Growth Spurts

I don't notice the small changes taking place every day as the boys grow, but once in a while I look at them and think, "Holy cow! When did they get so big!"  This evening was such a time, so we got out the yardstick.

Jay grew 2.5 inches this past year (from his thumb to his index finger)! He is now 4 ft 3/4 in and very happy to be tall enough to go down the big slide at the water park. I think his crazy smile is due to his shorts being too small. I hadn't realized he never buttons his pants because they are all too tight. I thought he just didn't take the time.

Cole grew 1.5 inches and is now 4 ft 3 in. Although he still has a couple inches on Jay, they wear the same size. I'd like to put a dresser in the hall and throw all their clothes in it so I can stop trying to sort.

One of Rob's favorite activities is to guess how old the boys will be when they pass me in height. I feel fortunate to be fairly tall. It will be a strange day when I have to look up at them. 

Jay Promotes to Red Belt!

Jay's Loose Tooth

Sooooooo loose, but not falling out!

Finally!

Jay's First Day of the Last Year of Preschool

This year we decided to move Jay to a different preschool. While the one on Isle of Palms was terrific, the drive to and from was not. For some reason, I didn't realize how long it took to get there. Going back and forth cut a big chunk out of my 3-hours of free time. The new school is only 10 minutes straight down the highway. It's worked out great, not only time-wise, but because Jay has thrived! We send him to a four-days per week class because I wanted another year with my sidekick on Fridays. He would have loved to go all week though and is definitely ready for kindergarten.

The curriculum is more structured than at the previous schools. I now think this is a better approach. While a student-directed method may work well in later grades, kids still need to be taught the basics and at that age, they don't know what they don't know.

 I can tell the biggest difference in phonics and writing. The class has a letter of the week and all the activities revolve around that letter. This week is Mr. W with the Wonderful Wink. They sing a cute "wuh, wuh, W" song and practice writing it. All week Jay comments on words that start with that letter: "Hey, 'word' starts with W. Wuh, wuh, Word!" When I am quizzing Cole on his spelling words, Jay likes to blurt out the first letter (which infuriates Cole).

With all the phonics practice, Jay is learning how to read at lightning speed. I think watching big brother become a bookworm has made him especially eager. And Cole relishes being the teacher. He's patient most of the time, but gets frustrated by certain things, like Jay thinking words rhyme if they start with the same letter. He has given Jay all his sight word books from kindergarten and Jay can read most of them. I wonder if he'll be bored in kindergarten when he receives the same books.

The kids in his class get along incredibly well. If they see each other in the parking lot, they shriek and wave frantically to each other, as if they're long lost friends. Jay flirts with the girls constantly by getting very close and making this loud, i.e. annoying, chirping noise. It seems to work! His favorite, Cecelia, has announced that she is going to marry him. She's a tiny girl, so when they hug he almost squashes her. Her big sister, Isabelle, was in Cole's kindergarten class and he has always liked her too.

Jay's Mating Call

After school Jay and a few kids like to play in a drainage ditch next to the school. They call it the "Secret Spot," although it isn't secret since they talk about it all the time. They chase each other, pile sticks together for a bonfire, and move rocks around. It gives the parents a chance to chat, although sometimes it can be difficult to make the kids leave.

Four kids in the class will go to Belle Hall for kindergarten (including Cecelia). Jay and I would be thrilled if they were all in the same class.

Cole's First Day of First Grade

August brought another milestone for Cole: The first day of first grade! As you can tell by the picture, he was very excited. (I love the missing tooth gap in his smile!)

I know he likes school because of the daily "hour report," how long the 7-hour day actually felt. The best days feel like only half an hour, the longest day so far was four hours. He is quite serious about his evaulation and often spends half the ride home decided exactly how long the day felt.

He felt right at home in the first grade section because outer space murals cover the walls. In January, the class studied space and he brought in some of his vast collection. The model of the planets Aunt Robyn gave him has a quiz component and the teacher told the kids not to try it because it would be too hard. He was so proud that he knew all the answers!

Reading is by far his favorite subject and we are thrilled that he has become a book worm. When he had to write an essay about his favorite day of the week, he chose Friday because it is the day his class visits the library. He likes mysteries the best (I wonder who he gets that from?). He finished the A to Z Mysteries (a series like Sue Grafton's with The Absent Author, The Bald Bandit, etc.) and is now devouring the Encyclopedia Brown series. I discovered that Encyclopedia Brown is available on the Nook, so I may have some competition in using it!

He reads everywhere, even on the way home from school. I used to get impatient waiting for him to get out of the car, but now I just leave him out there. It's not uncommon for him to sit in th car for 20 or 30 minutes. I don't know if he even realizes we're home!

