✏️Pencils, 🍍Pineapples and 😃Positive Thinking

     I want the title of this post to be my new blog theme! I wonder how I could go about making this a job or something...? If you've got an idea, share it with me!!!

I'm reflecting on teaching and school, while promoting information and education about infertility and blogging my kids scrapbooks all at the same time! 

I'll start with the pencils...

Back to school like no other year. It’s a mess. A pandemic, socially distanced, mask wearing, new normal kind of mess. Let's just say, it's not ideal- but what of this is???

    I'm leaving my littles with my parents to go to school, teach my heart out while wearing a mask and shield, avoiding close contact and using sanitizer constantly and then change my clothes, wash down and go get my littles all while hoping we aren't all spreading this virus to vulnerable people.  It's enough to make you think twice and wear you out all at the same time. Also- there are no subs, so if you have to be out- get ready to inconvenience five other adults while your class suffers from already being anxious and now you're not there to comfort them. It's a lot. 

   The pressure mounts even as others are telling you "We're in this together." Yes...together we are struggling to make this awesome. In true 'Bratcher' fashion though- it will be awesome. Maybe not every day, but I can promise you these second graders will remember this year as being the best!! The parents, they are absolute rock stars. They know what teachers are tackling and they are sending supplies to ready us for the battle. I never have to ask for sanitizer or masks because they've got us covered.

     Here's the biggest thing for me, I am getting comfortable. The students are getting comfortable. We wear masks and let people point thermometer guns at our heads and this is normal now. We are getting closer to each other and thinking, well we have masks on, it'll be fine. And it is...until it isn't and I'm scared it's going to hit so close to home that we cannot ignore it anymore. That stresses me out. 

Virtual teaching is not best practice and we know that. If it was the best choice for our students, we would've already been doing it. In these "unprecedented" times where we must remain "fluid," we are going to make virtual teaching work. It's not the best, and I need everyone to know that we know that. We will make it work, and for some kids- it'll work well. In my mind though, these second graders (7 & 8 year olds!) are not ready for someone to give them directions through a computer screen and then show evidence of their learning so teachers can prove that our lessons are valuable and demand rigor. It's so much. Yes, I am comparing pre-pandemic to currently living in it. It's not that I wasn't prepared to handle it, it's that no one knew what was coming. I can deal with change and the demand of quick thinking and quick action. What is hard to deal with is- the possibility of "handling it" not being enough. 

I feel supported though- I feel like our PTO, parents, select community members and businesses, and my own sweet friendly sponsors are really pulling for us. I feel like they are trying to help us carry the weight of the world and for that- nothing but love you guys, nothing but love.♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 

On to the pineapples! Infertility sucks, we know that. But being able to talk about it, being able to share my experiences and possibly help someone else during a tough time- that's what I'm all about. On the same day last month, I had a friend ask me how we went about fundraising with t-shirts and another friend ask me about the cost and physical pain associated with shots as she was planning her IVF journey. I hate that other people are going through the pain of infertility but I want to help! It did my heart good to hear and relate to others. I think they helped "fill my bucket" more than I helped with my words. I felt helpful and that's what my personality likes! 

   I want to make a bigger impact with families struggling with infertility. I want to be a louder voice. I want to normalize something that is so hard to talk about. If you have any ideas or suggestions, throw them at me! 

Positive Thinking! 

You know my kids go here.💚💚💚

    My precious babies. I got so much extra time at home with them that I thought I was ready to get back to school. I swear, I did not take one second for granted. Now they are growing without me watching every second of it and I miss them! The first week back was tough, but now that they've adapted to our new schedule- they are doing great. Miles and Callie go to bed so much earlier than they use to, but they play hard all day, so I know they need to crash. They love going to Gran and Dallas' house. I am eternally grateful that I can leave them somewhere that they never even think about crying when I go. They have adventures and get to roll around in the dirt and sand until their heart is content and I love that. 

Callie is still a firecracker...more so now that she can run- which she does when she steals Dallas' TV remote. He says, she just gets so tickled I can't help but let her. She also climbs from the couch to the rocking chair, can get down by herself just to climb into the other chair that serves as her throne as she looks down upon the minions aka everyone else. She thinks she can whistle- which is awesome. She says things like ball, get down, dog, HIIIIIII and bye bye. She's always seems like she's on a mission. Her feet as just as wild as they were when I was pregnant with her and she uses them to stomp when she's "happy and she knows it." She loves to dance and gets her shoulder crankin' when she hears music. Spinning in circles is the newest copycat move from Lucy. She also MUST have a drink if Lucy has a drink. The temper on this one is something else though... telling her no has gotten some terrible responses... we're working on that. She's an extreme on the emotional scale- SUPER happy and scary mad. Haha! 

