So Big and New Security

After dropping Buzz off at Preschool today, I drove over to the Grade School building to register him for Kindergarten next fall.

Sigh.

I thought I’d be fine, but when the secretary said “Welcome to Kindergarten!” I got teary eyed. When did this become this?!

Now if you are like my husband, you’d be thrilled. He liked the kids as babies, held them, loved them. But he always wished for them to be 6 and 4. He said THAT is when the fun will begin.

I agree, they were fun as babies, but they are SO much more individual characters now. Buzz with his Star Wars, LEGO’s, and Angry Birds. Tink and her love for dressing up, reading books, and her art. I’ve just got to enjoy the ride, take 9 zazillion pictures and take in this adventure we are on.

In other news, speaking of the school…

After registering, I saw that the principal was standing there. I went up to her and said that it’s been a few months, but I just couldn’t say anything, till now, with out being a blubbering mess. But I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you. All your staff and what they do to keep our children safe here. Thank you.

She said she appreciated me saying that. And that the kids are their number one concern. And that as the staff “They are the first line of defense” for our kids.

Yes, it’s true, while my kids are there, I do trust the teachers to be their protectors. It’s just in the last few years, so much has changed. To where they ARE having to become such a strong defense.

She also told me that over the summer the school is going though construction. The whole open front area, will now be closed off. You will walk in, the buzzer will be on the inside. And the office door will be where the glass windows are.

The only way to get into the school is through doors that have no windows on them.

YES it’s hard that they are on lockdown, but I want my children safe first. The staff safe first. I’m so happy that our town isn’t taking Newtown lightly.

I even noticed that the preschool at the park district has now put a small curtain in their skinny door window. She said in case of lock down emergencies.

It’s a tough world out there. I won’t be afraid of it. Neither will my children. But we will be prepared.

JCat McGack

Proof I’m old. Example #425

Last night while digging through old toys. I came across Colorforms. I brought them out for Tink and Buzz. They were more amused with them then I thought they would be.

Tink was enjoying the Cabbage Patch Colorform. A three story house, with flaps to open. (fridge, cabinets, dressers) A thanks to Aunt Frances for parting with your favorite childhood toy! Tink set up the whole house and had me come check out what she had done.

Me “Looks great, everyone’s watching tv”
Tink “Yea, but I can’t find the remote for the tv.”
Me “Well back when I was a kid we didn’t have remotes. You’d go up to the tv and change the channel. ON the tv” 
Tink “So EVERY time you wanted to change the channel. You got out of your chair?!”
Me “Well there wasn’t as many channels to go through”
Tink “Well how did you do the OnDemand?”
Me “Sigh. We didn’t have OnDemand. We used a book we bought each week, called the TV Guide”
Tink just STARES at me. And says “So what’s with the bug antenna’s on the tv?”
Me. “Um, that’s so we could get a good picture on the screen…”
Tink “What? That is so weird”
Me “Note, this is why all we did was play with toys all day, or play outside. TV was just to complicated”
Tink “I would have just played with the Nook or the laptop instead”
Me. Palm to forehead. Walks away.

JCat McGack

From the front porch.

Normal morning routine for school. Mia gets up, dressed in the pre chosen outfit, hair and teeth brushed. Breakfast and morning chit chat. As always at 7:40 am we head to the front door to get all her coat, hat, gloves, scarf (OMG, I love the warm weather for the lack of 5 minutes of layers!) I start putting on my hat and coat, boots on. Open the door and Mia says "Mom. Um, today you could just say goodbye from the porch, ok?"
Me "Sure. I can still see you from there. If that's what you want"
Mia "Yeah. It's too cold for you to have to wait with me"
Me "Ok, yea, it’s too cold. I'll stay on the porch"
Mia “Good. Loveyoubye!”
She grabs her princess backpack, and wheels it down the drive way. I sit, sad faced and heart broken on the front porch. She meets her bus stop neighbor friends and they board the bus. And it noisily drives away.

Later that day when she comes home. Ed and I are sitting on the couch. I ask her "Mia, do you think on Monday I can come to the bus stop with you"
She said, with a look on her face that she was trying to break it easily to me "Well, maybe we try the, me alone, thing a few more days. See how that goes"
As she skipped out of the room. Tears ran down my face.

