Take that, Mr. K

The other night we were watching The Year Without a Santa Claus and there was a part where Santa hops on one of his reindeer and flies off to look for his elves. Aidan said to me "Mr. K says there is no such thing as flying reindeer". Well, I have just about had it with Mr. K and his bits of information he shares with the children. First it was 'if you do not eat healthy foods and take care of your body, you will die'. Now this may be true, but I don't think a five year old can quite grasp that concept and for weeks Aidan was walking around asking me if he was going to die. Then, Mr. K brought the whole race aspect into the presidential election. Now, it was a historic election because of that but again, five year olds have no frame of reference for this. I don't think it needed to be accentuated. Especially when Aidan came home talking about how "many, many people are losing their jobs because of this last, white president" (Aidan's words).

And so now, it is "no such thing" as flying reindeer. I am of the opinion that kids grow up way too fast and how many years will they believe in the magic of Christmas? At five, I am afraid there are very few left for them. So I was a little annoyed that he is putting some doubt in Aidan's head and taking away some of that magic.

Then a friend gave me a link to the Portable North Pole . You can set up a personalized video for your child from Santa. You can even provide a picture so Santa can show the child he/she is on his Good List. You can also choose from a few specific questions that Santa can answer for your child. One option was How Do Your Reindeer Fly? and launches into a little informational video about how elves go into the field and pick a special lichen off the trees that the reindeer like to eat. Then they take it back to the workshop and mix it with some magical potion and voila! flying reindeer. I was so happy he got a little of that magic back even though he didn't really say anything after watching the video. I know he was still amazed.

Wouldn't you know it?

So, my computer has been on the fritz lately. The monitor is completely gone on the laptop so I had been waiting for Sean to bring one home from work. In the meantime, I was trying to get the Christmas card set and started getting nervous as days went by with no monitor. I couldn't upload all the photos I had been taking (see previous post) and so I had to resort to using photos from this summer in Maine. I just hate doing that because I like using Christmasy pictures plus I like to send the most up-to-date photo possible because this is the only time our out of state/country relatives see the kids. But, whatever. The card came out alright, I don't love it but what are you going to do?

Then when I finally got the computer squared away and uploaded my photos, I saw this one. I thought it was so cute except for the bright spot in the corner. I don't know what was going on with my camera that day.

I love how Ciara has her arms aroung the boys and Aidan is kind of leaning in. And, this is a good picture of Gavin for once. He usually does the squinty eyes-cheesy grin when you try to take his picture.

Outtakes

One day. Three locations. Not one picture suitable for the annual Christmas card.

There's always next year.

And so it begins...

Today I am taking the kids to a local garden center that is always beautifully decorated for Christmas. I am hoping to get some ever-elusive pictures of the three of them together for the Christmas card. Stay tuned...

Where did the month go?!

Every day I sit at the computer and try to do a blog post. Inevitably I get interrupted and by the time I get back to the computer I completely forget what I wanted to write about. There has been so much going on with the kids since they started Kindergarten that I have wanted to write about so that it is written somewhere and I can look back in June and see what a hard, amazing journey it has been for the boys. September did not go at all like I planned for them. I had visions of them coming home all excited with tales of all the fun stuff they are doing. As it turns out, I have to pull teeth to get the info. On top of that, Aidan is petrified of his teacher (as was Gavin which is why he is now in a nother classroom). The more time I spend in Aidan's class, the more I see why Gavin could never have survived there. Being a former K teacher myself, I know what it is supposed to be like. Fun, exciting, interesting, and at times, loud. Controlled chaos. Aidan's teacher likes silence. When they enter the classroom, they walk in silently. As they go to their seats for their work centers, they do so silently. When they get their snack, silence. You get the picture. It is a little spooky actually. Like Stepford children. I want to yell something out just to shake things up a bit. One time I said something silly and the kids laughed and Mr. K came around the corner "WHO is talking???" Ooops.

