For Brett From Home (5/22/12)

Well, it has happened--I got computer help from my nine-year-old son. After seeing me struggle for a little while on the computer, Todd came in and fixed the problem for me. Don't ask me how it happened, but the desktop was rotated 90 degrees. Which means that working the mouse felt off as well. I'm still not sure how he knew the solution so quickly, but I was grateful that he helped me out before I got frustrated.

I was also paid a nice compliment on Ryan's behalf at school last week. The mom who comes in for Smiley Math (a once-a-week volunteer-run program that gives kids the opportunity to earn points by working out logic problems, etc.) chatted with me in the library. There was a calendar-related problem on their last worksheet, and she was impressed with the unique method Ryan used to solve the problem (relabeling the days of the week to calculate the question more quickly). She said Ryan was the only one who approached the problem differently and it really showed "thinking outside the box." I often get frustrated that Ryan goes through his work so quickly (and sloppily). She pointed that his desire to get done quickly helped him come up with an easier (and still correct) solution. It was a good reminder for me to look for the positive qualities in my children and not just be quick to criticize when things are not done my way.

I am finding it hard to eat up the food in the fridge and freezer before summer. I am simply not cooking like I do with you at home. (I would miss cooking more if it weren't for the baseball schedule.) My lazy protein has been cooking with eggs, quite often. A typical late breakfast or lunch for me is an open-faced fried egg sandwich with Cheddar on an English muffin. Mmmm. I have also been known to cook that for dinner when the boys eat at your mom's. It's also good as an after-the-boys-are-in-bed supper. It's good anytime of day!

I missed the roses blooming on the side of the house this year. I just didn't take the time to check on them. I didn't miss out on the hydrangeas. They are full of blooms and I have enjoyed cutting them and keeping a vase of them in the kitchen. I have vase full of beautiful blue blooms right now. I love them! I am also enjoying the gardenias. They don't last too long before they start wilting (inside or out), but they smell so sweet. I love them, too! I also love my pink Gerber daisies, though they are not producing as many blooms these days. I started quizzing the boys on the flowers I kept inside, just so they would know what some of Mommy's favorites are.

You'll never believe what I saw about two weeks ago: I drove by a young man rollerblading on Forest Rd. with his dog! After ten years of rollerblading with my dog in this neighborhood and a few more years in our previous neighborhood it was fun to see someone else enjoying this form of exercise.

I have been more cautious with Copper, though he has run off a few more times. Once, he ran off in the rain?!? But this last week has been good. I have also been trying to play Frisbee with him more, now that he will finally run for me. He gets so excited when he sees his toy come out. He doesn't even mind if the boys play too.

The wrens nested again in the very same spot. The babies just left the nest this afternoon. I think there were three fledglings. They were making a ruckus during my piano lessons. I explained to Todd and Ryan the conversations that were taking place between Mommy or Daddy Wren and the babies.
Mommy/Daddy Wren: Dinnertime, dinnertime, dinnertime. Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?
Babies: Food! Food! Food! Here we are! Here we are! Here we are!
Of course, it was much cuter when I was using little birdy voices to act it out. Todd, especially, liked it.
I was a little afraid of opening the garage door and moving the car out to go to baseball practice this afternoon. I didn't want to run over one of them. So I had Todd keep watch for me, and I think it worked out just fine. I have enjoyed watching the wrens this last week and it really made me miss you.

For Brett, From Becca (5/4/12)

This week has flown by for me. We continue our day-to-day routine. This week has been busy with field day activities for the boys. Todd was able to participate on two different days: once for third grade and once for fourth grade. Both boys participated individually in the hurdles. Todd got first place in the Third Grade boys race and Ryan got second place in the First Grade boys race. All of the classes were very competitive when it came to the Tug-of-War. That is my favorite event to watch. The three-legged race has always been favorite event to participate in, and I was pleased that both of the boys let me race with them during the parent participation portion of field day. I would even say that we did a pretty great job (except when Todd paused to say to hi to his spectator brother and friends when we were turning back around).

Ryan begged me to check him out of school after field day today. Many parents check their kids out. About half his class was gone. But I had things that I wanted to do at home. And I honestly think those low-work days when half the class is gone are some of the best. Ryan came home off the bus so cheerful and happy. He clearly had fun this afternoon. It made me feel good to hear him say, "Thanks for not checking me out from school." They celebrated Cinco de Mayo with some snacks and got to watch a movie. I am sure he wouldn't have had so much fun at home.

I enjoyed meeting with Todd's teacher about completing the Fourth Grade math book this summer. It may mean more work for me keeping up with his assignments and tests and encouraging him to continue to make progress. But what else will I be doing? I am also going to try to keep the boys reading this summer. They usually do a good job, but being away from home we will have to make a point to plan reading time into our activities. Vacations are great, but I don't want them to regress too much. And it would be great if they could advance even a little.

I finally had to turn on the air conditioner this week. I held off for as long as I could. There are some times of day when it's not so bad, but it's getting humid also. Today was especially humid. The sun wasn't so strong during Ryan's field day, but it was so humid that I still felt like I was melting.

