Another post about preschool

Today

I was going to write about our fun-filled family night at the drive-INs last Saturday.

I was going to write about my alone time with hubby and baby Saturday afternoon running errands and going to Walmart and running into an old-long-lost friend whom I need to do more catching up with.

I was going to write about last night's Back 2 School night at the preschool, and how proud and grateful we are that wonder boy is going to this school. And how surprised we were to find out that he already knows his months from January all the way to December!

and I was going to write about how happy I am with how far he's come with his swimming lessons, because yesterday, he was able to do his pop-ups more than half the length of the pool for the first time ever.

and finally, I was going to write about how, his last two days of school last week, I was able to drop him off, without fuss and tears, just a big boy good-bye, and see ya later mom.

But instead, I'm going to write about another horrible morning drop-off at preschool! And how I spent an hour of my work time googling for HELP on the subject matter.

So help me god!

I am really, really, really tired of it. So tired to the point that I was compulsive enough to consider even changing schools on him. Yeah, like that's really going to resolve our issue.

But seriously, ironic how, in the midst of this dilemma, I received a phone call last Friday from one of the prestigious schools that I signed up for months and months ago, with the news that they have 1 spot open if I am still interested.

So, I totally and completely got all worked up with the idea that maybe, just maybe, he will like it better there, and that, we are going to save almost two hundred dollars a month, meaning, I can maybe buy myself some new shoes, or a purse, or maybe an expensive hair cut. LoL!

Whatever.

I was soooooooo dreaming! Not just about the shoes, and the purse! But the whole idea that this school is the answer to my problems.

First of all, the tuition was a lot more than what they told me over the phone. Secondly, the teacher was sooooo MEAN. And as an adult, who tries to write, and use fancy words once in a while, I really want to avoid trying to use that word, but there's no other words to describe her but "MEAN". She was literally yelling at some of the kids who were already teary-eyed while they were in line to wash their hands, so hubby and I thought, sheesh, if you're like that while we're here, I don't even want to know what happens when we're not.

Surely, she has some good teacher qualities, which is why she's a teacher, but something just told me that a classroom full of super-behaved 3yr-olds just felt a little bit eerie to me. To make the matters even worse, on our way out, our "tour" person told us that if money was an issue, and that if we couldn't come up with the stated $11k/year tuition fee, that, we can probably work something out! WTF is this? a car sales woman trying to wheel and deal me into signing up my child? So, we left, and said, thanks... but NO THANKS!

Now back to my REAL problem.

This morning, wonder boy happily and excitedly got ready for school, because get this, he's this week's V.I.P. - meaning, he gets to bring something for show & tell each day, and he gets to be line leader, and most of all, teacher's helper. And let's not forget, he gets to show off more stuff about himself. So I put this together.... in the wee hours of the night:





I'm a scrapbooking drop-out so I had all the stuff on hand, it was just a matter of getting them all together, which is pretty much what kept me up until 1 o'clock in the morning.

Now, really, back to my story....

Same old story, skipping and hopping along the parking lot, cheery good mornings to the passer by's... skip some more.... and hop some more.... until...... sccccrrreeeeccccchhhhhhh!!!!!! He froze like a statue and hung on my leg all over again, and this time, he cried, out loud, really loud..... I WANT TO GO HOME WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

And just like that, we are back to square one.....for the eleventeenth time.

. . .

Baby Kisses

Today he kissed me,
for the very first time
Mouth wide open
Slobber all over
It was wet
It was precious
It was priceless
Moments like this,
happen only once
Baby's first kisses,
will forever be mine.


I love you always
- m o m m y

. . .

Love Thursday

In the spirit of Shutter Sisters' love thursdays, today is going to be my love post.

The other day, hubby surprised me with a movie rental - - "Sex in the City" (loved it!)

Not only did he (surprise) rent it for me (the first week it came out on dvd), but he also watched it with me. Although he called it the "ultimate chick-flick", he liked the movie too (i think!)

Now, how many husbands out there will do such a thing?

Probably not that many!

Sometimes in the midst of our hectic lives filled with poopie diapers and challenging schedules, we can easily take for granted the small things in life that matters most. But it's the little stuff like this that constantly reminds me of why I fall in love with him over and over and over again♥

. . .

What is it?

My friend does it 5 times a week.

I'd like to do it that many times too, but with work, school, and little rugrats, I'm now only capable of doing it 3 times a week.