I really think it is a cultural issue. Mr. K is from the Carribean. Things are different there, I am sure. I think Americans, as a whole, tend to coddle their children while other countries strive to make them independent from an early age and treat them as small adults rather than children. Mr. K has certain expectations of the children and he expects those expectations to be met. Period. End of story. And if they are not met, watch out. There is one little boy who always seems to be sitting away from the group when I go in to the classroom. I asked Aidan who he was one time and why he always is sitting by himself. "He makes poor choices." says Aidan.

Don't we all sometimes?

Yearbook Yourself!

Oh, what little things amuse me. Go ahead.....yearbook yourself !

The scariest ballerina-princess-pirate-fairy you'll ever meet

I said, Give me some #$@%* candy!

Caving into peer pressure

I think I may have mentioned before that Ciara is actually a 5 year old boy trapped in a 3 year old girl's body. She longs to be like her brothers and usually refers to herself as a "big boy" as in "I can watch this tv show, Mummy, because I a big boy". Gavin does not help matters in having Ciara realize she is, in fact, a girl. Also, our attempts to girlify Ciara seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Ciara is now in preschool with a class of 5 girls and 1 boy. I was secretly excited there was only one boy because I thought it would be great for Ciara to develop some female friendships. Little did I know the extent to which some little-girl-behavior would rub off on Ciara.

With Halloween coming, Ciara has stated that she was going to be a pirate since the very beginning of September. Never wavered from this. Always a pirate. Which was fine with me because we have all the pirate paraphenalia laying around the house and it meant I didn't have to buy a costume. Yippee! So, one day I pick Ciara up from school and we talk about what she did that day and she tells me that at circle time her teacher asked each child what they would be for Halloween. I said "And did you say you were going to be a pirate?" "No", she says. "I not going to be a pirate. I going to be a ballerina princess!" Say what?! The only thing I can come up with for the mind change is that her teacher went around the circle and each little girl probably said "princess" or "ballerina" or some other girly concoction and when it came time for Ciara to announce her costume choice she fell into the pattern and chose "ballerina princess". I find this hysterical because she received a ballerina tu-tu with sparkles and irridescent fabric for her birthday and it lays in her closet gathering dust. Now, of course, it is part of her costume. I got her to modify it somewhat and now she will be a "fairy princess" so all I had to buy was a pair of sparkly wings and a wand.

Oh, the powers of peer pressure.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming

Holy crap, what an absolute exhausting month September was.

It is too emotionally taxing to recount it all but basically Gavin had a major anxiety attack about starting Kindergarten. He was unable to go for about 5 days while we figured out what to do. It seemed like every day I was either on the phone with the school counselor, my Early Childhood consultant SIL, or the 25 other people who called for an hour by hour report. On top of that I was back and forth to the school for meetings, bringing Gavin to an outside counselor, picking Ciara up from preschool (of which, I missed her very first day due to Gavin's issues) and then back to the school to pick up Aidan. Crazy.

In the end, we switched teachers and the boys are now separated. This is something I never ever thought I would do in Kindergarten but it is turning out to be the best thing. Gavin definitely needed a more maternal, warm, seasoned teacher. He is doing so much better now. Aidan was fine with Mr. K's teaching style and energy and in the end, I think this will be the best thing for him. I am thinking he will grow more confident and independent without his brother there. Plus, it gives them a break from each other. They shared a womb, they share their toys and everything else so it'll be good for them to have their own K experiences.

Looking forward to October and less drama!

She misses her brothers

I knew she would. They have been her constant playmates for the past 3 years.

On Monday, she would ask periodically "Is it time to pick up my brothers yet?". Today at the park she said "I wish Gavin was here to play pirates with me".

Tomorrow she goes to preschool! Her class is mostly girls so I hope she finds some playmates soon.

And just like that.....they're Kindergarteners

The first day has come and gone, fairly uneventful. It was a bit anti-climactic after all the festivities last week. The open house to tour the school at our leisure, the one-on-one assessment with their new teacher, and the one hour "mini-day" while the parents had coffee in the cafetorium.

So, off they went. Nary a tear from any of us (the night before was a different story on my part, though). Aidan was a chatterbox the entire walk home while I didn't hear a peep out of Gavin. I think it will take him a few weeks to get used to it and feel comfortable.

