Archive for September, 2017

Birthday Boy

Tuesday, September 26th, 2017

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Over the weekend, we celebrated Hudson’s third birthday! It is unbelievable to me that the little baby I brought home from the hospital is now a handsome, on-the-go, hilarious young man. He loves to watch Peppa Pig and play any game with his sister. He tries new food happily—if he’s in the right mood. He likes to write with chalk (particularly the letter A), ride his tricycle, and blow bubbles—basically anything as long as it’s outdoors.

It’s not easy keeping up with such an active dude, but it sure is fun—and interesting. Now that Hudson has started school, I know that he will continue to grow and develop a life that’s independent of me. It’s not always easy to face that fact, but I’m also enormously proud of him.

I can’t wait to see what the year of three will bring for Hudson. I’m sure there will be plenty of giggles, some tears, and wonderful moments. And what I hope for most of all: finally going consistently in the potty.

Have a great week, everyone!

Love Notes

Friday, September 22nd, 2017

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
I occasionally put little notes in the boys’ lunchboxes. I like to remind them that I am proud of them for being kind, for their good grades or for playing a great game. I want to share my thoughts and encourage them, to let them know how much I love them. I think it is a simple act that helps boost their confidence throughout the day.

I am old school, and I still keep a paper daily planner. It’s literally how I keep my life in order. I write everything in it, appointments, birthdays, and school/sports events. I even include random things like trash day, and reminders to mail birthday cards and bills. I have tried using my phone’s calendar app, but I find the old paper planner more satisfying. I love to cross things of my to do list through out the week. The boys know just how important this planner is to me by how often they see me using it.

One Monday morning, as I flipped to a new week in my planner, Tate wrote me a note in my planner. It was a simple message, to let me know just how much he loves his momma. It made my day to see his adorable handwriting, and his creative way to show affection. I asked him about it, and he said he wrote his message months ago and wanted me to find it as a surprise. Little acts of kindness, from my children, make me melt. I love to see him make big strides in life, but the little ones are just as important.

 

Irma-geddon

Monday, September 18th, 2017

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Our weather forecast was threatening for days. Every channel was a warning about how intense hurricane “Irma” was projected to be. Obviously, Floridians had to bear the brunt of the storm, but the strong winds, rain and tornadoes would threaten a large portion of the southeast. Here in our neck of the woods, south of Atlanta, we knew we would face Irma in some form. Late Sunday, area schools announced they would be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Monday, Mother Nature followed through on her threats. We live in a neighborhood in the woods, full of large pine and oak. I was worried all week that one of these beautiful trees would fall on our house. The winds of tropical storm Irma bent our trees in our back yard and drove the rain sideways. It was an impressive sight to see. Obviously, it was nowhere near damaging conditions experienced in the Caribbean, Florida or Texas. My heart aches for those who are rebuilding their lives due to the recent storms.

Our neighborhood was littered with tree limbs and downed trees, but we were lucky and had no structural damage or loss of power. Thankfully, the tree that fell on our property fell away from our house and into the street. Our neighbor had a large tree hit their deck/steps, but barely missed their house. I’m happy it wasn’t anything worse. Today we’re all helping to cleanup the debris and put this hurricane behind us.

Jack and Tate handled the storm well. They didn’t know what to expect, since this was their first hurricane. They witnessed the hysteria of all the stores running out of water, bread and milk, and gas stations low on fuel. I assured them all is well and that we had plenty of supplies. We kept our eye on the radar and hung out most of the day. We eventually meandered over to our neighbor’s house to wait out the storm together. There were moments of concern, but overall we were extremely fortunate.

 

First Day of School

Monday, September 18th, 2017

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Today was Hudson’s first day of school—ever. As I mentioned last week, I was a bit apprehensive about how he would handle this transition. As predicted, there were tears, mostly on his part. But overall it went well and his teachers agree that he will be A-okay in just a few days.