He also likes math and seems to intuitively know the best way to solve problems. He'll often throw out 3-digit addition problems and ask me if his answer is right. While I'm still trying to carry the 2 from the ones column to the tens, he tells me the answer and how he figured it out. I'm hoping I can learn better math skills from him!

While he loves school, homework is a different story. On Monday each week, he gets a few worksheets, spelling words, and sometimes a writing project, like a short essay or book report, that is all due on Friday. It is a struggle to get him to sit down and do it. Inevitably, he saves it until Thursday afternoon. Then after all the whining and pouting, what would have taken 15 minutes drags out to an hour and a half. The funny thing is that he will independently work on his math and phonics workbooks and really enjoy it. Most likely because he choses to do it instead of has to do it.

It's a struggle for me too because I feel the worksheets are just busy work (the spelling words and essays have real value). He does multiple worksheets at school and always does well on them, so I can't blame him for not wanting to do the same thing at home. I understand the goal of discipline, but he's in 1st grade. I don't recall homework until 3rd or 4th grade. I worry it's setting up a resistance to homework that will last.

Anyway, we are so happy that he is happy in school and doing well. I hope he maintains his enthusiasm for learning!

Our Cole-O-Lantern

The middle top tooth is also loose! Cole's big problem now is that he can't eat corn on the cob. Cutting it off the cob just isn't the same.

It seems like he just got those precious baby teeth! We'll have to carve another Cole-O Lantern this Halloween.

That's My Boy!

I am so proud of Cole! He had an issue with a boy at the Pirate Park and handled it beautifully.

He and Jay were playing pirates with a boy they met there. At one point, they climbed up a tall structure with a long tube slide. Suddenly, Cole flew out the bottom of the slide on his belly and landed face first in the sand. Poor guy was gagging from all the sand in his nose and mouth and could barely see with sand in his eyes. While I was comforting him, the new friend came over and admitted he had pushed Cole down the slide. When I asked him why, he replied, "A zombie was coming." After mildly scolding the boy (his father was close by, but didn't seem like he was going to do much), we went to the car to get water and wipes.

After a while, Cole asked if we could go back to the park. I was surprised that he still wanted to play. As we walked back across the street, I heard him whispering under his breath. When we got there, he walked right up to the boy.

"Are you still gonna play?" the boy asked.

"Yes," Cole replied. "But I don't want you to push me down the slide unless I say it's ok."

The boy agreed and they continued to run around like crazy pirate boys.

It turns out the muttering I heard was Cole rehearsing what he was going to say to the boy. I'm so proud of the mature way he handled it. Times like this make all the hard work of parenting worthwhile.

(We left when the kid found a discarded plastic golf club and began swinging it at the boys.)

Shark Teeth

In continuation of his amazing teething abilities (his first baby tooth arrived at four months old and he quickly had the full set by 11 months), Cole got his first two grown-up teeth so quickly they came in behind his bottom front baby teeth.

I rushed him to the dentist because I had never heard of such a thing. The dentist took a look and nonchalantly said, "Oh, he's got shark teeth."

Cole thought that was incredibly cool. I would too, except it means that orthodontia is definitely in our future.

Cole's First Days of School

It was hard for me to have Cole go to kindergarten. The school day seemed like such a long time away from home. The first few months were a big transition. I think he was a little homesick and I definitely missed him. Poor Jay really missed him. His constant companion and playmate was gone for seven hours each day and I was a poor substitute.

Now, several months into the school year, we have all adjusted. Cole seems to be loving it. He's so proud of the work he does. I'm glad we didn't push reading on him in preschool because he is at the perfect level to learn quickly and not be bored.

He's also making some good friends, some of whom we were excited to learn live in our neighborhood. A couple of the boys are only children, so Cole gets invited to their houses quite often. It makes me glad to have had two boys close in age who love to play together.

Jay's 3rd Birthday

Scrolling through the blog tonight, I noticed a terrible oversight. I haven't posted pictures from Jay's 3rd birthday party!

We had a small party with friends from preschool and gymboree in the backyard. When I first asked him who he wanted to invite, he listed all of Cole's friends and classmates. It's no wonder he considers them his best friends, he's been around them his entire life--tagging along on playdates, going to all the birthday parties, running around the preschool courtyard after class. He's spent his entire life keeping up with the big boys. No wonder he thinks the 2 and 3 year olds are boring.

The kids spent the first part of the party playing in the backyard on the swingset, in the jumpcastle, and with all the toys. Then we went inside for pizza and cupcakes (the ubiquitous birthday party menu). Because it was a small group, we opened presents after eating. All in all, it was a nice, simple party--perfect for a new three-year old!

Catching Bubbles

Playing on the deck

Yummy! Frosting!

A Monumental Night

Jay is sleeping in a toddler bed tonight.

Cole read his bedtime story to me (parts of Hop on Pop), and he's wearing his undies to bed instead of a pull-up.

Wow! What a night!

"Me Big Boy!"

