So, I think instead of giving you a play by play of mine and Aron's day, I will try to just give you the highlights. Detailing every minute of every day could get old. Last week was an exceptional week, being the first EVER week of school and all. But, now the excitement is wearing off and the routine is starting to set in. Not much happens from hear on out, so when there is something new and exciting to report, I will chronicle THAT. Ok? OK. So, here we go! :)
Today was the 5th day of school for Aron. He actually forgot that he had school today. He suddenly realized as I was making breakfast..."oh yeah, I have school today!" I have a feeling, as the years go by, that "oh yeah" will turn into "oh man"! Well, enjoy it while it lasts, I guess. Mommy got to take him to school again today (our fridge decided to stop working and Daddy stayed home to try to fix it). As we arrived at school, Aron's buddy, Tre, was arriving with his mom, too! I am so happy that Aron has made a friend at school. And during his first week! That's awesome! Honestly, I was kinda worried about that. Typical mommy worries probably. Well, this morning there was just a quick "love you" and "have a good day" and the two buddies were off to play in the playground and the mommies were off to do whatever mommies do. This mommy was on her way back home to deal with the fridge issue. UGH!
Katelyn was a bit better today...thank goodness. The fridge issue had mommy and daddy pretty stressed out, so it was very nice to not have our typical routine of "mommy, mommy, mommy" going on in the background. Nothing really got accomplished except a nap and waiting around for the fridge repairman to show up. How exciting, huh? Well, I will spare you the details. But basically, the freezer works but the fridge does not. So, the kitchen had food everywhere and two ice chests contained the most delicate dairy products and the frozen goods. There was going to be no working in the kitchen today. Which was fine with me really. I was not in the mood!
I don't know if it was because of all the fridge drama or what, but the day went by SO fast. I can't tell you if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It just WAS. But soon enough, it was time to go get Aron. Because Daddy took the day off to help with the fridge issues (and deal with the repairman), Katelyn stayed home and Mommy went to pick Aron up by herself. I swear I caught myself at least two times questioning "oh my goodness, where is Katelyn"! Phew! At home with Daddy...good! I don't know if Aron was glad that Katelyn was not with me or what. I tried to point it out to him...that it was just him and me for the ride home. I am hoping that his acting out lately is just because he is wanting attention, the same attention that we give Katelyn. I don't really think we give Katelyn that much more attention, but...something is going on. So, I try to talk to him about school during the trip home...you know the typical "How was your day?"and "What did you learn today?". Last week, his answers were "good" and "I don't remember". Well, today he told me that he learned two new things. He learned the word "Yellow" and he learned a song about the color "red". (I think he probably learned the song LAST week seeing that RED was LAST week's Color of the Week.) It goes like this:
R-E-D, RED...R-E-D, RED
I can spell RED, I can spell RED
Firetrucks are RED, stop signs are RED too!
R-E-D...R-E-D
It was so cute to hear him sing the song. He was pretty on tune too! That's saying a lot for Aron. He is not American Idol material, if you know what I mean. Well, maybe he is...just not the ones that get picked to go to Hollywood! :) Well, maybe he will find another talent!
So, Aron still seems to be struggling when he gets home. He just gets very argumentative with me. It has been suggested that with him having to restrain himself at school all day, that maybe he is just releasing all that pent up energy. Someone compared it to when I frost my cookies, and I am squeezing the tube to get the frosting out and it suddenly squirts out from all the pressure. Well, that is the best way to put it, I guess. Having to be good all day can be tiring. So, not only is he probably tired, but he is DONE with being good and holding in all his emotions. He just doesn't know what to do with it all. And neither does mommy! I sure hope it gets better because it is extremely difficult to deal with. This weekend was just an all out weekend full of his acting out, tantrums in stores and all. Daddy even had a hard time dealing with it. And we were stuck in Denver, so we couldn't just go home and give him time out. It was a terrible weekend. Anyway, I've gotta figure out how to get him under some kind of control. Maybe they will learn about respecting your parents in school! :)
Well, the second week is underway and while we haven't gotten a routine down at home yet, Aron's routine seems to be fitting him just fine at school! He likes school. And that makes mommy very, VERY happy! Keep up the good work, Aron! Love you!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
The End of the First Week
Today was a little bit of a different day. Normally, Daddy will take Aron to school on his way to work. But, this morning he had a meeting early in the morning, so Mommy had to take him instead! So, this morning we made sure that we were all up and ready to go in plenty of time. We did NOT want a repeat of yesterday when Aron was late. Things went really quite smoothly! I was surprised! We actually had 30 minutes to spare. You know what that means? Cartoon time!!! :)
Mommy did not want to take the chance of being late again today, so I made sure to have everyone in the car and out of the garage at 8am. When we got to school, there were only a couple of parents at the gate to the Kindergarten playground and just a few kids inside. Once one of the teachers arrived to act as playground monitor, I sent Aron in to play. Before doing so though, I had asked Aron if he wanted me to wait until he went inside his classroom, and he did. So, Katelyn and I waited at the wall and watched as he began playing with some of the other kids there. It wasn't long before there were a couple dozen kids running around. Aron had taken to playing tag with one of the girls. It was so cute...he was ALREADY chasing girls! :) After a while, one of Aron's buddy's arrived...Tre. Tre is tall and skinny, just like Aron and he is a toehead, too! So, they kinda look alike! They took to each other on Open House night on Monday. Apparently, they have played together ever since. Well, this morning as Aron was playing, Tre arrived and went over to greet Aron...with a hug! It was too cute...these two 5 year old boys giving each other a hug in the middle of the playground! Then it was off to play tag again. Tre always seemed to be "it". This went on for quite a while. When I noticed that Tre was never going to be "it", (Aron is a pretty fast runner) I called Aron over and told him that he should let Tre catch him once in a while. Otherwise, he might not want to keep playing. Aron said "ok". And off they went again. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see if he would let Tre be "it", because the teacher came out and called them to line up. I was really glad that I got to take Aron to school this morning. It was so nice to see him playing with the other kids and fitting nicely into his new routine. He seemed happy! And he had a buddy! That makes Mommy happy, too!
