Adjusting

Yes, it's been forever. But, the times I actually sit down at my computer are mainly to work and to watch Grey's Anatomy at the same time. When I started to look around for a computer, I knew I wanted a desktop. I didn't want to bring my work onto my lap and sit in front of a TV getting distracted. I didn't want it to be used for social media or to just browse the internet. I wanted to sit down at a desk and get work done when I needed it. Mission Accomplished. 

It's hard for me to find time to really sit down and blog. I facetime my parents with Brinnley weekly, and post pictures for them to see, or text them to them via our iPhones. I know, I should get better about documenting all of the moments, but I would rather live in the moments and experience them.

Plus, Brinnley doesn't like me taking pictures of her. She runs away, doesn't smile, and moves too fast for me to really get anything decent enough to post on the blog. I have the more intimate ones that I take of course, but nothing blog worthy to keep for everyone to see whenever they want.

The new school year has come and is going fast. It's October already for crying out loud. The 1st came and I decorated my classroom with witches, ghosts, spiders, and even a blow up spider named Webster who I quickly realized has a hole in it, so it is pinned to the bulletin all shriveled up. Oh well. My students are adjusting, finally, to the classroom and procedures, including our routine. I am adjusting to them - mostly. This year, my group of students can get exhausting and Fridays just don't come quick enough sometimes. I am learning along with them about how we are all going to work together to make the year continue at a great pace.

Along with my class, I have been asked, and accepted, a position at school with our technology/PowerSchool connection. We are moving towards trying to become 1:1 with tablets or hopefully, if we receive a big grant, with iPads for each student. This means that we are training and working on our technology. I am the go-to person for tech issues (we all received new iMac desktops this summer) and for our reporting system, PowerSchool (where we input grades and use report cards). I have already had to take a day "off" from teaching and work from the school to get our report cards fixed. I'm not finished yet and still have quite a bit to do - all before October 17th, when grades are due and report cards get sent home. It's been stressful, but fun. I enjoy working with technology and am excited for our school to really move in that direction!

I am not the only one adjusting.
Brinnley has been going to daycare since I started work back in August. She goes only 2 days a week but is there for the whole day. It was a big struggle when she started to go. She would scream when I dropped her off - I would have to hand her over and then run out the door. Even when we pulled up to daycare she would start to cry and scream sometimes. When I picked her up she would scream and cry as well. She didn't nap there either so the evenings would be difficult for her and us. I was getting worried that she wouldn't adjust and was having second thoughts about daycare. I started to think about how we could take her out and find a family member to come over and watch her like she had been before.
One morning, about 2 weeks ago, she woke up earlier than usual - I was still getting ready so I got her dressed, gave her some "nomanoms" as she calls food, and turned on Sophia the First - her favorite tv show while I finished getting ready for work.
When we started to walk towards the door of daycare, she gave a tiny whimper and that was it. I walked through the door and she didn't cry. I put her down at the door of the infant room, and she walked away from me on her own. She turned around for a second and gave me the start of an ugly cry face, but turned back around and went to play. I was stunned and excited and sad at the same time. My little girl didn't need me when I dropped her off.

I thought that maybe it was the fact that she woke up earlier and was able to wake up before getting dropped off. I tried it again 2 days later and she did the same thing - this time, she waved bye to me. I knew my little girl was growing up. After her morning adjustment, I would get reports when I picked her up that she was doing so much better. She was happy, napping, and enjoying herself. She talks alot during the day and even plays with the other kids. I was overjoyed getting this news that she was becoming the Brinnley we know, at daycare also. In a few weeks, she will be transferred to the 2-3 year old room - she does better with the older kids than with the other infants. There are a few 1 year olds that are in that room as well - sometimes they just do better with an older set of kids.