Exploring Our Little World

Today was a fun (and exhausting!) day!!!! We went out for lunch, then we went to Home Depot and bought flowers, herbs, and vegetables to plant, ran by Target to buy Char some little water shoes, got her down for a nap and Alan weedeated quite a bit in back, and then we got her dressed in her new shoes and headed for the back 40.

Our little yard has a "creek" running through it. There are a couple of fish and tadpoles but basically it's just rainwater runoff, and actually runs dry much of the year. The property line has an underground spring that pours into it, so the neighbors have water year round. Luckily it's been wet this year so we have lots of water :).

i can't say Char was quite as curious about the creek as i had envisioned, but she still had fun walking through the very cold water, checking out the rocks, climbing over tree roots, etc. It was lovely!

Then we headed out front and planted flowers in pots on the porch, trimmed shrubs so the flowers will get some light, and hoed a little veggie garden in front to the side. Hopefully we can actually grow veggies (i think i've tried for the last 4 years but no luck actually getting much more than a couple of pathetic tomatoes and a 1" long carrot). Not many, just some okra, a watermelon plant, a tomato plant, and some leeks. We also got some herbs for the side garden but haven't planted them yet. We were all so filthy! So exhausted! But we had so much fun!

Actually the first time she climbed this tree this way, she actually said, "I careful!" i just shake my head. A lot.

(i didn't actually fall all the way down; i caught myself on some rocks, but it was still embarrassing).

The Great Daycare Debate

The ever-dreaded process of finding daycare/preschool for Char has begun again. Luckily her nanny is still here and i think pretty happy (and we're pretty happy, too), but the whole "nanny plan" was to pull her out of school for about 6 months and then transition her back in. At this point, she hasn't been biting at home (or playdates, or the occasional Parent's Night Out or other group child powow) or even hitting much, and is showing lots of empathy. She SEEMS ready, but the only way to know is to try. Here's my wishlist:

• Part-time this summer (either mornings or a couple of days a week)


• Full-time next fall


• Keep the nanny happy through the summer in case it doesn't work out (i'd surely hate to let the nanny go on to another job and then have Char get kicked out of another school)


• A school curriculum that fits Char and fits my preferences (i.e. Montessori or Reggio-Emilia are preferred over fancy private pre-schools at this point)


• Get something in place for at least a couple of mornings a week soon just to give some relief to poor DH!

Here's the problem: I don't think we can actually find all of the above! Well, maybe we can get Char in a school mornings a couple of days a week and have the nanny in the afternoons, but is that affordable? Aaaah!

i toured a nice school the other day. Actually, it's where Char's biological brother goes to school (i got to see him through the little window on his classroom, squee!). It's pretty close to where i work but it is very expensive and VERY hoity-toity. The curriculum is very structured, and i would so much rather have a child-led curriculum or program. So, i just don't know if it's for us.

i called a Reggio-Emilia school yesterday and spoke to a teacher, and OH BOY do i love the sound of that school! Sometimes you can just *tell* things by talking to someone. The problem is that it's a program for 30 months to 5 years of age, which means Char wouldn't be eligible until December 1 (IF they have mid-year openings, which i don't know if they do or not very often since i bet most kids stay in the program until Kindergarten). It's also a 9-3:30pm program, so there would still be the issue of after school care. i'm not sure this one will work out in the end, but i'm touring it on Tuesday anyway. i'm a glutton for punishment that way.

i have a tour set up with a Montessori school next Thursday, which goes way up through middle school. It's a very nice-looking school, but it's a wee bit out of the way. i'm really hopeful this one pans out.

i've called 2 inclusive preschools (meaning they take "typical" kids as well as those with special needs like Down's Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Autism, etc), but i haven't received any calls back.

i'm also looking for a Vacation Bible School for a couple of weeks in the summer possibly (maybe more than 1 program?), but of course most are age 3+. And since we should have a little more spendable income this summer (hopefully i'll get a raise, and also my car will be paid off, both in June), another option is to get her into a 2-day mornings-only program (Mother's Day Out maybe?) this summer and then start full-time at a different school in fall (or in winter if the Reggio school is the winner).