Katelyn and I have settled into our new routine, too! But, I am not liking our new routine quite as much as Aron is liking his. That is because our routine is turning into a whiny, crying, fussing, "mommy" kind of routine. Today was especially bad. I just have NO idea what is wrong with her. I wish I did...I would fix it, IMMEDIATELY! I am quickly learning that it was not ALL Aron...Katelyn seems to be a big part of my daily aggravation. She was happy when we went out in the backyard for a little while. Mommy had...you guessed it...MORE weeds to pull. (I really hate weeds!) Katelyn managed to entertain herself by playing with her little water play table. She loves to use a little bucket and take the water from the play table and pour it anywhere! In the dirt, on the mulch, on the patio. I don't know why this is so fun. But hey...she wasn't complaining...so neither was I! Of course, peace like that can last only so long...the "mommy"s started again and the "thirsty"s. So, back inside we went. After a quick snack and something to drink, Mommy was ready for naptime! Katelyn didn't think that was quite fair, but Mommy overruled and naptime was had!!! Ahhhh...I LOVE naptime! :)
Today, I thought it would be a good idea to invite our neighbor, Miss Terry, to come with me to pick Aron up. Aron loves going over to Miss Terry's house and helping her with yardwork or watering her flowers. He is always a perfect angel over there. Maybe it's because she gives him cookies sometimes. :) Well, Miss Terry is the best neighbor in the world and is also our backup to pick up Aron when and if we can't. She is on the list as approved to pick Aron up. So, I thought it would be a good idea for her to go with us, so she could see where to go and see how the procedure works. Also, the teacher can see her and possible recognize her when she comes to pick him up. Aron was pretty surprised to see her, and excited! We also got to meet his little buddy, Tre's grandmother. Apparently, Tre talks about Aron all the time. She suggested that maybe the two of them get together to play outside of school. That's awesome! Aron's first school friend!
So, it turns out Aron is learning a little more than just coloring pictures of bears after all. Tonight while I was making dinner, he said "mommy, did you know a rhombus was a square that got hit by a bus?". Oh really now??? He also had a little song to go with it. It goes, "A rhombus is a square that got hit by a bus"! Go figure! It was super cute though because as he sang the "hit by a bus" part, he tilts his upper body and his hands to the side. You'd have to see it. :) Later at dinner, he showed me some sign language that he learned. I didn't even know they were learning sign language. He learned how to sign "forget", "red" (the color of the week), and "music". That was so exciting to hear! He is actually LEARNING something! Yay for school!!! I made sure to let him know that I REALLY liked hearing about what he was learning in school. Hopefully, he shares more with me. I want him to feel special. Especially now. I think that he is having some issues lately with not getting the attention from me that he wants. I don't know what is going on really. He has just been SO bad in the evening. Maybe it's that he is tired. I just hope it gets better.
Well, one week of school down. It was a pretty good week. It is still so strange to think that my little boy is in school. It seemed like such a long wait for the time to come and now that it's here, and past, it feels like all that time before is a distant memory now. We finally made it! Now, if we can just make it to First grade! :)
Mommy did not want to take the chance of being late again today, so I made sure to have everyone in the car and out of the garage at 8am. When we got to school, there were only a couple of parents at the gate to the Kindergarten playground and just a few kids inside. Once one of the teachers arrived to act as playground monitor, I sent Aron in to play. Before doing so though, I had asked Aron if he wanted me to wait until he went inside his classroom, and he did. So, Katelyn and I waited at the wall and watched as he began playing with some of the other kids there. It wasn't long before there were a couple dozen kids running around. Aron had taken to playing tag with one of the girls. It was so cute...he was ALREADY chasing girls! :) After a while, one of Aron's buddy's arrived...Tre. Tre is tall and skinny, just like Aron and he is a toehead, too! So, they kinda look alike! They took to each other on Open House night on Monday. Apparently, they have played together ever since. Well, this morning as Aron was playing, Tre arrived and went over to greet Aron...with a hug! It was too cute...these two 5 year old boys giving each other a hug in the middle of the playground! Then it was off to play tag again. Tre always seemed to be "it". This went on for quite a while. When I noticed that Tre was never going to be "it", (Aron is a pretty fast runner) I called Aron over and told him that he should let Tre catch him once in a while. Otherwise, he might not want to keep playing. Aron said "ok". And off they went again. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see if he would let Tre be "it", because the teacher came out and called them to line up. I was really glad that I got to take Aron to school this morning. It was so nice to see him playing with the other kids and fitting nicely into his new routine. He seemed happy! And he had a buddy! That makes Mommy happy, too!
Katelyn and I have settled into our new routine, too! But, I am not liking our new routine quite as much as Aron is liking his. That is because our routine is turning into a whiny, crying, fussing, "mommy" kind of routine. Today was especially bad. I just have NO idea what is wrong with her. I wish I did...I would fix it, IMMEDIATELY! I am quickly learning that it was not ALL Aron...Katelyn seems to be a big part of my daily aggravation. She was happy when we went out in the backyard for a little while. Mommy had...you guessed it...MORE weeds to pull. (I really hate weeds!) Katelyn managed to entertain herself by playing with her little water play table. She loves to use a little bucket and take the water from the play table and pour it anywhere! In the dirt, on the mulch, on the patio. I don't know why this is so fun. But hey...she wasn't complaining...so neither was I! Of course, peace like that can last only so long...the "mommy"s started again and the "thirsty"s. So, back inside we went. After a quick snack and something to drink, Mommy was ready for naptime! Katelyn didn't think that was quite fair, but Mommy overruled and naptime was had!!! Ahhhh...I LOVE naptime! :)
Today, I thought it would be a good idea to invite our neighbor, Miss Terry, to come with me to pick Aron up. Aron loves going over to Miss Terry's house and helping her with yardwork or watering her flowers. He is always a perfect angel over there. Maybe it's because she gives him cookies sometimes. :) Well, Miss Terry is the best neighbor in the world and is also our backup to pick up Aron when and if we can't. She is on the list as approved to pick Aron up. So, I thought it would be a good idea for her to go with us, so she could see where to go and see how the procedure works. Also, the teacher can see her and possible recognize her when she comes to pick him up. Aron was pretty surprised to see her, and excited! We also got to meet his little buddy, Tre's grandmother. Apparently, Tre talks about Aron all the time. She suggested that maybe the two of them get together to play outside of school. That's awesome! Aron's first school friend!
So, it turns out Aron is learning a little more than just coloring pictures of bears after all. Tonight while I was making dinner, he said "mommy, did you know a rhombus was a square that got hit by a bus?". Oh really now??? He also had a little song to go with it. It goes, "A rhombus is a square that got hit by a bus"! Go figure! It was super cute though because as he sang the "hit by a bus" part, he tilts his upper body and his hands to the side. You'd have to see it. :) Later at dinner, he showed me some sign language that he learned. I didn't even know they were learning sign language. He learned how to sign "forget", "red" (the color of the week), and "music". That was so exciting to hear! He is actually LEARNING something! Yay for school!!! I made sure to let him know that I REALLY liked hearing about what he was learning in school. Hopefully, he shares more with me. I want him to feel special. Especially now. I think that he is having some issues lately with not getting the attention from me that he wants. I don't know what is going on really. He has just been SO bad in the evening. Maybe it's that he is tired. I just hope it gets better.
