Agenda

Today's will be big, so let me break it down (and so I don't forget what I want to write about):


1) Parent Council Meeting at local Public School: Music Classes cut
2) Fighting sleep
3) Banana Bread
4) Love


1)


To follow up on yesterday's blog about the Music Program being cut...it is not an entire School Board having this cut, but my local Public School.  And as I suspected it is a numbers thing.  Money and student/teacher numbers.  


As an artist and advocate of music in schools it enrages me that when it comes down to it (not just in this case) Music/Arts are often the first target.  As a logical thinker (yes, sometimes I do think logically :D  ) after hearing the reasoning behind the decision it does make sense.  There are so many guidelines imposed on schools by the boards to ensure quality education to the children.  


The issue here?  The Music Teacher at this school...the only teacher qualified to instruct instrumental music to the senior classes...is a primary teacher.  In order for this teacher to be able to leave the primary classroom to go instruct the senior classes, someone would have to cover the primary class in this teacher's absence.  Of course.  The people able to cover would be the senior classes.  The problem with this, so we were informed, is that the primary classes would then have 5-6 different teaching figures in their classroom.  That is a lot for little ones...consistency is vital for these cute things.  


So here it comes to money:  there needs to be enough money to hire someone to teach music to the senior classes.  The board has to approve allocation of funds to this school to hire a music teacher.  


There are a few other options which this school will be exploring  that I won't get into right now, but I am hopeful that there is a feasible solution that will appear.  And soon.  As one of the passionate parents in attendance pointed out, the longer music is out of the classroom, the harder it will be to get it back in.


I will keep you posted.


2)


My sweet, charming daughter fights sleep like none other.  I can't complain about the amount she sleeps, as it is quite wonderful thanks to swaddling.  But getting her to sleep?  Oy vey.  On occasion it happens in a blink of an eye.  More often than not, however, we have to really work at calming her down.  We try to get her cues that she is tired and help her before she gets frantic, but with her there is such a fine line between cue and panic!


At almost 4 months, this little pumpkin is getting very strong and is almost too big for her swaddling blankets/contraptions.  This worries me since for the last month she has been sleeping 9-11 hours at night!  WOO!  Amazing and lovely...but what happens when we can no longer swaddle her?  We will do what we have to, naturally.  Even if it means going back to getting up in the evening with her every 2-4 hours.  But I do hope we can find a way to help her sleep through the night without the swaddling because sleep...oh sweet sleep...saved my life.  (For real...I am one of the unfortunate mothers that battled with a bout of Post Partum Depression...luckily a mild case of it.  But a case of it, nonetheless.)


3)


Today I am trying on my super-mom hat.  So far...not too bad.


Checklist:


~ baby fed
~ formula made
~ laundry in the washer and dryer
~ baby napped
~ banana bread made
~ baby fed
~ mom puked on


This is a good day so far.

It's been months since I've made anything from scratch and decided to take out some of those brown bananas from the freezer.  The result?  My mom's banana bread...with a few little twists.  Instead of white flour I use whole wheat...this makes the bread super yummy, actually. And I add chocolate chips AND peanut butter chips.  MMMmmmmmM!  


4)


Love.  


My parents.  They are wonderful, amazing beings.  I love everything about them...their abilities, their flaws, their voices, their hugs and the way they love all of us.  Recently, our family saw the addition of its first grandbabies!  In the same summer.   Incredible.  My brother and I didn't plan this...although it worked out perfectly.  Now we have little cousins that will, hopefully, be fast friends!


Back to the parents.  They live a ways away.  As in, New Brunswick.  Sooo, they had a few trips to make back to Ontario this summer.  Every parting is hard...but their return this time was especially hard.  They had to say goodbye to their precious little granddaughters (both incredibly yummy).  What is great and applies to this #4 is witnessing how much they love these two wee things.  


We learn how to love from those around us and I am so lucky to have learned from my mom and dad.  I can only wish that my children feel the same and learn to love unconditionally, wildly and intensely.


5) 


Not on the agenda, but fun.  Was just doing some chair dancing while writing this to Black Eyed Peas Boom Boom Pow.  If you want to feel fun...have a listen.  And have a wiggle in your chair.  It's sunny out, so why not!?


I'm off to change a very stinky diaper.  #4 ~ I love my daughter...I love my daughter no matter how stinky.


Be well,
Kelly