Heartbroken

Posted by a Tulsa teacher:

To parents who aren't educators, this may be hard to understand.

Five days a week, we teach your kids. That means we educate your kids. Play with your kids. Discipline your kids. Joke with your kids. Console your kids. Praise your kids. 

Question your kids. Beat our heads up against a wall about your kids. Worry about your kids. Keep an eye on your kids. Learn about your kids. Invest in your kids. Protect your kids. Love your kids.

We would all take a bullet for your kids.

It's nowhere in our job description. It isn't covered in the employee handbook. It isn't cited in our contracts. But we would all do it. So, yes--please hug your kids, really, really tightly. But on Monday, if you see your kids' teacher, please hug them, too. Thanks.

This goes for the teachers, support staff, principals, and counselors.

I tried to imagine my first grade classroom--- full of the innocent smiles and laughter- the tantrums and meltdowns. Where would I hide them? What would I do? How could I protect them? I don’t know. My heart breaks to think about those sweet babies and their sweet families. And those teachers who lived to get up each morning and see the smiles on their faces and hope that one kid was sick today (don’t lie…all teachers have done it, you know the one kid who is never sick) but then watch as the kid finally got the concept you’ve been trying to teach him for weeks. To know you make a difference in those babies lives. I just can’t imagine…so instead I just pray.

I found this article that has Mike Huckabee talking about the shooting and his response to why God would let this happen. 

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/12/14/mike-huckabee-responds-to-the-question-of-how-god-could-let-this-happen-following-connecticut-elementary-school-attack/

“Maybe we ought to let (God) in on the front end and we wouldn’t have to call him to show up when it’s all said and done at the back end.” - Huckabee

Rewind: Thanksgiving

The week of Thanksgiving I drove to Kingwood on Monday to celebrate my Dad's birthday (it was Sunday) and to spend the week with Mom & Dad. On Monday, Mom made a delicious Boston Creme Pie for Dad. 

Tuesday Mom and I went and did some Christmas shopping at Target. Justin and I have to go get "santa" presents together but we got Ascher presents from Grammy and Grandpa and a few from us. When we got home I was upstairs in my old bedroom and came across this "Deed" between my sister and me. I laughed out loud. Sad. Jessica totally had the better end of that deal!

Wednesday morning I got up and took Elissa & Sam's Christmas photos. The rest of the day Mom and I hung out until Justin got there. Ascher was super fussy and not himself. He had a super stuffy nose and was starting to get a cough. (I think he was starting to get his ear infections).

Thursday was the day of thanks. It was a great day spending time with family. We went over to the Parkers for lunch. Grandma did a devotional about how Thanksgiving is a Christian holiday. I am so thankful for Grandma Hardy. She is 92 years old. I just adore her. 

Grandma doing her devotional before we ate. 

 The Whole Hardy Family (minus Jessica & Roy & the Calhouns) 

Mom & Dad with us

 

Justin playing with our sweet boy

Dad & his sister, Aunt Joan with their mom. (Just missing Aunt Janet)

After Thanksgiving we went back to my parents house and their neighbors have this great Thanksgiving set up in their front yard so we walked over and took some pictures with his wagon. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have so much to be thankful for this year. Our number one thing being this little nugget...

Christmas Photos

Sunday we got up and met the Cokers in Downtown Bryan to take Christmas photos. It was so much fun! I was happy that Justin agreed to take pictures and I LOVE the way they turned out! We took the Cokers photos first...

Then we took some of Daniel & Megan...

and then our photos...our first set of family photos and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out!

and to end our photo shoot...

best buddies

Rewind Part II: Kinley's Birthday

Saturday the 17th we drove to Houston to celebrate our nieces 2nd birthday. Ragan did an awesome job once again. The theme was apples and it was so cute. We had cupcakes, carmel apple dip and even a hayride. We had a lot of fun!

Aunt Carla & Ascher

Ragan helping Kinley

family photo

sisters

sisters

Kason & Carla on hayride

We jumped out of the hayride at this random house to take a picture in front of the big turkey! They all made fun of Carla & me but I think it was fun! Sometimes you need a little spontaneity! : ) 

Everyone who didn't jump off- That is three out of Justin's four siblings
(Taylor- Justin- Kason & Ragan)

After the hayride/party we went to eat lunch at Clay's before heading back to College Station. Daniel & Megan were in town for the football game and once they got home we had a steak dinner and put a fire in the fire pit in the back yard. It was a good weekend! Lots of fun memories!!

Megan keeping warm after roasting our marshmallows 

Little Nugget & his mommy

whatcha looking at!?

Rewind Part I

The month of November flew by. I can't believe its already December 13th either! The holidays are my favorite time of year but I wish they would slow down. They just zoom by and its over before you know it. Anyways, November was a fun busy month.

The beginning of the month, Mom came to visit us on her way home from Dallas where she had been with Jessica, Roy and baby Hadley. 

We played in the back yard and showed off Aschers "crawling" skills. We just hang out and play with Ascher and the days fly by. She came on Wednesday and left on Thursday- just a quick trip to get her Ascher fix. Justin had Friday- Monday off so we just hung out as a family until Sunday when we drove to the Lake House to help Mr. Knight work on the deck. The girls all hung out and ended up going up in the attic and getting a bunch of Christmas stuff down. I was soo pumped! A lot of it is Justin's from when he was little and a lot of it was new stuff! It is all beautiful and I couldn't wait to get home to decorate!! Aunt Carla put Ascher to sleep on the patio. It was such a pretty day and we had a lot of fun.

The following week was pretty low key for Ascher and me. We just hung out and played the majority of the week. Justin had Monday off and I had MOPS on Thursday. Here are some fun pictures from our low key week...