It's hot and sweaty and sometimes steamy. In the end, we need our towels to clean up.

And sometimes, when we've had just about enough of, we say words that we shouldn't say. like - shit. fuck. & oh god.

It's physical, and sometimes maybe even emotional. But it's definitely good for the heart, body, and soul.

What is it?

-----

-----

-----

-----
-----

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It's kickboxing!

And we ♥ it so!

Shame on you and your dirty mind!!!!

. . .

The baby story

About three weeks after he was born, I thought, how good of GOD to have such a grand plan and give me this boy as my second child.... because if he gave him to me first, I probably would've stopped there!

He was super cute, BUT, he was also colicky, cranky, and constantly crying!

In other words, he was difficult. And all along during my pregnancy, I did not worry about a thing, because I thought, I had this mommy thing down to the T!

NOT!

I bought books, googled day and night, and hubby and I watched DVDs like "the happiest baby on the block", which, was totally helpful, for a few short weeks, then I needed something more.

So needless to say, on top of my eye issues (which I still need to post about), PPB (yes, truly, i had THE WORST case of PPBs), and cranky, colicky, crying baby, I was in the brink of a breakdown.

Until one unexpected day out of nowhere, baby boy was completely transformed. AS IF i had a brand new baby in tow. Alas! the books were so right! All of them stated that at about 3 months of age, babies get used to their new life outside the womb and start to get the hang of it all.

And yes, my baby boy fell in that category, and yey! for his 3 month old bday, which should've been celebrated with a party... (and perhaps alcohol for mommy : )

And here we are, a week shy of his 8-month old bday, and I am just at awe at how independent and easy he is. Yes, I said it - E.A.S.Y.

He's super mellow and happy as long as he's fed, dry and not sleepy!

And just in the last few weeks, he's learned how to hold his own bottle, crawl, sit-up, and he's even trying to climb the couch!

I'd like to think that he's "advanced" (sure, all of us moms would like to think that). But in reality, I think he's one feisty and determined little baby. I see how he observes his big brother ALL the time, and he wants to play with him, he wants to run with him, and talk to him.

I think he thinks he's doing that already.



He can think ALL he wants, but for now, he's still my teeny little baby, who's baby breath I dream about (while I am at work) and who's little toes I like to bite (nom nom nom).


. . .

ONCE UPON A nap-TIME

So after many attempts of getting an accurate answer from wonder boy about what it is that he likes and not like about school, it all comes down to not-liking naptime. Sunday night when I told him that he needed to get ready for bed early because of school the next day, he immediately went into a stress-mode.

me: honey, you have to go to sleep now because you have to wake up early since you have school tomorrow.

him: mommy, i don't want to go, i don't want to nap there.

me: you don't want to go to school?

him: i want to go to school, but i don't want to nap there. pick me up during dinnertime? (he meant lunch time!)

me: mommy cannot pick you up at lunch, i have to go to work.

him: but you take so long, i don't want to nap there.

me: ok tomorrow, i'm going to talk to the office and see what i can do

THE NEXT DAY - I went to his school office and changed his status from "napper to non-napper", which means that he gets to go do other activities in the afternoon instead of napping. HOWEVER, they are required to have 30 minutes of rest time (just sitting down, head down on the table).

him: so i'm not going to nap, right?

me: nope, you're going to the big kids' room after lunch

him: ok, bye, see ya! (dashed off to his friends, no hugs, no kisses, no hanging on my legs!)

AFTERNOON PICK-UP

I had to pick up his back pack and lunch box from his homeroom.

homeroom teacher: He was soooooo happy today, told me 3 times that he didn't have to nap anymore! go ahead and pick him up from the other room.

I left the room to go to the other room, only to find him drooling on the right side of his face, with drool hanging from his mouth, through his forearm, and on to the table, dead-asleep, snoring as loud as a hog! (Unfortunately, i forgot my phone in the car, because that picture was worth a thousand words!)

afternoon activities teacher: I ask all the kids in here for rest time, and he fell asleep 3 minutes after sitting down.

Woke him up and started walking to the parking lot.

me: honey, i thought you didn't want to nap?

him: oh no mommy, i wasn't napping, i just had to rest my head down because teacher said!


. . .

To clean or not to clean

That is the question.

After having kids, I realized that I'm borderline type-A. So there are some things in my life that needs to be in place... such as routines and to-do-lists.

