My Ruby Red Slippers: school

Showing posts with label school. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

Ben's 1st Day of School - Pt. 2

So, after I took Ben to his first day of Kindergarten (we skipped preschool, for the strangers in the audience), I was positively giddy with the possibilities: lunch by myself, a leisurely (omgosh, so that's what that word looks like!) walk through a store or even (GASP!) a BOOK store...OR...Starbucks and a book....I almost started crying at the thought!

Then, remembered my hateful, anti Starbucks budget and headed to McDonalds. Oh my gosh, the irony of going to McDonalds without Ben on my first childless day just hit me right in the face.

A caramel frappe (try it and you'll have me to blame for the new addiction) later, I headed to one of my favorite kid-unfriendly stores, TJ Maxx. Yes, I walked down almost every single aisle, touching glass vases and pouring through racks of clothes I didn't need just because I could.
Because Ben wasn't yelling, "CAN WE LEAVE?!"

I went to the post office and mailed some packages without worrying about Ben going nuts in the line. I smiled at total strangers because I was happy. Not stressed. Not playing 101 questions on what I could buy/do/take him.

Okay, I'm starting to feel bad, lol. Ben is not a monster. He's not even a brat. He may be a little hyper active, I'm starting to realize, like his daddy. Hmmm.

So anyway, my day was wonderful. I went grocery shopping, something I loathe doing with Ben because he wants to touch everything, buy everything, and then freak out when I take too long. I'm starting to realize how little patience he has.

Ha! I'm gonna tell God on him, now that I think about it! He has ways of producing patience ;)

Anyway, I ended up spending 4 hours in town, then came home and cleaned my house from top to bottom, including mopping & vacuuming and dishes...just in time to pick the kids up from school. I felt so productive! And happy! And calm!

I know I'll look back one day and wish I could do it all over again. At least, I think I will. Everyone says you do and I already miss the baby days. They were good years, but I'm ready for the next stage. He's ready. It's time. And it is looking good!

I'm looking forward to all the work I'll get done while the kids are in school, so I can better enjoy my evenings with them. I am tired of hearing myself say, I can't play with you right now, I have to finish something.

Oh, funny story (to end on). I actually sat in a parking lot yesterday and talked to Beth on the phone for an hour, while waiting on the bank to open (I had no idea they don't open till 8:30am!). I kept thinking, Ben would be freaking out right about now saying, "Can we GO yet?"

Today I had to run some errands and he was with me. I came to a stop sign and had to wait for traffic to slow so I could pull out. Sure enough, I hear, "What are you waiting for!?" I turned, gave him my Oh no you don't! face and he just smiled sheepishly.

A few minutes later I pulled up to a red light. Not 10 seconds later he yelled, "GO!"
Yeah, I won't miss that part at all, lol. I gave him the Do Not Tell Mommy What To Do speech for the 10th time today, wherein he apologized, per usual. Which lasted 5 minutes. Per usual.

Did I mention I've been praying for his teacher?!

Ben's 1st Day of School - Pt. 1

Okay, I'm going to admit something that moms aren't supposed to say out loud, probably. Good moms, anyway.

I have been COUNTING DOWN the days till Ben starts school for a long time now. Doesn't that sound just awful?!

Don't judge me till you've been his slave for 24 hours straight.

I love that kid. He is my baby. I get all soft and mushy inside when I think about my youngest child. He's the one that, from day one, had to sleep in my arms, tucked under my chin.

But, long story short, that cute little cuddly baby grew into a demanding, bossy, needy 5 year old.

His first question every single morning is: Where are we going today? I am a hermit, so this is the LAST thing I want to do, leave the house. If I say no where, he starts The Game.

YOU know the one:

Can we go to Beffie's (Beth')? No.
Why not? Because Beth is working.
Can we go to WalMart? No, I don't need to go to WalMart today.
How about we go to McDonald's? No, we're just going to stay home today.

Then, the bargaining starts:

If you take me to McDonald's, I'll wet you doe to WalMart! (This is when I start laughing. Or pulling my hair out, depending my current stress level.)

Then, he eats every 1-2 hours. We eat pretty healthy and apples are one of his favorite snacks. He's been known to eat an entire bag of apples in ONE day. My mom watched him for me a few months ago and told me later, "I thought you were kidding...but I literally fed that boy all day long!"

I don't mind, really. I know he's a growing boy and has a hollow leg. In fact, his knees are already as big as my 10 yr old's. But it's hard to get into the flow of editing pictures or updating a website reading my Bible...ANY thing and have to keep getting up to get him something or play a million questions about what I'm doing today.

