Archive for March, 2012

Goodbyes…

Friday, March 30th, 2012

From Friday Mom – Jaime:
“Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts the most…” (If you’re a Sandra Bullock movie fan, you’ll recognize the quote… if not, it’s from Hope Floats)

I’m sitting here writing this post in the midst of mad chaos. The movers are coming in the morning, hopefully around 9:00 in fact. There are boxes everywhere. And as much as I hate to admit it, there’s still a lot of stuff that hasn’t been bagged, boxed or tossed yet. It’s going to be a very long night.

But what I’m thinking about the most is the fact that tomorrow will be Andrew’s last day at his daycare. He’s been there since he was 4 months old. Everyone knows him, even the teachers who haven’t taught his class yet. They’ve all been amazing with Andrew…

When he was a baby, he refused to nap unless he was curled up on Miss Lee. They were about as concerned for him as we were when he was hospitalized with the mystery fever back when he was 10 months old – and about as relieved as we were when he was able to return to school. He learned to walk there, learned all of our names and how to spell them, and all kinds of other wonderful things. They’ve helped to turn him into the amazing little boy that he is today.

Of course, being there, he also learned early on about the booty and that you should shake it, about nose picking, and other such fine skills.

We’ve celebrated birthdays, holidays and all kinds of milestones together. They were the first non-family people that we trusted to watch Andrew during parents night out. (And yes, I was totally traumatized the first time.)

He has loved it there. They genuinely love him. And there isn’t a week that goes by when I’m writing one of these posts where Andrew doesn’t tell me that I should say he loves all his teachers. The kids adore him and swarm him the second he walks through the door each day. He’s like the mayor of munchkinland…

It’s so hard to believe that tomorrow is his last day… I’m totally going to cry.

Okay… I’ve stalled long enough. Time to get back to the boxes.

Wish us luck. There will be great things in store in the future…if only we can get through the move tomorrow!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

My lil’ Rookie

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Jack has started “buddy ball” or T-ball as we call it. His team is for kids age 4-6, so he is definitely the rookie on the team. Jack got his first “real” glove, bat, balls and helmet this week, and his dad took him to his first practice. From what his dad said, Jack has a long way to go to catch up to his peers on the team. The kids who played last year are hitting pitches and throwing to basemen.   Jack is busy working on the basics.  He loves to play third base.

We want Jack to have fun, but we also want to encourage him to improve without putting too much pressure on him. We work on catching and hitting in the back yard to keep him interested. His friends are a little more advanced than him at practice, but he is improving. He loves to go to practice and interact with his teammates and coaches.  We are pretty confident that he will get better naturally over the course of the season. He has to start somewhere, right?

The other parents’ involvement ranges from volunteer coach to moms more consumed with their smart phones. We are somewhere in-between. As long as Jack wants to play, we will continue to support him. You have to learn what makes you smile.  As a former player myself, I’m hoping he follows in my footsteps.

 

 

Parks and Recreation

Monday, March 26th, 2012

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Now that the weather is getting warmer where we live, Haley and I have been venturing out with the stroller more. Our favorite destination is the park. The community park near our house is much more than a simple playground. There are basketball, handball, tennis and shuffleboard courts. There’s a huge play area for grade school children. There’s an ice hockey rink, baseball and soccer fields, and running and biking trails. We are really lucky to have such a place in our town.

I have wonderful memories of this park from when I was growing up. I loved to go there to play with my friends when we were very young. When I got older, I was a regular at the tennis court. I don’t think my brother left the basketball court for weeks at a time in the summer! I attended a day camp at the park for several years, and was a counselor at the camp for two summers during high school. I know that place like the back of my hand!

I was tentative about putting Haley in the baby swings, because according to the posted sign, she is not old enough. But she didn’t show any signs of discomfort and was definitely happy swinging back and forth. She loved when her dad and I would suddenly stop her to give her a kiss. We took lots of pictures and made a video so we’d always remember her first time. Her favorite part might have been just getting to stare at all of the older kids.

It’s always nice when the days get longer and the weather improves. Having a child brings a while new meaning to the concept of getting out and enjoying the day. I hope everyone has a week filled with sun and fun.

Yup, still stuck on the new house bit…

Friday, March 23rd, 2012

From Friday Mom – Jaime:
So Andrew got to visit the new place on Saturday. It was so cool watching his reaction to the place. He walked up to the front door with a little trepidation, but when we told him he could go in, he threw the door open and burst in like the hurricane Andrew we all know and love him to be.

He ran from room to room going “WOW” and “THIS IS GREAT!”