Well, one week of school down. It was a pretty good week. It is still so strange to think that my little boy is in school. It seemed like such a long wait for the time to come and now that it's here, and past, it feels like all that time before is a distant memory now. We finally made it! Now, if we can just make it to First grade! :)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Adjusting to a Our New Routine
Today was the third day of school. We're all still just getting adjusted to our new life. It's not really THAT different. Well, maybe it is. For one thing, we are never all up at the same time in the morning. Usually, Mommy and Aron and Katelyn are already up by the time Daddy comes down, ready to leave for work. Now, we're all up...Daddy and Mommy helping get Aron ready for his day and Katelyn getting kind of lost in the shuffle. At least that is how it was today. We made the mistake of not having Aron do his homework last night. All the homework is is practicing writing his name on lined paper. I don't know if we were just too tired and forgot or what. So, the plan was to have him do it in the morning after breakfast. How long can it take to write your name a few times, right? Well, it doesn't take long...as long as you don't wake up late and nothing seems to be going right in the morning. To top it off, Aron had another attitude problem. See, Aron likes to write his name "A...r...o...N". The point of the homework is to not just be able to write their name, but to write it properly...capital first letter and then all the rest should be lowercase. Simple, right? NOT! For some reason, Aron didn't believe that a lowercase "n" was part of the alphabet. I know, I know. He was just being difficult. There was just no convincing him that he was wrong and Mommy was right. (I think this will be a theme for the next 13+ years!) Fine! Let the teacher tell him he's wrong! Then Mommy thought that she might be able to help him by guiding his hand holding the pencil. Wrong again! Suddenly his hand didn't work, and he didn't understand what "hold the pencil" meant. "Like this?", he asks as he holds his hand in an open position with the pencil balancing in between his thumb and index finger! Right, Aron...like THAT! A complete meltdown commenced (his, not Mommy's) and it was time for a time out. He wasn't going to have any of that though. The meltdown was more like a tornado...gathering power. Soon not only was Mommy in the middle of the meltdown, but Daddy too! Somehow (maybe it was mommy telling him in a firm voice that he couldn't act like that) we finally got things under control. There would be no homework done for the rest of the morning.
It's no wonder with waking up late and all the commotion of the morning, that Aron was late for school! :( Bummer, a perfect record shot on the THIRD day! Oh well. Do colleges look at Kindergarten attendance records? It's not a huge deal, but it is a pain in the butt! You have to go through the office and fill out THIS and show THAT and get a tardy slip and take him to his class. Poor Aron...I feel so bad. But I don't think anyone really cares in Kindergarten, right? I doubt all the kids turned around and looked at him and made him feel embarrassed...right? Oh...I'm just kidding! It still was not a good way to start your third day. But we learned a valuable lesson. Homework WILL be done the night before!
As for me, I just have not been able to get myself motivated to do anything...yet. Maybe I'm still adjusting to the idea that I have so much free time. Maybe it's that I REALLY don't wanna do dishes and laundry and clean! Yup, that's probably it. It doesn't help that Katelyn has been SO whiny lately. I think she is going for a world record for saying "mommy"! Seriously!!! "Mommy"..."Yes, Katelyn". "Mommy"..."what?". "Mommy"..."what do you want, Katelyn?" "Mommy"...UGH!!! She will NOT tell me what she wants. I ask her if she is hungry, thirsty, tired, needs a diaper change. Do her feet hurt (she has contact dermatitis on her feet...fun!), does her head hurt, does her tummy hurt, do her legs hurt? "MOMMY" The only time she isn't saying "Mommy", is when she says "thirsty" or "snack". She and Aron both LOVE their snacks! I try to give snacks at regular times, but Katelyn will try to wear you down!!! And after this morning, I caved! Sue me! :P Sometimes, you just want the whining to STOP!!! If it costs me an extra snacktime, so be it! I just wish she would eat during mealtimes. It's not like I give her HUGE snacks. She just prefers snacks over what she is given for meals. She won't eat meat...or vegatables...or fruit. All she will eat is bread...and snacks! And believe me, I have tried!!! She must be a CARBOHYDRATARIAN!!!
Well, pick-up at school was fun today. You see, it's summer time in Colorado, which means afternoon thunderstorms. And this afternoon, just in time to pick up Aron, a thunderstorm rolled in. It was just sprinkling when we first got there. But as we waiting for what seems like forever, the rain got worse...and worse...and worse. Why do the Kindergarten parents have to stand out in the rain? The procedure for picking up your Kindergartner is as follows: the kids line up against the playground wall, the teacher looks for the parents in the crowd outside the gate, and once she spots the parent, she gives a high five to the appropriate child. They are not allowed to leave until they get a high five. Now, it's important to note that ALL the other kids in school can be picked up in the "kiss and drop" lane in front of the school. The kids run out to their car where the parents are sitting warm and cozy inside, the kids jump in the car and off they go! While I understand the safety reasons behind NOT letting the Kindergartners just run out to awaiting cars, I just REALLY wish they had a better procedure in place for rainy days other than letting us stand out in the rain. Apparently, they thought they needed one too, because one of the teachers FINALLY came out and told us to go in the front to pick up the kids. So off we all went, soaking wet! All the kids had been gathered in the main hallway of the school. Keep in mind, this is NOT a very big school. So, with four Kindergarten classes and the parents of all those students all gathered in that tiny space...it was kinda chaotic. LUCKILY, Aron's teacher saw me right away (I don't know how, I was WAY in the back) and ushered Aron over to me right away! Phew! No more waiting. Let's get outta here! Let me tell ya...if you haven't walked in a downpour with one kid on your hip while trying to hold an umbrella in the other, trying to cover all three of you at the same time...you don't know what you are missing! :) Then try to get the keys out of your pocket to unlock the car, and strap a two year old in her carseat while the other kid tries to hop over the raging flood between the curb and the car! Oh, what a fun time was had by all! Next time...well, truthfully, I don't know what we can do differently next time. Putting Katelyn in a stroller would require me to be in the rain even longer while I try to fold it and put it in the trunk. We'll manage. It's not like it rains EVERY afternoon. Besides, it's just rain. I think we'll live! :)
So, Aron decided last night that he wanted to buy his lunch in the cafeteria. I think maybe he sees the other kids buying their lunch and wanted to, too. We had looked up the menu on the computer and made sure that what they were serving was something he wanted. Macaroni and cheese...his "favorite". (Everything seems to be his "favorite" lately!) Now, the lunch procedure is a little different than when I went to school. The kids have "accounts" for their lunch. You need to put money into their account and then they "pay" for it by entering a 5-digit code on a keypad. (Yeah, the Kindergartners have to do this too!) Well, we hadn't set up an account for Aron yet since we hadn't planned on him buying lunch this week. So, we consulted the student handbook to confirm that he could pay for his lunch without the account. It didn't seem like it was gonna be a problem. The handbook says they can pay on a daily basis. So, this morning I stuck $2 in Aron's shirt pocket and told him that they would be giving him change back. No problem...right? Well....on the way home from school, I asked him how lunch went and he proceeded to tell me that I was right, they gave him money back. Great! NOT! Apparently, they gave him his $2 back! Now, trying to get a straight story from a 5 year old is not quite that easy. There was no note telling me what went wrong. He got his lunch. He didn't have a stamp on his hand to indicate that he owes money to his lunch account. The teacher didn't say anything to me when I picked him up. So, WHAT happened? Why did they give his money BACK? Do they not take cash? What did I do wrong? Poor Aron. His mommy is just not figuring this out!!! I'll have to e-mail the teacher and see if she knows. Hm. This whole school thing can be so confusing! :)
We went straight home today. No stops at the grocery store or doctor (thank goodness!) I think it's important to get into a better routine for the afternoon. Trying to ward off tantrums and fighting and whining. You know, normal Willis kid stuff. Now, trying to get Aron to understand the reason for Mommy's madness...that's another story. It may take him a little longer to adjust to the new routine. But, I am going to be a stickler now. The kids can have a snack when they get home and Aron can watch one show. BUT it has to be a show Katelyn can enjoy too! Apparently, they watch Word Girl at school, so Aron always wants to watch that when we get home. But, then Katelyn is whining about wanting to watch Mickey Mouse. So, while they have their snack, they have to share the TV. Then it's quiet time while Mommy gets dinner ready. After dinner, it's homework time and reading time. Once his homework is done, Aron is free to watch Word Girl or whatever else he wants to watch until bathtime and then bedtime. That routine seemed to work out well for us today. Now, the important thing is for Mommy to stick to it. It will be hard at first...lots of whining and crying ahead, I'm sure...but in the long run, it will be a good thing!
