Today we are saying goodbye to June. I am not sorry. I counted tonight and realized that it rained 15 days out of 30. Bummer! I tried not to complain but here in New England, we have a long winter and we look forward to the summer. It has not arrived yet! We tried to make the best of it and jump in puddles and go to the library but we want some sun!!! My house feels damp, my plants are drowning and my kids want to play outside!
I have high hopes for July! Come back sun!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Learning to fly...
Sophia and I took a trip home to Kentucky to visit my side of the family. My natural instinct is to pack at the last minute and stress out about making sure that I have everything. Then I worry about the airport and all the security checks. Then I worry about making my connection and being stranded in the airport. I can't help myself! All the worrying creates a sense of dread and I can't look forward to the trip until I am already there.
I used to like to fly. Norm and I spent all of our dating time flying back and forth. It was so easy by myself or with another adult. Since then, the airline industry has changed a lot and I have added extra people and checked baggage to my life too. During this last trip I discovered that I have to relearn how to fly in our post 9/11, depressed economy world with kids. So perhaps this post is really a pep talk for me that I need to go back to the next time that I fly.
For the first time ever, I was treated rudely at the Manchester Airport. My flight was completely booked and Sophia and I were assigned seats apart. Sophia is two so that arrangement was unacceptable to me and to anyone that would be in earshot of my wailing child. The ticket agents were really upset that I needed them to switch our seats. I was a little mad about that but then, when the ticket clerk asked for people to switch so that we could sit together, I was amazed at how rude and difficult people were about offering to change! Well, I just stood there until they worked it out. Thank you to the family that offered to change around because they saw a two year old that needed to sit with her mom!!! The clerk then handed me boarding passes without looking at me and said, "Here." curtly. I said thank you to which she did not respond so I repeated myself and she acknowledged me. I found out later, on my trip back that they should have handled all of this at baggage check by computer and there are blocks of seats set aside just for these kinds of situations. LESSON #1: Always make sure that they let you check in at the baggage check and that your seats are set. LESSON#2: Always be willing to switch your seats for a small child.
Well, because I put up such a fuss and my travelling companions were so rude, we left late and I had a tight connection in Detroit. Sophia was a trooper, but she had decided that she did not escalators or moving sidewalks. She would stop short and howl to be picked up. I finally had to pick her up and try to run across the airport. Halfway there, she started asking, "Where's Daddy?" to which I am gasping,"Daddy's not here!!!" Amazingly enough, we made it, although, I thought I might pass out. LESSON #3: Two hour + layovers are a good thing.
In the midst of it all, we had a happy vacation and time with family. I will always make the effort for family time.
A final lesson on our trip emerged when we got delayed in Detroit for 5 hours on our way home. We got to our connection and already had a long layover. I wanted to make it fun. We ate dinner together and we practiced on the escalators and moving sidewalks. She can do it now! We then discovered that we were going to be there until 11pm so we just had to wait. She sat sideways on her seat and colored and was happy. Amazing. LESSON #4: My child is a great traveller regardless of the situation and I will take her with me again. Don't sweat it. We can do it!
I used to like to fly. Norm and I spent all of our dating time flying back and forth. It was so easy by myself or with another adult. Since then, the airline industry has changed a lot and I have added extra people and checked baggage to my life too. During this last trip I discovered that I have to relearn how to fly in our post 9/11, depressed economy world with kids. So perhaps this post is really a pep talk for me that I need to go back to the next time that I fly.
For the first time ever, I was treated rudely at the Manchester Airport. My flight was completely booked and Sophia and I were assigned seats apart. Sophia is two so that arrangement was unacceptable to me and to anyone that would be in earshot of my wailing child. The ticket agents were really upset that I needed them to switch our seats. I was a little mad about that but then, when the ticket clerk asked for people to switch so that we could sit together, I was amazed at how rude and difficult people were about offering to change! Well, I just stood there until they worked it out. Thank you to the family that offered to change around because they saw a two year old that needed to sit with her mom!!! The clerk then handed me boarding passes without looking at me and said, "Here." curtly. I said thank you to which she did not respond so I repeated myself and she acknowledged me. I found out later, on my trip back that they should have handled all of this at baggage check by computer and there are blocks of seats set aside just for these kinds of situations. LESSON #1: Always make sure that they let you check in at the baggage check and that your seats are set. LESSON#2: Always be willing to switch your seats for a small child.
Well, because I put up such a fuss and my travelling companions were so rude, we left late and I had a tight connection in Detroit. Sophia was a trooper, but she had decided that she did not escalators or moving sidewalks. She would stop short and howl to be picked up. I finally had to pick her up and try to run across the airport. Halfway there, she started asking, "Where's Daddy?" to which I am gasping,"Daddy's not here!!!" Amazingly enough, we made it, although, I thought I might pass out. LESSON #3: Two hour + layovers are a good thing.
In the midst of it all, we had a happy vacation and time with family. I will always make the effort for family time.
A final lesson on our trip emerged when we got delayed in Detroit for 5 hours on our way home. We got to our connection and already had a long layover. I wanted to make it fun. We ate dinner together and we practiced on the escalators and moving sidewalks. She can do it now! We then discovered that we were going to be there until 11pm so we just had to wait. She sat sideways on her seat and colored and was happy. Amazing. LESSON #4: My child is a great traveller regardless of the situation and I will take her with me again. Don't sweat it. We can do it!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Preschool Graduation
My boy graduated today. Okay, so it was preschool but it was a big step for Brayden and for his Mom. I am unexpectedly very emotional about it and so is he. I began thinking about it more when I was flipping through pictures that have been taken throughout the year. It is shocking to see how these cute little 4 year olds have grown into kindergarten ready 5 year olds. The difference caught me off guard and now I have to admit he is ready. Ready to send off to the "Big School"
Bunnies and Blocks Preschool kind of fell into our laps and we couldn't have placed him in a better little school. We are all happy there and Brayden doesn't want to leave. He made his first friends there and has taken great steps to write his name and learn about things that I could never do or think of here at home. Today he cried. He doesn't want to go to the big school. That's okay. I don't want him to go either. But he's ready. He just doesn't know it yet.
Time never stands still. It is part of life to go through seasons and years and things are always changing. It one of his first life lessons. I have to teach him how to work through this one while managing it for myself too. We are closing the preschooler chapter and beginning the school years. Am I ready? I am going to miss the cute, inquisitive, outgoing, somewhat strong willed preschooler. But I am also looking forward to watching to see what he can do with his talents and personality as he grows. I hope to be able to give him opportunities to help him figure out who he is as he develops into a big kid. Our job is to help him become a well adjusted adult, not a 45 year old guy who lives in our basement, right?
So, thank you , Bunnies and Blocks! You have given us a great foundation for the big school and we will always be grateful! We,re off to the next chapter! Kindergarten! Hurray!
Bunnies and Blocks Preschool kind of fell into our laps and we couldn't have placed him in a better little school. We are all happy there and Brayden doesn't want to leave. He made his first friends there and has taken great steps to write his name and learn about things that I could never do or think of here at home. Today he cried. He doesn't want to go to the big school. That's okay. I don't want him to go either. But he's ready. He just doesn't know it yet.
Time never stands still. It is part of life to go through seasons and years and things are always changing. It one of his first life lessons. I have to teach him how to work through this one while managing it for myself too. We are closing the preschooler chapter and beginning the school years. Am I ready? I am going to miss the cute, inquisitive, outgoing, somewhat strong willed preschooler. But I am also looking forward to watching to see what he can do with his talents and personality as he grows. I hope to be able to give him opportunities to help him figure out who he is as he develops into a big kid. Our job is to help him become a well adjusted adult, not a 45 year old guy who lives in our basement, right?
So, thank you , Bunnies and Blocks! You have given us a great foundation for the big school and we will always be grateful! We,re off to the next chapter! Kindergarten! Hurray!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Stopping the cough.
Tonight I am staying awake. Staying awake so that I can check in on my boy and his cough. I hate coughing. It doesn't matter who is doing it. It drives me crazy and I have to make it stop. I feel guilty when it is my kid and I am so aggravated. For some reason, the cough always seems to strike on Friday when I have less access to a doctor or when we have something fun planned. For all these reasons, I am obsessed with making the cough go away.
When Brayden was 18 months old he had a terrible case of pneumonia. His little chest was heaving and struggling for breath and we ended up in the ER. Since that time, I never sleep when Brayden is coughing. I am constantly checking in, making sure that he is breathing and giving him breathing treatments around the clock to ensure his airways are free.