And then it hit me

Next week holds a big, life-changing day for our little family.

The first day of Kindergarten.

I have been having such mixed emotions this whole summer about this. Some days I am so ready to pack them up and drop them off at the school door and burn rubber away from there. Then there are days where I think I will miss them beyond words and can't get the thoughts out of my head how the dynamics of our relationship will change forever. Not necessarily in a bad way but I just hate any kind of change.

For the past 5 years, my mom has not worked on Thursdays. It started out so she could help me with the boys when they were newborns and then just evolved into "Grandma day" where she would come over and we would go out and do something fun with the boys and later, Ciara. Tomorrow is our last "Grandma day", all of us together. This time next week they will be in school. All day. For six hours.

Today the boys had their kindergarten assessments (kindergarten starts a week later than elementary kids) and as we were leaving the building, the students were being dismissed. It was chaotic to say the least and it just finally hit me that my boys are going to soon be in with this swarm of children. They will run off with their friends to get in a few extra moments on the play structure. I will probably get the universal "I don't know" when I ask what they did at school that day. On the flip side, they will be making new friends, learning new things and experiencing so much. I am excited for that.

Like I said, I just have a hard time with change. But, change is good. Change is life.

Maine

We really lucked out with our vacation week this year. New England has had a horrible summer so far. Thunder showers almost every afternoon or cool rainy days. Not a lot of stretches of sun and warmth in a row. But, our week was spectacular! Every day but one morning was a beach day. And the water didn't make your legs numb when you ventured in. That's saying something for Maine.

So this year, Aidan got the hang of boogie boarding and riding the waves. He was a fish all week. Loved it!

Gavin had a small rafting accident within his first 15 minutes in the water with Sean. An unexpected wave knocked him off and he went under for .2 seconds. That was it for him. He just plunked down on the beach and waited for the water to come in and take him for little rides.


And Ciara danced.

A little confused

It goes without saying that Ciara loves to be just like her brothers. This picture is from a few months ago when Gavin insisted he get Ciara dressed in the morning. She happily complied with all the clothes he picked out for her.

Yesterday I was getting Aidan dressed in his room and Ciara insisted she also get dressed in the boys' room. I went and got her clothes and brought them in and she says "No, I want clothes from there" and points to the boys' dresser. I explain that those clothes are too big for her and anyway, they are boy clothes. Ciara kept insisting and I kept telling her she was a girl and needed to wear her own clothes. "No", said Ciara "I a boy-girl. A boy-girl!"

I guess my plan of getting her a doll isn't working. LMBO

Could they be.....The next American Idol?

My brother brought over American Idol for the Wii the other day. Aidan made a beeline for the microphone when he saw it and even though he knew not a single word of any song, he put on a pretty good show.

My baby is 3!

Where has the time gone? Is my baby really 3? She is now officially a preschooler. A toddler no more.

Why so glum, chum?

An attempt at "girlifying" Ciara. She will play with dolls, dammit. Just kidding. I don't care what she plays with but I thought a doll would be a nice change of pace from swords, shields, her brothers' action figures, and wrestling.

And now for the obligatory trip down memory lane...

Newborn...

One year...

Two years...(it amazes me how much they change from 1 to 2)Three!...

Happy Birthday baby girl!

Yellow belt!!

Aidan had his belt test on Saturday and is now, I am proud to say, a yellow belt.

He is just so excited and proud of himself that it makes my heart happy. He loves karate. Initially I was scared I would plunk down the rather large tuition fee and he would decide after a month he didn't want to do it anymore. But, it has kept his interest and he truly loves anything to do with martial arts. Plus, he loves his instructor, Renshi. I really like him too. He is so good with the kids--very firm when he needs to be but also very funny and kind to the kids.

So here is Aidan getting his belt!

Bowing to his teacher.Meditating before he begins.

During his test, doing Pinyan 1.

Getting a high 5 from Renshi.Yellow Belt!

R.I.P.

My favorite coffee mug. Gone. I never break anything yet when I do it is something really special.

