Week 4 at Montessori

Connor concentrating on a number puzzle

They say there comes a time during your child's school years that you are learning all over again with them. I just didn't realize it was going to come in the preschool years...Connor has learned geometrical shapes in his 4th week at Montessori. He told several of us the shapes he was learning - sphere, cube, cone, cylinder, ovoid, and ellipsoid. I had to get the last two from Ms. Beth's blog (see below). I think he has a good understanding of them too since he could give you examples or tell you what geometrical shape something was when quizzed. He's learning so much at his new school and growing up so fast!

Ms. Beth's Blog excerpt:

Each morning at circle this week, the children have learned a new geometrical solid shape. At first, some of the children called the sphere a circle and the cube a square, but after comparing the flat shapes with the 3-D shapes, the children caught on quickly. We began Monday with the sphere and the children named some things that we had in our room that were also spherical in shape such as the globe. I also introduced cube, cone, cylinder, ovoid (egg-shape), and ellipsoid (think football). We go around the circle taking turns naming the shapes, then as we take attendance, each child comes to my work rug, I place a handkerchief over their hands, and place one of the shapes into their hands. They are really good at figuring out which shape they're holding without even peeking! Other geometrical solids they'll be introduced to are the triangular prism, rectangular prism, square-based pyramid, and triangle-based pyramid.

Family Road Trip - St. Louis, MO

After much debate, we finally decided that our family vacation would be a road trip to St. Louis. Surprisingly, St. Louis is close to home, fun-filled, and inexpensive (<$650 for entertainment, lodging, and food for 4 days).

We kicked off the road trip on Thursday morning with our first stop at the Magic House. The boys had a blast in the Children's Village where they had exhibits where the kids could pretend grocery shop, run a restaurant, play house, run a bank, and more. They had exhibits that entertained both kids and adults alike. My favorites were the recollection room where your movements were turned into art and the shadow wall. The Magic House is undergoing a 32,000 sq ft expansion, so we can't wait to return.

Friday, we started off at the City Museum which was made up of tunnels, caves, and slides that were made of recycled materials. At one point, Connor and I were 4 stories high in an airplane that required climbing through fused metal to get up to and back down. Not my best parenting decision, but we survived and had a blast! We then ventured over to the Science Center where we spent the afternoon building an arch, watching the Energizer machine, escaping the roar of T-Rex, played in the science park, and watched Peeps get tortured in a science experiment.

Friday evening, we were planning on seeing the Forest Park Balloon Glow. About 4:30, we decided to walk over to Central Field (from the Science Center) to make sure we knew where it was located. It turned out to be quite a walk and there were people and food/game booths everywhere. We ended up staying (even though we sent Chris back to the car to get a blanket and money) - we people watched, ate expensive festival food, and ended the evening with the Balloon Glow. The boys were out by time we got back to the hotel about 9pm.

Saturday morning, Mimi & Papa joined us for the remainder of the weekend. We ventured to the St. Louis Zoo for the day (which is a very well-maintained zoo and it's free). I was really surprised by the massiveness of the Elephant and Chimpanzee exhibits. We also were able to see the Dinoroarus exhibit which featured 16 life-like dinos. By the end of the day, the boys were exhausted and Connor even slept all through dinner. We ended the evening watching the end of the Balloon Race before heading back to the hotel for a quiet evening.

After a large breakfast Sunday morning, we went to Grant's Farm. The visit starts out with a tram ride through the farm where you can see animals roaming free and then the tram stops at an area where you can pet and view more animals. Feeding the goats bottles of milk was really neat - Brady enjoyed it, while Connor was scared and had a major death grip. We also saw the Budweiser Clydesdales, which I had no idea were so large!

After Grant's Farm, we decided to check out the WFPRR train ride (which I assumed would be similar to the one in French Lick). Apparently, I missed the key word "mini". It was a mini steam rail system where you take a scenic route along the Meramac River on 2 feet wide flat beds. I think everyone ended up enjoying the ride - especially since we had some comedic mishaps like the engine separating from the rest of the train.

There were times where the boys tested our patience and we were tempted to return home. Our naps and eating schedules were thrown off, so that is a lesson learned for future vacations. All in all, it turned out to be a very nice vacation for the family with lots of memories.

