From Rings To Things

Questions From The Oldest

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:31:00 +0000

Today, when I came home from work, I received some very interesting questions from Thing 1.

"What is a doppleganger?"

"What is a hot mama?"

I'd ask where he comes up with these things but I know the doppleganger question came from a children's television show he was watching and he told me that a kid at school says hot mama.

The Negotiation

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 03:06:00 +0000

Today we went to a restaurant for lunch where they give the children free balloons. After we had ordered our food, one of the men who works at the restaurant came to our table to welcome us and talk to the kids. He asked Thing 2 for his balloon. Thing 2, of course, said no. The man then said he would buy the balloon for $5. Thing 2, again, said no. The man then asked how much for the balloon. Thing 2 said, "100 dollars."

Interesting Statements

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 12:49:00 +0000

This past week The Mr. has heard some interesting statements from Thing 2. Here are a few:

"Quiet down, Daddy. You're scaring MJ." (MJ is our dog and my husband was apparently snoring loudly while taking a nap.)

"Your hair is crazy. You need a haircut. Don't cry, Daddy." (Thing 2 tends to cry every time he gets a haircut.)

After bumping his head he said, "I need a new head, call Dr. Phillips."

His First Joke

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 03:49:00 +0000

For some reason, we've been telling knock-knock jokes in our house recently. We've been trying to the boys to understand the concept. So, Thing 2 came up with his first joke today. It went like this:

Thing 2: Knock-knock

Me: Who's there?

Thing 2: Chicken

Me: Chicken who?

Thing 2: Chicken penis

Not sure how he came up with this but The Mr. thought it was funny.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000

It's been almost 2 months since I have written anything on this blog. I've thought about it but have been so busy with work that by the time I get home and have any free time, instead of blogging I end up sitting on the couch watching television. Over the past 2 months, I have found a new hobby and actually got a camera. First things first, my new hobby: knitting. I started knitting the week of Christmas and have made 2 scarfs and am working on my third. I am really enjoying it. I have given away both of my scarfs to my mother-in-law and to my mom. The third scarf is for The Mr. and my father has already requested a scarf of navy and orange as those are the colors for the Chicago Bears and Illini. Here's a picture of the first scarf I knitted:

Also during these past 2 months, Thing 1 has learned how to read 64 words and is doing really well sounding out words he hasn't seen before. Thing 2 is working really hard on potty training and has spent many days in underpants, even if only for a few hours. He tells us if he has to poop and often lets us know when he has to pee. He enjoys wearing underpants so wearing them as reward for going in the potty is perfect. Here are some updated pictures of the boys:

They are getting so big! Just a couple days ago we took them to the dentist. It was Thing 2's first time at the dentist but Thing 1 had been a few times. Thing 1 did an excellent job during the x-rays and cleaning. He did everything that was asked and didn't complain a bit. Thing 2, on the other hand, was very nervous about the whole situation. The dentist didn't try x-rays on him as she figured he wouldn't sit still. When it came time to clean his teeth, he cried! Luckily, he had his mouth open wide during his crying so it worked out in the dentist's favor. The dentist was very good with the kids and did the cleaning as quickly as possible. I was rather impressed with how she handled the kids. (I didn't go for the last appointments as The Mr. had taken Thing 1 so I wasn't sure what to expect.)

As for me, I've been spending the majority of my time working. If I'm not actually at work, I'm in contact with one of my staff about work or thinking about work. I did decide to take this week off to just have a staycation. I plan to use a gift certificate for a saloon that I received to get a new hairdo. Other than that, nothing has been decided. I hope to keep up with this blog better than I have recently. We shall see what happens!

And The Stockings Were Hung By The Chimney With Care

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:27:00 +0000

Our house is ready for Christmas. Is yours?

