First Day of school

I have been blessed to have a wonderful lady who has watched little man in her home since I had to go back to work. Her daughter is getting ready to start Kindergarten, so today after taking little man to the same house for almost exactly 2 years and 3 months I took him some place new...Today my little man went to his first day of preschool. I am not sure where the time has gone, but he has gotten so big. He just doesn't look three years old in these pics :(

Little Man- isms part 2

In an effort to remember some of the funny things Little Man has been saying lately, I decided to do a quick blog post:

1) The other night at dinner he turned to me and said " So momma did you have a good day at school?" Funny was I had taken a half day at work and been home with him for like 6 hours by the time he asked me that question.

2) A little later that night he wanted me to play baseball in the house. I told him baseball was an outside sport, he bargained and said just 3 pitches momma. I said again that is was an outside game...he puts his bat down and walks over to me and says "So let me get this straight" I couldn't even question the tone I was too busy laughing at what he said.

3) Driving home from daycare this week he was tired from not napping and whining for something, can't remember what, I told him he was not being very nice and so he couldn't have what he wanted right then. His response "I am being bery nice momma, look at my face." When I turn to look at him he gives me this huge grin.

4) He told his babysitter the other day he was going on a "quest" Don't even know where he learned that word

5) Tonight after I let the water out of the bath tub, he laid down in the tub, covered himself with his wash cloth and started to pretend snore. He then said "momma, don't let the bed bugs bite." Not sure I have ever said that to him.

( I know these may not be as funny to other people, but I want to remember some of the things he does and says, so I can share with him when he is older )

To shave or not to shave....

My school has gathered a team to support the St Baldrick's Foundation. Several teachers and students shaved their heads last year and are planning on doing so again this year.

Last year I debated and debated about joining in with the shaving team and after some thought decided that shaving my head might actually not be the best idea with my just over 2 year still bonding with me. We had barely been together a year and I was kind of afraid of scaring him or of him not recognizing me! (that and his therapist advised that it might not be good idea!)

Now this year the time has rolled around again to decide about joining the shaving team or just monetarily sponsoring the team. I still have a question about how little man would react to me shaving my head...anyone have any ideas/suggestions about how my 3 year old my react to his mother having long hair one moment and a shaved head the next? I would take him with me so he could watch the shaving and see me as it happened, but still not sure he is old enough to make the connection, if that makes any sense.

Okay so in being completely honest there is another part to the debate. I have always considered myself pretty low maintenance. I don't wear makeup and until recently hardly ever even got up and put jewelry on in the mornings. (thanks Tarsha!) I have had long hair and short hair and usually am a wash and go kind of girl no matter the length, with short hair I do a little more with it than I do with long hair. So maybe it is a touch of vanity, maybe it is the "societal norms" I am not sure which, but I am struggling with the being shaved and people's reactions to it. Men can do it without much notice, women get noticed with shaved heads. I know it leads to a great conversation starter about kids cancer research, what is considered beautiful,.... all sort of things. And let's be honest I am a single white mom with a Ethiopian son, I am not usually afraid of looking different in a crowd! I also know that my temporary uncomfortableness in being bald is nothing compared to what a cancer patient of any age, but particularly a child goes through.

So I am looking for some advice..Should I shave my head or will it freak my 3 year old out? And also if I do shave any great suggestions for head "gear" while my hair grows back!

Oh and if I do decide to shave my head...I will be fundraising for the cause!

Thanks in advance for the help and support!

Gone too soon...

I have spent the last few days trying to find the right words to express all the thoughts and emotions. And tonight as I stood in the funeral home with a co-worker and looked at the tear-stained faces of past students I realized that there are no right words when a young person dies. As my co-worker said, "The hardest part of teaching...attending the funeral of a former student."

Tonight I hugged those past students and whisper any words of encouragement I could, while dozens of questions still ran through my own mind about the senseless death of a 17 year old girl. Tonight I encouraged a young man, who has just lost his older sister, to cry when he needed to and laugh if he felt like it and even be angry because all of those emotions are correct, especially for a 15 year old. I hugged a mother, that I didn't know, and I (who spend my day talking to kids) had no words for her. I looked in the face of a father who was tired and hurt and simply could shake his hand.

I came home and hugged my little man a bit tighter and laid next to him as he held my hand to fall asleep. I whisper a prayer thanking God for the gift of my son and asking Him to make sure that my time here on Earth would not be longer than my sons'. I asked for comfort to be on the families involved in this accident and the people who are hurting from loss.

Two young lives have been forever changed by a simple decision.

RIP Liz.

Christmas and 2 years home!

I am yet again late in this post...it is New Years Eve and I am finally posting about Christmas and 2 years home!

This year Little Man got what Christmas was all about. The first year we were together we were flying home on Christmas Day and last year he was still pretty overwhelmed by it all. This year, he woke up excited about seeing his gifts. It was so much fun...we opened a couple of gifts and then played for several hours before opening some more gifts. It took us most of the day to get through all the present opening and while that may make it sound like there was lots of gifts there were not, we just spent lots of time enjoying the gifts and time together.

He got a camera and is loving taking pictures of the world around him, now if I can get him to stand still to take the picture instead of running so they are not blurry! He will get it I am sure! In the meantime it is just fun to watch him be so excited about the camera!

Well now on to some pictures from our 2 year familyversay day!

Family-versary

I am a bit late posting this..I can make lots of excuse about time of year and being busy, but simply I have been working on what I want to say.

Two years ago this little bundle was placed in my arms...

And now we looks like this:

What a difference two years can bring...for him and for me. He brings me great joy and happiness.

He is 3!

Today little man turned 3 and I am not sure where the time has gone. I have loved watching him go from baby to little boy this year. His face has changed, he is getting taller, more independent and overall losing the baby look, but he still has that precious little voice! He lights up my world every day. It has been a tough few months for us, but he fills my heart multiple times a day. He is amazing and I am humbled and blessed to be his mom. Last year I wrote this post and today I still think of the woman who gave him life, so I could help him live it!