December Random

*  I'm pretty sure we are the only people in our neighborhood that don't have our Christmas lights up.  Jim refused to get the Christmas stuff out of the attic until December 1st, but then we were busy all last weekend and never got it done.  It's okay, though.  This guy makes up for our lack of Christmas lights...

There's one in every neighborhood, and this is ours.  Ho, Ho, HOLY CRAP, THAT'S A LOT OF LIGHTS!  When we drive by the house, on our way home, Jim shouts "AVERT YOUR EYES!  AVERT YOUR EYES!  DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY AT IT OR YOU'LL GO BLIND!"  I put my camera in my car yesterday, planning to get a shot on my way home from work last night.  I slowed down as I approached the house, and then quickly sped back up when I saw the guy standing on his porch.  I think he was trying to decide if he could fit a little more tacky in the yard.  Either that, or he smelled smoke from the fuse that was about to blow and take out power in the whole neighborhood.

*  Saturday we are going to the Holiday Pops Christmas concert downtown, along with my parents.  Seeing the huge tree and pretty decorations, and hearing the music should put us in the decorating mood.
Maybe we'll also finally get a picture for our Christmas card?!

*  Jim, Dylan, and I watched Rudolph last night.  I get sad sometimes, thinking about how much Dylan has already grown.  But, then he buries his head in my shoulder and covers his eyes, afraid of "Bumble", and he's still my innocent little boy.

*  I've already started to panic a bit about him going to kindergarten next year.  We've toured four schools, and have one more scheduled to tour.  There is one we really, really like, but the students are chosen by lottery, so the chances he'll get in are slim.  I called to try and schedule a tour at our local public school.  The conversation went like this...
Me: "I was calling because my husband and I would like to come in and tour the school".
Secretary:  "Ummmmm....." (awkward silence)
Me:  "We are looking at some private schools in the area and we wanted to tour the public school before making a decision".
Secretary:  "Uh... well... let me take down your information and I'll get back to you".

That was Monday morning.  I haven't heard back from her.  Really doesn't make me want to send him there, you know?

*  This is the first winter that Dylan doesn't take naps.  He only goes to school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  I'm having a hard time coming up with things to do!  What do you do with your kids in the winter?

Dylan The Science Kid

Some things change.  Some things stay the same.  Poor Dylan is on his 3rd school, (fourth, if you count the "Mommy & Me" class we went to for a few months before it fell apart).

He seems to be enjoying his new school.  He doesn't complain about going, and usually emerges smiling and singing whatever new song he has learned.  After only a few classes, he is already telling me some of the names of kids he has met.

Last Thursday was his first music class at the school.  A teacher from his regular class takes him directly to his music class, so I don't see his regular teachers at the end of the day.  The director of the place was standing with the music teacher and the kids when I picked him up last Thursday.  "Next time you're here, could you stop in and talk to Mrs. X (one of his regular teachers)", the director said to me, as I was turning to leave with Dylan.  "Ummm...", I paused, waiting for an explanation.  "She said he is doing very well", she said, failing to follow that with anything substantial.

"WHAT?!", I was screaming in my head as I walked down the hallway.   I used to be a preschool teacher.  I know you don't ask to talk to a parent whose child is doing "very well".  So what's up?  That is just mean, leaving a mom to her overactive imagination for four whole days!  So, who knows what that is about?!  I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

Today he had his first science class at the school.  When I heard they offered it, I was thrilled.  Me, I've never been the least bit interested in science.  I knew that if Dylan was going to develop an appreciation for science, it was going to have to come from his dad, or a teacher, because I'm basically of a "Science, Shmience" frame of mind.  But, Dylan has been watching "Sid the Science Kid" on PBS lately, and loves it.  I have to admit, it is a cool show, even if it does talk about Shmience.

So, this morning I told him he was going to his first science class, just like Sid.  "You can be Dylan the Science Kid!"  I couldn't resist singing a few bars of "I love my mom... My mom is cool... But now it's time for me to have fun at school", as we drove there.  No, I didn't do the little dance when I dropped him off - it was snowing and 16 degrees and I have a cold and... wah!

His class is 45 minutes long, and the best part is that his school is so close to the library, that I can just go hang out there and get myself and Dylan some books.  When I picked him up, the teacher said, "Well, you would never know today was his first day!  He came right in, and had no problems at all!"

So often, we focus on the things our kids do that drive us completely nutso.  For me, it's the never ending chatter, and the ridiculously slow process of getting dressed.  We don't think about the things that have never been an issue.  Why would we?  But, today I found myself thinking "Wow!  I have never had to deal with the screaming, crying kid, clinging to my leg, and begging me not to leave him.  Dylan has ALWAYS been good in new situations.  I AM LUCKY".  "I AM LUCKY".  It's a powerful phrase, when said out loud, or even in your head.  It puts a smile on your face, and a spring in your step, and gives you that needed extra ounce of patience.

So regardless of what the teacher has to say tomorrow, it doesn't matter.  I AM LUCKY.

First School Field Trip

(First off, I want to thank all of you who left comments on my wallpaper post.  I really think I get it now!  We were going about decorating all wrong in the past, choosing paint colors and then trying to match stuff to the paint.  We should have been picking room accessories that we loved, and picking paint colors to match those.  I mean, I don't think they'll be inviting me onto Extreme Makeover : Home Edition anytime soon, but I am optimistically hopeful I can make the dining room look great.  THANK YOU!)

