Schedule changes and 1 month til Wyatt is 2

The bad news is....everything changes.

The good news is...everything changes.

Some days it seems like all I do is modify the calendar.  I am just thankful that dry erase boards and iPhones make that process relatively painless.  This week somehow everything was all at once.  Physics 2 had already started, but we added Cell & Molecular Biology and Organic Chemistry 1. I have been trying all summer to move from a Friday lab to a Wednesday lab with the hope that it would alleviate some of our child care need.  It finally happened.  My professor e-mailed me that there were 2 openings.  I managed to get a spot.  Yesterday Kevin had shift bid, and he got the 2:45-11:15 Friday to Tuesday schedule starting in October.

So what does this mean?  The kids will be at preschool once a week from now until the end of November.  A huge savings over the three days a week we thought we needed.  As an added benefit the kids get to spend more time with me and Kevin.   The downside is that Kevin and I have almost no free time.  Our iPhone calendars now have six separate colored calendars to keep everything organized.  I just keep reminding myself that there is only 14 weeks of this madness. 

Zoe loves preschool.  She cries when I drop her off, but it is all she talks about during the week.  We have a really difficult time with separation because I have to walk by her room when I take Wyatt to and from Speech Therapy.  Wyatt doesn't care that I drop him off twice and pick him up twice.  I spotted him holding hands with a girl this week.  He loves all of the new toys.  The school asked if we were comfortable starting him into the 2s room.  His birthday is too late for the cut-off but they had space.  They have a much more structured day than the Toddler room.  Wyatt seems to appreciate the art time, stories, dancing, and center-based play.

 Wyatt is 23 months today.  He is getting so big.  I will get a better picture tomorrow.  He was super tired in this one. 

 I cleaned the garage.  I had to show proof of my work because it will soon be cluttered again.  I am hoping we can park both cars in the garage this fall and winter.

 The kids love stickers.  And Josh gave them rolls and rolls of stickers they were throwing away at work last year (when he lived here).  We are still working our way through those and the many other stickers that are contributed to the sticker bin.  (Jenny: see the anniversary stickers from your work on the top....The kids think they are awesome. )

 We made green smoothies.  Wyatt was not that fond, but Zoe and I enjoyed them.

 This bear was at Costco, and I couldn't help but take a picture with one.  I saw a woman pushing one in a cart (the bear took up the entire cart).  I don't really know the purpose a 53" bear.  It was good for a laugh though.  They also had Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer in the same size.  I was able to restrain myself and not bring the bear home.  I thought it would have been hilarious to put it in Kevin's chair to scare him at midnight when he got home. 


Wyatt is progressing in Speech.  He is babbling more.  He makes my day when he says "ma".  He has used a handful of words, but still cannot repeat them when asked.  Sign language is proving to be helpful for communication.  It gives him a method for demonstrating his needs and wants.  Zoe picks up new vocabulary the fastest.  Wyatt seems to study everything and then suddenly show us his new word at random.  That proves to make things difficult since they aren't always identifiable.  There are also a lot of words that look very similar or that he confuses.  I try to practice while the kids are around so that we can reinforce the communication process for Wyatt...this means I have to study new words each week.

Tentatively, Wyatt's birthday party is scheduled for September 29th in the morning.  

 I can tell you already, I am going to be tired all semester.  And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I only blog during breaks (although, currently I am blogging while eating dinner...so maybe I can manage that).

Today is Rapunzel's Birthday

Zoe is excited about birthdays.  Everyone's birthday.  She knows that Daddy already had his birthday.  And Mommy's birthday is over too.  So she started this morning off with "Is it Wyatt's birthday today?"  She was very excited.  I told her no.  Her face fell a little.  Then, with the brilliance of a three year old stated "Today is Rapunzel's birthday."  For whatever reason she first made this announcement to Kevin who simply asked her what Rapunzel wanted to do for her birthday.

Side note:  Zoe's favorite princess is Rapunzel.  She loves the movie Tangled.  And she won't get her hair cut because she doesn't want it to turn brown.

Zoe responded that Rapunzel would like to go to the mall and play at the play area.  So, we did.  Funny thing:  Belk was having a back-to-school festival.  And there was face painting, balloon animals, a clown, and a fashion show.  Zoe was in awe.  Rapunzel had a pretty cool birthday party.

After the mall, we managed to squeeze in a play date at the park.  Wyatt crashed his ride on toy again.  He really likes to go fast.  Zoe is super fast on her tricycle.  She isn't very sure about her big bike, but she did try it again for about 10 minutes.  Finally Chris and I decided we were done being outside and took the kids to McDonalds where they played for over an hour.  Zoe told me tonight that Rapunzel had a good birthday.  


(This is Zoe's face paint after playing at the park and going to McDonalds.  She is really upset she can't show her princess crown to Nana tomorrow, but she thinks Nana can paint her face again.  We shall see what Nana thinks about that).



I like not having a plan most days.  Or at least being flexible with the plans I have.  Today, the only naps were in the car on the way home from the mall.  We didn't really get anything done around the house (although somehow all of the toys got dumped on the floor).  But that is ok.  Some days aren't about what I get done or don't get done.  Some days are about celebrating a fictional character's birthday because your child declared it.  Zoe didn't ask for much...and the face painting and balloon were a bonus.  But I look and think about what Zoe didn't ask for.  She didn't ask for a new toy, new clothes or a new pair of shoes.  She didn't ask for cupcakes or candy.