He checked out every room upstairs and, despite trying to steal the master bedroom for himself, seems quite satisfied with the decision to sleep in the blue and yellow room NEXT TO the big one.

He has big plans for the basement. “My trains can go HERE” and “My trucks can go over THERE.” “How about my art table can go right…about…here” (right in the middle of the hallway).

Andrew proudly introduced everyone to the backyard. “LOOK at all this room! It’s so cool! And I’m going to have a playground!”

He’s actually excited about packing up. He has to personally supervise the packing of all his stuff so he can be assured it’s not getting tossed during one of mommy’s cleaning jags. (They don’t happen often, but I am my grandma’s granddaughter, and I can ruthlessly get rid of just about anything if the mood strikes… But don’t worry – there are no Mantle rookie cards for me to dispose of like she did ;))

It’s awesome that after 2 years of looking, we finally found a house that, as of next Friday, we’ll really be able to call home. I’m excited to be able to give Andrew the room to run around he so desperately wanted but was lacking in our townhouse. But probably the coolest thing about all of this was watching my dad pitch to Andrew in the front yard…

Yes, it all comes back to baseball. I told you from the beginning baseball is like a second religion in my family.

Anyway, I’m sure there are boxes to pack somewhere so I better get to it! Have a great weekend everyone

Spring it on!

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Our family has a lot on our schedules this spring.  Jack is busy with baseball, soccer, and many activities going on at his school  – including three classmates’ birthday parties.   He’ll also start swimming lessons in a few weeks. Tate is still busy with his music class.  We have a fun trip to Disney World planned, as well as several of our own birthdays to celebrate.  Busy, busy, busy, but I’m happy to say everything scheduled is fun and enjoyable for all of us.

The only things not very enjoyable are the allergies I’m suffering from.  The last few days have been miserable.  I’m not going to let these pesky things stop me from going outside.  The weather is too nice to be stuck inside.   Luckily, neither of the boys have any sign of an allergy problem…yet.

My parents are on their way to visit. It’s been months since we’ve seen them and we’re all VERY excited. It makes for a perfect time to visit.  Extra help is always appreciated, especially with our busy schedule. I’m hoping my husband and I can get a dinner date out of it, too.  Whether your spring schedule is eventful or not, I hope you have a chance to get outside and enjoy some fresh air.

 

Family Travel

Monday, March 19th, 2012

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
We are taking a trip in about two months. We are going to be flying—possibly with a layover, renting a car, and staying somewhere we’ve never been. Haley will be about 13 months by then. I am very nervous about how all of this is going to go!

We’ve flown with Haley twice so far, once when she was 4 months and again when she was 8 months. Both trips went fine. She didn’t cry much, and the trick to getting her settled was lots and lots of nursing. However, Haley is a totally different person now. First, she’s a full-blown toddler who is extremely active. Second, I don’t think breastfeeding will be a magical solution any longer. I’m hoping she’ll be partly weaned by our trip, but even if she partakes in a nursing session, she won’t be a sleepy baby afterward—more like a replenished crazy person.

There has been a lot of in the news lately about families with young children getting kicked off planes. I hope we won’t come close to being in that kind of situation. While it’s imperative that a captain feel safe and secure about operating an aircraft, and has the right to remove any passenger, I feel for those parents. You never know what can set off a young child. The adults might not have handled the situations well—it’s hard to know if you weren’t there. But it is annoying to hear these people have had to pay to get on new flights. Air travel just isn’t what it used to be!

As Haley is coming into her own more and more, I’m wondering how much influence we have over her personality and how much comes from within. I’m starting to think it’s mostly the latter. So far, she’s mischievous, funny and stubborn—though it’s tiring to deal with, I love her for it. I’m hopeful that as she matures that she’ll also be kind and polite… and a considerate traveler.

It’s About Time…

Friday, March 16th, 2012

From Friday Mom – Jaime:
We closed on our house on Thursday. FINALLY! But as I sit here at my computer typing this post, watching Hubby and Andrew play hockey in the house while Andrew screams the lyrics to Santa Claus is Coming to Town at the top of his lungs, it seems like nothing has changed.

The next few weeks will be a whirlwind of packing and getting the new house ready for our arrival. I still don’t think Andrew understands. He knows that we’re moving. That he’ll have a new room, a backyard to play in. That we’ll be closer to Nana.

What I don’t think has set in – no matter how many times we try to tell him – is that he’ll be leaving the daycare he’s been at since he was 4 months old. The teachers he loves, and who love him to pieces, won’t be at the new daycare come April 1. His friends, who swarm him the second he runs in the room and fall all over themselves to be with him, won’t be there either.

