New Blog Access

Hi, everyone. Well for the first time ever I had a suspicious comment on my blog. You know, I am generally a trusting person, but when it comes to my kids I am super cautious. I was alerted to the fact that I had a suspicious stranger commenting on the blog... not a friend-of-a-friend type, but a weirdo-type, so now I will need to make the blog an invite-only thing. This is sad because I like the idea of my friends sharing our stories with their friends. If you have a friend who would like access to the blog (I know some of you have a link to the blog from your own blog), then please send along their address. I would be happy to have many readers who are just normal, happy, well-intentioned people reading our blog. For example, my sister works with a lot of great people who check up on Mr. Mo and Miss Moo from time to time. Just send me their addresses and I'll invite them to view the blog. Sorry for the censorship. I truly wish it were not necessary.

Star Wars and Dinosaurs!

Mary and Garrett love to wear hats and costumes. They put on their clever disguises and they are transformed! Here Mary is a Dinosaur (Garretts previous Halloween costume) and Garrett is a Storm Trooper (Thanks, Pop!).

Oh To Walk in Garrett's Shoes

One day last Spring we were coming home from a tasty Mexican dinner. It was a grand time because the kids sat in the booth and ate their tacos and didn't throw sugar packets all over the place or spill water in my lap. We had a good time. Chris and I had just finished making the decision to send Garrett to the public kindergarten in our neighborhood (after an agonizing round of visits to other area schools) and we were feeling great about it.

Chris said, "Garrett, we're going to drive by your new school on the way home!"
"Oh! Cool!" Garrett said.
"I like your new school Garrett! It looks like so much fun!"
"Oh, I will like to go to that school."
"Yes," Chris sighed, thinking about the joys of being 5 and going to a super-fun, award-winning school, "It sure would be nice to walk around in your shoes."
Garrett paused. He said, "You want to walk in my shoes?"
"Oh yes! 'Cause your school is really great."
"Hm," thought Garrett, "You mean my Spiderman shoes? Daddy, I think they're too small for you!"

In order to walk in Garrett's shoes, you have to wear a boy's size 12. Sorry, Chris.

We Love You, Yellow Bus!

Garrett started taking the bus to his new "Washington" pre-school on March 24. For two weeks prior I told everyone who would listen that Garrett would be getting on the bus. At first I told the school that I would take Garrett to school and pick him up myself. They reminded me that the bus was free and he was entitled to take it. I thought, "Like hell I'm going to watch my son get on a bus with a stranger and drive away from me faster than I can run!" But then, I started to think things through. Gosh, it sure would save a lot of time if Garrett took the bus. If Mary was napping, I wouldn't have to wake her up to go get Garrett. That would be nice. The bus comes right to our front door, so it's not like I'd have to worry about getting to the bus stop on time. I'd be right there. Garrett might enjoy the independence. Hmm.... I called the school back and said, "Sign us up for the bus." But, I was anxious. What would he really think about his mother putting him on a bus and saying, "Goodbye!" He would have no idea where he was going and he wouldn't know anyone. I felt cruel. All of you with little babies in your arms, try to imagine putting that infant on a bus and waving goodbye! That's how I felt. Even if Garrett is 5, he's still my baby. Everyone reassured me that Garrett would love the bus. They said he'd be fine. They told me how lucky I was that I had such a great service available to me. I really tried to feel grateful.

March 24th came. Garrett had his jacket and his backpack. We had talked about the bus. I told him that the bus would take him to school and his new teacher would greet him when he got off the bus. I said, "Their will be other kids on the bus too and you're all going to school to have a good time." He said, "Okay." The big bus pulled up to our house. I had to give Garrett a little shove. I said, "Okay, up you go. There you go." He looked at me with uncertainty. "It's okay, Garrett, " I said, choking back tears. "The driver will take you to school and I'll be right here when you come home." He scuttled up the stairs and with his bravest voice said, "BYE MOMMY!" I clung to Mary. I waved, "BYE GARRETT. LOVE YOU!!! SEE YOU SOON!" I'm telling you that I have not seen motion pictures with this kind of angst and heart wrenching emotion. Even those sappy war movies where you are left to wonder if the soldier will ever come home again can't compare.

