Kindergarten

We are 2 weeks in and we are happy. 

We talked about the first day of school all summer.  Sometimes we would just mention it as it got closer, while other times we would discuss a little more detail.  Owen likes to be prepared, he likes to know what lies ahead.  I didn’t want any surprises for him, so we talked.  As the fastest summer of my life began to wind down and the countdown for school became shorter and shorter, Owen showed signs of excitement for school.  I will admit that I did not see that coming.  That nervous smile showed up each time we talked about school. 

We were ready.  He picked out his required “inside” shoes and his snack bowl.  We talked about what would happen when I drop him off: Get to school and find the cubby; change out of red shoes into inside shoes; wash hands; big hug and kiss and a reminder that I miss him already and we are off. 

And it went just like that – minus the quick we are off part, that part took a little longer, in fact, I could probably add an extra kiss or two, a little more lingering in the hug, a tear or two, a small sense of fear and a few extra miss you alreadys.

And then my little friend was off – off to the window to wave goodbye to Ivy and I (we weren’t quite ready for the off all the way part yet).  From the parking lot I waved and Ivy waved.  We waved to the little boy in the window with a big smile on his face that showed a sense of accomplishment.  He was doing it.  He was staying while we drove away.  We waved and waved until he was gone.  And then he was off. 

And just like that he grew up a little.

I waited anxiously for the time to pass to pick him up.  I baked him some cookies while I waited.  I worried a lot during those 3 hours.  Would he have fun? Would he want to be friends with that little boy with glasses? Would he like his teacher? Would he know what to do? Would he miss me? 

I learned quickly the answer to all would be yes.  He smiled and waved from the playground as I pulled in and as we were reunited I was informed that he loved school, that he made a friend, that his teacher was great, that he learned a song, and that he wondered when I would be back cause he missed me.   Those were all the answers I wanted.

And to celebrate: we ended the first day of school with a neighborhood pizza party.

2 weeks in and we are happy. 

(Although, truth be told, we would be a little happier if he could remember what he did at school – seeing that it only happened a few minutes prior to me picking him up.  To combat the forgetfulness of the day, he has to tell me 3 things about school each day.  Today I learned: 1) he ate apples for snack because he knows how healthy they are for him. 2) he played with his favorite friend and 3) he liked the teacher’s helper.  The important things of course. )

In the Name of Fashion

I am a financially savvy person.  I make good decisions and manage our money with great skill.  In fact, I was telling Greg we had our spending fund set aside for Puerto Rico and he commented that I am great with money….this is all before I went clothes shopping at Old Navy to buy Owen some school clothes.

Once I got there I was finding nothing great for Owen. They had a lot of jeans and he hates jeans, more specifically, “they don’t feel right”. He only has 2 non-jean pants and I can’t imagine a 5 day school week with a constant battle of not feeling right clothes. 

In a state of sadness that there weren’t more options, I strolled out of the boy’s section with my one pair of pants, and that is when it happened, all my financial reason went flying out the window.  I can’t help myself.  I found the cutest grandma sweater for Ivy, off white, three buttons, long with a hood; a gray sweater dress; and a pair of brown boots that will look darling with the sweater dress.  My financial savvy self - gone.  I don’t know what happens to me, I see these items and I don’t even look at the price tag.  Of course, none of them are on sale and are more than half my entire purchase, but I don’t even care.  The price tag was not going to make me put them back.  I have no idea what comes over me, but the idea of her cute self wearing the clothes takes over all sense of reason.  

So, in closing, I may have to forego a meal or two in Puerto Rico, but my baby girl sure will be cute!

(She wore these to bed tonight. She would not let me take them off. )

I made it to 34

Last week it was questionable as to whether I would turn 34.  Following the most intense exercise program I have done in a long time and perhaps in forever, I wondered if  I would make it to Saturday.  Not only did I make it, but I was able to turn 34 yesterday without the assistance of my hands to pick up my legs or without Greg lifting me up and down the stairs.  (And as a side note, if I am not in the best shape of my life in 7 more weeks, heaven help me.)

Yesterday was the most pleasant of days. 

I sent Greg off to the Saturday bootcamp session.  I needed to make sure he knew what my class was like so he would continue to take care of me and I also wanted to assure that he thought it was hard .  I was terrified he would call and inform me that it wasn’t that bad, subsequently plummeting my self esteem to low levels as I realized that I was in worse shape than I originally thought.  Luckily, the report was “it was brutal” and my dear husband even had to sit down for a bit after becoming light headed.  (I didn’t sit down – way to go self… ok, truthfully, I sat out for a jumping exercise or two, but that is strictly due to a jumping/peeing problem I have following child birth, which I am working on, but you see, that doesn’t count).

So, I started the day with a little encouragement about what shape I am in, followed by an invasion of  Iowa football.  That was not on the agenda of “the perfect birthday” but whatever, Happy Hawk Day. 

My favorite Chinese food was on the agenda with a little gathering at our house with Angie and Ben.  We made brownies and sang a round of Happy Birthday led by a smiley kid who called me the birthday girl all day long. 

Angie and I worked on the transformation of the dining room to playroom and I must say I am a fan.  Lots of work to do still to make it the room in my head, but it is coming along. 

Exactly the birthday I would choose.

So as the week begins and I  head into my 34th year, I realize that the winds of change are upon me: a sewing machine for my birthday present, a most intense exercise program for a girl who doesn’t do much exercise, a small child about to start kindergarten, and a football game that only slightly bothered me. 

I am happy. 

Too Many Distractions

I am working, or trying to work. It is so terribly hard with the stuff going on in the kitchen, let me recap what is happening....