Miles is almost as chill as he looks, but if he comes at you like he's going to kiss you...dodge. He lovingly bites now... mostly Callie (call it payback). He is quick to "awwwww" at you, does a killer dinosaur impression, and demands "nigh nigh" as soon as he's out of the bath. He also likes to dip his face in the bath water then laugh, so you have to watch him close. He's been up and running for months, but we learned that he has to find his balance after nap time and waking up because he will crash into walls. We're considering finding a bubble or helmet for him! He's recently started dancing which looks a lot like a sway and a bob, it suits him. He still loves a good cuddle and prefers to sit on the couch with you before attacking Callie for certain favorite toys.  He focuses on toys with doors, snaps, velcro, etc and can play independently longer than most. He sleeps with a teddy bear he refers to as 'bear bear" whereas Callie screamed at hers and threw it out of her bed when I gave it to her. 😂

Lucy girl is enjoying her preschool even while wearing a mask! She doesn't mind it much, and remembers better than me somedays to put it on before we go in any place. I wish her preschool years were spent a little more carefree.... but she's a good sport even when she asks, "When will the germs go awwwwaaaaay??" She listens more than she should and can spell some words so you have to be careful about what you say. She thinks everything is her business. I find myself more willing to text all the words so she's not asking about when is my next meeting and where are we going next weekend. 😂 She tells us about her pretend friends still, but will make sure we know they are not real. Soccer at 10:30 is always on the schedule although she's never been on a soccer team or actually had scheduled practices. She loves school and likes to show off that she knows everyone's name in her class. I just about lost it the other day with this conversation though...

Lucy: Where are we going next?

Me: You have to go wherever I go, so it doesn't really matter.

Lucy: What a delightful joke! (and she proceeds to giggle)

Whatttt??? She's so weird and I love it. 

She's got awesome Halloween plans that she's been working on for months, so we will definitely be following her lead on that. She realllllly struggles to keep her hands off Miles and Callie.... but we're working on it. EVERY. DAY. She's grown like a weed and skipped through the 4T size- which almost puts her in the "big girl" section of clothes.😞 She swears she's never tired but still takes 2 hour naps, and sleeps well at night too. She tries so hard to be a leader but those babies just don't know how to listen... She's all fun stuff rolled into one little girl. And her birthday is coming up on Tuesday!!! 

That'll get it's own separate blog! 

   

We made it!! A whole year!!!

 WOoOoOooO HooOoOOoOooo! 

We did it. We survived and thrived, we rocked the first year with twins along with Lucy getting all grown. 

We officially have toddlers and they are wild little runners! They are loud in a fun way, busy always and are obsessed with their momma. 

   Mr. Miles is into running these days, especially if he finds a marker or eats something off the floor. He grunts about 5 words and leaves no crumb uneaten. He's got a weird sensitivity to milk, but still likes to drink warm water out of his bottle. He loooooves his momma to the highest extent of the word. His big ol' feet are perfect for stomping through the living room and he likes to hear his hollar echo down the hall. He weighs in at 25 pounds putting him in the 93rd percentile for weight. He's in the 73rd percentile for height at 30.5 inches. 

 

Crazy Callie is our climber! She's pretty sneaky as she climbs out of her high chair, crawls across the table and swipes Lucy's breakfast biscuit.... She is equal parts squeal and delight. She's walking but she's still faster at crawling. She hates shoes and is quick to get them off her tiny little feet. Her leadership skills rival Lucy's and she's got a parrot's vocabulary to show them off. She made is to the 83 percentile by weighing 22.9 and the 69th percentile in height at 29.75 inches. She eats everything and is much neater than Miles. 

They both adore this older sister and prompt her to pick them up at every chance- which gets her in trouble....

She's basically four and just kind of grew up over the summer. She knows big words but has no idea how to correctly use them and it's super entertaining. She makes so many choices now I have a hard time remembering she's still so little. She is a rock star most days but likes to put up a fight at bed time. She is super excited to start Preschool next week and I am super excited for her. She needs some "Lucy only" time! She can already count to 20 and knows at least 20 letter sounds. She can spell mom and dad and likes to show that off. :) 

I almost skipped 11 months!