She asked to go play with Mommy, Daddy, and Wyatt. 

 Zoe is an ultimate princess.  Kind, loving, giving, and caring.  I know each day she grows up a little more.  I want to celebrate each day.  Take it in and enjoy the little things.  I am thankful that Kevin had the forethought to ask what Rapunzel wanted for her birthday instead of telling Zoe "that's great" or "no" or informing her that she needed to get back to the table to finish breakfast. 

Kevin is Zoe's hero, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

In other news:
We made colored rice for our sensory boxes.  Zoe loved to shake up the bag of rice.  I think they turned out quite nicely.

We have three colors so far.  I think we will make a few more, since we still have 20lbs of rice on the counter.

 Zoe and Wyatt painting with dot paints.  They also used about 100 stickers.  I am still finding the stickers everywhere around the house.

They love the huge rolls of stickers Uncle Josh gave to them when he moved out last year.  I don't think we will even use them all.  It is hard to believe Josh has been gone so long....we all still refer to the guest room as "Uncle Joshie's Room". 

A little time to play dress up.  The Bumblebee is snug on Zoe, but it is one of her favorites.  Wyatt discovered Thomas the Train in the bottom of the box.  Our neighbor, Lisa, generously passed the costume to Wyatt since her kids had outgrown it.  He doesn't look happy...mostly because I wanted him to turn around for the picture.


We took a quick detour after running errands to see a VW car show last weekend.  Some of the cars were awesome.  It was nice to have another unplanned adventure.  No pictures though.  Sometimes it is lunch time and nap time for little kids, so side adventures get less time than we want.


I actually love not being on Facebook.  The only thing I really miss is that one of my friends is due with her first baby any day now, and I know I will miss the pictures of the new one until I log back on.  Although, maybe I will send her a text and bring her a meal when she has the baby.  Somehow I think that might be better than just posting "congrats" on her Facebook wall.

pinterest, facebook, road trips, and school

More of our sensory boxes.  This time we played with Easter grass.  :)  It is so much messy fun. 

Even Kevin got in on the decorator hair fad.  I think the orange and purple hair looks good. 

 

Here is one of three storage stools I made for the kids' room.  They are perfect size seating for kids, plus storage for dress up/costume clothes.  They only took about 10 minutes each to make.  And the cost was minimal (I already had the crates and the fabric).  

 Zoe and Wyatt coloring on the Aquadoodle. 

 Zoe went to the "drive-in" movies.  She loved her car.  She decorated the side herself.  I wrote her name out and she painted it with dot art.  And then added a dot border.

Baking cookies with Zoe's neighborhood friend.

Then we made some fun milk glasses and sat down for a cookie snack...unfortunately it was too dark and the snack pictures didn't turn out.

Our trip to Charleston

There is an alligator on that little island in front of the kids.  We sat there and watched it for a while.  We went to two different parks on our long walk.  (Frank actually asked if we made it back to Spartanburg yet).

We went to the Children's Museum of the Low Country.  Unlike the one in Greenville, it is smaller and with a focus more on the younger kids.  Completely manageable with four kids.   All four kids painted.  Zoe missed the paper at one point.  Frank helped Wyatt wash his hands.

This was the Physics Room.  Or as the kids called it, the Golf Ball Room.  

 In the Water Play Room, Zoe and Wyatt enjoyed the chalkboard painting.  Zoe has her smock on. 

I am very thankful for kids who travel well.  We certainly have racked up a lot of miles so far this year.  So far, there is only one big trip left on the calendar...Michigan for Christmas.  I really can't wait to see my Michigan family.  I have not been able to go the last several years as we have sorted out other plans.  This trip has been on the calendar for almost two years now.  Maybe next year we will make a trip back up to New York to see Pauline (or get her to come down this way).  I am also hoping we have another big trip or two next year.

We are all back home now.  Kevin had yet another schedule change.  We are working to adjust to that as a family.  The kids are pretty sure daddy is supposed to be home for story time before bed.  Hopefully, in a few more days they will get used to our new routine. 

Zoe started preschool a few weeks ago.  For now, she goes one day a week.  When Wyatt starts they will go between one and three days a week depending on the schedule Kevin and I have for the week.  Yes, unfortunately, our schedules are such a mess at the moment, that everything changes from one week to the next. 

Wyatt seems to be enjoying speech.  He hasn't made a lot of verbal progress, but the therapist is working on signing (and we are reinforcing it at home).  I still intend to write a separate post about this...and it might happen eventually.

I head back to school the 16th.  Can't believe it is coming up this fast.  I will be full time, so we will see how that works for us as a family.

Kevin is working on his certification class for work right now.  He will finish that course and certification test sometime this fall.  Then we will decide what class or program he would like to start next.

Since we have a new schedule, speech, early intervention, Kevin's class, school starting, and preschool, I have taken a break from Facebook.  I will be gone for a minimum of 30 days while I focus on getting our family adjusted to the new schedule.  If you need to get a hold of me, I would prefer text or a phone call.  And you can always leave a comment on the blog.