I went into the house and cried. I felt lame. Somebody called and, hearing the sadness in my voice, asked, "What's wrong?" I said, "Oh nothing. I just put Garrett on the bus. With a stranger. He has no idea where he's going. He probably thinks I gave him up for adoption. It's an adoption pick up bus. But, I'm sure it's fine. I'm fine. I'm really fine. He'll be back in 3 hours." They were in fact, some of the slowest 3 hours of my life. I was afraid to do anything. I didn't want to get too absorbed in a task and miss the bus. If the bus comes and I'm not there, the bus will leave with my child. Again.

Garrett came home. He was happy. He said, "MOMMY!!!!" He jumped into my arms. Ah, the sweet joy of reunion. He had a great day. He told me about the bus and his new class. I gave him cookies and milk--just like Donna Reed would do if she put her kid on a bus. I hugged him every 15 minutes for the rest of the day. The next day, he said he didn't want to get on the bus. He clung to me for a few seconds and I assured him it was okay and put him on the bus. I had a little lump in my throat, but I didn't cry. I even enjoyed the hours of just having Mary with me. We ran a few errands and got home in time to greet Garrett with his cookies. I marveled at how much I could accomplish with one child to tote around. That evening he had a fever and he stayed home the next day. I began to realize what a gift it was to have him occupied in the afternoon. The following Monday, I eagerly awaited the bus, strapped on the backpack, and sent him to the curb. "See ya later!" I said. He asked, "Mommy, will there be cookies when I come home?" I said, "Yes. Be good at school. Bye bye!" He said, "Okay, see ya and don't let Mary eat my cookies!"

That day Garrett came home from school and I said, "Hey Garrett! How was school?" With the skilled indifference of a teenager he said, "What? Oh, fine. I'll take my cookies upstairs. I'm going to play my game." I said, "How 'bout first you tell me one thing about your day, eat your cookies, and THEN go upstairs? How about that?" He said, "Ok," and slumped in the chair. Boy, it was like he aged 10 years at school that day. Then the teeth pulling began:

I asked, "So what did you do today?"
"I don't know."
"Did you play outside?"
"I can't remember."
"Did you play with friends?"
"Huh? Oh yeah."
"What was your friend's name?"
"I can't remember."
"Did you do some art or make something?"
"I think so. Yeah, I made a pizza."

Oh boy. Eventually Garrett and I learned how to dialog about his day. I learned that he chooses a job when he gets to school. Some days he was "line leader" or "kid counter, " other days he was "snack helper" or "door holder." He was most proud of being line leader. He had a library day and a speech day. He played in the gym or out in the playground. Whatever we discussed it could only last as long as long as it takes to eat two cookies. And whatever was happening at school, Garrett enjoyed it; every day he eagerly watched for his bus.

The picture at the top of this post is of Garrett on his last day of taking the bus. I wanted to cry on that day to. I will miss our bus and our bus routine! Farewell quiet afternoons! Farewell guaranteed happy, tired out 5 year old. Farewell, faithfully prompt bus driver. We love you, Yellow Bus!

Now, it's off to kindergarten in just a few weeks. We live too close to the school to take the bus. Too bad. But it sure will be fun to take our ten minute walks to and from the school. I'm sure when we get to the playground Garrett will take off, barely pausing to look back at me. I'll get a little misty eyed the first day. I'll probably make lots of cookies. And there is no way my precious baby is ever going to walk to school on his own. No way! Not enough cookies in this world for that kind of anxiety!

Goodbye Goldfish, Hello Sunfish

I think I may have blogged about my little Goldfish last summer. Garrett took 3 rounds of swimming lessons last summer and he was a Goldfish every time. In order to pass out of Goldfish, you have to put your head under the water. Garrett was very good at getting everything under the water except the tip of his nose and the pucker of his lips. When I signed him up for round two, I asked the swim director, "Do you think I should sign up Garrett for Sunfish next? I don't know if he'll pass Goldfish." She said, "Sign him up for Sunfish. Everyone passes Goldfish."

Not everyone. This summer I was determined to be the proud mother of a Sunfish! Truly, I only care that Garrett is having a good time, but I could see that he was bored with the other activities. He had to fill a bucket with water, by cupping his hands and throwing water into the bucket. Then, he had to pour the water over his head. He had to kick from the side of the pool and try to make the foam brick by his feet go farther and farther. He had to let the teacher hold him in a float position. Stuff like that. How many times can you do that before you get bored? If he could only put his head in the water, he could dive for rings, search for treasure on the bottom of the pool, start learning strokes. The possibilities are endless!