Well, three days down, thousands more to go!!! Don't worry. My posts won't be THIS long for every one of those thousand plus days! :) Can you imagine???
It's no wonder with waking up late and all the commotion of the morning, that Aron was late for school! :( Bummer, a perfect record shot on the THIRD day! Oh well. Do colleges look at Kindergarten attendance records? It's not a huge deal, but it is a pain in the butt! You have to go through the office and fill out THIS and show THAT and get a tardy slip and take him to his class. Poor Aron...I feel so bad. But I don't think anyone really cares in Kindergarten, right? I doubt all the kids turned around and looked at him and made him feel embarrassed...right? Oh...I'm just kidding! It still was not a good way to start your third day. But we learned a valuable lesson. Homework WILL be done the night before!
As for me, I just have not been able to get myself motivated to do anything...yet. Maybe I'm still adjusting to the idea that I have so much free time. Maybe it's that I REALLY don't wanna do dishes and laundry and clean! Yup, that's probably it. It doesn't help that Katelyn has been SO whiny lately. I think she is going for a world record for saying "mommy"! Seriously!!! "Mommy"..."Yes, Katelyn". "Mommy"..."what?". "Mommy"..."what do you want, Katelyn?" "Mommy"...UGH!!! She will NOT tell me what she wants. I ask her if she is hungry, thirsty, tired, needs a diaper change. Do her feet hurt (she has contact dermatitis on her feet...fun!), does her head hurt, does her tummy hurt, do her legs hurt? "MOMMY" The only time she isn't saying "Mommy", is when she says "thirsty" or "snack". She and Aron both LOVE their snacks! I try to give snacks at regular times, but Katelyn will try to wear you down!!! And after this morning, I caved! Sue me! :P Sometimes, you just want the whining to STOP!!! If it costs me an extra snacktime, so be it! I just wish she would eat during mealtimes. It's not like I give her HUGE snacks. She just prefers snacks over what she is given for meals. She won't eat meat...or vegatables...or fruit. All she will eat is bread...and snacks! And believe me, I have tried!!! She must be a CARBOHYDRATARIAN!!!
Well, pick-up at school was fun today. You see, it's summer time in Colorado, which means afternoon thunderstorms. And this afternoon, just in time to pick up Aron, a thunderstorm rolled in. It was just sprinkling when we first got there. But as we waiting for what seems like forever, the rain got worse...and worse...and worse. Why do the Kindergarten parents have to stand out in the rain? The procedure for picking up your Kindergartner is as follows: the kids line up against the playground wall, the teacher looks for the parents in the crowd outside the gate, and once she spots the parent, she gives a high five to the appropriate child. They are not allowed to leave until they get a high five. Now, it's important to note that ALL the other kids in school can be picked up in the "kiss and drop" lane in front of the school. The kids run out to their car where the parents are sitting warm and cozy inside, the kids jump in the car and off they go! While I understand the safety reasons behind NOT letting the Kindergartners just run out to awaiting cars, I just REALLY wish they had a better procedure in place for rainy days other than letting us stand out in the rain. Apparently, they thought they needed one too, because one of the teachers FINALLY came out and told us to go in the front to pick up the kids. So off we all went, soaking wet! All the kids had been gathered in the main hallway of the school. Keep in mind, this is NOT a very big school. So, with four Kindergarten classes and the parents of all those students all gathered in that tiny space...it was kinda chaotic. LUCKILY, Aron's teacher saw me right away (I don't know how, I was WAY in the back) and ushered Aron over to me right away! Phew! No more waiting. Let's get outta here! Let me tell ya...if you haven't walked in a downpour with one kid on your hip while trying to hold an umbrella in the other, trying to cover all three of you at the same time...you don't know what you are missing! :) Then try to get the keys out of your pocket to unlock the car, and strap a two year old in her carseat while the other kid tries to hop over the raging flood between the curb and the car! Oh, what a fun time was had by all! Next time...well, truthfully, I don't know what we can do differently next time. Putting Katelyn in a stroller would require me to be in the rain even longer while I try to fold it and put it in the trunk. We'll manage. It's not like it rains EVERY afternoon. Besides, it's just rain. I think we'll live! :)
So, Aron decided last night that he wanted to buy his lunch in the cafeteria. I think maybe he sees the other kids buying their lunch and wanted to, too. We had looked up the menu on the computer and made sure that what they were serving was something he wanted. Macaroni and cheese...his "favorite". (Everything seems to be his "favorite" lately!) Now, the lunch procedure is a little different than when I went to school. The kids have "accounts" for their lunch. You need to put money into their account and then they "pay" for it by entering a 5-digit code on a keypad. (Yeah, the Kindergartners have to do this too!) Well, we hadn't set up an account for Aron yet since we hadn't planned on him buying lunch this week. So, we consulted the student handbook to confirm that he could pay for his lunch without the account. It didn't seem like it was gonna be a problem. The handbook says they can pay on a daily basis. So, this morning I stuck $2 in Aron's shirt pocket and told him that they would be giving him change back. No problem...right? Well....on the way home from school, I asked him how lunch went and he proceeded to tell me that I was right, they gave him money back. Great! NOT! Apparently, they gave him his $2 back! Now, trying to get a straight story from a 5 year old is not quite that easy. There was no note telling me what went wrong. He got his lunch. He didn't have a stamp on his hand to indicate that he owes money to his lunch account. The teacher didn't say anything to me when I picked him up. So, WHAT happened? Why did they give his money BACK? Do they not take cash? What did I do wrong? Poor Aron. His mommy is just not figuring this out!!! I'll have to e-mail the teacher and see if she knows. Hm. This whole school thing can be so confusing! :)
We went straight home today. No stops at the grocery store or doctor (thank goodness!) I think it's important to get into a better routine for the afternoon. Trying to ward off tantrums and fighting and whining. You know, normal Willis kid stuff. Now, trying to get Aron to understand the reason for Mommy's madness...that's another story. It may take him a little longer to adjust to the new routine. But, I am going to be a stickler now. The kids can have a snack when they get home and Aron can watch one show. BUT it has to be a show Katelyn can enjoy too! Apparently, they watch Word Girl at school, so Aron always wants to watch that when we get home. But, then Katelyn is whining about wanting to watch Mickey Mouse. So, while they have their snack, they have to share the TV. Then it's quiet time while Mommy gets dinner ready. After dinner, it's homework time and reading time. Once his homework is done, Aron is free to watch Word Girl or whatever else he wants to watch until bathtime and then bedtime. That routine seemed to work out well for us today. Now, the important thing is for Mommy to stick to it. It will be hard at first...lots of whining and crying ahead, I'm sure...but in the long run, it will be a good thing!
