Update

Since it has been a while since I wrote a blog, I thought I would update you now (seeing as how I have a second finally). But I am tired so if I ramble that is why.

School started off great. I think I will really like 7th grade. They seem to respect me more. I guess because I don't quite look like a 7th grader. That was my problem with high school. I looked like one of them and they didn't respect me. So, school is going really good now. I am having to start from scratch with the class, so that is keeping me tied down. Since we have no teacher money this year, I am trying to find ways to keep the students engaged without having to make copies. That is actually really hard!!! I have a smartboard in my room, so I have been making powerpoints of my notes and making the students copy them. It's been working out fine. I find games online and let them come up to the board and play them. They love playing with the board.

Other than the classroom, I have a grant to fix up the greenhouse outside my room. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING!!! NO idea where to begin!! I know what things probably need to be fix, but I am afraid that I will miss something. With it being a grant too, I have to keep up with everything. So that means lots and lots of paperwork and pictures to prove it. Crazy! I think my head is going to spin off!!! Too much stuff!!

On a different note (basically I have to stop talking about school before my BP rises to a deathly level), Ellison is talking so much now. I mean actually talking. She is picking up on everything and saying everything. She surprised me Saturday morning. I turned the TV on for her to watch cartoons and she said "Mommy, Manny." And yes, Handy Manny was on TV. I have never heard her say it before.
Here are some more conversations:

Josh: Love you Ellie, be back in a minute.
Ellie: ove you in minute bye bye daddy

Me: Lets go play with Mrs. Sarah and Jessie (as we get out of the car at daycare)
Ellie: no no mommy, no no
Me: yes I will be back this afternoon
Ellie: no no mommy...(and a bunch of gibberish... probably cursing me for leaving her there)

Ellie: ELMOOOOO
Inez: yeah there is Elmo
Ellie: I get it I get Elmo
Inez: Okay you can get Elmo

Ellie: Mommy Elmo (whining and crying and crawling up in my lap while I am on the computer)
Me: not right now Ellie. Mommy is working on school stuff.
Ellie: No no, Elmo mommy (continues until I give in or she gives up)

As soon as we come in from school (or actually anytime we come home), Ellie will walk to the TV, turn it on, find the remote, give it to me and shake her head yes. Apparently I am suppose to know what she wants (obviously to watch cartoons). She then signs "more", which now means eat. So I fix her a snack and let her eat it in the living room while watching cartoons.

So as you can tell, our lives are interesting. Ellie says something new everyday, but of course I am so tired that I can't remember everything. I think I need to keep a book about it. She is so fun right now. I love coming home to her!! I still don't like our night time. She will fall asleep on her own now, but she will not do it when she wakes in the middle of the night. And this week she has decided that she wants mommy to rock her back to sleep. Mommy doesn't like this. She did so good for a week. She slept thru the night and all, but I don't know what happened now. Oh well. One day she will sleep.

Pictures are to come in the future. Stay tune!!

Overwhelmed

Wow! I got an overload of information today! Today was our offical day back to school (for teachers anyways). We had inservice at the high school which was really neat. They did a "virtual" inservice, where they had 5 host sites and we didn't have to travel to far. It was good. I liked it. That only lasted about an hour and a half and then we had to go to our lunchroom and have a faculty meeting. Well, I got stopped about 100 times on my way to the meeting. I guess it was actually good, because it was people who didn't know me. Anyways, I was flooded with information at the meeting about all the stuff that I have to do. I never had to do most of this stuff before. I feel so lost!! I know that I can handle the classroom and the material. It is the same as my high school biology lessons. So I am not worried about that. I am worried about the lesson plans (how in depth, long etc...), and all the other little paper work that I have to do. I know that this is a bigger school and I should have been prepared a little better, but WOW...

{takes a deep breath...}

Anyways, I can do it and I am really excited about starting this school year. I have really high expectations for myself and my students. I can't wait to get to coaching!! I am excited about all that. Can't wait for softball especially!

Anyways, I got to get ready for the rest of the week. School starts Monday!! Hope everyone is ready!!

