First Days

It's been a few weeks since Brenden's first day of pre-k, but today was Lauren's very first day at her new preschool. I knew she was excited to go because she cried every time we dropped Brenden off and begged to go see "her school".

It's crazy to see the difference from last year to this year. Brenden was excited about school and really enjoys it, but has had some strange anxieties pop up that we've had to deal with. I'm not sure what triggered it exactly, but he was suddenly terrified of dams and the earth flooding. (i.e. Hoover Dam) He refused to get in the car if the garage door was open and stood next to his teacher during recess because he was so scared. We had a long chat about not living near dams, what he could do to not be so scared (pray, think about rainbows) and read about Noah and the Ark and how God promised never to flood the earth again. It took a few weeks but he's finally past it. I was really worried about him!

Now, he's absolutely thriving. He has friends, loves his teachers (Who he said were "really smart but kind of weird." Huh???) and is enjoying having homework! I even had a mom come up to me at Back to School night and tell me that Brenden helped her son on his first day of school, which was 2 days after the official first day of school. Brenden ran up to him, introduced himself and decided that the new boy was his "best friend!" His mom said she was able to leave much earlier than she expected and it was all because Brenden helped his new friend feel comfortable. *proud mommy moment!*

Lauren's very first day last year began with screaming, as did many of her drop offs for months after that, but I was sure this year would be a little better. Can you say "total opposite"? Not only did she happily pose for me with her new backpack, but she practically skipped into class and promptly forgot that I was there. I had to go up to her to tell her goodbye and she didn't even glance up from playing. I hope the rest of her day went as smoothly!

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with both kids in school. Tim's guess was "lots of crafting" and he may be right! I'm hoping I can be a little more productive than that.

I have to find SOMETHING to do to keep myself from worrying about my babies! Any suggestions?

Preschool, Year 2!

What a difference from last year!

Last Day of School!

I cannot believe that we made it through our first entire year of preschool with the kids. Last year Brenden only went half a year so this was new for all of us. I knew I would be weepy their first day, but I never knew I would be so emotional on the last day. Yes, I am nervous about this summer and how to keep them entertained. More than that, I'm sad that next year they will be at a new school with new teachers. Kids Kare really is awesome and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Brenden has grown so much, physically, emotionally and mentally, since last September. He can now spell his name, my name, his dad's name, and several other words. He's starting to read and just the other day read three pages by himself. He's working hard on his penmanship and, with my help with spelling, can write just about anything. He knows simple addition and subtraction, sign language, can use scissors well and colors (mostly) in the lines.

We're so very proud of him and cannot wait to see what next year brings! This boy is read for pre-k.

Lauren is a completely different child than the one I dropped off last year. Gone are the days of screaming and grasping at me when I drop her at the door. Her teacher, Ms. Kim, is one of her most favorite people and we hope to keep in touch for a long time. She has always been a talker, but her language has literally exploded. We have entire conversations with her and she love to argue, which makes me very nervous for the coming years. She can recognize letters, numbers, shapes, colors and is able to count groups of objects by herself. She loves to sing, usually loudly, and had a blast on stage for their end of the year performance.

She has grown up so much and I'm so excited to watch her continue to learn!

My babies, they are growing up way too fast!

Art Show 2012

Every year the kids have an Art Show at their preschool and Lauren is finally to the age that she has a vague idea that she did something that we want to see and is proud of herself. They both did a great job and were super excited to show us their work.

I hope their next schools include things like this.

She did it all by herself!

Haha!

Flower pot...her teacher said "Go Pokes!" 

Egg carton roses.

Super proud of his name!

School Pictures - 2011

School pictures are here! Brenden did fabulous and Lauren, who was still in her "don't leave me at this crazy place!" phase did not. We only got two decent pictures of her. I guess I should feel lucky that she took any at all. Just two days before this she fell, face first, onto the pavement outside our house. Could have been much worse! Still, I'm thankful we have years and years of school pictures to look forward to. :)

Blue Cupcakes!

Since Brenden doesn't have school tomorrow we decided to celebrate with his classmates today. He was more than a little excited, to say the least. He was excited about his eggo waffle, he was thrilled with the fact that his jacket had a hood, and he was ecstatic that he had blue cupcakes to take to school to share with his friends.