Well, three days down, thousands more to go!!! Don't worry. My posts won't be THIS long for every one of those thousand plus days! :) Can you imagine???
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Day After the First Day of Kindergarten
Day 2...otherwise known as the Day After the First Day of Kindergarten...started off without a hitch! I guess we're lucky that Aron is a pretty early riser, around 7am, so it really wasn't a struggle getting him up this morning. He wanted to "sleep a little bit more", but that is completely expected after the busy day he had yesterday. I didn't even have to go up and pull him out of bed. After just a few minutes, he was up and starting to get ready for school. With just a little help from Mommy to tuck in his undershirt and re-button his shirt (buttons can be a challenge for any of us!), he was good to go. Breakfast was had, teeth were brushed and shoes were put on. Daddy and Aron have a plan in place. The night before, they pack their lunches and put them in the fridge. So, Mommy had that packed into his backpack and ready to go as well. Even with all that to do in the morning, Aron still had some time to kill. What better way than to antagonize his baby sister! Ahhh, that's my boy! Katelyn must inspire him, because as soon as he saw her coloring, he just had to as well. But not in his own coloring book. NO! He had to try to help her with hers. Well, Katelyn does not like to share coloring books, and she will let you know it! Of course, Mommy's recommendation that he find his OWN coloring book was not good enough. He thought it more fun to just sit and pout. "Why don't you turn on some cartoons?", I suggest. Ohhhh, but the TV apparently isn't working!!! OH NO!!! What can we do??? Uh, turn it ON, maybe? Hm. Yep, that kind of morning. Following simple directions seemed to be difficult this morning, too. The question, "Do you talk that way to your teacher?" came up a few times. Fortunately, he got over this quickly, just in time to leave for school.
The whole family wasn't going this morning. Today we tried out our new routine. Daddy would take Aron to school and drop him off. So, kisses and hugs and "have a good day"s were taken care of and off they went. No problem. From what Daddy tells me, Aron was a little apprehensive this time. I wonder why? Do you think he is beginning to get that he will be doing this for the next 13 years? Shhh...don't tell him! :) Daddy watched him as he walked with his class into the building. No photos, no parents gathering around gushing over them with "my baby's so grown up" looks in their eyes. Just drop and go. The first day is over, now it's time to get down to business!
Mommy and Katelyn stayed behind this morning and did our usual morning things. Mommy had breakfast while Katelyn said "mommy!" a million times! Yep, it was one of THOSE days, too! Once she realized that I was not going to read a book until I had some food in my belly, she calmed down and started to play. Soon enough, the toast was gone, and it was storytime. I think Katelyn really likes the fact that she has mommy all to herself. :) Once storytime was done, mommy felt like it was time to do something about the MESS in the living room. You know how they say, "if you want something done right, do it yourself"? Well, that could not be more true in my house. I hope Aron learns some cleaning skills in Kindergarten, because he is NOT good at picking up his toys and putting them where they belong. He loves to just STUFF things where they seem to fit. It's no wonder he can never find what he is looking for! So, mommy and Katelyn put away books, blocks and Legos (the dreaded Legos). Trash went in the trash can, dishes went where dishes belong...YES, it was THAT bad! Pretty soon, I could see the floor again! Well, if you can see the floor, you might as well vacuum it. Ta Da!!! Clean living room! YAY!!! I don't know why, but when my house is cluttered, my mind feels cluttered and I can't think. Imagine how much thinking I could do if my whole HOUSE was clean!!! I worry about doing too much around the house and Aron thinking that I'm glad he's gone. I know that seems a little overboard, but he is a sensitive little guy. So, baby steps. One thing at a time. Gradually, I will get to all the things that I want to do. I don't have just hours or days...I have YEARS!!! I better make a list! :)
As I said earlier, Katelyn was quite whiny today. All she would say is "Mommy, mommy, mommy". She never would answer me about what was wrong or what she wanted. She hadn't done that in a while. I really wish I knew why she gets that way. Maybe she was just tired. Maybe she was missing Aron. I'm sure Aron would love to hear that! I think with Aron at school, I'm really gonna have to start getting her on a better schedule. I think she learned a lot of Aron's bad habits, too. For example, asking for something to eat or drink...constantly! She demands attention just as much as Aron did. The two of them together was like being drawn and quartered. Neither of them was getting the attention they wanted. Well, Katelyn will have that now. But I still have to be careful not to let her wrap me around her little finger. She already does that a little. I need to break a few of my OWN habits, it seems. :)
I seem to have a lot more energy the past couple of days. I mean, I still do get tired. But that is more because I go to bed SO late. I just don't like to go to bed. It cuts into my "Mommy" time. I like to prolong it as much as possible. But the kind of tired I used to feel was more of a warn down kind of tired. I was physically AND mentally tired. It is so tough when your mind is just constantly occupied by someone else's thoughts or words. There was just never any peace of mind. Even when Katelyn would be napping, Aron was always pulling me in an opposite direction from where I wanted to be. On the rare occasion when Aron would actually take quiet time, I was torn between doing something I wanted to do and something I SHOULD be doing. And then, I was still focused on Aron, if he was actually napping, or was he just running around upstairs. Now, during naptime, I KNOW Katelyn is asleep because I can see it on the monitor. And when I sit down and take some time for myself, I find myself getting tired and almost drifting off to sleep. BUT, I never let myself fall asleep...I am terrified that I WILL fall asleep and then miss pick up time at the school!!! Oh, then I would feel like the worst mom in the world. Can you imagine??? NOT gonna happen. Note to self: Set earlier naptime for Katelyn so mommy can take a nap without missing picking up Aron! :)
The end of the school day came a little sooner than yesterday. Not literally sooner, but it sure felt like it. Maybe it was because I wasn't watching the time go by, wondering what my little boy was doing at that exact moment. It's not that I forgot about him. I just didn't worry about him as much. Well, I do kind of flinch every time the phone rings, thinking it's the school needing me to come pick him up for some reason. He'll be fine, mommy...he'll be fine! :) I guess that will take a while to get over. Well, pick up went the same as the day before. Nothing special. Just high five and off he goes! When I asked him what he did today, he told me he colored a picture of a bear. "What else did you do?" "I don't remember". That must have been SOME bear picture if that is all he remembers about school. Oh, and he remembered lunch and recess! What do you expect? He's in Kindergarten! :) We have yet to make it straight home after school...Tuesday was the grocery store and today was Katelyn's doctor...but I think we might have to start doing so. Aron seems to be getting cranky way before his bedtime. I don't think they "nap" at school. And with all that thinking and playing, he may need to have some "quiet" time when he gets home. Let's put it this way...I might need him to have "quiet" time...at least till dinner is ready. I mean if I get tired, I'm positive he is too. He would never admit, I know, but I can just tell...that boy sure does LOVE to argue! He MUST be his mother's son! :)
Well, the first week of school is halfway done. His homework is going well so far, too. It is tough homework...we have to read to him at least 15 minutes each day! Oh, and he has to write his name a bunch of times on lined paper. David can handle that! :) I think we are both going to survive. Slow and steady. We both just need some time to adjust. Maybe not as much time as others might need. I think we both were SO ready for this. Ready to be have some peace...peace of mind! Goodnight!
