I May Have Gone Overboard...

Last night was Parent Orientation Night at Tanner's school. I have been so excited about Tanner starting Kindergarten and I told Jake from the beginning that I would be volunteering when possible and being a Room Mom. I want to be as involved as I can because I believe it shows Tanner that I am interested in what he's doing and want to be a part of his life. It's important to invest time in your kids and show them you care. I remember all the kids whose moms were the Room Moms when I was in elementary school, and it was those kids who seemed to have a stronger sense of self-confidence. I truly believe that the involvement of their parents in that aspect of their lives was key to their self-esteem development, so I have always said that I would do that for my children. Whatever we can do to help that, right? Especially in today's world.

Anyway, his teacher had a table full of sign-up lists for the year - I signed up for the Halloween, Holiday, Valentine's and Water Day parties, the Easter Egg Hunt, as well as volunteered to do some mural artwork in their classroom (the teacher begged the artistically-talented parents to step up to the challenge). I start that tomorrow. So I'm definitely going to have a busy school year ahead (no doubt it was going to busy even WITHOUT Kindergarten obligations!) But I'm completely fine with that...if all this hard work now will help Tanner to thrive in the future, it is definitely worth being a little frazzled and hectic from time to time. ☺

Another Beach Day Pic Share!

Well...I Was Wrong.

I had to go to Target today after picking up Tanner from school to get some overnight diapers and underjams for the boys. All Tanner could talk about was whether or not he had enough allowance saved up to buy some Legos. (I've been trying to explain to him that Legos are more expensive than most toys and that he will have to save for quite a while to buy some with his allowance.) Anyway, I explain to him that he does not have enough allowance, and it's not a special occasion like his birthday or Christmas, so we won't be getting Legos, we'll just be getting what we need to get and then go home. As you can probably imagine, he's 5, so this did not sit well with him.

So as we walk through the store, he repeatedly asks if we can go in the Lego aisle to just look at them. (He thinks he's so sneaky, I know "just looking" is never enough.) So using my better judgment, I tell him no because I know it's going to make the problem even worse.

As we're finally walking toward the check-out registers, he starts breaking down and whining about how "unfair" it is that he doesn't get any Legos. (Why my child thinks that just because we walk into a store he's entitled to something, I do not know - certainly not something I teach or condone!) Anyway, I stop and tell him that he's acting ridiculous and that none of the other kids in the store are getting Legos just because they're at Target, so why should he be any different? I finally manage to calm him down and we make it to a check-out register...

There was a mom and little boy (who appeared to be a year older than Tanner) in front of us and they had not one, but TWO big sets of Legos. I was in utter disbelief at how random this was. Or maybe the Big Guy just thought it would be fun to mess with me (He routinely finds humor in that). So I try to distract Tanner in hopes that he will not notice - and then tell me how wrong I was. Well, eventually Tanner noticed and his mouth dropped open and his eyes stared wide. I whispered to him, "Maybe it's his birthday. That's why he's getting Legos." Which I TRULY hope is the case!

Luckily, he didn't make a scene and we managed to exit without drama.

But all I could do was look to the sky and think, "Are YOU serious?! Thanks."



Kindergarten Rocks!

Tanner (and Mommy) made it through his first day of Kindergarten today! The morning was a little crazy and rushed, but we made it through a mess of traffic and people and managed not to be tardy on the first day! I decided to drop Breckin off at daycare first so I could have 100% attention on Tanner for his big day and the big [read: dreaded] drop-off. We walked to his classroom and he put his backpack in his cubby. I asked him if he remembered his assigned seat from orientation last week and he did! The teacher greeted us with a warm welcome and hug (I really like Ms. Powell, she seems like a great personality fit for Tanner). I took some pictures, and then gave him a big hug and kiss good-bye...he didn't seem scared...he didn't beg me to stay (which is great, though I sort of longed for him to at least pretend he wanted me to stay longer). He did say "I love you, Mommy" without being prompted by me saying it first and it melted my heart. My little boy is really a big boy now. All day I couldn't wait to pick him up and hear about his day. He told me about all of the songs they sang and the games they played. I was so glad to hear he loved it. :)

Here are some pics I took before I "let him go":

The Mascot is a Sea Turtle!

My Silly Sweetie

Looks So Grown Up

Outside the Classroom

Ms. Powell & Tanner

His Seat for the Year!

My Studious Little Man

Embarking on a New Adventure

Tomorrow is a big day.

Tanner and Breckin are going to their first day at their new daycare. This will be Breckin's first time in a daycare center ever. I hope that he loves it. Tanner will be going their for his after-school program 3 days a week.

Tuesday will be an even bigger day than tomorrow.

Kindergarten is finally upon us. I've long-dreaded this day. I'm going to be walking Tanner down the hall to his classroom...taking TONS of pictures...and crying tons of tears (hopefully will be able to hold them back until I get in the car.) The following things will likely run through my mind all day:

"Is he going to be nervous?"
"Is he going to make friends easily?"
"Will he be able to find his way back to class from the bathroom?"
"Will he listen to his teacher and follow the rules?"
"Will he get on his daycare bus OK, or feel completely lost because I'm not the one picking him up?"
"Will he wish I was there with him, or be completely fine without me?"

That last one is probably the most worrisome. Isn't it sad when our kids decide they don't need us anymore? Hopefully I have a little longer than Kindergarten, but I know that day is coming...probably sooner than later.

However, I'm excited for this new chapter in our lives. Aside from Tanner heading to Kindergarten, we are also taking further steps in our Christian faith (attending a Life Group, committing to attending regular Sunday services, etc.), moving toward a better financial future (we even both just got new cars to suit our growing family! Jake now has a large enough truck to fit our entire family, and I have enough room to fit our entire family and a few friends!) Things are just finally going really well and the future looks bright. I have signed up to be a "Room Mom" for Tanner's Kindergarten class...excited to see what fun that will bring!

So here's to a good school year - hope all you other mommies of school-aged children have an awesome year!

Insanity Day 2 - Starting Stats

Well, I finally had a chance to take my starting stats for Insanity this round. I think they may be even smaller than when I attempted starting the program again in June (summer definitely got ahead of me, so I didn't last long with that round, however, did go to the gym).

So here they are:

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 130 lbs
Waist: 29"
Hips: 35"
Bust: 31"
R Thigh: 19.25"
L Thigh: 19"
R Calf: 14"
L Calf: 14.25"
R Bicep (unflexed): 10"
L Bicep (unflexed): 10"

I haven't had a chance to take my "before" pics yet, but these were taken a couple weeks ago, so I think they will suffice as I haven't changed much since I took them:

You can read more posts about my Insanity Chronicles here.

A Year Ago Today...

I held my little Breckin in my arms for the first time. My baby has grown from an 8 lb 13 oz infant to a 24 lb 1-year old! This year has gone by so fast, but it has been full of wonderful memories I will cherish forever. Here are a few of my favorite photos and videos from over the past year:

Three Days Before Labor

First Family Photo

Big Brother Showing Love

Trying Out Cloth Diapers

Go Packers! Superbowl 2011

Birthday Boy

Breckin's 1st Birthday Party

Yesterday we celebrated Breckin's 1st birthday. (He will actually turn 1 tomorrow.) I can't believe my little boy is already 1. It just does not seem like it can possibly be that long ago that I first held him in my arms. This past year has definitely gone by way too fast...it all seems a blur. Breckin is a wonderfully happy little guy and he has brought such joy to our lives. Here's some pictures and a little video from his party: