Check These Out

I mentioned that Bode got his training wheels off on Sunday and has been riding incredibly well. Later this week Kristen invited me and the boys to meet her and her son at the local BMX bike track. I had nothing planned and I'm always happy to have someone come up with something fun like this to fill our time! So, I put Keegen in the car, picked Bode up from school and took them to the "dirt track."


Oh my holy cow. Bode could hardly contain himself. We couldn't get the elbow and knee pads on fast enough. He took off down this curved dirt hill to get to the bottom of the track (i didn't see it, but saw Kristen simultaneously flap her arms and look at me like "ooooooh noooooooooo!" but he made it to the bottom unscathed!). The dirt track loop starts with a big downhill to a series of "tallest" hills, a curve to the next series of "taller" hills, a curve to the next series of "tall" hills, and finally, yes, a curve to the next series of the smaller hills. Our first day there, the boys stuck to the smaller hills. I brought Keegen's scooter and was surprised at how hard he was willing to work to get up the hills to get the thrill of the downhill. Bode took to those hills, like, shall i say, a duck to water? He loved them. No fear. Just conquered them.



We went on Friday, too, and Bode quickly went from the smaller hills to the taller hills! From level one to three in a day! Kristen and i joke that the boys have found their passion. They just love it. I was really floored at how well Bode handled those hills--with speed and he was able to take the curves for the most part. We had a lot of crashes, but almost every time he just said he was OK, popped up and got back to it. Kristen brought Keegen a balance bike to use this time and he loved it. He even got to take it home for a few days and it's fun to watch him cruise around on it.

I only took pics our first day (which don't give the hills justice), but Kristen got some video on Day Two. The first is Keegen working the balance bike:

Keegen's New X-Game Sport

The second is Bode. He decided to try the start point that goes down a super-steep hill. Turn up the volume so you can hear Bode and Jack's pre-run conversation...

Bode Has No Fear

Bode ends up catching air on the bump after the downhill and bit it. Hard. He was SO UPSET he fell and SO MAD at ME for not letting him try it again that day. When I showed him the video, i was laughing so hard tears were coming out of my eyes. He was quite offended since he got hurt in the process (that's what he told me--said something like, "why are you laughing at me when i got hurt?"). I had to explain myself a few times and tell him how incredible it was that he went down it and how he caught some crazy air. Maybe i should have let him go try it again right away, but i like my child in one piece!

What's Going On

• Bode's enjoying kindergarten and making new friends. One classmate lives maybe 10 houses away. We're working on playdates since he's home at 11am everyday. Too early for my taste, but...Still waiting for some learning to happen at school. Lots of recess and gym class and snack, but no reading, writing or math. Today was the first day he's come home with any sort of "work." It was the Letter F. Circle the letter F. Circle which word starts with the letter F. Trace from this side to this side. Um. This is the type of stuff i'm going to start with Keegen. Is this appropriate for kindergarten? I honestly don't know. I'm going in on Thursday to volunteer, so i'll get a first-hand look.
• Bode finally starts OT again today. We stopped the home programs during the summer and we've been waiting to get into OT since late May (after I decided against doing the STAR Center in Denver). I hope this will be worth the wait.
• Bode is learning to ride his bike sans training wheels and doing remarkably well. And he's so cute and excited by it! Doug took the training wheels off last night. Bode gave it a few tries. Tonight we added some elbow and knee pads that came with his helmet a couple of years ago and seriously, away he went without Doug hanging on at all. Such a big kid! And Keegen is freakin' hell on wheels on his (2-wheel) scooter. He's so small and wicked fast. It makes me laugh. He crashes a LOT but takes it really well (maybe because he's so low to the ground already??).
  
• Keegen had a good potty weekend and i'm crossing my fingers the forward progress will continue. He's staying dry at night which is great, but, I DON'T CARE about nighttime right now!! Let's seal the daytime deal, kiddo!
• Keegen started a tumbling class today at the neighborhood rec center. Two days a week and while he was uber excited, he wouldn't join in. Which is a first. He's usually the first to jump in. He did the same thing in church nursery yesterday. Between this and the potty issues, i'm wondering what's going on? What's bugging him?
  