The very happy almost 4 year old.

FOUR?!? When, what, how?!? Just...crazy.

Lauren's First Day

I had a really hard time sleeping last night. I kept having alternating nightmares about Lauren absolutely hating going to preschool and me forgetting to pick them up. I thought my dreams were coming true (in the worst way) when both Brenden and Lauren woke up in the type of moods that make me want to hide in the closet.

Somehow, we got out of the house and to school on time. Brenden happily plopped into his seat, but I warned his teacher about his whining so she could be prepared. I handed Lauren over to her teacher and it took about 0.7 seconds before she was screaming bloody murder. I smiled, said "Good luck!" and walked out of the school with my arms empty.

No, I didn't cry, but I sure felt weepy!

I spend the morning shopping for some last minute things for this weekend and then I did exactly what I told Tim I was going to do...I took a nap. It was fantastic. I woke up panicked that I had forgotten to pick the kids up, but I had plenty of time.

Brenden's teacher very happily told me that he was much calmer today and not at all whiny. Whew! Then it was off to find out how Lauren had fared. Not only did her teacher tell me that she did great, but she also took a nap! She did cry for 10 minutes but after that she was totally fine.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I think Lauren will come to love going to school just as much as Brenden does.

This was the best picture I could get. She was not in the mood to sit still and most definitely did not want to smile. That sums up my morning perfectly.

Let's home next week goes well, too!

Preschool, Year Two

Excited doesn't even begin to cover how Brenden felt about starting school again. (You could say the same for me!) He walked right in like he owned the place and never looked back at me. His teacher said his excitement didn't wane the entire day. Hopefully the newness wears off soon so he can sit still for a few minutes and maybe listen a little.

He walked in the door, went straight to his room and climbed into bed for his nap. I'd call that a successful day.

Brenden's School Performance

When we enrolled Brenden in Preschool, one of the things I was most looking forward to was the end of the year performance. Brenden is quite the entertainer at home and I was curious to see how he would act on stage.

We were joined by grandma and grandpa Warehime, grandma and grandpa Kelly, and uncle Justin and aunt Meredith. Brenden was so excited! When we told him he couldn't go on stage immediately he started crying, which worried me a little. What if he was one of those kids that got on stage and froze! I should have known better.

He had a blast! And every song that they performed was absolutely adorable. Lauren had a blast, too! She stood in the middle of the aisle, doing a boppy little dance and clapping and yelling for all the kids. I think she wanted to climb up there, too. Great...two performers in my house!

At the end they had a slideshow for all of the graduating pre-k kids. I was almost bawling and they weren't even my own! Then they had them walk down the aisle and handed out diplomas. The whole thing was great.

I'm so impressed with the school as a whole. I feel so lucky that I happened across them in my search for a decently priced, nearby school. I cannot wait for Brenden to start back in September. I know he'll miss it!

A Fantastic Saturday

Tim went out of town to do some work for the Army on Thursday so I begged his parents (not really, more like mentioned) to watch the kids overnight on Saturday. I thought I would be a mess by this morning since I sleep so badly when he's away, but today turned out wonderful!

Brenden had a t-ball game at 9 am and I thought for sure it would be rained out. Thankfully, the rain held off and they all had a great time. Brenden wasn't paying attention all the time, but he looked like he was having fun.

Showing off their helmets.

Right after that we headed to the Fishing Derby put on by his preschool. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the park, the organization, and how much fun we all had. Even Lauren, who was exhausted and not super happy, seemed to have a great time. Not long after we got there the clouds moved off and it turned out to be a beautiful day.

Fish!

The highlight for most of the kids was not the fishing, or the food, or even running around. It was the three turtles that one girl caught. For about an hour, Brenden and another little boy kept running over to the container they were in and repeatedly yelled, "They're trying to get out! Wanna look at the turtles?! They're trying to get OUT!" It was hilarious.

We caught at least 12 tiny fish, mostly by Mike, which tied us for first place in the number of fish caught overall. Brenden received a huge bag of summer toys and all of the kids were given goody bags. I am so very happy with the school we found and all of the people we have met that teach there or attend. It is worth every penny, and then some.

Happy Saturday Everyone!

Art Show

Last night was Brenden's first art show at school. Tim and I were super excited! Brenden did an excellent job and we were very proud of him.