Monday before Cici's 

Tuesday- his first taste of frozen waffle

Wednesday- brrrr its cold outside

My MOPS table (minus Valerie who wasnt there)

Friday Natalie and I drove with Ascher to the Cheesecake Factory for her birthday. I LOVE The Cheesecake Factory! It is by far my favorite place in the world to eat. Granted, we don't have one so I don't get it very often but it was totally worth the drive to get the yummy goodness and it was even more so worth the $8 I paid for my giant piece of chocolate cake. HMMM to die for!

Ascher did really good the whole time. He sat in his high chair like a big boy and flirted with all the women. Haha! He is such a good baby!

When will I get it?

So here I am behind again...I promise myself every month I'll do better yet every month I sit here and catch up. However, Ascher is starting to get into a better schedule and I am kinda getting into the groove of morning nap = chores and afternoon nap = me time. However, some days its morning nap= morning nap for me and afternoon nap= chores so the blog gets the back seat. But I LOVE blogging and refuse to give up even if every month I play catch up. I just love it. Even when I'm not writing I sit for hours reading everyone's blogs and think of blogs I need to write. So for now I think what I will do tonight is make a list of all the things I need to update you on. Holiday season has arrived and we have been busier than ever! If I don't catch up now I will never get caught up with the amount of things we have been doing! So...

I last left off at Halloween (bad mommy) so here is what we did in November:

*Mom came to visit us
*Lake House 
*MOPS
*Kinley's 2nd Birthday
*Family Pictures
*Kingwood for Thanksgiving
*Christmas beginning...

The first two weeks in December have done anything but slow down. This week I finally have an empty calendar which I am sure will fill up quickly. So far in December we have...

*Double Ear Infections
*Dentist Appointments 
*Craft Nights (Wednesday with Natalie and Saturday at Pamelas with friends)
*MOPS Christmas Party
*Ascher's first haircut
*Hameedi's (Justin's sister) arrived from D.C., Lake House
*Houston to lunch with Nana
*Christmas Craft Night @ Church
*Sibling Gift Exchange/Christmas at Kason & Carla's
*Cookie Swap

Tomorrow I have to take Ascher back to doctor because he still pulling on his ears and super fussy and doesn't want to lay down so I think the medicine didn't clear it all up. We will see. My goal this week is to get caught up and stay caught up. 

Here is one of our family photos...

8 months 11-29-12

Ascher

8 months old

November 29, 2012

Ascher stats:
Weight: 18lbs 2 ounces
Clothing: 6-9 months, 12 month pj's 
Diapers: Size 3 Pampers Swaddlers or Cruisers

Eats: This month has been very trying. He hasn't had much of an appetite because he has been sick. However, when he does eat. He eats a 6 ounce bottle when he wakes up around 5:30, then goes back to sleep till 7:30. He will eat breakfast around 8:30-9 which consists of a fruit and 4-6 ounces of milk. Lunch is around 12:30ish and it is fruit or veggie with 4-6 ounces milk. Afternoon milk around 3 with rice puff snack. Dinner around 6 consists of veggie and 4-6 ounce milk. Then around 8 a 6 ounce warm milk to drift away into sleepy land.

Sleeping: Oh Lord help us. This month has been a disaster  I am pretty sure Justin and I got sick from lack of sleep. Ascher spoiled us big time and has always been a great sleeper. Until this month. He had a virus at beginning of month that turned into a cold that turned into double ear infections. Needless to say this little man has been anything but a good sleeper. He has been waking up all through out the night. We have moved him back into our room until he gets better just cause it was so tiring getting up 800 times a night to go to crib. At the beginning I thought he slept better in our room- but the past few nights have been anything but pleasant. I want my sleeping baby back!! 

However, during the day he does good with his naps. He normally naps around 10-11 and then in the afternoon from about 1-3 on a good day. And sometimes since he has been sick a little 30 minute nap from 5-5:30.

Favorites:
Giving kisses (I don't know who likes this better- him or me?)
Tags on clothes and toys 
Shoes & their laces
Rattles or anything that makes noise
Bubble Guppies (really only when they sing)
Still loves to jump
The Christmas tree balls - we put it up and he loves the balls that go on it. Don't worry- they are shatterproof

Dislikes:
green peas, bananas
changing clothes or diapers (tries to roll off changing table)
tooting- gets real mad. I think soy makes him gassy.
being sick : (

Firsts:
Miserable Month- he has so not been himself. He first got a virus, that turned into cold that turned into double ear infections. I hate that there isn't anything I can do to help him other than medicine. I wish it would hurry up and work. : ( I want my happy baby back!

This month has totally consisted of me in sweat pants and pj's all day. One day Justin even came home and asked me where I had gone? and I said what do you mean? He said...well you're dressed you had to have gone somewhere...truth-I went to Chick-fil-a. It had been a rough day. 

Halloween-he was just starting to get sick on Halloween so he wasn't very happy but we still put him in stroller and walked around the neighborhood with our nieces and nephews.

Thanksgiving- he had a great first thanksgiving other than being sick and crabby- he still looked cute though : )

Crawling- Well he isn't crawling forward just yet but he is army crawling everywhere. I told Justin this weekend will consist of baby proofing the house. I can hardly clean bottles without finding him getting into something he isn't supposed too (mostly the cords by the Tv- new entertainment center is what I'm wishing for Christmas) He also goes from laying down to sitting up. He is so proud of himself when he does it. He gets up on all fours and goes back and forward on his hands and feet just doesn't move.

Pulling Up- He was in his crib the other day and I walked in and found this....

caught red handed. 

Still no teeth- but that hasn't stopped him from chewing on everything! (sounds like a dog- haha)


Blogger won't let me upload photos. I'll work on it tomorrow!