First Day of School

This morning, I dropped my little girl off for her first day of Kindergarten.  Her proud big brother led the way, confident and smiling.  Everly was thrilled and acted like a pro.

There were no tears today - I think I held it together pretty well.  But it is hard for me to believe...kindergarten...really?  And second grade?  Sheesh.  They look so grown up.

I thought about them all day.

I left work early so that I could be sure to be at the bus stop on time.

The bus was 25 minutes late, but I stood there in the blazing sun, camera ready.

And my baby girl was the first one off, and she ran right to me with a big smile and gave me a big hug.

And I felt happy.  So happy.  I wouldn't have missed that for the world.

Cortlan was next...

Guess who he sat next to on the bus?  Yep.  Everly.

And they seemed somehow bigger to me after 4pm.  More mature.  Taller, even.  But definitely more grown up.

I try not to say "Can time please stop?"  I try not to want old moments back.  I know every stage can be a good stage.  But I just want this one to stay for a while.

In the books...

Well, week one of summer is already in the books, and I already feel so refreshed.  It was a productive week, and a fun week, with a lot of silliness thrown in.

We started the summer learning ticket system again, which the kids were really excited about this year.  In fact, whereas last year, Cortlan hardly banked any tickets (he would earn just enough to use for the TV shows he wanted to watch), this year, he has caught on to the idea that he can earn more to do more things.  And now that he is a reader, he has a whole new way to earn tickets.  In the first week, they were able to earn enough to get a movie and ice cream.  We will see how things continue.

Speaking of reading, Everly is picking up on reading at a surprising pace.  Her interest in doing what her brother can do is so high, it is amazing.  Yesterday, she read to me Buzz! Said the Bee, Cookie's Week, and two beginning reader books based on the nursery rhymes Hickory, Dickory, Doc and The Cow Jumped Over the Moon, all with very little help from me.  It is exciting to see her excitement in learning both reading and math.

Between the four of us, we had several appointments, including an allergist appointment for Cortlan.  Lucky him, he began allergy shots this week.  His allergies have been so bad, we are hopeful that these shots will help in the long run and he won't need to be on three medications per day (that are already losing some effectiveness).

We went to the zoo with friends, which was awesome.  Seeing the elephants get a bath was a highlight, and watching the polar bears play under water was awesome.

We also went ice skating for the first time, thanks to a friend who is taking lessons and invited Cortlan as his buddy for "bring a buddy day."  We stayed after the lesson for a bit so Everly could get a chance to try it out, too.  The experience was comical to say the least, but the kids would love to go back again some day.

As I always try to do during the first week, I did get my windows and screens cleaned, thanks in part to my kids, who did pretty well with the whole teamwork thing.

We are excited to see what the rest of summer has in store.  I am certain we will get a few more items checked off of Cortlan's bucket list.

What I am loving right now...

• That the sun is finally shining and the weather is warming up, which means windows rolled down, fresh air, and not needing five layers to run outside.  (It has seriously been the longest winter...it was snowing on my run two days ago.)
• That my little girl is coming home with words like onomatopoeia and equinox and entomologist and that she knows what they mean and is excited to tell us.
• That my little boy picked up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Sunday and read out loud for a solid hour on Sunday just because he wanted to.  He needed help with words here and there, but I was happy to oblige as I worked in the kitchen, listening.
• That Everly is ready to ride her bike the minute we get home.
• That Cortlan was so proud of himself after completing his first gymnastics meet - he did a fantastic job!
• That even after 12+ years of teaching, I am still finding ways to improve every day. 
• The "I love you's" I hear from my kids.
• April Fool's jokes.
• And this: 
  
• And this:
  

The Night Before First Grade

There is a post I wrote a couple years ago, though it seems more like days ago.  It was about Cortlan starting preschool.  I read it and could hardly believe how much has changed since then, and how much has stayed the same.  (Read it here.)

Tomorrow, my little boy starts first grade.

Many parents do the whole "I can't believe my son/daughter is going to Kindergarten!" thing.  I got to put that off for a year, as Cortlan attended Kindergarten at the same school he had gone to for years.  There wasn't much new about it except the advancing curriculum and a different teacher.  There was no bus.  There was no buying/packing lunch.  His same friends were there.  It was the same drop off procedure...the same routine.

