To send or not to send
Posted by: scarletmae on: May 22, 2010
Next week is the Bean’s last week of school. That’s right, my baby is on the verge of finishing his very first year of school; the first time I ever trusted him to the care of others for a regular, extended time period. As such, I’m looking forward to next year in an attempt to find another group of people whom i can bring myself to trust enough to put my first born in their care.
As of right now, he has no where to go. I know, I know… preschool sign ups are in January. Well, I know now anyway. Gabriel’s Place, where he went this year, didn’t have sign ups until April and I was the fool who assumed that they were on schedule with the rest of the world. Really? Yeah, I know, shoulda known better.
So, where we’re at now is: 1 school we had a slot, but I ignored them b/c it was an afternoon; 1 school we have a slot, but they’re the scary “sterile” people; 2 schools have us on their waiting list and really he could go to either and I would feel pretty good; and then, there’s the Academy.
Today, we’re submitting our application, handing in our check and sending the Bean in for an interview at the Academy. It is the private school in our area. The tuition is more than we can comfortably afford but the curriculum is heavy on art and music. Plus there are only 12ish kids to a class – given that the Bean’s father cause a complete rewrite of his public school’s handbook due to being the first honor student with a truancy officer – i feel like small artsy classes might be the perfect fit for our kids.
More than the money though – here’s the clincher – the preschool hours he would go are 4 1/2 days a week until Christmas and then 5 1/2 days until the end of the year; the next year in Jr K at 4yrs he’d be required to go 5 days a week full-time. I just feel like that’s too much. I mean, I know kids who go to daycare are there that long and they’re fine – but – we can afford for me to be home. Should I rob him of the time to just be a kid? Should I tack an extra year on to a life time of “you have to be here all day/5 days a week?” I just don’t know…
Oh well, the decision will wait until another day. Today is just the interview.
The Sterile School
Posted by: scarletmae on: May 18, 2010
In our quest for next year’s preschool we visited yet another wait list prospect this morning. It’s a school I’ve heard a lot about; it’s a school the Bean will not be attending.
First, we scheduled our appointment when we did so that I could see class in session, but when we got there we found out that they’re a polling location so the school is actually closed today for the election. And then things just got weirder. We saw two 3yr old class rooms with no child created art on the wall. In fact the director told us they do lots of arts and crafts but very few teacher led activities. Really they do things like Playdoh and leather squares with holes for lacing thread through.
They’re in a church, but I saw no religious references. When I asked about it, she said that God is very heavy in their curriculum. They pray at least three times in the 2.5 hours they’re there and they cover a bible story a month. “They used to do more, but it seems like the threes really need a full month of repetition before they can remember the story.” The same policy is in place for the alphabet – they do a “letter of the month” and it’s the first letter of the month, b/c “the name of the current month is the word they see the most often.” Really? What do they do in March and May?? Will my kid think S is now the first letter of the alphabet?
The play ground is small, tiny, minuscule. I still don’t feel like I’ve accurately described the minute nature of the equipment available, but, “For all the more they’re out there it’s fine. Really, how much do they need? They’re little.” And finally, they’re converting to water for snack. “It’s what I’ve heard other preschools are doing in light of that problem some of those parents have with juice and milk.”
FAIL.
Welcome Peanut!
Posted by: scarletmae on: May 9, 2010
Mama D gave birth to the most amazing little boy today – D boy #3 whom we shall call Peanut. He was 3lbs 6.5oz and 16.25″ long at 33 weeks and 6 days. 
Paper Bean part 2
Posted by: scarletmae on: May 1, 2010
So… yeah… What did Douglas Adams in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy teach us? 1) Never leave home w/out your towel and 2) the best laid plans were by mice not men.
Uncle T was supposed to be home mid weekish so we mailed the Paper Bean, but then his return was pushed back a day, and then another day, and then another day, and then we were on our way to visit with him without knowing if it had been pushed back, yet another day.
As it turns out, he actually saw and received hugs from the Bean before getting his Paper Bean – yeah, we should have consulted the mice.
The day being the day it was, we also left home without our towels – doh! after 6.5 hours in the car, we were finally getting close to Ft. Bragg. The Bean asked to color and we acquiesced – washable markers and a notebook were provided along with a reminder that we. do. not. color. on. people!
Nervous check number one yielded happy coloring. Nervous checks number two through seven yielded the same. Alas, nervous check eight was the kicker. I look in the rear view mirror and the Bean has two blue circles around his eyes and a multitude of scribbling on his face.
We make eye contact.
He announces: I look like daddy!
I try not to laugh or kill him b/c both could be fatal while driving.
He sees the look and immediately realizes that he broke the cardinal rule. He starts to lick his little blue hands to rub the blue ink off of his face; he only succeeds in turning himself into a smurf.
