So it is now the second week of school, and we have jumped back in to our regular routine. It seems TJ will have small amounts of homework each week. I like that Mr. Sagorski sends his math homework home on Friday night. We have lots of time on the weekends to get that finished and out of the way. TJ also came home with his first list of spelling words. He has the regular list, and a challenge list. TJ is already complaining that he doesn't want to do the challenge words. According to the note from Mr. Sagorski, the challenge words are always optional. In TJ's mind, if he doesn't HAVE to do them, then he doesn't WANT to do them. I informed TJ that we never settle for good enough, and I expect him to always strive to be the best.
Yep. It's official. I've become my parents. Oh well. I want him to succeed!
One of TJ's spelling words for this week is the word "six". I was reading TJ's spelling words to him and he was carefully writing them down on a white board. I said "The next word is 'six'". TJ promptly wrote "6". I laughed and told him to try again. TJ looked at me calmly and said, "Why? What I wrote IS six."
He gets his logic from his father....
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
More evidence of my growing senility
So after I cleaned up the Potty Incident, I got the boys settled in at the kitchen counter, eating breakfast, and I walked around, opening curtains, turning off night lights, and gathering up laundry. I noticed Nolan had left a pair of dirty socks on his bed. I had a load of whites in the washing machine, but I hadn't started it yet. I shoved the socks in the back pocket of my jeans with the intent of tossing them in the washer before I started it.
The rest of the morning was hectic until we finally got all three kids out the door with Grandma and I left for work right afterwards. I had been at work for over a half hour when my co-worker Donna suddenly said, "Hey. Why do you have socks in your back pocket?" Yep. Nolan's dirty socks. I had completely forgotten about them. They would have stayed in my pocket all day if Donna hadn't said something.
I'm losing it.
The rest of the morning was hectic until we finally got all three kids out the door with Grandma and I left for work right afterwards. I had been at work for over a half hour when my co-worker Donna suddenly said, "Hey. Why do you have socks in your back pocket?" Yep. Nolan's dirty socks. I had completely forgotten about them. They would have stayed in my pocket all day if Donna hadn't said something.
I'm losing it.
Mr. Independent
Nolan continues to stay dry at night. He gets us up once or twice every night. Last night, he was up around midnight. I got up for work around 6 a.m. and was surprised that Nolan hadn't gotten me up a second time.
Nolan woke up right around 7 a.m. I told him he needed to get dressed before he ate breakfast. I asked him if he needed to go potty first. He replied with, "Nope. I just went". I was surprised. I hadn't heard him get Bill up while I was in the bathroom getting ready for work. I asked him if Daddy had helped him. His response gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. "Nope. I did it all by myself. And I made a big mess. Wanna see it?" Well, I didn't WANT to see it, but I knew I needed to. He led me into the bathroom where I discovered he wasn't exaggerating. He had apparently pulled the stool over to the toilet and attempted to go potty while standing up. There was potty on the stool, on the floor, on the rug, on the trash can, on the outside of the toilet, on the side of the bathtub, even on the plunger sitting next to the toilet. I think there was a little in the toilet, but it couldn't have been much. I cleaned it up with the help of several Lysol wipes and tomorrow I will mop and scrub it all again.
Part of me admires Nolan for his willingness to try things on his own, but most of me would prefer he just ask for help next time. Yuck!
Nolan woke up right around 7 a.m. I told him he needed to get dressed before he ate breakfast. I asked him if he needed to go potty first. He replied with, "Nope. I just went". I was surprised. I hadn't heard him get Bill up while I was in the bathroom getting ready for work. I asked him if Daddy had helped him. His response gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. "Nope. I did it all by myself. And I made a big mess. Wanna see it?" Well, I didn't WANT to see it, but I knew I needed to. He led me into the bathroom where I discovered he wasn't exaggerating. He had apparently pulled the stool over to the toilet and attempted to go potty while standing up. There was potty on the stool, on the floor, on the rug, on the trash can, on the outside of the toilet, on the side of the bathtub, even on the plunger sitting next to the toilet. I think there was a little in the toilet, but it couldn't have been much. I cleaned it up with the help of several Lysol wipes and tomorrow I will mop and scrub it all again.