• I woke up in a panic the other morning, realizing that i need to have some sort of plan when it comes to my delivery. I don't mean a birth plan, but a plan for the boys! This is when having family around the corner would be really really nice. It was so smooth with Keegen. Bode was only 2 and already in bed for the night. We called a friend down the street and Doug was home by 2am so she could go home. How will it be this time? I'm also feeling the need to pack a bag and i'm re-reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Little refresher. Nesting?
  
• I'm 33 weeks and woke up yesterday feeling like 43 weeks. Is this a third child thing? I've felt like i'm slooooooowly splitting in two and yesterday was THE WORST. I could barely walk. Lovely. I'm contracting a lot again but other than taking my medication every now and then, i'm basically ignoring it. My OB doesn't seem to care (i haven't been super psyched with him this pregnancy. I looooved him with Keegen. This time? Meh) and while my cervix is starting to shorten, at 33 weeks, they don't care. Hopefully i won't go in a week and a half and be dilated a bunch. I don't mind if i deliver early, but i'd really like to make it to 37 weeks. I'm cranky and worn out. Did i mention that?
  
• The nursery is basically done. I just need Doug to move one dresser out and put the other in. We kept it simple. I had all of these ideas but in the end we just painted it beige, put on a cute pink, brown and cream crib skirt, hung a funky Ikea light fixture, slipcovered the formerly blue glider and ottoman (thank you Overstock.com!) and called it good. Maybe i'll get some fun pictures on the walls, too. We'll see.
• Doug's company is being reorganized (it's been a very slow very painful reorg beginning LAST NOVEMBER). He's supposed to travel to DC and Florida sometime in the next two weeks after the announcement is made regarding his new position (the announcement that SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE 2 MONTHS AGO!). I'm not excited about this. It stresses me out. I've told him to tell his boss (why is he so unnecessarily slow?) that he'll have to be my labor coach while Doug is away. And that he's a dead man if that happens.

That's all from shiny, happy me for today!

Bad & Good

Keegen was doing great with potty training this summer. He'd run and go on his own. Life was good. I put him in summer camp because he was doing so great.

So i just want to know, what happened?? He's totally disinterested. Resistant. Negative. Not even trying. I dropped him off at school today and 30 minutes after i got home, the phone rang. Preschool on the line. Keegen has pooped (in a Pullup) and he won't let us help him. I had a convo with the teacher telling her that he's regressed a lot lately. She said he just needs to be in big boy unders and as long as he is willing to try at school, they will be as understanding as they can. But that lately he's not been willing to try when they all go. I went to school, changed him, talked to him about it, left a ziploc filled with extra unders and shorts, had him pee, and crossed my fingers. He was dry when i picked him up but basically, he'll be kicked out if he doesn't get with the program soon. Which would really really be a shame. He loves it. They love him. Hopefully the help from school will be a real motivator. His teacher went on and on about how they don't want to lose him and that they'll do all they can to get him back on track. (My fear? Will we do this again after the baby actually arrives???????). I've taken him to the potty every HOUR and he's still had two accidents today. Oy vay.

On the good side. Bode-licious. He had a good first day of school. He's had all good days at school, actually. He's really happy. I'm the one with the doubts and concerns about the program. And the teacher. But today? Today the teacher gained some serious points. I was at the door to pick him up and she looked at me and asked if she could talk to me. Suuuuuuure, i said. For a split second thinking we were in trouble. Did he spit on someone? Tweak someone's nose when he felt threatened? (He's not usually a spitter. I've just noticed lately when he's anxious he has some inappropriate behavior/coping skills). Instead she said she wanted me to know that each morning they do a "morning meeting." Basically a circle time. They go around the circle, say their name and then ask the person next to them their name and something they like. It sounds like they have a certain way they phrase the question to their neighbor and a certain way they answer back; etc. She said all the other days (this is Day 4) Bode would say he didn't want to answer/talk/participate both verbally and with his body language. But today he participated fully, answered when he was asked his name and other question and then turned to whomever was next and posed the questions to him/her. I LOVE that she told me this. LOVE that she was excited to see this. LOVE that she knew this was a big deal. Very happy with this. I haven't even had a conference with her about him yet (i wrote a small note on a questionnaire at Back to School Night. But i have a letter to send about his Sensory Processing, too). Anyway. Very positive and i was happy about it. Gave me a greater faith in her.

