Why I Love Third Graders

1. They fall backwards in their chairs ALL DAY LONG. It happens at least four times a day, and it's such a normal occurance that we just keep going. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. Oh, and no matter how many times it happens to the same kid, they keep leaning back in their chairs.
2. They spell their own names wrong constantly.

FOUR Months Old!!

Kaitlyn turned four months old on February 22nd. She's now 15 pounds, 3 ounces, and is 25 inches long. We like to say that she's "sturdy." :)
I am in the middle of my first full week back at work. Let's just say that June is all I can think about....Jeff is in the same boat because he graduates in June. The Collins family will be partying!!

Kaitlyn is starting to enjoy her jumperoo more. Notice that our smart girl is holding onto the reins:

Aunt Clarissa and cousin Amanda came for a visit. Amanda is three and a half. Doesn't Kaitlyn look huge?!

I met up with my friends Gina, Jodie, and Amy. Amy's little girl, Maggie, is eight days older than Kaitlyn.

We Have a Roller!!

Of course I would miss it because of the internet...
Jeff put Kaitlyn on her back and went upstairs. I just looked up and she was giving herself tummy time. :) She's been trying to get from her back to her tummy for a couple weeks now...go Kaitlyn!! She'll be 4 months old on Sunday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

My days of hanging out in sweatpants all day are numbered. I go back to work on Thursday this week. I met with my long-term sub this weekend, and I am not as anxious about going back. I actually think, at this point, that it may not be that bad. Okay, talk to me in two weeks, and I almost guarantee I'll be singing a different tune...

One thing that will make the transition easier is that Kaitlyn has the most amazing grandparents ever. Grandpa Dave, Grandma Debbie, and Grandma Bonnie will all be watching Kaitlyn during the week, so she will not be going to day care until next fall. When I am off at the end of June for summer, I'll take over again. Now, instead of being worried about someone we don't know watching her, I can focus all of my worry on taming 27 rowdy third graders...woo hoo.

We are in "nap bootcamp take 2" at the Collins household. We bought a "sleep book," and are implementing some researched methods to get Kaitlyn on a good routine so she'll nap longer. I have been in catnap hell for a while now, and we are hoping that this will help us and all of the grandparents have an easier time. We've only been at it for a day and a half, but it actually seems to already be making a difference. Please cross your fingers for us! It's a process that takes a lot of work, patience, and persistence on our part, but hopefully it will pay off.

Jeff and I got to go out for my birthday on Friday. We had dinner at The Melting Pot, a first for both of us. It was waaayyyyy overpriced (as many of you know), but I get the feeling that we paid for the experience, which was really fun. :) The dessert was my favorite! We tried to go out with some friends afterwards, but only made it until 10:30. Somehow staying up late doesn't seem worth it anymore when you know you'll be up at about 4:00 and then 6:30 for the day...

Here are some pictures!

Before our night out. Yes, those are Christmas decorations in the back. Remember the catnaps? Those make it pretty hard to get things done (that's my excuse, anyway...)

I bought Kaitlyn a mirror :)

Look at how big she is!

These sunglasses are the result of a shopping trip with Kara and Paige. She's rockin' 'em.