Because this is what I do now...

Wow - it's hard to believe it's been 12 whole weeks since my feet last stepped in to room 403 at good 'ole EHS. That life seems like forever ago, and not even a part of who I am right now. Even though juggling the challenges of postpartum recovery with a newborn and toddler has been stressful and emotional, I am still quite content and grateful to be focused on my new full-time role at home.

SIDE NOTE:
Okay - so many of you may need to remind me of that last sentence in the coming months (or days)! If I had taken note of the number of reasons/times my almost-two year old freaked out and cried yesterday alone there'd be "more than a hundred things!" as my husband stated that evening. It was definitely just "one of those days"; and it culminated in a good soak in my tub with my lavender bubbles and a small helping of Trader Joe's Cookie Butter Ice Cream thoughtfully delivered by my husband. (Yes, it does exist!)  I found peace though thinking about how someday these emotional toddler outbursts will be over as he grows up (tear); and when he is a teenage boy I am sure that the hubby and I will LONG FOR the simplicity of them LOL.

BACK TO WHERE I WAS:
I had been wondering if I would struggle with leaving my professionally creative outlet as an Algebra teacher. Believe it or not, yes - MATH class can be incredibly engaging when you have Mrs. Winters. (Snow ball fight anyone?) My teacher peeps can attest to the euphoria of sudden inspiration in lesson design, and then seeing it come to life as your students are simutaneously actually paying attention and learning. THAT is what I will miss. (Curriculum overhalls, high stakes testing, lack of appreciation, district politics... not so much.)

What's left of the energy formally reserved for teaching at the high school is now being funneled into organizing our life and home. I've sketched out a daily routine that I am slowly implementing to give us (mainly Nathan and myself) some stability and consistency. One of the most vital parts is figuring out how to help him engage in some independent time. Enter Pinterest - and the plethora of pins for "busy boxes" and "busy bags". So many great ideas to keep him occupied, and work on his brain (like fine motor skills) at the same time!

I am sticking to the really simple (hey, I think I can actually make that. I can cut out something with scissors!) ideas. I've also hit up Dollar Tree, Marshalls, Amazon (yay for Prime shipping!), and the dollar bins at Target. Once I got started, the creative juices have been flowing and I am actually having to hold myself back. My elementary teacher pals would be so freakin' proud of me... It's been kinda "weird" thinking in a foreign dimension of little people/brains but I am getting the hang of it.

Here is what I have so far:

Now before you start thinking I am too awesome (yes, I know! Hehehe... sigh) let me knock my own self down a few pegs by admitting that Nathan doesn't really grasp the whole "independent play" concept so well; especially when mommy is right there in the kitchen. He also has about a 5-minute attention span. So while I think some of the stuff in those boxes is really fun and interesting I've almost been offended when he laces one hole around a turtle, then proceeds to swing it around his head and fling it across the room before moving on to asking me for "bee". (He has been really in to the Maya the Bee show lately.)

While he intuitively placed little objects in the ice cube tray, he didn't comprehend the dozen uses I intended for the mini shot glasses. But I am slowly showing him the possibilities! If I can average 5 minutes per an activity then that means I need, let's see... sixty divided by five... **pulling out phone calculator app** 12 per box! Oy... Not quite there yet. (Hey, my math teacher persona is a little out of practice okay?) It's already taken me at least two weeks to get some semblance of these boxes put together and ready though so it's time I moved on with the next project on my list, or at least parts of the next three or so.

These matching puzzles (Marshalls) have been one of the best activities.

Those are foam pieces that he is threading on a straw. Hoping he gets more "into" it as time passes.

See - in theory, and by the looks of these pictures, savvy moms should be able to enjoy endless amounts of free time for themselves, right? (Or at least chug their coffee and brush their teeth.) LOL. *sigh*  I will let you know how my efforts progress and hopefully pay off. ;0) If anything it is an absolute THRILL teaching my own kid now and getting to see him learn. Just wait until we get to do fractions...