Junior Kindergarten here we come!

Olivia will be starting Junior Kindergarten in a couple weeks and tomorrow we have the "meet the teacher" meeting. We had to do a little homework in preparation for the meeting. They gave us a little booklet of activities to do with Olivia to give the teacher some idea of her skill level at this point. Things like tracing a straight line and colouring and using scissors. One of the activities was trying to help her recognize her own name in writing. This is not a skill Olivia has at this point but I wrote her name on some paper to show her and then she totally copied her name! I realize this is not anything brilliant but I still think it is pretty cool :).

Junior Kindergarten here we come!

Proud Mommy Moments

Today was the first day of school and I am so darn proud of my boys!

Owen started grade 2 and Aiden started grade 3 and they both did amazingly well. I knew that Owen would be fine because he knows and likes his teacher -he knew her last year and is friends with her kids. Plus he is just generally pretty easygoing.

But Aiden... first days can be pretty tough.

And last night? Aiden had the worst nights sleep... he was up a good 10 times between the time he went to bed at 8 pm and when he got up far too early at 6 am. He was just a bundle of nervous/ excited energy. It took him hours to fall asleep and when he finally did he woke up every hour and came and told me he couldn't sleep.

By the time this morning rolled around he was exhausted and so were Doug and I. Owen slept like a log. Of course.

Anyway, he was happy to go to school and that made the drop-off this morning go pretty smoothly. We went and found his teacher and his new classroom and he ran in and gave her a huge hug right away. She said "Aiden! I'm so happy you are here! I've been waiting all summer to see you."... it was in that moment that I knew she is the perfect teacher for Aiden this year. She chatted with him and then told him he could go play for awhile before the bell rang. Perfect. He was happy and felt at ease.

When we picked them up after school they both said they had a great day. Aiden's teacher told me that he did just fine and had a good day.

It makes my heart happy to hear that.

The school provides each kid with an agenda book and it is where the teacher can send notes home or where the kids write down homework etc.. Here is what Aiden's said today...

" I had a good day! My friends were good to me. We had music with Mr. Hayan"

The school did an excellent job picking Aiden's teacher and they even put his very favourite people in his class with him. I knew they were going to try to do that because the better kids know Aiden generally the nicer they are to him and the less he freaks out. But seriously, I think they absolutely surrounded him with the kids that are nicest to him. It makes me cry just to think about how much work our wonderful special ed director did last year- watching who he played with, talking to his teacher and finding out who he worked well with, asking me who he talked about... all so she could set him up for success.  He also told me he likes his new aide (although he can't remember her name yet) so that is encouraging too.

I know there will be a lot of stressful days for Aiden but I am so thankful that he had a good start and that he loves his teacher and he loves his class. Beautiful.

Owen is happy too- even though his best friend is in the other grade 2 class. It was actually pretty darn cute- they haven't seen each other all summer and when Owen first arrived on the playground they spotted each other immediately and ran, full speed, to each other and hugged. They were so darn excited to be together. They talked and laughed and had a great time. They had a little discussion about the fact that they weren't in the same class but promised to meet at recess to play.

After school Owen told me that he and his buddy played together at every single break and so it was ok that they weren't in the same class.

I love how adaptable Owen is. It is so refreshing.

And dear sweet Olivia... she so badly wanted to go to school today too but she doesn't start for a couple of weeks yet.

OH and best of all? She is almost 100% potty trained!!!!!! It was a stupid bladder infection causing all the trauma for the past however long!! She still has some accidents and often refuses to poop in the potty BUT she is able to wait longer and longer before needing to pee each time. If she keeps this up we may not even need to see the specialist!

It really makes me wonder how long she had that horrible infection for... poor little muffin.

Today we ventured all the way to the school and back with her in underwear and there was nary an accident.

I am one proud mama today!

Proud Mommy Moments

Parenthood *review*

Parenthood Season One on DVD
-information taken from the NBC Universal website

From executive producers Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Jason Katims comes the refreshingly original hit series that critics hail as “hilarious and heartbreaking” (In Touch Weekly) and “in a class of its own” (Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times). Featuring an all-star ensemble cast, including Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), Peter Krause (Six Feet Under), Dax Shepard (Baby Mama), and Craig T. Nelson (Coach), Parenthood follows four grown siblings of the far-from-perfect Braverman clan as they try to balance kids and careers, dreams and commitments, and romance or a total lack thereof. Join some of the best actors on television for a genuinely funny and heartwarming journey through the most challenging and rewarding role of a lifetime—being a parent.

Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Lauren Graham, Peter Krause

MY REVIEW

I love, love, LOVE this show. I think Parenthood is absolutely fabulous. I was hooked from the very first show. It is currently my favourite TV show right now! I originally started watching it because of Lauren Graham- I adored her in Gilmore Girls and was just plain excited to see her in another TV show. I was not dissappointed.