They also had a book fair, with the proceeds going towards getting more books for the school. Both of them were able to get books that they were excited about. I am so happy that they enjoy reading. It's definitely something that I was hoping we could pass on to our kids. They also both enjoy being artistic (yep, Lauren is already showing an interest) and love music. They may not look much like me, but they are most definitely my children. :)

Praise

I'm happy to report that the whole kerfuffle with Brenden and the classroom misplacement seems to be completely resolved. He came home on Thursday practically glowing. I have not seen him that happy after school in awhile. He told me about school, sang me some new songs, and was better behaved than he has been in a long time. I thought he might enjoy school more in the right classroom, but this was a nice surprise. The next day I watched him dance around the house, happily singing songs that he's made up by himself, amazed at the difference. His creative side is just blossoming!

I'm not sure which factor is most influencing the big change. It's could be any number of things. Being around kids his own age probably helps a ton, especially since his behavior won't stand out as so obviously different. Understanding what they are learning about and not feeling lost has probably made a big difference as well. I know how frustrated he can get, and how he acts when he feels that way, so being able to actually learn will make him much happier. A teacher that works well with him, understands when he gets tired, and helps him enjoy school absolutely helps as well.

I made the decision last night to walk him into class today instead of handing him off at the door, just so I could let his teacher know just how happy he was. I told her what a change I had seen in just a day, and thanked her. I know saying "thank you" isn't much, but I felt like I needed to let her know what a great time he's having and that I think she's doing a great job.

There has been a lot in the news about teachers, their wages, and what their job is worth. I don't know exact details on the debate, but I will always be on the side of good teachers never being paid enough. I know that I can't pay her more, but I can definitely make sure she knows that what she's doing is noticed and appreciated.

My happy, handsome little man.

Saying "thank you" isn't much, but saying it can make a big difference. Who in your life would appreciate hearing those two simple words today?

Changing Classes

I think I've complained enough online for everyone to know that on Tuesday, the director of Brenden's preschool let us know that Brenden was placed in the wrong class. I can only imagine Tim's horror of being called into the "principal's" office when he went to pick Brenden up. My first thought was that Brenden had done something so terrible that he was getting kicked out of school. Visions of juvenile detention centers floated through my brain...because I'm and over-reactor. (Yes, Brenden gets it from me.)

After profusely apologizing for thinking that his birthday was in 2006, she explained that he should have been in the 2 year old class and that there weren't any spots available in either of those. She didn't want to say "sorry, see you later" so she decided to move him to another 3 year old class where he would only be the youngest by 4 weeks instead of almost a year. There was even a kid in his old class that is turning FIVE next month. No wonder Brenden was having problems!

I'm not sure I've whined about all the difficulties Brenden's been having at school, but it's been a constant worry for awhile now. Every day I would pick him up and every day he would have been in trouble. The feedback I got was usually "he's just not listening," although sometimes he was throwing tantrums or hitting. Now, knowing how much younger he is than those other kids, it's easy to see where he was probably frustrated and lost. When he doesn't understand something, he tunes out. Tuning out leads to acting out, which means he was in trouble a lot. They even called him a "repeat offender." (See...juvenile delinquent. AHH!)

When I first heard what had happened, I was relieved. It was so nice to know that our child was not behind. It was a relief to know that now, things might change. I felt terrible for Brenden, though. How awful to expect so much out of him. I called the director and she explained that his teacher had been concerned that he wasn't old enough and that he wasn't catching on. Then she told me that they figured this out 2 weeks ago. I was okay with all of this information until this morning, and then I was angry. If the teacher had been concerned, why was I not told? If they figured it out 2 weeks ago, why did they wait so long? Why did they let him go back to a class that he was obviously not supposed to be in?

When I dropped him off this morning, he walked right in, sat down, and started playing playdough without any problems. He didn't even look at me again. The other kids knew who he was because they all play together in the big gym. I spoke to his new teacher, explained that I hoped he wouldn't be a problem and that he becomes increasingly difficult as he becomes more tired, and asked that she let me know what I can do to help. Then, I stopped by to explain my concerns to the director, mainly how I felt out of the loop and frustrated with how it was handled. If there is something going on with my child, I think I need to know.

