Lesson #46: Be Careful What You Wish For

My friends Stacey Lukas and Marilyn Brewer threw a baby shower for me when I was pregnant with Liam (and a Sip and See for Lily) that encouraged friends to bring books instead of cards, and I am soooo glad they did; the library Liam has had since before he was born has been so fun to explore.  

A few weeks ago, Liam became obsessed with trains, and now it is "whoo whoo" every day, more times to count! So it was only a matter of time until he found the book on his shelf called "The Little Engine That Could", given to him by his cousin Jenny Stoddard.  

"The Little Engine That Could" is wordy.  It is touching.  It has a teachable lesson that anything is possible if "we think we can."  Did I mention it is wordy?  I mean, I love the book.  But reading it to a two-year-old can be a long process.  Still, it is a great story and he doesn't know yet that I skip paragraphs here and there.

Liam loves the book too.  He loves the movie on Netflix as well.  In fact he loves the book so much that he insisted on having it in his bed (he's become a bit of a hoarder).  So I let him have it because far be it from me to keep him from his literary appetites.  

Three days ago after nap...

Me:  Hi sweetie! 

Liam (from his crib):  Whoo Whoo!

Me:  Yes, I know.  You love trains.

Liam:  No... Whoooo Whoooo! (and then he pointed to his mouth)

Me:  Give me a hug and kiss and a squeeze.

Liam (in a more insistent voice and with a devilish grin on his face):  WHOO WHOO MOMMY! (more pointing to his mouth)

Me: (grasping for questions to prompt him further) You want to watch the train episode of "Bubble Guppies?"

Liam:  NOOOOO... WHOO WHOO MOMMY (pointing to his mouth).

Finally, it hit me like, well, a locomotive.

Me:  Liam, where is your train book?

Liam: (looking very pleased with himself and opening his mouth wide)  Whoo Whoo!

Me:  Did you eat your train book?

Liam:  Hahahahahahahaha...whoooooo whoooooo!

I spent the next few minutes sweeping his mouth for remnants, combing his crib for scraps and putting the pieces of this puzzle back together.  This was all that was left of page 3.

I wanted my son to have a voracious appetite for reading.  Be careful what you wish for.  Lesson well learned.

Lesson #45: Summer School Isn't Always a Bad Thing

I have neglected this blog.  I feel guilty but know that everyone who reads this will understand that the past 7 months with our little girl and her brother have been wonderfully chaotic, exhausting, exciting and more!  I still have to write about the holidays.  I still have to write about Liam's second birthday party.  I still want to write about all of Lily's "firsts", but right now, I have to write about Liam's first day of school.

Parents Day Out is perhaps the best invention since Sonic Diet Dr. Peppers at happy hour.  This past Tuesday Liam began his PDO adventure at Prairie Baptist Early Childcare Center (PECC for short) and we couldn't be happier.  Ryan and I decided that it would be good for him to get a bit more socialization- pretty hysterical really since he doesn't seem to know a stranger and he and his cousins have been socializing for years!  Several recommendations and hours of research later, we enrolled him at PECC, which is located up the street at 75th and Roe- a good walking distance if we have the time and energy.

I spent most of Monday getting ready for his big day, complete with supplies, packed lunch of finger foods, labeled extra clothes, a binkie, his doggy, and beautifully monogrammed linens (thanks Kelly Talbott!).  All were packed in monogrammed coordinating bags and new lunch tote, with his monkey backpack for him to wear. Yes, I am a coordinating freak.  It's a problem.

We had been talking to Liam for days about school.  We pointed it out every time we drove by it on 75th Street.  We paid special attention to the part in Bubble Guppies (his favorite show) where they swim to school.  We talked about how Mommy would drop him off so he could play and learn and then she would pick him back up.  He was good to go.

Of course, Rip Van Flurry sleeps until about 8am every day and hates it when you get him up before he is ready.  He talks to his stuffed animals, plays with his Lightning MacQueen car and reads books until he finally decides to call for us.  So he woke up earlier than he wanted and was in slow motion on Tuesday morning.  He ate his yogurt like a snail.  But then he was finally ready.

Yes, I fixed his hair.  Don't judge... I wanted him to be a little rock n' roll from the neck up.

When we pulled up, he was excited and supper sweet.  This is my favorite photo of the morning...

But Daddy can only hold your hand for so long until you have to do things on your own...

He looks such a big boy and such a little guy all at the same time...

Inside it was total chaos.  His classroom is great- round tables perfect for arts and crafts, a little kitchen for inspiring cooks, storytime mat and a separate room for naps.  But nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to a train table.  I mean, come on.

When we arrived we dropped off our supplies, put his backpack in the other room and were encouraged to make a quick goodbye.  He was fine when we arrived and went straight to playing.  But then a little boy named Bennett started crying loudly and so when he saw that we were leaving and that Bennett was crying, he figured he would join in.  It was crying madness.

We waved to him from the window outside and he was just sitting on the ground with his hands on his knees, bawling.  I held it together until I began to drive away.  Then I was the one bawling.

I pulled it together by the time Ryan, Lily and I met Mimi at First Watch just two miles away.  And before we ordered, I received a call from Miss Nancy, Liam's teacher, assuring me that he was good and had stopped crying within a few minutes.

The rest of the day is a bit of a blur.  I ran errands while Mimi stayed with a sleeping Lily.  I came back and she was still sleeping so our "Girls Day Out" never really happened.   2:30pm crept slowly, but finally it was time to go get our little monkey.

When we arrived, he came running up yelling "Mommy, Daddy" and then proceeded to stop about a foot away and just smile, then turned promptly and returned to the train table.  So much for hugs hello :)

Miss Nancy summed up his day with information like, "He was great.  He likes the trains.  He didn't sleep but he did rest.  No, he wasn't upset, he just liked to talk during nap time."

We collected his things, including his first arts and craft project, a little polka dotted butterfly, and headed home where he proceeded to take a 2 1/2 hour nap.

Liam told me today that he wants "mooooore skooooool"!  I think he's hooked on education.  Summer school isn't always a bad thing.  Lesson well learned.