Owen is eating a peanut butter sandwich and chips, then suddenly he is in the fridge and announcing he is going to make himself a quesadilla. While he is in the process of obtaining the supplies for the new dinner, he and Greg realize the cheese grater is missing. They find it in the living room with Ivy's toys.

Back to work.... that is until I notice Owen walking around with a big knife to cut open the cheese and Ivy sitting, unsupervised, on the bar stool eating chicken, all the while screaming at the top of her lungs... ba ba ba ba ba ba ba.

Greg is trying his best to make his dinner with no luck. The cheese is cut open and Owen insists on grating it himself. He does as he wishes and places the quesadilla in the microwave yelling down to me .. "Mom, should I push 911?" "Should you call 911? NO!" "No, should I cook my quesadilla for 911?" "Probably not."

Back to work..... nope. Owen and a triangle quesadilla step into a dish on the floor (a product of an emptied kitchen cupboard). With the dish as an alternative to an ice skate, he scoots around the kitchen. Greg firmly asks Owen WHAT he is doing and viciously takes the dish away. I gently, or perhaps not so gently, depends on who you ask, remind Greg it is a .50 tupperware dish and I will buy a new one if something happens to it. I will actually buy a few extras just for Greg. And here comes my favorite part of the night. Owen agrees with me and then yells at Greg saying: "Mommy is going to have more kids so you can learn to be nice to kids!!"

Back to work as I am laughing my head off...not for long. Greg comes over to the desk with the block of cheese and asks if the small bite out of the block looks like a little girl bite. Well, it is either that or a mouse came sprinting into the kitchen during the chaos and took a quick bite and ran away. I choose Ivy. Not a big deal other than that cheese makes her throw up. We will wait for that.

Back to work ....until Ivy comes by to say hi. She takes my plate that I had a taco on, a glass one. I tell her to take it to Greg and send her on her way. Why would I do that? Naturally, she tripps and falls, breaking the plate to bits. Greg sweeps up Ivy, then the mess. Owen begins to cry saying that he has to leave the kitchen and has to go through the glass. Sweep, sweep, sweep and then he is given the go-ahead to step there. I look up and he is over that, just sitting calmly, eating a quesadilla.

It isn't over... Ivy empties out the entire recycling garbage. Owen is sad that my favorite plate (which it is not) is broken. In a state of panic, he checks to make sure I have more - we are in luck, I have 2 more! Ivy is now pushing her high chair around the kitchen like a walker while Owen plays a little piano at the table. Once the highchair is successfully pushed into a wall, the next logical thing to do is to empty the contents of my purse onto the kitchen floor. Owen starts laughing at the top of his lungs as he covers Ivy with stickers.

I look up to find Greg looking forlorn (def: Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely) at the table with a taco. All of that and all the while he was just starving for a taco. I love him.

Owen just asked me if we can make some potato salad tonight cause he really wants some.


And in case you were wondering, that is why I don't get anything done at home.

A Good Day

After reading a friend’s blog, I decided today was a good day to head to the wildlife animal park.  I had never been there, actually, I had never even heard of it, but it looked like fun. We packed our snacks, our lunch, and ourselves and made the journey down.

The three of us had a great day!! 

We made good time on the way down, we enjoyed our tram ride of animal viewing, we leisurely explored the rest of the park, we made it out of the gift shop spending $3.46, the kids were saints and we missed all the traffic on the way home.  Today was a day for the books.

    

Ivy stopped walking periodically and did an occasional down dog, then we would continue on our way. 

  (Owen rode, she walked)  

 

Goodbye Yellows

Back in the summer of 2008, when Owen was 3, his favorite Kiki bought him a pair of yellow shoes.  Yellow imitation crocs.  They were an instant favorite.  The yellows eventually became the only pair of shoes he wore.  They were winter shoes, summer shoes, water shoes, playing shoes, everyday everything shoes.  The most amazing part, they grew with his feet.  We replaced the yellows about a month ago. He wore these yellow shoes for 3 years.  What a great investment. 

Goodbye yellow shoes, thank you for taking care of my baby’s feet for 3 years.  You took all you could take.  You will forever hold a special place in our hearts.  

7/16/08:

9/1/08:

 

4/7/09:

5/29/09:

8/4/09

9/18/09:

9/26/09:

10/28/09:

1/30/10:

3/19/10:

5/7/10:

SUMMER, 2010:

Thanks yellow shoes!

Miracles

Two things happened today that were miracles, at least in this household.

The first being Ivy’s nap.  A miraculous 4 hour nap.  4 hours! Are you even kidding me.  I don’t think she has slept that long other than in the womb, and even then it is questionable.  I just kept waiting and waiting for the famous cry to come get her.  A little whimper would come and then silence.  It was indeed a miracle.

The second being related to my phone.  I left it home today while we were out, not on purpose of course.  So, the miracle is not leaving my phone at home on accident, but rather the fact that I did not die!  I am honestly addicted to my phone.   I told Owen we had to hurry or we would be late to where we were heading.  I was down the street and realized the little pink phone was no where to be found.  I mentioned running back to get it and was promptly and accurately reminded that we would be late if I got it.  Deep breath in and we were off.  I wanted it multiple times and had I had it, Angie would have known I was just down the street buying our dad a taco and I would be right back.  As the trusty little friend rang unanswered on the floor at home, Angie and my fresh eggs zoomed off to her house.  Had little pink been in the car, Greg would have known we were running late at the office and we were ok. 

But Greg is fine and we were fine, I am fine and the eggs will be there tomorrow.  

Today was such a good day that I am getting greedy, the next miracle on my list: Owen to eat vegetables.