News

3/27/06

As promised, we didn't take two years to update the site again. Not much is new this month. I guess just that Lisi is on a schedule. I am not a schedule person, and we all know Bri isn't one either, but Lisi is. She still is not sleeping through the night and my dear friend Kristi lent me a book by the Sleep Lady that is a gentler method for getting babies to sleep independantly other than through Cry-it-out. After 9 months of not sleeping, I was ready to try anything, but cry-it-out didn't feel right. This book is great, and Elise is responding very well to our efforts. We are following it pretty exactly to see the results we get. So far, so good. It's hard to be tied to the house for scheduled naps, bedtimes, and meals, but it's nice to have her finally not breastfeeding at night. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel where she will actually be sleeping all night! Keep your pillows crossed for us.

Bri is still loving his job. He went up to videotape Eric's band, Stillicide, this past weekend, and I saw the footage. They ROCK! I mean it. All out, grooving, hard, head thrashing, funny, funky ROCK. We all watched the footage together. Elise loved it. I can't wait to see the video Bri makes. We also went en-mass to see them perform at a coffee house in South Jersey. Much more mellow and very fun. Again, because it was so mellow, Elise attended and loved it. She even got to grab the mic when the lead singer, Clint, came into the audience. :)  She was so proud - chipmunk proud.

Pam is in Oregon for two weeks. She is learning to be a Takatena instructor. She's in her favorite rhythm space. I look forward to seeing what she has learned when she gets back. We all miss her. :) 

1/15/06

Wow! Two years since my last entry. Actually closer to 2.5. But we did get some photos of our little girl up in June.  That actually is our new exciting little bit of joy. We had a little girl, Elise Isabel Palmer. She is a bundle of energy and glee. We LOVE to see her laugh and learn. Elise. Elise. It's all about Elise.

She goes by Ellie, Lisi (lee' see), Lisamonk, Monkey Pants, Elliebell, Belina, and Aunt Pam's favorite... Poo Poo Pants (said in a high, quick voice). At this point, she is 7.5 months old and crawling all over. She is pulling herself up and starting to cruise around. She even stood all on her own a few times this week. Very exciting! We have already started baby-proofing. Mealtime is a blast with every surface getting decorated with orange, green, yellow, white, and puce colored schmutz as we try to give her independance in feeding herself. Bathtime is even more fun... and she even likes to take showers. :)

I love being a Mommy, and Brian loves being a Daddy. Of course, our parents are in Grandparent Ga-Ga Land. It's an actual place where you loose all sense of reality and your world becomes small and perfect. :) Oh what fun!

I have switched jobs yet again. I miss all my friends and colleagues at Severna Park ES and Shipley's Choice, but I am working with some wonderful new people at Southgate ES. I am working with an Intervention program for the first time. Challenging, but it is also very nice to be parttime.

Brian decided to put his dreams of having a home business on the back burner for a while. He had a position in an ad agency for about 6 months starting this spring. He liked having a chance to be very creative. Through that position, he found a new postion as a Manager of a Multimedia Production Center at Washington College, MD. He gets way more vaccation time and the hours are even better. He is very happy and loves his new job. It's a long commute, but worth it for many reasons.

Those of you who know me well will understand how thrilled I am that my sister and her husband have moved to Maryland. We see them a few times a week! Pam and I are even taking a weekly belly dancing class together! She's the best sister to get me out again after Elise being born. This way, Daddy has his special bonding time with her each week, and Mommy gets her night to get exercise and be a crazy girl with Pam! We have done so many things with Pam and John, it's just great to have them around . You can see pictures in our photo galleries of Pam and John on the boat with us, at the Ren. Fair with us (Pam made ALL of our costumes in about 1 week!!), and just hanging out doing all sorts of fun things.

My brother, Rob, and his girlfriend, Christina, have moved from Hawaii to South Carolina. He's in NUKE school, and Christina is working while going to school for a Masters in education. Another sibling I get to see more often now. How lucky am I?

My parents are still looking for a place down here, but as everyone knows, the market is horrible! We will keep at it, though. In the mean time, my dedicated mother takes her role as Mi-mom very seriously. Poppie shares my mom with us so she can drive down to us every week and stay with us for two nights while watching Elise during the day so I can go to work. Well... "watching" is not the right work. She is more developing, stimulating, teaching, loving, hugging, kissing, and playing with Elise for three days. And Elise can't get enough of her. Poppie get's down here on weekends some times so he can play with his "Pretty Monkey Toes" baby girl.