I’m not sure how to make him understand that one. And I’m dreading the first drop off in April when it finally hits him.

But, in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the fact that he seems to LIKE packing, and that soon we won’t be spending an extra three hours a day in the car driving back and forth to work.

Have a great weekend everyone. It’s my turn to be the goalie!

Beach Bums

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Spring Break is this week at Jack’s school, although it feels more like summer outside. We’re really enjoying our time off together.  The first part of the week consisted of the typical spring cleaning and organizing.  I’ve gone through three closets full of clothes and transitioned them to spring/summer attire.  I must say it’s very nice having two kids of the same gender.  Tate doesn’t mind wearing hand me down clothes.  I’m not sure where I would find any extra space to store clothes (let alone toys) if I had girls.  I can’t even imagine the trouble I’d get into while shopping. The boys even helped clean up their toys (at least for a few minutes). Jack and I are teaching Tate how cleaning up is part of playing too.

We made time for some fun outside this week as well.  We took several trips to the park, ate a meal out, played sports in the back yard, and even made our own smoothies. Phew… I’m exhausted just writing all that.

After some hard work here at home, we are headed to the beach for the remainder of the week.  With this amazing weather and a little time off, why not go play in the sand?  We haven’t been on a beach since Tate has been able to walk.  I’m excited to see him run around and play with his brother.  He is much more independent now and will hopefully keep the sand out of his mouth.  I’m hoping to get at least a few minutes of relaxation for myself.   If not, the change of scenery will keep me happy.

 

 

Date Night

Monday, March 12th, 2012

From Monday Mom – Neekita:
My good friend was in town over the weekend. She decided to host a Happy Hour at a local bar. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for Joe and me to get out of the house and socialize with adults—it had been a long time. What was supposed to be a small group turned into lots of old friends coming together. It was so good to catch up with people I hadn’t seen in a long time. They all asked about Haley and of course, my cell phone came out so they could see all of her recent pictures. After drinks, Joe and I ventured out on our own to have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. It was such a good feeling to be out and childfree!

I was nervous about leaving Haley at home, as I always am. But she did great. She ate her entire dinner and had a fun bath. The only hitch was that she would not take her nighttime bottle. This does not surprise me—but it is worrisome since I’m looking to wean and get her onto cow’s milk soon. I have a feeling it’s going to be a bit of a battle.

I am looking forward to when Haley is a bit older, can stay up later, and can come with us to restaurants. Hopefully she will behave! On the other hand, her “baby” days are numbered and that’s kind of sad. But I’m excited for all of the ways she’s changing and becoming a more independent little person.

Hope everyone has a great week and enjoys fun moments—with and without the little ones!

What Do I Know?

Friday, March 9th, 2012

From Friday Mom – Jaime:
One of the cool things about being a lawyer is that you can learn something new every day. The practice is constantly evolving, in terms of the law itself, the technology we can use in presenting our cases, and the development of our skills. When you stop learning, growing and developing, it’s time to get out of the game and do something else.

In the law, it’s relatively easy to fix what you don’t know – assuming you want to. You read cases, go to continuing legal education courses or ask more experienced attorneys. But as a mom? It’s a whole different ballgame. I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to know half the time…

Andrew likes to randomly start counting. He can get all the way up to 50 – although he replaces all the thirties with forties. I was starting to get frustrated with him earlier this week, trying to correct him repeatedly and get him to say thirty. While I was doing this, Hubby gave me the look – you know the one. The “why are you harassing our kid about this” look. So I gave him the look back – you’re probably equally familiar with it. The “come on! he’s doing this on purpose” look.

When he responded, “No, Jaime. He can’t say it.” it was like a big slap in the face. Immediately, I started running through all the other “th-” words I’d ever heard him say. The. Thirty. Three. Thumb. There were others, but the point was that he pronounces just about all of them with Fs, not THs.

Wait a minute! WHY had this never occurred to me before? Is this a problem? Do all 4 year-olds have trouble pronouncing their TH- words? Does he have a speech problem? Am I not getting Andrew some kind of help speaking that he needs? So after the freakout in my own head, I picked up the phone and called my mother. Because, really, what else was I going to do? I had no answers of my own and consulting mom seemed like a good form of research…

In most other contexts, particularly with the law, I’m over-prepared. I do my research in advance because I don’t ever want to encounter a question I don’t know know the answer to or an argument from opposing counsel that I haven’t already thought of. It makes me very good at what I do.

But there’s no real way to be “over-prepared” as a first time parent. There’s too much that you don’t know and don’t know to expect, which is okay, as much as it freaks me out sometimes… Parenting is all about hands-on training – and I have more to learn, every day.