Holiday Photos

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:56:00 +0000

Since my camera decided to break, or should I say, since the kids decided to play with my camera and cause it to become broken, I do not have any good pictures of the kids. I have to take pictures on my phone, which do not always turn out to be the best. So on my Christmas list this year is a new camera.
Anyway, to get back to why I am posting this. We had our family pictures taken about 2 weeks ago, which we do often around this time of year. I took pictures of the pictures on my phone so the ones you are getting are about as good as I can get without a new camera (hint, hint to anyone who wants to buy me something for Christmas).

I think my boys have gotten so big! I love them dearly and can't believe I was blessed with two such wonderful children! My husband is great, too, just in case anyone was wondering. :-)

Happy Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:39:00 +0000

Happy Halloween from The Mr., The Mrs., Thing 1 & Thing 2.

So Much Growth

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:09:00 +0000

I know it has been awhile since I have written anything. Frankly, I've been really busy with work and then homework in the evenings. I tend to spend my time with my husband and kids on the weekends, so blogging hasn't been high on the priority list.

However, after how much growth my kids have gone through recently, I thought it was time for a post. Thing 1 is doing very well in Kindergarten. He is beginning to read and knows 16 words by sight. He is really enjoying himself and has made a girlfriend (he always has a girlfriend!). About two weeks ago he also started Sunday School classes and has been a big helper to his teacher. When we picked him up from his class last week, the teacher had many positive things to say about him.

A couple weeks ago we decided to buy underpants for Thing 2 as we felt he may be getting close to potty training. He decided to pick out Mickey Mouse underpants. We kept them in the dresser in his room and would continue to prompt him to use the potty. Some days he was more receptive than others. Every once in awhile he would actually ask to go. Well, today, he asked to go and I took him, sat him down on the little potty, and read him some books. After the second book, I asked if he wanted another book or if he was ready to get up. He said he wanted to get up. When he got off of the toilet, we found that he had pooped and peed in the potty! Thing 1 and I praised him and gave him hugs. Thing 2 was excited and wanted his underpants. So Thing 1 got Thing 2 a pair of the Mickey Mouse underpants and he has been wearing them ever since. He did decide not to wear pants. I'm guessing it's because then he can't see the Mickey Mouse design on his underpants!

I am very happy with how much my two boys have grown the past few weeks. Not only are they getting taller, but they are learning so much. I so love my boys!

Homework

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:46:00 +0000

Now that we are into the 4th week of school, Thing 1 is starting to come home with homework. Really, the homework started last week. He had homework in preschool so I was expecting this but I wasn't expecting quite this much. In preschool he would come home once a week with a paper where he had to write the upper and lowercase letter 10 times each. Toward the end of preschool, he would also be writing words 3 times each. He had 2 days to do this homework before it was due. I didn't feel much pressure as we would do it the first night that he brought it home unless there was some extenuating circumstance.

So last week on Monday, Thing 1 brought home his composition book and a poetry book. There were also multiple notes attached letting the parents know what the children had to do throughout the week. Let me start by saying part of the homework was exactly what he did in preschool - he would write each letter, upper and lowercase, 3 times (instead of 10). That part did not overwhelm me. What overwhelmed me is the fact that he not only wrote the letters but then drew a picture that started with the letter (he has 2-3 letters each week to write and 2-3 pictures to draw), has a short story where he has to highlight all of the letters in that story that he just wrote, has 2 poems to read throughout the week out of he poetry book, and has 8 sight words that he needs to know by the end of the week for his quiz. To me, this sounds like a lot of work for a 5 year old. Granted, he has all week to do all of this work but he has to practice his sight words and his poems every night in order to do well on his quiz on Fridays. I'm not sure how long each evening a 5 year old should be doing homework as he is in school for 6 1/2 hours during the day as it is. I'm thinking that he is still a kid and that he should have time to relax and do things he enjoys. I also don't like the idea that kindergarten is the new first grade!

