Friday, August 28, 2009

And then there was week 2

Week 2... getting adjusted, getting used to the routine. This week has been quite interesting with lots of ups and downs. I've enjoyed making fun of all of the excuses (for being absent or tardy from class) that my students are already giving me -- they must truly think that I am so dumb. Oh well, nothing a little reverse psychology can't cure. I also got to make fun of a student who thought the desk in my classroom was a nap mat... NOT a good idea on her part... great fun for me.
Joy is still doing wonderful at daycare. She is always smiling when I drop her off; still smiling when I pick her up. She really likes her little friends. She's had a bit of a runny nose this week, but I think she's gonna pull through it. I think it may be a result of the change in the weather. It's been cooler at night and in the mornings, and actually not-so-sweltering during the daytime too. Josh took us all for a 4-wheeler ride to see the trails that he's been working on in the woods behind our house. She loves to ride! But, it does put her to sleep everytime!! Sooo cute.
Jax. Ooooh, Jax. He's had a great week, too -- both a fun and educational week. This week, Jax's preschool class started a new "discipline system." All of the kids have a racecar on the wall -- the "track." If they engage in disapproved behaviors, their racecar goes to a "pit stop." The Green Pit Stop is a warning and results in the child not receiving a treat at the end of the week, but they still get to select a prize from the prize box. The Yellow Pit Stop is a strong caution and results in a treat at the end of the week, but no prize. And, the Red Pit Stop indicates extreme misdeeds and results with no prize or treat on Friday. Those who do not get off track at all during the week, receive both a prize and a treat on Friday. Ok. So we understand the rules. A letter was sent home last week, explaining the system, and I worked with Jax all weekend to make sure he understood how it would work when he returned to school after the weekend. Monday was great. No one had to go to a pit stop. Tuesday, 3 children went to the Green Pit Stop according to Jax. And one of those was little man Jax himself. ugh! The offense? - not listening and not following directions. As I picked him up Tuesday afternoon, his teacher told me about the situation and Jax stood below us, steadily trying to change the subject by showing me all of his pretty drawings and pictures he had created. Ok, so the Green Pit Stop is just a warning. It just means no treat. Ok, yeah, I understand. But still. ugh! Both Jax and his teacher assured me that he would be better the rest of the week. And, he has been -- no more Pit Stops! Hopefully, that was the only time he will "test the rules out". Lord, bless Ms. Melissa for having sooooo much patience with the preschoolers; she's amazing. :-)
In other "Jax adventures," he was super excited about "Show-and-Tell" this morning. Since they are studying the letter "W" this week, they were supposed to bring something "wild" for Show-and-Tell. Jax picked out his "toon ['coon] skin hat" and this morning as we were on the road, he asked, "Momma, where is Show-and-Tell?" I explained what it is, and he still was confused, thinking he was going to a place to show his hat and explain where he got it. He was so cute as he rehersed what he wanted to tell his friends about it, and he would ask me for verification that he was saying the right thing. Yep, a little politician in the making! Planning his speeches, and going to Momma for verification. That's alright little man!
Last night, as he was laying down, I asked Jax if he had already said his night time prayer. He immediately broke into "Dod [God] is dreat [great], Dod is dood [good], Let us thank him for our food..." I said, that's great Jax, but at night time you're supposed to tell God "thank you" for all the things you are thankful for. He began his "thank you for my____...." prayer and I listened quietly and proudly as he thanked God for his baby sister, Momma, Daddy, fwends at stool, etc. "...and the fwees, and..." WHAT? I had to interrupt. "What did you say, Jax?" "Thank you, Dod, for the fwees [fleas]. We have to tell Dod thank you for the fwees too, Momma, tuz [cause] he made them too!"
oooooooooooooo-kay, thank you, God, for fleas.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Lessons learned the first week of school

So, we all started or returned back to school last Monday. Jax started PreSchool, which he reminds us often -- "prestool, Mama, it's Pre-Stooool!" Joy started daycare. And, I returned to the classroom to teach tomorrow's future leaders everything Psychology, even though it is a well-known fact that they already know everything about everything.
We completed the week, barely sane, and in the chaos, I even managed to learn a few things in the process. Hence, lessons learned the first week of school:

