Friday, June 27, 2008

Potty training

oh the joys of potty training! It is in full swing at the Koepke house! After a busy school year, and a crazy week of travel last week, I figured this would be as good of a week as any to start full-fledged potty training. Sophie has been going on the potty for a few months now, here and there, but I wasn't really focussed on it. Now I am!

So we only have her in panties...she chose some pretty Cinderella ones, and some Hello Kitty ones. I went and bought a bunch of generic kind because of how many we are going through :)

She is not telling us when she needs to go yet, so I just have a timer and everytime it "dings" she gets to sit on the potty. She is doing pretty well and I am so proud of her. I have had to clean a few icky poops but besides that, she is getting the hang of it. I am so proud of her!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Grandma

It's been awhile since I've posted on here. I thought with me being done teaching, I would have PLENTY of time to come on here and play, give updates everyday or something like that, but that hasn't materialized yet.

On Father's day, at 5am, I got a call from my sister, telling me that my Grandma was in the hospital, she had had a stroke and was bleeding in her brain. Totally shocked me. By the evening, she had died. My grandma, who just the day before, had been making a big pot of soup, and talking about getting the carpet torn out, was gone. I hadn't seen her face to face since Christmas, so to me, it felt really surreal.

We headed up to Canada on Thursday, went to the viewing that night, then the burial on Friday, than the memorial service on Saturday. The whole time thinking, has this really happened? At my grandma's house, I just expected to see her sitting on the couch, like she always did during our many visits together when I was up from Portland.

The service on Saturday was such an amazing celebration of an even more amazing woman. My grandma, Olga Rubuliak, was such a fervent lover of God and an amazing prayer warrior. She prayed every single day for every single child, grand children and great grand children that she had, individually. So, that is 6 children, 10 grand children and 17 great grandchildren.

This world has lost a precious jewel in my grandma, but without a shadow of a doubt, I know that I will see her again. I love you grandma and miss you so much.

Grandma and Sophie, August 2007
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Grandma and Sophie, Christmas
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Saturday, June 7, 2008

I survived! (well, so far)

All year, since I knew my teaching partner was pregnant and would take the last few weeks off of school to rest before her baby was born, I have known that I would go full-time. To tell you the truth, that thought has FREAKED me out! This year has been a really tough one for us in the classroom, dealing with so many behavior/mental health issues, and often, my 2 or 3 days a week feels like it'll put me over the edge sometime. So, I was all ready to hit these last 2 weeks...put on my army boots, roll up my sleeves, and hit it hard.

In all honesty, it actually wasn't that bad! In some ways it was "easier" (in the classroom at least). I had a whole week to connect with the kids, I planned my own days, I didn't have to leave my classroom spic and span for my teaching partner to get back to, on Monday. It was actually a lot of fun!! I have also realized that teaching at the end of the week is way harder than the beginning of the week. There is one girl who always seems to act up more behavior wise for me, than my teaching partner, and it frustrated me b/c I really don't feel that I do anything any differently with her, than my teaching partner does. Well, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, this girl did really well in the classroom. On Thursday, she was so off. I do have to say, it made me feel better to know that it's not "me" but perhaps just how she is at the end of the week.

So I did it, I enjoyed it, let's see if I can keep up my energy for this next week, the last week of school. (Just don't look at my house....I don't know how all you full time working momma's do it all...my house is definitely showing my absence...)

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Viva Las Vegas!

Well, my Las Vegas trip was last weekend and I had SUCH an awesome time! It was so much fun to have a "girls" weekend, and get to meet some of my "imaginary friends". I love them! We had such a good time and honestly, it was hard to come home, even though I missed Jeremy and Sophie a lot.

From hanging out by the pool and going in the subzero temperature water (poor Cecile froze Baby Star), to walking all over the strip, eating a ton, people watching, buying outrageously expensive water (I think I was the only one in Vegas buying water and not alcohol, LOL), Margaritaville, the Wax Museum, The Bank at the Bellagio...so much fun!! It is amazing what a few days with friends AND in the sun does for my mood!

Thank you RMs for such a great weekend!

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