Bode's First Day

I have to say, i am really impressed with this child o' mine. He has come a long long way. Looooong way. In the not-so-distant past (i think i use that phrase a lot), there would have been so much build-up to a new experience like starting kindergarten. So much fear. So much resistance. The drive to school would have been a nightmare. Dropping him off would have been nearly impossible. He would have been pulling on me. Showing all sorts of inappropriate behavior to deal with his anxiety. Not so today!

We took a couple of pictures of him on the front step feeling shy and somewhat embarassed by the attention. He and i jumped in the car and took off to school. He talked the entire way. I wish i could remember what he talked about. He talks when he's anxious, i've realized, but this was good, fun talk, too. Nonstop. We walked into the school together and there was zero hesitation. Sometimes he's sort of almost bold until we hit the door of wherever we're going and then the brakes go on. But he marched right in. The routine at this school is that the entire student body meets in the gym in the morning for the principal's greeting and to say the Pledge. This is where the brakes went on. Again, loud and chaotic. We had to figure out where his class was. They were supposed to sit in a line on the gym floor and wait and Bode wanted nothing to do with that. So i stood to the side with him and let him take in what he could. Once the Pledge was done, the classes were sent off (and i wasn't impressed that his teacher just walked away leading the line, but not noticing that after the first two kids, the others were sort of scrambled and not sure where to go. One kid ended up on the other side of the school. Didn't really inspire confidence in the "just drop your kid off in the gym" plan. I think i'll see him to his class for a long while, thankyouverymuch). We got into the classroom, found a hook/cubby for his backpack. The kids slowly made their way into the class and i tried to give Bode some space and he sort of stood alone for a minute until his friend Nathan came over to him. He's this sweet, huggy, kissy little boy. The teacher soon told the kids to go over to the rug for circle and Bode did. He plopped right down. Nathan scooched over to sit by him. And i felt no need to be there other than the fact that i couldn't believe it was possible to just drop him and go so soon! I went out into the hall where a few other moms were hovering around the small window in the door and watched for a bit, chatted with some moms, and then left. I was so impressed.

When i picked him up, he seemed happy enough. The teacher had a much better vibe. Bode said goodbye to one of his friends (he's been struggling with talking to people lately so i was happy to see this). Said goodbye to his teacher in a way that i could tell he seems to like her. So i'm happy with that. He's never been quick to tell me about what goes on at school/how his day was. Sometimes he won't say anything (even though he has great days). But today he shared quite a bit. They toured the school. They played the drums. They played outside and he played with another friend from preschool who's in the full day K class. What they had for snack. Etc. I hope some learning will happen and i'm sure it will. Right now it feels like it's structured just like preschool, but i just need to be patient. All in all, it was a smashing success. He seems excited to go back tomorrow. He got his uniform (just a polo with the school logo) in the mail today, and he wants to wear it tomorrow even though Fridays are wear-whatever-you-want days. I think it's gonna be good. Yahoo!

Trying NOT to Let My First Impression Be My Final Judgement...

(I pushed down a cute lil post about Keegen's first day to spew forth this post. So have a looky if you have a sec...).

Ummm. Hopefully this post will help me at least PROCESS some things about tonight's Back to School Night. It might be a post of jumbled, mish-mashed thoughts. But hopefully somewhere in it i'll be able to think a little more clearly.

A much anticipated night in our house, i might add, since very little information has been given out and SCHOOL STARTS TOMORROW.