It’s hard to believe that my little boy is almost three and ready to go to real school. He was so adorable with the backpack, smiling in his pictures and holding hands with his sister. Like many parts of life, this is a “fake it until you make it” situation. I can’t say I feel completely ready to say goodbye to my baby. But I know it’s the right thing. So I’m doing it, and I have to believe at some point, I’ll adjust. I’m sure Hudson will adjust sooner than I do!

I think people who haven’t yet sent children to school, or have those days long behind them can lose sight of what a challenge the transition is. For some people, it’s very easy. For others, it’s extremely emotionally wrenching. To turn over your precious child to the real world is no easy task. But to do so with courage is the mark of a great parent. Good luck to all!

Back in the Groove

Wednesday, September 6th, 2017

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Jack and Tate have been in school for a month now. They are familiar with their teachers, feeling comfortable with their peers, and are studying hard for their exams. We have established our routine for the school year.

Jack is coping well with increases in homework and assessments this year. I’m doing my best not to hover over Jack’s homework responsibilities. He has plenty of experience doing schoolwork at this point. He knows where to check for his homework assignments and what do. Some days it’s hard for me, but I know he needs to learn those skills for the future.

Tate is adapting well to daily homework. This is his first year he has specific assignments, worksheets, website review, and of course, reading. I’m hoping his positive attitude continues throughout the school year. After school, sometimes he is exhausted and it affects his willingness to get his work done. However, he has more organizational skills this year. That alone makes me a happy mom.

We still have a whole school year ahead of us, but currently I think the boys are doing a great job, even while fighting the colds they keep passing back and forth. I’m looking forward to cooler days where we can get outside after school and play… after all the homework is complete, of course.

Buckle Up

Tuesday, September 5th, 2017

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not the holidays of December. The first day of school of course! Where we live, school doesn’t start until after Labor Day, and here we are.

I feel like the summer simply flew by. What’s really odd to me is that Haley does, too. I am not sure if I am remembering things correctly, but I recall feeling like the summer was endless when I was a kid. Just a long expanse of time that seemed never-ending. Haley has the opposite feeling. She feels like Kindergarten just ended and wouldn’t you know it—she just didn’t get enough time to relax. I know she’s ready for first grade and she’ll do great. But I don’t know how ready I am to see her move on to a much more challenging grade.

Hudson is starting school this year, too. He’s excited about his new backpack, and his sister has talked to him about it a lot. But I will be honest with you. Once he realizes that school is not a place where Mommy stays with you, there’s going to be a meltdown! And I don’t know who will produce more tears—Hudson or Mommy. There will be an adjustment period for sure, but I’m confident he’ll love his new routine. And in a few hours, it’s back home to Mommy anyway.

Good luck to all students starting this week! Hope things continue to go well for those of you who’ve been in session for a while.

The Mom/Parent Network

Monday, September 4th, 2017

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
When Jack was a baby, I had a group of moms I could count on to ask questions about parenting. My sisters were my go-to ladies, but my local friends were usually immediately available. It was so nice to have the support when a child got sick and ask questions about the best things to do to make them feel better, tips on how to settle down a screaming baby, play dates, and preferences on items my friends thought were good/safe.

When Jack got a little older, and we had our second child, we lived in a new town. The close-knit support from the military wives group was extremely beneficial during those first few months of exhaustion and stress. We were showered with meals, gifts, play dates for Jack, and long term friendships that I am grateful for. Once I felt I had my life back together, I did my best to help out others and make sure they received the same support I did.

Fast forward to today, another new town, and our first attempt at civilian life. We’ve spent the last year making new friends and neighbors. My boys are developing new friendships that can last even longer, because we don’t have to move every 3 years. We’re finding the same support here, if not better, just like we did ten years ago. We found a car pool, babysitters, and even neighborly gifts on my doorstep to brighten my day. Our neighbors keep watch over our home when we’re gone and check in on us if we are sick or need help. I do my best to reciprocate these acts of kindness. I’m a big believer in karma. It’s truly a blessing to have these special people in my life.

Despite the cliché, it takes a village to keep up with schedules, work, and life. I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by the love and support of family and friends. I try to live my life and treat people the way I would want to be treated. I hope I can be a contributing member of our village.