Kailey

When Kailey sees her Mommy or Daddy for the first time, there is no better reaction...(if only she could get up easily! LOL).

Adjustment

Right now, our family is stumbling through the starting blocks as we still adjust to our new routines of work and school.  Although the adjustment has been much easier on Chris and I, the kids are having a pretty hard time.  We are dealing with tantrums and crying that we have never seen before, refusal to do different things that were normally ok, and bed time scenarios that are anything but pleasant.  It has been really hard on all of us and while I know we have to weather this time period and look forward to the days that things get easier, it still doesn't make us feel any better.  

However, it certainly has helped that some of that cooler fall air has started to move in and we are able to have the windows up and get fresh air in here.  Tonight after dinner, Chris suggested that we go for a family walk and it definitely helped a tad bit tonight (just a tad).  I know better days are ahead, but it's sure challenging to get through!

Colin's issues have generally been related to going to bed at night.  We will put him back in bed over and over again, but last night he threw some serious screaming fits which are very unlike him.  He is becoming frustrated when he isn't understood, and is using growling type noises when he doesn't want to do something.  We have been in full fledged potty training mode, but if there is one thing I could ditch as a parent, that would be it.  He will sit, most of the time, without complaints, but we have seen very minimal action ON the potty.  {sigh} VERY frustrating.

Kailey's issues have a LOT to do with molars coming in (2) and her general difficulty in transitioning.  At school, we are told that she cries through all of the transitions throughout the day.  Her cries lately are shrieking, high pitched I can't take it anymore kind of cries and they go on and on over everything; Colin coming near her, not being picked up, or really, nothing at all.  

We'll get there....eventually.  

Did Somebody Say Bananas?

When I found out that the Fresh Beat Band was going to be in our area, I jumped at the chance to get tickets for the kids.  We went from watching a plethora of shows to ONLY Fresh Beat Band.  Colin knows all of the words and dances and loves to sing along into his very own microphone (his thumb).  Our tickets are for next week, but I had just found out that I have my back to school night that night.  Thankfully, there were some last minute tickets available at the venue that Chris works at, so he was able to get me 2 to take the kids (by myself mind you) last night.  I thought I was insane but didn't want to miss an opportunity to take them. We had the 12th row center aisle which couldn't have been any more perfect.  

I will tell you honestly that it was one of the most stressful things I have ever done alone with the kids, but also one of the most fun times I have had with them to date.  

Prior to the show starting, Kailey wouldn't sit still and was becoming very whiney and Colin was nervous about the darkness and all of the people around us.  Again, thankfully we were on the aisle because I could let the kids walk around while waiting for it to start.  

Every bit of stress was well worth the reaction that Colin had when the show started and his favorite people, Kiki, Shout, A-ina (Marina), and tist (twist) came out and started singing.  I started crying because I was so happy to see him so happy.  Kailey was fine until they started talking because they were trying to get the crowd to scream as loud as they could.  She wouldn't leave my lap the rest of the night and was shaking from being scared.

Colin danced and sang the entire night from start to finish right into his microphone.  It was one of the most awesome things I have seen him do.  

There are certainly things I can list that Colin enjoys to do, but this is one thing I can honestly say that Colin loves and is his favorite right now.  He had the best time and it was so exciting to watch!

Unfortunately, I did not have my good camera (nor did I even consider bringing it knowing I was going to be alone with 2 kids) and my iphone was not taking very good pictures. He was smiling so great in this picture, but the flash whited out his face.

I can say that this was one awesome night with my kids!  It was a "great day"!

Getting Into a Routine Again

Looking back at pictures from the other day, this one makes me laugh because it is so fitting as to how our first few days back to school have been going.  It is one crazy ride...

I feel like we are "old pros" enough to know that it is going to take some time for this new routine to sink in until we find a new comfort level again.  I will not deny the fact that our last few weeks of summer were realy lax as we no longer had summer school, specific events, or even the schedules of going to the beach every day.  When Colin had his surgery last week, we even had to take it easy so there were lots of episodes of the Fresh Beat Band and lying around. 

