School's Out for Summ-ah!

First day of Kindergarten.

Kindergarten. Check.

Benny has learned so much this year. He can read (!) and write. He knows about dinosaurs and volcanoes and treble and bass and ceramics. He brought home armloads of artwork. He often pulls out nuggets of knowledge and shocks me with how much information he soaks up. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Kids do that stuff all of the time. But he's my kid and I think he's so smart. Last night he told me that Hawaii is the only state that was made of volcanoes.

This year, we rode bikes to school many more times than we drove. At first Benny wasn't excited about riding everyday, but he has built up quite a stamina and now the one-mile ride isn't a problem.

Benny made some great friends this year. He also learned that kids can be mean, which is a hard lesson for a five-year-old (and it's really hard to witness as a parent).

I learned things too. I learned that it's not easy to get out of the house to get to school on time. I learned, unlearned and relearned patience in the morning. I learned that Benny doesn't like PB&Js (what?!?) in his lunch. Or leftovers. Or vegetables. Or really anything besides yogurt. I learned, through volunteering in the classroom, that I could never be a kindergarten teacher. They deserve our utmost respect!

I'm also learning about how city schools differ from rural schools. I attended the same school with the same 11 classmates for 12 years. I had the same teachers as my siblings, played on the same teams, had many of the same friends. Benny's class will be split into thirds next year. He'll have new faces and he'll have to say goodbye to some of his friends - even if it's only for a year.

One of the most important lessons I learned, which wasn't even on my radar, is how much I love living close to a quality neighborhood school. It's important that my kids receive a good education, but there's more to it than that. I don't want to have to schlep my kids halfway across town to go to school. I think it's important to build a sense of community and attending a neighborhood school helps with that. I know traditional public schools aren't for everyone. But they are for us. We are willing to do the afterschool work to ensure that our kids have a well-rounded education. Really, I just want them to love to learn and be inquisitive. I think every educational institution espouses those goals. So, although Benny and Lila will attend larger schools, I hope we have set up an environment that feels relatively small - knowing and going to school with our neighbors, participating in our schools and neighborhood and feeling connected in that way.

Last day of kindergarten. Those freckles!!!

And now, here we are. School's out for summer. Next year we'll be learning more, making more friends and generally enjoying life. But for now, we'll all be enjoying a well-deserved break!

The Potty Chronicles // Slow and Steady

Hot diggity dog. I think we've had a major breakthrough with Lila and potty training. The difference: She has fully embraced wearing underwear and being a big girl. She wakes up in the morning and requests underwear. She has been wearing underwear full-time (minus nap and night time) for a week and a half now. We've had a handful of accidents, but those seem to be decreasing. One of the biggest breakthroughs is Lila's willingness to sit on a big toilet rather than her potty training toilet. We couldn't really let her wear underwear out and about before since she refused to sit on anything but the potty training toilet. This week, Lila is wearing underwear to daycare, which is a big step. So far, so good.

After five and a half years of washing and folding and dealing with cloth underwear, I've packed up the diapers and the pale and all of the other accessories to give away. Just as soon as I buy some book shelves, I'll sell the changing table on Craigslist. This slow and steady means my baby girl is transitioning into a big girl. Bittersweet feelings from this mama (although, don't get me wrong, it feels very good to be finished with diapers!).

Diaper-Free, Day 1

We hit a bit of a snag on the inaugural day of Lila's first (and hopefully last) diaper-free weekend. First, we had to take Benny to school. It snowed, so we had to bundle up and couldn't ride our bikes. So, we drove, dropped Benny off and then headed to the grocery store for weekly shopping. During the first day of a diaper-free weekend, you aren't supposed to leave the house. Whoops. Then, we ran into a neighbor whose son is in Benny's class and got invited to a short play date. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hang out at someone else's house on this dreary day. All told, we were gone from 7:45 - 11. Whoops indeed.

But, as soon as we walked through the door, I stripped Lila down below the waist. Within a half an hour, she had peed in the potty. I could also tell that she needed to work out a number two, but didn't seem very comfortable on the potty.

She went about her business for another hour or so and then said she had to go potty. Back in the bathroom we went. This time she peed and pooped on the potty! A first for sure!

So, although I haven't been following the rules, I'm feeling good about this diaper-free day! I hope there are lots more bathroom incidents just like this the rest of the weekend.

