Summer Nights

What's going on?

It's been awhile, and as usual life moves at lightening speed. Recently, my boy turned 9 years old. I know.  I am equal points proud of my little man, and frankly, a little unhinged that the next birthday is a big one for him. My little boy, not so little anymore...

Yeah, everyone talks about how fast time moves along, but I swear I can't tell you where this year is going. I've been busy continuing on my life improvement journey. It's going really well. I had a review of blood work and my cholesterol is normal! for the first time in my life. I am still losing weight, which is awesome. I am, however, still losing my hair (boo) and dealing with moderate to OMG pain! muscle and joint issues (for which I have a specialist appointment in June). So, good news/bad news I guess, but I'm just happy to put my health first. I'll get there one step at a time.

Summer is looming, oh heck, it's here I guess. The boy finishes 3rd grade on the 20th of June. We joined a swim club, once again (and maybe taking advantage of it more frequently when I'm not working). I joined a CSA (Co-Op) at an organic farm this year. First time doing this, and I am all kinds of excited. Will post some pictures of my bounty over the summer. As long a we don't have a drought here in the Northeast, I should be very happily stocked with veggies.

Photo Credit: aandrec75 via Flickr 

Vacation cannot come soon enough. Summer means our annual road trip down south to Hilton Head Island, SC. I am looking forward to my feet in the sand.  My chair is waiting...

 Lastly, it finally dawned on me why I find it so hard to blog here, and the reason came quite clear to me in the shower this morning (whaat?  I do my best thinking in the shower)... I hate this platform I am on. I am going to finally reinvent and renovate this place and move it to WordPress. I have a couple other places I've been writing, but it only seems like I am cheating on my first love, which is BagMomma and the years of history I have here. So, I am consolidating, shutting the doors on extraneous blogs and coming home (here)... although here will be "there" soon. Dresden, are you reading? I may need a line on some technical help to accomplish what I want to do. :-) For those of you that are still hanging in, thank you. I am still here and will continue to be, even more.

Photo Credit: admiralspalast via Flickr 

The title of this post? I heard this "Grease" classic while in line at a store a couple days ago, and I can. not. get it out of my head. Danny and Sandy on the brain.... my son thinks I am crazy as I have sang the complete song from end to end while sliding in the kitchen. He has not seen the movie "Grease" yet, even though I bet I can find it in five seconds on any cable channel right now. I'm thinking I will need to bust out the soundtrack at least so he knows I am not making this sh!t up. If you could only see the perplexed look on his face when I burst into my medley... in 1978 I WANTED to be Sandy SO BAD... of course that was when Travolta was... ummmm... more appealing.

Heh.

 

Seven

Last night was the eve of the last day of being six years old. As I put the little guy to bed, he said...

"Mommy, I am going to miss being six years old."

Me too, my love....

Me too.

Happy 7th Birthday David.   xoxoxo

Six going on Sixteen

My son has a teensy crush on Taylor Swift. Which is cute for a six (almost) 7 year old.

Note to family and friends:  David is asking for Taylor Swift pencils for his birthday.

Heck, I may even have a crush on Taylor Swift (in a I-wish-I-had-a-daughter kind of way). It's nice to know that there are some celebrities that aren't wading knee-deep in the "look at me, I am so much more important! and relevant! than you!" stage.... ala Heidi Montag, who, while no longer a teen has somehow reinvented herself into a Frankenstein'ish 40 year old.  Scary.

Note to older adult David:  This is not the girl you want to marry.

Did she realize she looked younger BEFORE the plastic surgery??

Anyway, certain milestones such as "crushes on teen queens" phase reminds me that my little guy is not so little anymore.

As evidenced by his pants size. At the beginning of the school year, I hemmed his uniform pants which were too long (then). Now? Just 7 months later, he has grown at least an inch and a half. Which means I have more hemming in my future. I should also mention that I never even knew how to hem until the last two years. Domesticated, I am not. The only reason I self taught myself is sheer laziness... if I knew a tailor I would pay to have it done.

Do you remember this picture?

One of my favorites. I want to say he was maybe 18 months here- sitting with Daddy on his new motorcycle.

Now?

If you are a Facebook friend, you saw that I posted a picture of S. giving David his first "real" ride on the Harley last weekend.

What a difference 5 years makes...

Summer's End

Quite possibly the cutest kid on the planet.

Yes, I'm biased. And once in my life... I was really lucky.

My darling boy

Today you are SIX. ...Six? How is that possible?

Each year you grow taller and smarter. And further away from the baby I remember.

Once you had to look up to see the beauty of the world.


Now, you run though it.


Happy Birthday my dear son... always my miracle.

His favorite things

I got nothin'

So please enjoy the latest picture of a boy and his cat. And his stuffed lion. And his blankies. And his monkey.

I promise I'll be back in a better mood tomorrow.

Update from the Sick house

"Sick" as in illness, not "totally rad" (hey, I'm an 80's girl) or, what is it that the new generation defines sick? Like, awesome? phat? solid? fischnizzle?

Yeah, I'm SO not cool. Don't torture me.

