Back to the ol' grindstone

I went back to work yesterday. I was ready to get back into a routine, after falling into a pit of laziness. Towards the end of maternity leave, my days looked a lot like this:

• Wake up, shower, get dressed.
• Take Colin to daycare (unless we have a playdate, then he stays home)
• Come back home, sit on couch
• Get on computer, refresh facebook every 5 minutes.
• Get disappointed when people aren't posting anything on their facebook walls
• Realize that's because everyone else is working
• Eat lunch
• Refresh facebook some more
• "Window shop" online
• Refresh facebook some more
• Make documents in Word, like my shopping list document that is laid out using the Aldi floor plan
• 3:00. Go pick up Colin.

*Nursing/caring for Ben interspersed throughout the day, of course.
**An occasional trip to Aldi/Target/Walmart once or twice a week.

I needed some routine in my life.

Monday morning, we left the house on time. Drop off went incredibly well. I didn't cry. It's different when:

• It's your second kid, and your oldest is there to watch over your littlest
• You know your daycare provider
• Your kid has hung out with your daycare provider
• You're only 5 minutes away
• You have 3 months of work until summer and you're off

I unlocked my door and walked into my quiet classroom and immediately felt overwhelmed because

• I wasn't sure what routines were still in place, and which ones had been changed
• I didn't know what to teach
• Although I know it's my classroom, it didn't feel like "my" classroom.

The day went well. I felt the love from my kids. My long term sub stuck around for 2 "reverse shadow" days so I could slowly get back into it. That was awesome. I became reacquainted with my "stuff" and my space. I got a chance to establish my pumping schedule.

I left school as soon as I was contractually able. I picked up the boys and Sandy told me Ben had a great day. He drank his milk without issue. He slept for an hour and a half, with some catnaps thrown in (he usually sleeps a lot more than that, but it's ok).

We went home. Ben was asleep for the night by 8:30 (usually it's more like 9:30). He did wake up last night, but still just once, and woke up for the day at 6:30, which is when he has to wake up anyway.

Today was good too. I felt more comfortable with my students. I have a list of things I need to do to get my kids back to where I expect them to be. I have 3 days before spring break to get some footing.

Ben did well at daycare today. The kids went outside twice today since it was so nice out. He took a 3 hr nap and some catnaps, which is more typical of him. He didn't drink a lot of milk, but when we got home he drank a 6 oz bottle and nursed, so I'm sure he's fine. We went for a walk tonight and he seemed happy but tired. He fell asleep at 7 pm, and almost 2 hrs later he's still sleeping. I'm sure he's just overdosed on fresh air and vitamin D :)

So yeah...back in the game. Feeling good. Feeling motivated. Although I am counting down to summer. 58 days to go, and it's going to go quickly!

6 weeks later, 100% potty trained!

I can officially call Colin potty trained now! Actually, he has been potty trained 100% at home for at least three weeks. He still has a minor poop-related issue at daycare to sort through, but the last few days there have gone really, really well. He is starting to get more comfortable about telling Sandy when he needs to go. I rarely ask him if he needs to go anymore either, because I know he'll tell me.

He has never had an accident in public, which makes outings easy. No diapers needed! There have been a few times when we've taking long-ish car rides and I've brought the potty with us, knowing a bathroom might not be available at a moment's notice. He said he had to go, so Kevin stopped, then I crawled into the back seat and plopped him on the potty in the back of the Explorer. He went, I dumped it out, and off we drove!

He wears the Gerber training pants to bed every night now. The extra padding (how little it may be), is for my assurance. He has only had two night time accidents: the first night, and once last week, which I think happened because he was coughing so hard. He usually wakes up at 4:00 or so to go potty, and then goes right back to sleep when he's back in his crib.

I am so happy and fortunate potty training worked out like it did. Those first four days were frustrating and exhausting. I annoyed myself with all of the constant asking and reminding I did. Since then, as we've been able to slowly back down from the reminding and checking, it has been a breeze. In fact, I have almost forgotten the first four days.

So now I can really, truly say I am looking forward to a diaper-free summer!

"'Mout"

We don't really do a whole lot of time outs. There have been times when he has been throwing a tantrum or whatever and we sit him on the couch and say "time out," but I'd say the total number of times we've done that is about five. It gives him a chance to cool off and then tell us what he wants rather than have a tantrum.

Well, Colin's newest thing is giving himself a Time Out, or what he calls "Mout."

Sometimes when I'm wrestling him to change his diaper, I tell him he needs to lay still or he will get a time out. He looks at me, says "Mout" and sits in the glider chair for a few minutes. Sometimes he'll play a game where he gets out of his chair and then runs back to it, but *usually* after he sits there for a few minutes, he'll get out and be ready to get the diaper on again.

