Preschool test run

 

Yesterday, we dropped off the enrollment forms at the preschool that Gavin and Emery will be attending. When Emery heard that we were going to school, she immediately got dressed, found her nap mat, and was ready to go.  It was hard explaining to an almost 3 year old that school doesn’t really start for another month. She is SO excited!

When we got there, we were walking around the building looking for the correct door.  We tried a locked door and started to walk away, when the preschool director walked out and called for us.  She immediately said “This must be Gavin and Emery”!  The kids walked right into the building.  I was calling them back, since we were just dropping the forms and leaving, but the preschool director invited us in so that they could see their classroom.  She told them who their teacher would be, and let them spend some time taking in their surroundings.  I was super impressed.  Especially that she knew their names. She had no idea that we were coming by.  The only information she had was our name, address, and Gavin and Emery’s birth date.  I guess she just recognized that they were twins and knew the names off the top of her head.  Maybe that’s preschool 101, but I was still impressed. 

We walked by the playground on the way back to the car, which made the kids even more excited.  I hope they’re just as excited a month from now when it’s the real deal!

Preschool

 

Gavin and Emery start preschool two days a week at the end of August.  I’ve been told by a friend with 4 boys (twins and 2 older boys) that “preschool will change your life”.  I think she means that it will break up the monotony of the week, be a great learning experience, and really help with social skills.  Mostly I think she means that it will give me a break.  :-)

So….one cold February morning earlier this year, I drove to the preschool at 6:00 am and stood (outside) in line with all the other parents who were also trying to get the coveted preschool spots.  Registration started at 9:30 am.  This was sort of like those guys who stand in line for an Xbox…..except when I wrote the check at the end, they handed me two stacks of paper instead of an Xbox.  No, I didn’t register the kids for an elite Montessori school.  This is the normal process for preschool registration, at least where we live (if I want to avoid a 20-30 minute drive each way).  And when you have twins, it’s even more important to get there early because you need TWO of those spots!  I thought it was insane, but now we’re signed up and those two stacks of paper must be filled out and turned in by next week.

Just before we left for vacation, I decided to get a jump on the paperwork.  Oh…My….Gosh.  There are so many forms to be filled out, things to be notarized, medical records to be signed by our pediatrician (Ok….I should have expected that one and started on it earlier), and lots of the same information asked over and over again.  I think some of this has to do with state regulation.  Texas needs it documented one way and the preschool prefers it another.  So, they make me fill it out twice, or three times.  All I keep thinking is…….I could not imagine having quadruplets and filling this stuff out 2 more times!  :-)

Then they ask about your child’s favorite things, how much tv they watch a day (I may not have been completely truthful with this answer), and what shows they like.  Oh….and then there is the question about things like biting and potty training.  “What could you tell us that would help us with your child?”  I felt like asking “Will my daughter get kicked out if she bites her brother, or just other children?  And is it a problem that my son randomly decides to play with his poop?”  Haha- joking.  We actually haven’t had any biting or poop incidents in several months!  So, maybe we’re rounding a corner…..knock on wood! 

And then there are the supplies.  Back pack, cloth nap mat, pillow, blanket, plastic nap mat to go under cloth nap mat, lunch sack, change of clothes, and diapers if needed.  We are “strongly encouraged” to have them potty trained, but it’s not required.  My kids are by far at the younger end of the class.  They’ll be 3 years old for less than a month when they enter the 3 year old class.  So, I’m sure (I hope) the school will cut us some slack if we are just “almost” potty trained. 

So, over the next few weeks, the school will be sending out some information.  We’ve got a new parent orientation to attend, as well as a meet the teacher event the weekend before school starts. I feel like we’re sending them off to college.

I think this will be great for both of them.  I can’t wait to see what they’re learning and how they interact with the other kids (fingers crossed).  I’m not looking forward to the germ factory, so I’ll also keep my fingers crossed that they don’t pick up every illness in the book their first year in a group setting. 

Now, let’s just hope that Pete’s doesn’t expect me to get a lot more done around the house while 2 out of 3 kids are in school. That will totally ruin my relaxation time. 

Up and Running

 

I know we’ve been missing in action for a while.  Our internet has been down for 2 whole weeks!  We’re finally up and running again.

Seriously, no internet access is like modern day torture to a stay at home mom.  Thank God for my iphone or I would have been in the loony bin.

Maybe I’m being a bit dramatic, but if I had to give up one luxury item, it WOULD NOT be the internet!  If I could drop our internet provider, I would have done it 1 week and 5 days ago, but since we live in the sticks, I have no other options. 

So, here I am…..back in the swing of things.  We’ve done lots of fun stuff over the last two weeks, including a vacation to New Mexico.  Now we’re gearing up for preschool next month and a birthday party this weekend.  Who knew that preschool would take so much planning! 

I’ll post more soon.  Just glad to be back in virtual world again. :-)

Potty Training Success

 

After hundreds of “dry runs”, Gavin has finally PEED IN THE POTTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Several months ago, we promised him a monster truck if he pooped in the potty.  No more than 30 minutes after we got home, he had pooped……so off we were back to Academy to pick out his monster truck!  Since then, we’ve had one other minor success with pooping, but absolutely no peeing…….not even a trickle. 