This isn't just any coffee mug. I got this when my husband and I lived in Ireland for a short time back in 2000. He had thought there might be an opportunity for him to go because his company was keen to take advantage of Ireland suddenly booming economy--the Celtic Tiger as it was called.

My husband comes from an Irish heritage--his grandmother was born there--so he got his dual citizenship to make things easier. We had already been to Ireland and the UK a few times so I knew I would love it. It was such an exciting time in our lives. No kids and his company was picking up the tab for renting a place and utilities so I wouldn't have to work. I could just explore and enjoy. We went on an apartment hunting trip in November of '99 and settled on Malahide. We lived right on the Marina and it was beautiful! Malahide also had it's own castle which is where this mug came from. I loved this mug. Every time I sipped my morning coffee I couldn't help but remember our apartment overlooking the marina with the huge floor to ceiling window so I could gaze out the window at the boats. Sigh....

So, R.I.P. my poor little mug. I hope to replace you someday soon when we can get back to Malahide.

Watchin' the ships roll in...

Meltdown at Target

I believe I have sworn, oh about 4 or 5 times now, that I would never again step foot in Target with all three kids in tow. I have learned through many a meltdown that no good can come of it.

So why, you ask, did I take all three kids into Target yesterday? Well, for one, my mother was with me and I figured she could help with crowd control. Second, we were bored. IT was 95 degrees and humid out and we were stuck in the house. We had to get out. So when my mom stopped by to drop something off and mentioned she was on her way to Target, I begged her to let us go with her. Lucky her.

I tell the kids in the car they can pick something out of the dollar bin (love those). I confirm this with Gavin as he is my button pusher and boundary overstepper. So they pick out their things and connive to get a 2nd dollar item. Fine, I say. Then my mom buys them each a bouncy ball. We are on our way to the checkout when Gavin says he wants something else. He tells me what he wants and I say "Well, if you put back your three things you can get them." He proceeds to open up the waterworks. This can not end good.

What does he want to get? Underwear. Yes, you heard me. Underwear. What kid has a meltdown because he wants underwear??

I will spare the gory details of the tears and negotiations that followed. The end result was that he put back two of the three items he had and got one package of Kung Fu Panda underwear which he immediately put on as soon as we walked in the door.

I have always said that Gavin is my odd duck. But I mean that in the most endearing way.

I wonder what he's thinking about?

The first beach day of the season

These pictures are from a couple of weeks back. We went to a different beach than usual. It had huge boulders and rocks which formed cool tide pools when the tide went out. The kids loved it! Although it was about 10 degrees cooler at the water than about 30 feet further up at the softer sand. Aidan was complaining the whole time about it being chilly. For him to have the optimal beach experience the temperature has to be juuuust right. Not so chilly that he has to wear his sweatshirt but not too hot that he sweats too much either. I think he took after me.

We all just love the beach and can't wait for our weeklong vacation in August!

A scholar and an athlete

As much as I hate labelling children in a family, I have to joke about the fact that between Aidan and Gavin, we will end up with a Scholar and an Athlete.

Aidan is fearless, active, physical and has no time to think about letters and sounds and putting them together to make words. Gavin is much more careful with his body and rarely will put himself in a situation where he might actually--gasp--get hurt. He is very interested in what makes things work, sounding out small words and asking countless "Why?" questions. I guess this explains why Aidan has a multitude of bruises and scrapes and Gavin does not.

The boys just finished up their soccer season. They both were excited to play though I suspect it had a little more to do with the fact that their dad was also going to be their coach. So I was taking pictures at the last game and I got some pictures that I think captures their personalities quite well.

Here is Aidan's kick. You can just see by the way his body is positioned all the power his little body put into that kick.

And Gavin's kick. It is almost as if the ball was in his way and he's just kicking it aside.

Who knows? Once they hit Kindergarten in the fall they might surprise me. But for now I am sticking to my labels.

5 years ago today...

Happy Birthday to my baby boys!!

Wiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The sadness of moving on

Today was the boys' last day at their preschool. Wednesday they had a graduation ceremony with songs and diplomas and merriment after. Today they were celebrating all the summer birthdays and just ahving a fun last day with their friends.