Eric, the little one, is still in North Jersey plugging away at making his way to fame and fortune as a musician. He's incredibly talented and way cool! He is going to have to teach Elise to be a good person and still be cool. See his link at www.somecrappyband.com or www.stillicideinfo.com.

Elise's local grandparents get a weekly ritual of Wednesday night dinner full of fun, tricks, pictures, and cuddling. :)  She especially loves Raggedy Anne and Andy time on the floor in front of the fire. Barbara knows so many fun songs from all her time teaching Kindergarten. And grandpop is already getting her ready for sailing.

And last, but not least, those of you who have talked to us at all in the last 1.5 years know about Nacho, our naughty, good natured, lovable, excitable little chocolate chihuahua. Here are some links! (puppy, 2004, 2005). He is almost 2 years old now and makes many appearances online in our photo sections of DotPhoto.com. He loves Elise, and even more importantly, she LOVES him! He is calm and gentle with her. What a good little boy!

That's as much as I can get out right now.  I promise it will not be 2 years before I get another update. :) 

8/15/03

School's back IN already!! I have spent this week sitting in "New Teacher Orientation". It's weird to be treated as a new teacher again, but it's interesting to be starting over with curriculum and programs. I might just use this as a chance to revise some of my teaching strategies. It should be interesting. :)

I have already made some new friends. It was through a weird twist of fate involving a smile and the novel "The Princess Bride" that I met my new friend Katie. She teaches 1st grade in my school and just moved from Virginia. She's already looking forward to an evening playing Mafia. The other new teacher in the 4th grade named Cindy seems very similar to me in her drive to be organized against teh odds and she loves working collaboratively while her strengths are LA and mine are Math and Sci. It appears to be an ideal match.

Bri is freelance for the first time ever. He has always wanted to do this, and is working hard to make it a success. It has been nice the last two weeks to have lunch with him. Very novel.

Finally, I miss all my friends and family in New Jersey. I have had some wonderful visits from family and look forward to many more visitors in time. My guest room is ready and willing to have occupants. :)

06/24/03

School's Out!! I will miss everyone, but that is one of the reasons I have this site. I have already gotten some positive feedback on the site, so thank you to everyone who has visited PalmerZone so far. For all those who are asking, we are not in Maryland yet... we are currently between homes... sort of a foot in each state. As you can imagine, that's not so comfortable. Ha ha! :)

On a slightly less punny note, I'm a little bummed about my new job. I just found out yesterday that the principal I was so excited to work with next year has been transferred out of Crofton's Meadows and will be in another school next year. Isn't that stinky? Oh well. It was almost too perfect.

Anyway, there are new pictures in the home photo album. We finished the bathroom makeover and the mini-shed underneath of the deck. We were very tired after all that work, but sooo proud.

06/18/03

Whew! The school year is coming to a close. We have been spending every weekend down in MD. Our latest project is cleaning out under the deck and adding a paver floor, a clear corrugated plastic roof, and T1-11 walls. We are only half way done, but some progress photos are up in the photo gallery. There are also some pics of our new furry friend. The plan right now for the final move date is July 20. We are currently taking names of those who are just dying to help out with moving furniture. Goodness knows everyone loves that, right? Ha!

06/03/03

Brian and I are getting ready for the big move. Our home in MD is slowly getting ready for us; our current apartment is a disaster. We are enjoying setting everything up in the new, clean, open space. So far, only the kitchen is done. Also, I have planted a few perennials and annuals in the large front garden and added bags of mulch. Finally, I planted two trees... a dogwood for me and a Japanese maple for Bri. We hope to get the photos up soon.

We had our first bbq after camping on Dobbins Island in the Chesapeake. On Memorial Day weekend, we grilled up the burgers with guests of Kim J., Tim B, and my parents. It was quite a feast, albeit a bit wet. :)

Finally - jobs. I have secured a position as a 4th grade teacher next year in Crofton Meadows with a principal I really already like a lot. Looking forward to that as well, even though leaving my current school family will be hard. Bri has made a big move this week. He is currently part time at Apex and is spending two days a week doing freelance from home. This is a good transition for everyone, and although this is the first week, it seems to be working out well.