I survived

the first day of kindergarten!!

Dylan was super excited and woke up at 6:00 am ready to go to school. He picked out his first day of school outfit, I packed his snack, he put on his backpack, hopped on his bike and we rode to school. I walked him to his room and he barely looked back.

When I picked him up he had a grin from ear to ear. He was eager to go again this morning and has lots to tell me when he gets home. He is anxious for school to be all day so that he can start going to his specials, like gym and art class. I hope the enthusiasm lasts all year long!

At his screening this afternoon, he managed to make all of my fears about his readiness disappear. He was able to perform all the required elements and if he wasn't certain, he paused to think about it and then confidently repsonsed with the correct anwer. His teacher told me and has a great "jump start" on kindergarten!!! He made me so proud and a little guiltly for ever doubting his abilities.

Camryn on the other hand, is not taking him going to school so well. She cries when we drop him off and begs me to let her stay too! I think once she gets used to 100% of my attention, playing what she wants and not having to share her toys, she'll get over it pretty quickly. We start swimming lessons on Friday and music class at the library next week. I give it a month or so before she's like: "Dylan? Who's Dylan?"

I'm so grateful that the transition was easy and so proud of what a big kid Dylan is turning into. I think he has a great year ahead of him!

Big Girl Day

After sleeping in a big girl bed all week long on vacation, Camryn was not happy about being put back in her crib. She expressed her unhappiness by safely exiting her crib until I was so tired of putting her back, I let her fall asleep on our bed.

So it was time to purchase a big girl bed. We woke up early, made the trek to IKEA and purchased the bed that matched her new dresser. She picked out pretty new sheets at Target and to keep with the theme of the day, a new big girl pink potty!

To save us some money, we took my old mattress from my parents house and headed home to put it all together. The kids were eager to help assemble the bed, which made the process take a little bit longer. Once we had it all together it was time to put on the mattress. The kids anxiously awaited to test out the jumping quality of Camryn's new bed. But when we went to put the mattress on, it didn't fit!!! We had purchased a queen size bed and planned on buying a double.

Needless to say I had to take the entire thing apart and try to repackage it to appear as if it had never been assembled. However, there were wooden dowels stuck in holes and the box barely held all the contents after the kids claimed it their fort. So as not to disappoint Camryn, I put her new sheets on the mattress and she was able to sleep/jump on that until the next day when we got the right size bed frame!

Her pink potty purchase kind of went the same way. Although potties are one size fits all, kids learn at all different times and paces. Potty training Dylan was such a process, I swore I wasn't trying with Camryn until she was 6!!! She picked it out at the store on her own and I figured if she wanted to use it every once in awhile that was fine. But I was not attempting to potty train her!

Much to my surprise, she went pee on the thing almost all day long. She carried it from room to room, even up the stairs, so it was always with her if she had to go. One time she peed but forgot to take her undies down. Fine, I changed the undies, easy enough. The last potty trip of the night she peed and then flip the entire thing upside down on Dylan's rug to use it as a stool to get on his bed. Not wanting to clean up any accidents, I've insisted the potty stay in the bathroom and that she still wear a diaper until further notice!

End of Vacation Blues

The thing that sucks about vacations is that they end! And in the blink of an eye, it's like you were never even gone. Everyday life kicks in and the relaxation, uninterrupted family time and responsibility-free days are just a distant memory.

We came back from Disney with only a few fleeting days of summer left. No matter how hard I tried to hang on to them, they spilled away and I now find myself so unprepared for what's coming next.

Dylan is off the kindergarten and all my doubts about sending him are resurfacing. Luckily, he is super excited and making the transition easier on me. I swear if he cries when I drop him off, even for a second, I'm going to snatch him up and run out of the building, not to look back until next September!!!

It's bizarre to think that we are already in the next stage of parenting. Instead of filling his days with play dates and toddler activities, his day will consist of school and I'll only be left with homework and mealtimes to worry about. I need to switch gears from being the activity organizer to being the chauffeur to the activities.

My life is about to change dramatically and I feel like I'm watching from the outside

Escapee

Camryn now does the old Harry Houdini out of her crib. I excepted when the day came I would hear a loud thump and be alerted to the fact that there was an escapee on the loose. But she waited until she was able to master the trick.

I heard a pitter patter of footsteps and immediately suspected Dylan. Followed by his unmistakable laughter, I knew I would find him in her crib. The shock must have been apparent on my face when I found her snuggled up with him in his big boy bed.

Curious to know the secret behind her escape, I asked her to show me.

"Otay! I doed this (one leg over) and this (other leg over) and slide down!"

She has mastered it alright and now I was in trouble. I was having flash backs of sitting outside Dylan's room threatening to close the door when he was learning to stay in his new bed. I enjoy my peace and quiet at night. It's me time...me and a bowl of ice cream time. I don't want to have to go through this all over again.

Well it's been three nights of fighting with her to stay in her crib. The battle lasts until she is too exhausted to climb out anymore and I'm too frustrated to even try to enjoy the rest of my night.

I guess it's time for a big girl bed. Which on one hand, I am excited about because it will complete her new room. All matching furniture and a fun new comforter. But the battle it's going to be tough. So when we get back from vacation next week, I'm going into the trenches. It's big girl bed boot camp time!!!

Pastry Chefs in Training

You know you've seen too many episodes of "Ace of Cakes" when your kids build sand cakes instead of sand castles.


Proof that your kids are paying attention to what's on the TV even if you think they aren't:

"Look Mom, I decorated it just like Duff!"

Summertime Friends

Every summer growing up as a kid, my grandparents would take my sister and I to their lake house in Vermont. We would stay the entire summer and most of my childhood memories are of the times I had up there.

I had friends up there that either lived in the area or came up on vacations. It was always so exciting to see them because we were only summertime friends. We didn't go to school together or even know what our lives at home were like. We were able to just have fun together and enjoyed re-connecting every summer. We kept in touch throughout the year writing letters and an occasional phone call, but once we got back together it was as if no time had passed at all.

Although my in-laws lake house is only 20 minutes away, we really only use it in the summer. And Dylan has already made some summertime friends.

He actually misses them throughout the year and looks forward to seeing them every summer. It's fun to watch the friendship develop from just waving to each other from their respective docks, to swimming together and playing at each others' houses, even without mom!!!

This summer Dylan's confidence in the water has helped their friendship. He can keep up with them in the water, play king of the swim dock and even teach them a few tricks on the tube.
It's funny how these friendships are so different from friends at school. These is no pressure or competition, it's simply carefree summer fun! The problem is I can already see the beginning of summer love!

Sometimes pictures are better than words

Family Day at the Beach 2010

Obstacle course

Nice Arm

Look at that fast ball

How low can he go?
Some sugarAnd more sugar

Artwork
BodyArt
Water slide
Water balloon toss
Too much fun
Too cute for words