On Thursday when I picked him up from Sandy's, he didn't want to get his coat and boots on and just straight out told me "Mout." So he sat on her little bench while I talked to Sandy with my back towards him. Within a few minutes, he was ready to be cooperative and get ready.

I can only hope that as we approach the two-year mark that he'll give himself Time Outs. However, I do believe it's his little experiment at this point.

Lessons from Andy Griffith

Sandy told me a story about something that happened earlier this week at daycare. M, who's 3, was dumping sand on the other kids, including Colin. The next day, Colin dumped a shovelful of sand on M. Sandy told M that the reason why he shouldn't dump sand on the littler kids is because they learn that they should do it too.

My first reaction when Sandy told me the story was, "Atta boy, Colin!" I said it out loud. But then no sooner than I said it, I began to doubt if I should say it at all. As a teacher, I constantly tell students that they need to "use their words" to work out problems. If someone is bugging them, they need to tell them to stop, not to use their hands or be aggressive. I teach the students the golden rule. Treat others how you want to be treated. Schools suspend and expel students for aggressive behavior.

As a parent, I want Colin to stand up for himself. If someone isn't treating him nicely, I want him to be able to show the bully who's boss. Even if it means just "getting him back" by giving him a taste of his own medicine.

As I was thinking this through, I was reminded of a classic Andy Griffith Show episode, titled "Opie and the Bully." The bully, Sheldon, meets Opie on the street before school and bullies him into giving him his nickel for milk or he'll get a knuckle sandwich. Every day, Opie asks two adults (Aunt Bee, Andy, or Barney) for a nickel. But the adults don't know that he's getting two every day--one for Sheldon, and one for himself. Barney finds out that Opie is being bullied and tells Andy. Opie doesn't know that Andy knows when they go fishing together...

Click here...for the in-a-nutshell lesson, watch 3:00 through 7:15.

...Opie shows up at the courthouse later that day with a shiner on his eye, and exclaims, "Ain't it a beaut?!" He tells his dad that it didn't hurt, and that he laughed. Then he lit into Sheldon like a tornado. And I bet Sheldon didn't bother Opie for a nickel anymore. Opie's shiner went away, and I can rightfully assume that Sheldon's did too.

Of course, most little playground disputes can be settled using only words. But as we know from recent headlines, there's a certain point where words just don't work anymore. Apparently schools aren't doing enough, either. Even with the anti-bully messages/lessons/programs that are circulating throughout. What's wrong with a knuckle sandwich once in a lifetime? Black eyes heal, and the lessons that are taught by getting them are sometimes worth it.

What I love most about this episode is that Andy didn't go calling Sheldon's parents saying, "My little Opie tells me that your mean Sheldon is being a bully and taking nickels away from him every day before school. What are you (or we) going to do about this?" He lets Opie settle it for himself and teaches him to stand up for himself and don't let a bully push him around. I highly doubt that just because Opie did it once, he'll do it over and over again to anybody who is ever mean to him.

Funny how a minor sandbox squabble can get you to think about your kid as school-aged and having to deal with life's decisions on his own, isn't it?

What do you think? Does a bully deserve a knuckle sandwich every once in awhile? Or should we stick to words?

Outside fun

FINALLY the nice weather is here! Colin is a total outside boy. From the time we get home until the time he goes to bed, save for supper time, he's out on our driveway or toddling around in the grass.

He pushes his lawn mower.
He sits in the grass.
Today, since it was so warm, I showed him the hose. He loved it.

Look what a little birdie dropped among my Lily of the Valleys and Clematis:

STRAWBERRIES! YES! I am watching these babies. I do not want to miss out on the opportunity to pick them at their prime.

Also, I don't think I shared that we got into the in-home daycare for next fall! After being on a waiting list for almost a year and a half, we're in! Colin's daycare teachers know now, because we had to let them know his summer schedule, and on it we marked that he wouldn't be returning in the fall. Of course it has nothing to do with them, but I still feel like I'm "cheating" on them. I really did like having him around other babies instead of with a mixed age. And they were so accommodating. They use our cloth diapers (which they love), and they put up with my high maintenance requests (no oats, no wheat bread, and we bring our own breast milk/organic cow milk mix every day. After the miscommunication error, I wanted to be in charge of milk). I really am thankful for all of the love and attention they've given him. I just know that this new daycare will be a better fit for him in the long run.

9 more days until summer vacation! Well...then I teach 6 weeks of summer school. I'm just ready for a change in faces.