First Day

As I prepared Benny (and, let's face it, myself) for his first day of kindergarten, I couldn't help but wonder how moms throughout history felt about their little ones growing up and doing increasingly independent things. Although kindergarten is a relatively small step for Benny since he's been in daycare of some form or other for the past three years, it's a BIG step in terms of his independence and development. However, it's certainly not a walkabout or something of that sort. Did aboriginal moms choke up at the very thought of sending their sons away? Did they cling to them and their babyhood and toddlerhood for as long as possible?

No matter my feelings, Benny prepared for kindergarten in his own way: At first he was excited, but as the first day grew closer, I could see his anxiety building. He wouldn't tell me that, of course. He's still not sure how to express those feelings. But he sure acted like it. I was a bit worried that his shyness would outweigh his excitement.

The first day was pretty easy - only 2 hours. Because the school had scheduled kindergarten evaluations all day yesterday and half of the day today, school started at 12:30. Nate and I asked Benny where he wanted to eat breakfast and we planned a Benny-only morning. We ate breakfast at Snooze (Benny had a pineapple upside down pancake and declared it "delicious" and "awesome"). Then Benny and I ran some errands before heading home for some bingo and lunch.

His first day started in the auditorium with 75 other kindergartners and their parents. The principal, Dr. Potts, read The Kissing Hand. Benny was very excited when he spotted his teacher. He even clapped at all of the silly announcements, something I don't think he's ever done before. Then he walked, hand in hand, with me and Nate. He rarely holds our hands any more, so it was quite a treat for me in my emotional state!

Then he lined up with his friend Adam and walked into his classroom without looking back.

I held it together up until I walked away from the school. I cried a bit and then went about my day. Of course, I'm experiencing a wide range of emotions. But for the most part, I'm excited. Learning is a gift and I can't wait for him to share his gifts with me!

Benny's assessment of kindergarten: "I want to stay in kindergarten forever!" Guess it went pretty well!

|| Pause

Ever wanted to pause life? Just because it's so perfect. And happy. And wonderful. I want to pause life right now. I want to pause it so we can come back to it someday and relive it.

August has been a magical month. The weather and the kids and the friends and the gatherings. They make me appreciate all that I have. Benny and Lila have been going through a very good "phase" together. We tend to remember the hard phases (teething, no sleeping, temper tantrums), but sometimes it's difficult to remember that there are good phases too. And you don't necessarily recognize them until they're gone.

Benny is becoming a little man. He puts his dishes in the dishwasher now without being told. He wants to learn how to tie his own shoes. He feels responsible for Lila when she's wandering off. He wants to help her when she's struggling. He loves to play with friends and make new friends. And he's a GOOD friend.

Last night, Benny was eating a pepper right off the plant in the garden. He looked at Nate and said, "Thanks for planting these, Dad." He said it so matter of factly, so genuinely that Nate teared up.

Lila is learning how to talk and express herself. Sometimes this includes dramatically throwing herself on the floor, which is usually pretty funny. She says "No way" instead of just "No." If I ask her to do something she says "OK." She has peed and pooped in the potty - all on her own accord. I recently bought her a tea pot set at a garage sale. Now she makes us coffee. There's nothing like learning from your parents!

With my relatively new and relaxed schedule, Nate and I actually have time to talk to each other. Last night we reflected on our weekend for a blissful hour while sitting outside in the cool night air.

Sometimes I get so caught up with schedules and responsibilities and stress that I forget that THIS is what we live for - these moments that make me remember how lucky I am.

Something Totally Cosmic

Coming clean about my feelings about dirty diapers opened something up - something totally cosmic. Not 24 hours after posting my disdain for diapering, Lila said she wanted to sit on the potty, sat down and got right back up. That's a pretty normal for her. She'll sit briefly and then get up, saying she wants a diaper.

Tonight, though, that's where the cosmic comes in. Tonight she got up, grabbed a book and sat back down. I figured it was all part of the routine and helped Benny get ready for bed. Not one minute later I checked on her. She got up and told me she wanted a diaper. But, you know what was different about tonight? THERE WAS PEE IN THAT POTTY! I nearly cried I was so happy.

So I did the potty dance, Benny did the potty dance and Lila looked thoroughly confused. I insisted that we call Nate to tell him about the momentous first pee. Lila told him "pee pee potty." Benny then grabbed the phone and told Nate that we all did the potty dance. Then Benny shared some of his Smarties from school with Lila to celebrate.

