Baby Gray/maternity/photos

From Here to Maternity…

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 4 Comments
This was a weekend to get ready for Baby Gray… 
It’s our last weekend before football starts, so we wanted to be ready. We spent yesterday finishing up our registry items to ensure we have the essentials to get us started before Baby Gray’s arrival. We only had a few items left to purchase, and we got everything we set out for yesterday. 
This morning, we went to meet Cookie so she could take some maternity photos for us. To me, maternity photos were something I was scared I would regret if I didn’t do, even though I wasn’t really too into it. The photo session went just as ours always do; Mr. Gray and I talked and laughed the whole time, rather than being too focused on taking photos. Here are a few photos that captured the essence of our shoot: 
So, like I said, we don’t do photo shoots very seriously, but they capture “us” pretty well. A big thanks to Cookie for helping us out with this! 
We had a tour at the hospital where we will deliver after our photos. I told Mr. Gray on the way home yesterday that the nurse who called to confirm the tour was a male RN, and he would be giving the tour. I said I wasn’t sure how I felt about having a male nurse when it was time for Baby Gray to come. However, when we got there today, I fell in love with Ed (the same male nurse from yesterday). Now I’m praying Ed will be my nurse in labor & delivery–he was great! 
Overall, we had a great tour of the maternity wing. It made us feel really good about everything, even though it’s farther from home than we had originally wanted. We can’t wait for Baby Gray to get here!

All photos courtesy of Lindsay Cook, 2010
kindergarten/teaching

What a Week!

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment
The first week of school is always interesting (to say the very least). 
We started Monday with Meet the Teacher (I’d like to say a HUGE thanks to the district for letting us start Tuesday). Every year, younger siblings come with my students and tear up my room. Every year. Never fails. Thankfully, this year, it was only one, and after a brief terrorization, the grandmother took him out of the room and didn’t let him come back. So much better than the ones who act like the kid isn’t doing anything and let them continue. 
I always have families fill out a little information sheet about the child at Meet the Teacher so I’ll have an idea of what to expect on the first day. On the sheet, there is a place for the “name the child would like to be called” because they are kindergarteners and can’t tell you when you’re calling them the wrong name most of the time. Usually I just get a few nicknames or initials instead of the full name. This year, I had parents put that their child would like to be called Weecho and Daddy. Yeah, right. Those children are learning to be called by their full names! 
Tuesday was the first day of school, and I only had two criers. I was impressed. They didn’t even cry for long. No one got lost, and everyone got home the right way. Success! 
Wednesday I had morning duty at the crosswalk. I didn’t know anything about what to expect. Off I went to my duty station with no stop sign, nothing. Later that day, almost all the other teachers who have duty at that station at some point offered me a stop sign. I have my very own now. I like that duty station because I get to see parents and children interacting on their way to the school–it explains A LOT. It was another successful day–no one lost; everyone got home!
Thursday as I walked to my duty station, I had to laugh when an older kid walked by with a shirt on that had a quote about his “swagger” (I don’t remember exactly what it said, but really? He was maybe in fourth grade). One of my criers tried to escape after his mom dropped him off, but he didn’t get out of the classroom (thank goodness)! Otherwise, we had another successful day! 
Today was Friday, and it was pretty interesting because my kiddos don’t really understand what that  means yet. Once they get it figured out, Fridays are fun. On the way to the crosswalk, the same kid had on a different shirt about his “swagger”. It makes me wonder how many he has. I’m going to ask him about what his shirt means next time he wears one. (I’m turning into such an old lady.) No one cried this morning, so that was a definite plus! 
As tired as I am, it’s fun watching all the little personalities emerge as everyone sinks into their classroom roles. I’ve already got some leaders, some trouble makers (of course), a few helpers, and some shy ones. We’ll see how they progress throughout the year.
antics

I Laughed Until I Cried…

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
Mr. Gray is athletic, to say the very least. He’s naturally talented and charismatic. It’s not often, if ever, that this sense of finesse escapes him. Earlier, he got a text message and I tossed his phone across the living room to him on the couch. I do this all the time–he does it to me. We throw things to each other. It’s our way of life. Rather than his usual easy-as-pie catch, he batted at the phone in a spastic manner and flailed his limbs (yes, his legs, too). While there is no way I can convey the hilarity of this situation in this blog, I need all of you to know I CRIED, really cried, real tears from laughing so hard. I had tears in my eyes again as I recounted the scene in my head to write it. Hilarious. Hi-la-rious. 
I threw the remote to him a few minutes after that (high school football is on TV). The finesse was back. It must have been a temporary loss of body control.
classroom/furniture/garage sale/iPhone/teaching

Busy, Busy… Gotta Keep Moving!