The whole family wasn't going this morning. Today we tried out our new routine. Daddy would take Aron to school and drop him off. So, kisses and hugs and "have a good day"s were taken care of and off they went. No problem. From what Daddy tells me, Aron was a little apprehensive this time. I wonder why? Do you think he is beginning to get that he will be doing this for the next 13 years? Shhh...don't tell him! :) Daddy watched him as he walked with his class into the building. No photos, no parents gathering around gushing over them with "my baby's so grown up" looks in their eyes. Just drop and go. The first day is over, now it's time to get down to business!
Mommy and Katelyn stayed behind this morning and did our usual morning things. Mommy had breakfast while Katelyn said "mommy!" a million times! Yep, it was one of THOSE days, too! Once she realized that I was not going to read a book until I had some food in my belly, she calmed down and started to play. Soon enough, the toast was gone, and it was storytime. I think Katelyn really likes the fact that she has mommy all to herself. :) Once storytime was done, mommy felt like it was time to do something about the MESS in the living room. You know how they say, "if you want something done right, do it yourself"? Well, that could not be more true in my house. I hope Aron learns some cleaning skills in Kindergarten, because he is NOT good at picking up his toys and putting them where they belong. He loves to just STUFF things where they seem to fit. It's no wonder he can never find what he is looking for! So, mommy and Katelyn put away books, blocks and Legos (the dreaded Legos). Trash went in the trash can, dishes went where dishes belong...YES, it was THAT bad! Pretty soon, I could see the floor again! Well, if you can see the floor, you might as well vacuum it. Ta Da!!! Clean living room! YAY!!! I don't know why, but when my house is cluttered, my mind feels cluttered and I can't think. Imagine how much thinking I could do if my whole HOUSE was clean!!! I worry about doing too much around the house and Aron thinking that I'm glad he's gone. I know that seems a little overboard, but he is a sensitive little guy. So, baby steps. One thing at a time. Gradually, I will get to all the things that I want to do. I don't have just hours or days...I have YEARS!!! I better make a list! :)
As I said earlier, Katelyn was quite whiny today. All she would say is "Mommy, mommy, mommy". She never would answer me about what was wrong or what she wanted. She hadn't done that in a while. I really wish I knew why she gets that way. Maybe she was just tired. Maybe she was missing Aron. I'm sure Aron would love to hear that! I think with Aron at school, I'm really gonna have to start getting her on a better schedule. I think she learned a lot of Aron's bad habits, too. For example, asking for something to eat or drink...constantly! She demands attention just as much as Aron did. The two of them together was like being drawn and quartered. Neither of them was getting the attention they wanted. Well, Katelyn will have that now. But I still have to be careful not to let her wrap me around her little finger. She already does that a little. I need to break a few of my OWN habits, it seems. :)
I seem to have a lot more energy the past couple of days. I mean, I still do get tired. But that is more because I go to bed SO late. I just don't like to go to bed. It cuts into my "Mommy" time. I like to prolong it as much as possible. But the kind of tired I used to feel was more of a warn down kind of tired. I was physically AND mentally tired. It is so tough when your mind is just constantly occupied by someone else's thoughts or words. There was just never any peace of mind. Even when Katelyn would be napping, Aron was always pulling me in an opposite direction from where I wanted to be. On the rare occasion when Aron would actually take quiet time, I was torn between doing something I wanted to do and something I SHOULD be doing. And then, I was still focused on Aron, if he was actually napping, or was he just running around upstairs. Now, during naptime, I KNOW Katelyn is asleep because I can see it on the monitor. And when I sit down and take some time for myself, I find myself getting tired and almost drifting off to sleep. BUT, I never let myself fall asleep...I am terrified that I WILL fall asleep and then miss pick up time at the school!!! Oh, then I would feel like the worst mom in the world. Can you imagine??? NOT gonna happen. Note to self: Set earlier naptime for Katelyn so mommy can take a nap without missing picking up Aron! :)
The end of the school day came a little sooner than yesterday. Not literally sooner, but it sure felt like it. Maybe it was because I wasn't watching the time go by, wondering what my little boy was doing at that exact moment. It's not that I forgot about him. I just didn't worry about him as much. Well, I do kind of flinch every time the phone rings, thinking it's the school needing me to come pick him up for some reason. He'll be fine, mommy...he'll be fine! :) I guess that will take a while to get over. Well, pick up went the same as the day before. Nothing special. Just high five and off he goes! When I asked him what he did today, he told me he colored a picture of a bear. "What else did you do?" "I don't remember". That must have been SOME bear picture if that is all he remembers about school. Oh, and he remembered lunch and recess! What do you expect? He's in Kindergarten! :) We have yet to make it straight home after school...Tuesday was the grocery store and today was Katelyn's doctor...but I think we might have to start doing so. Aron seems to be getting cranky way before his bedtime. I don't think they "nap" at school. And with all that thinking and playing, he may need to have some "quiet" time when he gets home. Let's put it this way...I might need him to have "quiet" time...at least till dinner is ready. I mean if I get tired, I'm positive he is too. He would never admit, I know, but I can just tell...that boy sure does LOVE to argue! He MUST be his mother's son! :)
Well, the first week of school is halfway done. His homework is going well so far, too. It is tough homework...we have to read to him at least 15 minutes each day! Oh, and he has to write his name a bunch of times on lined paper. David can handle that! :) I think we are both going to survive. Slow and steady. We both just need some time to adjust. Maybe not as much time as others might need. I think we both were SO ready for this. Ready to be have some peace...peace of mind! Goodnight!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The First Day of Kindergarten!
The first day of Kindergarten has come and gone. It couldn't have gone better! We were all going to go...Daddy, Mommy and Katelyn...to see Aron off. Everyone was showered, dressed, backpacks were packed, shoes on and in the car ready to go...on time! An amazing feat in itself. That NEVER happens!