Tomorrow, Cortlan starts first grade.  And everything is going to be different.  And he is entering a whole new world.  And I am doing the whole "I can't believe my son is going to first grade!" thing.

I went to his "Meet the teacher" night yesterday.  I sat in his little desk, the one with his name attached.  I looked around and took it all in.  His teacher seemed so nice.  In the folder on his desk were papers that I needed to complete.  What bus number is he?  (I texted John to look on the fridge to find out.)  Would you like to sign up to be a guest reader?  (I would love to.)  What are Cortlan's strengths and weaknesses?  (You only gave me three lines to tell you?!)  And included in the folder was a poem with a baggie of magic confetti attached to it:

I started to tear up a bit when I read it and I thought about what a huge change this is going to be in so many ways.  When asked (and sometimes when not), I have mentioned that Cortlan is nervous about starting first grade.  But, maybe it is just me.  Maybe, I am not quite ready.  But he is.

Today, I showed him the papers that he had to fill out before his first day, fully anticipating that they would be met with resistance.  He enthusiastically completed them.  I read to him about the project that he had to do.  He quickly found five objects that would help him tell about himself to put in a brown bag:  A lego man holding a beaker and wearing a sign that says "I love science," a picture of our family, a cork, a rock, and a lego pizza (because that is his current favorite food).  

He excitedly (and with great precision and as if he had years of experience) made his own lunch, an idea that I proposed without much hope, an idea that he jumped on with more enthusiasm than I could have imagined:

And as I watched him carefully spread the peanut butter from edge to edge and scoop the yogurt into a container without spilling a drop and pick out just the right grapes and fold his napkin just so, I realized that he is far more ready for this than I will ever be.

Tomorrow, we don't get to put him on the bus and wave goodbye with tears in our eyes.  We will instead drop him at the school quite a while before the rest of his classmates will get there.  (And that is ok with me.  I will cherish that four minute drive and walking him into the building and the hug goodbye for as long as I possibly can.)

Tomorrow, we will be the ones anxiously and proudly waiting at the bus stop with a camera to see our first grader step off of the bus for the first time, with what I am guessing will be a huge, yet exhausted grin on his face.  I hope I can capture it.  And I am sure there will be tears in my eyes.

Tonight, Cortlan went to bed with Magic Confetti near his pillow.

I wish I had some.

Well worth the 30 tickets

Cortlan has not shown much interest in learning to ride a bike.  Whether he was nervous, intimidated, or just plain didn't care, I don't know.  But it took no time at all with the promise of 30 tickets (and the thought of redeeming them for a trip to the Children's Museum) for him to get it all figured out.

We started him off with some practice at just coasting down the driveway and getting a feel for balancing the bike with no training wheels.  With his seat lowered so that he could easily reach the ground, and his pedals removed, all he had to do was enjoy the ride down hill.  Once he got that figured out, we replaced the pedals and told him to just use them to rest his feet on them as he coasted.  He instinctively pedaled them anyway.  The final challenge was getting it all to work on flat and then an uphill grade.  In one day, Cortlan was riding his bike without training wheels.  Way to go, buddy!!

Taking it to the park...next time, I will have to have a scooter or bike; I couldn't keep up!

Random recap in photos

I am perpetually behind these days.  Mother's Day has come and gone.  Someday, I will post something about that.  But for now, here are some photo recaps of recent times:

Cortlan recovered from his surgery at home, but his friends didn't forget about him:

Neither did family and friends.  His aunt and cousins sent him a couple of special gifts in the mail:

Cortlan was getting a lot of special attention, which had Everly feeling a bit left out, so she and I went on a Mommy and Me trip to the mall, where we used a gift card for Build a Bear that she received for her birthday:

While he was out of school, Cortlan lost his first tooth (April 27th, 2013).  He may or may not have been disappointed with the $1 that the tooth fairy left him.  I may or may not have felt bad about that:

A robin decided that our window looked like something worth attacking, and did so repeatedly.  It became so annoying that we had to bring in Spiderman to save the day.  The robin has since avoided our window, but moved on to our neighbor's:

This was weeks ago, but Spiderman is still protecting our window.

A milestone for Cortlan - bring on the laces!

