Moving on...

My MAT project is in its final stages. Every one is relieved (me, my husband, my writing group, my teacher, my baby...) I basically scrapped my efforts and started over two weeks ago. Daring, no. It just wasn't working and it took me a while to cop to the fact. What I have now is a 26 page, 2 part project--the beginning is a reflection of my first four years of teaching and how my pedagogy has developed, the second part is my implementation plan for teaching literacy instead of literature. Let me translate that out of educational jargon for you. My teaching has changed a great deal through my graduate education process and I am a big fan of teaching students reading and writing skills that transcend the text (hopefully a real piece of literature) used for instruction. I still have finishing work, but it is starting to settle in that I am going to be DONE with graduate school and my life doesn't have to revolve around preparing for class!

I'm allowing myself to contemplate packing and preparing for our trip to MO. The Olympics start Friday and I have been in training myself. My event is called Strap a 17 lb. baby to the chest and carry her through the airport. It requires daily practice Mobying and a long walk for endurance training. When I told Noah about my training he scoffed and asked, "Have you sat with her on the couch for 3 1/2 hours? That's what you really need to prepare for."

It's a big job traveling with a baby. I don't know that, but I hear it's true. Our burden has been significantly lessened by my dear friend Kelley Marie. Her little girl, Kendall, is lending Georgia many of her baby things so we don't have to pack them, including her infant carrier, strollers, baby monitor, and pack-n-play. Kelley Marie traveled solo with Kendall and says she is trying to spare me the trouble. What an amazing friend! So the plan is to babywear Georgia, bring only what we can carry, borrow from Kendall, and buy the diapers, formula, and wipes (which are suprisingly heavy!) there.

My mom has our shopping list and we'll make her food when we get there. She's going to add sweet potato and pears to her food list while we are there. The Super Baby Food cube method is working beautifully for us. There has been a learning curve. Plums are tart; if you've never seen a baby make a tart face, let me tell you it is snort-giggling funny...Noah and I both tried the plums and decided bananas were needed to tone it down. Avocados need water added to the puree to store well. Nectarines were difficult and took forever. I suspect that because I steamed them one day and had to puree and strain them the next it was more difficult, but for sure, I would have quit and given away the book if they were my first experiment. It is easy to store the food cubes, servings are premeasured, and it is quick to grab the cubes from the freezer in the morning and have them defrosting in the fridge until mealtime.

I know at some point I will use commerically produced baby food, and be very thankful it is available, but I really believe there is something to making your own. Our ultimate goal is for our kids to eat from the table and we like that she is eating real food already. It's not difficult with this book. It also is in line with my value: would you do it too? That means I try really hard to not give my students assignments I haven't tried and I don't really want to give my baby food I wouldn't eat. I just cannot stomach what I see on the shelf. Why are the bananas pink? Not to mention the cost. Much of it at this point of eating is water. 60 cents for a little jar may not seem like much, but my baby eats like her daddy and that adds up!

Off to bed. If you have any travel tips let me know!