Mom’s Stuff:
Several things that have happened this week have made me reflect on my relationship and marriage. First of all, Valentine’s Day came and went (my personal hell as a high school teacher – teenagers hopped up on candy, hormones and drama all day). Secondly, my parents were featured in a local article about community volunteers, which also discussed their marriage of 32 years. Finally, the G-man has been asked to a best man at a wedding (so exciting!). All of this had me thinking about what I would say if someone asked me to describe our relationship, or detail our “how we met story” on a wedding website (which we never had). So, here are some of the things I reflected on when thinking about the G-man and I:
How we met:
You know those sappy stories you read on wedding websites. Well, ours is kind of boring. Though we knew each other before, the G-man and I really hit it off in first period, 11th grade math. He sat behind me and often pulled my hair – because that is how you flirt apparently! He was just lucky I thought he was cute 😉
Our wedding:
Our wedding fit us perfectly – short and simple. We thought about getting officially engaged – until we really looked at how much those rings cost! We were married at the local courthouse surrounded by immediate family. We followed up with a fantastic dinner at a local Italian restaurant for all, and then a weekend honeymoon in Yosemite Park. We have been married for six years now, and as time goes by I am only happier and happier that we were married this way – especially when we went to put together a down payment on a house!
Life and relationship after having a kid:
The G-man and I are in a unique situation. Not only is one of us a stay-at-home parent (a fairly rare occurrence from what I can tell) but we have reversed the gender roles. On top of that is the factor that I have a fair amount of dedication to my job and career, but it is not super high-paying or even very prestigious. I’m a high school teacher who strives to be a better high school teacher, not a principal or other high ranking education official. Our lives changed dramatically when LP entered them, so it makes sense that our relationship has changed a bit as well. We are still very much in love, but I think that having a child has made us even more “partners.” One of us can’t possibly “do it all” so we have to work together and figure out things together in a way that we didn’t have to before. Having LP has made the G-man and I more than just a couple – we are part of a unit like never before.
LP’s Stuff:
LP’s vocabulary continues to grow! He is saying “spoon” and “bowl” and he is trying out new words all the time. He is still very rambunctious. One of his favorite games is jumping from our coffee table to the couch over and over again, laughing the whole time. We when were visiting his grandma and grandpa recently he very quickly figured out the best table from which to launch himself on the carpet – we quickly added pillows to his landing spot.
Food:
One of the quickest and easiest meals we put together for LP is a hummus and avocado “quesodilla” – minus the “queso” of course! It is super simply – we spread hummus on a tortilla and the layer half of the tortilla with with slices of avocado (usually about 1/2 an avocad0). Then we fold the tortilla over and grill it. We have a George Foreman grill from the G-man’s college days that words great, but a skillet or griddle would work as well! Then, we slice it up and serve it to LP, who eats it all by himself!
Pictures:
Why are principals a “higher rank?” I think trying to be a better teacher is very ambitious even if from the outside society might not get it. Not to mention all the teachers at our school who look to you for clues about how to teach and be a mom at the same time.
I agree completely. I find that sometimes people on the “outside” of teaching (thought they might be on the “inside” of education) see teaching as a “step” to something better. However, after taking on some roles outside of direct teaching I am more and more convinced that being a better teacher is not only an ambitious goal, but that it is far more rewarding than any of those other, (often higher-paid) positions.
And thanks for the comment about our colleges! Our community of thoughtful, reflective teachers is seriously one of the BEST parts of job!!!