We had a bit of a downpour last night. I had already been thinking it was time to check the gutters again, and last night confirmed it. Actually, last night I realized that I should have checked the gutters last week. I will work on cleaning them out this weekend. It will be a new experience for me.
Besides being here to clean out gutters and do all the rest of the outdoor maintenance, I also miss being able to call on you to be my bug killer. I had to kill a cockroach last week in the bathroom. I'm sure it would have been very funny to any onlookers. Although, if there were anyone around watching (and laughing) I am sure I would have enlisted their help.

The sago palm is starting to look kind of freaky in an almost obscene way. I'll post a picture later. I'm sorry if you are disappointed about it splitting.

Yesterday the boys and I finally reached our goal of reading scriptures 20 days in a row (110 days this year). We almost didn't make it a couple of times, but we were determined to succeed. We've only reached 20 days in a row once before. We reached our 10 days in a row goal twice before, and I rewarded the boys with a Dairy Queen trip. This time I told the boys they had to reach 20 days before they could earn their DQ trip. If we make it to 25 days in a row they will earn a movie night. On our way for ice cream yesterday I remembered the new frozen yogurt store, Top This. The boys were excited about trying it. It was not as "heavy" as DQ and the boys got to pick out their own toppings. It totally hit the spot.

I made some lentil soup this week. It was so delicious. Ryan loved it too. I will definitely be making it again. Do you think you would eat it? I also made kale chips. They kind of taste like a broccoli, but are light and crispy and almost disintegrate in your mouth. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

Copper ran off on me again this morning even though he got a nice golf course run last night. This is the first time he has run off when I let him out for his morning pee before school. He didn't even wait for us to take him to the bus. I was scrambling to get the boys ready for school and I was trying to get myself ready to attend field day. I couldn't start looking for him until after I got the boys on the bus. I drove around the usual streets with no luck. I asked Mark if he could keep an eye out for Copper while I was at field day, but I decided to stop by the house again. I was just in time to receive a phone call from a woman on Kildare who found him. I don't know what he was doing over there or what prompted him to leave this morning.

I picked up a German book from Goodwill about two weeks ago. I've been flipping through it from time to time. I would love to be able to teach myself enough German to be able to get by on my next trip (2013??).

I'm happy to hear that you seem to be doing a little better on the trail. I really don't want you to give up. I think it you can just get through Virginia it will be a little easier. I'm so proud of you!

For Brett From Home (4/17/12)

I think Ryan has been having a hard time with our busy schedule this spring. He was complaining about an upset tummy on Sunday night and again on Monday morning. The boy said he felt too sick to go to school. I knew that I could push him to go to school, but I just had a feeling that he should stay home. I reminded him that staying home from school meant make-up work, no after-school play time with friends, no baseball that evening, and a nap. He happily agreed to the conditions. His mood improved significantly when the time for catching the bus had come and gone. But I didn't hear a word of complaint that afternoon on the friends issue. He also made an attempt to rest in the afternoon, but I was the only one who caught a few z's. In the end, I still don't regret letting Ryan have his mental health day. I am happy that he has an easy baseball schedule this week. No game or practice until Friday. Oma took Todd to baseball this afternoon, so Ryan has the rest of the afternoon to be a little boy, now that he has finished his math homework. I think he needed this break.

Todd, on the other hand, is doing just fine. In fact, with this week being FCAT testing you might think that Todd would be a little more stressed. Not at all. He is the one reminding me about eating a good breakfast. He suggested making "real" oatmeal for breakfast this morning, complete with raisins. How could I refuse him? Rather than being stressed this morning, he was excited about the prospect of getting Nerds as a snack at school after the test.

I had errands to run yesterday, so Ryan got to tag along with me. Ryan had one request: we had to get a birthday present for Copper. Per his request I took him to Walgreen's, where we found a glow-in-the-dark frisbee ring. I thought it was a perfect idea. Ryan let the ring soak up some rays and tested it in the bathroom. It really glowed. That night we tried it out and almost lost it. The ring had lost is glow and we couldn't see it in the bushes where Ryan had thrown had landed it. Still, it was a very sweet thought. Ryan also gave Copper a belated birthday treat yesterday. He let Copper lick his empty yogurt container. That sweet boy loves his Copper.

I also bought a special treat for Ryan at the grocery store: Silk, vanilla-flavored almond milk. Ryan has been begging me to buy it ever since he tried it at a friend's house. He loves it. I think he drank three cups of it yesterday. I like it okay, but just in small quantities. I might like it more as I get used to it. It did taste good with my bananas and oatmeal this morning.

Ryan and I also stopped at the vet yesterday and picked up some flea medicine for Copper. I gave it to him last night, and I didn't see any fleas on him when I checked him today. (Yeah!) I bought some special soothing shampoo to use on him, hopefully tomorrow. I also noticed that he seemed to have a little limp again today. I checked his paws thoroughly (he hated every minute of it), but I didn't see anything suspicious. I'll keep an eye on him.