Week 3 at Montessori...Short Week

Friday night, I received a message from Ms. Beth that Connor is definitely comfortable with the classroom and has even moved on to the "testing the teacher" mode. Even though she had to get firm with him on Friday for his stubbornness, he still claims she is his best friend. When I read the message to him, he immediately started giving me excuses for an incident that must have happened that day.

Week 3 for Connor was a short week due to our family vacation and it went well. I think the teachers must coach the kids on what to say to the parents, because here is what we hear each night.

"I had a good day. I played with my friends. I didn't hit, bite, kick, or pinch any of my friends. I listened to my teacher." It is a repeated mantra every evening...and also when he hears the computer beep for a new message (which he comments is possibly from Ms. Beth).

Ms. Beth maintains a weekly blog about what is going on in the classroom, upcoming events, and various pictures. I allowed Connor to review the pictures and he surprisingly knew several of the "works" that his classmates were working on. He didn't know all of the kids names yet though.

Coming up at Montessori..themed sharing day, field trip to Cmoe, Fall Festival Booth, and more.

Brady's "Big Boy" Bed...Compromise

Ever since Mimi took Brady with her for bed shopping (for her house), Brady has been commenting more on Connor's "big boy" bed and he wants to go in there at bedtime. We weren't ready to move Brady from his crib directly to a twin bed (like we did with Connor), because we are guaranteed to have a runner since we hear "I want out of here, get me out of here". Therefore, we decided to compromise by converting his crib to a toddler bed. We took off one side of the crib and replaced it with a bed rail. The bed rail is large enough to where he can't slide out of bed easily without some awkward maneuvering. He loves it and he now sleeps with a comforter too!

Connor loves it too as they played in it all weekend..."Brady, let's go play in your bed." We caught them in there several times pretend napping or reading books.

Week 2 at Montessori

We ended Week 1 with Connor reporting that it was a sad week and that he would not be returning when he woke up on Monday. He told us this story several times over the weekend, so we assumed Week 2 would be another heartbreaking week.

Boy, were we wrong! Connor has officially accepted his "BIG BOY" school. On Monday, when I asked him what kind of day he had, he said "I had a BAD day" with the biggest grin on his face. I knew then that there was nothing further to worry about.

He had a few stories during the week...He said Ms. Beth is his best friend because she teaches him lessons. He said he has been working on fish on a string, feed the monkeys, grasping, pouring, and scooping. He said that he loves playing in the rocks and dirt (his clothes show it). As much as I hated the sand at Central, at least his clothes stayed clean(er)! Few other things Connor has picked up "I have a question (this is usually a statement)", "When I am talking to you, you need to listen to me", and my favorite is a new (interesting) song that I have never heard before (I had to look it up online).

Five Fat Sausages Five fat sausages sizzling in the pan Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, (rub hands together) and one (Connor inserted Brady's name here) went bang! (clap!) Four fat sausages………

So, in conclusion, Week 2 at Montessori went great. One downside to the Montessori program is Connor has some pent-up energy at the end of the day - he is WILD in the evenings!

Brady played hookie

Brady got sent home from daycare yesterday sick (which we always wonder if it is related to something he ate). He got sick a few times more that evening (once in Daddy's car even - yucky!), but woke up Friday morning feeling great. We kept him home just in case and because of the 24-hour rule at daycare. He had a blast playing hookie - he played in Connor's room a lot today. They are building a house next to ours and you can see the construction progress from Connor's room only. He also got to help daddy take down the pool in the afternoon. Here are a few things we learned about Brady today...

Quickly recognizes an opportunity... When Connor was getting ready to leave for school, Brady said "I want to watch 1 more episode, while holding up 1 finger". When I told him that he was staying home today and he could watch more than 1 episode, he immediately said I want to watch Blues Clues, Little Einsteins, Mickey Mouse, Wonder Pets, Handy Manny, and Higglytown Heroes. This is the list of all their favorite shows that they watch.

His world is rocked easily and he wants to know why...

