The Posegate Family Blog

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So Evan finally had his first day of Pre-Kindergarten this week.  The night before, we started to pack his lunch together.  As he climbed up the step stool next to me he said “Alright…First day of school, here we come.”  He was pretty excited.  We had visited his classroom and he enjoyed the playdoh and puzzles.  His teacher had come to visit us at the house (impressive,no?) and he talked her ear off while we filled out paper work.  Miss Elizabeth is young and sweet and energetic. 

I prepped Evan the night before on the importance of the first day of school photo.  He’s not to keen these days to pose or say cheese.  So, I was very pleased when he allowed us a few snapshots without protest on this, his first day of school.

He was a little nervous and then contemplative on the 2 minute ride over.  

Here he is finding his hook and putting away his backpack.

 And off to the classroom…

He had a good day and even sat in the circle at circle time.  I saw it!

>Sleep.  It is the obsession of every new parent.  How to get your baby to fall asleep, stay asleep, to sleep longer, and how to get some for yourself too.

Asleep on the big red chair in the living rm

Before I became a parent I hardly ever thought about sleep.  I slept when I was tired.  I knew that I wasn’t the best sleeper ever.  I need dark and quiet and something comfy to lie on.  Sometimes I was tired from staying up late or doing too much but…. I had no idea.

When Evan came along we spent months and months being very sleep deprived. I was miserable, frustrated and did I mention miserable? Looking back I realize that I was too tired to be as thoughtful as I would have liked or enjoy the process of parenting very much.  I was just trying to survive.

Eventually we got to the end of our ropes and desperate for sleep we did some sleep training and we all slept a little better.  At the time I was traumatized.  How could I let my baby cry?  I must be the worst parent ever (especially here in co-sleeping heaven Ithaca).   Is sleep really that important?  Yes, in my book it is!

Alec is a completely different baby. I’m sure some of it has to do with us being more experienced but I have to give the little guy some credit.  He started sleeping long stretches on his own and they just kept getting longer.  Last week he slept 10 hours or more three nights in a row.  Having a taste of what being a rested parent of an infant feels like was heaven! (He’s gone back to getting up about twice…still  not bad!)

Alec sleeping at Viva Taqueria

Rested me really enjoys taking care of Alec and can handle a minor crisis.  (Like today when Evan, Alec and I went to Mama Goose and just as Evan announces that he had an accident Alec spits up on me.  Rested me didn’t cry or yell, I just calmly took them both to the restroom and we got on with our day.)  Rested me threw an ice cream party.   Rested me took care of both boys by myself for 24 hours while Russ went to Rochester for a helicopter thing and I wasn’t begging for death by the end. 

All this to say…sleep can make all the difference in the world.  Get it any way you can.

>One of my fondest memories of my childhood is going to my friend Meghan’s ice cream parties.  Every year she and her two siblings would invite all of their friends over and run around and play and make awesome ice cream sundaes.

Since she has an older brother and a younger sister who also got to invite all of their friends it was an interesting mix of kids.  I remember watching and hanging around the older kids– mostly boys, ooo, la, la.  One year we made a huge tunnel out of all their moving boxes. Lining up was a major part of the party. We had to line up from youngest to oldest and by darn we figured out when everyone’s birthdays were and got it right to the day! What a commotion that was! I have pretty vivid, albeit disconnected, memories of these parties…the invitation from one year, standing in line another year, the noise, the excitement in the air as we all anticipated going back to school. 

Now, as a parent, I can really appreciate what a lovely tradition this is and what wonderful memories Meghan’s mom, Mary, was creating for her and her siblings. So, I totally stole the idea and started our own tradition before Evan’s first day of Pre-K.

Plus, it seemed like a nice, easy way to throw a party.  The adults enjoyed themselves just as much as the happy, sugar high kids.   Thanks Mary!

>The summer is getting l-o-n-g and Evan is increasingly difficult to keep occupied.  We’ve been buying workbooks full of mazes and dot-to-dots.  Anything to fill the hours.  We’re also taking advantage of all there is to do in our area and sometimes beyond.

The Trumansburg Fair celebrated its 160th year this summer with a zoo, farm animal display, rides, games, food and a quintessential fair atmosphere.  We decided to check it out.

Evan liked the games and came home with two prizes.  Total cost= $9
We had some fair fare.  Ice Cream and a funnel cake.  Total cost=$6.50
6 tickets which got us onto 3 rides.  Total cost= $6.
Entrance fee  $4

Evan was really worried the tortoise was going to run away.  But at this pace I don’t think there’s much to worry about.

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

He did go on 3 different rides but only liked the 2 sissiest ones.

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Evan has this unexplainable (at least to my memory) fear of balloons and all things inflatable. So, it was a bit sad when his Uncle Andrew and Aunt Annika sent him this totally cool Toy Story bouncy/ride-on ball. He would cry hysterically if I even brought down the box. So, it sat on the shelf out of site for months.

Until recently…. I managed to covertly get this thing into the car, along with both boys, drive to a gas station and inflate it without Evan noticing.

When introduced to the ball already fully inflated and looking rather stable (his biggest fear is that it will spring a leak and fly around the room) he acted indifferent about it, but at least not scared. After a week or so and after a few friends came over and thought it was fun, he has come around.

Thanks Annika and Andrew! It’s a hit, finally.

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We’ve walked over to the Tuesday downtown farmer’s market twice so this summer. There are lots of yummy things to buy and eat and a nice story hour for toddlers. It’s a bit young for Evan these days but inevitably we run into lots of other parents with kids that we know and it makes for a lovely time.

I love the expressions on Alec’s face in these. So serious, so full of personality. Love it!