I gave a lot of thought about where to send Bode to school this year. We have almost too many options in our area when it comes to elementary school. There's the neighborhood public school. The charter school about 10 minutes up the road. And the charter school about five minutes the other way. There were pros and cons to all, of course. In the end, i felt really good about sending him to the charter school 5 minutes away. Smaller class sizes. Hands-on "expeditionary learning" based on the Outward Bound model of learning. More active. Lots of field trips and community involvement. I saw the public school as overcrowded, overwhelming and a lot of sitting doing worksheets. I felt like Bode could very easily get lost in the crowd there.

i've been excited about this school all summer and anxious to get some info and get going. No one knew who the teacher would be, either, since she's a new hire. This school usually just has two full-day kindergarten classes, but they decided to add one half-day AM class. And that's what we got into. We were excited to learn that a boy from summer camp would be in Bode's class. And today i accidentally went to church playgroup at the local park (we were there and all these people i vaguely knew from our new ward started showing up. Lucky me!) and learned that two other little boys from church would be in the same AM class. So, that's very very positive. So nice that he'll have kids he already knows. Should help him feel comfortable faster.

Anyway. My problem? The Back to School Night. Now, i'm new to this, so let me know if i'm wrong. But shouldn't there be some sort of information given at BTSN? Introductions? This is where you put your backpack each day? This is our basic schedule each day? This is the process for dropping your child off and picking them up? Please pack a snack for your child? Etc., etc.

It.Was.Chaos. The entire school had the same BTSN. This charter school, while small, houses K-8. You walk in and have NO IDEA WHERE TO GO. Ends up that the AM class got stuffed in the back of the school in the area with the 7th and 8th graders. Not at the very front with the other two kindergarten classes. We figured this out and headed to meet his teacher. We walk in and chaos. No organization. Finally we hear her yell, "Go ahead and take the handouts from the desk as you walk in." We do. We figure out she's taking pictures of each child with their families that she'll post on the bulletin board (which is great), so we wait in line to do that. I talked to her ever-so-briefly after she took our family picture but got the feeling i was keeping her (although no one was waiting behind us) and she was very distracted. I get this. She's human. It's a busy, chaotic, disorganized night. She's nervous, maybe? She's never been an "in the classroom" teacher. As she wrote on her blurb for the school website, she's got a degree in El Ed, 5 kids, she's taught some preschool, done some sub teaching and used to homeschool her kids. She's starting teaching this year and starting on her Master's in Ed at the same time. Woman's got a lot on her plate (oh and 6 dogs, 2 cats, 1 bunny and 2 horses).

Here's in large part what i thought was lacking. Some enthusiasm. I didn't get a great feeling from her. She didn't exude much energy in a positive or negative way. She just seemed kind of flat. She never tried to engage anyone, from what i could see.

She never stood up and talked to us. The kids are playing and the parents are sort of sitting around looking at each other and some even asking, "What are we supposed to be doing?" I figured out i could fill out a little info sheet and turned that in. I asked another parent if they knew about the dropping off routine. I craned to listen in on what another parent was asking the teacher after they had their picture taken.

The schedule was written on the board and i really hope he actually learns something this year. My goal for him going to this school is in very large part to just learn that school is fun. Learning is fun. And i hope he can continue to emerge from his reserved, anxious little shell and participate in a group and not shut-down when he's in front of a group. I'm trying to remind myself of this. But looking at the schedule, i didn't see a lot of learning going on. AND it was supposed to be 7:55 till 11:15. But dismissal time was written as 11. So this means i drop Bode off at 7:45 and have an HOUR to kill before i can drop Keegen at preschool. Then i have to be back at the school by 11 to pick him up and then kill time till 11:30 to pick up Keegen. Just a lot of time wasting and it TOTALLY ANNOYS ME. I know it's only 15 minutes and that i should get a grip, but COME ON. It's such a short day for him at school and selfishly, i want a little time to myself (well, myself won't be happening with impending newborn, but you know what i mean). Should i have gone for the full-day public kindergarten? AND the class was supposed to be capped at 18. There are 20 on the roles. I know. Only two more. But still. So the class size changed and the dismissal time changed. What else will change next.

