19 Weeks and a Birthday! (Mine)

Last week, I turned 28. 

To comemorate my birthday being on March 8th, here's 8 things about each one of our little family!

Me:

1. Some days, I'm super jealous of T and John Wayne's relationship.  I feel like they have their own language.  Sometimes, it makes me really sad when John Wayne wants to cuddle with him all evening(totally acknowledging it could be pregnancy hormones, though) .  Other times, I'm grateful I don't have a little one following me to the bathroom. 

2. I'm a home body. I love just sitting around my house, hanging with my kid and hubs.  Comfort is my deal, especially now. T is a home body too, but not near the extent I am.

3. I have a love/hate relationship with teaching. I love working with kids. I love treating them like equals. I love the feeling of teaching a really good lesson. I love having professional relationships with them. I love seeing what their little minds come up with.  I love it when they surprise me with their intelligence.  I hate it when they follow me around the room and ask the same questions over and over. I hate it when they don't follow directions. I hate parents who treat their kids poorly, like a pet, or like a piece of furniture. I also hate parents who have a blah attitude toward education (believe me, it shows in those kids!). I hate when standardized tests happen in MARCH (hello, how can they be at a fifth grade level when they're only 3/4 through fourth? Thanks, PAWS!) I hate teachers who blame all of their problems on someone else (or more importantly on other teachers).

4. I used to be obsessed with pajama bottoms. I still am, but now I don't have 50 pairs. The minute I get home, the pants come off and the pjs come on (again, the comfort).

5.  I'm haven't been a big fan of my birthday in the past few years, in fact I dreaded it, but this year I actually enjoyed myself.  I'm not sure if it's due to maturity, acceptance, or sheer indifference, but I did.

6.  This pregnancy has been NUTS!  I feel the baby kicking, which is fun, but I feel so totally uncomfortable all. the time.  I also totally got heartburn way earlier this time around (how can someone get heartburn from popcorn?!)

7. I think How I Met Your Mother is one of the most underrated shows on T.V. I find it so incredibly well written as well as exactly my kind of humor. I love every episode.

8. We have a TV, but we don't have TV.  For the most part, I like it that way. 

T:

1. He is really into Land Cruisers these days. His brother got him one about a year ago, and he's been secretly(and not so secretly) fiddling with it whenever he has a chance. Recently, he just bought another land cruiser; he says is going to be our 'family car'. Since this car is a '75 and can barely get it started at the time being, I'm skeptical.

2. He really loves Pink the singer. I think he thinks she's such a bada**. That, and he likes her music.

3.  T is the best driver I know, probably because he drives for a living. He gets angry when other drivers don't follow the 'rules of the road' (honestly, half the rules he gets mad at, I didn't know was a rule). I would trust him to drive in any weather, anytime of day, with anyone I know.  It brings me real comfort since I'm a little skittish behind the wheel (4 accidents in 4 years, ALL not my fault, two of them rollovers).

4. He will do ANYTHING for his family. He loves them so much and it has, at times, caused some contention between us. I love that he loves them, but I get jealous sometimes.

5. He can grow a massive beard in a matter of days. That thing is thick too!

6. He secretly watches Steel Magnolias when I'm not home.

7. When it comes to parenting, we both have very simliar ideas. So much so, even if we've never talked about a certain issue, I could probably tell you what his opinion based on my own.

8. He tucks in ALL his shirts, button-downs, t-shirts, dress-shirts, whatever. He does it even to go do silly things, like run to the store, or get something out of the car. I think it's quite cute, and it makes him look like he's 10.

John Wayne:

1. I know I always say it, but he is obsessed with his dad. I'm not sure what I'm saying is doing it justice. From the time T gets home, (I get home sooner, and pick John Wayne up) T has a constant shadow. Wherever T goes, his boy goes (I mean everywhere). On the rare occasion John Wayne is doing something seperate from his dad, he periodically walks around to find him just to make sure he's still around.

2. He's been on this kick of correcting us. (I wonder if it's not so much a kick, but an oldest sibling trait?) We've been on him lately not to throw things (we're trying to prepare him for when the baby comes). We always tell him, 'No throwing!' in a very stern tone. So now, when we toss something to him, or toss something in the garbage or in the hamper, he vhetmetly screams at us through tears no less, "NO THROWING!"

3. He has the memory of an elephant. (I'm under the impression elephants have good memories?) It's incredible the things he can recall.

4. That kid is obsessed with my clothes these days. Maybe it's my smell or the security, but he takes anything of mine I've recently worn around with him wherever he goes. I wore a pair of old boxers the other day around the house, and when we went to the store, John Wayne HAD to bring them in.

5. He HAS to bring something with him to daycare everyday. Whether its a toy train, dvd, stuffed animal, his diaper bag (??), or book. As a result, we've lost a lot of stuff at daycare.

6. I can kiss, hug, hold, and squeeze him for as long as I want. Afterwards, he runs away, but in the moment there is no squirming, no yelling, no whining, or no crying. If I can get ahold of him, that is.
7.  That kid LOVES being around other kids.  If he sees kids anywhere, he'll start to follow them and call them his friends.
8. He knows he's the entertainment at our house, and any house for that matter.  He eats it up!  That kid is a natural born performer.