• Why did you move this (bench, coat rack, etc.) here from the mudroom? (Because I am making room for daddy to paint before installing my new mudroom organizers)
• You broke my car seat (said in horror). You need to fix it! (It had to be cleaned from the night before)
• Where did my Mickey Mouse book go? It was right here! (I put it back in the bookshelf)
• Why did you move my shoes? (Because they were in the middle of the floor)

Believes everyone should play hookie with him.. Why did Connor go to school and daddy to work when I am sick. I stay home...they should stay home.

Holiday World Fun

We spent this beautiful day at Holiday World for Mommy's company picnic. The weather was a low 80's and we decided to limit ourselves to the park area and avoid Splashin Safari. The park was closed to the public (3 companies only), so that helped make the lines short and quick. We mistakenly started out in the kiddie ride area where the boys would stand in line and then chicken out once they realized they had to ride alone, so we really thought the day was going to be SHORT! We then decided to venture to rides that at least Connor and an adult could ride.

Brady was not as interested in the rides throughout the day, but enjoyed Hollidog Funtown. Connor on the other hand rode every ride that he could beginning with the ones requiring an adult chaperone and finally deciding to return to the kiddie area for solo rides. We rode the Freedom Train and Howler Roller Coaster more times than I can remember. I couldn't get Connor to ride the Log Ride (he didn't want to get wet) and he was disappointed he couldn't ride the BIG roller coasters.

The boys were very well behaved, did a lot of walking on their own, and seemed to enjoy the day. We saw some friends throughout the day, including friends of Connor's from school (Central and Montessori). We ended up staying until the end of the day. Needless to say, they were sound asleep before we had even made it back to I-64.

End of First Week..."The Transition"

My heart is breaking for Connor. After the first day which was a great day, each day thereafter has been a SAD day. He really misses his friends, E and S at his old school. Every argument I make for why he gets to go to a big boy school, he has a comeback for. Drop-offs have not went as well as the first day. When he gets picked up, his immediate response is "I had a sad day". They said that he asks for mommy in the mornings, but seems to hold it together and is okay by the afternoon. On Thursday, he said he didn't like that he didn't get to stay in his classroom all day (they go to a playroom for AM/PM care, nap room, lunch room, and recess). That evening, he burst into tears several times asking to go back to his old school. He also picked out several episodes of Blues Clues themed around school (Steve goes to College, Periwinkle's first day of school). Friday, he cried during the drop off, but it was reported that today was a good day.

Ms. Beth called me with a weekly report that he has had a good week and you wouldn't even know he was a new student. She said he participates in the activities, seems excited about the lessons, and is making new friends. She also said he is very detailed with the routine (repeats it throughout the day) and that he is a very well-behaved child. If he is sad, he is really only letting us see it and I am sure part of that is a "guilt-trip" that we made him make this change.

I have been told that it takes 2-4 weeks for the transition to a new routine and change. Hopefully week 2 will be less sad for Connor.

First Day of "Big Boy" School

Today was Connor's first day at his new "Big Boy" school, Montessori. Things went very well today. The Director called me this afternoon to give me an update on his morning. She said she was very impressed by how much of a big boy he was about daddy leaving - he sucked it up and moved on to reading a book. He was very excited when his buddy from Central arrived and were apparently glued to each other during recesses.

Later that evening, I also had a message from his teacher, Ms. Beth, who said that his day went very well. She said he stayed close to her in the morning, but slowly got more brave by the afternoon. She said his only struggle was the transition periods (lessons to lunch, etc.). When I told Connor that she called, his response was "Did she tell you that my day was great?".

We didn't get a lot of details out of Connor, other than it was great. We learned that he didn't like any of his lunch except for the cheese balls and juice and they wouldn't let him have more cheese balls since he didn't eat the yogurt and carrots. He announced that he went to the bathroom all by himself without any help (yes-the undies show it!). He said he met lots of new friends, but he doesn't remember their names.

This evening, Connor was complaining that his back was hurting, which we were wondering if could be related to school (sitting on the floor working on lessons). Then we realized very quickly that it was a ploy - for ice cream. As he was holding his back in pain, he said he needed ice cream to make the oowie go away. I have no idea how he jumped to that conclusion...we have never associated ice cream with an illness.

Mesker Park Zoo Visit

Today, we ventured to Mesker Park Zoo to see the new Amazonia exhibit and other new features of the zoo. It was very nice to see the improvements they have made, which included air conditioned spaces (nice on a hot day like Monday).

