Since this blog was inspired by my urge to share about pregnancy, I'll start off with a comment/question. I have been getting cramps in my calves for a couple months now. Has that happened to anyone else? Its always in the middle of the night and has started to become more frequent. For some reason I can hear Kari saying I need to eat more potassium. Did I make that up? Between the getting up to pee, the drool and the 3AM screeching/trying to reach my toes (which is hard enough) so that I can pull them back, I am a delight to sleep with.
In other news, today was just a wonderful normal day. I am substitute teaching for a 1st grade reading teacher and it is the best sub job. My schedule is great. I don't have a homeroom class, I just float among the first grade classes and work with 4-6 kids who are struggling the most on very specific, very repetitive skills (short A says "a" as in apple). I can see how this teacher saw fit to take a month off to go to China after repeating the same exercises day after day, year after year... but I am loving it for now.
Being pregnant is making my time with elementary school kids so sweet. They are pretty much eye level with the belly and I think it looks like a teddy bear to them because I get more hugs the bigger I grow. The same kids come up to me every day and ask to feel my belly or say hi to the baby or guess where my belly button is. I've also gotten the interesting/akward questions. One third grade boy even shouted "Are you having SEX???" I've learned some good responses to tough questions, though. Like "How did you get pregnant?" I just tell them its because I'm married. And when one asked me where the baby comes out, I said, "at the hospital." Special thanks to the Kee family for that one!
I have really loved working in the afterschool program more than I thought I would. Its nice to be these kids' friend, to console their playground injuries (even if they can't even remember where it hurts), to celebrate with them in their school victories, to laugh at them when they ask absurd favors (no, I will not buy you chips, if I had fifty cents I would be eating some Nacho Cheesier Doritos instead of talking to you) and most of all, just to give them the attention I know some of them don't get at home. Of course I don't have favorites, but if I did, let's just say she would be a 2nd grader that lives in my apartment complex. And her brother may or may not play the trumpet. Hypothetically, I cried when I saw her walk up to me today with two tear streams on her beautiful round cheeks because someone called her fat. I mean, there are some complex things that are wrong in this world, but this most basic unjust act makes me sick. I feel torn between wanting to yell at the girl who made fun of her and wanting to wrap my little friend in my arms and tell her how God made her perfectly lovely and she brightens my life everyday. At least Little Sweet Dreams got picked up in the Sweet Dreams fire truck today. How cool is that?
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2 comments:
I'm so glad you're my sister. That made me cry. Or maybe I've just been crying all day anyway. I was looking at this "actual size" baby notebook and I cried when I held it up to my belly to show Dan how impossible it would be for me to fit a 9 month old human inside me-- unless of course you removed all of my organs, ribs, hips, and pelvis. Dan commented that I'd need to get in shape before I could lug around an extra 20lbs. Then he imitated me calling him to lift me into "the push cart" so we could go check the mail. Hahahaha! Looks like we'll be waiting a while to follow in your footsteps... Then, I listened to "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey and almost cried again because it reminded me of you. Is this normal? I think I'm having a hard time adjusting to having a real job. Where did all my friends move to? We need to start some kind of weekly girl club where we cry-- or watch a girl movie-- or talk and eat brownies.
I am proud of you for using restraint in not telling that bratty girl a few things about calling people names.
As far as the leg cramps go, it is normal and common, if you have not since been told. I used to wake up and fling my leg over onto Patrick in the middle of the night, while shrieking "Cramp! Cramp!" He knew what to do. So, eat a banana and/or drink some Gatorade before bed. Kari's voice is right, it is a potassium thing.
So happy you have a blog!
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