It's July!

It is July! Can you believe it? Summer goes by so quickly! First and foremost, the reason I have not posted any pictures recently is my camera seems to have gone caput. I can take pictures with the video camera but I keep getting confused and push the wrong button, etc. It is not picture friendly.

Chris has started working at a new store. He seems to like this store a little better. At least here he has a salaried back-up manager which makes his life a little easier. He does seem to be working later at this store more frequently than he did at the other store, which may be my fault. More on that later. Other than that, we went to Chris' parents house for his mom's birthday and Father's Day. Rita and Larry came over and Sheri, Frank, and the boys and Darren and Trevor. It was nice to see everyone. Caden was overwhelmed having all the big boys to play with. I think he really enjoyed seeing all his big cousins. He certainly acted like he was king of the castle and they were all very tolerant and nice to him. Starbuck went with us as well and she was amazingly well-behaved, except for chasing Sophie all around. She just really Sophie to play with her but Sophie is old and stuck in her ways. It makes me laugh because she used to chase Bitsy around. We had a really nice weekend there.

Caden and I went to Dallas last week for Richard's birthday. It is hard to believe that my "baby" brother is 17. I used to use him as a head which drove him nuts and now he is tall enough to use me as a head rest. I can't really call him little dude anymore because he is so tall. He has really slimmed out too. What the doctors need to do is figure out how to bottle up the teenage boy hormones that allow them to eat as much as they want and not gain any weight. In fact, they lose weight. I wish I could do that. Starbuck did not go with us on this trip. She stayed home to take care of Chris. :) Caden was not too bad in the car. He slept most of the way back and when he woke up was content to practice making animal noises and when I got tired of that was content with singing songs. I have been going to lots of training and learning all kinds of interesting things to do in my classroom. I am really looking forward to teaching third grade next year. I have ideas zooming left, right, and upside down right now. I am also thinking of starting a teaching blog. Still debating on that idea. One thing I am trying to get done since I cannot get individual email accounts for each student in my class and we can't use their personal ones because they are blocked from checking it at school by the district is getting a class account. I it couldn't be used for private communication but I thought maybe I could use it in different ways. Still debating on exactly how to use it. This is the digital age and students need to be familiar and comfortable with the technology and resources we currently have in order to be more prepared for the technology we might have in the future. :)

Caden is doing very well. He constantly drives me nuts, which everyone tells me is normal. He is saying more and more words. He kind of slurs some of his sounds but that is developmental and Chris and I know what he is saying. So do his teachers at school. He lately has a thing for shoes. He can say shoes. And if he doesn't have any shoes on he will go find a shoe and walk around with it saying "shoes, shoes" until he gets you to put it on. Then he will go find another shoe, (not necessarily a matching one) and repeat the same process. He also likes to try put your shoes on you and then on himself. He is really trying to get better at communicating so I think that is why it is increasingly frustrating for both of us when he cannot communicate. He also finds the word "no" hilarious and will continue doing what you tell him not to do unless I hit exactly the tone. He thinks time out is funny. By the end of most days that I spend the whole day with him by myself I am a little worn and crazy. I have the utmost respect for parents who do this day in and day out. I cannot do it. So that leads me back to why Chris works a little later. I am usually so worn out by the time he gets home that he says I look a little crazed and between me, Caden, and Starbuck, I think he dreads coming home sometimes. He is nice enough not to say it though.

Starbuck is growing by leaps and bounds. And she does both of those. Leaps and bounds. She is getting better about not going to the bathroom in the house but I think that is more me than her. I have to watch her very carefully for signs that she has to go to the bathroom. She doesn't scratch at the backdoor yet like Bitsy did. I have no idea how Bitsy learned to do that but it was very useful. She also is still very much in the puppy chew on everything stage. One thing that really seems to help is taking her for a walk in the morning and in the afternoon. I think it helps her get out some of that pent up puppy energy. She and Caden play and wrestle until one of them gets hurt. She and Lily also play and wrestle but Lily always wins. She can jump somewhere that Starbuck can't get her. She can be a very sweet and loving dog. She just sometimes gets that crazy dog look that Bitsy used to get. Bitsy used to take it out by playing with her dolphin or wrestling with Chris or humping the couch. Starbuck hasn't learned to do that quite yet. Instead she nips at me or Caden or Chris. I don't mind so much when it is me unless she gets me from behind because that hurts! You know, you just aren't prepared to get bit on the ankle or calf from behind. So her training is coming along but she isn't quite there yet. I need to get her crate though. She needs a place that is just hers. It is on my list of things to do.

Well, I think that just about brings everything up to date. More later.