I'm not very good at explaining things when I'm frustrated. When I get upset, I usually cry, which is just not a very "adult" way to handle things. I think I did an okay job of explaining how upsetting it was to have been left out of things, how we felt that we should have been told sooner, and how unfair it was that he seemed to have been listed a "problem." She definitely made me feel better because she listened and apologized, which always helps, and explained that, if he had been a huge problem, we would have been told much earlier for sure. She assured me that he was not as disruptive as I thought they were making him out to be, and that the fact that he was keeping up with them on a lot of things was a good sign that he wasn't behind.

My fingers are crossed that today is a better day. He was a little upset that he wouldn't be in Ms. Christina's class anymore, so we told him that if he behaved on his first day in his new class that daddy would take him out for ice cream. The boy loves his ice cream, so I hope he does well. No matter what, I feel better knowing he's in a class with kids his own age and that our expectations can now be at a more reasonable level. I'd say I'll stop worrying, but we all know that will never happen.

Learning What To Expect

The afternoon after Brenden's first day of preschool was hard for me, to put it mildly. I wanted his experience to be wonderful, to pick him up from school and have his teacher gush about how smart he is and how much he seemed to love school. Obviously that didn't happen, and it bugged me until I talked to Tim and had time to process everything and understand just how much I overreacted.

I should never have expected so much out of him. It was the first time that he has ever been in that type of environment and the first time someone that wasn't his grandparents or one of our good friends watching him. He was so excited and when he's excited he can't sit still and he definitely doesn't listen. He was trying out new skills, around new kids, and at a place that he's never been before. The fact that he came home happy and didn't do anything outrageous should have had me jumping for joy.

I was definitely hard on the teacher, which I think was a combination of the above mentioned overreacting and an inability to ask the right questions. When I dropped him off this morning I told her that we had worked on listening, coloring and cutting and that I thought that the excitement had worn off a bit so I hoped he'd listen just a little better. I explained that I'd love to know what I can do at home that would help him in class and she really seemed to appreciate it. I don't want to be one of those crazy parents that hounds the teacher over and over and drives her crazy, I just want to be involved and helpful.

I think today, and the rest of the year, will be a lot easier now. I've always been a perfectionist but I don't want to push that onto my kids. I don't think I'm setting the bar too low for him, though. I still expect him to be kind, polite, and follow directions, I just don't expect him to be the most perfect 3 year old ever. (No matter what his grandmas may think.) :)

1st Day

The first day has come and gone. I got up early and got myself ready before either of the kids were awake and without the aide of an alarm clock, which is unheard of in our house. Brenden ate breakfast and watched Super Why while I got Lauren fed and ready to go. I was a nervous wreck! Did I pack the right things? Would he eat anything for lunch at all?

Ready to go!

Tim met me at the school to walk Brenden in, which was a big surprise for him. He went right in, threw his lunch bag in their basket, and promptly started playing with another boy. We said hello to his teacher, who looks no older than 18 but who I know is older and very qualified, explained a few things about Brenden, and gave him kisses goodbye.

I thought I would be a wreck, but the anxiety about the whole thing was much worse than actually leaving him there. Target is right down the street so Lauren and I spent about a half hour wandering around the store, comparing prices and wishing for a leather bench for my bedroom, before heading home. She took a nice long nap and I cleaned, folded laundry, and relaxed. I felt like a horrible mother! I didn't cry dropping him off and I enjoyed my afternoon. Am I really allowed to be happy he's in school?

I headed in to pick him up at 2:30 pm and found him sitting on the rug with the other kids, watching his teacher read a book. He was happy to see me, which was a relief. I was afraid he would cry because he had to come home! Then I asked his teacher how he did and all I got was a shrug and "He did okay." Um...just okay? Can we expand on this a bit? I asked if he was up to par with the other kids and what they were doing. "Yeah, he's about there." I wanted to shake her. Give me something to go on!

Eventually she said he could use some work on cutting and staying in the lines when he colors. I explained that he hadn't worked with scissors much because we have a baby in our house and there was no way I'd let him near her with those. Plus, I don't think the dogs would appreciate it, either. I asked if he ate lunch. Another shrug. "Yeah, there was a lot in there." I replied that I put a little bit of everything in there because I had no idea what he would and wouldn't eat when he wasn't at home. "Oh, that's smart!" she said. Not just 4 seconds ago you made it sound like I had done something wrong. The most helpful person was a little boy in Brenden's class that came up and told me that Brenden was still in the green, which means he didn't have to go in time out. Thank you, 3 year old, for telling me more than his teacher!