Common (recurring) phrases heard during our visit at the zoo:

• Why can't I see anything in there? (because they are hiding from the heat)
• Let's keep going - see if there are more animals.
• Why won't the animals get closer to us - we're not monsters.
• Is that Big Bad Wolf going to blow down our house - no cause it is brick!
• Why is the tiger walking back and forth like he is lost?
• I said the zoo needs to get an elephant now that they have amazonia and Connor's response was that we need to get a bigger bath tub for it.
• Why is there only one (insert Rhino, Hippo, Lion)?
• Why are those kids playing in the water without their swimsuits on?
• Where is the Cheetah - when we see the Cheetah, it wll be time to go.

Fun Times for Labor Day Weekend

We started out the weekend visiting Connor's new school and meeting the teacher. When he was picked up from daycare, he told everyone it was his last day and basically said "SEE YA" as he left with daddy. He seemed to enjoy the visit and has remained excited about his "BIG BOY" school all weekend talking about the fish, Mr. White, the lunches, and the new friends he will meet. He keeps asking for reminders about what the name of the school is and what his teachers name is. I hope Tuesday goes well for the first day at the new school. He was at his last school for 3 1/2 years starting when he was 9 weeks old, so this is a big transition for all of us.

Saturday night, we had a great visit with Mimi, Papa, and Aunt Julie (even though the boys slept for half the visit). They really had a fun time showing things to the family, including one of their favorite shows, Little Einstein. The boys send a big Thank You to Aunt Julie for the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse books (which is another favorite show of theirs).

Sunday, we had a family get-together at Gma Darla and Papa Tommy's house. It was nice to visit with family (especially since we go SO LONG between visits). It's amazing how we can all live in Evansville, but yet life gets so busy that months can go by in a flash. We were very excited for my aunt and her pool project (and now her house remodeling that we gave her ideas for). We also finally got my mom set up on the computer - that was a challenge! The boys really enjoyed playing with their cousins - they were mainly playing with the slip-n-slide all afternoon.

Connor lecturing Tyler that he is too little for the toy!

Note the Redneck canopy over the Slip-N-Slide!

And the lesson of the weekend is...don't assume everything in nature is something for the kids to see. If anyone asks, this is daddy grasshopper carrying his baby! I have to give it to those two for stamina....long time spent on the boy's playset.

Conversations and quotes from the boys

• Connor got to visit his new school on Friday. He was telling Brady that he couldn't go until he was older and potty trained. Brady's response was "I am potty trained". I mean he knows how to go potty (in his diaper) and he knows where the potty is located. Yeah - sorry Brady - that doesn't count.
• At breakfast time, we were slicing grapes for Brady. He kept saying he needed more, then he said "I have a lot, but I don't have enough yet."
• As Connor was finishing off a bowl of ice cream, he then asked for Brownies. I said "No, you could have one or the other and you chose ice cream". His response was "Okay, then I will have the other".
• Connor used to always go to the grocery store with daddy - then Brady took over that role for a period of time. Now, when the boys are asked who is going with daddy to the grocery, their response is "Not me, (the other brother) can go with you or you can go by yourself". This is heard from both of them - so daddy now gets the privilege of going by himself.
• Brady talks very well for his age, but there are times when we (including Connor) have no idea what he is talking about. Connor kept asking me what Brady was talking about and I responded that I didn't know and for Connor to try and figure it out. Connor went through a laundry list of questions to Brady about what he could be talking about (do you want to go somewhere, are you asking for food, etc.) and finally concluded that he just didn't know. He said "Brady is talking about a bucket - that is all I know".
• I won't bore you with the details of the "Bathroom" talk that has started at our house - poopie head, you pooped in your pants (this is said to ALL of us, not just Brady), you farted, I farted, etc. What I will do is refer you to a link that sums up the direction we are headed...I was cracking up when I read this post because I could picture Connor saying it. http://funnymummyfiles.blogspot.com/2008/08/real-poop.html
• Speaking of bathroom, apparently I had spent a little longer than normal in the bathroom one day. Brady knocked on the door and asked "Are you okay Mommy?".