I think my biggest problem with the whole thing is that I feel that this is really a reflection on my parenting. If my child does not get all of his sight words correct on Friday, I am afraid that may say that I am not working hard enough to help my child learn how to read. I don't really think I can handle going into a parent-teacher conference where I am told that I need to work harder to teach my child how to read. I think there is a lot of pressure on kids and this is the pressure I feel as a parent. I work over 40 hours per week to direct 2 programs and when I come home in the evening I would like to spend time with my kids relaxing and having fun, not doing homework. I didn't become a teacher for a reason - I'm no good at it and I get frustrated easily. I'm not sure what the kindergarten curriculum is, but I thought that teaching a child to read was something that would be done in school and not something where I would have to quiz my child for at least 30 minutes every night. Read a book with a my child, I will totally do. Quizzing my kid on sight words is frustrating for me, so I know he is not enjoying it. Am I the only one who feels this way about 5 year olds and homework?

Week One

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:37:00 +0000

The first week of Kindergarten is now over. Thing 1 did very well. He enjoyed spending time with other children his own age and was happy to go to school each day. The biggest problem I had is that at the end of the school day, around dinner time, he became very cranky! He would refuse to do things that were asked of him and was just being rude. I blame this on getting used to the routine and I am sure that within the next couple of weeks we won't have this issue so much anymore. I also found that today, he is perfectly content sitting around relaxing. I'm sure that is due to his exhaustion from his first week of school. At least he has a three day weekend to recuperate before going back to school! Although, based on our Labor Day plans, he may be tired! We have big plans to attend the Renaissance Faire on Monday. Pictures to come. Huzzah!

1st Day of Kindergarten

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:13:00 +0000

No tears were shed by Thing 1 or The Mr. I, however, did have tears in my eyes. It's not for the reasons you may think. Thing 2 was very upset to see Thing 1 leave the car to go into school. He cried as soon as Thing 1 got out of the car and began calling his name. The tears in my eyes were due to watching my youngest as he was upset to see his big brother and best friend go off for his first day of Kindergarten.

Thing 1 had a great first day and is excited to go back tomorrow.

Yet Another First

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:37:00 +0000

Tomorrow marks another first in the life of Thing 1. He will start his first day of Kindergarten. I have been stressed and worried about this day for weeks. However, after the parent-teacher conference on Tuesday this past week, I have calmed down a lot. Before my concerns were about my little 5 year old being in a school with big 5th graders, getting on a bus with a bunch of kids he doesn't know and a bus driver he doesn't know, and just all of the things I know can go on in a school. On Tuesday evening, we decided that Thing 1 would not ride the bus. We had multiple reasons for our decision but the biggest one for me was the time that the bus would drop him off in the afternoon. He would be the last child dropped off and based on our work schedules that time could be a problem. We drive by the school everyday to get pretty much anywhere we want to go so it is not an inconvenience to take him and pick him up. Plus, Thing 1 said that he wanted Daddy to drive him to and from school so that just sealed the decision for me.

Thing 1 is getting more and more excited about this new adventure in his life. He keeps saying that he wants to sit by other 5 year olds and not next to a 2 year old anymore (poor Thing 2!). He has been to his school twice in the past two weeks where he saw his classroom, met his teacher, turned in school supplies, and found his locker. (Yes, my kindergartner has a locker! Who knew?!) Friday, we took him to dinner as that was the last time The Mr. would be around for a meal with us due to his work schedule and we took him to the bookstore to buy a new book since that is what he wanted to do. Yesterday, I took him to buy a new outfit for his first day, take him for lunch and got him ice cream for dessert. Today, our plan is to play games, read books, and bake cookies before dinner. This evening we will start into our routine that we will have for the school year - bath, make lunch, and double check that all supplies are in his bookbag. I have become very calm about him starting school. He seems really happy and anxious to make friends and be around other kids his age.

