Little Man's first day of pre-kindergarten is today. This morning Baby Girl and I got ready, drove to school, and walked Little Man to his first day of "big boy" school.
He was very excited.
He talked about it all weekend, practicing his teacher's name (it's hard to pronounce, with lots of consonants, it's Greek) and talked about his new classroom. The Husband and I talked a lot about it, too. We discussed his new routine, his teacher, and about the other little boys in his room - just by chance it's an all boys room! He was ready to go!
This morning, however, he was not so sure. He stayed up late last night, it just seemed he couldn't sleep, and 30 minutes before we had to leave I was having a hard time waking him up. Little Man is slow to get going in the morning, he likes to take his time with his breakfast and "chocky" milk, he likes to watch cartoons in his pjs, and maybe "later on" he'll get dressed. There wasn't any time for that this morning, unfortunately. Still, we made it on time, but Little Man didn't want me to leave.
Talk about breaking a momma's heart. He clung to my leg, when I pulled on arm off he wrapped the other around me. I was holding Baby Girl so I was pretty much ineffective at prying him off of me and I had to leave it to the teacher. Sad. I brought my camera hoping to take a picture of him in his new classroom, but I knew better than to linger. As soon as the teacher removed Little Man from my legs I said a quick goodbye and skedaddled out of there. Little Man was fussing, but not all out crying.
I know he'll be okay, he really does like school.
Like every momma says, today is bittersweet. My firstborn is in school! I am so excited for him, I can't wait to see what adventures await him, what friends he will make, what kind of little school boy he will become. A great big new door has opened for him, and for The Husband and I as parents. There will be three days a week where Little Man growing and learning, but he will be away from me. I'm a bit sad about this. Gone are the carefree days of babyhood and toddlerhood. When people tell you it goes by fast, they mean it! I am appreciating Baby Girl's time at home a little more today. I am even going to welcome those days when I'm stuck at home with two children, ready to pull my hair out because they're fighting and fussing, and nothing suits them, because at least they'll be home with me. I am beginning to realize how fleeting this time is. I'm sad to say I've taken Little Man's time at home for granted. He's my first, I just didn't know.
Last night he wanted me to linger at bedtime, he wanted some extra snuggles. I obliged. I literally felt the passage of time, him growing away from me, ever so slowly, but moving away still. I hugged him harder. When, at 10:00, he quietly crept downstairs to sleep in our bed, I let him. I snuggled up to my boy and held him, wrapped my body around his and mentally poured all my love into him. I hope he felt it. I hope it filled him up so he can feel safe and secure and enjoy and thrive this new chapter of his life.
I love you Little Man.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monkey see, Monkey do
I love watching Baby Girl copy her big brother. Bubby, as she calls him. She literally worships him, and will endure torture, on those days when Little Man's acting not-so-nicely, just be be around him. Whatever he does, she does, or at least tries to do. For example:
When Bubby screams his head off at any attempt to wash his hair, so does she, even though she used to love having her hair washed.
When he fusses or whines, so does she, even if for no particular reason.
When he comes running up for a hug, or climbs into the chair with me for a snuggle, Baby Girl soon follows, even though she was otherwise happily occupied.
and my favorite,
Little Man has a special lovey. It's one of those miniture blankets with a bear head on top, made to look like the bear is hugging the little blanket. Whenever Little Man is feeling insecure, sick, or just tired he has to have lovey, and he holds it in a particular way, up next to his nose, occassionally rubbing his face in it and closing his eyes to soak it all in. It's absolutely adorable. Anyway, when I became pregnant with Baby Girl, Grandma decided that this baby needed a lovey just like Little Man's, so she bought one. Baby Girl likes it ok, she's not really attached like Little Man is, but whenever she holds it, she does it just like her Bubby. She burries her face in it, rubs her nose on the soft cloth, and closes her eyes. Adorable times two.
When Bubby screams his head off at any attempt to wash his hair, so does she, even though she used to love having her hair washed.
When he fusses or whines, so does she, even if for no particular reason.
When he comes running up for a hug, or climbs into the chair with me for a snuggle, Baby Girl soon follows, even though she was otherwise happily occupied.
and my favorite,
Little Man has a special lovey. It's one of those miniture blankets with a bear head on top, made to look like the bear is hugging the little blanket. Whenever Little Man is feeling insecure, sick, or just tired he has to have lovey, and he holds it in a particular way, up next to his nose, occassionally rubbing his face in it and closing his eyes to soak it all in. It's absolutely adorable. Anyway, when I became pregnant with Baby Girl, Grandma decided that this baby needed a lovey just like Little Man's, so she bought one. Baby Girl likes it ok, she's not really attached like Little Man is, but whenever she holds it, she does it just like her Bubby. She burries her face in it, rubs her nose on the soft cloth, and closes her eyes. Adorable times two.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Bye bye food, we'll see you again next time!
