Joe here, I realized recently that I've been negligent in my posting duties. In fact, I've allowed years of these blogs to slip by without fully capturing the electronic medium of intro/extrospection. New word, TM. Mel does so much, and I've let her run the blog all this time without even posting? Tsk Tsk. That being said, let's take a look at all of the things that've happened in the last few months. July was a mixed bag, we were sad but ready to leave Okinawa. That island was a great place; we made a number of good friends and memories but to quote Frost:

...And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back...

Ty happily skampers, leading us down our new path, to a new and different world of palm trees and pumpkins. Fall weather worthy of jeans and sweaters, "real shopping" and more training. I'm excited to try something new, and my job is certainly providing new challenges, but that's what it's all about. This winter Ty turns 2, and the time doesn't seem to be slowing down any. Mel is proudly taking on the SAHM role, and I think they are both benefitting greatly. She gets to see the little day-to-day changes, and he's got his own pre-K/primary school teacher giving him a head start on learning. Some of his new spoken words include: elephant, circle, helicopter, and many more. He can recognize and point out animals, shapes, vehicles of every size and shape and so many other things. It's fascinating how technologically savvy he is, manipulating iPhones, iPads, TV remotes and the like with great ease. 

I look forward to completing a marathon season of TDY/trainings and spending time with my family soon! The holidays are quickly approaching and being in the US affords us the opportunity to meet up with friends, family, and attend parties and gatherings that were a stretch to get to from Okinawa!

 Time for a walk! Show us the way lil guy...

Captain Reunion

This past weekend was the highly anticipated reunion with my best girlfriends from college.  We all went out to Charleston, SC for my friend Jenny's wedding! The last time we had all been together was for my wedding, back in December '08.  Needless to say, we were all SO excited to get together again!

It was also my first time leaving Ty for longer than just a few hours. I knew I was going to be sad and miss him terribly, but knew he was in good hands (thanks Grammy & Poppy) and was going to enjoy having a little "mommy vacation" with the girls.

I flew out Wednesday and met my bestie, Caitie, in Charlotte and we flew into Charleston on the same flight. Beth made it to town and we got to spend a few nights together, and meet her adorable baby girl. We all had a blast together!

There's a quote: "True friendship isn't about being inseparable, it's being separated & nothing changes."
Being together, even though it'd been years, felt just like old times. We picked up right where we left off and nothing changed... except in a strange way, everything had changed in our lives, but our friendship hadn't.  I know that not matter how much time we spend apart, the next time we're together, it'll feel like it was just yesterday we last saw each other!

We had an amazing time in the short 5 days. The wedding was beautiful - simply classic, just like Jenny. The weather held out just in time for the ceremony, and poured rain as soon as we went inside for photos and the reception. I was honored to a part of her wedding, and was thrilled to spend so much time with the girls.  Jenny made a beautiful bride and the wedding was amazing.

Caitie and I exploring downtown Charleston - Princess St. :)

Me, Emily & Caitie before the rehearsal dinner.

Rehersal dinner - Beth, me, Caitie & Emily

Captains! Beth, Jenny, me and Caitie!

Love these ladies!

Pi Phi dropouts. 

:( End of the Captain reunion. Until Vegas!

Whirlwind of change!

We've been through so much within the last few weeks, it's hard to keep track of it all!

 July 16th our house was packed up and we stayed in our empty house (with exception of the first night, sweet friends let us stay with them since we didn't have any government furniture yet) for 4 days.  Then we headed to temporary lodging on base. It was tiny since we had 6 bags, carry-ons, baby furniture, etc. stuffed in every corner possible.

Ty and I spent most of our time trying to stay busy. Taking him to different parks, the pool, playdates with friends, running errands, etc. Joe was busy running around taking care of tying up all the out processing to-do's, getting the house squared away for our final inspection, and still going in to work when he wasn't busy taking care of all said before.

