Big Boy!!

This is what a big boy who sleeps without a pacifier looks like!

A New Era

You know those signs at construction sites that tell you how many days it's been since their last accident?  I want one of those for my house...but our sign would say...

This house has been pacifier free for 9 days!!!!

You read that right!!!  Nine whole days!  Cold turkey, folks...cold turkey.  We are very excited.  The first two nights were rough, and naps are few and far between without them.  But, it's great!  After his first night, Nate woke up with a huge upper lip.  It looked swollen and chapped, like he was punched in the face.  I was thinking he was getting cold sores.  But, then I realized that he had been sucking on his lip in lieu of the pacifier.  Luckily, that has stopped.  He will even say to me, "Mommy, I don't use pa's anymore!!"  

I know, he's almost three.  We let it go on to long.  Just like Charlotte...she stopped right after her third birthday.  She was ready, she knew it wasn't what big girls did.  But, Nate showed no signs of wanting to stop using it, so we just took them away.  This was a huge thing, he was pretty pacifier dependent.  Which, made us pretty dependent too.  It was an all out panic at night if we couldn't find one.  We couldn't leave the house without them!  I was always keeping mental notes of where I saw it last.   

Next stop....potty training!  Yikes!  

Nate's First School Project

They read The Rainbow Fish and make their own fish with a sparkly scale. He was so proud of himself!!

God Dammit, Max!!!!

You're killing me, Max!!!  You're killing me.  Who is Max, you ask??  Max is the bane of my existence on Monday and Wednesday mornings.

Nate has school on Monday and Wednesday mornings...  Nate is fragile.  School is new to him.  He still isn't sure how he feels about it.  But Max is sure.

Every Monday and Wednesday we get up, get breakfast, talk about school like it's the greatest thing ever.  We psych him up...we get his little backpack on and we go to school.  Nate skips along into the Downers Grove Park District Lincoln Center with a purpose.  He's gonna do this school thing...he's on a mission.  Then, we see (and hear) it...it's Max.  Max is screaming and throwing himself on the ground.  He's acting as if the minute that classroom door is closed, they are going to bind his hands and feet, duck tape his mouth and  eat cupcakes in front of him.  There is no way in hell Max is going in that classroom without being shoved in unwillingly.  His mother and grandmother are shouting things like, "It's okay, Max...you'll be fine" and "Remember Max, you'll get skittles and a toy car."  

Up to this point, Nate has been fine.  But then he sees Max and Nate's little wheels start turning.  It's like, "What if this kid knows something I don't?"  "He must know something...maybe I should cry too."  And, that's just what happens. "No, Mommy, I want to go home!!!!  Please don't leave me here!"  

Max has set off a tidal wave of tears throughout the entire hallway.  (Not to self, get to preschool much earlier than Max...get Nate into the classroom first).

Then, the preschool doors close.  The kids are trapped.  They block off the windows on the door so that the kids can't see the parents and we can't see them.  It's like standing outside the gates of Guantanamo Bay.  The door is shaking because tiny fists are pounding on it and screaming, "Get me outta here!!!"  "Mommy!  Where are you???" "Mommy, come back!!!  I don't want to stay here!"  I don't recognize any of the voices screaming for rescue...that's a good sign.  Maybe Nate has found the trucks or the train table.  The door continues to shake...I can see the shadows of several sets of feet under the door.  And, I leave.  I can't take hearing these children pleading for rescue.  These teachers are saints.  They prepared us for this, they said it would happen.  It happens every year.  Since the windows on the door are blacked out, I go outside and peek into their classroom from an outside window (along with two other dads).  I feel like a creepy pedophile spying on little 2 year olds from a dirty window.  Nate has his back to me, but he is sitting on his little carpet square while the class is singing "The more we get together, the happier we'll be"  Let's hope so.  I have no idea if he is crying because I can't see his face.  But, his body isn't convulsing the way it does when he is having a complete meltdown.  

I'm at McDonald's now with Charlotte having breakfast and letting her play int he play area.  I will be heading back shortly to spring Nate from the joint.  Let's hope that he had a good day and that Max hasn't scarred him for life.  But, Max better get his little act together... I'm gonna be patient for a few weeks. I know Max is having a hard time.  But after that....the dirty looks are gonna start flying....   

Breakfast

Eating Cheerios shirtless, so he doesn't spill on his shirt before preschool!

Nate's First Day of School

Today was Nathan's first day of school!  It was only for a half hour and I was with him the whole time. On Wednesday, he will go alone for the full hour and a half.  He did pretty good.  He's my baby..and as anyone who knows us can tell you, the most attached to me.  So, I have been worried for weeks about how he would handle this.  Honestly, he was the most upset that his favorite babysitter, Katie, was staying home with Charlotte and he couldn't stay to play with her!  As we were pulling out of the driveway, he sadly said, "Bye Katie" even though she was long inside.  He had fun going there and playing with the new toys.  I think he's going to do great and I am excited for this new adventure for him!

How do you not love this handsome boy!

 

Heading into school!  I had bought him a much smaller Cars backpack, but he was insistent on getting a Toy Story backpack.  So, I took him to Toys R Us and he picked this out...it's half the size of him :)

Playing at the train table

His name on the board :)

Playing at the sensory table

Sunday Photo Shoot

Here are a few pictures from our photo shoot today:

New Videos

Here are two new videos of the kids:

Nate discusses his family

Charlotte shows off her gymnastics skills