Thing 2, on the other hand, is who I have become concerned about. He has been around his big brother since the day he was born. Thing 1 is the first one Thing 2 looks for in the morning when waking up and after taking a nap. He follows his big brother around and idolizes him so much. I'm just not sure what type of a day The Mr. will have tomorrow after taking Thing 1 to school. I'm sure Thing 2 will be looking for his big brother throughout the day and may even feel a little lost. I am just glad I will be at work and not have to see my baby sad while he is without his best friend for the day.

Mini Golf

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 01:48:00 +0000

We took the boys miniature golfing yesterday as The Mr. had the day off and I am winding down on my vacation. Thing 1 was starting to get the concept down as we played mini golf while we were visiting my family last week. Thing 2, however, would hit the ball around for awhile and then just got bored with the whole thing! Anyway, here are some pictures from our outing.

Look at that technique!

It was quite bright and sunny and by this point we were about halfway through. They were getting tired!

Of course, we had to get a snowcone before we went home. Thing 1 was sharing with Thing 2. Such a great big brother!

Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:23:00 +0000

Last week the boys and I traveled to visit family for about 5 days. The Mr. had to work so I took the boys on an airplane by myself. When I booked the trip, I was trying to determine if I was brave or stupid for traveling by plane with a 2 year old and a 5 year old by myself! I decided to wait until I returned home to make that decision. Well, lucky for me the boys did very well on the plane rides both to their grandparents and back home. They even slept the entire plane ride home! Anyway, here are some pictures of our trip.

First stop - the zoo!

Next - the park.

Of course we had to ride the tractor with Grandpa!

I couldn't leave the post without adding a picture of my parents' papillion - Dew. Isn't he cute?

We really had a great time. I also took the boys to play miniature golf with friends and I had an afternoon child-free to spend with a great friend of mine just catching up. The vacation was relaxing and I don't have to go back to work until Monday! How wonderful! Once Monday comes, it will be back to directing two programs, starting back-to-school clothes shopping for my kindergartner, and the first day of school! I will enjoy these last few days of relaxation, that's for sure!

Little Manipulator

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:58:00 +0000

This evening I put my children to bed as I do every night. We did the typical bath, teeth brushing, book reading. There are also many nights that I spend getting up every couple minutes to tell the boys to stop playing, jumping, yelling, or whatever else they may be doing that is not sleeping. Today, I put the kids to bed and had to go back into their bedroom right after I had just sat down. (Which I hate, by the way. They can't have the decency to let me sit for like 10 minutes before starting mischief?) I had already told both boys what would happen if I had to go back into the room. So away I went to find Thing 2 in the top bunk with Thing 1. I then put Thing 2 back in his bed and took away his stuffed dog. He cried! He loves that stuffed dog. As I left the room I thought about how I was a horrible mother for taking away my youngest's most favorite toy in the world. I then sat down. Almost immediately the crying stopped and the ruckus started. It's like they can hear my butt hit the sofa! I got my butt off of the nice soft couch and walked back into the bedroom to find Thing 2 on the ladder attempting to get into Thing 1's bed. As soon as he saw me, he climbed down, ran over to me, hugged my legs, and said "I love you." Now, would someone tell me what am I supposed to do with that?

Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:04:00 +0000

I have determined that parenthood needs some more benefits. Sure there is the love and joy that having children brings but I am talking more about the benefits that a person would get from a paying job. You know, health insurance, vacation days, sick days...those types of things. I love my children dearly and enjoy the time that we get to spend together. I also like being the one they turn to when they need comforting, either because they got a boo boo or because they aren't feeling well. However, during this past week I have been fighting off something that has decided it would be a good idea to invade my body. I really just need some rest and quiet. But since I have two small children, I do not get rest or quiet. Sure, I took part of a day off work on Monday and The Mr. was home for part of that time so I got to take a nap. Once he left for work, it was all over for me. I was back to working, but this time it was around the house. Kids constantly need something: a drink, something to eat, a toy that is too high to reach...anything. Then if you do not give them enough attention, they start destroying things, or at least my children do. By the end of the day I end up more tired than I started out just because I was chasing children around the house. So if someone could work on getting benefits for parents as it is a very difficult job and there is no break, that would be fabulous and I would be forever in your debt.