For over a year, I have said to Cortlan, "You are going to have to learn to tie your shoes!" Last summer, I made some attempt to teach him, though admittedly, I didn't give it my all.  I would show him and help him, once or twice, here and there, but his lack of interest and attention span wasn't very motivating for me.  I figured I would try again later.

A few months ago, Cortlan got two pairs of shoes with laces.  John and I knew that we would be tying his shoe for a while, but again, we kept saying, "Cortlan, you are going to have to learn to do this yourself!"  Despite that, we never really found the time to sit down to work with him. And he didn't seem any more motivated to learn.  On our priority list, teaching him kept falling to the bottom.

Yesterday morning, however, he decided that instead of wearing the velcro shoes that he often chooses, he wanted to wear his boots that lace.

He sat down and he tied his shoes.

John and I were (and still are) astonished.  He just did it.

And when he did it again in the afternoon after gymnastics, I knew it wasn't a fluke.

So this morning, I took pictures.

He even double knotted. 

Way to go, Cortlan!  How you learned is a mystery to us, but we are proud of you!

The coming of another milestone

Cortlan is in Kindergarten.  For many moms, Kindergarten is the big milestone.  They watch their children get on the bus on the first day and try to hide the tear or two (or many) trickling down their cheeks.  Things will never be the same, they think.

Maybe it is because Cortlan never got on a bus or maybe it is because we have continued the same routine that we had for most of his life, but Kindergarten didn't affect me in that way.  I never thought that Kindergarten would be the milestone that made me feel that there was no going back.  No.  The milestone that I anticipated would make me feel that way? When my babies loose their baby teeth.

And yesterday, at our dentist appointment, the news came - Cortlan has his first loose teeth.  Two of them.  And it won't be long before they are gone.  The baby face has already significantly changed, but will now change even more.  The little teeth with the spaces between them that mark his youth will soon be replaced with a gap and shortly thereafter filled with much larger pearly whites.  To me, this marks the change from a little guy to a boy.  And it will be those same teeth that he has when he is a man. 

Really? He only gets to keep those little teeth for six short years?

They grow too fast.

Water love

It is hard to believe that at the beginning of the summer, neither of my kids would leave the steps of the pool and neither would attempt to swim, even with flotation devices on.

It is hard to believe that Everly, for the first week of swimming lessons, cried and had to be pulled out of the group.  

And it is hard to believe that, until about two weeks ago, Cortlan wouldn't jump in the water without holding onto someone's hands.

It is amazing what time and exposure can do....and patience.  I am learning to not rush things.  I am learning there is a balance between pushing and waiting and just letting things happen.  Sometimes that is hard, but I am learning.

Weekend Recap

• The weather lately has me completely unproductive at home.  Typically, I clean on the weekends.  I just could not bring myself to spend hours in the house (and hence, keep my kids in the house for hours) when it is over 70 outside in March.  So, my house is a mess.  But, at least most of the laundry is done.  And we got more fresh air and Vitamin D than we have had in months.
• I realized that my kids have no summer clothes.  Typically, I do not need to have them at this time of the year, but it was definitely shorts-wearing weather this weekend, and will be for the rest of the 10 day forecast (unbelievable!).  So off we went to Target to buy some $4 mix and match shirts and shorts.  Cortlan seems to be developing quite an opinion as to what he wears, and his choices sometimes baffle me.  But I let him pick which shirts he wanted, so he better wear them. 
• Saturday was St. Patrick's Day.  Friday night, I put some fruited Irish oatmeal in the Crock Pot so we were able to have a nice Irish breakfast in the morning.  I had never made steel-cut oats before, but this recipe was delicious.  As the kids sat at the breakfast bar, I thought I might make them a special surprise.  I got out the food coloring and put a drop of green in each of their cups.  Then I took the cups over to them, and I poured their milk, which instantly turned green as I poured it.  I wasn't really trying to act like anything magical happened, as I thought for sure they had just watched me get out the food coloring and drop it in, but Cortlan's eyes lit up, and ever since, he has been telling people that a Leprechaun turned our milk green.  After nap - homemade shamrock shakes.
• We truly enjoyed the beautiful weather on Saturday.  It is so nice to see everyone emerging from hibernation.  Our neighborhood is typically alive with kids running around and parents talking once the weather breaks.  This weekend was just like summer.  Ahhhhh....
• The musical at the high school where I work was Peter Pan this year, and for the first time, I decided to take the kids.  Honestly, I can't imagine a better high school production than the ones that go on at our school, and Peter Pan did not disappoint.  We had seats in the fourth row and Cortlan absolutely loved it.  He laughed so hard even when no one else was laughing...the orchestra members were turning to look to see where the giggles were coming from.  He could not stop talking about it.  On the way home, he even said, "I just can't wipe the smile off of my face!"  I loved it.  Everly enjoyed it, too, and she did pretty well at sitting still and being quiet.  Though, I think her favorite part (besides when Peter pan did flips in the air) was folding herself up in the seat so her knees were in her face and then smiling, saying, "I'm stuck!"

