Summer Time

Three Brothers, originally uploaded by cheryl.

Today marks the end of my mini-vacation, the week that I had off from work in order to switch to my new set schedule (every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night) at work. The boys and I had been trapped inside most of the week after coming home from the lake, so I was determined to turn the television and computer off for at least part of the day and do something else.

The back yard kiddie pool was our choice. Actually it was Connor's choice, but the others seemed willing. So I went outside, rinsed out the pool and started filling it up with water. With the heat and humidity of late, I had no worries about the boys jumping right in after it filled up. It wouldn't stay cold for long.

Of course, one might argue that I should have checked the weather before I started with this plan. Perhaps even bothered to look up in the sky a bit more than I did. I just thought, hmm, cloudy and overcast, that means it won't be as hot. It didn't really look like rain, not yet anyway. But my other clue should have been the Facebook posts I saw on my phone - one person a few hours to the west talking about how much she loved rain and another one talking about getting a run in before the thunderstorm. What? So as I turn off the water, I look around a little more. Yep, those are dark clouds building to the west. The wind is a bit stronger than normal. Okay, probably going to storm soon. But the boys were already dressed and dancing at the door.

So we went out. They splashed and played and had a big time. We went about 30 minutes with no worries. The rain started shortly thereafter, but the two water babies of the day didn't mind in the least. Sawyer, today's non-water baby (a whole other story in and of itself), was not happy. He came over to me and stood underneath the eave of the roof to stay dry. We managed probably about an hour total before the first crack of thunder rumbled. I gave them a few more minutes to wrap it up, and then we moved inside.

It was almost time for lunch anyway. The boys watched a few cartoons and played with their toys in the sun room while I got lunch together. They ate (or pretended to, also a whole other story) and then went back to playing. After a little while, Connor kept hinting that the rain was gone.

This time I checked. It was gone. So we got dry swimming clothes (the second set of the day) and headed back out. It went well for about 10 minutes. And then it started raining again. This time out of clear blue skies. We stayed out. There wasn't any thunder, so I cranked up the umbrella for the table, so Saw and I could stay dry while the other two happily splashed. It quit in no time and it was like it never happened.

Of course, by then Connor had gotten in trouble for spraying his brothers (not one or even two times, but the third time got him). He was sent inside to change clothes because he was done for the day. He was mad. And then he was sad. He stomped around at first, but then he started crying. I was resolved. He has to learn. Spending weeks away from home with grandparents has its consequences. And it usually means adjusting to having brothers, to having to share your things, and to not getting to do everything you want exactly when you want to do it.

He got over it. I let him come back outside with us, just not in or around the kiddie pool. He could play in the yard or sit with us at the table if he wanted. He eventually was content with that. We've also talked about the incident a few times. I always ask him what he did wrong. He generally starts with a rather pitiful "I don't know" and hides his head. But we work our way to the truth and he tells me what he did and the consequence of his action. We're working hard on that with him lately. That your actions have consequences. He doesn't always like it, but he's beginning to understand.

And that was our day. A little fun in the pool. A lesson or two. And now we're winding down so Mommy can get ready to start her work week tonight. I'm also fighting off three little boys who are determined to get the computer the minute I abandon it. Wonder who will win? (Hint, it's the sneaky little one, he always gets there first).

Lazy Days

HOT, originally uploaded by cheryl.

That would be the temperature INSIDE the sun room today. It's normally warmer in there than the rest of the house, but not THAT warm. Usually only about five degrees above the AC setting. That's definitely not it.

It's been hot - I mean really, really HOT - in our part of the world the last few days. Temperatures are in the mid-nineties today with a heat advisory. And that means the boys and I have been spending some quality time indoors. You know, driving each other crazy.

Xander is obsessed with the computer. It's nothing new, but the obsession really does seem to be getting worse. He has long known how to turn it on and get himself online to his favorite games. But he's advanced past that. Now he can actually outsmart the system. When we simply "Log Off" and you have to retype the password to get back on, he just reboots the whole system until it comes back up with no password protection. Clearly Mommy needs to work on that. Who knew the four-year old could outsmart the system?

Sawyer is obsessed with eating and drinking. He hasn't been interested in meal times of late, just picking out the bread or chips and leaving the rest of his food. So he wants to "graze" all day long. That means the pantry has been locked for the first time in a long time on a regular basis. I am tired of screaming "no" all day long and finding dry cereal all over my house. It's his first choice, of course. Next is the loaf of bread or perhaps the doughnuts that we picked up at the grocery store earlier this week. He also likes to take the pitcher of Kool-Aid out of the refrigerator and drink it. All of it. He used to tilt it up like a big glass, which actually wasn't so bad. But here lately, he's taken to dipping his fingers into it and sucking the liquid off. Not so good. Giant mess wherever he hides to "drink" it, and also sticky hand prints all over the house.

And Connor is just Connor. He seems happy to be back home among his things, especially his toys. And all of the toys are "his" toys as far as he's concerned. So there's been a lot more screaming and crying, usually by the little brothers, the last few days than there has been all summer long. He doesn't want to share with them, is not above hitting them if they touch or in any way bother something he's been working on (whether he's actively playing with it at the moment doesn't seem to matter either), and he's even taken to hiding some toys out of his brothers' reach.

Yes, these are fun days at our house. A little too much togetherness, I think. And the heat keeps us inside, which makes the days seem even longer.

We did venture to the local park one night, but it was late (in an attempt to avoid the heat and humidity). It didn't work. The boys were hot and sweaty within minutes. Their Capri Suns were gone within seconds. And then they were just crabby, while we were there, on the way home from there, and when it was time to come inside and take their baths.