I picked them up with Ciara in tow and their teacher said to the boys that in September it would be Ciara's school since they would be in kindergarten. Then we said our goodbyes and the boys hugged her and we wished her to have a nice summer. We walked to the car and they all got in while I climbed in back to buckle them. I think that all of a sudden it hit Gavin that he would not be at this school again. He wouldn't see his teacher and all his friends. He asked me "Am I never coming back here?" I told him that no, he'd be going to a new school in the fall. The same one his cousins attended. I thought I saw a quiver in his lips but then he climbed in the car so I didn't push it further. He got in his car seat and turned around and said "I think my teeth hurt." I asked why he thinks that and he said "I think my teeth hurt and that is why I feel this way". His lip quivered again and I gave him a big hug and he just broke down. He cried and cried and cried that he wants his friends to be in his new school too. I racked my brain and could only think of one boy for certain that would be at his school and of course, this is a boy he was not particularly close to so that did nothing. I started to well up myself at the intense emotions Gavin was feeling at the moment. He is not always one to put his feeling out there and tries to put on a brave face when he is feeling uncertain. I guess this wave of emotion was just too much for him.

I had promised them McDonald's for lunch but decided to drop Aidan and Ciara at my parents so Gavin and I could go alone to get the food and bring it back. On the way we talked about feeling sad about leaving one place but the excitement about starting in a new one. I explained how each year you get older and need to learn new things and that is why we have to move on. Once you learn all you can in preschool, your brain needs more challenges and so you go to a whole new grade to get those challenges. I think he understood and right now seems to be digesting everything.

This had to have been the hardest moment for me as a parent so far. I have been trying not to dwell on the fact that my baby boys are going to be 5 and will be off to the "big school" in a few short months. I have been trying to act like it is no big deal and remind myself that I am not the only parent that has to go through it. I suppose I have also been trying to act brave for the boys because I don't want to project my emotions on them and ruin the excitement they feel about starting kindergarten.

I guess I learned today that it's ok to show them that I feel sad, too. But I hope that I can also show them that I am excited for them to begin this new adventure and I'll be with them every step of the way.

My little paradox

Here she is. My daughter. Girly tiara on her head while making a considerably un-girly face. And in her sweats to boot.

The winter blahs

I am so ready for Spring and the nice weather! I have been so down the past few weeks and have so much less patience with the kids than usual. With daylight savings time last weekend, this week seemed a little better. Even though it is still as cold as last week, there is a "spring is in the air" feeling. It is horrible being cooped up in the house. There is really nothing to do and nowhere to go that doesn't cost money. We can only make so many trips to the library. Each day I feel guilty that the kids are watching too much tv, using the computer too much, or playing the video games but I know as soon as the air gets even a little warmer we will be hitting the park. They need the fresh air!

Every day Gavin asks me if it is Spring yet. Soon, I tell him. And when it's spring, he asks, does that mean we can swim in a pool? Not quite. But the boys are taking swimming lessons, which they love. So maybe that will quell the swimming bug for a while.

My apologies

I cannot believe I have neglected my blog this long. Here is what happens:

I never seem to have a chunk of uniterrupted time to post a blog entry.
I lie in bed at night before falling asleep and mentally compose the blog entries I would write if I did have a chunk of uniterrupted time.
When I do get a chunk of uninterrupted time, I cannot remember what it was I wanted to post about.

Sound familiar?

Now, I must go get the boys from preschool and before that I need to change Ciara as I am hoping she is done with her 45 minute pooping session.

It gets worse before it gets better

That's how the saying goes, right? Let's put it to the test.
Aidan on Friday after his fall (Day 1):


Day 2:

Yup, definitely worse. Although it doesn't seem to be bothering him from the looks of the photo.

Day 3:

Worse or better? Maybe about the same.

Day 6:

Here he is opening Valentine's with his brother. The dark purple bruising seems to be turning to yellow.

I suppose we have proved the theory. It is getting better each day but it still looks awful.