We now have bus schedules, preschools, daycares, mommy's work schedule, daddy's work schedule, night time routines, morning routines and so on. 

Kailey's adjustment has not been the greatest and shows her displeasure with lots of screaming and crying.  we have gotten reports that she is happy at school, but certainly not in the morning prior to and when being dropped off at school.  To add to the mix is her discomfort with some new molars coming in, so she is not a happy camper.  I was so excited to get to school today to pick her up and have her come running to my arms when instead, I walked into a screaming crying little girl because she saw me in the hallway talking to someone else. 

We had a "back to school" night last night with Colin's preschool teacher and we were really happy to see him excited to see Miss Liz (Miss Yiz) and get back into the swing of things.  While we were standing in the back of the room, Miss Liz asked Colin to put his name tag on the board and he picked it up, marched right up to the board, and stuck it on there just like he was supposed to do.  I received a call today from her telling me Colin was like "old hat" and fit right in like he never left.  He then had to take a bus to his new after school program and I think we are all adjusting to something completely new. 

I know that change gets easier with time, but sometimes it would be nice to speed things up!

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school in our house where we were going back to a normal routine. I have been looking forward to having structure in our lives again, however, that always comes at an expense. I think we were all emotionally drained today as we have shifted in how we go about our days. Based on previous first days of school, I was anticipating some difficulties in getting everyone out the door, happily. 

I wasn't expected the screaming, crying, teething, hot mess that was Kailey which created an angry Colin (he didn't want to listen to her screaming anymore).  Chris said he created an international incident at school when he dropped Kailey off because she was crying, which caused Colin to cry, which caused some of the other kids in her class to start crying as well. 

Drop off number 2 wasn't any better because Colin was at his new school today (after school program) and is still transitioning there.  Unfortunately/fortunately, there are cameras in his school that we can access from work and I watched my poor baby curl up in a ball on the floor crying after Chris left.  I know it will get better, but it doesn't make it any easier!



The few minutes that Kailey happily posed for a picture.



They were happy until Colin pulled a little hard in a choke hold on Kailey and she started crying.

Poor guy is starting a new day care, and then tomorrow, preschool is being added to the mix!

"Super Daddy" handling 2 different drop offs today.  I am so thankful!

The hot mess ensues (this is the "flop", which came before the "cry").

Colin's teacher put a note for Colin on his door!

I know the routine will get easier, but it still makes it hard when you start!

So Long Sweet Summer

We have had a fabulous summer together and we are sorry to see it end.  However, we are looking forward to structure and routine again...

...thank you Chris, Colin, and Kailey for a fantastic summer!



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Colin's Surgery

I have been trying for days now to create this post, but have been having some technical difficulties with blogger and using chrome as my internet browser. I figured how to do it now I needed to use internet explorer (but that's coming with some of its own issues).

Colin had surgery on Tuesday to repair an aquired undescended testicle.  We've been addressing this issue for a few years now because it's always been retractible, and have even had a circumsicion revision since then, but the doctor discussed with us at the last visit that it would ultimately need to be reparired because of potential medical issues in leaving the testicle so high in the area. 

As always, Chris and I were nervous, but from start to finish in Colin leaving our arms and the doctor coming back to see us, was less than an hour so we were pretty lucky. 

Snuggling with Daddy in the waiting room while watching The Fresh Beat Band.

The hardest part was telling him that he couldn't have anything to eat.  He kept asking and I kept trying to saying "later".

Thank goodness for technology! It was very distracting for him to watch episodes of his favorite show ont he ipad!

He opted to NOT wear his hospital gown and decided to go in the "buff".

The doctors and nurses that came between anesthesia and the one doing the procedure were really good with him.  Bed side manner is always key with a 3 year old!

When he started waking up from the anesthesia he was thrashing and rolling around a lot, but I got in the bed with him and he fel back to sleep pretty quickly.

Surprisingly when we got home, he was pretty quick to have a bowl of ice cream!

However, he was pretty tired the rest of the day so I didn't mind the extra snuggles!

He of course had more ice cream later in the day.

...and even had some pretty good smiles to give out despite being uncomfortable.

He was a little trooper and back to his "getting into trouble" self yesterday.