Human Beans

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:52:00 +0000

The other day my kids were watching The Emperor's New Groove. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, at the beginning it shows the Emperor as a llama who is about to tell his story of how he became a llama. It then switches to the beginning of the story. It was at this point that Thing 1 said, "Now he's a human bean." I then responded, "A human bean?" Thing 1, "Yes. You know like us. A person. A human bean." I couldn't help laughing as I explained that it is a human being not a human bean.

Admitting Defeat

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:59:00 +0000

The past few nights have been difficult around this house. I work all day and then come home in the evening to The Mr. leaving for work, which is how it has been around here for the past 2 months. (Although, it seems like this has been going on longer than that!) Anyway, the boys have decided not to nap for The Mr. during the day so by the time I get home from work, they are exhausted. They are not the type of exhausted where they want to go to bed or lounge on the couch. They are more the running around like crazy and drive Mommy nuts in order to stay awake type of exhausted.

Well, Thursday night I attempted to get Thing 2 to bed at his usual 7pm bedtime. He was having none of that. He kept getting out of bed and coming into the living room. I kept putting him back in bed. If he did not come into the living room, he was trying to climb into the top bunk into his brother's bed. Of course, with him only being 2, I was not happy with that. Once 8 o'clock came and he still wasn't asleep, I put Thing 1 to bed and took Thing 2 out of the room. (The two of them in the room together awake ends up with much bigger problems.) By 8:30, neither of my children were sleeping and I had tried keeping Thing 2 in the living room on the couch with no TV and the lights off. Here I am, completely exhausted, sitting in the dark in the living room with my oldest in his room playing instead of sleeping and my youngest on the couch next to me talking. I wanted to go to sleep. By 9pm my oldest had finally fallen asleep and my youngest was still awake. I was about to wave a white flag and let him take over the house when he began rubbing his eyes and laying his head on my shoulder. I was able to put him to bed at 9:30 without hearing any complaints.

Friday night wasn't much better. I tried all of the above tactics. I even had Thing 1 in my room watching a movie for awhile to keep him from bothering Thing 2. Thing 2 fell asleep at 9 and Thing 1 fell asleep at 10pm.

Once Saturday came, I was a zombie from not getting enough sleep as the kids didn't sleep in any later after going to bed so late. Thing 2 was up by 6am and Thing 1 was up by 7am. I tried everything on Saturday. I ran them around. We played outside. I took them shopping and to lunch. Thing 2 fell asleep in the car on the way home after shopping but woke up once we got in the door. I tried to convince him that a nap was a good idea. However, once 4pm came, I gave up on the nap in the hopes that Thing 2 would go to bed at his usual bedtime. Seven o'clock came and I began the bedtime ritual of teeth brushing, diaper changing, and book reading. Again, he started with the getting out of bed and coming in to the living room or climbing into his brother's bed. I tried laying in his bed with him at 7:30 hoping that that would keep him in bed long enough to go to sleep. But instead he began beating me up (pulling on my classes, trying to bite me, etc.) so I left him in his room alone. Again, when 8pm came, I put Thing 1 in bed. I tried keeping the boys in the room together but after pulling Thing 2 out of the top bunk twice in less than 5 minutes, I brought him into the living room. Again, I sat in the dark with Thing 2 trying to get him to go to sleep. Again, Thing 1 sat playing in his room until falling asleep at 9pm. I called my mom and asked for advice. What do I do with a child who is refusing to sleep? He is exhausted. He had dark circles under his eyes. My mom suggested I put him in bed with me and see if he goes to sleep. I admit that I was skeptical as when I tried laying with him in his bed he tried to bite me. When Thing 2 saw that we were going in Mommy and Daddy's bed, he got all excited and asked to watch a movie. I told him "No, it's bedtime." He was not happy about that but did lay down with his stuffed dog. While laying in bed at 9pm, I sent my husband the following text:

"I have decided to let the children take over. Who knows what type of government is in store. All I know is I'm tired and they will allow me rest as long as I allow them full access to the fridge and cupboards and give them all the TV they want. Due to my exhaustion, it seems like a fair trade."