July 25th we flew to Hawaii. We had a 3-hour flight to Tokyo, with a 3-hour layover. Ty got pretty restless during our layover, which conveniently turned into a 4-hour layover. He had lots of fun running around, and tuckered himself out and slept the majority of the flight to Hawaii!

We arrived in Hawaii around 9am and made it to the hotel by 10am. At that point we had been traveling for I think over 15 hours, and just wanted showers, clean clothes, and a nap. But, we couldn't check-in to our hotel until 3pm. They stored our luggage and we went off walking for some lunch and shopping. We spent the majority of our days sight seeing, getting sun at the pools/beach, and even got to catch up with friends who were on island.  Hawaii was amazing and I hope to go back one day! Ty was a trooper and seemed to love the beach and rediscovered his love for fresh pineapple!

We had two flights out of Hawaii - first stop was in Houston, TX and it was a pretty quick layover. It was nice not having to go through customs! Then we headed off to Huntsville, AL. We're staying with my parents and it's great to be back stateside and with family. Ty is having some trouble adjusting to the time difference and has been quite whiny lately. Hopefully he'll adjust soon and be back to his normal self.

We have spent the first few days trying to get reconnected to the world again. We got setup with cell phones, and bought a new (used) car for me - and since my birthday is tomorrow, happy birthday to me!  Later this week we have to drive to Atlanta to pick up our car we had in storage.

Joe will head to Maxwell next week for SOS. Ty and I plan to stay busy and next month is the kick off of our weddings marathon! I cannot wait to see my girlfriends from college, and we are equally excited to go to the other three weddings as well.

This move has been smooth so far, and fingers crossed for it to continue to do so!

17 months

I realized I didn't blog about 16 months. Life's been pretty busy lately!  I've gotten to enjoy almost a full month of being a SAHM... and I am absolutely loving it! I realized how much precious time I was missing out on.  My sweet little guy is making up for it and I get so many hugs each day... I think he enjoys having me home full-time, too.

At 17 months...

-I think he's weighing in around 30lbs... maybe a bit more!
-He's tall... I haven't measured him, but I'll try to do that before we pack up his growth chart - he is growing like a weed!
-He's in 18 month clothes, size 4 diapers still
-Sleeps 11-13 hours a night, with a 2-3 hour afternoon nap right after lunch
-Working on tooth #13 & 14 (I think... he won't exactly let me see).
-Favorite foods are Goldfish, craisins, fruit snacks, chicken nuggets, scrambled eggs, mandarain oranges, apple juice, popsicles... pretty much anything!!! :)
-completely obsessed with wheels! He loves to turn his stroller upside down and spin the wheels for what seems like hours. Anything that spins will win his heart!
-We have a climber. This little guy loves to climb all over furniture. He climbs onto the couches, plops down on the cushion, pulls down a blanket, and makes himself cozy in front of the TV. He's sneaky, and will climb into the toy chest (aka-otterman, chairs, and well just about anything else his height.)  Thankfully he hasn't tried climbing out of his crib... yet!
-Can say a few words, but mainly babbles in his own language. He goes through stages of his favorite word. Last month it was "car".
-Imitating a lot. He likes to imitates different syllables/sounds. He's working on animal sounds and his little "roarrrr" is too cute!
-He learned how to stack blocks but it didn't seem to hold his interest long. He'd rather play with wheels.
-Learning how to point to different body parts. He knows head, nose... still working on tummy, feet, ears, etc.
-He can wave "bye-bye" when he's in the mood. Sometimes he seems shy in front of strangers and does it when they're not looking.
-Finally likes the water. The first few times we tried putting him in a baby pool, he climbed right out. Now he's starting to enjoy it much more!
-Learning how to go up stairs like a big boy with his feet and not climb

A few days before he turned 17 months.

We look a bit goofy, but I can't get enough of his hugs!