The Race Weekend, Part 1

Besides an awesome race (which I will write about in another post), this weekend was fantastic for many other reasons, including great family time and funny moments. It started out in a pretty stressful way, with me not having gotten all of the packing done Friday night (because I was exhausted and thought that sleeping would be a good idea) and then waking up Saturday with nearly no voice, feeling quite under the weather. Our scheduled departure time was 10AM; the following picture was taken a little after 11AM on the street in front of my house. (For the record, my house looks NOTHING like those across the street...ours is about 30 years older.)

You may notice in that picture that there are three motorcycles and four adults.  My parents made the trip with us on this gorgeous early fall weekend.  My mom, dad, and John all took their motorcycles, and I followed in the car with the kids, rocking out to Kids Place Live most of the way.

 

The fourth motorcycle is that of friends of my parent's.  They joined us for some of the ride.

 

We took our time getting to our destination, which would have taken about two hours had we gone the less scenic route.  We stopped for a great lunch, and then again at a Harley dealership. Harleys weren't the only thing they sold.

When we arrived at our "fake home" as Cortlan called it all weekend, we were slightly disappointed to find that we didn't have the adjoining rooms that we had asked for, but we did have rooms next to one another.  Regardless, the kids loved it. And of course, they gave us plenty to laugh about.  Like, when Cortlan was told to go to the bathroom in room A, but instead showed up in room B and John asked, "Why didn't you just go in the other room like I asked you to?"  Cortlan very seriously (but clearly not truthfully) said, "I don't know how to go to the bathroom over there."  To which Everly replied, "Wit your penis, Tort."  Um, yeah, Cort.  Duh.

After getting unpacked (and using the bathrooms), we went to get my race packet and were happy to see an awesome playground at the packet pick up area, which would also be the Start/Finish line area.

A small purchase from the running vendors later, and we went to check out the lake.

Perhaps the highlight for the kids, though, was pizza in the hotel room followed by their first indoor pool experience ever, where Cortlan swam for the first time without any flotation devices.

Can you tell he was proud after his first solo swim?

As the day came to a close, my thoughts went to the early wake up call I was going to be getting, and then immediately to the hotel experience that we had in June.  Fortunately, my parents stepped in and saved the day by offering to let the kids sleep in their room.  The story is that they finally were asleep at about 10:30.  I was dreaming sweet dreams by then.

And after a slightly rough night of sleep, the alarm went off at 5:10 AM...

Several things that start with P

There are reasons why I have written a little less than is typical as of late, but I will get to that in another post.  For now, just a few tidbits...

• I learned a lesson yesterday:  it is better to let the milk cup fall than to try to catch it mid air.  Because if you miss, you might just end up hitting the cup so as to make the milk cover a much larger area in all directions, including the undersides of chairs, the walls, and multiple people.  Had it just been left to fall, I probably would have only had to clean the floor.
• I am absolutely amazed at Everly's turn around on the potty training front.  I mean, we went from absolute refusal to poop on the potty to initiating it and having no accidents of any sort (since Sunday) in a matter of a week.  After trying bribery, sticker charts, letting her make a mess of herself in her underwear (while playing outside), and multiple other things that entailed both good and bad parenting techniques, do you know what actually did the trick? The fact that "only big girls who poop on the potty get to have their toe nails painted."  If she went on the potty, she got her toe nails painted for the first time.  If she had an accident, the polish came off.  When she filled her sticker chart yesterday, she got to have her fingernails painted, too.  Amazing.  Where did this girl come from?
• Another amazing turn around: Cortlan in the swimming pool.  Two weeks ago, Cortlan wouldn't even jump into the pool with an adult catching him.  He would tightly hold onto my fingers and plop in, at best.  Now, with a new found confidence, he is independently motoring around the pool (with water wings on) and leaping from the deck on his own.  Yay!
• I remember the days when everything that came out of Cortlan's mouth cracked me up because of what he was saying, but possibly more because of how he was saying it.  Now, Everly is at that age.  Her "Mommy, whatcha doin', Mommy?" every time we are in the car, or sitting at dinner, or basically doing nothing is somewhat annoying after the 5,000th time, but still makes me smile.  Her calling Cortlan "my Toh-deh" is so endearing.  Her calling toothpaste "poo face" inevitably makes me laugh.  And a good laugh is always welcome.