The other day, a co-worker/friend, gave me an advice, which I took to the heart. She said

If you really, truly, want to keep a balanced life, and want to spend
quality time with your kids, stop cleaning the house!

When I first heard it, I thought, seriously? seriously?!! Not that my house is sparkly clean at all times, but for the most part, to keep my sanity, I like to keep things organized, dishes washed, floor mopped, and carpet vacuumed. Now laundry, laundry is a whole other story, which I will not go there now.

Point being... so often, I rant and I rant about my to-do-lists and all the things I have to do and why oh why do I have so much on my plate. And in reality, I can easily scoot some of the stuff aside.

Easier said than done of course.

But today, I said, what the heck, what's there to lose.

So instead of cooking dinner, and doing the dishes, and sorting the laundry and whatever else I had on my monday afternoon schedule.... I took my boys to the playground.

And I am so glad I did!

Wonder baby got to go on his first swing ride. And as we walked all the way home, wonder boy kept thanking me for taking them to the park!

In the end, I realized, there is definitely nothing wrong with the dishes piled up in the sink, or the occasional take-out dinners. Because when these two boys grow up (and they're going to grow up fast!), they're not going to remember how clean their house was, or how often did mommy cook dinner for them... they're going to remember days like this... walking to the park, and riding on the swing.

And for me, that a darn good enough reason to live in a not-so clean house!

17

...number of days that wonder boy has been going to school.

And today, day 18, he decides to hang on to my leg like a chimpanzee who just found his mommy chimpanzee for the first time in 20 chimpanzee years. It took me and his teacher and our 4 hands/arms to peel him off of my numbing leg.

I dashed to the door as soon as he got peeled off, and I knew I shouldn't have looked back, but I did! He looked at me with his eyes saying.... "mommy, i hate you for leaving me here... i hate you, i hate you, i hate you!" and he started to cry. And as I exited the door, the cry got louder and LOUDER!

I ran to my car and burst into tears. Should I go back? Should I take him home? What's wrong with this place? What is he not liking about it? He was fine yesterday, what's the difference between then and now?

The thing is, he was skipping and hopping and singing from the car to his classroom, then suddenly, he morphed into a shy, scared, and anti-social chimpanzee.

Most mommies I know re-assures me that it's only a matter of time, and that their child took 2 long months of balling and crying every drop-off before they finally got the hang of it. I really thought I was one of those lucky ones who'll never have to experience this feeling. THIS feeling of utter guilt and helplessness.

But I'm feeling it.

And it sucks!

Sleep is for the Weak: the good, the bad, and the ugly!

THE GOOD: I received my copy yesterday in the mail. As you know, I have a blog, and I like to occasionally read other people's blogs, but I've never been an avid follower of any one particular blog. But this book..... I have to say..... I LOVE IT! I'm only halfway through, and will probably be done by tonight. I laughed, I cried, cracked-up, and cried some more! Everything that I ever felt, but never really knew how to say, has been written (for me!), thank God I wasn't the only one thinking and feeling that way, and no longer have to question my sanity ; )

THE BAD: I skipped doing my homework last night because I couldn't put the book down.

and

THE UGLY: I have since developed a sudden state of writer's block because everything that I ever wanted to write about, has been written. So, now, how do I go on with my blog, without looking like a plagiarizer (is that even a word?)

. . .

Sneaking in some quality time

It's been three weeks now since wonder boy started school, and four weeks since I've been back to work. His swimming lessons re-started this week, and my two online courses started last week. Our routine's still pretty hectic, and I'm STILL feeling guilty about certain things (like sending him to preschool 6 hours a day - everyday! And sending my baby boy to my parents house an hour earlier so that hubby can take him) but I guess that'll never really ever go away. For now, I can almost say that I'm finally getting the hang of things. And him, finally getting used to being in school.

So just to change up a bit of our mundane morning schedule, I wanted to treat my wonder boy to a little surprise. We quickly got dressed and ready to go, so by the time we were out the door, we still had a good 30 minutes to spare.


Our destination: The Golden Arches!

Nothing like quality time over a nice warm hashbrown for breakfast! Plus, he thinks it's an EXTRA special treat to actually go inside to eat (vs. the drive thru). So without making it a routine (because I have enough of those!), I think I might make this a somewhat tradition, because - despite the sticky floor and who-knows-what-is-stuck under those tables - a nice and quiet one on one time is just priceless.

. . .