Even Katie told me today: "He's needy! He needs constant entertainment!"

Because some of this stuff is just boredom talking. I watch him and when he gets tired of playing with something, he looks around then looks at me, sees me working, and he must think to himself, she doesn't look busy enough....i need to give her something to do.

"I'M. HUNGRY!"

All. Day. Long.

I've tried setting aside a time to do these things with him, so he'll let me do what I need to do in peace. Doesn't work. And yes, I've bought snacks he can get for himself, drinks, etc.... Then he wants a hot dog, heated up. And when he doesn't eat it fast enough and it cools off, he wants it reheated (he has a real issue with food temperature!). And yes, I've tried not doing it. He goes on a hunger strike and, well, I'm a mom. I can't let that go on for too long. I went through too much pain & suffering to get him here!

That's why I was so happy to meet his teacher. She will be able to set boundaries and enforce them because, face it, it's not HER kid!

I've been praying for this woman since I met her. She seems very capable; sweet, yet firm. Exactly what Ben needs. He really seems to like her, which is so great, but it's only been one day. He starts a full week next Monday and then he's in for a rude awakening. They did "fun" stuff on his first day, like make play dough, play on the playground, color, met a bear...or so he says.

Monday, the gloves come off and he get so "learn", something he says he hates to do, lol. I can't wait!

Ben is a smart cookie. Probably the brightest of all my kids at this particular age. Are moms allowed to say that out loud either? But it's true. He needs the mental stimulation, the constant activity, and someone who will refuse to play The Game with him. Or is better at it than I am, lol.

So, that day was yesterday. He's already asked if he could go back to "stool".
Um, YES!

As for what I did while he was away, that's a whole other post...but it involved the Spongebob Squarepants song, "Best day ever...!"

PS: I was SO excited about getting him there, I totally forgot to take pictures of his first day of school! I know, bad photographer/mommy. So, Monday we are doing a redo :)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Micah Goes to School

a.k.a. Mommy Scares the Preschoolers

Okay, so I probably wasn't that bad...I hope. Micah, my little big boy, officially started Preschool yesterday and I may or may not have had a mini meltdown that may or may not have been in front of his class and may or may not have involved me driving down the wrong side of the road for an undetermined period of time, sobbing my eyes out. Maybe.

Okay, the truth is, I started bawling all over his poor, wonderful teacher, Miss Carissa, and she, being such a great teacher, reassured me that he would be loved on, cared for, and that she would be the sobbing mess by the time school ended next May. (Let's hope so!)

I know he's my third child to start school and I should be a semi-pro at this, but this was a little harder on me than the other two for a couple of good reasons.

One, Katie & Ethan were 5 years old when they started Kindergarten. Micah is 4 (and a half!) and going into Preschool. It just seems wrong on so many levels. But, he needs speech therapy and this seems to be the cheapest (free) way to get him what he needs, before Kindgergarten and the "real" learning begins .I learned the hard way with Katie & Ethan...waiting until Kindgergarten handicaps them in many ways.

Which leads me to my next reason: I started bawling when it came time to leave my little baby in a room full of kids and adults that probably wouldn't understand half of what he said. It would be like being deaf without sign language.

But, that's when she reassured me that he would be loved, they would call if they needed me, I could call them if I was worried, and he would be fine.

Guess what! She was right :) And, no, I did not call. But I was tempted. Just don't want to be that mom. Yet.

He was totally okay, they said they had no trouble communicating with him, and he was awake and ready to go to school again this morning, so apparently all is well.

Worry, much? Yep. Yes, I do. It's hard reliquishing control and custody, even temporarily, of my children. It almost seems criminal that we spend the first 5 years warning them about strangers, then BAM! We send them on a bus with total strangers, to a school with total strangers, all in authority over them.

That's where my faith & prayer come in. I have learned that I can drive myself crazy with all the "what if" thoughts...or I can leave it God's hands. So, I covered him in prayer, then reminded God - "I gave each one of them to You the day they were born. Now it's Your turn. Please take care of OUR children." Then, I have to rest in the knowledge that He is in charge. Always has been, really, but it's just another level of trust on my part.

Anyway...the end of the story is, Micah has excellent, LOVING teachers, he loves school, and Ben is a much calmer, sweeter child when Micah is not around. Ooops! I mean, Ben really misses Micah and they get along much better now :)

And, per usual, pictures of the momentus event:

Not quite awake...