The Great Camping Adventure

Last week, Cortlan and Everly were watching a little Sid the Science Kid (don't laugh at our apparent dorkiness - it is a cute show) and in that particular episode, Sid camped out in his backyard with his dad and a buddy.  Cortlan was fascinated by this, and asked me, "Mommy?  Do you think we could camp out in nature someday?"  He wanted to have a fire and s'mores and sleep in a tent - all the things that Sid did.

I was actually pretty excited by Cort's request, because I really enjoy camping and have visions of doing a lot of it as a family as the kids grow up.  We used to camp quite a bit when I was a kid, and since John and I have been together, we have camped several times - including on the beach at Assateague Island with some friends and some hungry wild horses. We have made some great and lasting memories camping. The last time that we went was with friends in May of 2006.  Not long after, I found out that I was pregnant with Cortlan (and actually had been, unknowingly, carrying him along on that trip).  Then, before he was old enough (in my opinion) to go camping, Everly was born.  Now, with Everly a little more than two-years-old, and quite adventurous and pretty much willing to try anything, we figured that the two of them were old enough to attempt an old-fashioned back yard camping experience.  Thus, my answer to Cortlan was an enthusiastic, "Yes!"

The timing of the camp out was perfect.  Our neighbor had some 4th of July fireworks to set off, and to see them, the kids would have to stay up past their bed time.  Since we would already be staying up late, we figured we might as well do it right.  First, we went and got ice cream.  (I got Graham Central Station, which is my new favorite, for sure...mmmmmm!)  When we got home, we set up the tent and got the fire going. 

For dinner: Mountain pies - the pepperoni pizza variety. 

Then, after playing, some s'mores for dessert (in case the ice cream wasn't enough). 

At around 9:30, we went to the neighbor's for a serious fireworks display.  For our purposes, they were just as good as the "real deal."  Actually, they were even better, because we had the best seats in the house, only had to walk down the street a little bit, and had no traffic or parking to deal with. 

We got back home, got in PJ's and climbed into our sleeping bags.  From the start, it seemed as though we were going to have another experience similar to the hotel a couple of weeks ago, but in a much shorter time span, the kids calmed down...probably because it was much later.  They were finally asleep at 11:30 - far later than either of them had ever stayed up.

But with sleeping outside comes an early and noticeable sunrise.  At 5:30 AM, the sun was shining through the thin tent walls, and Everly announced that she had to go potty.  It had been a pretty restless night's sleep (mostly because Everly's feet kept ending up in Cortlan's back, to his vocal dismay), so getting up at 5:30 was the last thing I wanted to do.  But, we went in the house, came right back out, and much to my surprise, the kids fell back asleep until 7:30.

Through this experience, I learned several things: 

• S'mores are just as delicious as they ever have been.
• An air mattress might be a wise investment.
• The morning after a night of camping may not be the optimal time to run nine miles.
• Sleep between the kids instead of having them next to each other.
• Don't ever camp far too away from a restroom.
• We are just about ready to try camping for real...maybe next year!

Where the air is sweet

Last week, we went on a three night trip to a great water and theme park with familiar and colorful characters.  This was a trip with many firsts: the first time the four of us have stayed at a hotel together, the first time that we attempted daytime travel (as opposed to driving all night, which is great from the kids sleeping perspective, but not so great from the adults not sleeping perspective), the first time the kids went to a water park, the first time we attempted to make it through the day with no nap, and the list goes on.  On the six hour drive home, my mind wandered to a billion blog posts I could write about the trip, none of which could really do the memories justice.  I thought I had a pretty decent idea as to how the trip would go.  But if there is anything I should know by now, as a parent, there is no predicting.