There are these moments. That she’s about 15 years old. Where she doesn’t want me anywhere near her. I get it. She’s testing her wings, she needs to do this. To grow on her own, to challenge life, to be her own person.

I guess I just assume that at 6 1/2 she’d still be my baby, needy, and clingy. But what I’m quickly learning is that by 5 she was already challenging these things, and every day there are more new things she can do on her own.

She’ll always need me. I mean I’m 34 and still need my mom. But she’s already becoming the independent, strong, and brave little woman I dream of her being.

Not saying I’ve got to like it.

But I will stand behind her and support her. Or at least from the front porch.

Slow down Buggy, Mommy’s having a hard time keeping up.
Loves you.

xoxo…

Zoo Bucket List (post 1)

As I walked through the brisk winter air. I realized I had a large grin on my face. Because I was going to check something off my bucket list.

The thing about Bucket Lists are, I think, people wait till they are older to start checking them off. Why wait? Life is to short, things happen, people die, people get sick. I’ve been checking things off my list since 1978. And today I was able to do another one.

Going to one of my favorite places, like I have SO many times before. But this time. By myself.

Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo.

Some people see the zoo as a bunch of animals in cages to show off. But little do they know HOW much more then that the zoo really is. It’s about conservation, and teaching, not only the public about animals but teaching themselves. Learning something new everyday. Through observation, and study.

I spend a good amount of my day chatting with the amazing volunteers, or as they are also called, Docents.
Patricia was the first I had encountered. She was in the Australia house.

I did spend some time in the beginning of the Australia house, watching the boa’s and other small displays they had. It’s a smaller darker house, and while most people run through it. I stroll.

I was first drawn to where she was because the keeper was hosing down the Kookaburra birds, who are housed with a Tawny Frogmouth birds (seen here)

Super cool to watch. The keeper was hand feeding fish to the birds.

Which excited the Kookabura’s and they starting their amazing singing! It’s not often the public gets to hear them. I felt lucky.

Patricia and I chatted about wombats, the baby they just had there. Their age, weight and how strong they are. Being that it was feeding time, and no people, this was the most moving around I’ve ever seen the wombats do. They were scratching, sniffing, and moving about.

I was too excited to move onto my favorite place in the Australia house, and one of my favorite places period in this zoo. The free flying bat area.

Well there is one thing to learn about me, it’s that I don’t fear animals. Don’t get it wrong with the fact that I respect them. I know their dangerous, and could at any time, harm me. BUT I also know enough about animals that I know what to fear, how to act, and how far to trust.

So when you go into the free flying bat area, know that the Rodriques fruit bats will fly around. They may even fly close to you. I did hear a story where a lady had one land on her. She wasn’t amused. Myself? I’d be thrilled only hoping it wouldn’t go to the bathroom on me.

Patricia taught me about how the bats are named from Rodriques Island that is off the coast of Madagascar. I learned the one’s you see in the open area are neutered males and females. (they like to breed!) With out a flash you can still capture a great shot.

Hard to see the bats. They are usually above on the screen. But to the left on the ground is one crawling.

I spent about 45 minutes chatting with Patricia. Found out later she’s THE know all of docents that volunteer at the zoo. So happy I was able to spend so much time with her.

After our conversation. She said I’ve got something to tell you. I was nervous. She said “Thank you. You are an exception to many people that come to our zoo to visit. You WANT to learn about animals, you also appreciate what it is we do here. You seem to be teaching your children all about the animals. But you are teaching them about what it is we do here at the zoo. You have a great respect for the animals, and a great want to learn all you can about the animals. I’m thankful for people like you.” She touched my arm. And said she had to go off to her next station. It was a great visit.

THIS is what I wanted out of my day. Not expecting a compliment like that. But time to chat with keepers, and docents. To explore the quiet of the zoo. The winter life. The Zoo to me is so much more then the summer rush of too many people and those damn tour busses that drive around, forcing you to move out of the way. I’m not a fan of crowds, and at this rate I’m spoiled with quiet time at the zoo.

To be continued…

JCat McGack