I have been trying to download a video clip of William clapping. It isn't working. I am so bummed. He is so dang cute. We sing, "If You're Happy and You Know It," and he claps. He's really happy, apparently. Lack of video is sad, but I will still add some pictures. Man, he is a heartbreaker!

I planned a Halloween concert for my K-2 classes and thought it would be fun to let them wear their costumes. Naturally, William and I had to participate in the festivities! Meet Little Bo Peep and her little sheep. I tried to convince Brandon to be Little Boy Blue, but he would have none of that. I can't imagine why?

I went into William's room last night while he was asleep. I could have sat there for hours watching him. I was amazed at the love I felt for him at that moment. He has become more important to me than I ever thought possible. I don't go through a single hour in a day when I don't think about my little boy. When I am teaching, I find myself thinking about what he will be like in kindergarten, or second grade, or eighth grade. I look at my students and I wonder what their parents did to make them the way they are. I worry that I am going to "mess him up" and I pray that Heavenly Father will allow some mercy to take over, so that I don't "mess him up." When I am talking to others I want to tell them all about how much I love my little boy. I find myself biting my tongue a lot. I know that I am the only one who really wants to talk about my boy for hours on end. When I am listening to music, the words make me think about William. When I am doing laundry, well, the only reason I have that much laundry is because of William. You get the point. I think about my son a lot. I love my son. I am so blessed to be a mother. I pray each day that I may live worthy of this blessing.

William had his first boo-boo this week. He banged his face on the bottom of a chair and got a nice fat lip. It doesn't seem to have traumatized him too much, seeing as how he still climbs on absolutely everything.
Anyway, I am at school and it's a Friday, so I want to be home. I just wanted to post our latest and greatest family picture. Brandon's uncle took this with his fancy schmancy camera. Thanks Uncle Phil!

This past week has been a week of growth for my little family. Growth, meaning . . .

--William is still teething. Tooth number 8 is on its way.
--I picked William up today and I swear he weighs more than he did last night, and I felt the same way yesterday compared to the night before.
--Teaching math is very different from teaching music. I would much rather prepare students for a concert, rather than a test.
--William has been sick all week. Staying at home with a sick child is not a day off. My patience is growing, I think, at least, I know it should be. Maybe it is growing smaller. (Is that possible?)
--William has learned how to stand up on things. Therefore, William has found out how hard the ground is.
--Brandon has a lot of homework. It's a really good thing that this is his last semester.
--William likes to throw up food that he doesn't like. (Yes, Dan, it's true. I think you jinxed us.)

I've learned a lot this week. I've learned that I'm not as patient as I should be, which must be why that patience is being tried. I've learned that teaching math is harder than I thought it would be. I have to work at it.I've learned that I love my husband and my son with all my heart and that I would do anything for them, even teach math and clean-up throw up. And I've learned that it's a good thing I'm only 25 because I have a lot to learn about life still. I think I am going to pass this little test Heavenly Father has given me. Oops. I shouldn't say that, or there will be another week of growth all too soon.

Is there really any doubt, whatsoever, that my son is absolutely adorable?! He just gets cuter and cuter every day. Even this morning, when he woke up an hour earlier than he was supposed, he was still so dang cute! He is learning more and more every day. We are starting to introduce him to the world of "big people food." He likes this world, although he is still figuring it out. Gagging and choking are not uncommon events in our house. He is especially vocal if he doesn't like the food. For example, we gave him a little piece of tomato the other day. I put it in his mouth, he made a sour face, gagged, and then starting spitting. Hmmmm, can he be more obvious about his feelings?

I have made it through two weeks plus two days of school. Teaching is such a rewarding job, but very wearing. Couple it with being a mother and I have my hands full. This past week has been a week of adjusting. I want to give 100% to both my family and my job. How one does that is still a bit beyond me. I know that prioritizing is the key, but how do you choose what to leave out? I suppose it is not as much about what to leave out as it is about not allowing myself to feel guilty if something does get left out. It is OK if my clean laundry sits out for a couple of days because I chose to work on my blog, or make a family video. It's OK if my house isn't absolutely spotless, especially if the clutter we have is from the plethora of toys that we try to entertain William with. It's OK if I went out to dinner with Brandon last night, rather than getting ahead on my lessons plans. What is truly important to me is that my family is happy and in order for them to be happy, I must be happy. That is how I decide what to leave out. My family comes first.

"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


Speaking of being happy, here is a little something that will make you smile.

As you can see, William is as shocked as we are about his latest ability to get on his hands and knees. He gets really amazed and then he just sits there rocking back and forth wondering what he should do next. I am sure it won't be long before he figures out what comes next. It's time to baby proof the house. 

Brandon and I love our little boy so much. We are constantly amazed by how much love we feel for him. He has brought such joy into our lives. And he is growing so fast! In the past month he has gained 3 pounds (the picture above is prior to the 3 pound weight gain). He is also learning how to move around a lot more. For the past few weeks he has been mastering rolling, but now he is on to bigger and better things. Last night he figured out how to scoot and he is getting really good at rocking back and forth on his hands and knees . It is so cute to see him move around, I just don't know if I am ready for my curious little boy to crawl yet! I am never going to get a moments rest after he figures that out.

Welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoy some glimpses into my life. OK, let's be honest, I hope you enjoy the pictures of William, that's really why we are all here, right? I will do my best to post the latest and greatest.