In preparation for the trip, I was sure to pack a selection of healthy snacks, and plenty of things to keep the kids occupied while in the car.  I even got a little crafty and cut felt into little people and clothes and shapes of all kinds so the kids could make their own scenes on their own personal felt boards.  This did prove to be a pretty big hit, if only for the novelty factor, but I did make one mistake - I didn't make two of everything.  Specifically, there was only one "boy" hair and one "girl" hair.  Of course, the girl hair was way cooler and coveted by both.  What I didn't expect to happen on the drive:  our quick rest stop trip turning into over an hour (my kids may be the slowest eaters on earth), and missed naps.  Seriously.  What kid only sleeps for 45 minutes out of a six hour drive?  Mine, apparently.

We neared our destination just in time for the downpour to begin, but there was no way that we were not going into the park.  As the only people entering the park, pushing ourselves and our umbrellas against the sea of people leaving, we weren't even sure that the park was still open.  Sure enough, it was.  And sure enough, the rain stopped soon after, leaving us with a little sunshine and a nearly deserted park.  We were among the first in line for every ride, and got prime seats at the show that evening.  Cortlan rode his first roller coaster.  Everly began her love affair with the swings.

Arriving at the hotel much later than typical bedtime, I was sure that the kids would fall asleep, exhausted, shortly after their heads hit the pillow.  Again, I should know better than to make such predictions.  After a bath and story, the giggle-fest began.  With the two kids in one bed and John and I in the other, the room sounded more like an adolescent slumber party than the dark, peaceful room filled with zzzzz's that I had imagined.  Whispers building up to full out hysterical laughter for who knows what reason had us all laughing.  Then it started to get pretty frustrating.  After around the sixth or seventh trip to their bed for one thing or another, we finally got the sound we were waiting for - quiet.  It was 10:00.  The next night went marginally better.  The trick:  John went to the lobby or exercise area, I put Everly in one bed, Cort in the other, lied and told them I had to go potty, took my book to the bathroom, and waited them out.  They are used to falling asleep by themselves; the more people in the room, the longer the process seemed to take.  With this solution, I at least got to read part of my book, and the process did go a bit faster.

With the exception of a minor head injury (me), some puking (Ev), and some minor meltdowns due to lack of sleep (Cort and Ev), the rest of the trip went off without a hitch.  We had a great time.  Of course, Cortlan would have probably been happy if he could have sat on the forklift or firetruck for most of the day, and Everly would have been content to go back and forth between the swings and the carousal, but at least some of us managed to ride just about everything there.  Cort loved the rope climbing, hated the water slides.  Everly wanted to go on everything - the bigger the better.  (She even went on the Blast Off ride that shoots you up and drops you down.)  They both loved the spraying water attractions, the parade, seeing all of the characters and shows, the slides, and of course, the ridiculously huge lollipops that we splurged on, knowing there would be no way they could finish them.

John and I loved seeing them so happy.

Rewind to April 1

On March 31, Cortlan said to me, "Mommy, I am going to play a trick on you tomorrow."

It took me a second, but I then remembered what April 1 is.  The thing I was not aware of is that Cortlan knew what April 1 is.  (See?  He does learn stuff at school that I neglect to teach him!)

I had been waiting for a year when I thought Cortlan would be able to understand the concept and take an April Fool's joke without just thinking it was mean.  Maybe this was the year.  Game on!  After he went to bed, I poured a bowl of Kix and milk.  And then I put it in the freezer.

As luck would have it, Cortlan woke up early on April 1 and asked if he could eat breakfast at home, a rare treat due to typical morning time constraints.  "Sure!" I said, never having been happier for him to be awake at such an hour. 

Acting as naturally as I could, I handed him his bowl of cereal and watched him dig in.  Or at least try to dig in.

What's going on?

April Fool's!

Fortunately, the April Fool's joke was a success, and Cort reacted in the way I had hoped.  What I have especially loved is hearing him recount the story to his teachers and friends and grandparents with a big smile on his face. 

Now I have a whole year to come up with something for next April 1.