July already?

Okay, I am finally updating my blog:) I need to be better about this. We have just been enjoying summer so much by going to the cottage and taking advantage of the free and inexpensive water parks around the area (Millenium and Lamar). I actually went to Millenium Park today for the first time with a neighborhood playgroup. I just started going to the playgroup with my friend who lives one street over. I never knew there was that many moms in the neighborhood who are either stay-at-home moms or work part-time and that are around my age! It's so fun to watch all the kids play. There are a lot of boys! Lydia just gravitates towards the little babies that attend and asks their mom millions of questions. This playgroup has been a great way to be involved with other moms and feel connected to the community all in my own backyard!

Ava is finally feeling better after another ear infection. I personally think the last one never cleared. We went in last Wednesday for a 2 week follow up and the nurse practitioner said it was all clear. However, the same symptoms began appearing on Friday. So, when she still felt terrible on Saturday...runny nose, fever, not eating (this one is a very obvious sign)...we took her to the Reed City Spectrum campus E.R. only to find out that it had returned in both ears. They put her on a different, more stronger, antibiotic. Obviously the Amoxicillian wasn't working. She is back to herself..eating well, getting into things, and finally happy again. Now, she is beginning to feed the babies with bottles. Isn't it funny how they begin to mimic their older siblings? Also, she is showing some interest in books by beginning to flip through them or walk around with them. She still won't let me read a story to her, though:(

Lydia is beginning to learn Zoo phonics. It's a program that teaches youngsters their letter/sound combinations through motions in hopes that after they learn each sound with the letter, they can begin sounding out simple Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) words using the motions. I am so proud of her. She has a memory like an elephant and continues to amaze me. We are up to G. I would really like to get some cards to serve as visual reminders as we learn the sounds. She is still wearing bathing suits every day, and they are usually Ava's. Silly girl! I have learned to choose my battles wisely. She is done with her summer swim lessons and doesn't really like to go under the water. She does a great job "scooping and kicking" and continues to practice it in the water with her babies (as a teacher), but she is fearful about going under the water herself. Lydia has said one very funny thing this month, but I don't want her to repeat it again for fear we will corrupt other children:) Out of the blue, she said, "Mommy, when I get to be a daddy, I will get to drink beer." Where does this thought come from? I don't want to laugh about this, but yet I do because it's the strangest thing to hear from a 3 year-old's mouth.

As for Paul and me. Paul continues to work to provide for his loving family. He is taking a few days off this summer, so we can have some long weekends at the cottage. I love his flexibility. He was able to stop at Lamar Park last week between patients to say "hi" to his girls. I still haven't made a final decision about my job. However, a new opportunity has arisen. A recent part-time pre-kindergarten job opened up in my school. The pros are it's perfect hours...Tuesday, Thursdays, and every other Friday. It also counts as the one year I need to gain my Tenure. The cons are it's a one-year leave so the teacher could decide to come back similar to the position I was in this year. However, the year counts for Tenure which would allow me the opportunity to job share if I couldn't keep the same job or find something part time the following year. Also, this is something totally new and it scares me. I will be leaving my fantastic teaching partner to work with 18 young 5 year olds to help prepare them for school and Kindergarten. It's where I am in my life right now which is exciting. I could teach Lydia the same lessons at home:) It's just very different, but I am ready to embrace it. It would be great to get more experience at another grade level and make me more marketable. I find out by next Friday for sure. It's amazing how God closes doors and opens others. I have been praying about what to do with my full-time job for months now. It's so hard for me to walk away from a great job when I am just one year shy of my tenure, but it's also hard to work full time with two kids. I was very torn, so I feel like this is perfect. It also had been available in April, but I missed the posting because we were on vacation. The girl decided to remain part time and the position opened up again. That's why I am relying on God to provide for me what I need and to take one year at a time. So, this is what has been happening to us in a nutshell. Hopefully next time it won't be as long as a book because I will be updating more frequently. Sorry about that. Now I have to figure out how to upload pictures.