Part of me admires Nolan for his willingness to try things on his own, but most of me would prefer he just ask for help next time. Yuck!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Old and Senile
Today is my 35th birthday. It got off to a rather unusual start.
Nolan got me up around 3 a.m. to go potty. When a child wakes me up, the very first thing I do is reach for my glasses. Everything is far too blurry for me to function without them. My glasses are always sitting right in front of my clock radio so they are easy to reach. Well, this morning when I reached for them, they weren't there. I quickly felt all the way around my clock radio. No glasses. I then realized I could clearly see the numbers on the clock. I was puzzled and actually touched my face to see if I had fallen asleep wearing my glasses. Nope. Then it hit me...for the first time in 17 years, I FORGOT to take out my contacts before I went to bed.
But I didn't have time to dwell on my bizarre mistake. Nolan had to go! So I helped him in the bathroom and on the potty. With each blink, my eyes felt worse. It felt like I was blinking through sand. There were blobs in my vision and my eyes desperately wanted to water, but were too dry. The moment I had Nolan tucked back in bed, I went in the bathroom, took my contacts out and cleaned them thoroughly.
My eyes were no worse for the wear when I got up this morning, although they were less than thrilled when I put my contacts back in.
I have no idea how I forgot to take my contacts out. But for once, I was very grateful that a child had disturbed my sleep. I probably would have been blind by morning if he hadn't!!
Nolan got me up around 3 a.m. to go potty. When a child wakes me up, the very first thing I do is reach for my glasses. Everything is far too blurry for me to function without them. My glasses are always sitting right in front of my clock radio so they are easy to reach. Well, this morning when I reached for them, they weren't there. I quickly felt all the way around my clock radio. No glasses. I then realized I could clearly see the numbers on the clock. I was puzzled and actually touched my face to see if I had fallen asleep wearing my glasses. Nope. Then it hit me...for the first time in 17 years, I FORGOT to take out my contacts before I went to bed.
But I didn't have time to dwell on my bizarre mistake. Nolan had to go! So I helped him in the bathroom and on the potty. With each blink, my eyes felt worse. It felt like I was blinking through sand. There were blobs in my vision and my eyes desperately wanted to water, but were too dry. The moment I had Nolan tucked back in bed, I went in the bathroom, took my contacts out and cleaned them thoroughly.
My eyes were no worse for the wear when I got up this morning, although they were less than thrilled when I put my contacts back in.
I have no idea how I forgot to take my contacts out. But for once, I was very grateful that a child had disturbed my sleep. I probably would have been blind by morning if he hadn't!!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
First Day of School
Today was the first day of school for all three boys. TJ started second grade and is in Mr. Sagorski's class.
Sam started kindergarten and is in Mrs. Benefiel's Tuesday/Thursday class.
Nolan started Three-School and is in Mrs. Stegenga's class at Lamont Christian. He has not had a potty accident in almost a week. He is still working on going poopie in the potty, but he promised not to have an accident at school. He kept his word.
They all had a great day. But where did my babies go?
Sam part 2
Sam started kindergarten today. I'm still trying to figure out how that's possible. Wasn't he just born? I love all of my children equally, but Sam holds a different piece of my heart. I think it's because he had such a rough time for the first 18 months of his life. We spent so much time together at night, with Sam crying in pain, and me trying to comfort him. I remember sleeping on the floor next to his crib (both at our home in Comstock Park and while we were living at my mom's), holding his little hand through the rails, trying to give him some comfort. I remember rocking, rocking, rocking him trying to soothe him. I remember watching endless pointless television in the middle of the night with him. I remember how perfectly his little head fit in the crook of my arm when we inevitably passed out together. I remember the desperate frustration when he'd wake up in pain an hour or so later and we'd start all over again.
His diet now fixed, those days have been gone for over 3 years now, but I still feel very protective of my Sam. He's so sweet, he is so smart, he is so interesting. This morning, while he was getting dressed, he said, "You know Mom, the brain is like a big pink ball." All righty. That's exactly why this child needs to be in school. He wants to learn so much more!
