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…

Baby Gap and the Thumb Bus.

Last week I took my Tink to a Pediatric Orthodontist to have her gap looked at. When she was first getting in her baby teeth, she had a HORRIBLE under bite (her and our boxers had matching smiles!

So we invested in a retainer like device that didn’t hurt, her teeth just grew along with it. She was only 3 1/2 when we got it. And this office was FLOORED at how much of a difference it made!

But now she’s got that gap… she needed to have a Frenectomy done. To cut the extra skin between her teeth. Within 40 minutes of walking through the door. She was examined. Goggles on, and lasered off! Now hoping when her baby teeth fall out, and her big teeth come in. A lesser of a gap. (braces are of coarse in her future) My baby is no longer a baby!

Now onto my baby boy… who like his big sister is growing too fast! While racking up a bill at the said dentist office, I had asked what to do about a 4 1/2 year olds thumb sucking issues. She said, it has to stop. It will be horrible for his teeth. Sigh, his regular dentist has told us this for YEARS. I asked if she had anything for it.
Sure. Mavala Stop, it’s about $14. We’ve got it up front.

Brought it home, and Blue and I thought we should try it out first. Painted our thumbs, let it dry, sucked away.
At first it was bitter. Like my coffee.
Then some sort of after taste hit me.
It was like bitter shit with sour eggs that wouldn’t go away.
I gagged, coughed, and tried to scrap the first layer off my tongue.
I was sad having to do this to my baby.
But I couldn’t hesitate, or I’d never do it. I painted it on that night. But had to take this picture first.

I feel as if I’m pushing away my baby. Making him a big boy. But at 4 1/2 he needs to stop sucking his thumb. This is the last time I saw him doing this.
He tried to do it once. And after a gag, cough, and sad face (that hurt me!) he said I don’t want it to taste bad.
Thankfully Tink chimed in with this. “You CAN NOT suck your thumb anymore. I mean when you go to Kindergarten, you will be riding the bus with ME. Sitting with ME. I will be a second grader. The boys on my bus DO NOT suck their thumbs. They are big boys”
With that said she stared at him. He replied “Oh… ok”

And magically, Tink’s speech has helped him understand why. I would have gone on about hurting his teeth, and struggling for some grown up speech. But her point was perfect. He understood that to ride the bus, and sit with his sister, no more thumb sucking.

He said to me a few days ago, that the special nail paint was helping.
It’s been 7 days and he has yet to put his thumb back into his mouth. We repaint his nails every other day. JUST to keep the thought away.

We are proud of both of our two. Taking these life issues, and dealing with them the best they can. As for me, I put on my brave Mommy face, and tell them it’s for the best. But the “This hurts me, more then it hurts you” couldn’t be more true right now.

Love you my babies,

Mom

Because I can.

I put on my neon shoes today. Because I can.

I put on Sophie’s leader.
I put on her coat.

I put on my yoga pants. Hoodie. Hat.
I put on my P!nk and Nikki Minaj music.
I went for a walk.
I went for a jog.

I was sick this morning. I felt blah.

I pushed myself.

Because I can.

Because some people I know can’t put on their shoes.

Because some people I know can’t walk. Can’t jog.

Because some people don’t have their dogs anymore.

Because some people can’t hear.

Because some people my age are not here anymore. Gone too soon.

Because they can’t, is why I do.

They’d love to walk their dog one more time.

They’d love to put on their shoes.

They’d love to walk, or jog.

They’d love to hear music.

I can put on my shoes. I can walk. I can jog. I have my dog. I have my health. I have my hearing. I have the strength.

There is no excuse to NOT get outside. Enjoy the last day of warm weather before winter hits. To do what so many others would love to do again, or for the first time.

I can. I will.

JCatMcGack

Life Lesson while getting spoiled.

This little girl of mine had a WONDRFUL Monday and Tuesday.

On Monday her Papa brought over the BIG GIANT two story bed he had been hand crafting for the last two months.

Mia has been smitten with it every since! Loading it full of her stuffie friends, putting her reading nook below, along with her art desk as well.
Then on Tuesday she was taken up to Chicago’s famous Water Tower Place to shop at the American Girl Place store.

Where she was able to pick out accessories for her American Girl doll, Kit. They now both have their ears pierced, matching glasses, Kit has a tote bag, and new shoes. Of coarse they wore matching dresses there. And this picture was taken in their excusive American Girl dining room.

We enjoyed the day, full of family, laughter and memories. While walking outside, freezing in Chicago’s 30 degree weather, on Michigan Ave. Mia saw her Gigi walk over to a man and give him some money.

Mia said “Why did she give that stranger some money?”
I took this as my cue to give Mia, a life lesson.

I said “Mia, do you see where he’s sitting?”
She said “Yes. But it’s cold outside. He should go home.”
I said “That is his home.”
She looked at me… confused. And said “I mean his bed, in HIS home” I then said “No Mi. He doesn’t HAVE a home. He doesn’t HAVE a bed. He doesn’t have ANYTHING. THAT is where he will sleep tonight, he won’t lay down, it’s too cold. He only has that thin blanket to keep him warm.”
She looked at me. Sad face. She said “But I HAVE so many things, and I can sleep anywhere in our big warm house. Where are his toys?” I said “Mia all he really wants is simply things. Food, water and to stay warm.” She bowed her head. As if she felt bad for having all the nice things we did.
I said “We are SO lucky. A home. Heat. Water. Food. Clothes. And our families that love us so much. We need to remember how lucky we are. Toys are just an extra thing, and this man only wants the things that we assume we will always have. And Gigi knows this, so she is giving money to him. Because she can.”

We walked away hand in hand. She smiled and said “I sure am lucky. I’ve got you.”
If only she knows that I am the lucky one, and that I’m thankful there was that moment in her spoiled loved weekend that she was able to see that not everyone has it as wonderful as she does.

I can’t help that Mia and Alex are the only two Grandchildren that the four grandparents will get. That everyone loves to spoil them. That is fine with me. My job is to raise them to appreciate everything. To respect their toys, and the people that give them things. And to know that they are lucky to have this kind of life. And to pay it forward to those who are less fortunate then they are.

JCat McGack