Wellllll hi. I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, perhaps you have/haven't noticed. Either way, there have been a lot of little things that by themselves do not equal a post, but now have added up where I will document them all at once. Totally random, for the most part, and therefore will take a while (lucky you).
1. First, we can't go anywhere until Ashton gets his due. Some of the gems lately:
***
Ashton: When are we going in the rocket?
Me: Um, what?
Ashton: You know, when are we going to blast off into outer space?
Me: Oh honey, I'm not sure. Not for a really long time.
Ashton [thinking]: Yeah, ok, you're right. We should probably wait until Alex is older.
Yes, because Alex's age is definitely the hurdle here.
***
Ashton [checking himself out at bathtime]: What are these two lumps down here? Look, right here (points)
Me: Well, those are your balls.
Ashton: What are they for?
Me:
Ashton: Do they hold all my pee until I go to the potty?
Me [pausing]: Yep, that's exactly what they do.
***
"I am exhausting today." On a day when he woke up really early.
***
"I just did a smooth toot. A SMOOTH toot is when it doesn't make any noise. It feels really soft."
***
Ashton: Give me a snack.
Me: Um, what's the magic word?
Ashton: Abracadabra! Now give me a snack.
***
Ohhh and there are just so, so many more. One time he was waiting for me to go down the slide on the swingset. When I got to the bottom he said "Whoa Mommy! Good thing that slide was so strong!"
Thanks. Thanks a lot.
2. Speaking of offenses brought on by your children, Alex's new favorite thing to do is take pictures with my iPhone. He will take hundreds, usually in bursts, and usually looking like this.
And that main subject is the huge wrinkle emanating from the corner of my left eye. It probably goes all the way around my head. This is new, I hope the boys are pleased with themselves. Now they can focus on their more obvious goal of turning every last hair on my head gray.
3. Before and Afters: Just because there haven't been any of these posts lately doesn't mean that things aren't going on! Jason has been hard at work on some landscaping projects and this is the current state of our kitchen.
We have another month at least before the backsplash tile comes in, so once that is all set you'll get the full glamour shots/full post on that. Oh! And we got a sandbox!
See it? Allllll the way in the corner back there? ;) Originally we were laughing about putting it there when we have a huge open yard but then realized we HAD to - any other spot and the sprinklers would hit it. I'm told that me and my siblings spent hours in the sandbox growing up so here's hoping this thing pays off. Jason's about to place a 2 week moratorium on playing in the backyard so he can get the grass up to snuff, but after that, the sandbox is open for business and I better see some return in the form of playing by themselves for more than six minutes.
4. Ashton had his annual allergy appointment/skin prick/etc. and there is good news! We have scheduled his food challenges for pistachio, hazelnut and almond towards the end of the summer. Woo! I was happy about the peanut last year but I am looking forward to tree nuts because they are such a good source of protein. A lot of doors open up for healthy snacks that have nuts in them so if it goes well, only eggs and sesame will remain.
5. My sister came to visit Massachusetts this past weekend and stopped at our house for a night. I got to watch Callie for a little bit and introduced her to my favorite game. It's called, "SHHHH! NAPS ARE FOR EVERYBODY."
Heh heh.
Also I am going to be an aunt again! Callie will have a little brother or sister right around my birthday in November! :) I let Kari go through my maternity clothes one last time and posted the rest up for sale (and will donate what is left over). I've been saving every last shoe, jacket, rash guard, hat, etc. for her if she has a boy, If she has another girl, I still know it's time to start clearing out the basement of all our baby stuff. I'm kind of sad, kind of not ;)
6. School updates. Ashton's birthday is August 3, so we have recently had to decide if we are sending him to kindergarten. He does make the cut off but would be one of the youngest in his class and we decided to hold him back. I looked around at various programs in Natick, trying to find him a school closer to home (he remained at Belmont Nursery School after we moved to Natick for a lot of reasons) and ultimately I could not find a school that checked all my boxes. If they had the right location, program, and schedule, they were either full or a TON of $$$. When I thought I had finally found one, Jason and I sat down many times with our spreadsheet (and calculator) to map out when we would both be working, when Jen would come, when Alex has his group class, when he could go to a toddler program (2 mornings per week), and Ashton's TK (transitional kindergarten, MWF) along with his enrollment in Forest Gnomes (Tues/Thurs), which is this incredibly unique waldkindergarten (read: entire outdoors) at the Natick Community Organic Farm. They play in the woods every day, whether it's raining, snowing, sleeting, etc. and if it's too cold, they warm up in the "Gnome Home":
The program was not ABC's and 123's - it was centered around the seasons, the environment, wildlife, helping out with chores, learning respect and responsibility, etc. Jason and I were floored when we went to see it (and equally floored by the long list of gear recommended!). We thought this, in addition to his regular school, would be amazing. How could we not take advantage of a something like this? Especially when it was offered 10 minutes away and Ashton would love it.