This afternoon, instead of offering his yogurt container to Copper, Ryan mutilated his yogurt cup. He was using his spoon to bend out the bottom of the container. He reminded me so much of you, testing the properties of the plastic--pushing, scraping, poking, exploring, thinking. He also completely took apart (and put back together) the mechanical pencil he was using for his homework today, at times writing with it half-assembled. I restrained myself from telling him to just let the pencil be. I know it is good for him to put his curiosity to work. It amazes me to see his brain work sometimes. A little Brett.
I wonder how soon we will be able to employ Ryan's assistance in honey-do projects. I haven't heard the details yet, but I think your dad heard big bad news about the lawn mower. I may ask Deede about having Alex help out with the lawn. The corner cabinet in the kitchen could also use an oiling, when you get a chance. It is quite squeaky.

I have been working quite a bit on the blogs (a total of three) that I am keeping up for you. I have spent a lot of time setting them up and rearranging some things. My goal is that if I do it right now, then the photos, updates, and journal entries will all be organized at the end of the trip so we can do something special with it. I think we should do just that--something special. I think it is important to have your experience documented for your posterity.

I am typing now to the sound of seven boys playing nicely in the backyards (on the playset in Tammy's yard at the moment). Music to my ears. I feel very lucky to have great neighbors and friends so close for the boys to play with.

I met up with some church friends at Top This, the new frozen yogurt store that moved into the old Coastal Lumber building (Is that the name of the store that was across from the high school? I can't believe I've already forgotten.). While I was there I ran into (UPS driver) Carlos. He had heard (maybe from Donna?) that you were hiking the A.T. He said that he hiked the Georgia section. He started out with the intention of hiking to Blood Mountain and just kept going until he reached the Georgia/North Carolina border. It sounds like has the attitude of "never-again!". You'll have to ask him about it when you get back.

I had another aviary surprise today, though with the mild winter I shouldn't be that surprised. I saw our first hummingbird. It was in the front yard and just peeked into the dining room window. Time for me to set up the bird feeder.

I think you will be pleased to know that your mom finally bought herself a new sewing machine. This week she bought a Bernina which she has been wanting for years. Her machine finally stopped working, so she has been using mine. Mine doesn't do any fancy stitches, but it does the straight and zig zag stitches just fine. I think your mom is excited about her machine. I told her that you would have been happy if she bought herself a good machine years ago. She deserves it.

I know it really hasn't been that long since I talked to you, but it kind of feels like it already. I look forward to hearing from you soon, and hope you're doing well.

More from today:
I took Ryan to Chick-Fil-A for dinner tonight. They were doing a school fundraiser tonight, similar to the Hungry Howie's school night. Ryan definitely has a European attitude when it comes to eating his meals. I think he enjoys the socializing more than the eating. When I encouraged him to take a bit for the hundredth time he replied, "I just don't feel like taking a bite." He was content to sit and talk, having my full attention.

When we got home Ryan and I took Copper for a golf course run. We passed the hedge of honeysuckles (correction: jasmine). They smelled so sweet. I thought of you. I also noticed that the two baby long leaf pine trees in the backyard seem to be doing very well.

Tonight before bed Ryan and I finally looked at the booklet about babies, as promised. We saw the goo-blobs, alien-looking babies, white-fuzz-covered babies, legs-up-in-the-face babies (like Ryan, right before he was born), and newborns. I don't remember having a detailed conversation with my mom when I was young about umbilical cords and how my belly button came to be. I'm also pretty sure I didn't ask her whether I pooped or peed in her tummy. Also, "Do you tell if it's a boy or girl by looking at how the baby sucks its thumb?" (Wha?...uh, no...You just look right there.) All things considered, it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it might be.

The Golden Rule

Poor little Ryan came home from school and shared a bad experience from his day. First of all, this morning his class presented their oral presentations for Black History month. Ryan talked about Jackie Robinson, and I thought he did a great job. A volunteer took pictures and filmed the students. Ryan was one of the students featured on the end of the day school news program. Apparently, he found that embarrassing. Then he told me that the lunch lady laughed at him and called him a baby. I was a little confused until Ryan clarified that these were two unrelated incidents.

I made a mix-up when packing the lunches before school. Ryan got something Todd had picked out for lunch, and Ryan expressed his dislike. I imagine it was something like a very whiny "I didn't want those fruit nuggets in my lunch." The lunch lady who was standing nearby addressed his ingratitude and said something along the lines of, "Don't be such a baby." At least, this is the story I get from Ryan. Whatever was said and however it was said was hurtful enough that Ryan broke down and cried telling me the story. I tried to tell Ryan that the lunch lady probably hears whiny, ungrateful kids all day long and might have said something hurtful unintentionally because she was out of patience. But, even when I tried to look at the situation from her point of view, I still can't imagine that her words were justifiable.

It saddens me to hear name-calling. It especially hurts my heart to hear an adult calling a child names. Even when a child is being a little whiny or even a little obnoxious, name-calling has no place. I don't think adults realize how hurtful it is to call a child a "baby" (how often do you hear that??) "sissy" (I heard that one a week ago), "candy" (a new one I heard that over the weekend), telling a boy he is "acting like a girl" and so on.

Later in the evening Ryan brought up the Golden Rule. He pointed out that the lunch lady knows the Golden Rule. (I bet she has at least heard of it.) So, why would she treat someone a way that she wouldn't want to be treated? Good question. I think we are all guilty of saying something we later regret.