Little Man made a huge mess with his sister's play kitchen this morning. We have three big baskets full of play food and plates and things, and he dumped them out and scattered them about. Not really unusual behavior for my kids, but I get really tired of picking it all up. So...we've been working with the kids on their cleaning skills. This morning I asked Little Man to pick up all the kitchen food, put it in the baskets, and put the baskets inside the kitchen. So he started dumping all the food in a little slot in the back of the kitchen, and it ends up in a big mess behind the refrigerator door. I had to stop him and say, "No, put the food back in the baskets then put the baskets inside the kitchen." He obliged, for a few minutes, and then he must have gotten distracted, as you can see.
I couldn't say anything, though, because he was doing a great job cleaning up. He moved the kitchen away from the wall and picked up all the food behind it. He moved the kitchen a few feet forward to get to all the food under it. The kitchen sits next to a big, heavy armoire, and Little Man got on his belly and slithered under it to fish out even more food. Then he stuffed it all in the oven part, you can see it through the clear door. He put forth an excellent effort, and did a very thorough and thoughtful job. He made his momma proud.
I couldn't say anything, though, because he was doing a great job cleaning up. He moved the kitchen away from the wall and picked up all the food behind it. He moved the kitchen a few feet forward to get to all the food under it. The kitchen sits next to a big, heavy armoire, and Little Man got on his belly and slithered under it to fish out even more food. Then he stuffed it all in the oven part, you can see it through the clear door. He put forth an excellent effort, and did a very thorough and thoughtful job. He made his momma proud.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Birthday Boy :)
Little Man is four - FOUR! As I sit here and type I wonder where the years have gone? It literally seems like yesterday that I was big and pregnant, miserable in the July heat, just waiting for those first telltale signs of labor that would let me know I was about to become a mother. Wow. I just might cry.
Our little guy's birthday seemed to start on Thursday, when we received his information packet from his preschool in the mail. It contained a lot of this and that, but what I really seemed to fixate on was the carpool tag. Our packet contained a bright sheet of official looking laminated paper with our last name on it. For some reason I really felt that piece of paper. A car pool tag. I was about to be one of "those" moms, sitting in a carpool line, passing the time by reading a book, or talking on the phone, and with a big sticker sitting in my windshield. Seeing that made me feel old on an entirely new level. Not in a bad way, not at all, just in a new way.
Then on Friday we took the kids to their PDO and never let on to Little Man that there would be a surprise. Just before lunch, The Husband arrived to pick Little Man up, early! Little Man was so excited! Unfortunately, it was a piece of bad luck that Baby Girl's class happened to be in the hall, so Baby Girl caught sight of her Daddy. Baby Girl did not get to leave early, and I've been told it was not a pretty sight. Poor thing. Anyway, as if getting to leave early with Daddy wasn't great enough, Daddy drove to the movie theatre, where I was waiting with tickets to Little Man's first movie! We saw Despicable Me, and he absolutely loved it. He sat in a seat in between us, and on our laps some, he was so cute. I wish I could have taken a picture, but I'm sure the other patrons wouldn't have appreciated my blinding flash going off in the middle of the movie. He sat in his seat so intently, with a bag of skittles in one cup holder, a bag of popcorn in his lap, and a drink in the other cup holder. In other words, he was set. At one point Daddy left to go to the restroom, and when he came back, Little Man said (loudly), "Daddy, you missed a lot of parts." Later on he sat in my lap for a bit, with he legs resting on my legs, his head laying on my chest, all snuggly, and every on in a while he would reach back and hand me one of his cherished skittles. He really is such a thoughtful boy, it warms my heart. After the movie we went home, had an early dinner, then ate cake and opened presents. It was a good day!
