Progress report on Parker's Preschool--Part 1

I love alliteration, don't you?  It seems to come quite naturally with Parker's name.  I'm kind of loving that.  LOL!  Anyway, I thought I would give you an update on Miss P's first couple months of school at Chip-uh-wuh.  Basic jist of the story is that she loves it.  However, I must say this has been an interesting ride.  But I guess if she loves it, that's all that really matters at the end of the day.

Teddy Bear Unit

 

Apple Unit

Fire Safety/Fireman Unit

I've decided to change my hoarding ways with Parker.  Instead of saving every little thing she brings home, I'm going to take pictures of them by units, and then THROW THEM AWAY!! (GASP!!!!!)  I figure she'll never know, and this is a more eco-friendly approach to keeping her personal history.  LOL!!  Plus, we just plain don't have any space to keep it.  I've tried squirreling things into her closet, but I can tell that's already becoming a bad habit.  So...it must be done.  I will be strong.  (Tee hee!)

Anyway, back to the report...things have been great for her, like I said. She is enthusiastic about going, gives her teachers big hugs on the way in and on the way out.  She seems to be learning things.  She has been singing cute little songs here and there, which is adorable.  I even know a few of them and can join in on the fun. She loves that, it's like a light-bulb moment when she realizes I know something she does!!  LOL!

However, even with her excitement and love of preschool comes challenges.  For those of you who know Parker well, you know that she is a combination of independent free spirit, strong will/stubborn-ness, and LOTS of energy.  She quite literally doesn't stop going unless she is anchored to the earth with the gravitational pull of TV/MOVIES/PC.  I know, I'm a bad mom, but I do what I have to do to get her to sit still and give me a moment of breathing time to get stuff done.  I actually think I'm grateful that at least I have a sure-fire thing that I know will keep her safe and occupied when I need to take some time for me to oh, you know, basic human functions like shower, use the bathroom, make a phone call, get a scrap of food to eat...pooor me!!  ;) 

Anyway, this is her first formal class-room experience.  She doesn't realize it's not just a play-date.  She doesn't get the concept of sitting still, listening, and cooperating.  She does fairly well with sharing...has a few issues from time to time, but for a kid who isn't required to share at home, I think she is doing great with this!  Other things like sitting for circle time, listening to stories, lessons, and ummm, directions...these things aren't coming as easily and natural for her.  So, she is getting a bad rep-utation.  Her teachers are well seasoned and have been doing this for a long time.  I can't believe that my Parker is the first high-energy, focus challenged child they have had, but for some reason I am getting a LOT of negative reactions to her behavior.  Each day I get the "it was a hard day, Mom", report with serious faces and lowered tones.  At first I was surprised, and a little embarrassed.  "Who?  MY child?  Surely you must be mistaken!"  Haha! But then when the negativity became consistent I learned that this is not really Parker's challenge as much as it is MINE!  I was becoming anxious at pickup, embarrassed at the comments, paranoid the other Moms were judging me, that MY kid was THAT kid.  I would come home emotional, and then angry at her for not behaving "properly".  At first, I found myself disciplining her with time-outs, and taking away her TV, but that just left us ALL miserable and didn't accomplish ANYTHING!  So instead, I tried positive discipline...I made a sticker chart.  If she gets all her stickers before Friday, she gets to go to the free movie with Mom and Dad.  She gets stickers every day except Tuesday and Thursday.  That's not good.  Needless to say, she has not gotten to go to the movies and is a very, very sad 4 year old on Fridays.  She just doesn't understand it.  When I pick her up, she says, "Mom!  I listened! I did my work!"  It breaks my heart.  To her, there isn't a problem.  But to her teachers it is something very different.  Things began to come to a boiling point last week.

I was co-opping in the classroom on Tuesday, and was there to intervene with Parker.  I observed that she does in fact struggle, but she is not the only kid who does.  I observed that the teachers have really high expectations for the kids attention spans.  Which is good, but also doesn't take into consideration that every child is different!  And there is little one-on-one interaction with the children who are struggling.  What I mean by that is there isn't any "teaching" how to sit still and listen, just judgment when it doesn't happen.  Aye yi yi.  I KNOW I am emotional about this, and that I am not giving everything a fair shake, but I am hurt! I need to know that things are going to be okay, that there isn't something wrong with my child, and that I'm not a horrible parent.  I need some POSITIVITY!  So after last week, I decided we needed to chat with the teachers.  I am scheduled to co-op again this week, so I wanted to wait until after that.  But guess what happened?  Mark dropped off Parker yesterday, and just so happened to confront the teachers without me.  I didn't know whether to be ticked or grateful.  He just handles confrontation so much easier than I do.  BUT it did mean I had to face the teachers at pick-up.

Things went surprisingly well.  The teachers were apologetic, and at least one of them, kind of embarrassed.  They didn't realize we were feeling this way and assured us this is NOT their intention.  I feel better, but I don't feel resolution.  I think that the main issues have still not been addressed, and we still don't know where to go from here, but at least the conversation is out there and they are thinking about things, and I don't feel like a pent-up ball of anxiety and emotion.