Yesterday, while I was at Target (by myself), I picked out lots and lots (and lots) of Matchbox cars for potty training incentive.  Before I could even talk to Gavin about the new potty rewards, he decided that today was the day!  Without any prompting, he went to the bathroom, climbed up on the potty and peed!  I really didn’t think it was clicking with him, so this is a huge accomplishment! 

He was even more excited to get his reward, a new tanker truck.  Of course, when Emery realized what was going on, she sprinted to the potty and asked for her new car.  :-)  This could get expensive……

I guess I never really reported on Emery and her potty training…….She is in in pull-ups at night and at naptime, but other than that, no more diapers!  I’m still a little nervous when we’re out of the house, so I’ll usually put her in a pull-up, but that will be changing soon.  We were taking one step forward and two steps back for several months.  It would be panties for 2 days, and then diapers for a week, then panties for a week, and diapers again for a few days.  We were having huge battles and I wasn’t really pushing the issue until a couple of weeks ago when I saw her CHANGE HER OWN DIAPER!  She took her diaper off, laid down on the floor and put a new diaper on all by herself.  That was when I put my foot down and said “no more diapers”! 

3 kids in diapers = about $150/ month, not to mention swim diapers which must be made of gold (judging by the price).  If I have to spend $100 on Matchbox cars, I think it will be well worth it in the long run! 

**By the time I posted this, Gavin had earned 4 cars and Emery 1.  After the first car, I convinced Emery that M&M’s are much better than cars.  :-) Bad for her teeth, but good for my wallet.

6 Months

  

Ethan’s 6 month stats:

18 lbs. 14.5 ounces (75th percentile)

27 3/4” long (75-90th percentile) 

 

No teeth yet, but he’s working on it.

We’ve started baby food…...green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, apple sauce, pears, and bananas so far.  I’m having to get used to the slower pace of spoon feeding one baby.  Without two mouths to feed at once, it seems like there is so much downtime between bites!  He’s sleeping a little better at night, which is probably related to a fuller stomach.  He’s usually up one time during the night.  Up until a couple of weeks ago, it was 2 or 3 times a night!

Another area that is much different than having twins is the (lack of) schedule!  The #1 rule of having multiple is STICK TO A SCHEDULE!!!!!!!!!!!   I lived by a schedule for the first two years with twins.  Maybe toward the end of the second year, I relaxed a little, but not much!  During the first year, I literally would not vary by more than 5-10 minutes.  If we got off the schedule, there could be days (or even a week straight) where I never had both babies asleep at the same time during the day.  The schedule was printed out and posted on the refrigerator for Pete and for my mom when she was visiting.  There was no sense in calling our house before 7pm, because we wouldn’t answer.  Nothing got in the way of our bedtime routine.  The kids were in bed at 7:00pm sharp every single night. 

Here is Ethan’s “schedule”:

Bedtime: Usually somewhere between 7:00 and 8:30 pm.

Wake Up: Usually somewhere between 7:00 and 8:30am

Naps:  Typically he takes 3 naps, but sometimes only 2.  First nap at 9:00 or 10:00am.  Second nap starts between 12:30 and 2:00pm.  Sometimes a third nap around 4:00 or 4:30pm

Isn’t that pitiful???  Poor kid!  We’re not home enough to keep him on a schedule, so he ends up sleeping on the go….to and from playdates or running errands.  I’m trying to at least be better about a consistent bedtime.  A 7:00 bedtime usually works great because it gives us an hour of uninterrupted time with the older kids (they now have an 8:00 bedtime).  I asked the pediatrician if I should worry about the lack of schedule.  She said not to worry as long as he’s getting 14-15 hours a day, which he definitely is (usually more than that).  It’s just very different from what I’m used to!

He’s also now on the move!  He is rolling, pivoting, and maneuvering himself to wherever he wants to go. He’s most content if he’s right in the middle of whatever his big brother and sister are doing!  He doesn’t like to be left alone, but as long as he got a view of the action, he’s happy! 

Other random stuff:

He’s sitting up on his own, with a little help for when he gets excited and throws himself backward.

He’s “talking” all the time…..lots of “da-da-da’s”.

He’s a hair puller!  I’ve never had a baby pull my hair as much as he does!  Ouch!

He is quickly bored with his own toys and finds a way to get to the “big kid toys”.

It’s very easy to make him laugh…..like a full-on belly laugh.  Emery was a very serious baby, but Ethan’s sense of humor is just like Gavin at that age.

Overall, he’s an easy going little guy! 

I know that these type of posts have more information than most people care about.  I never did posts like this with Gavin and Emery…..and I also still haven’t finished their baby books!  So, this time around I’m making sure to write this stuff down while it’s fresh in my mind. Maybe one day it will make it into a baby book, or at least a blog book!