Sam was so excited about school. He had absolutely no fear or trepidation. I grilled him to make sure he knew his name ('it's Samuel Baron, Mom!'), his brother's name (it's Theodore Baron, Mom!'), his bus number (12), his teacher's name ('Mrs. Benefiel') and his street name (we will work on the house number and our phone number shortly). But Sam had no problems. He wasn't even phased with the mix-up with busing, and his bus never came this morning. He willingly caught a ride with our neighbor. He had a fantastic day and was thoughtful enough to save his big brother a seat on the bus on the way home.
I'm so proud of my Sam. I love him so much. I just wish he wasn't growing up so fast.
Sam, part 1
Bill and I had big plans for Labor Day. We really love being up in the Laurium/Calumet area of the Upper Peninsula (it is between Houghton and Copper Harbor in the Keweenau). We were there for our anniversary in June, and decided to return there for Labor Day with Brianna and Nate. We also decided we wanted to take along TJ and Sam so they could experience the U.P. with us. We didn't tell them about our plans, because we didn't want them to be overly excited and bug us about it for ages.
My parents had plans to go camping near Muskegon and agreed to take Nolan with them, since he isn't old enough to stay at the bed and breakfast we like.
We made these plans back in late June. During that time, Sam started his obsession with campers and going camping. I was still confident he would enjoy our trip, though, since he and TJ seemed so intrigued with the Mackinac Bridge and seeing everything they had heard Bill and I discuss for so long with our trips to the U.P.
Last Thursday morning, we finally told the boys our plans. Nolan was leaving Thursday night with my parents, so the boys needed to know why I was packing. Nolan was pleased to hear the weekend plans, as was TJ. But not Sam. He cried. He sobbed. He was inconsolable. He couldn't even eat breakfast, he was so upset. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Bill and I, it was that he wanted to go camping. This was not a child who was acting out or throwing a tantrum, this was a truly devastated child. Bill and I were quite shocked by his reaction.
After about a half hour, Sam pulled himself together and was very calm. He had decided that he was going camping. It didn't matter what my plans were, or what Grandma's plans were, he was GOING to go camping, and that was all there was to it. Again, he wasn't being rude, snotty, whiny, or anything like that. He simply HAD to go camping. He politely told me that he didn't need a ride to the campground; he could walk there.
By this point, I was waving the white flag, even though I hadn't said anything to him. I called my parents. They know Sam. They knew it was more important that Sam go camping than for us to stick to our original plans.
So, Sam went camping. And he had a fabulous time. He told me all about it when he got home last night. I had a few people criticize me for letting my five-year-old make the decision in this case, but I know my son. He is unique. His motives were sweet and pure. How could I force him to stick to my original plans, just because they were MY plans?
My parents had plans to go camping near Muskegon and agreed to take Nolan with them, since he isn't old enough to stay at the bed and breakfast we like.
We made these plans back in late June. During that time, Sam started his obsession with campers and going camping. I was still confident he would enjoy our trip, though, since he and TJ seemed so intrigued with the Mackinac Bridge and seeing everything they had heard Bill and I discuss for so long with our trips to the U.P.
Last Thursday morning, we finally told the boys our plans. Nolan was leaving Thursday night with my parents, so the boys needed to know why I was packing. Nolan was pleased to hear the weekend plans, as was TJ. But not Sam. He cried. He sobbed. He was inconsolable. He couldn't even eat breakfast, he was so upset. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Bill and I, it was that he wanted to go camping. This was not a child who was acting out or throwing a tantrum, this was a truly devastated child. Bill and I were quite shocked by his reaction.
After about a half hour, Sam pulled himself together and was very calm. He had decided that he was going camping. It didn't matter what my plans were, or what Grandma's plans were, he was GOING to go camping, and that was all there was to it. Again, he wasn't being rude, snotty, whiny, or anything like that. He simply HAD to go camping. He politely told me that he didn't need a ride to the campground; he could walk there.
By this point, I was waving the white flag, even though I hadn't said anything to him. I called my parents. They know Sam. They knew it was more important that Sam go camping than for us to stick to our original plans.
So, Sam went camping. And he had a fabulous time. He told me all about it when he got home last night. I had a few people criticize me for letting my five-year-old make the decision in this case, but I know my son. He is unique. His motives were sweet and pure. How could I force him to stick to my original plans, just because they were MY plans?
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