Who knew all this drama could happen in a PRE-SCHOOL?!?  Anyone else have this type of experience?  I'm all ears.

In other news, I decided to sign Parker and I up for a Mommy and me gym class at the Community Center.  It's called "Beanbags, Hoops, and Parachutes".  It was 30 minutes of gym activity that we both enjoyed. 

This is Coach Evan having the end-of-day wrap up session with the kids at the end of class.  Because it was the last day, they all got suckers.  If Coach Evan didn't have her heart before, he sure did now!  ;) 

At preschool and during our gym class, I have been able to see Parker in a different setting, which does in fact highlight some of the struggles that her spirit has been given in this lifetime of hers, and by extension my own as her Mom.  However, I am trying to choose to see this as an opportunity to get to know her better, and realize that someday this strong will and independent spirit of hers is going to move mountains!  Even if it does wear me the heck out.

Halloween Doings

Halloween was a busy day, but I loved every minute of it.  (Well, mostly every minute of it.)  The night before I spent a couple hours making 20 of these for Parker's preschool snack.  That was fun...kind of.  

I was assigned to co-op on the morning of Halloween, so I figured it was an appropriate moment to dress up mommy daughter style...like mother, like daughter...what can I say?!?  I think it was fitting.  She was pretty excited we were both "little debil girls".

The kids love their new tower/slide at the preschool.  It was an Eagle Scout project done by a young man in the other Midland ward who is a "Chipp-uh-wuh" alum.  Haha!

The kids doing their "line-up" for their spooky walk...they are using their goggles to spot any goblins and ghosts lurking around the corner.

Parker's preschool class.  The kids all looked adorable, and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of the fun that day.  Even if I was technically working like a dog, it was still fun to be with the kids.  I'm telling you, co-op preschool is not for sissies. They work you till you drop!!  Each time I've done it I come home exhausted!  Have to take another shower, plenty of tylenol, and a nap!!

But alas, the nap would have to wait!  The girls came home from school super excited to dress up and go out.  Here they are getting all ready to go!

Because it RAINED ALL DAY, we decided to go to the Midland Mall for trick or treating.  Wow!  Every time we've gone there before, it's never been very busy.  This time, was a HUGE exception!  That's what happens when it rains on Halloween in Midland!  Everyone goes to the Mall!  It was one ginormous, continuous line pacing the perimiter of the mall stopping at every other store for cheap dollar store candy.  Meh, what are you gonna do? 

We gave it about an hour, and then decided to get some dinner and go home to pass out candy, and possibly brave the storms.

After about 20 minutes, the big girls came back wet and cold.  So they sat on the couch and passed out the candy while Parker and Mark actually toughed out the elements.  Parker loved it!  It was so fun to see her getting it this year.  She kept asking, "can we go to one more house, Dad?"  Fun!

And something totally out of characteristic for Mark and I...we were invited to a Halloween party for couples by a family in our Ward.  We haven't dressed up in years, but we ventured out of our comfort zone and went for it! Nobody could tell who we were...can you?!?

 
 Needles to say, we didn't take home any fabulous prizes, but our youngest daughter thought we were pretty awesome. 

Soaking in the Season

I love Fall.  It's like nature's grande finale to summer, don't you think?  Like when you are watching a fireworks show, and they save all the big, awesome ones for the end, right?  That's Fall...all the beautiful, vibrant colors finally burst forth in a magnificent display.  The air is crisp and new, and as the days grow shorter the feeling of warmth and cozying up inside the home becomes easier.  It's just a magical time of the year. 

We've been soaking up what the season has to offer us.  One of my favorite things is visiting cider mills, and enjoying being outside for the last few days of the year before the weather finally relents to old man winter. 

The girls and I went to Leaman's Apple Barn in Freeland on their first day off from school earlier in September, but we decided to go again with Mark on a Saturday in October.  I think we all really fell in love with this place!!

We also made a trip down to Livonia for (what I'm hoping becomes a new tradition!) SOUP NIGHT at the Griswold's.  Erin and Mom both made different soups, and Erin made homemade pizza rolls.  It was delicious and so festive.  We also enjoyed cider floats (HELLO! Where has this recipe been all my life?!?), and donuts.  It was so fun!  The next day we hit the cider mill in Northville.  This has become one of my favorites because it is small enough that there aren't huge, crazy crowds.  The cider is seriously delicious!  And there are still fun things for everyone to enjoy.  The older girls liked browsing the vendor booths and getting inspiration for jewelry and crafts.  Parker enjoyed climbing on toys and feeding the ducks.  It's a win-win. 

Midland also has a "Free Day" at the beginning of October where many of the local businesses open their doors for residents to explore and get lots of free swag.  Unfortunately this was the same weekend as General Conference, so we had to really pick and choose what we could do.  We settled on painting pumpkins and hearing a storyteller at Creative 360 which is a cool, artsy studio.  They had this neat display of woven fibers that looked like spooky cool forest.  I can tell I'm gonna like this place. We also got free cupcakes at a gourmet cupcake shoppe...once again, awesome!