     Callie and Miles are closing in on a YEAR! Can you believe how quickly they've grown?!? Well, I can. It has felt like 11 months, it has definitely felt like 330-ish nights of 'not so great' sleep. We've had more time together than expected which has been amazing!!! It's going to be even harder to go back to school (whatever that looks like) at the end of the month. 

   These kids have grown soooo much in the last month or so. Miles is full out walking! Callie stands on her own. Callie says words like duck, dog, quack and will show you her toes when you ask about her nose- and we correct her- but it's so darn cute. Miles says Maaaaa, and you can get a quack out of him every once in a while. 

    Their first birthday is right around the corner (July 10) and we shall celebrate!!! We are celebrating survival, adventure and all the things we've accomplished this year!

   Including their first beach trip!!

This girl is as wild as her hair. No fear, we might as well call her Moana the way the ocean calls her. She’s been voted least likely to sit still and she is the only kid we HAVE to buckle into every seat. She’s got a smile for everyone and it turns out, she’s a birder.

Mister Miles. He’s tough to impress and he’d rather cuddle and snooze than play in the pool. He puts up with my antics but let’s me know when he’s had enough. He’s a sneaky kind of sweet and a big fan of the sand(but did a great job of not eating it). His giggle is everything. He crushed his nose in a face plant on like the 2nd day of vacay, so tell him he looks tough...

An unexpected wave wiped her out on our first night at the beach... so we’re thrilled she cautiously fell in love with the ocean. It took big cousins and lots of hand holding, but she ended up running through waves! This girl is smart and fun, she seeks safety in adventures and that’s the best kind of kid for this momma.

Also, her 3 year self is really good at awkward picture faces right now....

We had the greatest time in the sand and sun! The babies were entertained and loved the sand. Callie enjoyed the water and Miles tolerated it. Lucy was interested in all the things as usual! The car ride to and from was way easier than I anticipated! I was so thrilled at how well they did on the loooong trip! 

May 2020

     It's Matt's birthday month! Plus I am wrapping up the end of the school year with "Non Traditional Instruction" and we're still kind of quarantining... Heck of a May. 
     Miles and Callie are TEN months old now and getting into all kinds of trouble.

     Miles is up to no good as he is obsessed with closing doors lately. He also has a real crowd pleaser of a trick when we tell him, "no, no, no" and he swings his head from side to side. He's become an excellent sleeper- not sure when that happened exactly but we don't question these things anymore. He now has six adorable teeth that are spread out and gappy in the cutest way. He likes to nap and loves to eat. He is mostly serious until I tickle his belly then he gets this rolling laugh going that melts your heart. 

     Callie girl, she's a firecracker. Still sitting with eight teeth, perfectly spaced and aligned. Hair as wild as she is. I've actually tried to tame it and it just gets messy. She is usually cracking up or copying the fun sounds Lucy is teaching her. She clicks her tongue and tells you awwwww. She sounds sarcastic when she mimics your laugh with her, 'Ha. Ha. Ha." She is the quickest cord catcher in the county. It's like she's on a mission to figure out what electronic is plugged into which outlet. She eats as much as Miles but in a much less dramatic fashion (she saves the drama for throwing a fit.) She gives kisses but also throws a mean fit including putting her face straight down into the floor. She laughs easy, but will also scream if you don't give her THAT RIGHT NOW!!!! She's also gotten into a habit of waking at midnight and three and then sleeping in until 8:30, so I guess I'll take it. It's so funny to me that Lucy has hardly a nickname to claim- and that's how I envisioned it happening..... but between me, Matt and Lucy- Callie already has a handful of nicknames to listen for. Callie girl, Callie O'Mallie, California, SuperCallieFragilistic, Cal, Calla Lilly, Wild Child and Callie-ally. Miles has it a little easier, he is Miles, or Smiles, and Lucy's nickname for him is Mile-ser with a Monster Miles or Mister thrown in there occasionally. 

     Lucy is loving quarantine and having my attention almost constantly...but has also asked when the germs will be cleaned up so we can go play with other friends and get back to school. She is such a fun kid, but I'm looking forward to being done with Sofia the First and all those made up words. Lucy is always explaining to me what these ridiculous made up words mean and I'm kinda over it.... 
But we have been having fun. Lots of outside time, lots of activities, and lots of telling Lucy that she's not the boss.