Jay has declared himself a big boy. Now, whenever I say he is my little guy, he corrects me with "Me big boy." He really is growing up before our eyes. I'm sure a lot of that comes from being the second child. Rob and I have less time to observe and coach his development. A few weeks ago, when he was playing quietly by himself, he suddenly counted to ten. Rob and I looked at each other in astonishment. On his own, he learned to count! How did we miss that?!

He is also potty training himself. This morning when Cole put on his Spiderman undies, Jay decided to wear his pair. Then Cole showed him his Elmo undies, so Jay put those on as well. I figured a double layer couldn't hurt. He made it all morning without an accident. We sat on the potty four times before we left the house, then I swaddled his booty in a changing pad in the car. Jay wasn't very happy about that, but when Cole said that because he'll have accidents he should use the pad, it was alright. (Thank goodness Cole is a sweet, somewhat mature four-year old, because Jay does whatever he suggests.) We used the potty one more time at school, then I left him in his teachers' care with three extra changes of clothes. I hope they get paid extra for teaching the potty-training age!

I bought the clothes in the pictures for Aunt Dawn's wedding. After the saleslady and I raved about how good Jay looked (Cole was at school), he wanted to wear the outfit for pictures the next day (even though it was over 90 degrees). When we put on the ensemble, Jay looked at himself in the mirror and declared, "Me look sharp!" Cole got hot in his sweater and took it off, so, unfortunately, his head shot looks like a school picture. Both boys were pros at the shoot and we got very few of these faces. Cole acted like he had been modelling his whole life. When we sorted through the pictures, his all looked identical.
Toward the end they both got a little silly, but they remained good sports, especially when we told them there was a Baskin Robbins next door.

The First Day of Preschool

What grown up boys!

Fighting over who gets to open the gate (a daily ritual)

I can't believe summer is over (even though it is still 95 degrees here). The boys started their new school schedule a couple weeks ago. Cole now goes five mornings a week, and Jay goes two.

It has been a hard adjustment for Cole. He hates to lose his free weekday mornings, and I can't blame him. I'm not sure I like him gone every morning. It makes me realize how fast he is growing up. Next year he'll be in full-day kindergarten. I don't know if my heart can take it!

He is also taking Mad Science class after school one day a week (he has decided he wants to be a scientist when he grows up because then he'll know how everything works). He was nervous about the class, but now he loves it. The kids learn a new concept each week (today was how eyes help us see) and get to keep fun toys relevant to the lessons.

Jay has had no trouble adjusting. He's been ready for a regular classroom for years! Last year, he would run into Cole's classroom, sit down at the table, and start whatever project the teachers had laid out. He gets so excited when he realizes it's his day to go. The only downside to his enthusiasm is that he never wants to leave. Quite a few times I've carried him out kicking and screaming!

His teachers have started encouraging him to use the potty. They tell me he tries several times a day by himself. He loves the little stall in the classroom and the small, kid-size potty. All the practice is actually working! Tonight he took off his diaper by himself and went. I'm so thrilled! I can't wait to be completely done with diapers. I shudder to think of the corner of the landfill we have filled with them.

The new school schedule means I have two mornings a week with no kids. Those three hours go by so fast! I plan to use them to exercise, but it's such a struggle. I really want to come home, make a nice pot of coffee, and read a magazine in peace. Hopefully I can get into a good routine.

Chatterbox

Jay is talking up a storm! He even uses real sentences, in a foreign-speaker sort of way. I now realize that I sounded like a toddler when I studied in France.

Here is a list of my favorites:

• booch = boost (especially used at the play structure in Chick-fil-A, which means I have to contort myself into a kid-size twisty tube. This is the only time I wish he would grow faster.)


• boom boom = hammer


• mommy's hell0 = my phone


• wawie = water


• big wawie = waves at the beach


• ding ding = xylophone


• my job, = things he wants to do by himself


• Jay self, me self = doing things by himself (which lately is taking off his diaper)


• Chia = Katrina (a babysitter)
  

He also has wonderful multi-pitch ways of saying "okay," "yeah," and "wow." I love the tongue roll he uses for "l"s in words like "blue" and "balloon." And I miss the clicks he made with his tongue for "yes."

I'm sure I've missed a few classics, so I'll be updating this list periodically.

Cole's 4th Outer Space Birthday Party

Whenever anyone asked Cole what he wanted for his birthday, the only thing he said was "a real rocket ship that I can sit in and steer." Not quite something we could pick up at Toys 'R Us. So Rob went to Lowe's hoping to get a refrigerator box. However, refrigerators don't come in boxes anymore, so we were out of luck. But the grandfatherly guy working asked Rob why he needed a box and got a bit misty-eyed when Rob told him he wanted to build a rocket for his son's birthday. He gave Rob the biggest heavy-duty sheet of cardboard I've ever seen. Within an hour, we had a brand new rocket in our backyard.