I used this as opportunity to remind my boys (and myself) how much our words can affect others. I am reminded of this great quote:
"Unless what you are about to say or do has a high probability for making things better, don't say it and don't do it" (Dr. Glenn I. Latham, "The Power of Positive Parenting").

Traveling Sand

After more than two years, I am still amazed by how much sand Todd brings home in his shoes. I would not be surprised if he brings home a quarter cup of sand each day. That's a lot of sand! It used to end up in little piles in my house. Occasionally it still does, though time and again I have reminded my boys that they must take their shoes off outside.

At least I know he is playing and having a good time at recess.

The Novelist

I love this new stage that Todd has entered. I refer to the writing stage. These misspelled, hard-to-read notes are so full of personality. Todd wrote his first "story" on a quiet Sunday afternoon, about three weeks ago. Three pages is pretty good for his first effort at writing stories. It was such a nice surprise. I love that writing this story kept Todd entertained for over an hour. I love that Todd illustrated his work. I loved seeing how proud Todd was of his accomplishment. And I love the punchline at the end. It had me laughing. It still makes me laugh every time I read it.
I hope you, too, can feel the love as you read his story.

[The orange highlighter marks are from Kellie. Todd asked her to check his mistakes, but I stopped her before she got too far.] I'll write the translation under each picture.

Once upon a time I went to school and made a lot of art. I made pictures, a lot of things. And I kept all the art. I love my art. I love my art so much. I want to keep all the art. I like all of the art. I will keep all of the art. I like all of the art. I like the art so, so bad. I want to make more. Some of them will be books.

I went on the bus, and my art was in the back. I was so happy because my stop was the first stop. I had a lot of art. We stopped. I went off the bus.

When I got home I looked at my art. My art was so cool. Mom hugged me. My art was so cool. It was very cool. Mom loved it so so much and loved the art so much that Mom forgot to make dinner. The end.

The funny thing is, I broke out laughing after reading the last sentence. Todd laughed with me for a minute, then turned serious. "But Mom, that's really happened before, hasn't it?" More laughter on my part.
[In my defense, I may have lost track of time and had to throw together a quick dinner before. But I've never "forgotten" dinner. It's still interesting to see things for a child's point of view.]

Before writing stories Todd would often make lists--mostly lists of things to do or activities for the day. Now Todd has moved on to writing notices. The following notice was placed by a plastic container which held a baby frog the boys brought back from Oma's house. We were getting ready to leave the house for a little while and Todd left this message.

[On the back side of the paper it read, "Dad, Mom, Todd, Ryan"]

Please do not take our pet. You can look at the pet. It is a frog.
I don't know why this is so funny to me, but it is.

Update on the pet frog: The boys tried feeding the frog a little spider and a "red-bellied bug". The next morning I was able to convince the boys that the baby frog was probably better off living outside on its own than in the little container in our house. They agreed and released the frog. But they can't wait to get a bigger frog that they are able to keep.

Since Todd has shown a greater interest in writing I had him make a list of things he liked about his teacher and his first year of school on a card for his teacher. The class put together a nice group gift, which we contributed to, but I also wanted a little something extra from us. This is what I came up with.

Here, Mrs. B looks at the scrapbook one of the moms put together as part of the group gift.

Mrs. B put on a little closing ceremony for her class. She gave each child a special award ribbon, as well as a certificate predicting what they might be when they grow up.
Todd's ribbon award was for Best Boy Reader. However, I was surprised by her career prediction, "Novelist". Although I just got done singing Todd's praises as a writer, I recognize that a certain amount of creativity is required for successful writing. Perhaps that will come with age. Mrs. B said that Todd has a love for words. He tries very hard to use words appropriately-to use just the right word for something. And she said that he had a large vocabulary. Way to go, Todd!

After his teacher gave each child their ribbon and certificate, she also gave them a bright pink lipstick kiss on their cheek. Most of the kids thought this funny, but Todd was a little embarrassed. He was okay with receiving his kiss along with the rest of the class, but he wouldn't let me take a photo of it and tried to wipe it off right away.

It's hard to believe that the year is over already. Todd had a great time this year, and Ryan and I enjoyed being able to participate in so many activities with his class this year, especially when it involved yummy treats like ice cream sundaes.

It was nice being able to get to know the other kids in the class. I liked hearing the kids greeting me as "Todd's Mom" or "Todd and Ryan's Mom." I'm looking forward to meeting Todd's first grade teacher and the kids in his class.

But I think I will enjoy the time I have with my two boys this summer first.

Kindergarten Field Day

So many outings to post--so little time. I'll just do what I can, when I can. For this morning's viewing pleasure I will record my first Field Day as a mom. Ryan and I watched Todd's two-hour Kindergarten Field Day. I really enjoyed it. Ryan got a little bored (read snuggly)...

and a little silly. Say "Cheese!"

Todd and his best school friend David eat lunch together every day. I'm sad that David's military family will be moving this summer. The boys have had a lot of fun together this year.

David and Todd did the Three-Legged Relay Race together. They did a good job. No falling. Their class got third place. (Yeah! A ribbon!)

It was a hot, humid day. The kids were rewarded with some fun water relays at the end, including this pass-the-bucket relay. The kids got soaked and loved every minute of it.