Weekends - then & now

When I got on my computer this morning, I told myself that I needed to make a blog entry today. But then I didn't know what to write about, so I thought I should write about my weekend. But then I thought how uneventful my weekend was and thought, hm, how do I even begin to validate my uneventfulness!

To make a long story short, one thought led to another, until I caught myself thinking of how my weekends were, back in the days... or should I say, back in the hay days of pre-mommyhood!

I remember when weekends were....

- about going to the movies....we used to think that 11:30 pm was too early to go home, so hubby and i would catch another movie (after we just finished watching one!)

- about finding another reason to throw a party....our house used to be party central, people came over on Friday nights after work, and sometimes, they stayed until Sunday!

- about drinking and drinking some more.....I used to drink and get drunk like it was my last day on earth!

- about carefree travelling..... taking off to go out of town did not need early planning nor any kind of reservations.

- about extreme adventures and feeling invincible..... snowboarding day trips, jumping off the bridge (and drowning - lol!) and wanting to sky dive and bungee jump!

- about shopping.... and I don't mean for groceries and diapers and car seats (which by the way, we spent last saturday buying 1 carseat for baby boy and 2 booster seats for toddler wonder).... i meant shopping and spending my whole paycheck on shoes, clothes, and cigarettes!

and most importantly....

- about SLEEP and SLEEPING-IN!!!! boy, did I looooove to sleep, and how much i've forgotten what it's like to get a full 8-hr plus of sleep (um, it's been over 7 months since my last uninterrupted sleep).

I could go on and on and on about how my weekends used to be. And now, it's usually just busy, sleep-deprived, and pretty much spent doing laundry, chores, and more laundry.

(SIGH!)

I have to admit, I sometimes miss the reckless and carefree days of irresponsibility, but honestly, I would rather be doing laundry...

....because look who I get to do them with:

What's to eat?

I am having a difficult time thinking, planning, and figuring out what to pack for school lunch and what to make for dinner. The actual making part is easy for me, it's the thinking part that is difficult. With so many factors to consider: cook time, ingredients, and more importantly the health and likability factor!

Yesterday I created my weekly meal planner in my fancy excel spreadsheet. Created my shopping list as well and on my way home, I had intended to take the boys to the supermarket with me. Just when I was about ready to get them out of the house, the image of the two boys in my shopping cart (whining, fussing, and wanting this and that) suddenly popped in my head and so I decided not to go anymore. There goes my plan and my shopping list....so I just decided to wing it again and cooked this instead.....

Fried chicken drumsticks, served with rice, and corn.

I know, I know, I went for likability over health, but the family loves it and wonder boy is crazy about it. So crazy that this morning, I packed his little thermos lunch box with rice/corn/chicken and of course ketchup! And he told me how excited he was to eat his lunch!!!!

So, today, I'm going to attempt to make a trip to the supermarket again, and maybe, just maybe, stick to my plan this time.

Memo to Mommy

I found this cute article in this month's issue of Parents magazine. I thought I'd jot it down to share and also for me to remember. Sometimes we (mommies) forget.

Memo to Mommy by Mary Mohler
You have a lot of lessons to teach your little one. But he has a few words of wisdom for you too.

• Stop freaking out about the mess! There's always time to clean - but how
  often do we get to make mud pies?
• Love me, even when I'm naughty. I'll only be this age once.
• Be patient. I do everything for a reason, but I don't know enough
  words yet to give you an explanation.
• Let me do it. I know you can do it faster and better, but sometimes
  experience is the best teacher.
• Don't expect too much of me. I want to do what you ask and make you
  happy, but I'm still little.
• Don't try to reason with me when I'm having a tantrum. Trust me - I
  can't hear you over my own screaming.
• Keep your promises. It's all about trust. When I'm a teenager,
  you'll understand why it's so important.
• Don't keep asking me if I've been good. I'm not even sure what that
  means, but if I was bad I'd never admit it.
• Don't let me think that you're perfect. I feel a lot better knowing
  I'm not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes.
• Set limits. I can't actually eat a whole box of cookies - I just want
  to see if I'd get away with it.

Is it Inevitable?

That when one child gets sick, then the other one gets it too?

As if I didn't already have enough to worry about!

Just one week of school, and already he managed to get sick. He was sneezing (a lot) on his way to school on Friday. And sure enough, that was the beginning of his cold/fever/whatever it is that he has.

And now his baby brother has it too!

. . .