I don't doubt that we'll be in diapers for some (many) more months, but a mom can dream, can't she?

Reminders

Now that Benny is nearly 5, I've been trying to remember some of the cute Benny-isms that I'll forgot if I don't write them down.

• Benny pronounced "dinosaur" as "disonaur" for the longest time.
• When Benny first started watching movies, he would insist on watching to the until the bitter end, past the credits to the final studio shot. He called it "the over" because we would insist that the movie was over when the credits started.
• From the months of 18 to about 28, Benny asked to read the Lorax every single night. Nate and I had the entire book memorized. When we watched the movie earlier this year, Benny also had it memorized.
• Benny loved my made up songs at bedtime. In my arsenal: a personalized version of Raspberry Beret by Prince, Cinco de Mayo (it's the fifth of May, oh Cinco de Mayo, we love to laugh and play - that was the whole song), Shut the Door: It's Time to Go to Sleep. I was very influenced by my surroundings, obviously. Benny requested all of these songs by name. He still does sometimes.
• When we were potty training Benny, we sat through several diaper-free weekends. Benny was so stubborn during these weekends that sometimes he would hold it for 8+ hours. One particularly trying day, he waited until I was out of sight, ran to his room and peed on the rug. 
• More recently, when it's time for Lila to go to bed, I ask her if she wants to give Benny a hug and a kiss. Benny stops what he's doing and gives her a hug. When she tries to give him a smacker on the mouth, he leans down and kisses her forehead. It's the sweetest gesture.

There are so many more that I'm forgetting. But for now, this will have to do.

All the Colors of the Rainbow

It's fascinating to witness a child develop the second time around. Things are generally the same, but Benny and Lila have experienced distinct differences. Benny has been incredibly mobile and active since he was small - walking at 10 months, mastering pedaling before 3 years, mastering the bike at 4 and a half years. He also learned the alphabet and numbers very early. He could identify every letter and number by the time he was 20 months old.

Lila has not been interested in the alphabet or riding mobile equipment, but she has been incredibly focused on colors. Now, at 21 months, she can identify every color of the rainbow. There's faint hope that she'll master the potty before 2, but that's a whole different story.

Gorgeous evening rainbow in Montrose.

Ms. Glick, Room 120

One day Benny and his classmates will reminisce about Ms. Glick, their kindergarten teacher. I have very fond memories of my own kindergarten teacher, Mrs. George. Several of Benny's classmates from pre-school/daycare will also be at Benny's elementary school. There are three kindergarten classes and Benny is in one with a good friend of his. We lucked out! He'll be able to see his other buddies at recess.

For now, we will anticipate the first day of kindergarten in August. I can't believe it's almost here!

The Best Card

Benny made my Mother's Day card this year. I LOVE IT!

A Boy and His Bike

There are many joys of parenting. Watching my kids grow and develop and sit up, crawl, walk, talk and do all the cool things they do. It's been amazing to watch Benny figure out sounds and begin putting them together to read on his own.

I have to say, though, that watching Benny ride a big boy bike has been one of the coolest things I've witnessed as a parent. Benny has been riding a balance bike for about a year and a half. We tried a big boy bike last fall, but it didn't go well. Now that several of Benny's friends are riding big boy bikes, he was ready to try again. Nate held on to the back of the bike for about a block and then let go. Benny was on his own and he didn't turn back. My favorite part of the video is when Nate asks Benny if he's doing it and Benny shouts, "Yeah! I'm doing it!"

We visited the Bike Depot, a great nonprofit in our neighborhood that sells used bikes and also has a program that teaches local residents how to maintain a bike. People can even "earn" a bike by working at the store and in the work room. So, we were able to find a cheap, used, nice bike for Benny and support a local nonprofit. Win/win/win/win!

Oh, and we scored a nice used bike trailer for Lila. Now Nate and I just need to get our bikes serviced at the Bike Depot and then we're ready for family bike rides ALL summer!

P.S. Does anyone know how to publish Vimeo videos on a blog? I just can't figure it out!

Leaping

Even as an adult, I still find Leap Day thrilling. We get ONE EXTRA DAY this year. For some reason, that seems pretty special. And it only happens once every four years. So cool.