Thing 2 did finally fall asleep around 9:30, as did I. Today hasn't been too bad so far. I think they have worn themselves out from staying up so late the past few nights as Thing 2 hasn't been getting into too many things he shouldn't and Thing 1 has been pretty quiet (which is VERY unusual - he talks all the time and always wants something). We shall see if this means they will go to sleep at their bedtime tonight.

Addition of Duties

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 01:14:00 +0000

For the past several weeks I have known of some changes that would be happening at the agency I work for. For the most part it didn't affect that many people directly. However, it does affect me directly. People would think in these economic times, that would mean layoffs. In this case it does not. The agency I work for has actually been doing pretty well and has been paying close attention to the budget cuts that may happen in the mental health field and planning accordingly. I am lucky to work for such a company.

Anyway, the CEO has decided to do some restructuring which required a few people's jobs to change and some people's direct supervisors changed. But again, for the most part, most people are not directly affected by this change. The change that will be happening occurs on July 1 and has been causing me some stress and nervousness for some time. My job will be changing. I will be directing a department instead of managing a program. I did not apply for this position and neither did any of the other people whose jobs are changing. The position I currently have I started just over a year ago and I am not quite sure if I am ready for a promotion. I will be getting an assistant to help me manage the program I currently manage so I can focus on my new responsibilities. (I will totally need the assistant. I haven't officially started my new job yet but I am already starting to get overwhelmed with the extra duties!)

There are tons of pros when it comes to getting a promotion which are not at all what I have been focusing on. I am concerned about how others are going to view my promotion as from an outsider's perspective it looks as if I went after my current supervisor's job. (I will be supervising all but one of the programs she was supervising. She is not loosing her job. Instead, she will be spending a lot of time focusing on one of the responsibilities she already had.) I know I shouldn't worry about what other people think, but I'm going to do it anyway.

Next thing I'm worried about is the fact that now that The Mr. has a job that requires him to work evenings, I have to leave work by 3:45 so I can get home to watch the kids. I am not sure this will be possible with my new position. It's quite possible that I will have meetings that will last until 5pm. We can't live on my salary alone and we can't afford daycare on the salaries we both make at this time.

Concern #3 is the fact that I will be further removed from the clients that I serve. I really enjoy working directly with the clients and helping them meet their goals. As a manager, I have less direct contact with the clients and, instead, I teach and guide staff in the best way to help the clients meet their goals. As a director, I will be even further removed from the clients that we serve.

And the ultimate thing that I am worried about is failing. Yep, I am concerned that I will totally suck at this position and disappoint all the people who put me in this position as well as disappointing my family.

So, as the entire agency hears on Wednesday of the new structure of the company and how I will be placed in a position above those who have been with the agency for many years, please think of me and hope that I don't pass out. Wish me good luck in my new job as I hope I don't run away screaming from all the added stress and responsibilities.

Request

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:16:00 +0000

Thing 1 while watching television: "Can we get a ninja? Just one ninja?"

Hmmm....where to get a ninja? And where did he get this idea that people have ninjas?

Kindergarten

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sat, 22 May 2010 19:31:00 +0000

Yesterday was a milestone for Thing 1. We attended kindergarten orientation! As we drove to the school, The Mr. and I were discussing who would go in with Thing 1 as one of us would need to stay with Thing 2. Both of us had questions and wanted to see the school but thought it would be best for all parties involved, particularly the ones that would be at the school that we did not know, to only have one of us go in instead of taking Thing 2 as well. I decided to go as I felt I wouldn't get a full story out of The Mr. on the events that occurred. I knew I would want to know what happened and who said what for each minute that he was in there.