Today was Dylan's first school field trip.  I signed up to be a chaperone weeks ago.  I have to admit, after signing up I had a flash back to some rainy, cold, miserable fall field trips I went on when I taught preschool, and had a bit of a "WTH did I just do that?" moment.  In the paperwork, we were told that we would be in charge of one child besides our own.  I was picturing them giving me a little girl with blond hair, whose head spun in circles while she spit fire.  I was picturing her and Dylan jumping on my cold, exhausted body, lying in a puddle of rain, crying "WHY?  WHY DID I SIGN UP FOR THIS?!"  But, then I snapped out of it.

Turns out, my kid was harder to handle than the one they gave me.  (The $20 spot I slipped the teachers when they were making their selection helped).  First, he put his feet up on the seat during the "Pumpkin and Gourd Presentation", getting mud all over the seat and the kid I was in charge of.  Then, I had to tell him repeatedly "We can go soon", during the presentation (which WAS ridiculously boring), as he asked loudly "WHEN IS THIS GONNA BE OVER?"  Then, he made me go in the foul port-a-potty because he had to poop.  He spilled his entire bowl of peaches on the table during lunch, after dumping some of his crackers on the floor.  Plus, he was the only kid who got hurt and caused a scene. (Totally not his fault, but still.  He was on the swings and some girl pushed the swing next to him sideways so it hit into his head).

We got to ride on a bus to the farm, which he was excited about.  After the ridiculously boring presentation, we went on a hayride, picked out a pumpkin, went through a corn maze, went in a teepee, and played in a pirate ship play structure.  Then, we got back on the bus to ride to a playground, where we also had lunch.  

I joke, but I am really glad I have a job that enables me to go to things like this.   I'm glad I got to hear him laugh as he ran through the corn maze.  I'm glad I got to see his smile when he saw me get on the bus and come over to sit with him.  I'm glad I got to marvel at how adorable he looked when he fell asleep on the bus on the way back to school.  I'm glad I got to share his first field trip with him.

(If I didn't have this rule where I don't post photos of other people's kids unless they say it's okay, I would post all the shots I took of Dylan and the kid I was in charge of.  Just picture Dylan with a look on his face that says, "Mom, you are SO embarrassing!", and the other kid with a look on his face that says, "Does this lady ever quit?  Why did you put me with her?  What about that $20 I spotted the teachers?")

First Day of School

Today was Dylan's first day of school. The class is called "Together With Twos", so basically it is two year olds and their very anxious mommies in attendance. Dylan won't be two until November, but they made an exception because, well, they needed another kid! It is only Dylan and two little girls in the class.

What is it about first days of school that are so nerve wracking? I felt like I was back in high school, all nervous and disgusted with myself. I bought Dylan a new shirt to wear especially for today, but realized last night that I forgot to wash it. At 10:30 at night I realized that he didn't have a single pair of clean shorts. I ran down to pull his clothes out of the dryer, which were slightly wrinkled because they sat too long. Then I realized that I didn't have any clean clothes either. No time to do another load. I actually wore the same outfit I wore yesterday! Groan. How pathetic.

This morning, I did manage to get a shower and wash my hair, but I was having the kind of bad hair day that makes you think shaving your head is a better option than fixing it. I finally just threw a headband on, and after fighting with Dylan about him wearing his new shoes we were out the door. Then, back in the door for me to change from shorts into jeans because dang it, it was too cold!

When we arrived, Dylan marched right in ahead of me, to look the place over, investigating every area before giving it his stamp of approval. We met the teacher, who told us that she would always have a craft out, but that it was up to them if they chose to do it or just play for the first half hour. Knowing my son, my guess was that I wouldn't be putting any crafts up on our refrigerator anytime soon. Wrong - it was the first thing he did. Aside from a little confusion about what exactly you do with glue, no problems there.

Free play time went fine. The time I had been dreading since learning of the class came next - story time. Dylan LOVES books, and loves to be read to, but it has always been one on one, and he is always sitting in someone's lap reading. This time, he was supposed to sit on a carpet square and pay attention while the teacher read to everyone. Uh, yea, not so much. Instead, he shunned the carpet square, got up 3 or 4 times to choose his own book to look at, then left the area completely. When I took him back to the story area, where I tried to get him to sit on my lap, he became The Incredible Noodle Boy and slid right out of my lap, and grasp, before wiggling away to freedom.

By that time, story time was finished, and snack time was next. While the little girls sat nicely, listening to the grown ups make small talk and daintily chewing on their snacks, Dylan gobbled his pretzels and juice down like a human vacuum, before leaving the table to explore once again. The teacher called him "active". What she doesn't know is, that I taught in daycares and preschools, so I know all the codes. "Active" = whew, he's a handful, isn't he? You must be exhausted. Luckily, he charmed her by bringing her letter magnet after letter magnet, telling her what each letter was. So, he's "active", but he's also "smart".

Next it was outside play time. He plays pretty well with other kids, so that wasn't bad. There was a small incident, though, where he almost locked us all out of the building by pulling on the door that was propped open (with a brick! - "active", "smart", and "strong").

I have a handful of papers to read before the next class - the days of papers everywhere that you don't have time to read have begun early! I have his first craft ever up on the refrigerator. I have a week to buy new clothes, do laundry, and get a haircut. Or, I could always shave my head.