So today I'm leaping (metaphorically only, of course, because I'm actually sitting at work until 6). Although we've had a rough couple of weeks in terms of sickness and sleep, I've been pretty copacetic with everything. The kids, despite feeling icky and worn down, have been amazing this week. We spent the day on Monday at the mall - a seemingly insignificant stop. But the kids played at the play area after I replaced my phone. We walked around, ate a snack and made it home before lunch. Then we took a long walk - Benny on his balance bike, Lila in her stroller. And the day made me happy and thankful, once again, that I took the leap of faith to switch career tracks.

Nate and I finally feel like we're financially stable and we're ready to make some more improvements to the house this spring. New windows, new doors and a minor basement remodel. It's exciting to see the house transform into a comfortable, nice place to live. It's been a slow progression and frustrating at times.

There are so many other things to be leaping about on this Leap Day. Benny is starting kindergarten in the fall. He's well on his way to reading. His little spongy mind picks up so much stuff now, it's hard to keep up. Lila is starting to talk. She identifies all of her body parts (and can say most of them). She's an inquisitive, happy little girl. And while Nate and I are busy with work and home life, we seem to have settled into a nice routine of allowing each other to have a small social life. I am incredibly thankful that he was willing to take a leap of faith on me too.

Have a great Leap Day. And remember, it's not every year that you get an extra day to enjoy!

All Sorts of Stuff

It's been awhile since I've updated the blog about Benny and Lila's recent activities. Where to begin...

Lila started walking just before Halloween. Small steps turned into big, confident steps. Now she's walking all over the house. She rarely crawls any more. It was a quick transition that she's pretty proud about. After she turned one, she stopped eating. The change was nearly over night. I can only assume that she's not growing as much any more. Now she has eight teeth - after a lot of drool!

We reached a big milestone with Benny recently too. He's been potty trained for over a year now. However, he has been wearing a pull-up to bed. He's a heavy, heavy sleeper - never waking when Lila cries. We tried to go diaper-less several nights, only to find Benny sleeping in a wet pool. A wet bed didn't even wake him. We decided to wait it out rather than push it. About two weeks ago Nate forgot to put a pull-up on Benny. When Benny woke up dry, we all decided that maybe it was time to try underwear at night. He has been dry every morning since. I'm so proud of him!

Oh, and we attended kindergarten roundup about two weeks ago. Looks like Benny will be starting school next fall. I still have to process that.

And, just for you, photos from Thanksgiving weekend...

The whole Brown/Gregory gang.

The First Snow

The forecast for today was snow, snow, snow. Benny has been counting down the days since we found out it was going to snow today. When he woke up this morning, I told him to look outside. He was BEYOND excited and proceeded to tell me about everything that was covered in snow: the fence, the pinwheels, the houses, the grass, the trees. He had a hard time focusing on eating breakfast because all he wanted to do was talk about snow. There was snow all over the garden, the slide, the cars... Really, I got to hear about everything that was covered in snow.

After spending a solid 10 minutes bundling everyone up, we walked outside and Benny approached the stairs tentatively. I asked if he wanted help and he said no. As I was strapping Lila into her car seat, I heard Benny say, "Mama! This is soooo fun. Watch me!" He was just walking down the steps with his boots on, but he was in total nirvana.

Which made my bad attitude about the snow melt pretty quickly. I've never been a big fan of snow or cold. I don't like to ski. I'm not a huge sledding fan. I detest getting bundled up (although I do love scarves - one point for snow and cold). However, watching Benny's enthusiasm made me realize that maybe I should take a moment and just enjoy things, instead of instantly writing them off as incredibly inconvenient. Having kids has made me pause and rethink a lot of my attitudes about all sorts of subjects.

However, I will say that I don't like snow and cold for a very practical reason. I'm not much of a cold weather runner. Anything below 40 degrees and I'm paralyzed inside. And I'm far too lazy to find a winter weather sport. Extra fat isn't all that bad in the winter, I guess. Less to bundle up...

Oh, and speaking of firsts, Lila has taken her first steps! She started about a week ago. She's not too sure on her feet, but gets more courage every day. She typically sticks to three or four steps at a time. She's pretty proud of herself. And I'm pretty happy that I get to watch it happen!

All the Right Signs

Lila is signing! We almost gave up on the signs, and then she did it! She started with a strange rendition of milk (squeezing the air like you're squeezing a cow's udder - I'm not kidding). Yesterday, she was sitting in her booster, watching Benny and his friend Toby play. She started waving her hands and screaming "aaaa doooo!" (All done.) And that's it, she's signing! Just before 13 months.