Update on Ellie's Hand

Just thought I would show everyone Ellie's hand now. It was 3 wks this past Sunday that Ellie burnt her hand on a light bulb. She is a tough little girl. They were blistered for a week and then popped. She fought us for a while to put bandaids and her cream on it, but she finally figured out that we were not hurting her. We were actually helping. You can still see her holding her sippy cup without those two fingers, but she really acts like it never happend. Although, if you ask her to show you her hurt finger, she will show you the correct hand. Here are the before and after pictures for you to see.

Ellie's Swimming Pool

Here is Ellie's Swimming Pool that we bought her. She had so much fun at my sister's house in Gage's swimming pool that we wanted her to have fun at home. So we went to Wal-mart and found this one on clearance. Best $20 I spent. She loves it!! She was shivering at one point but did not want to get out! Once I showed her how to use the slide, she was trying to do it herself. Of course, she wouldn't make it half way up before sliding back down. The dolphin shoots out water from the mouth, but she really didn't like that, so that stayed off. I got really scared about her jumping from the big pool side to the little pool side and visa versa. She fell in head first once and from then on she decided that she would go in feet first instead. I guess she doesn't like going under. She didn't cry though, she actually laughed. Anyways, I thought that I would show you the pictures of her new toy. Come and join us if you want!

Walls Family 4th of July

We don't do a huge family 4th of July like most families do, but we did have lots of fun!! Josh, Ellie and I went to Birmingham to my sisters house. Mom was the only one not there because she went on a trip to San Diego. Wendy bought Gage a slip-n-slide which turned out to be tons of fun for him. I wish you could have seen him!! He never quite got the concept of running and slide as you run. Instead he would just run to the top, stop, jump on the float (came with it), and Bryan (his dad) would push him down the slip-n-slide. So funny to watch!! He had a blast and Ellie loved playing in the sprinklers that were spraying the slip-n-slide. Gage and Ellie both got into his baby pool. Ellie loved it so much!! She was able to move around and play with out mommy holding her. She loved it so much that we went out and bought her one tonight! Anyways, I hope the you enjoy the pictures.

Ready to go!I'm flying!

Playing in the pool!

Playing in the sprinklers

My Elliegator!

Etheredge/ Shubert Family 4th of July

This year we did something different for 4th of July. We usually have a big party at Inez's house, but since she is "out of commission" we went to Grandby's house and swam. Greg and Jimmy did their usually BBQ chicken and ribs which was delicious!! It was tons of fun to have the whole family their swimming. Ellie had a blast swimming. In fact she was asking to go in and was not wanting out even though her lips were turning blue and she was shivering!! Ellie didn't get to see fireworks this year though. We were always on the road going home when it was time to shoot them. I think she probably would have been scared of them anyways, so maybe next year when we get to go back to Inez's house she will love fireworks.

She is her mother's child. She is licking SALSA off chips.
Sarah sporting a new look!

My little swimmer!!

Ellie loves her Audrey

Happy 4th of July!!!

My Amazing Ellie

Ellie never stops surprising me at the stuff she can do. She is only 17 mths (or will be Sat.) and she can say almost anything she wants. Of course she will only say stuff when she wants to. She already has a little personality. She has the Walls' family temper. She will get mad pretty quickly. It's actually quite funny. She has also learned to give you this "I'm sorry/ I'm so sweet" smile when you get on to her. It takes just about everything you have to keep from laughing at her when she does it.

Well, yesterday morning I was in the kitchen doing the dishes and Ellie was watching cartoons. She was walking around playing with her toys and talking to the T.V so I knew she was okay. All of a sudden she got quite. That's when I knew she was into something or doing something she shouldn't. Guess what I found as I looked into the living room? My daughter with her clothes almost off!! I took pictures to prove it!! She just could not figure out how to get her feet out of her pj's (they have a little elastic at the foot that helps keep then on, and she couldn't figure out how to get out of it).

Later that day, we decided to get a ice cream sandwich. I bought the little mini ones thinking it would be easier to eat for Ellie. Well, I got brave yesterday and decided to let her hold it and feed herself. I usually don't because we have sorta white couches and who wants chocolate on their couch?! So, like I said, I got brave. Ellie had the best time feeding herself the ice cream sandwich. She was even trying to feed me like I used to her. Anyways, I have some pictures of that experience too. Enjoy the rest of the summer!!!

YUMMMY!!!