Ryan didn't get to participate in the water relays, but he did enjoy playing in the puddles made by the water relays.

Mrs. Blackburn leads the kids in a "Shake, shake, shake!"

Did we have fun? Yes, we did!

In Self-Defense

I can't believe what I heard while visiting Todd's P.E. class for the weekly "Mile Club." As I was walking the track with Ryan we passed by a group of kindergartners who were talking. One of the boys was telling the others that a boy had pushed him, so he kicked him back. I pipe up, "Oh, No." He replies, "I can't get in trouble for self-defense." (!!!) The fact that a kindergartner would be thinking that way scares me like you can't believe. Somebody did something to me (by accident or not), so I can kick him, punch him, or do whatever I want in the name of "self-defense." I try to explain that it would be much better to say something like, "That hurt when you pushed me. Please don't do it again." I tell him to always try using words first. He, and the other kids with us, seemed to understand what I was saying at the time, but I doubt it will make much of an impact down the line if he is being brought up with opposite tactics for handling problems. I find it very sad and frustrating.

Happy Valentine's Day

Ryan's preschool class exchanged Valentine's Day cards on Monday. I had not gotten around to thinking about it until Sunday evening. Thank you, Family Fun! I checked out their web site and found this easy and very cute heart-fish valentine. If I had been more on-the-ball, I could have cut the hearts and had Ryan help me assemble them. Instead, I put them all together, wrote the messages, and had Ryan address and sign them the next morning. Todd and Ryan both really liked them, especially when I explained the significance of the message. Fish swim in schools, and children go to schools--get it? Ha ha ha! So, Ryan's classmates are little fishies! Ha ha ha. These were definitely the most colorful (and in my opinion, the cutest) valentine from Ryan's class.

While I was on Family Fun looking for Ryan's card, I found an idea I thought Todd would like to do for his class: a candy airplane. Since I was feeling so proud of myself for how Ryan's cards turned out, I wanted to get started right away on Todd's. Todd loved the idea so I purchased the necessary candy while the boys were at school. I printed gum wrappers that said "Happy Valentine's Day", and printed little banners that said, "To ____ From (Todd). Hope this day is miles above the rest!" When Todd came home from school we started putting them all together. I had done one example before Todd came home, and it was much easier having Todd's help. I threaded the rubber band through the Life Savers; Todd placed the Smarties between them; then (this was the biggest help) he helped stick the gum through one side of the rubber band; and I wrapped the rubber band around the other side. We finished it off by tying the (addressed and signed) banner to the back of the airplane. I sent them to school with Todd on Tuesday for him to distribute. (Todd's class is collecting the valentine's all week and opening them on Friday at his class party.) I was so proud of myself for being ahead of the ball game. That doesn't happen very often.

I didn't realize how popular this candy airplane idea was. When I was buying the candy, the cashier asked if I was making airplanes. She said there was another lady in the store that morning who was doing the same thing and had told the cashier about how she was making them. When Todd came home from the bus on Tuesday, he said that a boy on the bus had an airplane that he had made in his class. So, the idea isn't that original here, but I think the kindergartners will all love them anyway. (Let's just hope no one else in Todd's class is making them.)

The boys have seen Valentine's Day decorations around, and of course, Ryan has been interested in the funny man shooting arrows. A few days ago Ryan asked me about it, and I explained that Cupid was shooting "love arrows". These love arrows don't really hurt ("love hurts" is not a phrase I am ready to explain). They just make you love people. We (Todd, Ryan, and I) played a fun game where we pretended to shoot love arrows with our fingers. The person who was shot had to name someone that they loved.

Just a few minutes ago, Ryan and I had this conversation.
Ryan: Mom, why don't you wish that love arrows were real?
Mom: I don't know. Do you wish they were?
Ryan: Yeah. 'Cause I want to buy them.
Mom: Why? So that you can make people love you.
Ryan: Yeah.

I love you, Ryan! (And I think you just want love arrows because you like to shoot things--anything.)

In a Panic

When you talk to your kids about what to do in an emergency, or what to do when there's a fire, or what to do when something else might happen, you're never sure whether they are going to remember what you discussed earlier.

While I don't wish to experience some of the emergencies we have discussed with our kids (please, let me never experience a house fire!), I was so happy to see how Todd reacted this afternoon when we had a hiccup in our schedule.

Because Todd missed the first two days of school, he also missed the reminder that this third day of school was an early release day. Because I just got my new 2009 calendar and have not yet updated my appointments and other notable activities, I did not remember that this was to be an early release day. Having been cooped up for a few days, I was ready to get out and do a little shopping. (I especially wanted to see if there was anything good left in the Lenox outlet store that is closing in the next week.) I planned on being gone most of the day.

At about the exact time that Todd was released from school today I felt a lurch and just knew that it was an early release. Unfortunately, I was a good 30-plus minutes from home. I called the school to verify (yes, the students had already been released), then called Oma. Although Todd was not there yet, in a matter of 5 minutes or so Todd was at Oma's and I was able to talk to him on the phone. For those 15-20 minutes it took me to get to my phone and make the calls and find my child, I was in a panic. What relief I felt when I was assured that all was well!

