"Welcome to motherhood"

was what the school secretary said when she called down to my classroom on Monday morning. The daycare was on the phone. Maggie had a fever and needed to be picked up. I got permission to leave, talked my 3rd block class through their assignment, dispersed them throughout the grade level and headed over to pick up my baby. She looked so pitiful when I got there! It was naptime and she was DEAD asleep on her stomach. We had forgotten to take her blanket that day so she didn't even have a cover over her! I managed to wake her up which did not make her happy. She started crying and when she turned over, her face was covered in snot. I felt so sorry for her. Luckily, I had a kleenex in my coat pocket and wiped her face off. Her eyes were all bright in the car but she didn't go back to sleep. I gave her some medicine when we got home and she went to sleep for about an hour and a half. I am now a real mom because I learned how to take Maggie's temperature in her rear end. Yikes. It didn't really seem to concern her though. She just laid there and talked to herself. Maggie's daycare has a 24 hour, no fever policy so she couldn't go to school the next day. David stayed home with her because I have no sick leave left because of my maternity leave.

David and Maggie seemed to have a good time on Tuesday. They went to David's school where she visited (and probably infected) a lot of his co-workers. They went for a little walk in the jogging stroller. They went to Wal mart where Maggie scored these lovely items.

Look at these awesome boots! I LOVE them! They don't have any skidproof stuff on the bottom so Maggie falls down a lot when she wears them. They are so stinking cute though.

Like the fur trim on her hat and mittens? I don't think that particular fur is found anywhere in nature.


Maggie seemed to be doing better so we packed her off to school the next day. She was going to be picked up early anyway because she had to go to the doctor. She was supposed to get a flu shot but I knew they wouldn't give her one so I told David to take her over there anyway and see if the doc would see her. She has an ear infection and some kind of chest thing so she's on an antibiotic and has to use a nebulizer twice a day. Dude. She did not like that nebulizer at first. We had to strap her in the high chair, hold her hands down and she SCREAMED. Of course, she was also breathing in the albuterol so we let her go but it was hard to sit there and listen and watch. Poor baby. She screamed so hard she started sweating. She is pretty resigned to it now. She just sits there and sticks her tongue in the little nozzle. It seems to work though. When I picked her up today, there were only 3 other kids in her room. Her teacher told me that the other kids were sick. Yikes. I hope Maggie isn't going to get sick again. I have no problem staying home with her if she's sick but it is SO hard to be out when you're a teacher. You have to leave plans for the sub. If there isn't a sub, you have to have other plans so the kids can be dispersed. You might be infringing on other teachers if your kids get dispersed. Teachers from other grade levels might have to cover your classes. It would be so nice to just say, "I'm going to be out tomorrow." But no.


On a completely different note, we did get our Christmas tree last weekend and put it up. Maggie isn't too impressed with it and she mostly definitely DOES NOT want it to touch her. Because, you know, nature. It's scary. She wasn't wild about the tree lot either but I made her walk around it with me.

Whew. I really need to start wearing makeup more often.

Ahh! Trees! Get them away from me!


Our tree is really cute though and is is indeed, in front of the front door. That's kind of a pain. We should have angled the couch in front of the front door and put the tree in the window. Oh well, next year. On Monday, when I came home early with Maggie, I heard David turning his key in the lock and I yelled, "DON'T YOU COME IN THAT WAY!!!!!" I scared Maggie and she cried. Guess she's not ready for the 7th grade voice yet. I am going to string Katie up though if she doesn't leave it alone. I hate that cat. She sucks. We are never getting a girl cat again because she is NO FUN. Cats are for snuggling.

On Tuesday, when I was at work and David was at home with Maggie, he emailed me pictures throughout the day. I think David should be a stay at home dad and I can go to work (because I actually like it) and he can keep me updated. Here's some of their activities:

If I stretch, I can reach the pancake mix again.

Here Maggie has gathered an eclectic mixture of items. Shoes, an old lunchbox of mine, a box of spaghetti and some fake kung pao chicken.

First, I shall take you all out. Then I shall put you back in. Then perhaps, I shall take you back out again.


Tomorrow we are going to Old Salem. I think we might freeze our butts off but oh well. Moravian Spice cookies! Woo! I can't wait to buy a ton of those. We are going to the Salem Tavern as well and I already looked at the menu and I am totally having chicken pot pie. I cannot wait.

And finally, so you'll know what a good job I'm doing teaching the future of America, my students had to respond to a writing prompt on Tuesday in regards to a role model who would be appropriate for their age group. Most kids wrote about their parents, a friend, or athletes. But one of my students wrote about Lance Armstrong, the first man on the moon. Lance also "concord" cancer.

Oh yeah, and I am the Meanest Mommy in the World because 1. I made Maggie wear clothes that were too big yesterday because I thought they were cute. When I picked her up, her teacher had rolled the waistband of her jeans over so they wouldn't fall off. and 2. I took her lovey away tonight while she was eating chicken and gravy. She was totally dragging the lovey through her dinner. UGH. It was grossing me out. She screamed. Then when I gave it back, she resumed chewing the carrot she had in her mouth and all was right with the world. Well, for her, anyway.