The next big adventure of his birthday weekend was his party. For months preceding his big day, Little Man said he wanted a "digger dirt" party. Then, as we got closer and closer to his birthday, he said he wanted a firetruck party, then a Thomas the Train party, then a tractor party. Each day he wanted something new, there were just too many great choices! Finally, at the very last minute (invitations ended up getting mailed a week late so he could decide for sure), he decided on a tractor party. I found the cutest little invitations and cupcake toppers, as well as a tractor shirt with Little Man's name and the number "4" on it, and a tractor barrette for Baby Girl. All very cute, I'm so thankful for etsy! I made Little Man's cake, a round cake with green fondant, a dirt road made with crumbled graham crackers, hay bales made from rice krispies, and a fence, lake, and grass made from the best tasting butter cream. Oh yeah, I can't forget about the tractor, which sat on the dirt road. At the last minute Little Man asked if he could also have Thomas on his cake (yikes!), so we rigged up a little Thomas train on a circular track that went around the base of the cake. All of our family and many little friends were there. This year was a first for us, having a big friend party. Baby Girl and Little Man attend a Music for Aardvarks class, and their teacher came to the party and held a special birthday class. I am so glad he did that for us, the kids, even the bigger kids, had so much fun. Their teacher had a big parachute, a bubble machine, shakers, drums, you name it. We danced to "Groove is in the Heart!" Little Man and the rest of the kids, jumped, danced, twirled, and laughed for an hour straight. F-U-N!
Well, that concludes Little Man's fourth birthday, it's going to be hard to top next year! ;) I can't believe it's over, that the little baby who made me a mommy is already four. He is such a blessing, he has such a warm heart and a happy spirit. I am so glad to be his mom.
Our little guy's birthday seemed to start on Thursday, when we received his information packet from his preschool in the mail. It contained a lot of this and that, but what I really seemed to fixate on was the carpool tag. Our packet contained a bright sheet of official looking laminated paper with our last name on it. For some reason I really felt that piece of paper. A car pool tag. I was about to be one of "those" moms, sitting in a carpool line, passing the time by reading a book, or talking on the phone, and with a big sticker sitting in my windshield. Seeing that made me feel old on an entirely new level. Not in a bad way, not at all, just in a new way.
Then on Friday we took the kids to their PDO and never let on to Little Man that there would be a surprise. Just before lunch, The Husband arrived to pick Little Man up, early! Little Man was so excited! Unfortunately, it was a piece of bad luck that Baby Girl's class happened to be in the hall, so Baby Girl caught sight of her Daddy. Baby Girl did not get to leave early, and I've been told it was not a pretty sight. Poor thing. Anyway, as if getting to leave early with Daddy wasn't great enough, Daddy drove to the movie theatre, where I was waiting with tickets to Little Man's first movie! We saw Despicable Me, and he absolutely loved it. He sat in a seat in between us, and on our laps some, he was so cute. I wish I could have taken a picture, but I'm sure the other patrons wouldn't have appreciated my blinding flash going off in the middle of the movie. He sat in his seat so intently, with a bag of skittles in one cup holder, a bag of popcorn in his lap, and a drink in the other cup holder. In other words, he was set. At one point Daddy left to go to the restroom, and when he came back, Little Man said (loudly), "Daddy, you missed a lot of parts." Later on he sat in my lap for a bit, with he legs resting on my legs, his head laying on my chest, all snuggly, and every on in a while he would reach back and hand me one of his cherished skittles. He really is such a thoughtful boy, it warms my heart. After the movie we went home, had an early dinner, then ate cake and opened presents. It was a good day!
The next big adventure of his birthday weekend was his party. For months preceding his big day, Little Man said he wanted a "digger dirt" party. Then, as we got closer and closer to his birthday, he said he wanted a firetruck party, then a Thomas the Train party, then a tractor party. Each day he wanted something new, there were just too many great choices! Finally, at the very last minute (invitations ended up getting mailed a week late so he could decide for sure), he decided on a tractor party. I found the cutest little invitations and cupcake toppers, as well as a tractor shirt with Little Man's name and the number "4" on it, and a tractor barrette for Baby Girl. All very cute, I'm so thankful for etsy! I made Little Man's cake, a round cake with green fondant, a dirt road made with crumbled graham crackers, hay bales made from rice krispies, and a fence, lake, and grass made from the best tasting butter cream. Oh yeah, I can't forget about the tractor, which sat on the dirt road. At the last minute Little Man asked if he could also have Thomas on his cake (yikes!), so we rigged up a little Thomas train on a circular track that went around the base of the cake. All of our family and many little friends were there. This year was a first for us, having a big friend party. Baby Girl and Little Man attend a Music for Aardvarks class, and their teacher came to the party and held a special birthday class. I am so glad he did that for us, the kids, even the bigger kids, had so much fun. Their teacher had a big parachute, a bubble machine, shakers, drums, you name it. We danced to "Groove is in the Heart!" Little Man and the rest of the kids, jumped, danced, twirled, and laughed for an hour straight. F-U-N!