What made me feel so good was to see how Todd handled the situation. Based on what Todd and Oma told me, and based on the evidence I found when I got back home Todd kept his cool the whole time.

Here is what I think he did:
First, he got into the house and looked for Mom. The last place he checked was my bedroom, where he dumped his backpack.

Next, he dumped his coat in the bathroom and took a little potty break.

He proceeded to the desk where he retrieved a piece of scrap paper.

Then he took his paper into the kitchen and wrote a note. He wrote me a NOTE! I couldn't be more proud--even if the note doesn't include what his plans are.

After seeing that Casie and Kellie were not yet back from school he continued on to Oma's. I love having family so close!

While I never hope to repeat this scenario again, I am happy to see that Todd was paying attention to our plan and that he wasn't scared about what to do. I do hope that I am raising a strong, independent individual.

What important things were Ryan and I doing? Shopping and playing on the playground with Maddie and Wyatt.

Ryan's favorite part about the whole day was that Mom gave in and bought a storm trooper mask with a costume that was 50% off at the K.B. Toy store going out of business. He is currently outside wearing his costume and playing with Logan who has dressed up in his own Buzz Lightyear Halloween costume. I love it.

School Rhymes

How is it that these rhymes have been passed down perfectly from generation to generation? I don't know exactly who is teaching them to Todd, but he has been coming home repeating some of the rhymes I learned at school.

It's raining. It's pouring.
The old man is snoring.

Missed me. Missed me.
Now you gotta kiss me.

Trick or treat. Smell my feet.
Give me something good to eat.
If you don't. I don't care.
I'll pull down your underwear.
[Todd didn't want to repeat the last line in front of me, because it had a "bad word".]

Liar, Liar, pants on fire.
Hang them up on a telephone wire.
[I don't think I've heard Todd repeating the second line. Maybe he hasn't learned it yet, or maybe he doesn't know what a telephone wire is.]

One I haven't heard yet from Todd, but expect to in the new few weeks:
Jingle Bells, Batman smells.
Robin laid an egg....
[I actually don't even remember the rest of the verse! We'll see if Todd can teach me.]

Mile Club

Today, Ryan and I went to Todd's school for Mile Club. Mile Club is an activity hosted by the P.E. department. Every Thursday the students run or walk laps around the track. They carry a card with them as they go around. Every time they finish a lap the coaches check off a square on their card. After they have marked off the twenty-nine squares on their card (equivalent to about five miles) they receive a "toe token" as a reward for their accomplishment. The "toe tokens" are small plastic charms in the shape of a foot which they can keep on a little chain. The kids get to pick out a toe token for each card they complete. The kids can continue adding tokens to their chains each year at the school. Parents, siblings, and grandparents are also invited to participate in the activity.

Ryan and I missed coming to Mile Club a couple of times at the beginning of the year. However, we have faithfully been going each Thursday, and received our first toe token today. Ryan has been looking forward to this all week. He couldn't wait to finish his first card and get a toe token like the other big kids at school. Todd finished his first card about two or three weeks ago. Ryan picked a clear orange toe token and a white chain. I picked out a red toe token and a purple chain.

Ryan can't wait to show his toe token to Logan this afternoon. For someone who thinks walking to Todd's bus stop is "too faaaaaarrrrrr," keeping up with the kids at school and even running on the track sometimes is a big deal for Ryan. And I am proud to say that although we got a late start, we are still ahead of some of the kindergartners.

Happy Halloween

Halloween lasted all day long for us. Actually, more than that since we attended the carnival at the church on Wednesday night. Those photos will have to wait for another post. This is all about our Halloween Friday.

It started early with a kindergarten costume parade at 9:00am. The kids were supposed to wear/bring their costumes to school in the morning. For whatever reason, Todd did not want to bring his Indiana Jones accessories on the bus with him. At the last minute, I let him get on the bus in his brown pants and tan shirt, not looking like much of anything since the accessories make the outfit. I told him that I would bring the stuff to school when I came for the parade. I showed up about 3 minutes early. I had been hoping to get there earlier than that, but figured it would take a while to get a bunch of kindergartners dressed and organized. Besides, how long does it take to put on a hat and shoulder bag? Imagine my surprise when I saw that they had just started the parade--early!

Todd's teacher had put a cowboy hat and bandanna on him, and though I offered to pull Todd out of line for the 10 seconds it would take to change out the accessories he wasn't interested. He was perfectly happy to be a cowboy (just like another friend in his class who came sans costume).

I had no idea that the kindergartners were putting on a 30-minute show following the parade. It was such a nice surprise. They were so cute singing all their Halloween songs. Here, Todd and his classmate stand up for the cowboy verse of one song:
Nine little cowboys saying "Yee-haw!"
Saying "Yee-haw!"
Saying "Yee-haw!"
Nine little cowboys saying "Yee-haw!"
For this is Halloween

After the parade and show Ryan and I returned home to finish baking the sugar cookies I signed up to bring for Todd's class party at 1:00pm. It was a fun little party. Ryan was excited that he could stay and play on the playground with Todd's class for recess before leaving for the day.

We had some time to relax when we got home before heading out for our evening activities. We decided to go to Oma's house and show off the costumes. On the way over, the boys came across a "bad-guy" tree that needed to be whipped into shape.