My little guy is becoming such a world traveler! After school let out, we were lucky enough to catch a Space-A hop to Guam with Joe for a typhoon evacuation. It was a lot of work, but I can't complain since it was free, and it was a beautiful place to visit!  In 2 weeks we will travel to Hawaii, then all over the states. We're looking forward to being back home closer to family and friends!


I absolutely love this stage and having a toddler is a lot of fun!  He's starting to enjoy play dates with other kids his age.  He is a bundle of fun and I love this little guy so much!

Schoooooool's out for-EVER!

Okay, not FOREVER, but for the unforeseeable future!  Today was the last day with the kids (half day) and I gotta admit, it's bittersweet!  My kids/parents showered me with sweet gifts, cards & flowers and I got too many hugs too count.

I can't believe I survived this week with no major hiccups!  Most people thought I was crazy to have be putting on a big awards ceremony and then doing a carnival the last few days of school when I'm trying to pack up my classroom. It was a stretch and I barely was able to do it all, but I'm proud of myself for pushing myself to make it extra special for my students and parents.

I have to admit, I got lucky and had AMAZING parent support this year! I gave 12 parent volunteers tokens of my appreciation.  Several of them came to help me decorate and prepare for the big events. The room looked amazing, such a transformation (pictures soon).  It was decked out with a Hollywood theme, and the kids came dressed up like little movie stars! Some were in suits and the girls were cute as ever in their pretty dresses.  I called each student, they got to walk down the red carpet aisle (parents were seated on both sides of the carpet) and I awarded them with their individualized awards. They loved it!  I showed the slideshow. I was nervous something would go wrong, but thankfully I was able to get it to play and it worked! That dang slideshow stressed me out so much!  It was nearly 11 minutes, and that was after a lot of editing. I apparently took a ton of pictures this year and had like 30 minutes worth of pictures. Cutting it down to 11 was hard! I figured the kids wouldn't mind it being so long because it was pictures of themselves and their friends. I was right, they absolutely loved watching it. The parents loved it, some even cried (okay, I admit, I put a sappy song at the end - "Let Them Be Little" by Billie Dean) and it makes me tear up too.  They liked it so much, I got talked into burning them all copies to send home so they could enjoy it over, and over, and over. Not like I have anything else going on... but I obliged and was flattered they all liked it that much.

I got a really nice farewell gift from the staff, my teammates also got me a super cute gift, and then I spent the rest of the day packing/cleaning and running around getting my clearance checklist completed. Tomorrow is a teacher work day and I still have soooo much to do.  Reading folders, cleaning out all the closets/cabinets, inventory checklists, yada yada yada.  I'll be running around like a chicken with their head cut off all.day.long.

I had my final appointment with the principal.  She had all good things to say, and I asked if she had any feedback of areas where I could grow in, reminding her I'm still a newbie and she looked at me puzzled and asked how long had I been teaching, and I answered her saying, "This is just my 2nd year" and she was stunned.  She said she would had never known it was only my 2nd year and she's going to miss having the "Bisson touch" around the school when I leave. That made me feel great.

Anyway, it's all said and done and I'm proud I pulled it all off... but I'm exhausted.  As one door closes, another opens, and now I begin my new full-time job of being a stay at home mommy to the sweetest little boy ever - I am SO excited!  Everyone keeps asking when I plan to teach again, and I honestly don't know what the future holds. School's out for me, not just for the summer, but for quite some time... and I'm okay with that! :)

Time is flying!

How is it already June? Where did the month of May go? I feel like it came and went and didn't even say good-bye. Geeze. Reality is setting in. We have less than 2 months until we leave Oki. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time on the island, but we are anxious and ready to move on to our next adventure.

With that being said, 2 months feels like it's going to go by very quickly and we haven't barely started to get anything done/ready in preparation for the move. I have 2 long weeks of school left. I can do it. I can make it without losing my sanity. I think. I have yet to pack one single box. The good news is that TMO will actually pack my entire classroom up and crate it - same day. Probably why I'm completely procrastinating on getting started. I have a lot of cleaning out to do. How is it I've only been teaching for two years, but I have accumulated so much junk useful educational materials? Mind boggling.