So, on the first day of Goldfish (Round 4), I spoke to the director again. I said, "Hi. I think we've logged more hours of Goldfish than anyone else. How can we get Garrett to put his head under the water? Sometimes he has trouble processing directions and he might be distracted. It's the only thing I can think of." She said, "Hm... well I would suggest some private lessons. Maybe he would be less distracted." Great! Sign us up.

Garrett LOVES his private lessons. He put his head under the water on the first day! Now he glides into the water like a shark, only occasionally coming up for air. He eats goldfish for lunch! That's my boy! Oh, you can't see him? That's 'cause he's under the water. Well, maybe he's not quite a shark, but he will be a Sunfish!

Rats!

Last Monday Garrett had 3 back to back appointments, which made for some crazy driving around town. Naturally the 2:00 appointment was at the farthest possible point from the 3:00 appointment. And of course the 2:00 appointment ran late and I was leaving for the 3:00 appointment at 3:00! And it was blazing hot. And the kids were dawdling on their way to the car, trying to balance on all the curbs instead of directly moving toward the car. I was a bit flustered. The only way to get from the first location to the next was to go through town with all the stop lights and afternoon traffic. I called ahead to let 3:00 know that we were going to be late, but that we were on our way.

After 15 minutes of stop and go driving, I arrived on my final stretch of long road. I could see two miles of green lights. And then my next light turned yellow. And then red. I said, "OH RATS!" Mary said, "Where?!" I explained, "I got a red light honey and we're late. So I said, 'rats!'" She said, "I don't see them!" Suddenly I realized she thought that I was seeing actual rats and pointing them out. I said, "No, I don't see rats." She said, "But where are they, rats?" I said, "There are no rats." Then I got another red light and instinctively said, "Oh! Rats again!" She said, "Mommy! Where? Where?" How do you explain this to a 2 year old? I decided to explain it to Garrett instead. I said, "Sometimes when you're frustrated or something happens that you don't like, or you make a mistake, you say, "RATS!" Garrett said, "Oh, okay." For the rest of the day Garrett said Rats whenever he could. He had trouble putting on his seatbelt and said, "I think I want to say rats." He dropped food off his fork, looked at me and said, "Rats?" I said, "Yep." Mary is still looking for the rats.

In Case You Were Worried, We're Alive

To give you proof that we are alive and well, here is a recent picture of the kids. Garrett asked me if I could give him some horns, so I made short "pig tails" with his hair and used hair glue to get them to stick up. Naturally, Mary immediately wanted a set of horns of her own. Hers flopped over despite the ample use of glue, so she called hers bunny ears. She wore them for 4 days until I had to cut out the bands. Garrett proudly displayed his horns in all the public places that we visited that day. He approached people and said, "LOOK! I have horns!" Then Mary hopped up beside him and said, "I have bunneeee ears!"

The biggest change in our lives since March is Garrett's entry into the Early Childhood Public Preschool. He is such a big boy now--he rides the bus! Mary loves to watch Garrett get on and off his bus. She gives him a big hug when he gets home. Garrett's first question when he gets off the bus pertains to getting the 411 on what Mary was doing while he was at school. For example, he might say, "Hi Mommy. I'm ready for my cookies. Did Mary play with my Star Wars when I was at school?" If ever I tell him that he can do a particular activity after he gets off the bus, he remembers exactly what I said. He'll say, "Hi Mommy. I'm ready for my cookies. And Mommy! Remember! You said we could play with those water guns after I got off the bus. Can we get them now please!"

We've also had some great visits with family and friends. We went to California in May and went to Disneyland with Pop and GP! More on that in a separate entry. While we were in California, we had great visits with Grandma Lee, Paul and Abbey, Suzy, and Anna's family. When we got back home, we had a very nice, but brief visit with Granddaddy and Grandmama Fraley who drove all the way from South Carolina to see us! Garrett will going to see them in South Carolina soon, but he is going to take the airplane. He can't wait to visit his room and go to the beach.

Mostly, it's life as usual around here. We're waiting for Kindergarten to start. We're trying to keep pace with Mary. We're enjoying the usual activities and routines. Nothing new, everything good!