Well, that concludes Little Man's fourth birthday, it's going to be hard to top next year! ;) I can't believe it's over, that the little baby who made me a mommy is already four. He is such a blessing, he has such a warm heart and a happy spirit. I am so glad to be his mom.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Little Disciplinarian
Baby Girl's definitely picking up on the "goings on" around here. Tonight, in a moment of quiet, she ran to the fireplace with all it's tiny black rocks, grabbed a fist full of them, and threw them as far as she could. When it happened I didn't even say anything, just looked up in surprise, then watched in amazement as my sweet baby walked herself over to the staircase and sat on the bottom step. The naughty step. Now Baby Girl has only been in time out maybe twice in her life, and it was probably for decking her big brother. When I try to recall her rare time outs I just remember funny, with me trying not to laugh as I led her somberly to the bottom step and her looking at me as she smiles and giggles. Not really much of a time out, really, but she's one, so that's okay. Tonight, though, I think she got it, even though Momma laughed the whole time she sat there. She did something she knew she shouldn't, and she took care of the consequences. She was actually really proud of herself for it. Self-discipline's a hard pill to swallow, but my baby girl's doing all right!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Painted Baby
Baby Girl decided to fight a can of paint.
Outdoor, primer-and-paint-in-one kind of paint.
You know, the thick stuff.
Needless to say, Baby Girl lost the battle.
She was covered in paint.
Her outfit, a nice one with a pretty matching bow, is ruined.
Why The Husband though it would be wise to let Baby Girl stay outside with him while he began painting is beyond me.
I mean, your hands are kind of busy when you're painting.
So busy, in fact, that you'll probably have a hard time reaching your baby daughter, the one who's in the process of sticking her arm down a can of paint, in time.
I, of course, would have brought her inside had I known that The Husband had started painting, but I though he was still messing around with the prep work.
Silly me, guess I'll know better next time. ;)
Outdoor, primer-and-paint-in-one kind of paint.
You know, the thick stuff.
Needless to say, Baby Girl lost the battle.
She was covered in paint.
Her outfit, a nice one with a pretty matching bow, is ruined.
Why The Husband though it would be wise to let Baby Girl stay outside with him while he began painting is beyond me.
I mean, your hands are kind of busy when you're painting.
So busy, in fact, that you'll probably have a hard time reaching your baby daughter, the one who's in the process of sticking her arm down a can of paint, in time.
I, of course, would have brought her inside had I known that The Husband had started painting, but I though he was still messing around with the prep work.
Silly me, guess I'll know better next time. ;)
Random Ramblings
A few cute quips about the kids -
Baby Girl has a few new words. Well, a lot of new words, since it's been forever and a day since I've posted about her. Her new favorite phrase: "I want cookie." Many of her new words have to do with food, as my girl likes to eat! Last night The Husband, Baby Girl, and I went out to eat. (Little Man was at grandma's house.) As The Husband and I were getting ready, my little daughter walked into the bathroom, looked up at her daddy, and said, "Eat. I want snack. I want cookie." It was absolutely melt your heart in your chest cuteness.
Little Man is growing up into such a sweet little boy. He went to Vacation Bible School for the first time last week, and I was so proud of him. He had the time of his life. Every day he came home so full of excitement, telling stories about his day, about his friends, and how much fun he had. Our neighbor's kids were going to the same VBS, so after the first day they offered to drive Little Man there and bring him home. So sweet. Little Man, my child who usually clings to me in new situations, went without a second thought. Of course, one of his best friends, Z. belongs to our neighbor, and the thrill of getting to ride in the car with his little friend was incentive enough for him to go without mom. It was a big step for both of us, and a lesson in letting him go. On the last day of VBS, I asked him what he learned that day, and he said, "That heroes (the theme for the week was how even little people can be heroes) are brave and save the day. And don't ever let anyone put you down." Ahhh!!! It was so cute, I felt like my face would break I was smiling so big, and I had to try very hard not to laugh. It was just the cutest thing. :)
Life has been good, so very good lately. I've really tried to focus on the good, and when I get stressed or overwhelmed I go grab a little person and hug them and tickle them under the chin and just enjoy the moment. Are there piles of stuff still waiting to be done afterward? Yes, but the stress is gone. And as life always does, when you put "good" out into the universe, it always comes back to you. On a random night a few weeks ago my friends and I had a girl's dinner. It ended way too soon, so on the way home I stopped at the bookstore and roamed the aisles. I just randomly picked up the book Eat, Pray, Love, and just as randomly decided to buy it. All I can say is wow, just wow. Amazing. I hope I can hold on to the feeling of that book forever.
