Across five January 30ths

2004. Four years ago
      
      Daniel is now 7. It seems rather unreal.
      
      
2005. Three years ago
      
      Subject Line: 2, 4, 6, 8
      
      ... who do we appreciate?
      
      Daniel! Because today he is 8!
      
      ::cheers::
      
      
2006. Two years ago
      
      Anyway. So today was Daniel's birthday, and Chris was back from London, and they did get to spend time together. Most of the day, actually. Justin was home too, because after yet another plus-zero day, the school buses were cancelled (again, that's the fourth or fifth time this year) and this time I was unable to drive Justin in because I literally could not open the door of my car because of the ice. So Chris and Daniel and Justin spent the day together, went to Pizza Hut, played Pokemon, and had some male bonding time. Which was sorely needed. And I had some Mama time. Which was also sorely needed.
      
      
2005. Last year
      
      My big boy is even bigger now...
      
      Ten years ago, I gave birth to Daniel at Kingston General Hospital, at 7:41AM, after a completely unremarkable 6-hour birth. I was attended by three midwives (primary, secondary and student) and observed by a fourth year medical student who had asked for permission to see what midwife-attended births were like. It's a bit ironic to me that although we had expected hospital births to be far more frantic than home births, when we did do a home birth three years later with Justin, it made Daniel's birth seem the epitome of serenity. Probably due to the sheer number of people (including two toddlers) present for the home birth, as well as the rather rushed 3-hour timeline ;)
      
      My mom had driven down from Montreal to see me, and was somewhat disconcerted to get to the hospital around noon and be informed that I had checked out already.
      
      "Are you sure? Didn't she... wasn't she here to have a baby?"
      
      "Oh yes, she had the baby. Then she went home."
      
      Being from the days of Twilight Sleep and week-long maternity ward stays, my mother was thrown for a bit of a loop. And thrown for even more of a loop when she reached our house and I answered the door, holding her five-hour-old grandson :)
      
      ( Daddy and Daniel at four months, as I have no e-copies of Newborn!Daniel pictures )
      
      
      ( Daniel's Naming Party )
      
      
      
2008. Today
      
      Daniel is now eleven. Puberty looms ever closer, and we quake with fear. But we recognize that Daniel has a lot on his side going in. He's intelligent, for one thing - almost freakishly so when it comes to languages and math. He's interesting. And he's interested - mostly in D&D, true, but also in many other parts of life, the universe and everything. He's got a sense of humour that has helped us through a number of difficult moments. He's almost painfully honest. He's kind - when he can snap out of daydreams and focus on the people around him. His imagination goes nonstop and full speed ahead. He's getting his green belt in TaeKwon-Do in a month, does math at a grade 6 level, can play a few Christmas carols on the piano, does great in Cubs, is an awesome big brother, and is generally an all-around happy kid.
      
      Here's to you, Daniel. You changed our lives forever eleven years ago, and words can't express just how grateful we are to you for that.

I just may be in love...

... with Taylor Mali, a slam poet, whose What do teachers really make? made me want to stand up and cheer.

BTW, an alternate title for it is apparently "If you can't make it as a teacher, be a lawyer" - which I find hysterical because, um, that's me. I didn't go into law school because I finally realized I was meant to do more with my life than "just" teach. I went into it in part because I just didn't have what it took to be a teacher my entire life.

Also: Like, you know? is something I'm really glad I hadn't viewed before now because there were at least two students in my class this month who I constantly wanted to poke with sharp sticks over this very issue. Because they were really smart, but you kinda like couldn't tell, you know? And had I seen this video first... well, it just might have been ugly?

Tony Steinberg: Brave Seventh Grade Viking Warrior This isn't a video, it's text only. Have tried to describe it six times, no dice. "Gutwrenching" comes close.