I'll probably put my 21 Tasmanian devils to work the next few weeks and help me sort/clean/recycle/throw-junk-away. I need to get started on my 2 page clearance checklist. Hmmph.

Three days after school lets out our unaccompanied baggage shipment is scheduled. I need to pull out everything we want sent (it'll hopefully be there when we get to AL).  With a normal move, you'd send the necessities you'd want right away while you wait for the rest of your household goods arrive. You know, sheets, towels, kitchen items (plates, pots/pans, plates, silverware, etc.), some toys for kids, maybe a small TV. Well for us, this stuff is going to be what we will have (aside from whatever we pack in our suitcases) for 3-6 months until we find a house and move to Vegas.  Of course Ty and I will be staying with my parents so we will have everything (and more) that we'll need, but it's hard to choose what things you will need for 3 different seasons.  I thought moving just with Joe and I here was difficult. Throw a toddler into the mix and it's a whole new ball game.

I need to pull fall/winter clothes, send some of Ty's favorite toys so we don't have to lug them in our suitcases, a stroller, his pack-n-play, and some other essentials to help us make it through this long transition. I didn't know where to really start. I just looked in our closets and pulled what I thought we might need. *sigh*.

I haven't even begun to think about what things to pack in our suitcases and how we will look ridiculous with our stuff at check-in. It's look like 2 rolling duffel bags each for Joe and I, one for Ty's things, umbrella stroller, 2 backpacks for carry on (laptops, iPads, DVD player for Ty, snacks/drinks/toys/clothes), diaper bag/purse, small backpack for Ty, and not to mention Ty's humungo carseat that we bought little wheels for it to become a traveling "stroller" while we wheel through the airports. The thought of dragging all of that and hoping none of it gets lost makes my stomach turn. At least we don't have to worry about the dogs traveling with us too. Now that would be a nightmare.

We're looking forward to what the rest of the year holds for us.  Weddings, reunions with old friends, quality time with family, traveling, buying our first time, and settling down in Vegas is all so exciting. We're trying to keep plans flexible and we're hoping for the best.

For the first time the other day, I got a little sad thinking about how I won't have my own class next year. Sure, they're little rascals at times and I've had the most challenging class this year, but in the end I'll miss them and I'll miss teaching. I really want to share my talents with Tyler and teach him all the things he needs to know and spend that quality time with him that I know I can never get back. Who knows when I'll return back to the classroom. By the time we settle in, we'll probably try for baby #2 and then that'll add another few years until I am ready to go back. And you know what, I think I'm okay with that. My best friend and I have been contemplating the pro's and con's about being a SAHM vs. working. It's such a hard choice and it's different for everyone. I've done the working side, and now I want a hand at being a SAHM. I can't guarantee that it'll be for me. I might feel like I'm missing out and itch to go back, but I'd like to try both so I can know for sure.  Going back to work after Tyler was born was the hardest choice I had to make. I missed him terribly and felt like the few precious hours I got to spend with him while he was awake when I got home, just wasn't enough.  Pushing through and working this year was tough, but we were able to save a good amount of money to help us when we move and will be beneficial to Tyler in the long run.

When we settle in at Vegas, we'll have a lot of adjusting to do.  Financially, we'll be fine. Joe makes more than enough money for our family, but the luxury of buying all the things we want will take a cut and we will just have to budget better. In my mind I have all of these visions of how great it will be to stay at home. All the things I'll be able to do that I haven't been able to do while working. My house will be clean (maybe cleaner?), I'll be able to stay on top of errands, I will have time to do things for myself (this is a huge bonus since I never have time for anything other than grade papers, get assessment data completed, make lesson plans, prepare work and events, etc.), and have that quality time with Tyler at this fascinating and fun age he is at.