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
My classroom is still coming along. It still looks tremendously empty to me since I’ve left so much of my personal stuff at home or in the (locked) closet.
This area will be for all their school supplies (so the sub can find them easily). The computer that is in quite the strange place there will be removed sooner or later… 
This is the Reading Lab and the polka dots on the blinds will be used to hang outstanding student work. 
Here are the cubbies, storage areas, tables, Science Lab, Dramatic Play Lab (the back of the room).
This is the rest of the back of the room. My teaching table and desk area as well as the Computer Lab. 
This is the area where the kiddos will pull their literacy labs to take to their designated work areas. Their classroom jobs are also posted here. 
This is the carpet/whole group area. It’s not quite finished, but it’s getting there. I’m still not quite sure I’m ready for the kiddos; I’m hoping I have enough stamina to make it through the next six weeks!
This morning, we hosted our first garage sale since moving to our current home. It was definitely different than our  hometown garage sales.
I posted that the sale would begin at 8:00 am, and no one showed up until then. Usually, people are there way early and trying to bargain with you before you’re even set up. That was not the case at all; I was set up and ready long before anyone came. 
The second big difference was what sold. Generally, my clothes are the first things to go. Not today… all the junk was gone before any clothes even sold. Fortunately, we made some money and didn’t have much left to donate to Goodwill. I’ll take it! 
This recliner was left at the end of the sale… if you need a super comfortable recliner, this is a great one to own! Let me know if you’re interested!
On a very positive side note, I got all the iPhones in our home switched out and working properly last night! Thank goodness!
Baby Gray/classroom/garage sale/teaching

Time to Breathe

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
Between moving into my classroom, attending workshops, trying to have a garage sale–this Saturday, August 21st, and trying to find enough clothes to wear to work for the next six weeks. I don’t feel like I’ve slowed down at all for the last few weeks! Whew! 
My classroom is coming along. (Sorry, Susan, no photos–again.) It looks really empty due to the fact that I don’t want all of my personal belongings there with the substitute for my maternity leave. There’s also the fact that we have a new ELA adoption, and we don’t have the books and materials for that in our rooms yet. This room is so much cleaner than last year’s room was when I started, and that’s helping, too. I don’t have any questionable stuff lingering and cluttering up the room. Mr. Gray, my more-than-wonderful husband, has been up to school the last two days helping me hang things (and secretly making sure I’m not standing on anything while he’s not there). 
I’m still really apprehensive about leaving my class with a sub for twelve weeks, but I know once Baby Gray is here I won’t be as worried about it. I can’t wait to stay home with him and spend quality time with our son. It’s such a great opportunity–I’ll only get it once! Thank goodness I’m still feeling really good, and I haven’t had much trouble being able to get things done in workshops or around my classroom. (Granted, I haven’t cooked dinner in over a week,  but that’s a minor detail.) 
School is starting on Tuesday this year, so we have Monday to finish getting our rooms ready and get set up for our Meet the Teacher Monday evening. I like that it’s falling the evening before school starts this year–the scheduling so far has been good to me!
applique/Baby Gray/friends/gifts/onesies/sewing

Adventures in Applique

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
It’s no secret that Nonna is phenomenal with a sewing machine, and that I can order things with a click of a button and the entrance of my (memorized) debit card number. However, last week I decided I wanted to try my hand at applique. I keep ordering these super cute onesies for Baby Gray & friends online, and I thought I might be able to make them. 
Let me preface all this with the fact that I have used a sewing machine before (disregard the fact that it was over fifteen years ago). I had never used Steam-A-Seam, though, so that was new. I looked it up online and found some patterns for exactly what I wanted to make. We have several people in our Heart Group as well as other friends who are expecting, so I thought these might be good, thoughtful baby gifts. 
I started out doing great–the actual iron on portion of this project was a breeze! I had all my cute fabrics coordinated just right, and whale I had been envisioning for the blue fabric I bought turned out perfect! I was on cloud nine and dreaming of all the onesies I would make! 
Then I got to the part where I needed to sew. This was a little more of a speed bump. I drew the patterns I had ironed to the onesies onto some fabric to practice with the sewing machine. (Since I was going to be so good at this, I had my machine all ready to go with black thread!) 
I tried a few “straight” lines and traced the patterns I had drawn. Cloud nine had become a fog, and I was scared I was going to ruin all the onesies that started out so cute. (Notice how poorly the whales turned out.) 
I kept practicing, but I kept getting more and more discouraged. Finally I realized I didn’t have to use black thread; I could use white. The white thread against the white onesies would be a lot more forgiving. Once I re-threaded my machine, I was brave enough to stick a onesie on there and try it out. 
This is the first one I completed. Short of the wing, it’s not bad. I decided not to stitch over the wing on the next ones. They turned out pretty well. 
This one turned out better. I left the wing without the stitching, and I missed a place or two near the bottom, but, overall, it’s not bad. I’d let my baby wear it. 
I love the fabric I used for the bird on this one. It’s my favorite of all the fabrics. I did a lot better job going around this little birdie than some of the others. I was sort of starting to get the hang of it! 
This one also turned out pretty well. I like the polka dots a lot. I think I’ll make the beaks a little larger next time I make these. 
I waited until the very last one to do the whale because I messed it up so bad when I was practicing. Much to my (pleasant) surprise, though, it turned out to be the best one of all! I was so excited. This was the only one I knew exactly what I was going to make from the time I got the fabric until the time I actually made it. I can’t wait to make one for Baby Gray! 
I still have a long way to go with the sewing machine. The first thing I want to master is the foot control (I made all of these using the hand wheel so that I could have better control over each stitch). I’ll get there, though. Unfortunately for Nonna, she’s not off the hook!
iPhone 3G/iPhone 4/Mac/MacBook