Benny was the same way. We nearly gave up signing to him, when he started signing back at around 14 months. Signing is such a cool thing to teach babies and toddlers. Lila still does her fair share of sqealing and pointing when she wants something, but now she can start signing! Benny could sign nearly 50 words by the time he was talking consistently.

Oh, and this is completely unrelated, but as soon as I saw these boots, I knew all the signs were right to buy them. I really need to stop buying boots. But these are just so great...

Benny's First Steps

Lila is getting so close to her first steps. I almost forgot how amazing those first steps can be until I found this video of Benny's first steps. We gave him some keys so he wouldn't concentrate on falling down. He was just shy of 10 months old when he took his first steps. Absolutely amazing. I can't wait to video Lila doing the same thing!

Side note: Look at those chunky little thighs! Hard to believe that Benny was ever chunky and squishy and baby-y. I don't think he's gained any weight since he was two - just grown taller and taller and taller.

Lila: 11 Months

Lila doesn't officially turn 11 months until Saturday, but I figured I'd post something before I forget all about it. At (nearly) 11 months, Lila is:

Standing by herself, without the assistance of a couch or box or chair. She sort of squats and then pops up. Walking with assistance and LOVING it. I put her in shoes for the first time ever today. Yesterday she was stuck walking on the sidewalk with no shoes and I figured I should do something about that. Eating only food she can feed herself. We've had to get really creative with what we give her because she still only has two teeth! Drinking one cup of cow's milk out of a sippy and not a bottle. That means we're down to two bottles a day! Demanding that she play with the big kids at daycare rather than stay in the baby room. Babbling all of the time. Pointing. Smiling and waving. Climbing all over us. Hugging. Dancing!!!!

Benny and Lila are definitely interacting more now, which is really fun to watch. However, Benny is also experiencing some delayed jealousy and has been acting out a little. Whenever we're playing with Lila, he wants in on the action. It's unfortunately, but I'm guessing it will be short lived. Over the past six weeks, two friends have welcomed babies, so I think Benny is beginning to be more comfortable with the sibling concept. And I think he's secretly glad that Lila isn't a newborn any more.

Berrylicious!

Lila is nearly 10 months and one week old! She is now refusing to eat any food that she can't eat herself. She's quite adept at feeding herself as a result. She is also crawling and pulling herself up. She's not too interested in walking with assistance, but she's cruising around the furniture now. She points and claps and laughs. Once in awhile we can get her to give a high five. She looks so big here!

We're getting rid of her jumpers and other baby items. I can't believe how quickly we cycled through those!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Bear!

My shy toddler has turned into a thoughtful, inquisitive, talkative little boy - seemingly overnight. He turns FOUR tomorrow! We enjoyed a nice, low-key birthday party at a local park on Saturday. Five of Benny's friends attended: Toby, Thatcher, and Theo (the boys from the block) and Eli and Kaeden (friends from school). Nana and Papa, Papa Knucks and Kat, and Uncle Josh also made an appearance. Benny loved it, so it was a success. Kat made the cake: a ladybug cake. Benny has been requesting a ladybug cake since his birthday last year. My mom has been collecting ladybug gear since that request, so we had plenty of bug-themed decorations to go around.

We bought water squirters (or, guns, as most people call them) and water balloons. The water toys and the playground provided just the right amount of entertainment for the boys to hold off getting too excited about cake and presents.

Benny truly is a unique kid. He loves to push our buttons, so he's been a handful lately. But he also loves to help out and please us, so he often assists with the laundry and picking things up. I love his personality and his sense of humor. It's amazing that we can have actual conversations with him now - about everything from how hail is formed to how ferris wheels look like big fans (a subject for another post). He asks about nearly everything now. And with every passing day, he understands more about everything. I never thought I could love him more than I loved him on the day he was born. But I love him about a thousand times more than that!

Teeny Tiny Pigtails

Lila at almost nine months, with teeny tiny pigtails! She is adorable. She's also a crawling pro now, which keeps us on our toes because she also loves to put everything in her mouth! Walking may be right around the corner too. She now pulls herself onto nearly everything to stand. No cruising yet, but she's close.

She can eat strawberries from our garden as well as spinach, beets and beans. Carrots are coming up and the corn is about ankle high. In the next few weeks, she'll get nearly all of her veggies from the garden!