On another note, I need to update on my mom, and I can say it again, "LIFE IS GOOD! GOD IS GOOD!" Mom had her surgery, how long ago was it, 5, 6 weeks ago? However long since I've written in this old blog, I know that. Well, the surgeon was able to remove all of the tumor, it hadn't appeared to have spread, and he did not recommend further treatment. Have a little surgery, cured of malignant cancer. How about that?! Of course, mom will have to be monitored for a while, and will have regular scans to make sure the thing doesn't come back, but at this moment that is all she needs. She did very well in the surgery, and very well in her recovery. She had major surgery on a Thursday and was home on a Sunday. Back to work part- time two weeks later and now is at work full-time. The kids have to be a bit careful around her, but they love to look at her scar, which I have yet to see (that's on purpose, too!). Wow, I'm getting a bit emotional just thinking about it, it's been a few weeks since I've seriously thought about it. What a precious gift we all were given, Mom, my step-dad, me, my children, that Mom's cancer was found. What a precious gift that the golf ball-sized, malignant tumor was able to be surgically removed. What a precious gift that Mom didn't need nasty chemo or nasty radiation. What a precious gift that my children have a healthy Gram in their lives.
God is so very good to us!
Baby Girl has a few new words. Well, a lot of new words, since it's been forever and a day since I've posted about her. Her new favorite phrase: "I want cookie." Many of her new words have to do with food, as my girl likes to eat! Last night The Husband, Baby Girl, and I went out to eat. (Little Man was at grandma's house.) As The Husband and I were getting ready, my little daughter walked into the bathroom, looked up at her daddy, and said, "Eat. I want snack. I want cookie." It was absolutely melt your heart in your chest cuteness.
Little Man is growing up into such a sweet little boy. He went to Vacation Bible School for the first time last week, and I was so proud of him. He had the time of his life. Every day he came home so full of excitement, telling stories about his day, about his friends, and how much fun he had. Our neighbor's kids were going to the same VBS, so after the first day they offered to drive Little Man there and bring him home. So sweet. Little Man, my child who usually clings to me in new situations, went without a second thought. Of course, one of his best friends, Z. belongs to our neighbor, and the thrill of getting to ride in the car with his little friend was incentive enough for him to go without mom. It was a big step for both of us, and a lesson in letting him go. On the last day of VBS, I asked him what he learned that day, and he said, "That heroes (the theme for the week was how even little people can be heroes) are brave and save the day. And don't ever let anyone put you down." Ahhh!!! It was so cute, I felt like my face would break I was smiling so big, and I had to try very hard not to laugh. It was just the cutest thing. :)
Life has been good, so very good lately. I've really tried to focus on the good, and when I get stressed or overwhelmed I go grab a little person and hug them and tickle them under the chin and just enjoy the moment. Are there piles of stuff still waiting to be done afterward? Yes, but the stress is gone. And as life always does, when you put "good" out into the universe, it always comes back to you. On a random night a few weeks ago my friends and I had a girl's dinner. It ended way too soon, so on the way home I stopped at the bookstore and roamed the aisles. I just randomly picked up the book Eat, Pray, Love, and just as randomly decided to buy it. All I can say is wow, just wow. Amazing. I hope I can hold on to the feeling of that book forever.
On another note, I need to update on my mom, and I can say it again, "LIFE IS GOOD! GOD IS GOOD!" Mom had her surgery, how long ago was it, 5, 6 weeks ago? However long since I've written in this old blog, I know that. Well, the surgeon was able to remove all of the tumor, it hadn't appeared to have spread, and he did not recommend further treatment. Have a little surgery, cured of malignant cancer. How about that?! Of course, mom will have to be monitored for a while, and will have regular scans to make sure the thing doesn't come back, but at this moment that is all she needs. She did very well in the surgery, and very well in her recovery. She had major surgery on a Thursday and was home on a Sunday. Back to work part- time two weeks later and now is at work full-time. The kids have to be a bit careful around her, but they love to look at her scar, which I have yet to see (that's on purpose, too!). Wow, I'm getting a bit emotional just thinking about it, it's been a few weeks since I've seriously thought about it. What a precious gift we all were given, Mom, my step-dad, me, my children, that Mom's cancer was found. What a precious gift that the golf ball-sized, malignant tumor was able to be surgically removed. What a precious gift that Mom didn't need nasty chemo or nasty radiation. What a precious gift that my children have a healthy Gram in their lives.
God is so very good to us!
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