I think, because she sure as heck didn't come right out and say anything, his biggest problem is his listening skills, which are seriously lacking. I knew this, and even wrote it on the piece of paper that I sent in to describe him. She said something about how that was one of the big things he'd learn in school, but that's really all I got.

So, this is where I come out and admit I'm the weird mom that cried when I picked my child up from preschool, and not when I dropped him off. All of my concerns before made me nervous, but not enough to reach my tear ducts. But, not getting much out of his teacher about how he did, hearing that he needed to catch up and knowing that he didn't listen, all made me feel like a failure. I feltl like I failed to teach him anything up until now. I felt as though she called my son dumb. I felt like she was judging me. (Nothing like that was said, and I know I overreact and over-analyze, so after I cried to Tim I felt better. Tim's best point? "She couldn't find anything specifically bad to say, so he must have done just fine." True.)

All of those things were MY feelings, though. Brenden had a great time! He can't tell me what they did, or the names of any of the kids in his class, but he was happy to go to school, happy to come home, and happy to be going back on Thursday. I keep reminding myself that it's his experience, not mine. I glad that he didn't notice how upset I was. I know that he'll learn to listen and socialize correctly. That is what going to school is going to help him with, and I'm glad to have him there. I'd really like to be able to get more out of his teacher, and I think I just need to ask more specific questions. It's a learning process for all of us.

Not in the lines, and not the right color, but it looks great to me!

In the end, I would say the day was a complete success in Brenden's mind and just fine for me. I really need to not make this about how it affects me and worry more about how Brenden is taking everything. It's completely new and I have no idea what I'm doing, so the best I can hope for is to not make any big mistakes along the way. Someone remind me of this when I'm crying because Brenden failed his driver's test and he could care less, because I can totally see that happening.

Preschool...EEK!

I knew this day was coming fast. I had been waiting for it, planning for it, worrying about not starting it soon enough. Was he ready? Could we afford it? Was it the right place? Everything has now fallen into place. Tomorrow is the big day! I am all at once totally excited and completely petrified.

Tim asked me the other day what I was most nervous about. I rattled on about kids being mean, Brenden hating school, hurt feelings and lots of tears. Tim, being the more practical one, is more concerned with Brenden's safety. He wants to know that there are enough teachers to keep Brenden safe and make sure he doesn't get lost. He questioned whether they locked their doors during the day so that no one could just walk in and snag a child. It's the obvious difference between us, and most women and men. Emotional vs. Logical.

Brenden is one word...EXCITED. School is all he has talked about for the past 4 days. He wakes up yelling"I want to go to school!" He gets upset when we explain that he can't go to school yet. "Not yet!?!" And cue much crying. I don't think he really knows what to expect, maybe hours of playing outside or riding a scooter. He knows his friends Connor and Jake go to school so school must be something that he'll like. I'm hoping he's right.

I guess we'll find out tomorrow when I drop him off. Will he scamper away from me, like I think he will, or cling to me, which would be completely out of character. Will I be a blabbering, crying mess through it all or will I be able to hold it together until I get to the car?

I know that it's going to be strange being at home with just Lauren, which has happened very rarely. Tim actually had the guts to ask me what I was "going to do with all my extra time." I think I'll just laze around, eat bon-bons, watch soap operas...or maybe take care of the other child that we have. The one that just recently proved she most certainly knows how to crawl correctly but chooses to Army crawl on the hardwood because it's faster. The one that can now click her tongue, clap her hands, and recently pulled up on the baby gate and coffee table and then shuffled sideways. The one obsessed with getting into the dog food and trying to shovel as much of it into her mouth before we realize she's over there. She's a sneaky one! Extra time??? HAHAHAHAHA!

It's going to be a huge change for all of us, I'm just hoping to make it through this first week with as little complications as possible. Someday this will all be old hat, just our normal weekly routine. But, right now, all I can think of is how my baby went from this:

To this:

Yep, I need to invest in a huge box of tissues. The waterworks have already begun.