Fun Stuff!

Big things this week.

First--this guy went to kindergarten screening.  In his own words when I picked him up from preschool, "Mom, I'm half excited and half terrified."  Poor kid was worried they were going to ask him things that he didn't know.  It went well, and it still amazes me how two kids with the same parents can be so completely different.  No anxiety, just "OK, let's go!" when the teacher came to take him to the classroom.  This is really bittersweet, sending the "baby" to kindergarten.  Which is surprising as well, considering I dreaded sending the big kid.  This just feels natural.

And then last night was "date night with this handsome fella.  The school puts on a "Boys night" every year, this year was a dance and a comedy show.  We grabbed a quick dinner at the Golden Arches and headed over.  The dance was what one would expect with a bunch of boys ranging in age from kindergarten to fifth grade:  little kids dancing with their moms, middle kids hanging around with their friends, and the bigger kids causing a ruckus.  Still, we had a good night and I love this time with Will.

Unexpected Milestones

When you have kids, you have all of the normal milestones.  First time sleeping through the night, first time sitting up, first birthday.  Potty-training being done, going to preschool, kindergarten, learning to read.  All of these things make you both proud of your kid and kind of sad that they're growing up.  Well, except for the potty-training one.  That one takes a while to feel "nostalgic" about.  Nostalgic isn't the correct word in this sense, but for lack of a better word, I'll use it.

But then you have some "unexpected" milestones that you find yourself getting a little misty-eyed over.  Here they are for me today:

Suddenly realizing that your kid isn't yelling "I'm done!!!" after using the bathroom.  The call to Mom or Dad to come and finish because they don't want to.  Don't get me wrong....I'm thrilled to not have to do the wiping anymore.  But he's not a little guy any more.  He's a BIG BOY.  Or as he says, "not big, Mom.   I'm a MEDIUM BOY."

Last night, I took the boys to the library after school pickup because Sean has been begging to go.  And I've had a bag o' books that were overdue, too.  I should probably clarify that the boys like our library because the children's room has toys.  A big train table, a lego station....both boys usually make a beeline for it and I have difficulty in getting them to pick a couple of books first.  Not last night....Sean went right for the trains and Will...Will went over to the Charlie and Lola book bin, sat down and starting choosing books.  And asking me questions about what books we should bring home.  "Mom?  Let's look at some nonfiction today.  Ooh, can I get that book on weather?"  This is really big for me, as I am a sucker for books and libraries are one of my favorite places on Earth!  I'm ecstatic over having a kid that's over the moon about books.  But wow....that is the very first time that he's chosen the books over the precious legos!

I'm sure that I'll be adding to the list periodically.  And though I'm "sad" over them growing up, I'm having a great time on their journey.  Maybe not all the time, but most of it.

Hats n Mittens

I picked up Sean at school the other day, and I told the teacher that I would like to get a gift for the school for Christmas instead of for each teacher, and asked what they need.  Besides the usual "everything,"  (i.e. art supplies, paper, etc, like most preschools they have a very small budget).  The teacher hesitated and said, "Well, I was thinking about the mittens that you made for Sean.  A lot of kids come in here every day that don't have hats or mittens, and we have to keep them inside at recess when it's cold out.  Do you think you could make some hats and mittens?"  Tug on the heartstrings.  Because that is my Kryptonite....I cannot tolerate the very idea that there are kids that don't have hats and mittens.  We live in Central MA, in the heart of New England, where we get a crapload of snow and ice in the winter.  The thought of these parents (for whatever reason, be it money/budgeting or neglect, I don't care) not using hats and mittens on their kids breaks this girl's heart.  I told the teacher that I may not be able to do it by Christmas, but I would certainly do some.  

And that night, I started right away.  Yeah, I have a Birthday Swap package to finish (with a really cool cross-stitch!) and an ornament swap that I haven't even DECIDED on for this coming Friday.  Not to mention the two Christmas gifts that I want to make, but they're both for immediate family who I think would understand.    But kids without cold weather accessories and me with a huge yarn stash?  "Im right on top of that, Rose!"*

One red wool hat finished already, and I used Sean's head as a guide.  I started  a sparkly white acrylic hat for a little girl and well....it fit me.  Serves me right for not doing a gauge swatch.  I won['t be making that mistake again.

Luckily, I found a little girl at our Philly Thanksgiving that it fit.  This is Brian's cousin's daughter, so I guess that makes Brian and Miss K. second cousins.  Pretty sweet, no?  She wore it the rest of the night, which of course makes me very happy.  :)

 

*  Fifty cool points to you, my nineties friends, if you knew that this movie quote was from "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead." 

Two Kids in School

Little guy started preschool today.  My how time flies!  It felt strange to be packing up a bag and a lunch for him.   We visited last week and he was a bit nervous, making sure that we were "just there to say hi, right?"  Daddy dropped him off this morning and I'm told that Sean handled it like a champ.  Right away he found some kids to play with, and there were no tears when Daddy left for work.  He knows that I'm picking him up, and I'm excited to hear how it went!

I don't know how or why my phone camera does this, but I think it's pretty cool.  I got Will to join in on some fun photos and it turns them into an animated GIF.

Newness of it All

It's been a crazy week, with trying to get a routine down.  Even though we've been living here 2.5 months now, it all feels new again.  Will almost missed the bus yesterday, but luckily ran like heck to get there and the bus driver waited for him.  :)  I miss having the bus stop directly across the street from my house.  But, if he does miss the bus the school is at mile .75 of my 2.6 mile commute.  Not that I'm rooting for that, mind you.  He seems to be enjoying school for the most part.  He's back to being super-tired at night, and now there's a new thing called homework.  No arguments yet.

Next week we'll have something else new:  Seanie is starting preschool.  Can you believe it's that time already????  I certainly can't.  He will go two days per week, and tomorrow I am taking him there to check out the place.  Oh, I do hope it goes well!

How about one more new thing...  We've replaced the screamy dishwasher!  Hubby just finished hooking up the new one.  It only took three trips to Home Depot.  Any homeowner knows that at least two trips is customary.  

So we're off and running....without much time to get used to the "new" again.  We're getting there, though.  In the next few weeks we're bound to find a groove.  That's the hope, anyway.