2 wrinkles: 1) i'd like to keep open the possibility of getting Char into the public Montessori school at age 3 (pay for ages 3-4 and then public school for age 5+), and 2) there's always a possibility of another baby entering the picture at some point, and the idea of getting Char into a school far from home and finding traditional daycare for new baby near home and dropping off and picking up both at once is a little more daunting than if they were both pretty close together, but that's just a back-of-the-mind thing really.

::pants heavily:: Yup, it's pretty tiring just to type it out, much less live it!

A Sunny Saturday

Ahh, Spring!!! i love April just a tiny bit more than i love March, and the weather yesterday was splendiferous. We woke at 8 to get ready for our first official swim lesson. Actually, Char had less fun than she usually does swimming, probably because she had less freedom. There were a TON of babies in the pool, most of them actually younger (i'm told this is unusual), and there were specific "lessons" to do right near your little area, like reaching for a toy, putting your chin in the water, etc. Oh, well, i learned a thing or two. Unfortunately next week i will not make it because i'll be at a parenting seminar in the morning. Can't wait for that! In the late morning, we decided to go to SATCO for lunch (love warm outdoor lunches!) and then feed the ducks at Centennial Park. Weeeellll, we were half right. Char fell asleep in the car so we went home and let her nap in the car. Twenty minutes later, she was awake (ugh) so we ended up driving back to the city to see the ducks. The ducks and (mostly) geese, by the way, are spoiled rotten. Some kids were throwing Sun Chips, but the fowl turned their beaks up at our whole wheat healthy bread. Alas, it was still amusing and we got some cute pictures of Char in her bonnet. Yes, bonnet! i KNOW! i'm about 75% sold on it, but what i love about it is she actually keeps it on, and this is the first hat she's ever kept on. It makes picture taking "interesting", but she's still totally adorable! This cute little guy came up and just started pushing Char's swing. Appropriately, not too hard, not too soft, just right. He had such a cool guy attitude, too. Such a fun little character!

Light at the end of the tunnel?

Knock wood, it seems like Char is starting to sleep better and longer. Still about an hour short of her previous norm, but she's not so cranky/overtired the last few days and that helps a LOT.

If i didn't mention it before, i'm now reading a book called "Unconditional Parenting", which is just blowing my mind. It's about rewards AND punishment, praise AND shame being equally bad, and not "withdrawing" love when a child misbehaves (i.e. withholding regular bedtime routine if a child misbehaves and calling it a "privilege" or even time outs being "love withdrawal"). i'm about halfway through and so far the book is about research proving why those things are bad, but he hasn't put any alternatives in yet. i can't wait until i get there! i'm sure i will be blogging about it a bit because it's seriously exciting.

At the same time, it's scary. It's scary because i was raised with love withdrawals (i.e. silent treatments and lectures) and punishments (i.e. groundings, shame, and spankings), and most of the parenting books i've read and what i've been trying to put into practice involve positive discipline, natural/logical consequences, and rewards. In other words, the book so far attacks not just what i've known is the type of parenting i DON'T want to do, but also the type of parenting i've been striving toward.

Of course, i may not agree with the book, and i may not change my parenting style or try to comingle to two styles. But it sure is making me think. And that, alone, is pretty scary!

Toddler Bed Hell

Well, i spoke too soon when i said that things were going okay with the toddler bed. Char is having a pretty sizable regression when it comes to sleep. She cries and gets out of bed (if we don't lock the door, she comes downstairs) if i don't sing "You Are My Sunshine" to her over and over (and over and over) until she's asleep, and that's all that will (sometimes) get her back to sleep. She's gotten up between 4:30-5 am for the last 3 or 4 mornings, also, and not going to sleep again at all. Naps are also not so great, 30-45 minutes if she takes one.

This is also coming in conjunction with (obviously) the toddler bed transition, which is a big one, the last 2 canine teeth coming in, and she's getting a cold as well. So, while i am not 100% opposed to sleep training at this age, i wouldn't do it with a sick, scared child who's also in pain. So, deep breath, this too shall pass.

The good news is that she's not in a super terrible mood, considering. DH and i are, LOL, but thank goodness she's in an average to good mood.

A Letter to my Best Buddy

Dear Charlotte,

i've never wanted anything more than to be your mommy. Thank you for being you. You astound me every day!

Love, Mommy

The Zoo