A Week of Firsts

You probably want an update about Preschool huh? It got a little better but I am no where close to being comfortable with our decision to put Artem in Preschool. I incorporated many of the ideas that you guys suggested, thank you! And we were already doing several of the ideas you had suggested but Preschool has still proved to be very difficult for Artem.

On his first day he cried all day long, didn't use the restroom the entire time and by the end of the day was raspy sounding, puffy eyed, and had only slept for twenty minutes. His second day he cried at drop off, only ate one fourth of his sandwich, cried at pickup, and didn't sleep at all. By the morning of the third day he started crying when he woke up in the morning saying he didn't want to go to school and screamed when we walked out of the classroom at dropoff. His eyes had red rings around them and Randy and I made the decision to pick him up at noon and let him take a nap in his own room.

I don't think the teacher thought we were making the right decision but I had to go with my mommy gut on it. We are the only parents walking a screaming child into the school and we want to make the transition to Preschool a pleasant one; not traumatic.

The teachers tell me over and over again that he just needs time to adjust. I know this, I was a teacher, I know the standard answer we give to parents when their children have a tough time with school. But I need to know more...does he smile at school? Does he interact with anyone? Does he talk to his teachers? I need to hear more than, "He's going to need more time."

When we picked Artem up from school on Thursday he kissed and hugged both of his teachers goodbye and told us with a smile on his face that he liked school. His teacher told me he had a better day, still cried a lot but at one point he walked up to another student that was crying and wiped the boy's tears from his face. He had chapel that day and his teacher said he folded his hands and said his prayers like they asked him to do. Those are the kinds of things I need to hear, I need to know Artem is having good moments like that and it made me feel a little better.

We brought Artem home at noon and he took a two hour nap and caught up on some of his sleep. After his nap, we decided to head out to the lake and have some fun after the stress of the week. Artem had his first ride on our Waverunner this week and LOVED it. He was so cute in his life jacket and goggles. He was cautious but wasn't afraid to be on the water. He held on tight, but by the second day he was steering the Waverunner and even jumped off of it into the lake for a swim with mama.

I refer to our Waverunner as "Testosterone on Water". It's fast, really, really fast.

First time on the Waverunner.

Randy and his father constructed a ladder ball game this week. (I'm giving you the Rated G version of what that game is really called.) Randy taught Artem how to play the game, and after cracking himself on the head a few times, he figured out how to gently throw the ball. He caught on quick and his celebrations turned more enthusiastic as the game went on.

Ladder Ball

Tossing the ball.

Gracious winner celebrating his victory...

...beginning to gloat...


...and now fully rubbing it in our faces that he ROCKS at ladder ball!

Preschool Day One

Artem started preschool this morning and is attending a private Christian preschool three days a week. I know this is a great opportunity for him, but I've stressed and worried about how he would handle being away from us since he hasn't had much success in that area in the past.

We've been prepping him all summer for today and even went to extra "Meet the Teacher" visits in order for him to be ready. Despite all of our practice for today, we still had the same reaction that I was afraid off...lots of tears and lots of crying.

Just out of the car and already crying.

Nana trying to comfort him, still crying.

Washing his hands as he enters the classroom, small break from crying. :)

What? I'm staying here without you??

And with kisses and "I love you's" and promises that we'll be back soon to pick him up, Daddy, Mama, and Nana left.

And returned to....

The teachers said he cried pretty much all day long. He refused to go potty all day, though he didn't pee in his pants and he took a 20 minute nap. His face was swollen from crying all day long and his voice was raspy from the crying.

On the way out to the parking lot he was all smiles knowing he was going home and couldn't stop kissing daddy and hugging him.

He has two more days of preschool this week. I hope it gets better. I know this is a fantastic opportunity for him and it's a top notch program, (I had to sign him up for this school last March) but watching him get so upset is killing me. If you've survived this, feel free to let me know that it will be okay, the mommy guilt is working me over pretty good!

Manners 101

I am a stickler for manners. Period. Yes ma'am, no ma'am are the only option around here. I've even conditioned Artem to say "ma'am" so much that he tells Randy "no ma'am".

Every year when I would get my new class of students, I always gave them my big speech on the first day of school about manners and that in our classroom it's "yes ma'am, no ma'am" and if you don't hear me when I speak to you, you say "pardon or ma'am?" You absolutely never, EVER, say, "huh?" You might as well say something ugly about my mama before you say the word "huh" in my classroom. My students knew this rule and followed it to a tee. Of course there was always that poor new kid that came in after school started and missed my lecture on the use of the word "huh" and the first time they let that word fly in my classroom you would have thought they just dropped the f-bomb. The classroom goes silent, my teacher's pet faints from the horror of hearing the word, and the needle on the record player screeches across the vinyl. Oh bless your little unknowing heart new kid. But my class know-it-all would always come to their aid and loudly announce that Mrs. S doesn't allow that kind of language in the classroom and after that all would be well.

I like manners. Period.

So today I'm at Walmart with Artem and he's proudly displaying his yellow smiley face sticker stuck to the back of his hand that he received at the door from the "security" guard on his Hover Round. (don't get me started on that subject) We pull up to pay for our groceries and he sees the checkout lady and shouts, "Wook ma'am!!" and puts his hand in the air for her to see his sticker. .....Did he just say "ma'am" without me prompting him?? I was so proud of him and absolutely beaming and I excitedly told the cashier, "Omigosh, all my preaching and nagging has paid off, he just called you ma'am! Omigosh, I'm so proud!" In the background I can hear Julie Andrews singing "Sound of Music" as she runs through the field of flowers and I'm not 100% positive, but I'm pretty sure confetti and streamers were being shot into the air at that very moment. I might be wrong on that last part, but nonetheless, Artem used "ma'am" without any intervention.

The cashier's face was quickly turning from tolerance of my celebration at checkout stand 9 to looking like she was ready to call security on me, so I quickly collected my receipt and got out of her line.

On the way out the door I gushed on and on to Artem and kissed him all over his face telling him how proud I was that he showed such good manners, to which he replied, "Mama have stinky breath!"

I was so close, so close!

Dive Artem, Dive!

Artem: "Me dive in pool no "doaties" (floaties).

Mama: "Oh really? You are going to dive into our pool huh? From the top step? With no floaties on your arms? Into all 36 inches of it?"

Artem: "Yea mim" (Yes ma'am)

the diver takes the stand

he sizes up the water depth making mental calculations

he walks to the end of the platform

tests the water for temperature

and decides to forgo the dive for a graceful step down entrance into the water

maybe next time....

And after a long afternoon of swimming...

...when you are a potty training little boy, the world is your toilet!

Photography Blog

I finally updated my photography blog with my Project 365 work. I added 12 weeks of photos. I vow right now to NEVER get so far behind on posting those pictures. Holy time suck!