These whips that I made are no longer soft, harmless toys. Ryan has figured out how to control it better. Look at how he gets the whip wrapped around the tree. We had to establish the rule of no using the whip close to people. They usually remember, but unfortunately for me, when they don't remember it doesn't feel so good.

Trick-or-treating at Oma and Poppa's door:

Like (grand-)father like (grand-)son. These two are like peas in a pod. They both loving playing games and other quiet, thinking activities (puzzles, Legos, etc.) together.

I consider the boys lucky to have an active grandmother who is so much better at sports than their mother. Oma puts me to shame. Here, Ryan warms up at the plate:

The pitch:

Rounding the bases:

After a beautiful afternoon with Oma and Poppa, including an impromptu dinner, we headed back home to go trick-or-treating on our street. The boys had a great time going up and down our street. I'm so happy that we didn't skip out on that part of Halloween. I think the neighbors were happy to see the boys. I had one neighbor who sincerely thanked me for bringing the boys by. We have such few young kids on our street, that most of our neighbors know the boys or at least recognize them from playing outside.

Here the boys pose with Mr. Bones (so named by them two years ago). Our across-the-street neighbor really decorates for Halloween and Christmas. The boys were so excited when they saw Mr. Bones set up at the beginning of the month. The first time that our dogs saw Mr. Bones two years ago they wouldn't stop barking at it. This year I don't think Mr. Bones elicited a single woof.

It only took us about 45 minutes to do trick-or-treating. After that we went to OrangeFest, an activity open to the community every Halloween. It is hosted by a local church, and we have attended the past three years. Each year it gets bigger and bigger. Ryan poses with the crash-test dummies and looks like he just witnessed a crash himself judging by the expression on his face. Todd was too shy join in the picture, even though I offered to go with him.

The boys played some carnival games--bean bag tosses, that sort of thing--but what Todd was looking forward to most was the inflatable slide. Unfortunately, because there were so many people there, the lines were bigger and the boys only went on the slide once.

They did get to try another inflatable, an obstacle course which they loved. I could not believe how quickly Todd climbed the wall. He was halfway up before I got there to take a photo.

I did not realize how much Ryan was looking forward to getting a glow stick until the night was almost over and we still had not been able to find one. Donna had to stop by the grocery store on the way home and saved the day by coming out with a bright glow stick for Todd and Ryan. The boys got everything they wanted this year! They were so happy.

They had fun with Daddy when we got home, playing games with the glow sticks in the front yard. They would throw it high into the sky and call it a shooting star as they watched it fall. There was a little glitch in the game when one of the sticks landed in our neighbor's tree. Fortunately, it was easy to spot and was not far from the ground. One of their favorite games to play with the glow stick was spinning it around and around in the dark.

We will never dress our dogs for Halloween (or anything else). This year's joke, however, was directed at Sandy. Ryan had wanted to "take Sandy for a walk" (inside the house) a few days before Halloween. Surprisingly, Sandy cooperated and let Ryan put on a collar. Since the collar is really Copper's, the joke was that Sandy was dressed up as Copper for Halloween. And there were a few times when the disguise fooled me!

Hope you had a happy Halloween as well.

Now that Halloween is over, I can't believe that the other big holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Anniversary, New Year's) are just around the corner. Would you believe they started playing Christmas music at Walmart this weekend? Don't get me started! That's too early for even me, who loves Christmas music.

First Two Weeks of School

Yikes! I am getting more and more behind in my blogging. Two weeks of school have passed and I haven't written about Todd's first day or week at kindergarten. (Nor have I finished writing about my travels to Maine, but that will have to wait for later.)

This was Todd's first day of school, getting on the bus in the morning.
Todd was not nervous about getting on the bus and going off to school at all. He had been well prepared by his mother and was very much looking forward to it. There were no tears for him or me.

There are two other families who catch the bus at our stop--three girls who are all older than Todd. Our family lives the farthest away from the bus stop, and I usually wear my rollerblades and put Ryan in the stroller so that we can make it to the end of the road quickly without leaving Ryan crying behind because he can't keep up. Todd's bus comes at 7:52am. I haven't had to be out the door every day before 8:00am since before I had children. Two weeks of school and we haven't missed the bus yet! I'm so proud of myself. Of course, I am not usually showered and finished with my "morning chores" (making all the beds, taking care of laundry, and cleaning up the kitchen) by then, but at least Todd has had his lunch ready and has eaten a good breakfast each morning before he has left.

Although we have had no problems making it to the bus in time in the morning, that doesn't mean there haven't been complications in the afternoon. I called the office for the school buses on the first day to find out when Todd would be dropped off. The answer: 3:25pm. I was running a little behind that first afternoon and didn't get to leave until about 3:22pm. I had my rollerblades on, and as I rounded the bend in the road I saw the bus drive away without my son getting off. I called out to the two girls who live at the end of the street, "Where's Todd--you know, that little boy who got on the bus with you this morning?" "Umm. The bus driver held someone back and wouldn't let them get off the bus." Uh oh. So, we called the school, they called the bus driver, and we found out that the bus driver wouldn't let Todd off because she didn't see anyone waiting for him. I'm actually very pleased that the bus driver was concerned and looking out for the safety of my new kindergartner. The bus stop is on a relatively busy road and it could be dangerous. No harm done. She just dropped him off when she was done with her other stops. Todd didn't seem to be too bothered by it.