Ridin’ the Bandwagon

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
I’m on Apple’s bandwagon; I admit it. I was hooked the first time I plugged in my MacBook (circa 2007). Then came my love affair with the iPhone (I waited in line for the 3G in 2008). I talked my dad into buying an iMac for himself (he’s never had a computer). I don’t always have the newest or the best (I can’t afford to keep up) of each product, but I upgrade to other Mac products when necessary. 
With Baby Gray’s arrival creeping up on us, we started looking at camera and video options for every day use. My 3G has a decent camera, but it doesn’t have video. I planned on getting the white iPhone 4 upon launch so I could video our little bundle. Then the white was delayed on several occasions, and we had to revisit our plan. I decided I’d just get a point and shoot camera with video capabilities until the white phone came out. 
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I haven’t carried my current point and shoot camera since I got my iPhone. I didn’t see much point in buying another. So I decided to go ahead and buy the black iPhone 4 and give Mr. Gray my 3G. He has a 3G also, but he is in desperate need of something else. His poor phone is barely making it! Once the white iPhone comes out, I’ll give him the black 4 and get the white. Done deal. 
Sort of. Remember that MacBook from 2007? We still have it. We haven’t purchased software upgrades; we have just done the updates provided by Apple. After a few days with a friend who had just gotten an iPhone 4, I decided that it was time to get one. I called around and found out that a store on my way home from College Station had them in stock–barely. The FedEx guy drove up with them on the truck as I was on the phone with the store associate. The phone was barely entered into the system when I came to pick it up. I was pumped. I didn’t have to order it, wait, or anything. 
Then I got home. I plugged it into my computer (remember, it’s a Mac). I got an error message. I can’t use my MacBook to sync my iPhone. Lovely. So I have a phone with no contact info or apps that I have to use until we can get to an Apple store (no, you can’t download it) to get the software update. No, I can’t use my 3G until I get the 4 working; they de-activated my SIM card when they switched me to the 4. Apple decided the 4 needed a different SIM card for the 4 than the 3G. 
This is the first time I’ve been truly disappointed with Apple. It’s a pretty big disappointment. I might jump off the bandwagon after this.
classroom/teaching

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment
So I decided that each day I’d make a small goal for my classroom and I could go home when I finished the goal. Yesterday, my goal was to get the cabinets and drawers by the sink cleaned out. Not to mention, with Mr. Gray there, I got the general layout of the room taken care of in no time! Today, my goal was to clean out the shelves on top of the cubbies. Co-workers always think I’m crazy when I first move into a room because I just go through and throw things away like mad! I met my goal for today in two hours, so now I get to relax and hang out with Rooster Dog until tomorrow! (Mr. Gray said it was OK…) 
This will be the carpet/whole group area. It still needs lots of work, but thank goodness Mr. Gray got everything into the general area for me! 
This was yesterday’s goal. I worked to clean out all the shelves on the wall, the drawers, and the cabinets below. It was filled with all sorts of things! However, it was NOTHING compared to the wreck I found when I walked into my room last year! 
This will be the Reading Lab (Library Lab… I call it either interchangeably). Again, Mr. Gray got everything into the general area for me. I love the huge window! Don’t worry, Nonna, I’m not messing with a curtain this year! 
These shelves on top of the cubbies were today’s goal. I even got started on some of the cubbies below. I feel like I’m making progress, even if it’s slowly. 
Again, all this progress is much thanks to Mr. Gray. He got all the tables and chairs situated after we got my stuff into the room yesterday. You can’t really see, but behind the tables is the Dramatic Play Lab and the Science Lab. 
This is where they will pull their different literacy labs as well as where the Computer Lab will be. 
Here’s my teaching table and desk area. I’ve definitely got a lot to get settled in this section of the room!
Overall, there is still a lot of work to do, but I think it’s do-able. It’ll get there.
Baby Gray/friends/teaching

Childbirth, Babies, and Moving… Oh, My!

