Nicholas Started Pre-School

Nicholas started pre-school on Tuesday. He will be going Tues/Wed/Thurs from 9am-2:30pm. He wasn't wanting to go at first, but then I remembered I had bought him the next size up in shoes when Stride Rite had their 'Buy One/Get One Half Off' sale last spring, so I pulled those down from the closet. He was a little more eager to go and then I offered ice cream after I picked him up. He then said "and donuts!" and off we went. I was relieved when we got there and he went right in his classroom and sat down and started playing with play-dough. I decided not to tell him bye and snuck out. They told me they would call if he got upset. Five hours and zero phone calls later, I went to pick him up and when he saw me, he started crying. They said he did great all day, but I guess when he saw me he realized he had missed me. He said he had made new friends "Ty and Walker" and that he had fun, but that he didn't sing songs (he had told us before school started that he would color, paint and play outside but not sing songs). We went and got his donuts and ice cream, but for the rest of the day he was really worn out. Well, Patrick was sick and Nicholas started catching it that night. He woke up several times crying out. Wednesday, he went to school just fine but they told me when I picked him up that he had cried on and off since lunch and they weren't sure why. He couldn't really tell me either, but I guess it was him getting sick. That night he woke up coughing a lot and I started coming down with it as well. He stayed home on Thursday and I was glad Chuck was off so I could catch up on missed sleep from the two previous nights. We both had fever for the last two days but I think we are on the mend now.

Nicholas said some funny things this week...

N: "Mom, can you open this coke?"

Me: "No, don't drink that one...go and get yourself an orange coke (his word for orange soda)

N: "No, it's ok, mom, I like diarrhea coke" (diet coke)

****

N: "Daddy, come look at my poop. It's not of as big as yours, but it looks like a dog!"

Patrick has earned back some of his toys. I didn't end up taking everything away after all, because he has way too much and I ran out of room. Chuck and I went through his room while he was at school and cleared out a lot of stuff and moved all the baby toys out of Nicholas' room, so both their rooms are a little more manageable. Patrick is still working on earning back some of his favorite toys. We are struggling daily with him to just to do the basics (make bed, do homework and feed the dog). Patrick is such a great kid and has always been so easy. It has been puzzling. He has always been a little stubborn but it never used to come out as much. We will continue to pray for guidance.

Writer's Block

I wouldn't really call myself a true "writer", so maybe this is a life block. This past summer has been hard. Maybe the last 18 months have been hard. There are a lot of contributing factors. We haven't involved ourselves in a church. Chuck works Sundays and I have visited several churches with the boys. We have enjoyed one for the last year, but it is huge and I am shy. Add two stubborn little boys and a very unmotivated/depressed mother to the picture and you get sporadic attendance and no friends made. My self esteem is in the trash. I used to try and take Nicholas to story hour at the library. I used to try and take the boys to local free activities. Now I barely leave the house. I feel so bad about myself that I feel like I am punishing the general public by having them see me. I wish I could sleep all of the time. I take naps as often as possible. Chuck said the other day that I am striving to be unmotivated. That seems like an oxymoron to me.

In other news, Patrick started 3rd grade last week. He seems to be enjoying it. We put him in Kumon (tutoring/cram school) in the middle of July. It is a series of work sheets that he does daily and they should take 7-8 min. per packet. As I write this now, the time is 1:48pm and Patrick started at 8:30am. He still has not completed his 2nd packet (he normally has one reading and one math). I put him in a time-out earlier in his room and took away his legos (for while he was in his time out). In true Patrick fashion, he then said "Why don't you just take all of my toys away!". I cannot tell you how many times Patrick has said this starting around 4 yrs of age. So today, I did it. I gathered up trash bags full and plastic bins and carted them out. We have tried rewards, bribery and multiple ways of grounding. He still fights us. We wonder if we should just give him a free pass to fail and see what happens. We put Patrick in Kumon to help him memorize his math facts and improve his reading/comprehension. Even though he made straight As last year except for one B, we feel he needs some extra help in preparation for what we have heard is a very hard grade (3rd). So we are now in a battle with him. Not only over school homework, but Kumon as well. My dad is a psychologist and he has worked with lots of kids and even he said that he has run into very few kids as stubborn as Patrick. So there it is, the dirty laundry for the week. I am tired of pretending on this blog that life is always so exciting and great. Life is hard and full of challenges.

Nicholas is starting pre-school on Tuesday. He has been looking forward to it all summer, but when we pulled into the parking lot Thursday night for 'Meet the Teacher', he had a major melt down. He thought he was going to be attending Patrick's school. He said through screams and tears.."I don't want to go to this school..I am going to Patrick's school!". I finally got him in the door but he would not respond to his new teacher or anyone there, for that matter, and I had to carry him through the classes. Other than that, Nicholas is a complete joy to be around. He loves to be silly and try and make us laugh. The other night during prayers he whispered to me "Mommy, do you like your bo*bies? I don't I don't like your bo*bies. They squish me". He finally decided to go poopy in the potty this past Monday and he has done really well except that he wants to save it to show Patrick and Daddy for when they get home. Yes, it is gross, but it is working. Before, he was just waiting until he had his night time pull up on and then going before bed. He also gave up his beloved "ga-gu" (pacifier). He just decided about a month ago that he didn't want it anymore. He said that it was messing up his teeth and he didn't need it. Yippee! Two very big obstacles gone in a month and for that I am very thankful.