It took us a whole 10 minutes from house to the school parking lot to the Kindergarten playground. As we walked, hand in hand, Aron's excitement seemed to turn to nervousness as he realized that he was supposed to let go of mommy's hand and go play in the playground until class started. There were so many kids in the playground...I mean at least 60. And parents circled the outer wall inside and out. He just wanted to "go to his classroom first". I told him he didn't have to play if he didn't want to, that he could wait with me. But, I think after seeing that none of the other kids were waiting with their parents, he decided it was time. With mommy leading the way, we made it into the playground. The first slide on the slide and a big grin came to his face and off he ran! Everyone was having fun either playing or watching the children play. It's funny, I have had MANY first days of school, but I don't remember them. Were they this crazy when I was little? Hm. Well, crazy is a little strong of a word. It was really quite controlled and civilized. But you would EXPECT that from adults and their kids, right?
The kids got to play for just a few minutes and then it was time to grab their backpacks and line up with their class. Aron didn't hear the teacher call for her class the first time. Luckily, he made eye contact with me and I was able to motion him over. He got into line and waited patiently with the other little boys and girls. Mommy, of course, was trying to get pictures at every angle of her little boy standing in line for his first day! You can never have TOO many pictures of kids in a line, can you? You just never know!!! :)
With all kids accounted for, it was time to head inside...kids first, then parents. First order of business, find your coat hook and hang up your backpack. Then time to find your table and have a seat. Aron acted like a Kindergarten pro. By the time Daddy, Katelyn and Mommy made their way into the classroom, he was already sitting at his table! Good job, Aron! He sat their politely...while mommy took multiple pictures of him, of course! And after just a couple of quick welcoming comments from the teacher, it was time to "blow your mommies and daddies a kiss goodbye". And that was it! Years of waiting and weeks of wishing it were time, and it was over in a matter of 15 minutes. No crying...well, at least not in the morning (more on that in a minute).
It was a strange feeling driving off, leaving my little boy in the care of someone else...for the entire day! But it felt right. I wasn't even sad. Of course, I had taken care of that the night before. Around midnight last night, Kindergarten Eve, the realization came to me that Aron wasn't going to be around anymore during the day. That I was going to miss him...I mean REALLY miss him! I just started to cry and the cries turned into sobs as I felt myself to be a terrible mother for not doing more for him, with him, during our stay-at-home time together. But Kindergarten, while not a choice, was the best thing that we could have done for him. I know he needed Kindergarten...more than I needed him to go to Kindergarten. I know I have complained about his whining and his craziness for a long time now. But, the reason for it, was that he was bored. Truly bored. And in need of some honest to goodness social interaction. The kind which I could not provide for him. I know I am the mom and I know I am the best teacher. But, I am also able to admit that I just couldn't do it. Sometimes you need to call a professional! And Aron is going to benefit immensely!
So, mommy had her first day alone. It was so quiet in the house. Very strange not to have Aron and Katelyn both running around, begging for snacks or drinks of water or juice. Or fighting! There was no fighting, no whining, no crying today. I, myself, was doing really well at not crying until Daddy proceeded to ask me if I was going to be ok. "Are you sure?" Well, not anymore! :) I was able to get it under control. I didn't have a plan on what I was going to do. Someone had recommended that I just take the time to decompress and I think that was an awesome idea. But, those of you who know me well, know that I can't just sit around and do nothing...for long. But, I took it easy. I cleaned my kitchen table and chairs. It hadn't been done in so long. You can easily get tired of cleaning the table after breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner. Believe me! There was stuff stuck in places...I don't even know how it got there! If that was the only thing I did for the day, I was happy. I was also happy that I was able to just walk from one room to the other without being stopped for some reason by a child. I was actually able to keep a thought in my head for an extended period of time! Go mommy! I did not rush to try to get something done before I was distracted into doing something someone ELSE wanted me to do. I did what I wanted, when I wanted, HOW I wanted. It was SO nice!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I thought about Aron every moment of the day. And I watched the clock closely so as not to miss the time I needed to leave to go pick him up. (That was one thing I was afraid of...that I would fall asleep and get to the school late!) The time did not go by too quickly and it didn't go by too slow. It seemed just right! Three o'clock...time to get Katelyn up from her nap and into the car for the short 5 minute drive to the school.
By the time we arrived, the kids had not yet emerged from their classroom. As they began to walk into the playground...single file, of course...I looked, but didn't see Aron. And at the last minute, there he was...the last in line. Last is ok, maybe he forgot something. Or maybe he was holding the door open for all the other kids. That sounds more like Aron...he does that all the time! :) One by one, the teacher looked up and found the parents that belonged to her children. And one by one, she gave them each a high five and sent them on their way. Aron got his high five and ran through the gate calling "Mommy!". That is the best sound in the world. Nothing make me feel better than to hear him yell my name after I haven't seen him for a while. I guess he DOES miss me when I'm not around, even though he said he didn't! :) Well, I missed him, that's for sure!!! And I made sure to let him know. "So, did you have fun?". "YES!". "So, does this mean that you wanna go back tomorrow?". "Yes, of course, I wanna go back tomorrow!". Well, good...because he will be going tomorrow and the day after that...and the day after that...and the day after....
All in all, a very good day was had by all! Until tomorrow...
It took us a whole 10 minutes from house to the school parking lot to the Kindergarten playground. As we walked, hand in hand, Aron's excitement seemed to turn to nervousness as he realized that he was supposed to let go of mommy's hand and go play in the playground until class started. There were so many kids in the playground...I mean at least 60. And parents circled the outer wall inside and out. He just wanted to "go to his classroom first". I told him he didn't have to play if he didn't want to, that he could wait with me. But, I think after seeing that none of the other kids were waiting with their parents, he decided it was time. With mommy leading the way, we made it into the playground. The first slide on the slide and a big grin came to his face and off he ran! Everyone was having fun either playing or watching the children play. It's funny, I have had MANY first days of school, but I don't remember them. Were they this crazy when I was little? Hm. Well, crazy is a little strong of a word. It was really quite controlled and civilized. But you would EXPECT that from adults and their kids, right?
The kids got to play for just a few minutes and then it was time to grab their backpacks and line up with their class. Aron didn't hear the teacher call for her class the first time. Luckily, he made eye contact with me and I was able to motion him over. He got into line and waited patiently with the other little boys and girls. Mommy, of course, was trying to get pictures at every angle of her little boy standing in line for his first day! You can never have TOO many pictures of kids in a line, can you? You just never know!!! :)
With all kids accounted for, it was time to head inside...kids first, then parents. First order of business, find your coat hook and hang up your backpack. Then time to find your table and have a seat. Aron acted like a Kindergarten pro. By the time Daddy, Katelyn and Mommy made their way into the classroom, he was already sitting at his table! Good job, Aron! He sat their politely...while mommy took multiple pictures of him, of course! And after just a couple of quick welcoming comments from the teacher, it was time to "blow your mommies and daddies a kiss goodbye". And that was it! Years of waiting and weeks of wishing it were time, and it was over in a matter of 15 minutes. No crying...well, at least not in the morning (more on that in a minute).