This time of year is hard on them. Late evening is the best time to get outside, but the heat is still there. And, we're in the process of slowly getting them back onto normal school routines. And that means bath and bed before the summer usual of 10 o'clock or even later. They're not exactly happy about that either.

Fun times at our house this week ...

Let Them Eat Cake!

Today Aunt Kelly stopped over to visit for a little while on her day off. The boys love to see their Aunt Kelly - she's always the kind to get down in the floor and spend some quality play time on their level. Connor usually tries to keep her attention centered squarely on him, and today it worked since the twins couldn't be torn away from their computer game, but normally, all the boys get in on the action.

Aunt Kelly is also notorious for her amazing treats - whether it be toys or color books or candy or other goodies - there is almost always something. Today it was cupcakes ... big, overflowing with icing, bakery cupcakes from one of the local cupcake boutiques.

We saved them for after dinner, and the boys LOVED them ...



Xander, with cake in one hand and icing on the fingers of the other.



Connor taking a big bite with his fork.



Sawyer eating the gummy worm topping first, before digging in fingers first to his icing.

There was cake. Lots of yummy, yummy cake. And frosting. Lots of blue frosting. What more could a little boy ask for?

Standard Forms

With preschool and Early Start between them, kindergarten isn't as big of a milestone as it probably is for some kids and their parents. We've already had those moments of anxiety about dropping our babies off with strangers. We've been there, done that.

For Connor, he was nearly four as he entered a two-day a week preschool program, a grand total of six hours every week. He was also the "bye-bye, see you later!" kid who didn't blink and eye. For the twins, they started their school journey just after their third birthday, with three hours every single day. They were not quite that easy, but the transition wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it might be.

And as I was going through paperwork for Connor's entrance to "big boy" school, I was struck by the forms I was filling out. For once, how easy those forms were to go through, checking yeses on every single line. Most parents probably do. Most people probably don't even give those forms a passing thought or second glance.

But I've seen those forms before. I know what those forms are searching for, what patterns and lines it's hoping to distinguish. And I hate those forms. Because with my twins, those forms are not easy. There are few yeses and a lot of big, resounding nos being marked.

In that moment I was conflicted. I was incredibly happy that I could check yes to everything for Connor, that there is nothing to look for or worry about when it comes to his development, that school will come easily for him as so many things in his young life have. I am happy for him.

But I do not look forward to those forms next year, when his brothers will age out of Early Start and follow him to kindergarten a year later. Those forms will still be there, and they still not be easy. In fact, they will suck. Even coming in with years of early intervention and therapy, there will still be few yeses checked and many more nos. Developmental milestones will always be an issue, and school will come anything but easily to them. I hate that for them.

So I will enjoy Connor's moment today, the ease and confidence he took into his kindergarten screening and the excitement and anticipation he holds for the coming weeks. Even compared to the other incoming kindergartners, he looked calm, perfectly at-ease and ready. Some of his future classmates looked much less sure about the whole thing. I will simply enjoy his moment today, because it was a good one ...

Kindergarten Kickoff!

Today was Connor's second visit to his new school. We went earlier this year to register him for the following school year, but it's been several months and that's a really long time for a five-year old. He was excited to go again. So much so that he wanted to stay longer than the hour we were there. And he also wanted to come back again tomorrow.

Today was one of the two days you could select for the "Kindergarten Kickoff" or standard screening program that they do for incoming kindergartners. The teachers are trying to get an idea of where kids are so that they can plan activities and schedules for the school year. He aced the screening of course. We were lucky enough to have him in a really great preschool program these last two years, and he was coming in as well prepared as most kids his age. He does need work on his "pencil grip," which we knew and which the teachers reassured was a common problem for incoming kids. But when it came to core concepts, he performed well.

After the assessment, the assessment, we were taken on full tour of the school by members of the school PTA. It was the first time we had been beyond the front office. We had started our day in the media center (or library, as they were once called). That was where I filled out some additional paperwork and Connor was led away by a teacher for the assessment. So we spent some time looking around there before that segment of our day was over.

The tour started with important stuff - like a snack (fruit roll-ups for kids and cookies for adults) and the playground. Connor liked the playgound, one of our first stops, though he did comment that it was a really long way to walk (not really, but for a little boy eager to play, there is a bit of a walk). He also liked the big cafeteria with its tall ceilings and long tables (something he's never had at school before). We saw the specialty classrooms, where the kids will do art, music and dance, and even Chinese language. Our last stop of the general tour was the indoor gymnasium (for rainy day activities).

We ended our tour at the kindergarten complex. There are four classrooms in one big, open space that are separated only by bookcases and some commonly shared resources. Those teachers are brave, let me tell you. There is one classroom that is separated from the others, mostly because of a space issue it seems. That fifth classroom is a more traditional classroom setting.

The tour officially ended by turning in the last of our paperwork and by Connor getting to pick a helium balloon of his favorite color. He picked green, which is appropriate, because his brothers are extremely envious of that balloon. Xander has wrapped it up in the ceiling fan not once but twice when he managed to get it away from Connor (it was worth the trade of giving up the computer, which in Xander's world, is a really BIG deal). It's now safely tied down in Connor's bedroom.

And that was our next step on the road to kindergarten. We have another open house and meet-the-teacher night next Monday (they couldn't do classroom assignments until after all the assessments were complete). So we'll be back again next Monday night, and then he'll start on that following Wednesday.

It's hard to believe it's time. But it is. And we think he's ready. He knows he is, if you care to ask him. He's been ready since last May when preschool ended. Maybe before. It should make the transition easier for everyone. It's hard to argue with a kid who's excited to go to school!