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
Mr. Gray and I kicked off our Saturday bright and early with a childbirth class in San Marcos. I insisted that we get breakfast before the class–spinach & egg white wrap from Starbucks–so we left super early to allow time for my request. Mr. Gray can hold his own in most situations, but taking him to Starbucks still cracks me up; he’s a black coffee drinker (he doesn’t like to pay for it, either; the office coffee pot is fine with him). It was really funny trying to watch him find something for breakfast at Starbucks; he’ll eat pretty much anything, but he’s a meat & potato kind of guy, rather than an egg white wrap sort of guy. 
We were already dreading the length of the class before we ever got there. It was supposed to last from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm! CRAZY! We didn’t figure there was any way they’d keep us there the whole time. At the very least, we thought the hospital tour would be last (since you don’t have to be a CTMC patient to take the class) and that’d be a time to skip out. NOPE. The hospital tour was right in the middle of the day, and the class lasted until 6:05 or 6:10. Also, oddly enough, the fed us sandwiches for lunch. If you’ve been pregnant recently, you know that deli meat and/or tuna sandwiches are not the meal of choice for most doctors due to the risk of listeria–that’s what they fed the room full of pregnant women, though!
I was pleasantly surprised by the demographic in the class, and we didn’t have any of the annoying couples who ask strange (read: stupid) questions the whole day. That was definitely a plus! We did have an instructor who would not take “We don’t have any questions” for an answer. If no one asked anything, she would just go onto her own tangent about something. Had she not talked so much, we could’ve been out of there long before 6:00.
About noon, we got a text from friends saying their new bundle of joy had arrived, so that didn’t help speed up the time any, either. All I wanted to do all day was go see the newest member of their family. As soon as we got out, we headed to Austin to visit. He is absolutely precious! 
We finally got back home about 11:00 or so and jumped into bed to be refreshed enough for church Sunday. What a powerful service! It really spoke directly to me, especially in light of the end of summer and my return to work for a while before Baby Gray gets here. I left feeling really good about the fall semester and God’s plan for everything. 
Mr. Gray & I ate some lunch at our new kitchen table (I’m still lovin’ it!) before he headed out to mow. I got a call from Bean about that time that we needed to come help them move because her husband had hurt his foot in a boating accident and couldn’t get home (accident reports and all that jazz) or really help once he got there. So we loaded up and went to help them get moved into their temporary apartment while they’re waiting for their new home to be built. I enjoyed hanging with everyone yesterday, especially Jaxon! Plus, I got to organize! YAY! All in all, it was a long, tiring weekend. 
Today we planned on getting me moved into my new classroom, so we loaded both vehicles with all my classroom stuff (YAY, the garage has some space) and headed up to school. Mr. Gray was an AMAZING help! We got so much done while he was there, and I stayed to finish up another little section once he left. (Sorry, Susan, I just realized I didn’t take any photos; maybe tomorrow.) It seems like I made a lot of progress in a small amount of time (ask me how I feel about that before Meet the Teacher Night next week). I can’t believe it’s already time to go back to work!
ACC/Aggies/Baby Gray/doctor/teaching

Southbound 35 (and Northbound, too)

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
Whew… Today was a long day! I had to be in Austin at 9:30 for a doctor’s appointment. It went great; Baby Gray is still doing well and right on track! Then I ran an errand or two and headed back south to get a few things done at home before having to be in San Antonio for an appointment about 3:00. 
I got to the appointment right at 3:00, and I wasn’t seen until 4:00 or a little after! It was insane. They were very apologetic, but that didn’t change the fact that I had class to teach in San Marcos at 6:00 this evening. Not to mention the lady I met with was a die-hard Aggie, so we spent a ton of time talking about that before actually getting to the point of the meeting! I left San Antonio right at 5:00 and took I-10 to 123 to avoid traffic on my way to San Marcos. I called to have the tutor help cover homework questions until I got there–I hated to make my students wait! 
I pulled into ACC at about 6:05 and started teaching right away. Thank goodness that class goes pretty quickly! Now I’m home, and, as exhausted as I am, I can’t go to sleep! I’ve decided not to set my alarm tomorrow… I bet I wake up about 5:30. Boo!