I have read a few complaints that she is playing essentially the same character in Parenthood as she did in Gilmore Girls... and although I can definitely see the similarities (both Lorelai Gilmore and Sarah Braverman are single mothers) there are very strong differences. Sarah Braverman has a lot more "issues" and is significantly less optimistic. Also Sarah has two kids with huge issues as to the one rather perfect child Lorelai had in Gilmore Girls. The writing is completely different but I do think that Gilmore Girls fans would really enjoy Parenthood as well.

Lauren Graham is certainly not the only star in Parenthood and I find the whole cast fantastic. The inclusion of a storyline that involves an Autistic kid (Max Braverman played by Max Burkholder) hit me especially hard... I really can't  tell you all how much I can relate to Adam & Kristina Braverman (played by Peter Krause and Monica Potter). Their storyline has made me weep repeatedly and I love that Parenthood is giving more airtime to the effect Autism has on a family. Brilliant.

I could really go on and on about Parenthood- it has all the best elements of TV: drama, entertainment and humour! As I have said on this blog before I love watching TV shows on DVD because then I can watch them whenever I can fit them in- between parenting and work and cleaning and LIFE interrupting me constantly :). The bonus features on the DVD's are great too.

I happily recommend Parenthood- it is all around great entertainment!

Thanks so much to NBC Universal for sending me this amazing show to review.

Parenthood *review*

Haircuts...

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Haircuts...

On Your Mark, Get Set…Start School! *guest post*

It is back-to-school time where I live so here are some great tips from Betsy Brown Braun - child development and behavior specialist and author of two books – Just Tell Me What To Say and You’re Not The Boss Of Me. Her website is betsybrownbraun.com. You can read my review of You're Not The Boss of Me HERE.


Summer time, and the livin’ is easy… As much as we all cherish the carefree days of summer, by the time the September approaches, children are usually ready for the school year to begin. While summer brings a whole different kind of living—less pressure, fewer “have-to’s,” a more relaxed tone overall—many children actually thrive in the more consistent days of the school year (offset by a more relaxed weekend.) But getting back into the swing of things when school begins can be a challenge, for parents as well as for children.

A mindful transition from summer to the school year, done gradually and purposefully, will go a long way towards smoothing the start of school. But that transition starts before first day of school.

Here are some tips for starting the school year off smoothly:

* Mind your attitude. Not all children are excited about the start of school, but a positive attitude can be contagious. Instead of saying things like, “Your teacher won’t allow that kind of behavior in school” try being positive by saying, “I know your teacher will be so excited to hear all about our trip to the mountains.” And “Your friends will be so excited to see you again. Wait until they see how high you can climb now.”

* Introduce what will be your child’s school night bedtime before school starts. School age children need from 10 to 12 hours of sleep, and while they get that during the summer, it usually starts later than is good for a school night. Ten days before the start of school start bedtime 15 minutes earlier. Each night take it back a few more minutes, until you get to the desired bed time.

* Introduce your school night routine at the same time, ten days before the actual start of school. While you may have allowed TV or tech time before bed in the summer, it may not be a great way to get your child calm and ready for bed on a school night. Go back to your routine of bath, books, and tuck time. Get back to your low key rituals that include an intimate bed time chat.

* Adjust your morning routine. A week before school begins, introduce the school morning routine. A sure fire way to start the morning out right—without fights about clothing and the like—is to follow this schedule:

1. Snuggle time (reconnect after the night time separation)

2. Get dressed (Your child chose and laid out his clothes the night before)

3. Eat breakfast, but only after he is dressed. (If you are worried that he

will get his school clothes dirty, throw on one of your old tee shirts over his

clothes.)

4. Brush teeth.

5. Bonus time! (a quick game of Go Fish!)

When the school year begins…

* Do as much as you can do the night before. Help your child lay out his clothes; set the table for breakfast; make the lunches; put the grounds in the coffee maker; put trip slips, backpacks, and anything that needs to go to school by the exit door!

* Set your own alarm clock earlier. I know you’ll hate this one, and I am sorry. But hurrying is the enemy of children. Set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier than you think you need. If you are not rushed, you will be more relaxed with your child. You will be just that much more available to your child, and he won’t need to act out to get your attention.

* Over estimate your family’s prep time. However long you think it will take everyone to get ready for school…double it! If there is extra time, spend it doing something fun with your child. It will help to start his day off great. And it is much better than rushing your child.

* Eat breakfast together. Spending a little quality time at the breakfast table together (not reading the paper, not checking email, not focused on the food that is or isn’t being eaten!), goes a long way toward filling your child’s tank. His moments with you will stay with him throughout his whole day, reminding him that he belongs to a family who loves him.

On Your Mark, Get Set…Start School! *guest post*