Thing 1 and I walked into the school to get our name tags and then I went into the office to drop off paperwork to prove he had all of his immunizations and had been to the doctor for a check-up recently. We were then told that the kids would go into classrooms based on the color and animal of their name tag and the parents would go into the cafeteria. So I walked the long hallway with Thing 1 and one of the 5th graders who was showing us the way to the kindergarten classrooms where I proceeded to let go of his hand so he could sit on the carpet. I had a feeling of nervousness wash over me as I watched him go with the teacher and sit with all the other kids. I then, along with the other parents, walked back down the hallway to go to the cafeteria to learn some things about the school.

First, we met the principal who had just started at the school in February and replaced the principal who had been there for many years. She told us a little bit about herself and gave us some information about the school. We then met the nurse and health assistant. The guidance counselor spoke about her position in the school and how she visits each classroom twice each month and also runs various groups, including social skills and anger management. Finally we met the reading instructor who informed us that our children do not need to know how to read before starting school. They realize that children come in at various levels of reading and letter recognition but by the time kindergarten is over each child will know how to read. She said they start out with letter recognition and sounds and then move to small words and stories. After hearing from each of these individuals, the principal said that we would go back to the classrooms with our children to meet back in the cafeteria in approximately 40 minutes to get a bag of information to take home.

All the parents walked down to the kindergarten classrooms and dispersed ourselves into the 4 rooms where we left our children. I found Thing 1 at a table with another child who were learning about magnets. Thing 1 seemed pretty comfortable being there. The teacher encouraged the parents and the children to explore all areas of the classroom during our time there. We then went to the weight station to learn about what objects were heavier than others. We ended at the play dough station before the teacher called everyone back to the tables to complete a project. Thing 1 sat at a table and was given a piece of paper and animal cutouts to glue on it. The teacher asked the children to find and glue on each animal onto the paper (each animal had the names of the teachers on it). She then stated that this would be something each child could take home to remember the day. On our way out of the classroom, each child received a few letters written by the kindergartners in that classroom to read when we got home along with a pair of animal sunglasses.

We went back to the cafeteria to obtain our bag of goodies and then went on our way. Thing 1 didn't want to leave as he had areas of the classroom that he wanted to explore that he did not have time for. I thought this was a good sign as this would mean an easier transition for him. Thing 1 thrives on structure and schedules. He does not do well with changes to his routine. We have been talking to him about going to kindergarten for almost a year and have been taking about registration since January and the orientation since the beginning of April. I am very happy that he enjoyed himself and I am, hesitantly, looking forward to him starting school in the fall. It will be bittersweet as it's a huge milestone filled with adventure and learning but it is also sad as it means my baby is growing up and becoming more independent.

Family

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sat, 08 May 2010 01:29:00 +0000

We typically get the kids' pictures formally taken about twice a year - during Christmastime and then around their birthdays. You never know how children are going to act during pictures and if the time you choose will be the best time for that particular day for the kids. So, I did everything I could think of to get the kids to cooperate for picture time. We had Thing 2 take a nap at such a time that he would wake up, be able to eat, change clothes and get to the studio happy and well fed. We had Thing 1 take a rest and I begged and pleaded with him to be good and cooperate for the picture.

Well, everything that we did worked this time. Thing 1 was comfortable, therefore making Thing 2 comfortable. He has a way of making his little brother relax around people he doesn't know and in environments that he may be unfamiliar with. Thing 1 can do this better than anyone, including us. He was a huge help throughout the picture taking ordeal.

Anyway, here's our family:
We thought that bringing the bubble makers would make for a great picture. Unfortunately, the pictures with the boys actually playing in the bubbles didn't turn out well. Thing 1 was constantly in front of Thing 2. Great idea in theory, but not so great in execution.

