Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Monday Mom – Melissa:
I have been involved with GrowUpLearning since they piloted this website: so today is a bittersweet day for two reasons. First, this will be my final blog entry. Second, today is my son’s kindergarten registration.

Next week there will be a new Monday mom blogger: a mom who is just about to start her exciting journey into motherhood. Since GrowUpLearning is designed for ages birth through 5 ½ years, my sweet Brady is just getting too old now. So thank you for reading about our triumphs, failures, struggles, and love. I plan to continue reading the blogs to find out what all of these little ones are doing (and their mamas).

Now we are getting ready to head to our 2-hour kindergarten registration. It will be the first time that Brady will be heading to a public school, taken away from the safe arms of mama, and tested. They are given a variety of tests, much paperwork needs to be completed, and we get to meet the staff. While I am sad to see this phase of Brady’s life end, I am excited about all of the changes coming up. Brady is going to have a new step-daddy in six weeks, gain two sisters (he has always been an only child), he will get to watch the process of a new house being built from the ground up (literally), he starts formal schooling in August, and we will be taking two great family vacations. Okay, well, ask me afterwards if they were “great.” I am staying optimistic. While all of these changes will take time for all to adjust, they are all GOOD changes for all.

So to all of you just starting this journey: enjoy the ride. To those single parents out there who feel alone: hang in there and focus on what you do have in your lives. Some days are hard and lonely. To those of you like me, whose children are moving into kindergarten or beyond: it is okay to cry, just wait until the school bus leaves. Best wishes to everyone – off to register my little man for his next chapter of this crazy journey we call life.

From Wednesday Mom: Janelle…
Twice a year there is a children’s consignment sale held here in my town.  It is a very organized “swap” that is well known throughout our area.  I attended it last spring when I was pregnant with Tate.  My friends informed me about it and told me to check it out. I was guaranteed some good deals.  I decided to see what it was and to my amazement it was spectacular.  It is held in an old department store ( in the mall) that has since been closed down.  The square footage is very large and the entire store is filled with good quality children’s items at a discounted price.  Some items included are clothes, shoes, toys, maternity clothes, accessories, bedding, strollers, carriers, other gear and furniture.

As a consignor, preparing your items is time consuming.  The team that manages the swap has strict rules on not only what can be sold (which is a good thing) as well as registration, ticketing your items, the use of certain hangers, pins and tags and when to drop off your items.  It is a lot of work, but this is the best thing I have going to clear out the baby “stuff.”   I decided I’m going to participate as a consignor this year to earn some extra money and provide other unfortunate people with a great deal.

My husband is very busy at work this week, so what better time to sort through everything.  After I put the kiddos to bed I am sorting, ticketing and hanging all my pieces.  I am hanging on to several things to give to my grandchildren some day.  It feels great to clean out the bins, but also a little sad.  These are items that both my babies used and reached milestones either wearing it or using it.  I ask myself every night if I’m ready to get rid of it just yet.  For now, I am going to organize and prep everything.  I still have a month until the sale so if I change my mind I still have a little time.

Looking back at 2010 reminds me of some great memories. As a family, we finally experienced a full year together without daddy being gone on a deployment. It was great.

Jack finally got to have a fun summer in both Mississippi and Pennsylvania. He has grown and developed so much over the last year. I can’t wait to see what next year has to hold. We also welcomed another wonderful baby boy.

Tate has brought a lot of joy into our family with his big smile that lights up the room. It’s such fun seeing both boys interact, and it makes me excited to see how they will play together as Tate gets older. There were many other highlights that I have mentioned in my blog posts so I’ll refrain from the duplication. I asked Jack what his New Year’s resolution was, and he wants to make sure that he can keep all his new tiny Lego pieces away from Tate. Ha! We couldn’t have stressed enough to him that he must only play with those in his room because they are an extreme choking hazard for Tate. I think he got the hint at how many times we stressed how important it was. It’s great to see how caring he is, especially at age three.

Here’s to hoping for a blessed new year in 2011 and may all your resolutions be successful. Cheers!

One week from tomorrow my one and only baby will be going to preschool for the first time. Brady is going 4 days per week for 2.5 hours each day. We have our neighbor going and one of his best friends. So he will be comfortable, I think. “Pre-divorce” I had always planned to homeschool Brady, as I am certified K-8 and planned to do either private, public, or cyber school for grades 9-12. I figured by high school Brady could decide on his own what he wanted to do for schooling. Well, Brady’s father doesn’t want him homeschooled now. This may change, but a lot has changed, and I now need to work at least halftime hours, if not full-time. This would be nearly impossible with properly schooling Brady also. So I have decided to register for Brady for preschool with the intent to send him to kindergarten next year at the public school where I used to teach.

There is a part of me dreading September 7^th and the first day of Brady’s formal education. This will be the first milestone of many for years and years to come. Yes, I will probably cry all afternoon and be more upset than Brady. But don’t worry, I will “pretend” to be as happy as possible for Brady! We have been reading “The kissing Hand” and talking about it. He is fine.

On the bright side, as a work-at home-mom, it will be nice having a good 10+ hours each week to work while Brady is at school. And Brady is a very social being and will enjoy meeting the new kids. He is one of those kids that when he walks into the room he has 5-6 kids run over and want to talk to him right away. So this makes me feel confident that he will do well socially. And this will help prepare him for kindergarten. So all in all – we are both ready for this change in our lives. I will update in a few weeks with how Brady (and I) are doing.

Today, Jack used the potty all by himself without any help from an adult! I never thought this day would come, but with great pride he/we have made yet another milestone.  This includes, pulling his pants down, going to the bathroom, pulling his pants up, flushing the toilet and washing his hands.  I can’t express enough how happy I am about this goal we have finally reached.  With school — where he has to be “fully” potty trained — starting in just four days, my nerves have calmed down. I have been a nervous wreck all summer about it.

I have written a few posts on this blog about Jack and his potty training updates.  I’m hoping this will be the last post I have to write.  It’s been months since we started this adventure, and it has slowly ended with success (as most training does).  All the bribing with candy, stickers and Thomas underwear really paid off. Let’s just hope I am not jinxing it as I write this.

There are dozens of ways to potty train your child. I have friends who used books, videos and methods from their friends. For us, putting him in underwear right away and letting him learn by accidents and accomplishments is what worked.  As a side note, Jack is still wearing a pull up at nap and bedtime. We are working on getting rid of the pull up all together.  Having another baby in diapers now isn’t easy on the bank account.

To everyone out there struggling with potty training: it WILL happen eventually.  I never believed it, but today I am boasting loudly that it’s finally my son’s turn!