But here's another thing that threw us all off. There were three kids in the corner of the classroom during the BTSN. In the play area. I knew immediately that these were three of her kids. Nothing else made sense. OK. So she had to bring her kids. The oldest boy looked about 10. Looked extremely irritated. Was sitting against the wall covering his ears. Keegen and a couple other kids were playing with the toys and Keegen dumped out some sorting bears. Bode and the other boys started helping Keegen pick up the bears when the boy told them to stop helping him and that Keegen had to clean it up himself. This upset Bode and Keegen. We found Bode lunging at the boy in an attempt to squeeze his nose in frustration (yes, squeeze his nose. At least he was trying to defend his brother!). This 10-year old boy was GROWLING at Keegen. A husky, 10 year old boy leaning toward my 15th-percentile-on-the-growth-charts THREE YEAR OLD GROWLING. Growling. Doug feels a little badly because one of our boys came up to him to tell him about this boy and he didn't realize what was happening and let it go a little too long. Keegen ended up in tears YELLING at the boy and pointing his hand at him in the shape of a gun. Coincidental, i'm sure. Bode was near tears and that was our final experience at BTSN. Lovely. Great memory. So a part of me looks at her kid and gets a little judgemental. The total "homeschool stereotype." Poor social skills. Somewhat unkempt. He's obviously got some problems. I KNOW. It's a stereotype. I've met kids who've been homeschooled who are awesome. But not these kids. And Bode's got the same teacher they had. Just frustrated thoughts spewing out.

We walked out of the school reassuring Bode that that boy would NOT be in his class (he will NOT forget him. Should he ever be in the classroom again, which i imagine he will be since it's his MOM in there, that will be what he remembers and he will no doubt say something to him about being a mean kid, because if nothing else, my kid's got a filter). And soothing Keegen's wounded pride. We tried to focus on the positive. I mean, there is some serious positive. This teacher, at least on paper, presents herself really well. She does, on paper, sound really interested and maybe even excited to help our kids learn to love learning. She sounds all about the expeditionary way of learning. Field trips are planned (do we know when they are, though?? Could someone get me a CALENDAR or even a MEMO, please??!!). He knows FIVE little boys in the class. Five. Nathan, across the golf course and from summer camp. H from church. I from church. K from church (i've dubbed them the "Mormon Posse"). And A from his preschool class last year. THAT was a very happy surprise. It should be awesome. Awesome awesome awesome.

We took the boys to McDonald's for dinner (nightmare. it just opened up here in town and you'd think it was a freaking Grand Opening Gala. The entire town was there. But that's another whiny post you can look forward to). Bode said he thinks school is going to be awesome (yes, we overuse that word in our house. See above ending paragraph). Which is HUGE. HUGE i say! that he is positive. So i need to tuck away my doubts and fears and judgements and just see how things play out.

Deep breath. I think i need to take up yoga and meditation. But instead pass the Oreos and get me a Coke.

Keegen's First Day

Today was Keegen's first day of preschool! (Yes, it's only August 4th. Our schools are on a modified year round schedule). He's going to the same preschool where he attended summer camp all summer and even has the same teachers, so, this "first day" thing was really old hat to him!

When i yelled at the boys that it was time to go, Keegen didn't want to go. I think it was more that he didn't want to stop playing than go to school. But i heard Bode, in this very reassuring voice say something like, "Come on, Keegen! Don't you want to go? It will be so fun!" which i thought was darling coming from my more nervous child. We took a few pictures of Keegs on the front step and then got him to school. As i was getting him out of the van he had one moment of hesitation when he said, "Mmmm. I don't want to go if Bode's not going to be there." (Yes, he speaks like an adult. What can i say?). I reassured him that he'd meet lots of new friends. He jumped out and held my hand all the way to the door. Once we got to his class, he was greeted by his teacher (who openly adores him) and away he went. I don't think he even told me "goodbye" even when i tried to get his attention as i was leaving.

When i picked him up he gave me an enormous hug. He didn't have much to say about his day except that they didn't get to play outside and that they ate "fishy crackers and red juice" for snack and that the red juice is now his "favorite juice because it's like cherries." He seemed really really tired (i guess that's what happens when you refuse to nap anymore!). But happy.

He'll just be going two days a week. I wish i could find a program nearby with at least three days, but there aren't a lot of options where we live. We do love this preschool (same one Bode attended last year). He's just the kind of kid who could go every morning and love it. And I, for one, would love that, too! We'll find other ways to keep him busy. Because he's one busy busy little guy!