Can I vent? Thanks.

This morning, I dropped Colin off at daycare and found out that for about 6 weeks, they've been giving him whole milk in a sippy cup at breakfast and lunch time.

It was about that long ago that I asked them to give him his milk in a sippy cup. To me, for a then-10 month old, milk=breastmilk. You know, the stuff I bring every day for him to drink. NOT whole milk.

I am pissed off. If they thought I meant whole milk, they should have asked to clarify. AND...they just all of a sudden switched him. They didn't mix it with breastmilk or anything. Or if they did, they didn't ask what ratio I wanted (which would've sent up a huge red flag for me).

And the girl was so snotty about it. I said, "You've been giving him whole milk?" And she said, "We talked about this!" Uh...no, we did not. Because if we had, I wouldn't be questioning it. No apology whatsoever from her.

Needless to say, I was mad, but in so much shock I didn't know what to say. I told them that I have over 600 ounces frozen in the freezer, and I don't forsee starting whole milk any time soon. I said my usual, "It's okay...good thing he didn't have a reaction, at least I know he likely won't react to it in the future," but as soon as I got to my car, I bawled. My goal of having only breastmilk (and solids) in my baby's belly for his first year is crushed.

I called the director and told her. There's nothing she can do to fix it, because you can't take that time back. LUCKILY Colin didn't have a reaction to it. Imagine what that would be like...I take him to the pediatrician, she asks what he's drinking, and I proudly say he's only drinking breastmilk, not even KNOWING that he has been drinking whole milk this whole time.

I also called Colin's pediatrician. I don't even know why. I told her what happened, and said, "I guess my question is...uh...I guess I don't really have one." She reassured me that she understood, but he's fine, and what's done is done and we can go back to breastmilk and transition when we're really ready for it.

I am so excited to drop him off tomorrow. not. I've decided I'm not going to say a lot to them anymore. And the important stuff I'll write down so it doesn't get misinterpreted.

I really, really, really hope the in-home daycare we really, really, really want has that opening in August. We have the paperwork. It's just not a sign-sealed-delivered guarantee yet.

Well hello there!

Whew! What a busy week it has been. It all boils down to this:
Thursday afternoon, I left work as soon as the kids were out of the building because I was not feeling well. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in bed...and running back and forth to/from the bathroom with the flu. By the time I was feeling somewhat functional around 11 pm, Kevin was down for the count, so I took the overnight baby shift.

I went to school on Friday, not feeling awesome, but needing to go because we had our first grade program. I muddled through the day, glad it was the end of the week.

On Saturday, the three of us checked out the daycare we *really* wanted. It's an in-home place, and Sandy was really nice. Two of my co-workers have used Sandy for their children, and loved her so much. We're so glad she has an opening in the fall for Colin (as long as unforeseen circumstances don't happen between then and now). She has a very structured day with plenty of outside time, activities, etc. She has a tiny toilet, low sinks, and a kitchenette right there in the basement.

My parents came up on Saturday, too, and hung out with us. I made some cinnamon swirl bread and some lactation cookies. My supply had dropped after being dehydrated from the flu and I was worried. I thought it was the end of breastfeeding because when I pumped, I was only producing 1 oz. at best.

On Sunday, my parents left in the afternoon and we continued to lay low. Kevin and I felt like we were hungover.

Back to work on Monday, and after downing some lactation cookies and drinking plenty of high-calorie Vitamin Water, and finally getting my appetite back (I woke up with a growling stomach!), I was so happy to find that my supply returned.

Colin's cutting the other bottom front tooth. If sleeping poorly means he wakes up every 2 hrs, and sleeping well means he wakes up every 4 hrs, he's sleeping semi-poorly. Last night, after being rocked, nursed, Tylenoled, and Orajeled, we started letting him cry it out again. It sucked. But then he slept for 4 hours. I hate letting him cry, but for the past few weeks, because of his teeth, we've been catering to him (as we should). But we're exhausted, and getting up every 2 hours isn't helping any of us.

It's another busy few weeks at school. The 100th day of school is tomorrow. I don't remember EVER celebrating it when I was in school, but it's a big deal now. Then the Science Museum of MN is coming to our school next week to talk to the kids about Antarctica, and we're going to see a small-town theater production play next Friday. The week after next is conferences. The only part I look forward to is having them done and not having to think about them again until next year :D

We found out last week that Kevin's grandma has a brain tumor. I'm not sure whether it's cancerous or not, but she does have to have it removed and she'll probably need chemo as well. Keep her in your thoughts if you get a chance.