Things I Learned on the 4th of July

 

My Dad (Vandaddy) likes fireworks more than my kids.  Going to the fireworks stand with my Dad is fun. And last, my Dad is sometimes on the “cutting edge” of fashion.  :-)

Fruit pizza is good.

We don’t have to go anywhere to see great fireworks.  Our neighbors put on an awesome hour long fireworks display. This was a great opportunity to play with the manual settings on my camera.  I’ve got a LOT to learn.  I read some articles today on how to take pictures of fireworks.  Should’ve read those articles on the 3rd of July, not the 5th.  :-) 

Emery REALLY dislikes fireworks.  She was inside in bed after the first one (literally).

Gavin LOVES big fireworks.  The bigger, the better.  He had the time of his life.

 

We can’t wait until next year.  We’ll be getting in on the action with our neighbors!

Happy belated 4th of July!

Who Us, Rednecks?

I've spent a lot of time over the years time convincing people from other states (my husband included) that Texans are not rednecks. When I see movies with actors playing a Texan with an accent so strong that it can hardly be considered English, it irritates the heck out of me. I grew up in a fairly small (but not small anymore) town outside of the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area and kids from "the city" would sarcastically ask us if we rode our horses to school.

Well, this week, I've taken 10 steps back in my argument. One night after work, Pete took the kids for a ride in his "monster truck" (around our yard at no more than 0.5 miles per hour).......



And then caught a huge tarantula in our front yard and put it in a cage as if we would keep it for a pet!

Is that not the ugliest thing you've ever seen? The kids think it's "cute"!

Pete is from New Jersey and technically NOT a Texan, so my argument still stands firm. Texans are not rednecks, but my husband is! Oh well, I guess I should just embrace it.......

New Name and Playing Catch Up

I'm trying to get caught up on life in general. While adding a new baby to the mix has been fun and exciting, it's also put me WAY behind on pretty much everything. So, it's time to update the name of our blog and give it some much needed TLC!

"Pete and Shelley, The Bonus Plan"

When we were married almost 5 years ago, we weren't even sure if we would have kids. On our wedding trip, I remember having the conversation......

-"Do you want kids?"

-"I don't know. What about you?"

-"I don't know."

(not picture of actual conversation) :-)

This obviously wasn't the first time we had this conversation (We didn't wait until after we were married to discuss such a huge issue!), but we were still in agreement.......we had no idea what we wanted. We were getting "older" (31 and 34), but we also loved adventure and were constantly travelling or trying something new.

Over the next year, we made up our minds.....and a year and 2 months later, I was pregnant. Not just one baby, but two! BONUS!

When the babies were 19 months old (March of 2009), Pete and I were sitting at my birthday dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Again, we had the conversation.....

-"Do you want another baby?"

-"I don't know. What about you?"

-"I don't know."

-"OK, then lets just give it until the end of this year and then we'll re-assess the situation. By then the kids will be almost 2 1/2, so it wouldn't be as INSANE as getting pregnant with two 19 month olds.......Because if we got pregnant right now, that would mean we'd have 3 kids under 2 1/2 years old, which would be CCCCRRRRAAAAAZZZZZZYYYYY and just might push us over the edge."

OK......so maybe it didn't go exactly like that, but pretty close. Little did we know, that while we sat there having that conversation, I was already pregnant with Ethan! Another BONUS! Crazy, but definitely a BONUS!

2 days after my first doctors appointment, Pete was laid off for the second time in 7 months! He started his current job 7 months later, the same week that I delivered Ethan. I was still in the hospital on his first day of work! Ethan was born on December 14th. What if we had waited until the end of the year to revisit the discussion of adding another baby? What would we have decided? I'm SO GLAD that the decision was made for us. BONUS!

We were living in Indiana when he was laid off the first time (October 2008). He quickly found a job that led us back to Texas, near my family. October 2008.....the economy was literally falling apart before all of our eyes. We put our house on the market THE DAY AFTER he was laid off, not even knowing where we would be moving with two 14 month old babies (we are a little crazy). How lucky were we to sell our house and find a job within a month and 1/2 that would allow us to move back to Texas (even if the job would end 5 months later)? BONUS, BONUS, BONUS!

God only gives us what we can handle, right? We've been walking a thin line and I'm not always sure I can handle it all, but I really feel like everything has worked out perfectly.

In one month, Gavin and Emery will be 3 years old. So, instead of three kids under 2 1/2, we'll have three kids 3 and under. That's GOT to be easier, right??? :-)

So, that's why we're now called "Pete and Shelley, the Bonus Plan"!

Sickies

The only thing worse than cleaning up puke (and being puked on), is being the puker.......

It was a rough night with some high fevers. I think Emery's on the mend, but Gavin still feels awful. Doesn't he look pitiful?

However, within the last few minutes, he's shown small signs of his normal self.......

And on top of it all, Ethan is feeling under the weather after getting his 6 month immunizations yesterday. I need an excel spreadsheet for the Tylenol schedules (seriously).

Let's hope that everyone kicks this fast so that they can see some fireworks this weekend!