It was a strange feeling driving off, leaving my little boy in the care of someone else...for the entire day! But it felt right. I wasn't even sad. Of course, I had taken care of that the night before. Around midnight last night, Kindergarten Eve, the realization came to me that Aron wasn't going to be around anymore during the day. That I was going to miss him...I mean REALLY miss him! I just started to cry and the cries turned into sobs as I felt myself to be a terrible mother for not doing more for him, with him, during our stay-at-home time together. But Kindergarten, while not a choice, was the best thing that we could have done for him. I know he needed Kindergarten...more than I needed him to go to Kindergarten. I know I have complained about his whining and his craziness for a long time now. But, the reason for it, was that he was bored. Truly bored. And in need of some honest to goodness social interaction. The kind which I could not provide for him. I know I am the mom and I know I am the best teacher. But, I am also able to admit that I just couldn't do it. Sometimes you need to call a professional! And Aron is going to benefit immensely!
So, mommy had her first day alone. It was so quiet in the house. Very strange not to have Aron and Katelyn both running around, begging for snacks or drinks of water or juice. Or fighting! There was no fighting, no whining, no crying today. I, myself, was doing really well at not crying until Daddy proceeded to ask me if I was going to be ok. "Are you sure?" Well, not anymore! :) I was able to get it under control. I didn't have a plan on what I was going to do. Someone had recommended that I just take the time to decompress and I think that was an awesome idea. But, those of you who know me well, know that I can't just sit around and do nothing...for long. But, I took it easy. I cleaned my kitchen table and chairs. It hadn't been done in so long. You can easily get tired of cleaning the table after breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner. Believe me! There was stuff stuck in places...I don't even know how it got there! If that was the only thing I did for the day, I was happy. I was also happy that I was able to just walk from one room to the other without being stopped for some reason by a child. I was actually able to keep a thought in my head for an extended period of time! Go mommy! I did not rush to try to get something done before I was distracted into doing something someone ELSE wanted me to do. I did what I wanted, when I wanted, HOW I wanted. It was SO nice!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I thought about Aron every moment of the day. And I watched the clock closely so as not to miss the time I needed to leave to go pick him up. (That was one thing I was afraid of...that I would fall asleep and get to the school late!) The time did not go by too quickly and it didn't go by too slow. It seemed just right! Three o'clock...time to get Katelyn up from her nap and into the car for the short 5 minute drive to the school.
By the time we arrived, the kids had not yet emerged from their classroom. As they began to walk into the playground...single file, of course...I looked, but didn't see Aron. And at the last minute, there he was...the last in line. Last is ok, maybe he forgot something. Or maybe he was holding the door open for all the other kids. That sounds more like Aron...he does that all the time! :) One by one, the teacher looked up and found the parents that belonged to her children. And one by one, she gave them each a high five and sent them on their way. Aron got his high five and ran through the gate calling "Mommy!". That is the best sound in the world. Nothing make me feel better than to hear him yell my name after I haven't seen him for a while. I guess he DOES miss me when I'm not around, even though he said he didn't! :) Well, I missed him, that's for sure!!! And I made sure to let him know. "So, did you have fun?". "YES!". "So, does this mean that you wanna go back tomorrow?". "Yes, of course, I wanna go back tomorrow!". Well, good...because he will be going tomorrow and the day after that...and the day after that...and the day after....
All in all, a very good day was had by all! Until tomorrow...
Monday, August 1, 2011
Kindergarten Eve
It's the night before Kindergarten and all through the house, not a creature is stirring, not even...Well, you get the point! Today is the last day of my little boy being a little boy. Tomorrow, he starts the long-awaited Kindergarten! It seems like we have been ready for this day FOREVER!!! Aron sure has been ready FOREVER! I really wish he could have started school last year. Socially and mentally, he was ready. But the law says what the law says. Aron was born just one month too late. No exceptions! So, we had to wait. And the waiting nearly killed us BOTH! Mommy really had her hands full trying to keep this rambunctious 5 year old busy. And Aron really could have used more structure and more kids to play with. But, the day is FINALLY here...almost. Just a few more hours to go.
Aron is SO excited! We have been talking about this day for weeks, counting down the days on the calendar in the kitchen. How many more days, mommy? Last week mommy and daddy got to meet the teacher and see his class. Parent Orientation, they called it. It was all really quite confusing for this mommy. Homework? Drop off and pick up procedures? Lunch codes? Specials? Folders just for Thursday? It may take me a while. Good thing Aron doesn't have to remember all this stuff. He just has to go with the flow. This is going to be quite the adventure...for us BOTH!!! They say he will get the hang of it quickly. But I'm really worried more about ME than anything! What if I don't get it???
Today was Open House at the school. Aron got to see his classroom for the first time and meet his teacher. We were able to walk around the school and see where the cafeteria was, the gym, the library, the technology room and the music room. He was SO polite to everyone. I was so proud of him. He introduced himself to the teachers and even said "nice to meet you too, Ms. X"! He loves his room. He will have 21 fellow classmates...only 7 of them will be girls. Lots of boys to be rambunctious with. I hope Mrs. Bowyer can handle it! ;)
Well, Aron is bathed, his lunch is made, his clothes are picked out and he is in bed. I hope he is having dreams of Kindergarten. My little boy is growing up...so fast! The day I have been waiting so long for is finally here. But at the same time, this is the beginning of him growing up. So, I'm going to try to document as much as I can. I know he will have a blast in school! I will miss him...I really will.
Aron is SO excited! We have been talking about this day for weeks, counting down the days on the calendar in the kitchen. How many more days, mommy? Last week mommy and daddy got to meet the teacher and see his class. Parent Orientation, they called it. It was all really quite confusing for this mommy. Homework? Drop off and pick up procedures? Lunch codes? Specials? Folders just for Thursday? It may take me a while. Good thing Aron doesn't have to remember all this stuff. He just has to go with the flow. This is going to be quite the adventure...for us BOTH!!! They say he will get the hang of it quickly. But I'm really worried more about ME than anything! What if I don't get it???
Today was Open House at the school. Aron got to see his classroom for the first time and meet his teacher. We were able to walk around the school and see where the cafeteria was, the gym, the library, the technology room and the music room. He was SO polite to everyone. I was so proud of him. He introduced himself to the teachers and even said "nice to meet you too, Ms. X"! He loves his room. He will have 21 fellow classmates...only 7 of them will be girls. Lots of boys to be rambunctious with. I hope Mrs. Bowyer can handle it! ;)
Well, Aron is bathed, his lunch is made, his clothes are picked out and he is in bed. I hope he is having dreams of Kindergarten. My little boy is growing up...so fast! The day I have been waiting so long for is finally here. But at the same time, this is the beginning of him growing up. So, I'm going to try to document as much as I can. I know he will have a blast in school! I will miss him...I really will.
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