But here is something sort of funny. Our ideal schedule, including Jen @ 20-25 hours a week, two programs for Ashton and one for Alex, was $3,400 a month. I say sort of funny but I really mean there was ABSOLUTELY NO WAY we could pay all that. So we made two tough decisions. First, we had to drop Forest Gnomes. It was painful - we had been on a wait list and finally gotten in. The deposit was non-refundable but I convinced them to keep it for Alex some day. Second, we decided to keep Ashton at Belmont Nursery School. It means he will still commute with me 3 days a week all next year, but it was nearly $400 a month cheaper than our other option. Most importantly though, the class is a true TK, designed for summer birthdays or those children that just miss the cut off (all kids are 5 by 12/31). We love the teacher, Ashton will stay with some friends, and part of me feels good that I am just a mile away at work if he ever were to need me during the day. I have a part time toddler program picked out for Alex, 2 mornings a week starting in the fall, but I'm waiting to see if she can make the schedule I requested work for her.
Soooo that's the long boring update on that.
What else. Summer hours have started at Bentley, so I'm off on Fridays now until mid-August. This weekend is Memorial Day and Grandma and Grandpa are coming up to visit. Besides that, we really have no plans for the foreseeable future so I have set two very big goals to give me something to focus on. A) Get Ashton on his bike training-wheel-free and B) convince Alex to eat chicken. Or any meat, for that matter.
Well, take it or leave it, but this has been the May report!
1. First, we can't go anywhere until Ashton gets his due. Some of the gems lately:
***
Ashton: When are we going in the rocket?
Me: Um, what?
Ashton: You know, when are we going to blast off into outer space?
Me: Oh honey, I'm not sure. Not for a really long time.
Ashton [thinking]: Yeah, ok, you're right. We should probably wait until Alex is older.
Yes, because Alex's age is definitely the hurdle here.
***
Ashton [checking himself out at bathtime]: What are these two lumps down here? Look, right here (points)
Me: Well, those are your balls.
Ashton: What are they for?
Me:
Ashton: Do they hold all my pee until I go to the potty?
Me [pausing]: Yep, that's exactly what they do.
***
"I am exhausting today." On a day when he woke up really early.
***
"I just did a smooth toot. A SMOOTH toot is when it doesn't make any noise. It feels really soft."
***
Ashton: Give me a snack.
Me: Um, what's the magic word?
Ashton: Abracadabra! Now give me a snack.
***
Ohhh and there are just so, so many more. One time he was waiting for me to go down the slide on the swingset. When I got to the bottom he said "Whoa Mommy! Good thing that slide was so strong!"
Thanks. Thanks a lot.
2. Speaking of offenses brought on by your children, Alex's new favorite thing to do is take pictures with my iPhone. He will take hundreds, usually in bursts, and usually looking like this.
However, last night he took this one, which actually has a main subject!
And that main subject is the huge wrinkle emanating from the corner of my left eye. It probably goes all the way around my head. This is new, I hope the boys are pleased with themselves. Now they can focus on their more obvious goal of turning every last hair on my head gray.
3. Before and Afters: Just because there haven't been any of these posts lately doesn't mean that things aren't going on! Jason has been hard at work on some landscaping projects and this is the current state of our kitchen.
We have another month at least before the backsplash tile comes in, so once that is all set you'll get the full glamour shots/full post on that. Oh! And we got a sandbox!