The next afternoon the kids brought home a little form to complete for the bus driver, including basic address information as well as a survey: what to do if no one is there to meet your child getting off the bus. We talked about it as a family and decided that we felt comfortable with the bus driver letting Todd off the bus even if I wasn't at the end of the street yet. We figured that in most cases I would be on my way. If there was an emergency that took me away from home before I could get word to Todd, he could walk home by himself. If he found no one at home he could walk to Aunt Donna's. If no one was there, he could go to Oma's. The chance of that happening is very rare, but at least I know that there are back-up plans--a benefit of having family very close by. In fact, in these first two weeks of school his Aunt Donna and his Papa have both had a chance to pick Todd up from the school bus, much to his delight.

We have also had a chance to see how it works when no one is there to greet him. One day Todd's bus dropped him off almost 10 minutes early. I was keeping an eye on the clock, and was about a minute away from leaving when I heard the dogs barking. I looked outside and saw Todd almost to our mailbox already. I was so proud of him for coming right home. He asked why I wasn't there to meet him, and I explained that his bus was early (and showed him the clock to prove it). I was proud of the confidence he had and am grateful that I can trust him to come right home without playing in the middle of the busy street.

There is something about seeing people starting a new phase in their lives that is so exciting to watch. Seeing a newborn baby, or a toddler learning how to walk, a high school graduate, a couple getting married, and . . . a new kindergartner! I had forgotten about this last one. It has been nice seeing the smiles of our neighbors as they watch Todd on his way to the bus stop. A little boy with a big backpack walking with excitement down the street to the bus stop brought such smiles and friendly greetings from some of our favorite neighborhood grandparents (and others too). We were greeted by Peggy and Betsy, Karl, and Deede. Even a week and half later Karl got a big smile on his face as he watched us making our way to school in the morning. Ms. Peggy and Ms. Betsy greet us almost every morning wishing Todd a good day at school. I love living here.

There have also been some adjustments for both Todd and Ryan and myself. Although Todd looks happy and cheerful in these pictures, he sometimes needs a good snack and some cool-down time before he is able to keep those smiles going. He was a little grouchy the first day especially. All-day kindergarten is a tough transition. Todd behaves well in public, and I am sure that after hours of being on his best behavior he needed a chance to let out some steam.

Todd is also not used to having to eat lunch so early (around 10:30am/10:45am). For someone who has a good breakfast, that is pretty early for eating lunch. Although I have been packing foods that Todd enjoys in his lunchbox, I have found much of the food untouched. Now our after-school tradition is that when Todd comes home we sit down in the kitchen, empty Todd's backpack, open his lunchbox, and Todd gets to finish eating whatever is still left in there. Todd doesn't complain about this at all and is usually eager to eat.

We also had a tough transition the Friday after his first week of school. He had been fighting a little bit of a cold for two days, and though he was all smiles when I picked him up that afternoon...

his body continued to go downhill as the afternoon and evening progressed. I think he was feeling the stress of a long week of school. He continued to look more and more pale and eventually threw up around 7:00pm. Fortunately, he went straight to bed, had a good sleep, and woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning. We made sure that he had lots of down time over the weekend, and he didn't have any more problems. But let's hope that we don't have to go through that again this weekend!

Ryan and I have also had our own transitions to make. I kept thinking that I would be able to get so much accomplished after Todd went to school, that I would be forced into a new schedule, and that my house would get cleaned and organized. I am still waiting for that to happen.... I didn't have any obligations the first day of school. Ryan and I stayed home all day, and all day we were . . . listless. That is the best word I have been able to come up with to describe how we were feeling. We had no direction, and just kind of wandered around the house. I got a few little things done, but I couldn't even tell you what we did all day. We just missed Todd.

While I have been able to banish that listlessness in the last two weeks, Ryan is still struggling. He has to learn how to play by himself now. It's not that he always has problems occupying himself, but he doesn't play like I would like him to. We have a roomful of toys for his entertainment, but too often he just wants to be by my side, even if all I am doing is folding laundry or working on the computer. In fact, as I type now he is at the desk beside me drawing on our dry-erase board. Not that I have a problem with that at all. It's much better than climbing all over my chair or going through my desk drawers. I just want to make sure that he has time to play and use his imagination. I took him to our church playgroup this Wednesday, and he was kind of lost there, too. His boy buddies are all in preschool now and aren't able to come to playgroup anymore.

I ended up calling Anne saying, "Ryan needs a friend! Can Maddie and Wyatt play?" So, Anne came to my rescue and brought her kids over to the house for some lunch and playtime. It was so good for Ryan. Even though he, Maddie and Wyatt have different interests, Ryan is so comfortable with them that he was just happy to have them around. He laughed at something that Wyatt was doing at the lunch table, and it was so good to hear that big laugh in the middle of the day again. When we do things together he still smiles and laughs, but it is a little laugh. Hopefully, we'll both get through this phase quickly and find our middle-of-the-day big laughs again soon.