Summertime

Officially, it has been summer since the middle of June, but in England our summer break began on Friday at 1:30 P.M.  (At least for our school.  Some schools are still in session for another week or so.)  Because of the nature of my work, I must remain confidential, but I will say that I was really looking forward to this summer break.

One thing that is going to be different this summer than any summer in the past is that I am not going to waste a day working behind a computer.  The summer before my first year of teaching, I spent five weeks from 8 A.M. until 5 P.M. every day decorating, making resources and games for, and creating lesson plans for my new class.  Looking back on it, I really regret not taking the time to travel or meet-up with my friends.  Obviously, I will prepare for this coming school year, but I will chip away at my to-do list a little bit every night when Jackson goes to sleep so that I don't miss the opportunity to create new memories with him (and Lee when he has the day off of work).
 
With remaining respectful to my friend's wishes, I will not include any names or specific dates, but I will mention that we lost a very dear friend this year at school.  It was someone with whom I had daily chats with about current events, history, politics, parenting, and do-it-yourself projects.  I greatly respect this person and admire him for his humour and honesty.  His untimely passing is something that still hits me daily and it has been strange to go to work without him there.  A motto he said weekly was, "Life's too short," and I must say that reflecting on my times with him has changed the way I live since he left.

I still care about my job just as much as before, but I definitely worry less and do things in a more efficient manner to maximise my time with my family, have fun, and enjoy each day as much as I can because tomorrow really isn't guaranteed.

So this summer, I will take more time than I ever have before for family, friends, and relaxation; and because of this, I know that it will be one of the best summers ever.

Jackson after his tantrum through the village

One of his new gestures as he shows us more of his personality

Developmental updates:  Jackson's new words this week were 'cookie' and 'bull.'  He's been a lot more expressive when he says, "Oh no," and when he gets excited.  Jackson has added crossed arms, a sulky, bowed head, and 'sad eyes' to his "Oh no" demeanour.  And when he gets excited about something, he has a Shirley Temple-like smile and puts his hands on his cheeks to say, "Yeah!" or give a giggle.  Jackson's tantrums have also become bigger and better than before.  I think what shocks us most is how long the screaming and crying can last even when we completely leave the situation.  For instance, yesterday we tried to get his hair cut but before we made it to the hair salon, Jackson threw a temper tantrum because we wouldn't let him walk into the street.  After offerings of milk, gingerbread cookies, baby rice cakes, and even a t.v. show on the ipad wouldn't settle him down, we had to strap him in the stroller and walk back home.  It took about eight minutes to get back to our house and he leaned out of the stroller, reaching and crying for the street he wanted to walk on the entire time.  The tantrum even continued inside the house!  (Eventually, he got tired of this and took a nap.  When he woke up, upon the second attempt of our walk to the village, we succeeded in getting his hair cut.)  Jackson of course still has his incredibly sweet moments--like wrapping his arms around my knees when I'm cooking dinner to give me a hug--and I know that in time, he will outgrow the 'terrible two' years.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.