So, S. is still sick, but marginally better so he's back to work. I am working (sorta), if you consider bringing my laptop to bed working. Or, the hour-long power naps I've been taking, oh.... every other HOUR.

I've had ear pain. Head congestion. A cough that rattles so bad it could wake the dead.

And David? Well, he's just fine. How we managed not to infest him with the germs is beyond me, although lately I HAVE been toting my can of lysol around the house.

In MILESTONE news, David lost two teeth!!

His bottom front two teeth fell out on New Year's eve and last Sunday. If I was feeling better, I would post a pic, but, alas, I am not in the mood for uploading from my camera.

Let it be known that David has noted that the Tooth Fairy is cheap for only leaving him 3 dollars for each tooth (he wanted $10!).

And so goes the last week of the first week of 2009.

Caution: School Crossing Ahead

I have to rehash an old story because it's driving me crazy. And the control freak that lives inside me can't let it go.

If you remember, I blogged back a few months ago about David attending Kindergarten. The truth is, we still don't know exactly where.

Yes, he's still on the waiting list at local Catholic School. He's also registered at the expensive private school. And, yes, he's also registered for the crappy 2 1/2 hour per day public school.

I still am waiting on the Catholic school. The Principal there must think I am completely stir-crazy, as she has received numerous letters from other parents trying to help me out in convincing her to open a spot for my son. This school is the best of both worlds.... full day, reasonably priced.

Then there's the private school. After all the visits and a non-refundable deposit I captured a spot for David. It's expensive (more than I am paying now). And last month we received a note from the school indicating the teacher I met and really liked QUIT. They just hired a new teacher, and I haven't met her yet.

Last month I relented and registered David for public school. The local school has a good reputation, but the Kindergarten school year is a joke. I feel like putting David there would negate all the learning he's done so far.... and take him out of sync. He's used to a full day and to go to a measly two hour school day.... I don't know.... The only perk in this scenario is that a good friend of mine has volunteered to watch David (AM or PM... whichever session he is assigned to). But the real kicker??? The school doesn't tell you whether your child is on the AM or PM session until TWO weeks before the start of school. Freaking unbelievable.

I've resigned myself to the fact that I will have to be in this nebulous zone all summer. Until either the one school calls us, or I just throw in the towel and decide to be poor or decide that we can hack Kindergarten on a severely reduced schedule.

The one thing that is definite is my baby is graduating from Pre-K and the daycare he's loved for the last 4 years on June 13th.

And, will begin his elementary education SOMEWHERE in the Fall.

Somewhere....

Sippy cups go to heaven

Yesterday was a big day at the BagMomma house.

David finally gave up one of his last ties to toddlerhood... the sippy cup.

David has always done everything on his own time. He fought potty training in pretty much the same way. He is only ready to move on when HE is ready. Just like his father.

We've been trying to get him to "give up" the sippy/straw cup (we call it the "baby" cups), and we thought we made headway over the last year when David had no problem drinking from a regular glass/cup during the day. It was the wake-up sippy cup, and the one he HAD to have before he went to bed which was the problem.

I was convinced at one point that he'd be in college one day drinking from a plastic sippy with circus animals printed on the cup.

So it was an odd morning yesterday. And for the BILLIONTH time we tried to lure him into throwing away the sippy cups.

And to our amazement, he said, so matter of factly.. "Ok!"

We were excited, and then reminded him that once they go away... THEY ALL GO AWAY.

No turning back...

...and then, we all went into the kitchen. Took every cup and top out of the cabinet.... and with much celebration... David tossed all of them into the trash.

We clapped and took a picture.




We went out and stopped by the grandparents houses to share the good news. And when we got home, I started to sweat wondering if the bedtime ritual was going to turn into a tantrum mess and I would have to dig the cups out of the trashcan outside...

We were surprised again when David sat at the table, and drank his milk from a regular cup. Happy and relaxed.

We were dreading bedtime, but the real challenge was still ahead. So this morning David woke up for school... and was NOT chipper in the least. He did not ask for his sippy cup, but he sat in the family room crying that he was thirsty.. but didn't want to sit at the kitchen table for his orange juice.


So I left it on the table and went about my routine, and by the time I walked back into the kitchen, he had relented. Success!!

I have to admit, I had a "Mom" moment in the car, and weeped (just a little) that my boy really has crossed over to that of "little boy".

There's nothing holding him back now from his baby days... well, except for "Scrappy" (his blanket). But we'll save that for another day.

Get out! They LEARN there??

You're tiring over my education ramblings, I know.

Oh, how I wish I could turn back time to two weeks ago, when positivity was all around. Life was looking up.

And then........ well....... you know.

So this kindergarten thing has served a purpose. It has taken my mind off of wallowing in self pity from the miscarriage.

It gave me a MISSION. A GOAL.

I've been to two private schools since my last post. One good (more on that in a sec) and one I didn't feel good about. I have one more appointment on Saturday. So far, I've put down one check for registration as of today. We may or may not end up at this school, but I wanted a sure thing, so I got it if I want it.