  1. It takes forever to drop off two children, even when their classrooms are located very close to each other. Get this one out, get that one out, get this bag, get that bag, redirect the mobile one that has run off into the parking lot; get his blankie, get her blankie, instruct both to not drop, drag, or step on blankies; hold on for dear life to all gear and pick up blankies off the ground, and try to brush dirt off with no available hands; get his cup, her bottles, sugar for him, sugar for her, then pick up everything that I just dumped out of bags on my shoulder as I bent down for good-byes; yep, now i'm the one causing all the other parents to shift from drive to reverse, and back and forth, as they try to weasel out of the drop-off line.
  2. Do not stop to get gas in the mornings. Because, inevitably, someone will decide that it is time to pee and cannot wait any longer, no matter how much I beg or complain about how long it takes to strap and unstrap children in the carseats, muchless lugging said children into public restrooms and still managing to balance all of my hang-ups about touching stuff in a public restroom. ugh. #1 applies here again.
  3. Playgrounds with bark-looking stuff are much, much better than playgrounds with sand. I am happy to report that we no longer have a sand pile in the floorboard of my car each afternoon. Yay.
  4. Kids will do stuff at school, even when the parent who has spent the most time, not to mention the entire summer, with him/her says that he/she can't do some particular task yet. examples: She doesn't drink juice. He doesn't like academic stuff. She doesn't really crawl. He doesn't write letters well. She doesn't like a sippy cup. He doesn't eat anything. Yep, they tried their best to make a liar out of me this week. The list could go on...
  5. There is no "run in real quick" anymore. No, I do not want to stop by anywhere and pick up anything for you, darling husband. I am tired... and I just do not desire to re-live that nightmare from #1 (or #2) again just because it would be nice for you to have some WD-40 for your deer stand. Or whatever. It's gonna have to be something real good to get me to stop anywhere "real quick"... like, um.... blue lights. ha. And, not yours, so don't even go that route.
  6. Bye-Bye to "time to think and get my thoughts together" on the way to and from work, a 30 minute drive. Now, I listen to Jax's constant questions followed by his own answers, I guess because it takes me more than a quarter of a second to answer. On top of that I listen to random crying/whining from Joy, who still has to face backwards in her car seat, and just cannot understand that the car is not the best place for a game of Pick-Up with her favorite, must-have-all-the-time blankie. When blankie falls, no one can reach it to return it, no matter how much she fusses. Not beautiful music, but yet priceless times.
  7. It is better to have blankie nearby at all times rather than having a clean blankie nearby only sometimes. Washing is not a fun time.
  8. "I go where ever you go," says blankie. And, if you forget, you will get phone calls from teacher. and ten minutes between classes is plenty of time to book it over to drop off a blankie and save the day in the process. Yay, so it is still easy to be a hero from time to time.
  9. The cafeteria food must not be bad, because no one ever remembers what they ate. But Jax always remembers what his friends ate. "I didn't eat the peaches, MaMa. But my friends ate the peaches AND the broccoli. But not me, I didn't eat the peaches or the broccoli, Mama." And, Joy, what did you eat? Hhhhm, that's what I thought.
  10. Even Math Majors agree that there are NOT ENOUGH hours in the day, no matter how good you are at planning, budgeting, and organizing time. Sad, but true. The anal superego within me is starting to settle with this as fact, and my house, car, and office reflect this revelation with one glance. Oh well. I wouldn't trade any of it for anything in this world. I may be crazy, but I like my chaotic life.

Stay tuned for more after Week 2.... :-D

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

First Day Update

As promised here are the pictures from the first day of Preschool for Jax, and the first day of Daycare for Joy:





Yes, I know, it looks like tons of fun and lots of rebellion going on. But actually, they were both ok with going; Jax was crying because he didn't want his picture made (sleepy!) and Joy was crying because I took her beloved blankie away for the photo op (sleepy!).
Day 2 was much better so I took photos again:



That's about all I got... we were running late and Jax's Photo Tolerance level is currently at an all-time low.

Monday, August 17, 2009

1st day of Preschool / 1st day of Daycare

Today's the day. Both of my children are Co-Lin students now. What classes are they taking? Well, Jax is taking Preschool classes, and Joy is in the Child Development Center. They're hard-working little Wolves! :-)

Jax started his first day of Preschool this morning. He was excited. And tired. He fell asleep on the way this morning, but was happy to wake up and see his new classroom, and all of his friends, both new and old. He was super excited about getting to play on the "big" playground today. Lord, please don't let it rain today so my little man can play on the big playground. I just don't know if he would survive if they didn't let him get out on that big playground today. When I dropped him off, he ran into the room, and immediately returned to get me to show me something cool that he had found to play with (a rocket). Then, off he went again, and never looked back. He found his buddies and was so much into playing and chatting it up with them, that he never even noticed me leave. Aw. Bye, Jax, have a good day! I can't wait to pick him up this afternoon and find out how preschool went!

Joy started her first day of daycare this morning. She was excited. And tired. She fell asleep on the way this morning, but was happy to wake up and see her new room, new friends, and new toys. She was super excited about the mirror in her room. ha. And she was enjoying watching Amelia and Aiden when I left her with Ms. Margaret this morning. Ok, well, actually, she was inspecting them. But at least she was doing so quietly, and not calling attention to herself. yet. I put away all her things, and waved bye, but she was so busy inspecting, she didn't notice me leave either. Aw. Bye, Joy, have a good day! I can't wait to pick her up this afternoon and find out how her day went!
yes. she will tell me. stop snickering.

First day photos coming soon. In the haste to leave the house this morning, I forgot to bring my camera for uploading photos. Guess I thought I may be a little tied up with MY classes; it never occurred to me that I could do a little live blogging today during lunch break, since I forgot my lunch at home. ugh