My boys are getting so big! Thing 2 has such funky hair. Not much we can do about it - trust me I've tried. It's always been that way...even when he was very little.

Here we all are. Aren't we cute?

Weekend Fun

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Tue, 04 May 2010 23:52:00 +0000

Since The Mr. started his new job just about a week ago and part of his job includes working every weekend, I have to come up with activities for the kids to do all weekend so we don't go crazy! I am not very creative so all of my ideas ran out by the end of Saturday. Hopefully I can come up with something by this weekend that will cover both Saturday and Sunday or I could be in trouble.

So, after Thing 2's nap on Saturday we went to the park. It was extremely warm out so we stayed until the water ran out - which was about an hour.

After the park, I did something that was probably not the best idea, I took the boys to the grocery store. Alone. Without any assistance. Crying ensued when the TV carts were not in service. Luckily I got them calmed down so that we could move on to phase two of our fun for the evening. We purchased items to make our own pizzas.

The boys seemed to enjoy this project as anything that involves food works for them. They are probably going to eat us out of house and home before they turn 10 at the rate they are going! Of course, they put tons of cheese on the pizzas. There also seemed to be "a little cheese on the pizza, a little cheese in my mouth" going on.

They also seemed to enjoy eating their creations:

Wish me luck in coming up with ideas for this weekend and all the following weekends. I'm not sure how long I can keep this creative thing going. I may need some help!

Ready to Talk

noreply@blogger.com (The Mrs.) — Sun, 02 May 2010 01:23:00 +0000

So there have been some changes in our household within the past 6 weeks. At the end of March my husband lost his job. We were devastated as we didn't see it coming. We immediately pulled the kids out of daycare and changed the way we were spending money. The company did give him a severance package which helped us make it through the month of April and could help us with the month of May.

The Mr. spent time with the boys by taking them to the park, to the beach, and to the library. He continued to help Thing 1 with his writing and is assisting him with learning his address and phone number before starting kindergarten in the fall. It was a mixed blessing having him home. It was nice to see him and have him be able to spend time with the kids. His job had him traveling so much that we hardly saw him and Thing 2 saw him even less than Thing 1 due to his bedtime. We had had many conversations over the past 6 months to year about his schedule with his job and how I felt that it wasn't allowing him to spend time with his family and focus on what is important.

Well on April 26, exactly one month after The Mr. lost his job, he started another one. It wasn't the best of jobs but it brings in money and allows him to stay home with the kids during the day. The Mr. is working in a restaurant for the evening running a cash register and cleaning (much different than training people in a division that covers multiple states). We worked out our schedules so that we don't need childcare. The Mr. cooks dinner for us before going to work and me arriving home so that we wouldn't have to eat out (thus saving money).

On his third day of employment, The Mr. got a promotion to managing the restaurant. The woman who owns it is a franchisee and needed a manager for that store. During his interview she had said that if he liked the company, she would start management training within a week. Well, management training started on day 3. So did the schedule change. She is trying to accommodate his need to take care of our children, thus making it so he works 3-4 evenings during the week and every weekend from open to close (essentially from 8:30am-10pm). This schedule allows him to see the kids during the week but we will never get time together.

The thing that has always gotten me through when we have had rough times is the fact that it won't last forever. I know things will turn around and everything will work out. I am thankful for what we have as I know it could be much worse. Many people have been without jobs for much longer than my husband had and I am lucky to be with a company that is so supportive. Yes, this new schedule sucks but I know that it is what is best for us for right now. It is allowing The Mr. to spend much needed quality time with the boys. It is allowing us to see what is truly important and only spending time and money on those things.

I am thankful for my friends and family who have kept us in their thoughts and prayers during the past 6 weeks. I know that this rocky road is not quite over as we still have obstacles to overcome but I also know we are on our way out of it. Thank you.