Happy Birthday to Me!

Yup..it's my birthday. ALMOST 30...not quite. Next year. Hubby already is, so if he can do it, so can I :)
Big news here...it's -9 F right now...air temperature, not the wind chill. BRRRRRR! Hubby and I went to Taco Bell for dinner. The dining room wasn't heated...it was like they left all the doors open or something. It seriously felt colder in there than outside. I have never eaten a burrito that fast! I hoping that school is closed tomorrow, or at least delayed...but that just means I'll get a phone call at 6am, which isn't bad because I should be up already...but then I have to call The Russian, and then a bunch of parents. I could see the Director calling staff in, to clean. We've had the flu going through the infant room (all the staff, and I think all the babies now)...it spread to the twins in our room Tuesday, and their brother in the next room up today. And we have pink eye in our room again! Yippee... So, I think we'll spend tomorrow sanitizing stuff and keeping the kids occupied. I would just love to put my co-workers to work doing that, and then I can just hang with the kids all day. I miss not having a little group for the whole morning. I love our long free play and art time, but I just wish I had more time with just my little crew. I'm getting a new child in a few weeks. She visited today and hit it off with one of my little guys. It was very cute. I also have a mom who wants to have a conference about hitting going on in the classroom...but we are confused because we don't see her child involved in much of that, so we REALLY want specifics. Dad said something about the mornings, and Mom told the Director that she saw something and I handled it well, but she doesn't think everyone does the same. So, apparently it would be me and the other opener at this conference. My opinion (and that of The Other Ann) is that it's NOT the other opener that Mom should be worried about. BUT, we wonder if she coddles the one who generally does the hitting, rather than dealing with the problem, taking care of the "victim," etc. That is MY biggest complaint....I can sit and work with two kids on sharing, for example, let's say A and J. A wants what's in J's hand and J won't share. Ok, so I help J see that A would like a turn, and A asks how many minutes until his turn. J says 5 minutes, I look at my watch, and ask A what he'd like to do for 5 minutes. Then the other opener comes over and says, "J, let's go play with the snow." knowing that he'll go...and she stood and watched the whole exchange, so I guess she's thinking she's helping A. And speaking of A...he's getting SO easily frustrated. I have been trying to give him the words, "you are frustrated. I would be too. But, we can rebuild your rocket. Dry your tears and let's work on it together." I get T.O.O., and now The Russian, doing one of two things...rushing RIGHT over when he starts bawling and starting to fix his project OR hauling him out of the room and demanding that he stops crying. He's 3 for god's sake!! I have told the team how I am working with him, and it seems to be working, hoping we could be consistent. The Ann's both said they would treat him the same way.... I know T.O.O. and The Russian have different philosophies, and I know with some things, T.O.O. just does what The Russian does, and unless someone questions it, will just continue to do it that way.
Whoa! Long blog...sorry! I started reading "Visions in Death" by J.D. Robb. I love that series!! So, I guess I better pull out my contacts, hop in the shower, and get up to bed so I can read some more!! And the other two books I finished recently that I would reccomend are "The Brother's Keeper" and "Stones of My Accusers" by Tracy Groot. Very good. I wish she'd write more. I wish I could write a book...I'd love to author a children's book or 7.
Crap....Dragon's online and I can't stay on to chat. If I don't go now, I'll never get off the computer! Too slow....damn....