You know what was weird researching these schools, visiting and asking questions? I came to the realization that Kindergarten nowadays is far more academic than I imagined.

Oh pshaw, Shelli..... you didn't know that???

In my mind, I knew it, sure. I am so used to going to David's Pre-K school, and seeing him mostly playing and having fun, with a secondary emphasis on academia. The school he is at now goes by the belief "Learning through play"... which is a common one among daycares and preschools.

But when I toured this particular new school yesterday (which I subsequently went back today and put down my check) I was... I don't know...scared.

This school offers an environment that is vastly different. Sure, there's still playground time (and art, and music), but the class time is serious. I saw 17 five year olds sitting at little tables with books, and papers and #2 pencils. Smiling and raising their hand rather than jumping out of their seat and yelling for Cheez-Its.

And I panicked.

Is David ready for this?

So I asked my questions, talked to the teachers and some of the students who seemed five going on fifteen. Ok, I exaggerating. They were well-behaved, intelligent little people that looked like they LOVED learning.

LOVED IT.

And it stirred very odd emotions in me.

My baby is going to be FIVE in May. And in September he is going to SCHOOL, not daycare. He is going to LEARN. And WRITE and READ. Jeez, he could be writing a symphony by first grade for all I know.

Good lord, this just dawned on me. And I know you are probably reading this and laughing at my oversight.

So check in hand, I also made an appointment to bring David in for a pre-test in April. Placement, if you will. Because at this school they have THREE levels of Kindergarten. Which I liked the idea of. Because it allows the child to learn at the pace comfortable for them.

So it was an eye opening day. We are not 100% on this school yet, but it's a start.

Baby, we were born to run

David has been exercising his freedom lately.

Our neighbor has a little boy 2 years older than David. David is completely enamored with Patrick. Reason is, he's older (6), and he therefore hangs with older kids.

Now let me explain. David acts like an 18 year old in a four year old body. He doesn't want to hang out with the little kids. Little kids bore him. He is an explorer. An independent. I don't know where he got that trait from, certainly not from me or S.

BIG kids can go all the way around the block. They can ride a bike. They can go farther than the 'two house limit'. (David knows he is supposed to stay on the sidewalk, and in a two house radius on either side.) He knows this rule, but as most four year olds do, he challenges the rule every chance he gets.

So last night, he was playing with Patrick while I was watering my flowers. I walk in the house to fill up the watering can. TWO minutes after I told him 'stay where I can see you' he disappears down the street following the big kids, of course.

I walk out to the sidewalk. I look both ways.

He is nowhere in sight.

I see a little girl on a bike (whose name I forgot), and asked her if she saw David and Patrick.

"Yeah, he's with Patrick on the other side of the block".

The other side?????

Immediately I go into search and punish mode. My heart is pounding. I called for S., and we took off around the block (our block is pretty big, we call it a block but it's really like 3-4 blocks in a loop). Along the way we were asking the little/big kids,where David is. Each one responding.... up the street! That way!

How did he get that far so fast?

We circle the entire block, and just as we turn the corner to see our house in sight....we spot David and his two friends sitting on the sidewalk in front of our house. Safe. While we were walking one way, he had already ran around the whole loop and came back the opposite way.

After thanking Patrick for watching David and staying with him, I ask David why he broke the rules. "But I was with the big kids, they were watching me"... and I lecture him about the fact that big kids are not adults, and they don't have responsibility to watch him.

To which he says, "well, Mommy, you can come with me when we play" and his two friends (6 year olds) look at me with that "OMG, she's a MOM!!!! I can't believe you said that!!" look..

S. sends David in the house. He's pissed.

Just as soon as I walked away from the kids I felt bad for embarrassing him in front of his friends. What is the protocol for this? I don't want to look like maniac Mom, but I don't make the rules for fun.

And as S. and I stand in the house we quickly realize that this is just the beginning....

....of letting him go.

We can't keep him under our wings 24/7, nor should we. We are unprepared for the first step beyond our house, daycare, Grandma and Pop Pop's house... the "ultra-supervised environment" we are used to, and I am feeling a bit uneasy.

The world out there is a big place.

I wish he was still little, like this.

When the flowers grew bigger than him and and the world was too big to even think of walking down the driveway.

When the block seemed like a million miles from Mommy.

p.s. I am still enforcing the two house rule punk.

David goes to the Dentist

Well, bless his heart. My little man had his first official teeth cleaning at the Dentist yesterday, and he was as well-behaved as a boy could be.

He picked out a pair of sunglasses from the bin to protect him from the bright light of the lamp. And then, proceeded to ask what each tool was on the hygenist's (MJ) table, and what flavor toothpaste he was getting. He's a man that wants to be prepared.

When MJ asked him to OPEN WIDE he opened his mouth so wide I was sure he cracked his jaw. He even spit into the sink with no drippage on his bib (I can't even do that!)

True to my word, I took him to the toy store for his "army men" he's been wanting to buy, then we ate lunch at the mall.

"Mommy, I am a big boy.... there's nothing I can't do".

Indeed.

This growing up thing has to slow down. I miss having a baby around here.