We stop for gas and I resolve to wash the ink off of his hands, but leave the rest of it on him for a little while. My thought process being that he’s only done this with washable markers so maybe the lack of repercussion is what taunts the reoccurrence. But there’s so much ink and spit on his hands that my attempts to clean them just make a smeary turning myself blue mess. I asked Grammy to take him to the bathroom to wash just his hands!
They’re in there forever; of course she’s washing his whole body. Turns out it’s a good thing she did… the leg he doodled on is still purple, as is the eye he didn’t manage to hit during the frantic licking. The Bean got to greet Uncle T with what appeared to be a black eye…
Paper Bean
Posted by: scarletmae on: April 28, 2010
So my little bro is coming home from Haiti any day now. He’s finally, hopefully got one of three dates that he’ll actually get on a plane and get to come home!!! But, of course, I’ve been talking up Fairy Fest Big Boy weekend with Mama D and Tbird literally since Christmas. And, of course, said weekend is right after Uncle S will get home (insert sigh here).
While we are tooootally going to see him, I do feel a little bad that he’ll be home anywhere from 1-5 days before he has loving company. Enter stage left – my bright idea. A Paper Bean!
We laid the Bean out, traced his little body, gave him paint, the unholy glitter glue, frog stickers (why frogs? idk – you’d have to ask the Bean), markers and stripped him down to his underwear. To town he a-went! Paper Bean was a success as far as the Bean was concerned. We put it in the mail the next day and now, we wait to see if the recipient is as excited as the sender. I’d lay money he will be.
Explosion
Posted by: scarletmae on: April 28, 2010
In the past month, the Bean has gone from my fantastic child who knows how to listen to this little laughing monster who can’t hear me; wont respond; is pretty sure he knows everything. They say that kids develop in six month cycles and I feel blessed by the down time we’ve had – plus, it’s possible that karmicly I deserve this.
In addition to the Bean’s new found independence explosion, the Bop has had an amazing learning, comprehending, communicating explosion of his own. Suddenly when I say “Let’s put your shoes on.” He goes over, gets his shoes and sits on the step. I come around the corner and hear, “Jump, Jump,” and sure enough he’s jumping on the couch. He says “no” and means it. Amazing – absofuckinlutely amazing! When did this happen?
Hamburger Helper
Posted by: scarletmae on: April 13, 2010
On our way to school today, the Bean and I did our usual “Horses on the right! Neigggghhhh! Cows on the left! Mooooo!” but today the Bean added “Mama! Cows make milk” and I in my motherly wisdom said “They make cheeseburgers too!”
to which he replied…
“No mom. Daddy makes cheeseburgers! And I help!”
Who doesn’t love’em?
Posted by: scarletmae on: April 6, 2010
A little conversation to amuse you. Those of you who know our family dynamic will probably find it funnier than others:
the Bean: Mama, I love your boobies
me: ummmm… thanks
the Bean: Do you love my boobies?
me: No baby, you don’t have boobies. You’re a boy.
the Bean: Yes I do! See! (as he pulls his shirt up)
me: those are your nipples
the Bean: Um mom… nipples kinda are boobs. You love mine?
later that day my mom came up to help take the boys to swim lessons:
the Bean: Grammy, i love boobies!
grammy: You do?!
the Bean: Yeah, you gonna show me yours?
Makes sense to me
Posted by: scarletmae on: March 18, 2010
In the car on the way to school yesterday morning I heard the Bean shaking the crumbs our of his cereal cup and onto the floor. I asked him to stop, only to be greeted by the sound of more shaking.
Me: Bean, did I ask you to stop? Don’t you know that makes mommy’s car dirty?
Bean: Yeah…
Me: Well do you want mommy’s car to be yucky or do you want to ride in a nice car?
Bean: Mom? Your car is dirty.
Me: Yes, thanks to you and your brother.
Bean: Daddy needs to buy you a new one.
Me: What?
Bean: Yeah. Daddy needs to buy you a new car so this one can go away and go into the washer. It’s too dirty.
I like the way that kid thinks!
Holy Teeth, Batman!
Posted by: scarletmae on: March 2, 2010
So, while I was out of town this weekend, I checked in Papa B and my mama who had the boys. At one point, when texting w/my mom, I thought I was going to have to pack it up and head home. She told me the Bop wasn’t doing so well and that she was concerned about him. In the end, she said that she really thought that maybe in addition to his monster chest cold, his mouth might hurt a little from teeth so he was probably okay until I got home as originally scheduled.
Now the Bop cut the front eight teeth pretty much all at once when he was five months old (? – it was early). And ever since then the gums where his eye teeth will be have swollen up a day or two and then gone back down, but no sign of actual teeth.
Remembering the conversation from this weekend, I looked in his mouth today to see if it was same ole, same ole with the eye teeth. And, there, on the right side of his mouth an entire molar stared back at me!!!! In just under two days he went from no molar activity to an entire tooth, not just like the top, but that sucker is in! And the one on the left is only a day, maybe two from completing the set.
His teeth might be bothering him? You think!??!