Recently, I have begun to wonder if we need to push for a diagnosis. The pediatrician tells me he will outgrow it but to me, the coughing seems to have become more chronic. I feel like I need to be his advocate and make sure that we are not missing something. Maybe we are introducing allergens that are causing him problems. Maybe I should just clean my house more??? I want to move forward and come up with a more preventative plan instead of always being behind the cough.
When Brayden was 18 months old he had a terrible case of pneumonia. His little chest was heaving and struggling for breath and we ended up in the ER. Since that time, I never sleep when Brayden is coughing. I am constantly checking in, making sure that he is breathing and giving him breathing treatments around the clock to ensure his airways are free.
Recently, I have begun to wonder if we need to push for a diagnosis. The pediatrician tells me he will outgrow it but to me, the coughing seems to have become more chronic. I feel like I need to be his advocate and make sure that we are not missing something. Maybe we are introducing allergens that are causing him problems. Maybe I should just clean my house more??? I want to move forward and come up with a more preventative plan instead of always being behind the cough.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Missing my Boy
I have always worked the evening shift, 3pm-1130pm. Most of the time I really enjoy it. I like the people that I work with and I like staying up late. Working exercises my brain and challenges me. I really like medical technology and what you can learn by looking at a simple blood smear. I'll spare you the details beyond this.
The problem is that I tend to miss things that I would like to be part of with my family. They tend to be evening people as well and we do a lot of things as a family, whether I am able to be present or not. I am glad the kids get lots of attention from their Dad too. Dad is fun. He comes up with lots of fun ideas.
This week two small things happened that I wish that I had been there to witness. A couple of days ago Norm was trying to get the lawn mowed before it rained and Brayden was out in his sandbox. About halfway through, it began to rain and Norm continued to mow. He contemplated making Brayden go inside but when he showed up back outside with an umbrella, Norm decided to let him stay out. After all, he was mowing in the rain, right? Brayden had a great time in the rain. He figured out how he could ride his big wheel while holding the umbrella. He was happy regardless of the weather! I wish I'd seen that.
Yesterday the kids called me at work to tell me about the "big tree" they pulled out of the ground with Daddy's truck. Norm had declared war on the burning bush in our front yard. He had been digging around it for days and it wouldn't come out. He told Brayden they were going to pull it out with the truck. Brayden was so excited! He went and got his bicycle helmet and climbed in the passenger side. It took a lot of work but they pulled it out and then together they filled the in the hole. I wish I'd seen that.
I guess I should remember that I witness a lot of the fun things the kids do and say and that there will always be things that I am sad that I miss. Everyday they grow and become more independent of me and that is how it should be. But doesn't every parent wish they could be a fly on the wall where their kids are involved, no matter how old they are.
The problem is that I tend to miss things that I would like to be part of with my family. They tend to be evening people as well and we do a lot of things as a family, whether I am able to be present or not. I am glad the kids get lots of attention from their Dad too. Dad is fun. He comes up with lots of fun ideas.
This week two small things happened that I wish that I had been there to witness. A couple of days ago Norm was trying to get the lawn mowed before it rained and Brayden was out in his sandbox. About halfway through, it began to rain and Norm continued to mow. He contemplated making Brayden go inside but when he showed up back outside with an umbrella, Norm decided to let him stay out. After all, he was mowing in the rain, right? Brayden had a great time in the rain. He figured out how he could ride his big wheel while holding the umbrella. He was happy regardless of the weather! I wish I'd seen that.
Yesterday the kids called me at work to tell me about the "big tree" they pulled out of the ground with Daddy's truck. Norm had declared war on the burning bush in our front yard. He had been digging around it for days and it wouldn't come out. He told Brayden they were going to pull it out with the truck. Brayden was so excited! He went and got his bicycle helmet and climbed in the passenger side. It took a lot of work but they pulled it out and then together they filled the in the hole. I wish I'd seen that.
I guess I should remember that I witness a lot of the fun things the kids do and say and that there will always be things that I am sad that I miss. Everyday they grow and become more independent of me and that is how it should be. But doesn't every parent wish they could be a fly on the wall where their kids are involved, no matter how old they are.
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