Of course, this past weekend was the Ward Trunk or Treat.  Unfortunately, the night turned south when Parker got sick shortly after arriving.  She and I had to leave early, which means I did not get a single picture the entire night!  So disappointed!  The girls all looked darling in their costumes, but Parker was DEVASTATED she missed it.  I have promised her that we will go trick-or-treating on Thursday.  Keep your fingers crossed nothing happens in the meantime. 

Hope you are all enjoying this wonderful season as well!!!!

First Day of School (A Month Late)

Maryn and Avery started Middle school here in Midland on September 4, 2013...the day after Labor Day.

That means they were out of school from before Memorial Day until Labor Day, folks!! Yes, indeed, it was the LONGEST summer of our LIVES!!  LOL!!

They were excited, nervous, and chomping at the bit to get out of the house and MEET some new PEOPLE!

Avery is in 6th grade this year, and I really love how they do it at this school.  They keep the 6th graders all in one hall where their lockers are straight across from their only 2 classrooms.  It makes it less complicated as it is a really BIG school.  The cafeteria and gym are also on the same floor.

Maryn is in 7th grade, and is mostly contained to a couple halls upstairs and downstairs though.  She has had some work to do remembering where to go and trying to get there ON TIME!

Since starting school, they have both joined some clubs in an effort to meet people. Avery chose "Viking Leadership", which is like a student council.  She will be required to do 15 hours of community service this year.  Wow!

Maryn has joined "Art Honors Club", where she will get to work on some school murals, and help teachers decorate their rooms with some cool art projects.

Here's hoping the school year goes great!!

A Place to Hang Our Hearts and Our Hats

So here is our new HOME!!  I introduce you to: 2703 Gary Street!!

It's tiny, but it's cute and cozy.  We have really tried to maximize every inch, and make it as comfortable as we can for the time that we will be here.  It's nothing fancy, but it works. 

The kitchen has some cute new tile backsplash! That shelf to the right of the pic is where I have to keep all of my dishes because there is no pantry for food.  I keep all my food in those upper cabinets to the right.

Parker's room is also functioning as her playroom with pretty much all of her toy storage in her closet to the left.  There is also some space for toys and crafts down in the basement, but she has never really taken to playing down there by herself, even in our old house.

Maryn and Avery's room is pretty much bursting at the seams. I know they are feeling a little cramped in these quarters.  To the right is the rest of their desk, and a bookshelf.  We had to put a lot of their books on our living room bookshelf because space is at a premium.

I love the quiet neighborhood, we have sidewalks again!!  I have been out trying to teach Parker to ride her bigwheel and toddler bike when the weather is nice.
 

We have a nice sized backyard.  It only takes 30-45 minutes of push mower time for Mark now...that's really saying something!!

The only downside about this house is this blasted crab-apple tree!  It makes such a mess, and is such a pain in the butt to clean up!

Home, Sweet, Home!!

Saying our Goodbyes and Feeling Melancholy Today

Melancholy is such a surreal state of being.  It's like you miss something, but not completely.  You're sad that something is gone/over, but at the same time you're not sure you would really want to relive it, if given the chance.  That's how I feel about my time in Illinois.  There were some really challenging times over our five year stint living there, but at the same time there were some sweet spots.  Those are the things I will miss, and feel nostalgic for.  So....I know you've heard me gripe and complain and whine about all the things I would never, ever miss about Illinois.  But today, I am feeling melancholy.  It's hard being in a new place,   and not quite sure where you fit in, feeling anxious about your place in the world, etc.  Sometimes looking at these pics reminds me...I will find some sweet spots again.  It just takes time.

This was where I worked for 3 years.  The Writing Center...weird, but I will miss this a lot.

The Writing Center is located in the Learning Commons.  It was a really, ugly building and layout, but a pretty, great job nonetheless.

The courtyard at IVCC...watching the seasons change out here on my way into/out of work every day...it will be strange not having that touch stone.

Avery's friend Camille (black tshirt) had a birthday party and as part of her party they had a "farewell" for Avery.  It was so nice of her and her Mom to share the day with Avery.  They even included Maryn in the festivities, and got them both some great keepsakes from Illinois to remember their buddies and time there.  They were some of our favorite friends. 

 Silly girls, they've been together since 1st grade.  I really loved Avery's group of friends!!

We had a pizza party/bonfire with s'mores for the girls in Maryn's class at school (literally the night before we left, amidst boxes and mayhem).  I think when all was said and done, she was glad to say goodbye to these girls, and have the closure that she needed.  I'm not sure how much she will miss some of them, but I think she saw this as a great "bon voyage".

These girls are super crazy...I was their troop leader for girl scouts for a couple years and it pretty much ended my career before it began!!

Angela really became Maryn's BFF over the past year.  I think they will miss seeing each other everyday and going over to each other's houses.  Angela lived across the street, and her family really became our favorite (if only decent) neighbors. 

Maryn is (finally) feeling the LOVE!!