Going with the rocket idea, we held an outer space party at our house. The rocket was a huge hit with both the kids and parents. Poor Rob was on repair duty all afternoon with the duct tape and spray paint. The guy wires were added after a handful of kids crowded inside the rocket and knocked it over, giggling hysterically the whole time. Once the sun started going down it got a little chilly outside, so the kids designed space scenes with foam pieces until the pizza arrived.

The rocket cake was a hit also, but I wish I had been more careful with the frosting. Some things shouldn't be done at the last minute. Note the kid in the red shirt sitting next to Cole with his eyes on the cake. He managed to blow out a candle before we even finished singing Happy Birthday. I was proud of the way Cole handled it. He just waited patiently while we relit the candle then blew them all out.

My little guy is turning into big boy.

Jay's 2nd Birthday Party at Gymboree

Finally, the pics from Jay's Gymboree Party. The birthday boy had a blast, as did all his friends. He was so enthusiastic about everything--bubbles, maracas, balls, and especially the cake. As we sang Happy Birthday, Jay leaned in to get closer to the cake and about fell in it. Everyone sighed with relief as he regained his balance, especially the Gymboree girl, who had a look of sheer panic cross her face at the thought of wearing the cake. All in all, it was a great way to bring in the Terrific Twos!

Growing Pains

I am fairly certain Cole is in the midst of a growth spurt.

First clue: He has become the biggest clutz. Within a two-day period he fell while running on the pavement and scraped his hands and knees, fell at school getting a fat lip, fell down the last five steps, and fell over the ottoman (this may have been on purpose, but he cried nonetheless).

Second clue: He is eating like a normal kid, which is way more than he usually eats.

Third clue: He is on an emotional roller coaster. At lunch yesterday he was upset because the scrape on his hand hurt when he held his sandwich. He agreed to let me cut it into smaller pieces so he could use his other hand. Then, as I was cutting the sandwich, pitched a fit because he changed his mind. It seems as if he is making up for his lack of terrible two tantrums.

I'll keep you posted on inches grown (his) and sanity lost (mine).

Jay's First Real Haircut

Jay had his first salon experience in early December. As you can tell from the photos, he didn't quite know what to make of it. He sat motionless the whole time, probably because he was riveted by the Mickey Mouse Christmas movie that the salon had playing. With all his baby wisps gone, he looks like quite a handsome little boy.

Jay's First Haircut

Alternate Title: "Why We Are Lucky Jay Still Has Two Eyes"

Poor guy was not a fan of his first haircut. I should really call it a trim since he still doesn't have enough hair to cut. We just took a little off the sides and back. I have such a hard time cutting boys' little baby curls, because afterwards they look so much older. But looking back at Cole's pictures, I realize I should have given him a trim much sooner--in reality he didn't look like the adorable baby I saw. Instead he looked like a kid in bad need of a haircut. I guess mothers' don't see what the world sees when it comes to their children.

Jay Pre-Trim

Cole Pre-Trim (2 years old)


Jay really wanted to see what mommy was doing back there, so he kept turning his head right into the scissors. And it didn't help that Cole was bouncing all over the room. Despite the difficulties, I think it turned out ok (although see statement above).

Baby Jay Goes to School *sniff*

I finally enrolled Jay in a Moms Morning Out program at the same school as Cole. He is definitely ready! When we bring Cole to his classroom, Jay runs in first and starts playing with all the toys. People always laugh at how enthusiatic he is. Leaving the building takes a good 15 minutes because he wants to see the art on the walls, sit on all the benches, pick a tomato from the bush in front of the school, and look in all the classroom windows as we make our way to the car. I knew he would love to be in his own class, but I hadn't been quite ready to let him go (even though it is only 3 hours once a week).

On his first day, we took Cole to his classroom as usual. Jay protested as I dragged him out, but then started running down the hall. He was a bit confused when we walked passed the exit door--he stopped, made little squawking noises, and pointed at the door, like "Mommy, it's this way!" When we got to his room, he ran right in with no hestitation whatsoever.

The teacher greeted him while he surveyed the room. His expression said, "I get to play with all these toys? Sweet!" After I gave him a hug and told him to go play, he ran right over to the blocks and started taking them off the shelf. After watching a bit, I left. He didn't even look up when I said goodbye *sniff*. I felt strange walking out of the school without my little sidekick, but boy did I get a lot done that morning!

When I picked him up three hours later, he was still playing hard. The teacher seemed somewhat amazed at how well he did--I guess she is used to dealing with seperation anxiety (she got more from me than Jay!). His only tears came when we were leaving and he realized he couldn't bring the truck he was zooming around on the floor.

He goes back on Monday. The teacher warned that there may be some tears since now he knows I leave. But I think he will do just fine. It's me I'm not so sure about.