series of unfortunate events occurred, or at least from what I can remember. Roughly two years ago, she had a few back-to-back colds/viruses. She was still in her crib, but we must've taken her out because she was having a hard time breathing and I was probably paranoid about her not being able to breathe or sleep. One night turned into many nights and fast forward two years later, she still wasn't sleeping by herself.

Dancing Queen

After a six month hiatus, we returned to dance combo (jazz, tap, and ballet) at the Dance Academy of SLO. Since we're slowly transitioning away from afternoon nap (we're fortunate that our 4-year old is still napping!), it's a better time on our free Fridays to resume dance. She's been doing so much spontaneous dancing on her own and since we've only been committed to swimming, we figured it was time for her to do something else that was fun during the summer months.

3rd Grade Level Reunites Again

For lack of better words, I'm not sure how to phrase this group of friends that came back together when we were teaching 3rd and 4th grade together. So, I have referred to them as my "3rd Grade Level" friends as evident in this post back in 2011.

Anyhow, Marta, Christine, Virginia told me they were coming to visit in a couple of days. Yikes! My house is a mess and I'm not going to have any time to clean for company! We met for lunch and headed to the beach for a couple of hours.

Bye Bye Fish & Game, Hello Caltrans!

After 15 years of California Department of Fish & Game (well it's now Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, not to be confused with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service...smart move DFG!), RT has decided to move on. All I have to say to that is, hallelujah!

Braving the Ocean

The ocean is a scary and daunting thing for a child, even though we walk along the beach regularly. It hasn't been until this time where P has actually ventured into the ocean. Maybe because this year we've been enrolled in swimming lessons for a consecutive 9 months now rather than just 3 months during the summers (yes, quite a commitment considering the drive is 40 one way to Arroyo Grande!). Maybe because her new friend Charlotte was with her to give her confidence. Who knows? All I know is that it was mighty cold and overcast, not the best day to take a dip in the ocean, but once she got a taste for it, she was hooked! We were at Avila Beach, where it's usually sunny and warmer compared to Morro Bay or Pismo, but the sun never came out!

Two Pennies on the Beach

P had the best birthday surprise, and even better for me, I did not have to arrange any kind of birthday bash. My kind of party planning! My former colleague and good friend, Marta, and her daughter Jeweleanna came over to the coast with a couple of their horses, boarded them at a nearby facility, and took us out to the beach for some horseback ridin'!

Happy 4th Birthday!

Happy Birthday to our little girl who is growing up too fast! Low-key birthday celebration this year with just her buddy, Bode and family, the night before with Pizza Port and cake afterwards. There are lots of things to reflect upon this past year with P and her developmental milestones. 

The most impressionable personality trait that came through loud and clear was her strong-will. There are some things where once she made up her mind, there was no swaying her. She's so fiercely independent in that. She's her own person and doesn't back down from what she believes. At times this has been so frustrating (and for someone who's a control freak, to some degree), it has been a lesson for all of us.

Getting Back in the Game

I am officially hired as a substitute teacher with SLO Coastal Unified. What??? I still have my “day job” working for The Land Conservancy, but I am slowly getting my feet wet again with teaching.

It’s been 5 years since I set foot in a classroom, so why the sudden change of heart? Well, lots of reasons, really. First of all, having a child without family close by and not being a stay-at-home-mom makes it difficult to juggle a work schedule. Now that our child is approaching school-age and witnessing a colleague at work trying to juggle her schedule with her children’s school schedule and a newborn, it seems to make more sense for me to go back to teaching and be on the same schedule as P. Ideally, I’d love to be able to teach at the same school where she is attending or vice versa.