See it? Allllll the way in the corner back there? ;) Originally we were laughing about putting it there when we have a huge open yard but then realized we HAD to - any other spot and the sprinklers would hit it. I'm told that me and my siblings spent hours in the sandbox growing up so here's hoping this thing pays off. Jason's about to place a 2 week moratorium on playing in the backyard so he can get the grass up to snuff, but after that, the sandbox is open for business and I better see some return in the form of playing by themselves for more than six minutes.
4. Ashton had his annual allergy appointment/skin prick/etc. and there is good news! We have scheduled his food challenges for pistachio, hazelnut and almond towards the end of the summer. Woo! I was happy about the peanut last year but I am looking forward to tree nuts because they are such a good source of protein. A lot of doors open up for healthy snacks that have nuts in them so if it goes well, only eggs and sesame will remain.
5. My sister came to visit Massachusetts this past weekend and stopped at our house for a night. I got to watch Callie for a little bit and introduced her to my favorite game. It's called, "SHHHH! NAPS ARE FOR EVERYBODY."
Heh heh.
Also I am going to be an aunt again! Callie will have a little brother or sister right around my birthday in November! :) I let Kari go through my maternity clothes one last time and posted the rest up for sale (and will donate what is left over). I've been saving every last shoe, jacket, rash guard, hat, etc. for her if she has a boy, If she has another girl, I still know it's time to start clearing out the basement of all our baby stuff. I'm kind of sad, kind of not ;)
6. School updates. Ashton's birthday is August 3, so we have recently had to decide if we are sending him to kindergarten. He does make the cut off but would be one of the youngest in his class and we decided to hold him back. I looked around at various programs in Natick, trying to find him a school closer to home (he remained at Belmont Nursery School after we moved to Natick for a lot of reasons) and ultimately I could not find a school that checked all my boxes. If they had the right location, program, and schedule, they were either full or a TON of $$$. When I thought I had finally found one, Jason and I sat down many times with our spreadsheet (and calculator) to map out when we would both be working, when Jen would come, when Alex has his group class, when he could go to a toddler program (2 mornings per week), and Ashton's TK (transitional kindergarten, MWF) along with his enrollment in Forest Gnomes (Tues/Thurs), which is this incredibly unique waldkindergarten (read: entire outdoors) at the Natick Community Organic Farm. They play in the woods every day, whether it's raining, snowing, sleeting, etc. and if it's too cold, they warm up in the "Gnome Home":
The program was not ABC's and 123's - it was centered around the seasons, the environment, wildlife, helping out with chores, learning respect and responsibility, etc. Jason and I were floored when we went to see it (and equally floored by the long list of gear recommended!). We thought this, in addition to his regular school, would be amazing. How could we not take advantage of a something like this? Especially when it was offered 10 minutes away and Ashton would love it.
But here is something sort of funny. Our ideal schedule, including Jen @ 20-25 hours a week, two programs for Ashton and one for Alex, was $3,400 a month. I say sort of funny but I really mean there was ABSOLUTELY NO WAY we could pay all that. So we made two tough decisions. First, we had to drop Forest Gnomes. It was painful - we had been on a wait list and finally gotten in. The deposit was non-refundable but I convinced them to keep it for Alex some day. Second, we decided to keep Ashton at Belmont Nursery School. It means he will still commute with me 3 days a week all next year, but it was nearly $400 a month cheaper than our other option. Most importantly though, the class is a true TK, designed for summer birthdays or those children that just miss the cut off (all kids are 5 by 12/31). We love the teacher, Ashton will stay with some friends, and part of me feels good that I am just a mile away at work if he ever were to need me during the day. I have a part time toddler program picked out for Alex, 2 mornings a week starting in the fall, but I'm waiting to see if she can make the schedule I requested work for her.
Soooo that's the long boring update on that.
What else. Summer hours have started at Bentley, so I'm off on Fridays now until mid-August. This weekend is Memorial Day and Grandma and Grandpa are coming up to visit. Besides that, we really have no plans for the foreseeable future so I have set two very big goals to give me something to focus on. A) Get Ashton on his bike training-wheel-free and B) convince Alex to eat chicken. Or any meat, for that matter.
Well, take it or leave it, but this has been the May report!