So this is one of those long rambling posts with no pictures. Boring. Sorry. Goes back to not having time to do anything for myself. Although the last few days I have been reading on my new iPad and I forgot how much I enjoy reading. I haven' read a single book for myself this school year until now!

Anyway, all in all, we're excited for everything. I just hope everything goes smoothly and we make it to Vegas in one piece. Only time will tell...

Reflection

"And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom."

Someone quoted this on Facebook with the caption as how it is a reminder as to why we challenge ourselves today to be better than we were yesterday.

Reflecting back on this school year, I feel I have pushed myself, challenged myself (along with my students and even co-workers), and really found inspiration to motivate myself to go the extra mile.

It hasn't been easy but I've never been one of those people to take the easy route. This year I have successfully created new hands-on centers EACH week for my students to do.  They were actively engaged and learning... in a fun way! I changed my bulletin board monthly... trying to think of creative and catchy slogans and visually appealing ways to display student work.  I created and sent a parents newsletter each week.  I created my own weekly homework packets.  I published the students {differentiated} spelling lists online for them to study in a fun and interactive way on the computer.  I bought an online reading program and shared their accounts with their parents to use at home.  I leveled my classroom library (consisting of probably 1,000+ books) and labeled each basket and corresponding books.  I handmade and created a lot of materials used in my classroom (clip charts, buckets for bucket filling, garland decor, hand-painted bedazzled author's chair, student mailboxes, etc.  Implementing a math fact program that involves a lot more work than the proposed math fact program the school implements as an intervention... but it wasn't working, so I needed something else. I constantly was changing out their work I displayed in the classroom. I sacrificed extra sleep so I could get to work by 6:30am every single day (school doesn't start until 8:00)... one of the first people there each day, so that I could work hard before school so I could go home to Tyler as soon as possible. A lot of work, sweat, and tears went into this school year.

I took the time to e-mail parents throughout the year to also commemorate the kids who do an outstanding job and how much I appreciate their hard work raising a great kid, instead of only emailing about negative things.

I've spent countless hours scouring the Internet for more motivational ideas, grading papers, running copies, creating my own work on the computer, spending too much money on supplies, lots of time laminating and cutting, way too much in traffic commuting across the island, and I should probably take stock in paper since I have used/bought so much this year to do all the fun things I want to do. Tears were shed, stress were at all time highs, and there were times when I doubted myself... if I could keep doing it, if it was worth it, if I was making a difference or not.

But in the end I realize I've gotten so many smiles, seen so many "ah ha" moments, received compliments from students/parents/teachers/admin, special "thank yous" from students/parents, tons of hugs/hand holding, and seeing the end of year assessment scores just reinforce all my hard work did not go to waste... it worked! It really did.

I implemented and created/helped plan a lot of big units: beginning of the year activities, apples, pumpkins (life cycle), penguins, 50th Day, the sun and moon, weather, rocks, ice cream, clouds, 101st Day of School, Dr. Seuss rotations, multi-cultural day, family math game night, pirate day, and maybe a few others that are slipping my mind.

It's been a whirlwind of a year. Changing schools at the very.last.minute was extremely hectic and stressful. With big thanks to some great friends, I was able to pack up, haul, unpack, and set up my classroom in just a few short days. I was nervous about learning another new curriculum (I was in 2nd last year and switched to 1st) and adjusting to new teammates. Although we haven't seen eye to eye on things throughout the year, or have the same teaching styles, we've been able to work hard and pull off a lot of great events and produce a lot of great work from our students.

The kids might grow up and look back and think I was crazy... I may not be their favorite teacher they had... but I tried my hardest to give them the best education they could have and deserve!

I'm happy to have had such a great year before I take a break and become a stay-at-home-mommy to Ty.  I can only imagine what great ideas will be out there when I return to the classroom... all the more ideas to give me the inspiration to start all over again!